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which were nearly similar to those already formed. Many interesting remarks were afterwards made by other Ministers present, and after singing a hymn and concluding with prayer, a collection was made amounting to about £25. The committee were chosen of persons from the surrounding villages, who all appeared much impressed with the importance of the object; arrangements were made for opening schools in the destitute villages as soon as possible. At Groombridge a school has been opened for the reception of children and adults under the zealous superintendence of the Rev. Mr. Cook, and is in a prosperous state; also one at Southborough, consisting of seventy-three children and is on the increase. Several persons of respectability have offered their services as teachers, and the children have been regularly sent and attended cheerfully, and some of the parents also have since regularly attended public ordinances: the schools are now held in much higher esteem. The females in two of them have been supplied with bonnets, and in one school with shoes and stockings in addition, the gift of some Ladies. In one of the little girls who entered the school since, there is every reason to believe a work of grace is begun; these are their encouragements, and may we not hope the first report the Secretaries, Rev. Mr. Sabine and Mr. Dickenson of Pembury intend to present the Sunday School Union at their next annual meeting in May, will realize the prediction of the Prophet, "Instead of the thorn, shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree, and it shall be to the Lord for a name.

Where is the Christian, who, in remembrance of the transactions of Calvary, views before him a universe but partially illumined, that will yet deny himself a share in these pleasures? which, when travelling in pursuit of health, recreation or friendship, are, by a little arrangement, so easily accomplished. How, it may be asked, is this world to be evangelized? How is Britain, our native isle, to become the light and glory of the nations? Only, it may be answered, by the more active co-operation of Christians; here though much has been done very much remains undone. A good man near the residence of the writer, went a few Weeks since, to a village in Somersetshire, intending to preach there; but having left his Bible at home, sent all round the village to procure one, but alas, there was not one to be had!! and at this moment many of the villages in Gloucestershire, Somersetshire, Dorsetshire and Devonshire, have no Sunday School, nor yet a Bible Association, and it is to be feared many other Counties are equally destitute in Britain, the land of Goshen. These are cls, and loud calls indeed, to the adoption of any plan (however occasional disappointment may attend a few) that may in any degree tend to promote the knowledge of the truth. Soon, it is hoped, the nations on the Continent will request our aid to assist them in these designs of mercy, and unless active steps are taken, we shall, with regret, be obliged to reply, our own vineyard is not fully watered.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR, FROM THE SECRETARY OF THE ESSEX SUNDAY SCHOOL UNION.

SIR,

HAVING read, with peculiar pleasure, your valuable and interesting miscellany, and being deeply impressed with the utility and importance of such productions, in promoting the best interest of the rising generation; we must be very defective in our duty as Sunday School Teachers, if we neglect to communicate that information which has a tendency to advance this glorious work.

With this end in view, we send you the following additional proof of the beneficial effects of Sunday School teaching: which, we think, will not be disagreeable to that class of readers, for which your publication is particularly designed.

We send it to you in the form in which it was delivered at a quarterly meeting of the Essex Sunday School Union.

"As repeated instances of usefulness have sufficiently demonstrated the utility of Sunday School teaching, there can be no further need of comment upon it. But as those instances are the objects, in pursuit of which Sunday School teachers are engaged; and which the persons present are professedly met to promote: the following brief account of an instance of usefulness, which has recently transpired within our own Sunday School (at Chelmsford) will, we trust, prove a powerful stimulus to increasing exertion.

"Susanna Balls was the daughter of Robert Balls of Galleywood Common. She was admitted into the Sunday School at Cheimsford, in April, 1899, at which time she was about eleven years old. In the year 1812, her health became impaired, yet not so much so as entirely to prevent her attendance at School; to which she came as frequently as she could till the 5th of September, 1813. At this time she left the School, after having proceeded from reading words of three letters, to read in the Testament. After she left the School, she continued in a poor state of health till August 1814, and then she gradually grew worse. At this time she was visited by Mr. George Richardson, of Galleywood Common, who states as follows: She appeared to have been under serious impressions for two years, and seemed to live under the influence of those impressions. This Mr. Richardson had an opportunity of observing as she lived near him, and her conduct came frequently under his cognizance. Her delight says Mr. R. was to be with the people of God; that she might converse on the concerns of her soul.

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"In her last illness, which terminated in death, she expressed, to the friend above mentioned, a perfect resignation to the will of God, in reference to whether she should live or die. And she observed that her whole trust for salvation, was in what Jesus Christ had done and suffered and that her knowledge and experience

of these things was, under God, the effects of the instruction which she had received by attending at the Sunday School.

She continued getting worse till the second week in October, 1814, when, to all appearance, she died in the comfortable hope of being accepted of God, through Jesus Christ. Aged about sixteen years, leaving us another evidence that our labour is not in vain in the Lord."

In connexion with our Sunday School, we have a quarterly prayer meeting among the teachers; for the purpose of imploring the divine blessing on our labours, and for adopting any improvement that may be suggested. For the purpose of rendering these meetings the more interesting, we have adopted the plan of proposing for discussion, some subject connected with the interest of Sunday Schools. Those subjects, when discussed, are neither classical nor of superlative elegance. Their principle beauty and most prominent feature is "Christian sincerity." If the insertion of such is consistent with your proposed plan of publication, I know not, but that in the course of next quarter, we shall trouble you with one or two of them.

Wishing the Divine blessing to attend your valuable work, we remain yours in the strictest bonds of Gospel friendship and love,

Wm. WOODCOCK.
M. B. PEACOCK.
JAMES SAYER.

Secretaries.

Some account of our Sunday School Union will, by Divine permission, be forwarded to you after our next anniversary.

WEST KENT SUNDAY SCHOOL UNION.

DEAR SIR,

AGGREGATE meetings of persons engaged in the same pursuits have a tendency to arouse every feeling and excite every energy of the mind. If this be admitted as a general principle, it will apply more particularly to meetings of Sunday School Teachers. The teacher is animated when he beholds numbers assembled together actuated by the same principle-the love of God; and having in view one common object-the welfare of immortal beings: he is satisfied that considerable success must reward the united efforts of such a numerous body, and as in associations for benevolent purposes (unlike commercial or other partnerships) each individual has a claim to the pleasure that results from the contemplation of the whole of the good effected; he feels a strong inducement to contribute all in his power to a fund so highly advantageous.

Perhaps it must be allowed that part of the feeling excited on these occasions proves merely a transitory glow; yet surely much

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of it will be permanently fixed in the breast-the judgement must approve it-it will influence the association of ideas-it will form the habit, and long continue to be productive of conspicuous benefits. These thoughts very naturally arise on presenting a port of our last quarterly meeting, for we feel persuaded that there was not a teacher present on the occasion whose heart did not burn within him," or who went away without resolving to be more zealous in his work for the future. The very appropriate remarks of the chairman who so kindly favored us with his presence, and the cheering information he gave concerning the success of the good cause, will leave an impression upon the minds of the teachers not soon to be effaced.

Greenwich,

10th March, 1815.

We are, &c.

T. W. KERSHAW,
W. CHAMBERS.

The fourth Quarterly Meeting of the West Kent Sunday School Union was held at the Rev. Mr. Culver's Chapel, High-Street, Woolwich, on Friday evening the 17th ult.

It was commenced with singing a hymn, reading a portion of Scripture, and prayer.

Mr. W. F. Lloyd being called to the chair, addressed the meeting, and gave a general statement of the history of Sunday Schools, the importance of Sunday School Unions, and the success which has attended these societies.

The secretaries then read the reports from the several Sunday Schools belonging to the Union, and the following one from the Greenwich Adult School;

Since the last meeting of this Society, the superintendents of the Adult School at Greenwich have taken measures to give all possible publicity to its establishment, and they have now the pleasure to report that it consists of forty-four males, and five females, all of whom manifest considerable anxiety to be enabled to read, and twenty who a short time since scarcely knew the letters of the alphabet, can now read with tolerable fluency the New Tes tament, with which they have supplied themselves, and it is no small gratification to add, that of the male scholars, seventeen or eighteen are Catholics: several are also now learning to write, and the progress they have made at once shews the desire they manifest to receive instruction, and the great encouragement the superintendents of this and other Schools of a similar description have to persevere in the important work in which they are engaged.

The School for Females has been only recently established, and was undertaken in consequence of a master chimney-sweeper having, when the establishment of the Adult School was publicly made known, immediately offered himself for instruction, and expressed a strong desire that his wife also might be taught to read. Of the small number of which it consists, one is a negro woman, lately arrived from Jamaica, and there is good reason to believe,

that when it is more extensively known, a further number of scholars will be obtained.

A teacher stated, that on the previous evening having recognized one of the adults, whom he thought a Catholic, at Greenwich-Road Chapel, after the service was concluded, he went to him, and by way of introduction asked him if he was in the habit of attending-he replied that he had been only two or three times. The teacher then asked him if he was an Irishman-he replied "yes;" and a Catholic? this question seemed to embarrass him, but after a little hesitation he said, "yes, I am." He then asked him if he purposed to continue attending with evident pleasure in his countenace, and all the emphasis peculiar to his countryman, he replied, "O yes, I do;" and expressed himself as having derived considerable satisfaction from the attendance he had already given.

A report was read from the Woolwich Adult Schools. The number of males has increased to twenty; that of the females is nearly the same as quoted in the last report.

Amongst a variety of gratifying matter contained in the reports of the Sunday Schools, the following appears the most interesting: At Salem Chapel School the female department has experienced a considerable revival. Some of the senior girls, from their uniform good conduct, have been entrusted with the care of small classes, over which they preside with great propriety. A library has been formed for the use of those children who, for their good behaviour, merit the privilege that it affords, and has already produced very beneficial results.

A female scholar, lately belonging to the Rev. Mr. Culver's, has departed this life, after a short illness, during which she gave satisfactory evidence that the exchange of worlds would be for her eternal advantage.

An instance was mentioned in the report from Providence Chapel, of a boy who being dismissed the School for repeated misconduct, became sensible of his folly, and at his earnest entreaty, seconded by that of his friends, he was re-admitted; he has since proved one of the steadiest boys in the School, and renders himself particularly useful in the instruction of the junior classes.

One of the secretaries lamented that he had to notice a want of regard to the interests of the Schools at Erith and Woolwich Common.

The report from New Cross stated, that the ladies who so benevolently employ their time there, had not suffered their attendance in any instance to be interrupted by the severity of the weather, although they have to walk a distance of nearly two miles. The chairman proposed them as a pattern to those teachers whose duty it is to attend at Erith and Woolwich Common, observing that if ladies walk two miles, gentlemen ought to walk six.

It was stated that the school at Brockley had been discontinued, in consequence of the number of children being diminished by re

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