capable of understanding them; and thus to rear the rising generation within the church in such a knowledge and love of the doctrines as to make them, when grown up, a body of sound, intelligent, and united members, whose good influence would be felt not only within the sphere of the church itself, but also by those who are without; thus both by their intelligence and life making the church an object of attraction and interest, and so leading other minds to an examination of the new truths.

The Sunday school system here I found to be quite different from that to which I had been accustomed, and it was some time before I could get a clear insight into the object and manner of its workings. Those of whom the schools consisted were not, I discovered, the children of New Church people, but for the most part the children of persons out of the church, and chiefly of the poor; and it seemed to be considered in a degree not altogether suitable for many of the children of the members of a New Church society to attend its Sabbath school. I learned also that the instruction was in part, at least, of a secular character, similar to that of a week-day school; and also that the hours of instruction where somewhat similar, requiring a laborious attendance twice in the day. These features were, as observed, quite of a novel character to me, and naturally excited a spirit of comparison, investigation, and reflection, in regard to the proper constitution and objects of a New Church Sunday school; and since I have been called upon to address you, it has occurred to me that perhaps the pages of my address could not be better occupied than in a cursory examination of this question, and in expressing such thoughts and views as have passed through my own mind in meditating upon it. For assuredly, the proper constitution of Sunday schools is a subject of general interest to the members of the church in all countries, and wherever the knowledge of the New Dispensation has extended..

The inquiry naturally divides itself into two branches: first, what should be the topics of instruction in a New Church Sunday school, and, secondly, of whom should the school be constituted?

What, then, we may at once ask ourselves, is the proper object of a Sunday school, or a school held on the Lord's Day? The original object of their founder, Robert Raikes, of Gloucester, was, no doubt, to instruct in the elements of education poor children who, being compelled to labour throughout the week, had no other opportunity of getting instruction. This original purpose, dictated by benevolence, was, in its time, an important movement, and has been unquestionably productive of highly beneficial results. But from the great advance that has taken

place, since that time, in the matter of popular education, by the increase in the number of schools, also by the greater opportunity of instruction given to children of the poorer classes, in consequence of laws forbidding the employment in factories of those under a certain age, and especially, also, by the general establishment of evening schools,-on these several accounts the need of Sunday schools, of the kind originally established, has probably much diminished. But the idea once conceived and put into activity, has, in course of time, led to uses and results far higher than were contemplated by the original mover. In many places, for instance, and, indeed, generally throughout the United States, the original plan has been much modified; and, instead of being employed for purposes of mere secular instruction, which might with proper effort be more suitably obtained at other times, and on other days-it was found that the Sabbath school might be turned to a far higher use, by making it the medium of thorough instruction to children, in subjects of a spiritual nature, more suitable to the character and purpose of the Lord's Day. The teaching of the Holy Word, storing the memory with the treasures of the literal sense, imbuing the mind with a thorough knowledge of the Divine commandments, inspiring them with an habitual reverence for the Sacred Volume, and thus, once each week, at least, bringing their minds into that angelic and heavenly association which, especially in the case of children, accompanies the reading of the Divine Word,these uses, together also with instruction in the principles of religious truth in general, and in the rules of sound morality founded upon themthese have, in general, become the subjects of instruction in the Sabbath school, taking, in a great degree, the place of the former secular instruction. And this change it may, perhaps, be justly said, has been as important a step onwards as the original movement itself was. If the first plan contemplated the communication of knowledge such as might be useful in the world, and in raising the mind into a state of natural intelligence, the second and improved plan has for its object the communication of knowledge that may lead to heaven, and become the basis of interior and spiritual intelligence and wisdom, that "maketh wise unto salvation."

To communicate such instruction, leading to such wisdom, is the special object for which the institution of the Lord's Day was given, and to that alone, or chiefly, it would seem, it ought to be devoted. But if this be true in reference to the Old Church, it would seem to be peculiarly so in regard to the New. In this Dispensation all things are to be "made new;" and a spiritual and heavenly end is to be kept in view in all our acts and plans. The Lord's Day is declared, by the doctrine of the

New Church, to have been established by the Lord for a "day of instruction in divine things," "instruction in the doctrine of faith and love." And as with this New Dispensation there has come such a rich abundance of knowledge in regard to all spiritual and heavenly things,—as the internal sense of the Word, with all its indefinite and infinite stores of truth, based on the grand science of correspondences,—also detailed information of a kind peculiarly interesting and attractive to children, in relation to heaven and the spiritual world,—besides the clear and distinct view now given of all the doctrines of a pure theology, and all the principles of a spiritual morality:—with all these opportunities afforded us, there seems a peculiar need for setting apart one day for gathering and imparting such instruction. And it may reasonably be supposed that there will be a call for all our time and all our efforts on that day, to attend to such instruction, if we would acquire and communicate any considerable amount of knowledge on these grand and momentous topics.

The Sabbath school should be regarded as the children's church, the place where they may receive instruction in spiritual things, not merely of the casual kind that is received from parents at home, and which is and should be communicated every day as well as on the Sabbath; but of the thorough and systematic character which can be attained only at a school, where there are set subjects of study, where there are teachers with whose ideas, language, and manners, the children are not so familiar as they necessarily are with those of their parents at home, and which, therefore, have the charm of novelty and freshness; and where, moreover, they can be in company with others, and can listen to short lectures on spiritual and moral subjects, such as should be regularly given as a part of the exercises of the school. Such, it is conceived, should be the purposes and objects of a true Sunday school, and such the topics of instruction.

But, in the second place, the question now arises, of whom should a New Church Sabbath school be composed? Of whose children? What would seem to be the natural answer? Is it not our first duty to provide for the instruction of those children whom the Lord Himself has given us, and intrusted to our peculiar care—our own children? Are not these the immortal minds which He has placed under our special charge, to be brought up in the right way, to be instructed in the principles of faith and love, to be imbued with the knowledge of Himself and His Word, and of heaven" His dwelling place," so that they may be led to the true worship of Him here on earth, and be brought hereafter to that blessed place and state where, in His presence, there is fulness of joy? Have we a right to transfer this care and this instruction to the children of

others, neglecting our own? May it not be truly and properly said, in this case, that "charity begins at home"? Is it not a mistaken benevolence that would induce us to go abroad in search of children whom we may benefit and instruct, while our own are growing up comparatively neglected and uninstructed? Should we not be just before we are generous? Is it not our first duty to see that those whom, as before remarked, the Lord Himself has given us charge of, and who have no others to take care of them if we neglect them, are fully and thoroughly instructed in the doctrines and principles of the new and precious faith which we hold? And, indeed, is not this course the truest charity, as well as the plainest duty-for if our own children grow up well grounded in the doctrines, and thus become themselves in time intelligent and exemplary members of the church, will not the truths we love and wish to communicate to others be, in this manner, more certainly and widely spread abroad than by the effort to proselyte or instruct the children of persons out of the church, on whom, on account of the unfavourable circumstances with which they are surrounded, comparatively little impression can be made, while, at the same time, our own children, who might be all secured to the church, are growing up in comparative ignorance of its doctrines, and sometimes even depart from the true way in after life, from want of having, in their early days, been "brought up in the way they should go"?

But to this view it may, perhaps, be replied that New Churchmen can and ought to give such instruction themselves to their children at home and in the family circle. But what is the testimony of experience on this point? How many members of the church do give their children the careful and systematic instruction in the doctrines that is needed? And how many, in fact, are fitted to do so? It ought, indeed, to be done as far as possible by all. But the instruction that they may give cannot entirely fill the place of that which may be acquired at a wellregulated New Church Sabbath school. For this there are several reasons. Some of them have been touched upon before. In the first place it is not easy for a parent, who is constantly with his children, to set apart particular hours for systematic instruction in doctrines, and to assign and hear those set tasks, those lessons in the Word and in the Catechism, and to carry through that systematic course of instruction which alone can give the thorough and complete information, in regard to spiritual truths, which should be communicated to every New Church child as he grows up? Even were the parents themselves well fitted for the task by their own stores of information, and also fully disposed to undertake it, yet it would be difficult to interest the minds of the chil

dren and keep them to their duty, when their teacher is one with whom they are necessarily and properly so familiar, and, moreover, whose ideas, from being so often and constantly heard, have not the charm of novelty which is felt in listening to one comparatively a stranger, and whom they meet as a teacher only once in the week. The spheres of duty of the parent and the teacher are, to a considerable degree, different. The parent, indeed, should be ever a teacher-every day, and from morning to evening, both by precept and example; but yet this kind of teaching is different from the other periodical and systematic kind; yet both are needed to give the child the complete course of instruction which he may and should receive. Moreover, there are peculiar opportunities of instruction provided at a school which can hardly be given at home. There are or should be, in a New Church Sabbath school, short lectures given regularly by the minister of the society, or the superintendent of the school, or one of the teachers, or other fit person, on the various truths of the New Dispensation, setting forth, in a clear and simple manner, important and spiritual doctrines, or moral duties, on the principles of the great science of correspondences, which last affords in itself an inexhaustible topic of instruction, connecting, as it does, heaven and earth, and finding in the natural world, everywhere, images of spiritual truths and affections. Such lectures may be of the greatest service in imbuing the minds of New Church children with a clear and accurate understanding of the doctrines and principles of the church. Now, it is only at a school-where many are assembled together-that instruction of this kind can be given, at once systematically and in a manner to interest and make a lasting impression on the minds of children. Add to this, that the fact of being in company with many other children of their own class (spiritual class I mean, as children of New Church members-we should know nothing of worldly ranks in a Sunday school) and all learning and listening together, has a great influence in keeping up the attention and interest of children. For these reasons it may be concluded, that only at a school can there be acquired that fulness of instruction which it is desirable that every New Church child should receive; and it may be added, that it is only in a Sabbath school, composed of New Church children, where all the surrounding influences are purely of a New Church character, that the highest benefit can be obtained.

Another important reason may be offered why the Sabbath schools connected with New Church societies should be composed of the children of the members themselves, and why also the instruction thus given should be purely of a spiritual character,-and a reason, therefore, why our Sabbath schools should differ essentially from those of the world