rest, from being in the language to which the mind is habituated; for example, it will be readily allowed that a seaman would feel more and better understand any remarks when made to him in his own technical phraseology; so also the language of children is the best medium of instruction to them. To exhibit practically the principles here cited, I have drawn up the annexed address to little children, in which it will be observed that an attempt is made to illustrate one idea in several different positions, all in the familiar terms of infantile prattle. "That God made the world in the beginning" is the theme of instruction, and though the plainness and simplicity of the language, and the necessary frequent repetition of the idea may disgust the wellinformed mind, yet such a mode of instruction will be found the most successful to improve the infant mind, and accelerate its progress to a higher scale of intellect. Contrary to this, we too often find that the teacher makes his own intellect the standard of ideas, rather than that of his pupil. In this address, it is intended to instruct very little children, by such familiar terms as they may be supposed to be acquainted with, variously illustrated, without admitting a complex idea. It will be observed, that excepting the words created and beginning in the proposition, there are no words of more than two syllables. At some future period I shall communicate a theme on the same proposition for elder children, adapted to their improved capacity, and of course better calculated to instruct them than these simple terms and multiplied repetitions, which are applicable only to very young and unimproved minds. Should teachers consider well these remarks, the children would improve faster, and become more interested; the mode of instruction being easier and more engaging. I would urge my philanthropic fellow-labourers that they should keep in mind these principles; the motive of them will, without doubt, advance their benevolent views, ́and for this object I would farther hint to them, that they cannot receive the children at too early a period for instruction : the mind is formed by the implanting of ideas. Let us be in haste to store them with good thoughts, for this will be found both a pleasanter and easier task than to root out those evil ones that have been so early sowed and harrowed deeply. S. ON THE CREATION OF THE WORLD. "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."-GEN. i. 1. Hear me, dear children, I want to tell you something about these words; it is a short lesson, only ten words. "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."-Ten! It is the first verse in all the Bible, and teaches about God making the world. This is what God made Moses to know, and put in his heart to say when He taught him and made him a prophet; that means, when God made him a teacher, to teach the men, women, and children that lived more than 3000 years ago; and because it was good for us to know it, the Lord told Moses to write it in a book, that you, and I, and all the people in the world, as long as it lasted, might know about it: and this is the book !—(Holding up the Bible.) I do not mean that this is the very same book that Moses wrote it in, but the words that are in it are all of the same meaning that Moses and all the other prophets wrote when God taught them. This is called the holy Bible, because it shows us how to be good; for holy means very good, and Bible means book of books-for all the Bible put together, you know, has a great many books. Look here, (opening the Bible) here are the five books of Moses; this is the book of Isaiah, that is what God told the prophet Isaiah; and here is the book of Matthew, and there the book of Mark, and a great many more; so it is called the book full of books, and the holy book, or good book. And do you not know that it is also called "the word of God," because it is what God told Moses and the other prophets to teach every body, that they might learn to thank God for his goodness. Now, you know, God has sent us word about it, for Moses did not put it in his own head to say it, and he did not see God make the world, but the Lord told him of it. This part of the Holy Bible where this verse is, goes by the name of Genesis, and it is also called the first book of Moses. Genesis means a book that tells when man was made, and how things were made -all the things in the world-beasts, birds, fishes, and trees, and every thing that grows. Now, hear what God says about it; yes, hear what he told Moses, and hear what is written in the book of Genesis, for God wants you to know, and has let you and me have the Bible, that we might be taught all about it, and learn to love and thank Him for his goodness. Come, let us make haste to learn about it; beautiful lesson! I will try to make it easy for you to know. This is what I want you to know, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Genesis, the first chapter and first verse-the first in all the Bible. "In the beginning"-do you know what it means? Why the first of any thing is the beginning. When I talk to you, the first word I speak is the beginning, and the last word when I have done speaking, that is the end. This first verse is the beginning of this chapter, and there is the end, that is the last verse, for there is no more. The first year of the world is called the beginning of time-you had a beginning too. Once you were one year old—that was your beginning, now you are four years old, and you five, and you are six years old; by and by you will stop living, and you will all die, and your years will come to an end-so will the world come to an end! Now, God, who is called the Lord, has told us in this first verse in the Bible that there was a beginning to the world. Once there was no world, but now there is a world; it is here called the earth, and you live on it, that is, you live in the world. So you see the world did not come of itself, but the Lord made it, for this first verse in the Bible tells us so; for it says, in the beginning, that is at first, "God created the earth;"-created the earth, means made the earth. But only see here-Moses in this verse of the Bible not only says God created, that is made the earth, but he made the heavens too! In another part of the Bible it says "He spake, and it was created;" God said so, and the world came. Who can do things like God? He made the heavens also: do you know what heavens are? Walk out of doors and see over your heads, and then you can say, I see the heavens; for there is the sun shining so bright that you cannot see the stars: but when night comes, look up and see the bright moon, and oh, how many shining stars! These are the heavens Moses means-the blue sky, the sun, the moon, and the sparkling stars. Now, what God taught Moses to say, and what I must teach you, is this once there was no world, and so the Bible says, in the beVOL. 20 ginning, that is at first, God created, that means made the earth, and then it tells us, God created the heavens. In another place in the Bible, God tells us what the end of the world will be-that it shall be burnt up! and the heavens shall pass away, and then it will be as it was in the beginning. But you will be for every body that is dead and buried in the earth, God will make them alive again, and they must go before God that He may ask them what they have been doing in this world; and you know that God will not love them who have been naughty, and who have not done what the Bible tells them to do. O, say, my dear children, ought you not to be afraid to do what God in his Holy Bible says you must not do; and ought you not to love Him for his goodness in sending you word that you might know how great He was, and to show you what you must do to please Him.You must learn to read the Holy Bible, and it will show you how to be a holy child: I mean God's good book, and it will teach you and show you how to be good. Now, what do you think about God that made the heavens and the earth? Cannot you say, O, how great, how strong, and how good the Lord is!" Yes, children, you may for God made every thing. : let it be so, and it was so. Every thing came that should be made. But you cannot create any thing. He said, God said Can you make a bright star to shine till the world comes to an end? But God has made ever so many stars, and he makes them shine when he pleases. You can make a little boat out of a piece of wood: but how can you make a piece of wood? God must create it as he did in the beginning: God must make a piece of wood for you. Men may make wine out of grapes, but God must make the grapes; he must make the grape vine, the leaves, and the flowers, and make the grapes come, and God must make them get ripe. All the people in the world cannot make one little leaf; but God can make a tree full of blossoms and full of fruit, of apples and cherries, and every summer he fills almost all the world full of trees and flowers! Our God, who made us, is great, and wise, and good: so in the Bible he is called Almighty, because he is so strong that in the beginning he made the heavens and the earth too, and at last he will bring them to an end. He is called All-wise, because God knows so much; for it was the Lord that knew how to make the heavens and the earth in the beginning. God is also called Holy, because he is so good; for he takes care of the world and all that is in it, and he is your God and takes care of you :-only think of it; the Lord takes care of the world and takes care of you always. Now, when you think about these things I have now been teaching you, then you must be glad and thank God for making this world for you to live in, and for sending us the Bible to tell us about it, and for making his promise in the Bible, that if we mind what is there set down for us to do, it will please him, and when we come to die and the world comes to an end, he will take us to another better world that will never end: we shall be glad always, and shall live with God in heaven forever. Now, do not forget this good lesson about the Lord making the world in the beginning, but be good children, mind what your teachers and what your parents say, and above all, try to mind every word that your God says in the Bible, and another time I will teach you more about what is in this good book, hoping that you may grow to be holy children, growing wise and good, and when you die, go to live with God, with your hearts always glad, world without end. S. 1 ANSWER TO IOTA. [To the Editor of the A. S. S. Teachers' Magazine.] SIR-In the last number of your Magazine, I find that the plan of teaching I had described in the preceding number is strongly opposed. From the tenor of the remarks, I think that Iota has mistaken my views upon this subject. I therefore take the liberty of obtruding upon your notice an explanation of my ideas, and of answering a few of the objections made by your correspondent, upon which he has placed too much reliance. The day will come, sir, when the children in our Sunday Schools shall have increased so that they cannot be accommodated in our churches. Some building must then be erected for their accommodation, and surely to erect churches with regular ministers would be the most feasible plan. I did not intend to recommend |