THE OFFERING OF ISAAC. pears that a revelation was granted to Abraham, explaining how Christ, the promised seed, would in many particulars resemble Isaac. Symbolical instruction was the mode then in use for conveying instruction, and in a figure or type might Abraham here see Jesus-as the only Son of Godcarrying his cross-offered up by his Father-remaining three days in a state of exclusion from life-leaving his disciples at the gate of the garden of agony-returning to the house of his Father-offering no resistance to his crucifixion, and becoming the founder of a numerous seed to recompense his pain. The ancient Church was thus taught the necessity of sacrifices and the doctrine of substitution. In the We are happy in being able to give our young friends two engravings illustrative of this splendid occurrence. one, Abraham is seen in prayer, asking for the full assurance of faith to carry him through the trial; in the other he is seen just about to slay his son, and arrested by the voice of the Eternal. NEWGATE. For five successive years, not one prisoner's name could be found in the books of this vast prison, who had been trained in a Sunday school. THESE CHILDREN ARE IMMORTAL. The faithful Sunday school teacher has one great object, which is never absent from his mind. It is to conduct his scholars to heaven. He looks around on his class and thinks thus,Here are half-a-dozen children who are to exist for ever and ever. But a little while, and every one of them will be in eternity. Awful thought! Yes, these little creatures, whom I sometimes neglect, and in teaching whom I sometimes grow weary, are immortal. They will, every one, live in heaven or hell.' Here is a consideration which needs only to be pondered, to kindle a fire in every Sunday school, to make every superintendent and teacher all alive, and to change the whole face of affairs in all our churches. Let the teacher carry this thought with him to his chamber where he studies, to his closet where he prays, to the house where he visits his pupils, and to the class which he teaches. They are to live for ever; and whether 'like the angels,' or in the lake of fire, depends on their receiving or rejecting that salvation which is now offered to them. This thought, burning in the teacher's soul, will animate all his actions. It will take away the tedium of the long walk in winter, or of the long hours in school. It will dignify the humblest labour, and spread a holy affection over the dullest lesson. It will cause his eye to glance on the faces of ragged urchins, with greater interest than the statuary shows when he surveys his marble; for here are minds to be brought into shape, nay, to be made alive. To save the souls of his class the teacher has in his hand God's own appointed instrument-the Bible. If there were but one in the world, it would he well worth a voyage more perilous than that of Columbus. But the copies are innumerable, and men have learned to undervalue them. O, my brother teacher, take that sacred weapon in your hand-it is the sword of the Spirit. Use it skilfully, use it prayerfully, and, by God's blessing, shall use it successfully. If it is near your own heart, you will be able to apply it forcibly to the hearts of these little ones. Unless you love it beyond all expression, you will explain it but coldly. But if it is in your affectionate meditations every hour, as you walk, and as you watch, it will flow naturally from your lips, and your scholars will wonder what new fascination has come over your words. There is an inexpressible power, like that of a charm, in you WHO WILL HELP THE MISSIONS? 39 words which flow from a full and loving heart. Such words, even from an unlearned and simple-hearted person, are more often the means of conversion than long and learned discourses. Look first at your Bible, as the food and portion of your own soul, and then at your scholars, as immortal creatures, needing the same to preserve them from eternal ruin, and you will teach as you never taught before. You will meet these pupils at the bar of final judgment. You have, in a manner, become responsible for them. Do not slight the tremendous obligation. Take each of them by the hand, and lead the wandering lamb to Christ, to be justified by his righteousness, and made holy by his Spirit. WHO WILL HELP THE MISSIONS? A teacher at Newcastle, anxious for the welfare of her class, and wishful to interest their minds in the Missionary cause, related to them a beautiful story, which she had read in the Sunday School Magazine, of a little girl, mentioned in the second letter to the Little Friends of great China,' who, though extremely poor, devised a plan of gathering the pieces of wool adhering to the hedges of the fields in which she laboured, by which she was enabled to contribute to the work of missions. After telling this interesting instance of youthful benevolence, the teacher promised to ask them about it the following Sabbath. Sabbath came, and the teacher, surrounded by her class, asked them what they had been thinking about the missions since she had told them the story of little Becca' and her wool. One little girl replied immediately, 'Teacher, I get three-half-pence a week for beating sand, and I will give it.' Another one said Please ma'am, my grandfather gives me a penny, and my mother gives me a half-penny every week, and I want the missionaries to have it.' 'But,' said the teacher, how much of it will you give?' 'O,' replied both of them cheerfully, we will give it all, teacher.' This little event says to teachers and scholars 'go thou and do likewise.' The children of the congregational schools in Manchester have become deeply interested in the project of a New Missionary Ship, to be bought by the young friends belonging to the London Missionary Society. The project was no sooner brought before them, than they entered into it with all their hearts. On new year's day a juvenile tea party was held in Grosvenor-street school room. The walls were beautifully decorated. One chief attraction was a large ship painted on white calico, which is to be sent by the new missionary ship for the amusement of the children at Aitutaki, in the South Seas, under the care of Mr. and Mrs. Royle, who went out from this School. The follow : ing is a list of the contributions already received :- ... 17 6 10 40 5 4 74 10 10/ Ashley-lane Sunday school-a branch of Grosvenor-street 10 10 0 Mosley-street chapel Sunday school.. 11 8 0 12 13 2 1 0 1 6 63 2 13 11/ Here we have additional proofs that the missionary enterprize is adapted to enchant the tender mind, and that our Sunday schools are a rich mine of hope for the evangelizing societies of the church of Christ. Go on dear children; plead and pray for the perishing heathen; and may our God dispose and qualify many of you to go far hence to the gentiles,' there to live and die in saving souls. THE SACRAMENTAL AND FUNERAL SERMON. There was in my congregation a little girl of the name of Mary Harmon, dedicated to God in infancy by her parents, and trained in the fear of the Lord. In progress of childhood Mary developed the natural qualities of decision and stability, as well as of frankness and affability. But it was not until the age of ten or eleven that she began to be solicitous about eternal things. Nor was her purpose then definitely fixed to serve God, though, under the influence of Sabbath school instruction and parental prayer, her heart was restrained if not regenerated. When her older sister united with the church, her anxieties were again awakened. At the meeting of the Synod of Virginia, last October, when the blessing of God descended on ministers and people, Mary was one of the first who expressed a desire to embrace the Saviour. At the memorable communion season in the afternoon of the Sabbath, when the Saviour was manifestly made known to his disciples in the breaking of bread, this little girl, with some others, expressed an anxiety for the prayers of Christians that she might be converted to God. From that time she resolved that, by the grace of God, nothing should separate her from the service of her beloved Redeemer. On the first Sabbath of the new year, with several others, Mary SACRAMENTAL AND FUNERAL SERMON. 41 came forward and entered into covenant with God. We sung at the ratification of the heavenly covenant, the sweet hymn, 'Oh happy day that fixed my choice,' the concluding stanza of which has thrilled so many hearts on similar occasions. 'High heaven, that heard the solemn vow, That vow renew'd shall daily hear; And bless in death a bond so dear.' That 'latest hour' was to come to Mary before the close of the next week! That sacred bond was to be her comfort in death on the following Thursday. In the bloom of health and promise of childhood she sat at the table of the Lord on the first Sabbath of the year. Ere another Sabbath, the grave had received her youthful form to its silent and tranquil bosom. On Wednesday she became ill, and symptoms of croup were strongly developed. I visited her, and found the little sufferer struggling with that remorseless disease, scarcely able to communicate her ideas even in a whisper; yet seizing my hand, she exclaimed, 'Oh! he is going to save me, he is going to save me. How happy I am. How good he was to let me sit down even once at his table before he took me away.' And then unable to say more, she clasped, or rather clapped, her hands, and raised her eyes to heaven, as if in praise for redeeming love. The thought of death seemed not to disturb her nor to occupy, if it occurred to her mind, but anticipated glories filled her vision. She begged her mother not to weep, for she was going to her Saviour. She clasped the neck of her brother, a little older than herself, and who joined the church at the same time, and charged him, Study your Bible, love God, and meet me in heaven.' As the powers of life began to fail under the pressure of this disease, her faith rose to a higher degree of strength, and her love glowed with increasing ardour. Her peace flowed like a river, and she said or sung, "When the last trial 's over, Not long after, she calmly breathed out her soul, at the age of thirteen years and five months. On Saturday afternoon we repaired to the house of God, and to perform the funeral solemnities, during which her cold remains reposed in the same spot, beneath the pulpit, where a few days before she stood a living witness for Christ. How different, yet not distant the transactions! On the Sabbath it was a bridal-to day a burial. Then the joyful anthemn filled the courts of the Lord-now the funeral dirge. Then we rejoiced over the spiritual life of the soul-now we mourned the natural death of the body. On that morning the countenance of little Mary was lighted up with joy-now it was like the repose of marble, yet serene and sweet in its aspect as if it symbolized the tranquillity of the departed spirit. The first Sabbath of the year was her last on earth. The second Sabbath was her first in heaven. It is a solemn thing for a pastor to preach one's sacramental and funeral sermon in the same week, yet so near are we to eternity. American Correspondent. |