weariness, and pass without profit. If stock; for the desire of knowledge, he attend the public ministrations of the when once excited among the popalasanctuary, even the preaching of the tion of this country, can no longer be Word, one of the most efficient engines repressed. The attempt to stop one ever brought to bear upon the ignorance school can only be made by forming of the people is stripped of half its another in its neighbourhood; as the powers. The reference to facts recorded fire among the heath of our mountains in Scripture history, the texts brought is only checked when it comes where forward as the strongest argument, lose another has been before: thus leaving all their influence with him to whom nothing for it to consume. Another that fact is unknown, or who cannot argument for storing the mind of the discern that that quotation is from the poor with scriptural knowledge at school, sacred word. Take the evening of the is the fact that they have little or no Sabbath, when his family are gathered leisure for reading afterwards. Religious around him; when, with all the strength knowledge is the most important, and of parental fondness, he would teach should be first provided. A small his children, the storehouse of know. vessel should not be filled with lumber, ledge is, however, empty, and the foun nor any part of a short space of time tains of prayer are dried up. See him wasted in pursuit of shadows. But do laid on a bed of sickness, the closing they understand what they learn? They scene of the mortal journey, when all will understand it hereafter; and our the comforts of life, though they may Lord did among his disciples what they alleviate, yet cannot restore; but when were only to understand hereafter. even these are withheld—when the

Lamentable Effects of Ignorance, and

T necessities of his family cannot afford the time to watch over his couch of

Beneficial Results of Scripture Reading. sleeplessness and pain. The visit of the The Rev. Charles Evatt of Monaghan religious friend is seldom, for the poor illustrated this from what had fallen have few friends, and of that few, the under his own observation. He had religious one alone is valued at such a been, from his official situation as Local time. How pitiable, then, is the case Inspector of a prison, long acquainted of him whose ideas of eternal things are with the circumstances of persons incarthe dim and uncertain forms which flit cerated for their crimes; and those who before a mind unenlightened by the suffered on the scaffold, he found not lamp of truth, or very imperfectly in always ignorant of letters, but totally formed upon the question which is destitute of any knowledge of the Scripmomentous above all others. Compare tures; and a remarkable instance of this him with the peasant described by the had come to his knowledge. Two Ayrshire bard, " when reading in the men, noted robbers in the counties of Bible, once his father's pride'

Meath, Louth, and Monaghan, even

tually became inmates of a goal. There Bowing down to heaven's Eternal King, The saint, the husband, and the father prays;

they first met a Bible. Sentence of death Hope soars aloft upon exulting wing.

was passed upon them, which was afterThas shall they meet again in happier days,

wards commuted for transportation; and And join in one eternal hymn of everlasting praise.

after two years' imprisoninent in MonaThere may be piety without knowledge, ghan, they were in a few days to take but it is a dwarfish and stinted kind, their departure from it, and he could neither distinguished by its beauty nor conscientiously declare his conviction, its fruitfulness. This Society found its that they were decidedly reformed charway into the remotest glens of our acters. One of them affirmed that had bleakest mountains; true, it erected no he had the advantage in early life of splendid edifice to attract the notice reading the Bible, he never would have of the passer by. It produced no been guilty of those crimes which had humbling contrast between the school, produced so much injury to others, and where the young peasant spent his day such misery and suffering to himself. and the wretchedness of the hovel to Here were the powerful effects of the which he was to return at evening. It Bible alone-effects that never were proaccommodated itself to every diversity duced by the manual which these poor of situation, and to the diversity of men had been in the constant habit language. In its principles alone there of reading, as stated by themselves to was no change. Many of the other have been their practice. religious societies of the present day are The Rev. Dr. Robinson observed, but healthy shoots from the parent that the object of this society is not to

set one Church above another they to his church. To such a convert (it was
make no distinction between the Church said) he was welcome. This occurring
of England, the Presbyterian, the Se- in a public street on a market day, he
ceder, the Independent, the Roman openly stated to the man those charges
Catholic ; without inquiring what a man which were made against him ; His
is, without asking his religious denomi answer appeared to him perfectly satis,
nation, without seeking to lead him to factory; he said it was true, that he was
another, their object is to make men a wicked sinner, even the very chief of
Christians; and he thought it an astoun sinners, until he read his Bible, and
ding fact, to know that in the nineteenth that his conversion was entirely owing
century, with all the light which had to the reading of the Holy Scriptures.
diffused upon this land, that it should He said, that if his life was not consistent
now be a question of disputation, whe- hereafter with his profession, let him be
ther they should give the Scriptures, an object of contempt; and if he dis-
the sure and unerring word of truth, tó graced that profession, the fault would
those whom they saw perishing for want be his, not that blessed Book, which had
of that salvation which had been im shown him his past errors. The man's
parted to themselves. That such oppo life corresponded, he was happy to say,
sition has arisen is an undoubted fact with his religious change, and so con-
A remarkable instance of the effect of tinued until his death. And what can we
Scriptural education had come to his say,—was not the weak instrumentality
own knowledge. A poor man, residing of this child, under the divine blessing
in his parish, in the county of Monaghan, through the Scriptures, the means of
who had been so notoriously profligate ensuring his everlasting happiness? He
in his character, that he was abhorred would only judge of the effect upon
by all who knew him, met a child be- others by the advantage he had himself
longing to one of his neighbours who derived from education. It was to it
had been reared at one of the schools alone he could attribute the position in
of this Society. This child had a con- which he stood in society. He trusted
versation with him, and in the course those present would forgive him for the
of that conversation, she repeated some allusion; and that they would not
portion of the Scriptures which she had attribute to any personal vanity the
committed to memory; and such was observation, that he had himself ex-
the effect upon his mind as to make the plored the paths of science, if not as
man inquire after the book from which deeply, yet as variously as most men ;
she had learned those texts. He got it yet he estimated far above all human
-he read and studied it-he believed in knowledge that which he derived from
it, and in a short time became changed the revealed Word of God. From all
in his principles and in his character. the pursuits of literature and science ·
He had the gratification of administering which had engaged his mind during the
the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper to day, he could with truth affirm, that he
this man, who became a convert to the never enjoyed the same happiness, the
Church of England. In consequence same satisfaction, as when, previously
of this change, he met with much to his retirement to rest, he perused his
opposition from his neighbours ; he was allotted portion of the sacred volume.
upbraided and mocked by them, and That time he deemed the best devoted,
even he (Dr, R.) himself was contemp- spent in the pursuit of that happiness
tuously taunted for such an accession which God intends for his creatures.

IRELAND.

HOME MISSION-IRISH PREACHING, We are happy to find that the plan of Society, at Bandon, it was announced, preaching the Gospel to the Irish people, after three o'clock, that this gentleman in their native tongue, by clergymen would preach the same evening at intinerating for that purpose, is now Kilbrogan Church, immediately adjoincarrying into effect, with the sanction ing. The church was literally crowded ; of the highest ecclesiastical authorities. hundreds of Roman Catholics attended, The Rev. H. Beamish, Rector of Kin. many of whom had never before been sale, has been preaching to quinerous seen within the walls of a Protestant assemblies at Kinsale, Bantry, Cloghna- church; and the whole service, in kilty, &c. On the evening of Sept. 1. Irish, and an able sermon, on “ Search at a meeting of the London Hibernian the Scriptures," was listened to with the

most marked attention, with many tears, the divine blessing, to produce an imand with very numerous testiindvies mediate and "salutary effect. We earafterwards given of high satisfaction. nestly call upon all our Irish brethren, Instructions in schools, in the Irish who know a little of the Irish tongue, language, are of slow operation; and to stir up the gift of God which is in as soon as the children can read a little, them. We are told that Mr. Beamish they turn to English, for obvious and has not been studying the language important reasons, but the preaching above six months, and yet he appears the gospel in Irish is calculated, with to have been perfectly intelligible.

OPPOSITION TO SCRIPTURAL EDUCATION, The following extract from a private denounce the school from the altar, and letter evinces the activity with which to warn his people not to send their every attempt at Christian instruction is children to it. He said that the proopposed. It comes from the south fessed object of the Protestants in west part of Ireland, and is of very establishing such institutions was to recent date.

educate the people; but that the real s. We have met with a sad disappoint- object was to seduce them from the true ment, as to the Infant school, which church.' In consequence of this, the we did not expect. We had a house person from whom we had taken the taken; £28 in hand, and many sub house refused to give us possession. scribers : matters seemed to be going The landlord appeared highly indignant on well, and we only waited for the at the priest's conduct, but said that if mistress to aid us in selecting papers, he did not submit to his wishes, he should pictures, &c. to commence; but, last lose his business : he is a publican. I am Sunday, Father S- thought fit to looking out for another house.

AMERICA. A CORRESPONDENT bas favoured us Baptists have more than 2,300 with the following state of RELIGIOUS Churches, and have 3 Seminaries. DENOMINATIONs in the United States, Universalists have 128 Preachers, and

200 separate Societies. “There are, in the New English States Roman Catholics have a Metropolialone, 700 Congregational Churches,

tan See, and 10 Bishoprics, containing (exclusive of Presbyterians,) and nearly

between 80 and 100 Churches, superthat number of Clergymen.

intended by about 160 Clergymen, with In the United States the Presbyte

numerous Colleges, Schools, and Relirians have more than 1,400 Churches, gious houses. In the State of New 900 Ministers, 135 Licentiates, 141 York within the last twenty years, this Candidates, 3 Theological Seminaries, denomination is said to have increased and last year (1828) had 100,000 Com- from 300 to 20,000.* municants.

Upon the whole; it is computed that Episcopalians have 10 Bishoprics, there are not fewer than 8,000 places 350 Clergymen, 700 Churches, and a

of worship, and 5,000 ecclesiastics in Theological Seminary.

the United States, besides 12 TheoloTogical peminary. Methodists. have 3 Dioceses, 1,100 gical Seminaries, and many religious Itinerant Clergy, exclusively clerical,

houses." and about 3,000 Stationary Ministers • If the rapid increase of Popery in New York who attend also to other than ecclesi

be not overrated, what a striking proof does it astical occupations, and more than 2,500 corrupt Church ! and should it not excite in Pro places of Worship.

ence, and to correct its errors?

exhibit of the activity of the emissaries of this

testants increased exertions to counteract its infla

· Notices and Acknowledgments... Received—Alpha's Narrative, Part IV.-A Country Curate. . O.S.I. Shall hear from us shortly.

Under consideration-F.C.B.E.-W.M- .-N.-J.J.B. Southwark; whose request could not be complied with in the present Number, that department being previously filled. Moreover it is doubtful whether so obsolete a style, however interesting as matter of curiosity, would be acceptable to our Readers in general