INTERCOURSE WITH CHILDREN. | turally have been expected, on literary The most essential point in our subjects, in a very short time sat

IMBECILITY OF INFIDELITY.

Infidels and Atheists usually lose courage and confidence in their opinions in seasons of distress, and sink at the view of death into sullen despondency or despair. Now if according to their impiety there be no God, why do they deny him in their prosperity? There can be no other reason assigned than this; that in a state of health their minds are clouded with

the blind follies of the world; but that like distracted persons their reason returns at the point of death.

VISIBLE CHRISTIANITY. One great hindrance to the effect of religion, as the most important principle of social good, would be removed, could men be taught to regard it in all its relations to humanity. They would then be compelled to acknowledge, that it is not existing where it is not active, and that the proper object of its action is the world. As Christianity is professed, even in this age, and in this country, the belief of thousands is more a monastical profession, than an active faith.

works, neither in part nor in the whole. For that were the greatest arrogancy and presumption of man that Antichrist could set up against God, to affirm that a man might by his own works take away and purge his own sins, and so justify himself. But justification is the office of God only, and is not a thing which we render unto him, but which we receive of him; not which we give to him, but which we take of him, by his free mercy, and by the only merits of his most dearly beloved Son, our only Redeemer, Saviour, and Justifier, Jesus Christ." (Tit. iii, 1-8.)

VALUE OF A BIBLE.

In the year 1272, the pay of a laboring man was three halfpence per day. In 1274, the price of a Bible, with a commentary, fairly written, was thirty pounds. That precious volume, which may now be obtained, by many laborers, for less than one day's pay, would then have cost them thirteen years' labor to produce. It is further worthy of remark, that in the year 1240, the building of two arches of London Bridge cost twenty-five pounds; five pounds less than the price of a Bible! How great are the privileges of British Christians in our time, when the Bible no longer re mains a costly acquisition.

MORAL WORTH ESTEEMED,

FLATTERY

REBUKED.

Alasco, a Polish nobleman, was one The French Ambassador who visiof the most distinguished preachers ted the illustrious Bacon during his among the reformed in the time of Luther. No candid man was his enemy. So extensive were his learning, benevolence and liberality, and so amiable was his piety, that Erasmus, with whom he lived some time, remarked, "I would have thought myself sufficiently happy in his single friendship."

ILL-NATURE.

One of the deepest and most common causes of evil speaking is, ill-nature and cruelty of disposition; and,

last illness, on finding him in bed, with the curtains drawn, addressed to him this fulsome compliment; "You are like the angels, of whom we hear and read much, but have not the pleasure of seeing." The reply was the sentiment of a philosopher, and the language of a Christian. "If the complaisance of others compares me to an angel, my infirmities tell me, I am only a man,"

NIGHT STUDIES.

Extraordinary wakefulness, ena

by a general mistake, ill-nature pass-bling persons to study hard for days eth for wit, as cunning doth for wis- and nights without sleep, leads to a dom; though in truth they are nothing akin to one another, but as far distant as vice and virtue,-Tillotson.

ADAM'S APPLE

very erroneous idea of the harmlessness of this excess. Intense thought or abstraction, has a powerful influence on the circulation; and this absence of sleep is obviously the result of ex

on to

Is the name given to the pro- cessive action of the brain, which, if tuberance in the fore part of the not relieved, must soon run throat, occasioned by the pro- delirium. Extraordinary wakefulness jection of the thyroid cartilage of is, therefore, the signal of nature for the larynx, This name originated suspending such pursuits.

from a superstitious tradition, that a piece of the forbidden fruit which Adam ate, stuck in his throat, and occasioned the swelling.-Timbs's Popular Errors.

ROYALTY.

Louis VI. of France, who was an accomplished sovereign, and possessed great energy of mind, courage, and activity, when on his death bed, addressed his son in the following remarkable words: "Recollect that royalty is nothing more than a public charge, of which you must render a very strict account to him who makes kings, and who will judge them."

VICES AND VIRTUES, IN

WHOM FOUND.

The greater part of vices consist either in defects or excesses; the greater part of virtues, in the observance of a just medium. The virtues are found less among the low and the great, than in the middling classes of mankind. The low are less acquainted with their duties; this is their defect: the great know them, transgress them, and give themselves up to excess. The generality of men who form the middle class, understand them better, and practise them more.

TASTE.

with upon this subject, "would you wish," said he, "that the devil should keep all the fine tunes to himself."

SILVER BOOK.

A cultivated taste not only increases sensibility to all the tender and amiable passions, but tends to weaken the more violent and fierce emotions. THE UPSAL EVANGELISTS, OR The elevated sentiments and glorious examples, which poetry, eloquence, and history, present to our view, naturally tend to excite a spirit of patriotism and independence, a love of honor, a contempt of external fortune, and an admiration of whatever is truly illustrious and great.

The writer of modern romance chooses his scenes from the places of debauchery and crime, and familiarizes the reader with characters, sentiments, and events, that should be known only to the police. Licentious scenes and obscene imagery are unblushingly introduced, and the imagination polluted by suggestions and descriptions revolting to the pure in heart. It was lately testified in open court by the father of one whose guilty course had brought ruin upon herself, disgrace upon her family, and death upon her lover, that all was occasioned by his daughter's "reading these impure works." And Courvoisier, the murderer of Lord William Russell, confessed to the Sheriff that the reading of " Jack Sheppard," first suggested to him the crime he com

mitted.

SINGULAR REMARK OF

In the Library of Upsal in Sweden, there is preserved a translation of the four gospels, printed with hot metal types, upon violet coloured vellum, the letters are silver, and hence it has received the name of Codex Argentea. The initial letters are gold. It is supposed that the whole was printed in the same manner as bookbinders letter titles of books on the back. It was a very near approach to the discovery of the art of printing: but it

is not known how old it is.

ECONOMY.

A little is enough for all the necessities, for all the innocent delights of nature; and it may be justly asserted, that without economy, how large soever an estate is, there will be a deficiency.

Your portion is not large indeed,
But then how little do you need;

For nature's calls are few.
In this the art of living lios,
To want no more than may suffice,
And make that little do.

CIVILITY.

Civility is a ceremonial agreed upon and established among mankind, with a view to give each other external testimonies of friendship, esteem, and regard. This ceremonial varies with the different customs of nations; but MR. WHITFIELD. all have one of some kind or other. Mr. Whitfield was reproached with And it may reasonably be presumed having set the hymns which were from this universal practice, that it sung in his chapel, to airs which were has its foundation in nature. Whence known to belong to some profane I conclude, that civility is a duty presongs. When he was remonstrated scribed by the law of reason.

Reviews.

Constructive Geography. Part I: England. By George White. Houlston and Wright, London.

WE are not of opinion that uniform methods have a tendency to destroy the interest, and that prompt and undivided attention can only be secured by frequently varying a plan. The ever-varying system generally creates confusion, and the youth (supposing him to be studying geography) brings away a mass of disconnected names and ideas.

For instance, upon being questioned, he is just as likely to tell you that Calcutta is situated in Ireland, and is celebrated for its whale fishery, or that Edinburgh is the modern Athens, and the capital of Greece, as anything else.

To obviate such and similar ridiculous blunders is the intention of this little book; and through its agency geography will no longer remain an uninteresting and tedious study, but the old grinding system superseded by a series of methodically arranged exercises.

By following the plan laid down, children may be taught by easy stages, not only to draw their own maps, but also to describe them intelligibly, and give a lucid and impressive idea of each particular place or locality contained in the map they may have been delineating.

Should the ensuing parts be equal to that now under our notice, we predict much usefulness from this ingeniously constructed elementary work.

Stories to Teach me to Think. By T. D. P. Stone. Henry Lea, Warwick Lane, London,

This little book, as its title implies, contains a number of short and interesting stories to teach the youthful mind how to Think. They are comprised under the following heads:-" What the Mind Is;" "How the Mind Thinks;" "How to Think Right;" and "Why the Mind should be Governed."

The author has not lost sight, as many do, that he is writing for the young. He has adapted his style and diction to the capacity of children; the monosyllable prevailing throughout the whole book, will therefore be easily read, and what is more, understood. He has evidently written down to the child, and has admirably succeeded in his task, as may be seen from the following specimen :

"Story of the Puppets that moved."

"IT is strange that men will spend their time in making things, which cannot do any good. But people will do so. A Frenchman made a little wagon which you could cover up with your mother's thimble, without taking it to pieces. It had four wheels, and a seat, and springs, and was exactly like a large wagon, excepting that it was so small. He worked at it more than half a year. It was very curious. But it could not possibly do any good. Nobody could be found small enough to ride in it. And when he carried it about to show it, and say that he had made it, no one wished to buy it. Another man, I do not know where he came from, once worked two years to make some little paper men and women seem to move about of themselves. He first made a house about as long as a bed, with doors, and windows, like a real house. He made