difficulty of it if any sectarian differences were allowed to be put forward. They loved the souls of these children better than their own opinion on a few disputed points; and, by a kind of tacit agreement, Wesleyans, Baptists, Independents, &c., joined with members of the Established Church, both high and low, in the room in B— Street, to teach the fundamental doctrines of Christianity without touching at all on more difficult tenets; and the children saw that Christianity was indeed an all-embracing system, since those who parted in their places of worship, met in their charities,-acted by the same rules,— won love by the same kindness.*

Nor is it to the children alone that this really accidental circumstance has been useful. To the teachers themselves, thus compelled to make the distinction as to what part of the doctrines currently taught among persons of their persuasion,

* A teacher in one of the Ragged Schools had been severe in his conduct to several of the children: one of them took an opportunity to ask another of the teachers "if Mr. was a Christian?" "Yes, doubtless." "And will he go to heaven?" "I trust so." “Oh then, I don't want to go to heaven, for I should not like to be where he is." Let those who think religion can be enforced remember this.

is really essential to salvation, it has been of great service, by opening their minds to more enlarged views, and showing how possible it is to be true servants of Christ, notwithstanding differences of phrase, or even contrariety of opinion upon what they have now been compelled to feel, are non-essentials. The Churchman, the Independent, the Wesleyan, the Baptist, who have met in fellowship to teach the same Gospel to the poor and destitute, can hardly hereafter stand aloof from each other, as aliens from the household of Christ. They must feel that they are servants of the same Master, though acting in different capacities, and all, from their natural imperfection, falling short in some way, of perfect service, though striving to the best of their judgment and knowledge. "Who art thou that judgest another's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth; yea, he shall be holden up, for God is able to make them stand."

The deepest feeling, generally, in the minds. of the very destitute is, a sense of the contrast between their own state, and that of the affluent whose luxury strikes them at every turn. They complain of the supremacy of the few, by means of which they have monopolized the good things

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of this world, leaving only labour and want for the masses and the natural consequence of this is, an antagonism between different ranks which destroys all Christian brotherhood between them. The greater the destitution, the bitterer is this feeling, till all kindly sympathy is lost, and a sharp enmity takes its place. These miserable and neglected wretches revenge themselves on society by preying upon it, and feel the sort of pride in a course of successful robbery, which a wild Indian would do in a good hunting expedition the danger does but give zest to the sport, while success procures abundance for the time being.

When the duties of honesty and morality are preached to such as these, if drily taught, a suspicion naturally arises that self-interest is the motive of the preacher: robbery is an evil, and prosecution is expensive, and if men could be persuaded not to steal it would save the instructor's money and goods. It is very difficult to avoid making this impression when attempting to win attention to the lessons of religion; and, till this is removed, all our attempts to improve the heart will be futile. Probably it was this feeling which produced the scenes described at the opening of most of the Ragged Schools; but

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the teachers here calculated, and calculated wisely, on one great instinct in every human breast: i. e. the weary longing for kindness from our fellow men, and the delight of finding it. These unhappy children had seldom known what it was, even from their parents: those who were not orphans, were many of them the children of thieves, or persons of that description, had early been trained to bring their small pilferings to the common stock, and were beaten if they returned empty handed. Perhaps in this the parent calculated ill, for a practice enforced by blows is never a favourite one; and the thief is no more made to love his profession by flogging, than a schoolboy is made to love his studies by the same process. They enter a room where persons, at least in easy circumstances, are found voluntarily to expose themselves to insult and ill-usage, and to respond only by gentle expostulations. These persons say to them "We have been taught by our Master, who was himself poor, to love all his brethren: we compassionate you, we wish to better your condition; will you yourselves join in the effort?" The first feeling is perhaps incredulity, but the next is confidence in, and affection towards those who seem to have no earthly interest in what they are doing.

"If a man love not his brother whom he hath seen, how shall he love God whom he hath not seen?" is the acute observation of the Apostle John and it is only by awakening human affection for human virtues that the unenlightened are led to higher spirituality.* A hard unbelief in any Divine superintendence is the common state of mind among these children: they have never heard, they have never thought of it; and if they are told of a Father in heaven, they attach so little that is pleasant or loveable to that name that it is rather repulsive than otherwise: nothing therefore is available in such a case but the mere human instinct. Higher and holier thoughts may come hereafter; but, in the first instance, the teacher must be loved: nay, so necessary was it to accommodate the weakness of human faculties, and the strength of human instinct, that the last, best message of God to man was spoken through the lips of a man whom

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say Mr. E-" said one of the B-street boys in speaking of Mr. (the gentleman already mentioned)" I should think he is better than God. He is too good for heaven." The next step in this boy's mind would be that heaven consists in the being always with such persons; and then comes the hope of future bliss as the first rude incentive to spiritual thought.