Forth they go, uncheered to wrestle With the scorns and toils of life, Till the rose of youth just blooming, Day by day, their task renewing, Earning scarce, though worn and weary, Yet with purpose high, heroic, Little children lisp "Our Father," Welcome, aid them, Holy Pastors, Cheer the faltering, guide the strong, Ye have learning, station, leisure, RELIGION cannot change, though we do: and if we do, we have left God: and whither he can go that goes from God, his own sorrows will soon enough instruct him.-Jeremy Taylor. THE world is then to be feared, when it finds us empty and void of employment. We are safe enough, though we live in it, if we do not live in idleness.—Bishop Patrick. NOTES, OR HEADS OF INSTRUCTION, On the Collects, Epistles, and Gospels. (To be continued occasionally.) [These are especially intended to serve as hints for Sunday-School Teachers, upon which they may enlarge in giving lessons to their children. They must necessarily be very brief; but an endeavour will be made, as far as possible, to embrace all the leading points of the Church's teaching, the comparing of one passage with another being the great prevailing feature of the whole.-A.D.N.] QUINQUAGESIMA SUNDAY, SO called from being the fiftieth day before Easter, as Whitsunday, or the Christian Pentecost, (which is from the Greek word meaning fiftieth,) is the same time after Easter. The great lesson for Quinquagesima Sunday is Love, called in Rom. xiii. 8, "the fulfilling of the law;" for which, in the Collect we pray for the special outpouring of the Holy Spirit, whilst in the latter we celebrate the descent of that Spirit, the Sanctifier,—(see Catechism)— or One who enables us to obey the law. Observe the excellence of Love above all other graces of the Spirit, ordinary or extraordinary; (see chap. xii. 30, 31, and xiii. 1, 2; 8-13;) in which passages we may notice the Eternity of Love, but the temporary duration of all the rest, even Faith and Hope; (compare Rom. viii. 24, 25; 2 Cor. v. 7; and Heb. xi. 1.) The main-spring of Love is humility and self-denial, (see vv. 4, 5.) It cannot exist with pride; hence, so suitable before the season of Lent, that one of special humiliation. In the Gospel, Christ is set as our great example of this virtue, and especially in the full contemplation of the depths of His agony upon the cross for our sake. In it, we see the wondrous nature of His love, and the lowliness from which It sprung. He yet gives heed, at once to the voice of the poorest of His creatures supplicating mercy, restores his sight, commending his faith; thus shewing the means by which we must ever approach God;-How should we then, try to learn to love God in sincerity and truth, and our neighbour also. A.D.N. Notices of Books. A Catechism on Gospel History.-Parts 1. and II. London: Rivingtons; Leeds: T. Harrison. For our National and Sunday Schools, and for Private Schools and Families; where those engaged in the work of Christian Education are desirous of implanting true Church principles. (Vide Advertisement. UNDER the above title, in a most convenient shape, and at a most reasonable price-we have to notice a very welcome adjunct-and very efficient aid, to the labours of our Monitors and Sunday School Teachers, and to that Catechetical Instruction, which is found so needful and so useful by all who are engaged in parochial work and parochial Schools. And the work has this great merit, that it is (while carefully and fully declaring the "deep things" of Holy Writ,) yet most simple in its explanations and clear in its refer ences, so that all may understand it who possess sufficient attention or a steady will. The observations at the end of each section are most deserving of attentive perusal, and serious thought. The idea is a happy one-and so far, well executed-thus to carry back the mind of the listening child or adult, as the case may be, to the general bearing of the preceding catechetical instruction, and so to impress more deeply still upon the prepared soil, lessons in "wisdom and spiritual understanding," which may last amid and beyond all the changes and chances of life. We shall return to our notice of this very useful work ere long, and in the meantime we do most heartily and earnestly recommend it to the favourable support of all National and Sunday Schools, all private Schools and Families, as most fitting for all those who are engaged in the work of Education, and are desirous of implanting true Church principles ! GATHERINGS. S. THE BIBLE. The word Bible is taken from a Greek word Biblos, which signifies Book, and it is called "The Bible," that is, "The Book, the Book of books;" because of its supreme excellency. The term Scriptures, is derived from a Latin word scriptura, a writing; and are called Holy because they were penned by "holy men of old," and contain the Holy Will of God. The two parts are called the Old and New Testaments. (2 Cor. iii. 6, 14,) or Covenants, of which the Church of England affirms in Article VII. that "the Old Testament is not contrary to the New, for both in the Old Testament and New Testament everlasting life is offered to mankind by Christ, Who is the only Mediator between God and man, being both God and Man." THE Editors of the "Church Sunday School Magazine," in reply to a very important request made to them by a Sunday School Teacher before noticed, relating to Books requisite for their Studies and improvement, subjoin a course of reading and study, which it is very desirable that every Teacher should pursue more or less, according to his or her ability, The Editors wish to impress upon the minds of all Teachers, the great importance of preparing before hand the lessons to be given to their Classes, so that they shall deliver a well considered and consistent course of Catechetical instruction. The List is divided into two parts: the first consisting of books, immediately useful in Sunday School instruction; the second being intended for the improvement and advancement of the Teachers in general knowledge, on subjects directly or indirectly connected with religion. The Books are mostly cheap books; any works of a more expensive sort are not mentioned. LIST, No. 1.-Nichols's Help to the Reading of the Bible; James on the Collects; Trower on the Epistles; Trower on the Gospels; Beaven's Help to Catechising; Beaven on the Articles; Sinclair on the Catechism; Bishop Nixon on the Catechism; Nichol's Sunday Exercises; Bishop Jolly on the Sunday Services; Easy Lessons for every Sunday in the Year; Jerusalem and the adjacent Country; The Christian Taught by the Church Services. LIST, NO. 2.-What is Romanism? (S. P. C. K.)-Nelson's Fasts and Festivals; Secker's Lectures; Jones' Tracts on the Church; Scripture Topography; Scripture Natural VOL. VI.-No. 4. E |