is said, are shrewd observers, and they would soon draw conclusions from such proceedings as would not produce good fruit in their practice. I wish the incident might lead the teacher in question, and many others, to review the manner in which they perform this part of their school operations, with a view to improvement. I believe, in too many instances, little or nothing is done for the class of children to which your correspondent refers. Our Lord reminds us that they that are whole need not a physician, but they that are sick; this is often forgotten. The regular, well-behaved scholars are paid for attending early, are rewarded for learning their lessons and for their good behaviour; for them we provide the magazine, to them the library is open, and the periodical reward books are given; but the others are left to find amusement, and something more, from such publications as "G. B." speaks of.

Should we not be likely to benefit our scholars generally, if we acted more in the spirit of our heavenly Father, who is kind to the evil and the good? Ought we not, as the friends of the young committed to our care, to guide them in all that concerns their best interests? and especially, having helped to enable them to read, and created a desire for information, should we not be careful to provide for them generally such books and publications as they may read with pleasure and advantage? The money spent in treats and expensive rewards for a few, would supply the means for having good libraries, and, for every scholar who can read, his own magazine; and, moreover, clear away all the troublesome machinery of tickets, marks, &c., by which the character of Sunday schools is at present lowered. S.

ON MATTHEW xi. 12.-REPLY TO "L. S." SIR,-It is no doubt true, as your correspondent "L. S." remarks, that "in the day when a man turns to God, he must do violence to his previous ideas, to his long-cherished sins." At the same time I cannot admit this to be the primary meaning of the words, " The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force."

By referring to the context, it will appear that our Lord is speaking of the introduction of a new dispensation. That of "the law and the prophets" was passing away, that of "the kingdom of heaven" was commencing. Between the two, John the Baptist had appeared. His ministry was the point of transition; and thenceforth the kingdom of heaven, like a besieged city, had been beset with eager applicants for its privileges and joys. The interpretation which would make the whole a simple statement as to the nature of individual personal religion, seems not only inharmonious with the connexion, but destructive of the force of the contrast. For it would not be true of the Christian dispensation, as distinguished from that of the law and the prophets, that a man to partake its blessings must deny himself. That obligation belonged to the former and the latter

alike, and must, indeed, characterize true devoteules to ta

everywhere.

But, apart from the context, the words themstaven

construction of your correspondent.

declared to be, not a man's sinful passions and propelsvės. Ji de

dom of heaven. The zeal described is not, therefore, tarasie:

an evil, but effort to win a prize. And an exact tralistais la të tjera. would be “The kingdom of the heavens is being stormed, at

are seizing upon it;” presenting, as before stated, a very apa representation of a besieged city. It must always be carei

there is in this phrase-the kingdom of heaven or the kinguom o vu

no reference whatever to the place that we call heaver.

»Tut weaver

(and the original word in this connexion is always piural) is an epici the Most High. So by one evangelist Christ is made to say res the "little ones," "of such is the kingdom of heaven," by another.

such is the kingdom of God."

Yours truly,

INTELLIGENCE.

LONDON.-Sunday School Union Committee.-June 18th, Mr. Burge in the chair. Application made by the Rev. G. Scott, of Truro, for aid towards establishing Sunday schools in Sweden. £5 and two copies of the Union publications granted. Ten libraries were granted to country schools, and one to Sydney. The depository sub-committee was authorized to pubIlish a halfpenny magazine for young children. A preliminary conference of the Committee, with the Auxiliary committees, and the superintendents and secretaries of the connected schools, is to be held at Surrey Chapel schoolroom, July 13th, to consider "The mode of celebrating the Jubilee of the Sunday School Union in 1853." Auxiliary Reports.-East. One library applied for. The annual meetings were reported of the Hackney Branch, May 31st, and of the Poplar and Limehouse Branch, June 1st North. A new school reported; one library applied for: £5 had bee granted to Southgate-road School. The annual sermon to chiarer of the Stoke Newington Branch had been preached by the Ber. J. brauci on Whit Monday; one thousand present. South. A new brauc Be library application. West. One library applied to grants of elementary books had been made. Specia prayer meeting had been held on Whit Sunday morning.

opened; one

LEICESTER.-There are forty-nine schools belonging 1 tu twenty of which are in the town of Leicester, au tar reuma nine in the villages around. The town schoo: cutia: 65

large for them, and also occasionally for their brethren of the country, for conference on important matters connected with the Union. You had better set about it at once, and get £20,000. What is the use of pulling down old places, and endeavouring to rebuild them. You had better build a great place in which you could hold your meetings—a large room like Exeter Hall. I mean what I say. I am very serious about it. I believe that the Sunday school teachers in London, if God were to put it into their hearts, and give them spiritual influences, and baptize them with the love they ought to feel for the cause, could as easily raise £20,000 as they could £10,000. It is always well, in setting about a great object, to have a larger one in view. If we set about a larger object than we can accomplish, we shall, by aiming high, shoot higher than by aiming low. It is always best, as far as my judgment and little experience has gone, to endeavour to accomplish great things, and then we shall succeed in doing much more than we could possibly have supposed ourselves capable of doing. I have done. I shall say no more, because I will not trespass upon the time of this meeting, as this is a conference. You have said that America has outdone the mother. I hope she has; and I am always glad when America outdoes England. But I may be permitted to express one wish to-night, which is deeply seated in my heart: that, if America has exceeded us in efforts and contributions, she may have grace given her to exceed us in the love of instruction and liberty.--(Cheers) I was just finishing a sentence, which you will allow me to complete that she may exceed us in the love of instruction and liberty, for every black as for every white man.-(Loud cheering.)

JAMES NISBET, Esq., seconded the resolution, and observed: It would ill become me to take up the time of this conference by making a speech. I have been a bit of a working man all my life, but a speechifying man I never was. I well remember the formation of this society, and being brought into the room, then a very bashful young man. At that period there was great and general ignorance of the best method of teaching children in Sunday schools, and it is not surprising, therefore, that I shared in it. We hardly knew how to begin to teach them A B C. There was no order or regularity in the schools, and there were hardly any teachers. Yet we did not despair of improvement, because we did not shrink from work-and I believe that I have been much profited in every way by the attempt which I made to teach others. Those that water others, as the Bible says, shall be watered themselves. I crossed the Tweed with a staff in my hand, and God has been pleased to bless my efforts in a variety of ways. Our friend Mr. Sherman has

spoken of my prosperity; but I think that when I am gone people will wonder that I have left so little behind me. I have endeavoured to use that which I have, in the providence of God, obtained, for the promotion of his cause and glory in the world. I have, as far as I could, after due consideration of the claims of those dependent upon me, determined to be my own executor. I stand here to-night as a sabbath school teacher. I have been a publisher now for fiveand-forty years, and I know that the wants of the age, in respect to books, are not now the same as when I began business. Our old friend Johnnie Campbell's "Penny Magazine,” and other works, and "Worlds Displayed," were the sort of books in use then; and although I had not felt the power of the truth on my own heart, yet I took particular care to read all the little bookies before I put them into the hands of the children. This was the plan which was then adopted by all the teachers. This is impossible, perhaps, now there are such a great variety of works published for children: but I fear that there is a danger, sometimes, in the present day, of putting into the hands of the children, even in Sunday schools, some productions which it were better that they should not read. I will give you an instance of the plan which many Sunday school teachers of fifty years ago adopted in order that they might be able to meet their classes on the sabbath in a proper and efficient manner. I used to rise at four o'clock to study the chapters which had been appointed as the lessons for the next sabbath in the school, lest I should be asked a question by any scholar that I could not readily answer. I would advise all our teachers of the present day to do the same. I am conscious that I derived a great deal of the knowledge which I now possess by this means. I used also to get Matthew Henry's " Commentary," and read over all his remarks upon the chapters to be explained in the class; but even then I found that the boys would ask questions which I could not very well answer. I was always delighted with the work of sabbath school instruction, and never got weary of it. My own soul was, as I have said, often refreshed by it. But I have not of late years been able to take such an active part in sabbath school teaching as I should have done had I not been called away to attend other duties. But for your encouragement, who are still actively engaged in this grand and blessed work, I may say that, as a sabbath school teacher, I spent some of the most happy hours that I ever enjoyed. There were in our schools, doubtless, some who were strangers to the converting grace of God; but I recollect that we were very particular indeed to obtain those teachers who manifested the graces of the Spirit. We had no superintendent then as we have

now, but we all took the duties of that office in turn, and opened and closed the school. In some of the schools there were three distinct services. I have had the happiness of knowing that I did not work in vain, and without success. Two of my beloved Sunday school scholars are now grandmothers, and both their children and their children's children are engaged in the sabbath school. I rejoice exceedingly, dear friends, in being permitted to be present here this evening. I thank God that he has spared me to see this day, and I pray most sincerely and devoutly that God will abundantly bless your efforts in this cause, even more so than he did ours at the beginning. I recommend all you young men to be at your work in the morning. I was one of those people who attended the breakfast meetings of the Union, and I never lost my breakfast, as it seems some did, from being late. I was always in good time. I recollect quite well hearing Mr. Leigh Richmond make that very speech which you have heard this evening, at the tavern in Cheapside. I can only repeat the expression of pleasure which I feel in seeing this present demonstration on behalf of sabbath schools; and I pray that, while the system is blessed of God, you may experience the same blessings in your own souls. I must, in conclusion, beg of you to pardon these rambling remarks. I told you at the beginning that I had never been accustomed to public speaking, and I had no idea when I left home to come to this place, that I should be called upon to say anything; and I expected, moreover, to see only a snug little meeting, but it turns out to be both large and influential. May God bless you all, and prosper the enterprise. The resolution having been unanimously adopted,

The CHAIRMAN said: I feel it necessary to beg that you will now excuse me. My excellent friend, Mr. Sherman, who alluded to me as looking so healthy and robust, little knows the discipline of Providence to which I have been subjected, during the last seven or eight years, while I have been laid aside from active duties, in a very great degree, but which Providence has permitted me in some measure to resume, yet under very great restrictions; and I fear going too far, which might be injurious—and, therefore, under these circumstances, I shall be obliged to leave you at this stage of the proceedings. The Sunday School Union was very much indebted to the congregation of Surrey Chapel at the period of its origin. I look back with great pleasure upon the memory of those friends who were engaged in the formation of it. The Union comprised several excellent men connected with Surrey Chapel-Mr. Burchett, Mr. Hugh Beams, and others with whom I united in its formation, and although I am midway between seventy and eighty