selves, and also furnish them with profitable anecdotes to enliven the attention of their classes. Each month, we hope, will see a continuation of articles under the head Church Service," intended to develope the treasures of our impressive and Scriptural Liturgy, and to foster an enlightened but fervent attachment to that evangelical branch of Christ's universal Church in which our Sunday-school Teachers have the privilege of labouring. In these days of innovation, it will be our earnest endeavour to bring out and defend the Protestant principles of the Church of England. A series of articles also now appears regularly under the heading, "Missionary Intelligence." These generally consist of anecdotes and information which a Teacher can make useful in his school or class. The Mission Cause has our warm sympathy, and we believe it has also the sympathy of our readers. May God prosper his work, till the earth be full of his knowledge as the waters cover the sea. The "Editor's Portfolio" contains miscellaneous gleanings which we hope will be useful to Teachers. The kind friend to whom we have been hitherto indebted for the "Summary of News" still continues his valuable assistance. The "Scriptural Lessons," for which we are indebted to another kind friend, we are sure will be found to be very valuable helps wherever they are used. We have some thoughts of reprinting them each month, separately from the Magazine, and placing them thus within the reach of Sunday-school Teachers who may not be able to purchase the Magazine itself. On this point we should like to have the opinions of friends. Our heading, "Correspondence," we regret to say, has not been well supplied of late. We wish the Clergy and Teachers would supply us with more communications under this head. If practical, such letters are often of great value. Whatever plans a Teacher finds useful in his class or school, we would gladly insert, if communicated to us; and also any difficulties which a Teacher may wish to be submitted to other judgments than his own. We have only to say, in conclusion, that our best efforts in dependence on God's grace will be devoted to the continuing our little Magazine to be what we hope it has always been, the firm advocate of Scriptural and evangelical religion. May we and our readers be kept by his grace in Christ from error in these dangerous days. JOHNNY BAKER; OR, THE REFORMED SCHOLAR. So It is some years since I resided for some time amongst the wild and balmy downs of Wiltshire. In the little secluded hamlet where my house was situated, the squire of the parish had established a village school, and children from all the country round flocked to it; for in those wild and sequestered spots a good school is not easily met with. I was in the habit of visiting this school almost daily, sometimes to conduct the evening prayers, and at other times to look round amongst the classes. On one of these occasions the mistress came to me, and said, "If you please, sir, we have a little boy in the school I can do nothing with. He always comes late to school, and he is so idle in school that he will learn nothing at all." "What is his name," said I? "Johnny Baker," said she, "and he is but seven years old." I called Johnny out of his class, and took him into the mistress's little parlour. And what do you think I had already there? a good birch rod? No such thing. I took little Johnny on my knee, at which he began to cry violently, thinking that I was going to give him a good beating. I said, "No, Johnny, you need not be afraid, I am not going to beat you nor hurt you at all. I only want to talk to you," and while saying this, I stroked him on the head, till he became quite calm. I then pointed out to him how sad a thing it was to be a naughty boy, that I was sure he could not be happy while he was so idle and gave his mistress so much trouble, and what could he expect when he died. God could never take such a boy to heaven. God wished him to be a good boy; and if he was sorry for the past, God would forgive all his past naughtiness, and help him to do better for the time to come. I told him, too, what a happy boy he would be if he was a good boy, and said his lessons well, and pleased the mistress; and much more to this effect, but which I really cannot remember now, after a lapse of twelve years. Johnny listened very attentively to all I said, and I then took him back into the schoolroom. After some weeks had passed, I asked the mistress how Johnny Baker was going on. “Oh," said she "he is quite a different boy since you took him into my parlour. He now not only comes to school in good time, but is generally before the time waiting at the door till it is opened, and no boy can do his lessons better, or work faster at his straw-plaiting than he does, and does his plaiting so nicely too. What you said to him or did to him in that room I don't know, but I assure you he is quite a different boy, not like the same." And when I inquired some time after this, how Johnny was going on, the mistress told me that she had not a better boy in the whole school. And I am sure if anybody had gone up to his class and looked at him, and seen how busily he was working away, and what a nice subdued countenance he had, they would have agreed with the mistress when she said that there was not a better boy in the school. And to what do I attribute this great change in little Johnny Baker? To my clever talking? No, most certainly not. I attribute it entirely to God's blessing on the means used. All my words would have been as water poured out upon a rock, unless God had overruled them for the reformation of this little wayward lad. He alone directed them to his heart, and gave him grace and strength for overcoming his past habits of idleness and disobedience. Had I given him a good flogging, and threatened another if he did not amend his ways, it might have been said that it was the fear of punishment that induced him to pursue a new course; but the only means used were a few simple words addressed to him kindly and tenderly. Then what was it but God magnifying his power by means of the weak instrument that was used? thus fulfilling his own word, "But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, that no flesh should glory in his presence." Would it not be well, then, for all those who have the training of the young, to look less to the means, and more to Him who alone can render the means effectual, by his blessing upon them? It is very easy, and soon got over, to inflict a good flogging, or severe caning, but the end may not be answered. The child may remain refractory. But how much happier a result may be expected, if, after the example of our tender-bearted master, we simply and kindly set before the child its duty to its God, and earnestly seek from heaven that blessing which can render the weakest means abundantly effectual! B. MARY'S GLEANINGS. "There is a golden chord of sympathy Which by the breath of kindness when 'tis swept, Inflicts sore chastisements for treasured wrong, And melts the ice of hate to streams of love; Nor aught but kindness that fine chord can touch." THE law of kindness is not circumscribed in its application-it is not confined to a few people, nor is its exercise favourable to a part, and injurious to the rest. Like the dews of heaven, the roaming atmosphere, or the glowing light of the sun, it is fitted for all people, and will as readily warm the frozen heart of the Laplander, in his eternal ice, with love divine, as it will cool the raging passions of the fevered son of the tropics. Parents amid their children, schoolmasters surrounded by their scholars, the governor, ruler, king, and emperor, with their subjects, the overseer with his slaves, the head workman with his labourers, all will find it a power which will 66 procure them more obedience than any force they can use-obedience more lasting and sincere, from the fact that it springs from affection instead of fear. Passion may intervene and render it difficult to practise the law of kindness; temper flies, and the impulse of revenge says "destroy," but over these we must throw a bridle, and learn to overcome evil with good." There is not a nobler sight in the moral world than that of an individual subduing his passions, repressing the desire to revenge, and acting on the principle, "Love your enemies." There is a point, however, concerning the law of kindness, where some perplexity arises, and much doubt exists. Many persons associate with the idea of an uniform practice of kindness the absence of pain, the putting aside all restraints upon evil, and the sufferance of offenders, without attempting to check them otherwise than by a mild word. This is a mistake. The law of kindness has no affinity to lawlessness. It indeed pre-supposes the absence of cruelty, but it does not presuppose the absence of proper punishment for sin, or the necessary check upon the transgressor-kindness often dictates the application of pain, as frequent cases of the amputation of limbs to save the lives of sufferers fully prove. The parent who neglects to restrain and correct his children is as unkind as the parent whose chastisements become cruelties from excessive severity. The state or kingdom which is weak in the administration of just and proper laws, is as unkind as the state or kingdom which posesses cruel and sanguinary laws, and is revengefully bloody in their execution. Therefore, while kindness deprecates all cruelty, and is totally opposed to all pain resulting from a revengeful spirit, and having no good object in view, it at the same time contends for all chastisement which is calculated to produce good as its ultimate effect. For when an individual is diseased with sin, kindness advocates the use of the probe and lancet of pain in order to produce sound moral health in him. This view accords with Christianity and true philosophy. In the Bible punishment is represented as flowing from the purest kindness, and as aiming to produce reconciliation and obedience in him or them who are exercised by |