THE EVENING LIGHT.

[THE following beautiful piece of unrhymed poetry is taken from an old German volume, entitled "Stimmen aus Zion," Voices from Zion, published in 1696. The author, Petersen, is now little known even in his own country, and not at all in England. "He was, says Herder," not only a good and learned, but also an able man. Leibnitz esteemed his poetry. Many of his "Voices from Zion," read like Idylls, lovely pictures, full of pure feeling and lofty truth."]

Harken to my song, ye children of the future world, ye shall judge if I have sung well.

The perfect must yet come; and when it has come, then the imperfect must cease. A lily shall bloom in Nature; when it blooms, the whole world will enjoy its perfume.

The kingdom of good shall ever become greater and nobler; the grain of mustard seed will become a great tree, and the birds of heaven lodge among its branches. All things that grow have a small beginning,-the order of their increase is established ;-one cannot overstep the other.

Unless the small be first, the great cannot follow ; and without the great, the greatest cannot be. Yet the greatest is greatest, and the last is best.

For the last all former things are, in the last all the past is comprehended.

The earth brings forth the grass first, then the ear, after that the wheat in the ear. Who does not look forward to the fruit which the tree will yield in due time? Who would be satisfied with the leaves, with the blossom, or with untimely fruit?

Ye fools, when will ye become wise? Wherefore do ye gainsay the better times in the latter days? Ye grow older in years, why not also in understanding? Ye see the child disappear in the youth, and the youth in the

man.

The present seems great to us so long as the greater has not yet come; yet the great itself is small in comparison with the perfect.

From the fore-court we enter into the holy place; through the holy we pass on to the Holy of Holies. The thought excels the letter, the life of the spirit surpasses both.

The city of God will be built up within us; when it becomes bright in our hearts, it will also shine outwardly. Hallelujah! the perfect cometh, the victory awaits the good.

Who can gainsay these sentiments (we quote again from Herder), they are the very essence of reason. And is not Christianity itself built upon this indestructible hope in a better time to come? Prophetic visions of a future golden age lay at its foundation; they filled the mind of Christ, who, while yet a child, questioned and disputed concerning them. He left that age begun, but not completed, he taught us to pray for it, he commanded us to labour for it, and to establish a kingdom of God in ourselves. It can only, however, be spiritually promoted, by the union of good men together; it will advance constantly without observation,-it comes with silent footsteps. Every beam of light, every kind deed, every pure thought, brings it nearer and nearer; all good men labour together in harmony for its coming, though, it may be, unknown to each other. Take from Christianity this hope, this faith, and Christianity itself is no more; for it only lives in faith and quiet endeavour after a future age.

But let us not presume to set a measure to the ways of Providence, to hurry precipitately forward in the hope of shortening the path; disappointments will teach us that the mountain which seemed so near lies farther off than we imagined. Yonder it stands glancing among the clouds; forward, then, towards it, yet without haste! W. S.

REVIEW.

The Education of the Working Classes, a Discourse, by the Rev. J. Cameron. London, J. Green.

THIS Discourse was preached for the benefit of Wakefield Sunday School, and printed at the request of those who heard it. The author liberally allows the profits to be added to the school fund.

One extract will suffice to commend the pamphlet to our readers, as containing some clear and forcible remarks on the Education of the Working Classes.

Pages 7, 8." The objector" [supposed to be present and arguing the subject], " is afraid that education will create insubordination among the working classes, and so break up our country, or rather the glorious British constitution, into a worse chaos than that of the old Saxon heptarchy; and it is true that a people whose eyes are opened to know their rights as citizens, and the end and aim of good government, will not spare in the venerable tree of the constitution one rotten branch, however picturesque, nor one green bough productive of nothing but leaves, absorbing the sap, and yielding in return no fruit. These they will certainly cut away, but the trunk and fruit bearing branches they will cherish, and under their beneficent shadow, seek shade and nourishment for themselves and their children. Does he not know the grand lesson taught us by the voice of history? Out of ignorance in a people comes revolution-out of education comes reformation. When the government of any country fulfils the end of good government, the more enlightened the subject is, he will yield the readier obedience to those that be in authority. If we unfold in a man the sense of beauty, he will recognise and delight in the beautiful when and wherever he finds it, in art and nature, in the ideal 'transcendencies,' the creations of genius-and in that universe wherein God has embodied and revealed the beauty of the divine nature. If we train the intellect to the perception of the truths which an abstract intelligence supplies,' the intellect will delight to expatiate in the region of demonstration; and so, too, if we

educate the general mind to see the end for which alone governments are ordained of God-to advance the virtue and happiness of a people-the general mind will Love and uphold those institutions which are clearly subservient to this purpose. Educate the people. Is it not better that the vast and complicate political machinery have for its animating spirit knowledge than ignorance? The people will, before many years pass away, obtain an extension of the franchise, and so bring themselves to bear upon the springs of government. Our alternative lies between a hand and a hoof. Let us then work while it is called to-day."

The True Church of Jesus; a District Address. By the Rev. J. Jokns. London, J. Green.

THIS Address from the pen of the benevolent domestic missionary of Liverpool, is "designed to promote the extension of Christian brotherhood and love," as are the writer's constant labours. Mr Johns resides in a locality where party spirit too widely prevails, and its bad effects continually come under his notice; hence he derives additional motives to proclaim the "Gospel of Peace" in a strain which breathes more of the truly Christian spirit than many around him, and adds the weight of his own example. Would that the M'Neiles and Stowells of the present day, would take a lesson from the pious missionary.

We quote one paragraph as illustrative of our friend's views:-Page 4." My friends, it is with pain that I think, it is with grief that I speak, of these wars, and rumours of wars, in the Church of Jesus. For myself, my part has long been chosen. If ever I speak of war, it shall be to recommend peace. If ever I speak of enmity, it shall be to recommend love. If ever I speak of the divisions of the church, it shall be to lead to the consideration of those great points which unite the true Christians of every sect and age, of every church and country; and in consideration of the grandeur and supreme importance of which, all meaner distinctive points should be like the glow-worm's light before the sun. Resolving for myself to know nothing among you save Jesus Christ, and him crucified, and glorified, I would,

were it possible, lead all who give me the power of addressing them, to think daily less and less of the articles of division which separate different sects and churches, and daily more and more of those divine and redeeming principles of union which are common to all sects and churches alike, and which form, in point of fact, the only creed taught us in the Gospel."

The Fireside Missionary, addressed to the Labouring Classes of a City. Published by the Christian Tract Society. Agent, J. Green, 121 Newgate Street, London.

WE have long desired to witness our tract societies issue cheap tracts, calculated to make a religious impression on the minds of the poor. We trust the Fireside Missionary" is only one of a good series of halfpenny tracts; and while we hail this as a valuable addition to our stock for wide circulation, we shall look with anxiety for others of the same kind. In this matter the orthodox have displayed more wisdom-as it is well known that small and attractive pamphlets are read by thousands who cannot readily obtain large volumes for perusal, or give them the needful attention if obtained.

The subject of the tract before us is, "the Gospel and the Poor;" the writer evidently knows their position and their wants.

We commend the publication to our friends, and hope they will distribute it far and wide.

MONTHLY RECORD.

JUNE 1. 1842.

Died, March 10, at his residence, Wilson Street, Belgrave Square, London, in the 40th year of his age, esteemed and beloved by all who knew him, Edmund Clark Esq., of Lincoln's Inn, barrister-at-law, Recorder of the boroughs of Hasings and Rye, in the county of Sussex, occasional Assistant or Deputy Recorder of Birmingham, and a member of the late Board of Commissioners for inquiring into the state of the Public Charities The learned gentleman was a much respectted member of the Unitarian body, being the youngest son of Thomas Clark, Esq. one of the senior magistrates for the