the New York Clergy, to have a national fast, though Madison proclaimed one about the time of the War. C. McIlvaine [now Bishop] said, that he and his Church would prostrate themselves before God, if no other one in America did so. You will of course, by this time, be up and doing in Philadelphia. Pray put this thought into shape, and publish it in daily papers, viz.: "the affectation of courage or indifference, or fool-hardiness, on the approach of such a pestilence, is a contempt of God; a Pharaohlike hardening of the heart: like Nineveh, we should all be in sackcloth. The question is not between evangelical and rational Christians, nor even between Christians and infidels, but between Theists and Atheists; for if there is a God and a controlling power, then it is wise to humble ourselves before him." The alarming probability is, that Rev. xvi. 9 will be in many fulfilled on the outpouring of the vial, " men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory:" and again, under the 5th vial, "they gnawed their tongues for pain, and blasphemed the God of heaven." I confess that I am very deeply impressed with the conviction that we ought to be awake as we have never been before, in calling aloud upon sinners to save themselves from this untoward generation of practical atheism. To neglect the call is emphatically to harden the heart. To-day (let us say) if ye will hear his voice, harden not your heart." Such are our sinners, and such the exigency of the time, that we should “ save them with fear, pulling them out of the fire." Whether we have Cholera or not, we have no time to lose should the panic produce only a conviction of this in ministers and believers, it will be a messenger of judgment and also of mercy. The public press may take happy advantage of the fears of men, to lead them to conviction: though I am persuaded that the natural tendency of the bruit made about the subject, and the incessant conversations on it in familiar style, is baneful to the soul. When the Lord's judgments are abroad, O that the inhabitants might learn righteousness. Now is the time, I think, for a tract to be written called Blood on the Door Post, (with reference to the sprinkled paschal blood in Egypt,) and left at every door. Now is the time for us to forget our petty squabbles about which leg we shall put foremost in our measures to convert men to God, and for earnest effort in the cause of the Redeemer. Just look at New York, how the city authorities and people are on the alert in endeavouring to bar

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1 In a few weeks after this he prepared a tract under this title, which was published by the Sunday School Union. It was also inserted in the Sunday School Journal, August 29, 1832.

out the plague. And what are Christians doing, in any kind of proportion to the emergency? It does seem to me to be a pitiful and vile desertion of the cause of human souls, for us to be engaged deeply in any thing else, especially just now, than efforts to save them to save them from spiritual plagues--to save them now! Suggest to me, if you can, any and every hint which may be useful in availing myself of the general 'sensation' for the advantage of souls: any methods happily struck out among your clergymen and active Christians. I find my own soul somewhat sweetened by the precious, precious thought of a presiding, guiding, governing, almighty Saviour, Lord, and elder brother. I am sorry (Dr. or) Mr. Cox brings undue zeal to bear upon the Papists; I would not have "railing accusation " brought against them any more than against "the devil; " yet I am not disposed to make concessions to a church, of which the very assumption of infallibility precludes any apology for ancient tenets. These tenets I will take from their Councils (especially Trent) and nowhere else. I have one a Romish priest

near me, running about to every corner of my church, and taking no repulse even from people that have no toleration for his presence. Such a specimen of vexatious and pragmatical zeal I never saw. Until I see in him or some other papist of the thousand whom we have here, some stray symptom of grace, I shall not be disposed to come down to any more liberal or charitable ground than that of the universal Protestant Church; viz., that Popery is a delusion greatly destructive to souls. The evidence of this I see almost every hour passing my window. If these thousand Papists were to die next week with Cholera, I have every reason to think that not one of them would have a conception of any preparation beyond the opus operatum of ceremonies. This is my conclusion from personal conversation, and various reports of credible members of my church. O that the Bible and the accompanying Spirit of God might rid the world of blindness and impenitence!

PRINCETON,1 July 18, 1832.

The Jacotot method of instruction has made, and is making great noise in France and Belgium. It is not a theory, but a practice; admits of a singular adaptation to our system. I will (D. V.) give you a little series on it for the S. S. Journal. The

1 Mr. Alexander was for some weeks with his family at Princeton, on account of the illness of his eldest child, but continued to perform his pastoral duties in Trenton.

2 His correspondent had lately become the editor of the large weekly "Journal" published by the Sunday School Union. To this paper Mr.

Library of Useful Knowledge" is too abstruse [for use of Journal]. "The Library of Entertaining Knowledge" is just the thing for your purpose. The "Plain why and because" is a mere salmagundi; an aggregation, not a selection, still less a digest, and therefore a catch- penny. "Wonders of Nature and Art," by J. Taylor, London, 12mo, many plates; very good.

My notion is that the whole field of Juvenile Education comes within your scope. You may make the S. S. Journal easily the best journal of Education extant. For this purpose-1, you ought to have correspondents in Europe, and the Missions, such as Ceylon and Hawaii, &c.; 2, you ought to take a French and a German Journal on Education, and have a man to read and extract from each. You ought, 3, to have always before you this great idea, that the Bible is the central instrument in universal Education; that beginning with this, the whole Encyclopedia may be traversed; that to this hive every thing should be carried. You ought, (need I say it?) 4, to endeavour to make every number save souls. May God help you in this responsible undertaking!

PRINCETON, Aug. 4, 1832.

By this time perhaps you have seen in the New York papers, that Cholera rages in Princeton. Through Divine Mercy this is not true. There have indeed been three deaths of Irishmen in the town, and nearly twenty on the neighbouring canal. Great uproar has been occasioned by some cits who are rusticated here, and who condemned the little Health-Board for having a hospital within the borough. William has been with a large proportion of those who have died; some he has watched and rubbed all night; some he has picked up and carried in his arms to their dying beds. He almost got out of bed himself to do this, and has turned night into day. Some of the theological students have deserved nobly of our neighbourhood, by their devotion in nursing, &c. This morning, I learn that a highly respectable contractor on the canal-7 miles hence-Mr. Spencer, died last night. The disease is at Scudder's mills, 3 miles; and Kingston, 3 miles ;; all cases Irish Catholics. Princeton is nevertheless uncommonly healthy. The Institutions have not been formally dismissed, but whoever will, goes. I am much

Alexander had already been a large contributor; but from June, 1832, to June, 1841, there are few numbers that did not contain something from his pen. His articles were not confined to the subject of education, but embraced a large miscellany, in verse as well as prose, translations, compilations, extracts, as well as original.

VOL. I.-9

flattered by your consideration of my garden dialogue, and pleased, of course, with your arrangements. [One of his works for children-" the Flower Book."

In estimating this letter, please remember that I write within full hearing of my little boy's cries. Oh! I have new understanding, since I became a father, of that expression “As a father pitieth his children," &c. I will send you a number of the Princeton "Courier ; "the article "to the Fearful," was written for you, but the state of things here made me print it without delay.

N. B. I am filling a small 4to blank book with scraps for you. Among others one book called the Monkey, which perhaps you may think too quizzical; n'importe, do as you please with all I send. It contains also some Luther-ana, written long ago without reference to Sunday Schools, but a few of them may suit you: also a translation of Jacotot's method of teaching.

Take a copy book, lay it by you, and write down in it, at the time the idea sprouts, what you have to say to me; send this, when full, with dates noted, by a private hand: I will attempt the same. I propose to write a "book of the Stars: " will Jacob Green account it piracy for me to borrow from his Astronomical Recreations? Prayer is not made often enough, explicitly enough, or fervently enough for physicians, nurses, and persons exposed to the plague; nor for the souls of those who are just dying.

PRINCETON, Aug. 6, 1832.

I returned to Princeton last night from the funeral of my principal supporter and friend in Trenton, Chief Justice Ewing. He gave a decided testimony to the power of faith. He died at 3 A. M. on Sunday morning, after an illness of 23 hours; decidedly Cholera. He was not only one of the most temperate, and equable, and regular, but one of the halest men in America. You may imagine the consternation. May our covenant God protect us and all we love. O for grace to use up all our talent!

PRINCETON, Aug. 28, 1832.

Family trials and personal indisposition have prevented my remittances to the Journal, as regularly as could be desired. You must not rely on me in any such way, for any thing, as to make a disappointment injurious. My little boy still lives, but in great weakness and great suffering. I shall not undertake to describe our anxieties. It is better for me to say—what I be

lieve we can both say truly-we do in a sense "take pleasure in infirmities, in distresses," &c.

As I have a very strong desire that you should be useful in your present sphere, and that you should continue in it, I will be frank enough to say a few words upon the subject. I perceive a change within no long period, from comparative transparency of style, to what may be called constrained, stilted, and, in some cases, even affected. Whether this arises from the influence of any author you have lately read, or a diffidence as to the value of your thoughts when simply expressed, or (as I have detected this in my own case) from mere haste-I pray you have an eye to it. Above every thing else let us be plain and clear. I have very seldom exercised the censorial function-you will bear me witness-but I am sincerely of opinion that you are on a track which may lead you out of the simple path of greatest usefulness. And I am daily trying to contend against a temptation of the same kind, to write in German text (so to speak) what is better written in plain Script. I would not for a thousand guineas write in the style of "Saturday Evening," though I admire it above most people. I make no doubt that you will understand my object, without my throwing in any apologies. Be assured you are in no danger, if you can only resist the alluring spoil of a classic word, a Latin termination, or a recondite turn, and then pursue the rule, "think with the wise and speak with the vulgar."

I have a little book ready for you, which will make from 50 -75 pp. of a child's book. Has any one written Spencer's life? If my life is spared, and my pieces succeed, I will (D. V.) devote much of my time to babes' books. My health scarcely admits more. No Cholera here, blessed be God: none in Trenton.

PRINCETON, September 6, 1832.

If I can, I will herewith send a piece called Harvest. Do what you choose with it. Give it, and any thing else from me, what title you please. Tell me what you think of the plan of the said Harvest, and criticize my child's books unmercifully, for I have a great desire to do my best in that line. The Cholera Hospital of the Canal is in the lot behind our garden here. Two persons have just been carried to it; one hopeless. We had thought the disease gone.

I am unable to say much about my little boy. We feel it to be a great trial: yet sometimes I taste some sweetness in the cup. O there is nothing but Christianity that enables one to face an affliction.