will be led to remark shades and degrees of difference, essential or accidental differences; difference of substance, and difference of form; difference of being, and difference of mode of being.*

If any kind mother, or Instructor, should be discouraged by a supposed want of knowledge, we answer, that if we use aright even the knowledge we already possess, we shall find it abundantly sufficient for a beginning. By bringing the powers of the mind into exercise in the simple manner which it is the aim of this little work to point out, our stock of knowledge would gradually increase, every object would

It is almost needless to say that such phrases, or words, as the child does not understand, should never be used without explanation; the simplest modes of expression should be adopted.

The enlightened Instructor will at once perceive how useful the application of such a habit as that of which we have been speaking, might be in after life, in our moral and social relations.-How often, in our intercourse with men, might prejudice be removed, and brotherly feeling be promoted, were we accustomed to distinguish between essential and accidental differences; between what is real and what is apparent. How important is it that we should be taught to discern between that which belongs to our nature itself, and that which is only an artificial covering; that we should be habituated to view men and things through the medium of truth; to refer, not to the opinion of men which so frequently departs from truth, but to the unerring judgment of God.

furnish us with instruction-our observations on one object would assist us in examining another; we should by degrees acquire distinctness of perception, accuracy of observation.-Neither are many books necessary. Books are useful as channels of knowledge which we could not otherwise acquire, or which we could not acquire without too great expense of time and labour; they should be used as helps, but should not supersede the use of our own faculties.

The universal power of memory should also be exercised in a child. Memory is, properly speaking, the retentiveness of each faculty; strength of memory depends much upon the exercise of attention.

The child may by degrees be led to reason and conclude; but this cautiously and slowly; he should be taught not to conclude in haste, and without knowing the grounds of his conclusions. His instruction should furnish him with materials for reasoning, and at first, he should draw only the most obvious inferences.

-When he sees that there are many links in the chain necessary to form a whole, he may be led to distrust his own reason ; he may find that it is very possible to see some of these links, while we do not see others-that there

fore we should always feel and acknowledge that "we know but in part," and that the whole of truth, and the full extent and bearing of each particular truth, is known only to God. The pupil may thus, at each step, be led to feel his need of going to God, if he would possess any degree of essential truth: he may be taught to feel that the truth and light of God communicated to the spirit, and through the spirit to the other powers of the being, are necessary to his understanding rightly even those things which fall under the observation of his senses; to perceive that if natural truth so far transcends his powers, divine truth must be wholly incomprehensible, except through the communications of the Spirit of Truth.-One end, at least, may be attempted in every lesson, which is, to trace all to God, to shew the dependence of every effect on its great first cause: -the mind and heart early trained to contemplate, to adore the present God, might afterwards daily, habitually acknowledge Him, in His works, His Providence, His gifts.-The pious Instructor will likewise find the means of elucidating and tracing home the evil in human nature: *-from the conviction of the individual

* Rom. viii. 22, 23.

and universal corruption of our being, the pupil may be led to behold, and prize the Redemption of the Son of God.

The following lessons are very imperfect specimens of what might be done-we would endeavour to lead each individual to attempt for himself the exercise of those powers with which he has been endowed.

We may, in conclusion, be permitted to say a few words upon the mode of instruction by spiritual analogy; it is practically connected with a religious education. It is a method constantly pursued in "the Scripture of Truth:" it was used by the prophets, who "spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost:" it was adopted by Him who spake as never man spake. He who is Himself "the truth and the life" could not put forth truth in the full transcendence of its power; could not, because the state of His hearers was not adapted to its reception. In speaking to those whose minds were engrossed with objects of sense, He taught by objects of sense; objects of sense are the lowest and most outward forms of truth it was with these our Lord began; from these He taught His hearers to ascend upward, or rather to turn inward to the spiritual realities expressed by outward objects. The

divine Instructor would doubtless have taught His disciples much more, had they been in a state to receive His instructions: John xvi. 12. But to whom can He manifest truth in its own fulness and beauty? Who has an ear to hear? Who has an eye to perceive? Who has a heart to understand? Man in his fallen state, can only receive truth veiled; the glorious light must be tempered before his weak organ can sustain it. We are told that the prophets searched. "what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ, which was in them, did signify;" thus, when surveying the outward forms of creation, or reading the letter of Scripture, will those who are animated by the Divine Spirit, search for that inward truth, which is indiscernible by the natural mind.

The Scriptures abound with analogies—and the spiritual mind is delighted when they are unfolded to it. The various parables put forth by our Lord are most simple and forcible means of instruction; they shew an analogy between circumstances in the natural world, different states, actions, and institutions of men, and the dispensations of God. In the conversation with Nicodemus, (John iii.) we have a direct instance of spiritual analogy, a clear reference to the connection between the outward creation and