most ardent desires to be a member of the Christian church, in order to become a partaker of its great moral privileges. The change of my religion will, as you may imagine, unavoidably draw after it the loss of all my present means of subsistence among my nation, who will feel disposed to persecute me in every way they can. No. II. Jan. 17, 1817. I now beg leave, Sir, to state to you briefly the views I entertain both of the Jewish and of the Christian religion. The Jewish religion* teaches her votaries a God, not as possessing the glorious attributes of love, universal compassion, but as a despot who dispenses his favours on those only who observe punctually a thousand arbitrary institutions and bodily exercises; who disregards all nations except that of the Jews, which are exclusively his peculiar people. O how different is the character of the religion of Christ, which represents God, as he is indeed, as a God of love, compassion, and mercy. 1 John iv. 16. "God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God." John xiii. 35; Rom. xiii. 10. What lights for my understanding, what comforts for my heart! This it is indeed to have the image of God impressed upon our souls; this it is to be partaker of a divine nature (2 Pet. i. 4); this it is to be perfect even as our Father which is in heaven is perfect. The religion of Christ, and that alone, teaches the true worship of God; it shows that it consists not in any outward forms, but that those who will worship God, must do it in spirit and in truth. John iv. 21–24; John xvi. 8; Matt. v. 48; xv. 1-20; xxii. 36-40; and xxiii. 23-28. Short as the contrast is, which I have now made between Judaism and Christianity, I assure you I could not make it without being deeply affected with the exalted character of the one, and with the errors and fallacies of the other; and my desire to forsake the one and to cleave to the other, becomes proportionably more ardent and lively. Believe these desires, dear Sir, by interceding for me with Christian friends, that I may be able not only to be baptized openly, but also to continue the study of Christ's religion by God's help I shall endeavour to be worthy of the name which I am going to take upon me, and of the kind assistance for which I do so earnestly entreat your Christian benevolence. I have now to inform you, dear Sir, of the case of a certain dear friend of mine. He is of like persuasion with myself, and burns to exchange superstitious Judaism for enlightened Christianity. I informed this my friend of the kindness with which you received me, and counselled him to lay his state of mind open to your participating heart. In his recommendation I can say with full conviction, that he is an intelligent and really learned man, and that he will be a valuable member and ornament of the church. Yours, &c. &c. * He means modern Judaism, founded upon the Talmud. JUVENILE DEPARTMENT. MEDITATIONS BY THE LATE SH. The following are some of the meditations of Miss S. H., of whom an obituary memoir was inserted in our last Number. The reader will recollect that they were penned by a young female only thirteen years of age. How forcibly does such a case as this illustrate the importance of the early instruction of youth in the great truths of the Christian Religion, and especially of making their tender minds familiar with the language of Holy Writ. April, 1817. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments of the Lord blameless." O that it could be said of me that I walked in all the commandments of the Lord blameless! O Lord, grant that I may walk in the right way-that I may go in the strait and narrow way that leadeth unto life-that I may be among the few that find it; and grant that not one of this family may go the broad and crooked way that leadeth to destruction. O that it could be said of every one of this family that they walked before the Lord blameless! Thy ways are ways of pleasantness, and all thy paths are peace. May I delight myself in thy ways of peace and pleasantness; may I walk for ever with the Lord, and delight myself in his ways I do indeed wish to walk with God, "To have a closer walk with God, A calm and heav'nly frame." May God Almighty hear my unworthy petitions, and answer them, for his dear Son's sake. Amen. April 11. "Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile."—John i. 47. O, how blessed and happy must the man have been, of whom Christ said that! O that it could be said of me that I had no guile; but, alas! 'I am a guilty sinful creature, that must have been everlastingly lost, were it not for my ever-blessed Saviour, Jesus Christ, who died the just for the unjust, to bring sinners unto God; and if I believe in him, though I were dead, yet shall I live. O Lord God, give me thy Holy Spirit, and make me to see my vileness and guilt, that I may be more desirous of fleeing to Christ for refnge, to lay hold on him as all my salvation and all my desire; that I may see my great need of him to take away my guilt. Wash me white in the blood of the Lamb that was slain before the foundation of the world; grant that his blood may wash me clean. O'grant that I may fly to thee for mercy and salvation: sinful as I am, that fountain can wash me clean, it can wash my guilt away: purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow; renew me unto repentance; wash me thoroughly from my sins, and purge me from my iniquities. O may I be washed in the fountain opened for sin and uncleanness; may all my guilt be taken away! then shall I be without guile. "There is a fountain fill'd with blood, Drawn from Immanuel's veins ; There sinners, plung'd beneath that flood, O that I, a guilty sinner, may lose all my guilty stains by being plunged in that fountain! Amen. "The true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth ; for the Father seeketh such to worship him."John iv. 23. Do I worship right? Do I indeed worship God in spirit and in truth? Do I pray for things that I may consume them on my lusts ? Have I ever knelt down, and only mocked God by so doing? If I have, God, who is full of compassion and mercy, forgive me. Blot out all mine iniquities, O my God; save me for thy dear Son's sake; pardon all my sins and cast my iniquities behind thy back: my sins and my iniquities remember no more; turn me, good Lord, so shall I be turned; give me a new heart, and renew a right spirit within me; and grant from this time forth I may worship thee in spirit and in truth. Amen. "And in that day thou shalt say, O Lord, I will praise thee; though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortest me. Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust, and not be afraid; for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation."-Isaiah xii. 1, 2. Thou hast taken away all thy wrath-thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger. Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger towards us to cease. Surely thy salvation is nigh them that fear thee. Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid: God is the saviour of all that believe in him; they need not fear, for in the Lord Jehovah is their strength; he is their strong tower, where they may run for safety; they need not fear what man can do unto them; the Lord will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him; God will be their deliverer, he will be their shield, the horn of their salvation, their high tower, their refuge, their Saviour; of whom, then, need they be afraid? They need fear no evil his rod and his staff they will comfort them; they shall joy in the God of their salvation. I will say continually, The Lord be praised. Unto the Lord will we give thanks, for he hath saved us from going down to the pit, for he hath found a ransom, even his Son, the Lamb that was slain from before the foundation of the world: he is all my salvation and all my desire. Amen. April 6, 187. The text at Old St. George's on Easter Sunday. "Then opened he their understanding to understand the Scriptures, and said unto them, It is written, And thus it behoved Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that re pentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations."-Luke xxiv. 25, 26. May Christ open my understanding to understand the Scriptures, for they are able to make me wise unto salvation, if he give me faith to believe them. May Christ's death and resurrection save my soul from hell; for through his blood alone I can be saved; and though I am as great a sinner as any in the world, yet if I fly to him I shall be saved, if I believe he is able and willing to save to the uttermost all that come unto him by faith. O, grant that all of this family may be found of him in faith: grant that not one of them may be lost! "O may we all be found that day, With those that Jesus shall confess: The Lord will yield us happiness." And grant that my dear mamma may be able to say at the last day, "Here am I, Lord, and the children which thou hast given me here are the children which thou hast given me, and not one of them is lost." May we all be washed and made white in the blood of the Lamb that was slain from before the foundation of the world; may we all be found, not having our own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is by the faith of Christ: also may thy word cover the earth as the waters do the sea-shore: may thy name be preached unto all people under the sun; and may the knowledge of the Lord cover the earth as the waters do the sea! May many be turned to righteousness! Hear and answer my unworthy petitions, O Lord, I beseech thee, and may I be the Lord's for ever! April 7, 1817. Wrote this on Easter Monday, on my having been again permitted to attend the house of God the day before. O Lord, I most heartily thank thee for the privilege thou gavest me yesterday, of which I have been so long deprived, of going to church. Grant, I pray thee, that I may continue to do so till I am on my death-bed, and may what I hear sink deep into my heart! SECOND ANNIVERSARY Of the Female Union Society for the promotion of Sabbath Schools. On Wednesday, the 8th April 1818, the Female Union Society for the promotion of Sabbath Schools celebrated their second anniversary in the Rev. Dr. MASON's church in Murray-street. Upwards of three thousand scholars, from six to sixty years of age, were present, who, together with the teachers, and the numerous spectators assembled to witness the interesting scene, filled the church to overflowing at an early hour. The Rev. Mr. MACLAY, of the Baptist church in Mulberry-street, opened the meeting with prayer; after which the Rev. Mr. MILNOR Rector of St. George's Chapel, read the Annual Report. The Rev. Mr. BLATCHFORD, of the Presbyterian Church in Orange-street, delivered an excellent address to the audience, superintendents, and teachers. The coloured adults then sung an appropriate hymn; which was followed by a very pathetic and edifying address to the scholars from the Rev. Mr. MATHEWs, of the Reformed Dutch Church in Garden-street. The teachers and children then sung a hymn. At the close of the exercises a prayer was offered up by the Rev. Mr. MaTHEWS, and the benediction pronounced by the Rev. Mr. MILNOR. Notwithstanding the crowded state of the house, the greatest order and decorum prevailed throughout the whole; for which much credit is due to the several superintendents and teachers, who displayed great judgment in their arrangement of the different schools in classes, and were indefatigable in their attention to cause the strictest propriety of behaviour to be observed by the various groups under their respective charges. The spectators appeared highly gratified, and some shed tears, at the view of so many fellow immortals raised from the depths of intellectual and moral degradation, and partaking of those means of instruction which are so well calculated to fit them for usefulness and respectability in life, and, with the Divine blessing, to prepare them for endless felicity in the world to come. REPORT, &c. In every undertaking which may be important and novel, a happy commencement is highly gratifying. The first Annual Report of the Female Union Society for the promotion of Sabbath Schools afforded matter of congratulation in this respect. All the objections urged against this beneficent system vanished before the truth of experiment, and a prospect was opened (if perseverance in the arduous undertaking could be depended upon) of great benefit to the rising generation, in moral and religious improvement. Perseverance might be doubted by many, as unlikely on the part of the teachers, and the taught. To behold the youth of our country devoting themselves zealously to the instruction of the untaught child and ignorant adult, was delightful to the philanthropic mind; but the too ready suspicions of some might be heard, "Will these young people persevere ?" On the second anniversary of our Society, your Committee have the cheering information to communicate, that Teachers and Scholars have persevered; and improved in so great a degree as they think nothing short of a Divine blessing attending this Institution could' have enabled them to do. Since the benign system of Sabbath School teaching has been pur |