half of the commonwealth is happy wherein they are,'—the same we may fitly apply to times,-Well to celebrate these religious and sacred days, is to spend the flower of our time happily. They are the splendour and outward dignity of our religion, forcible witnesses of ancient truth, provocations to the exercise of all piety, shadows of our endless felicity in heaven, on earth everlasting records and memorials, wherein they which cannot be drawn to hearken unto that we teach, may only by looking upon what we do, in a manner read whatsoever we believe." The great essential, however, in the calculation of these "days and times," will be a just view of their having a relation all unto one head." So thought Hooker, and such, we are happy to say, is the view of Mr. Hastings. He has thus introduced his volume of Sermons.

"In the selection of subjects, the course of the ecclesiastical year has been followed, such having been the author's usual method of instruction. Twelve years since, in a Visitation Sermon, he thus expressed himself: In the Prayer-Book, second only to the Book out of whose elements it is chiefly composed, the great mystery of godliness is so enwrapped, entwined, and embodied, that, break it into as many fragments as you please, the truth will yet stand forth. The Lord Jesus Christ is the Sun around which our Liturgy revolves, deriving light and heat from Him. It catches the first glimpse of his rising beams: it rejoices with angelic hosts at his birth: it mourns with him in his agony and bloody sweat, in his cross and passion: it watches over his grave: it triumphs in his resurrection: it ascends with him by anticipation, to the right hand of God: it expects, in joyful hope, the promised Comforter: it awaits with longing eyes his second advent in glory.' In exemplifi cation of this idea, the present volume contains a sermon for every Sunday between Advent and Trinity, according to the Calendar for the current year, not omitting the principal feasts or Good Friday. The texts are not always taken from the service of the day, but the intention of the Church with regard to each particular season has been kept in view. Should this feeble effort be instrumental, by the blessing of God, to the immediate end which called it forth, and be also conducive to promote the faith and holiness of those into whose hands it may fall, the author will be amply rewarded for his labours, and deeply thankful to the Giver of all good."

We should not omit to notice, that the immediate end of Mr. Hastings's publication is an object of charity. It has "originated in the desire to aid the erection of two school-rooms, with suitable houses for a master and mistress, in the parish of Martley, where the author drew his first breath, and spent the first eleven years of his ministerial life, and with which he is closely connected." We can sincerely say that the Sermons, though "not written with any view to publication," will in no way discredit so laudable an object, and we rejoice to observe, from the subscription list, that the author's pious design has met with much high and distinguished support. The volume is dedicated, by permission, to that illustrious patroness of every good work, her Majesty Queen Adelaide.

The second volume on our list is another specimen of the system of pulpit ministrations so common in our Church: we mean the

system based on the seasons of the ecclesiastical year. Mr. Thompson's Lectures were preached during the season of Lent; and, like the courses published by the late lamented Mr. Blunt, are historical, or rather perhaps biographical. Cain and Abel, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Moses, Joshua, Saul, David, Daniel, Peter, and Paul, are the characters discussed. The concluding lecture is on the Cloud of Witnesses. Mr. T. has thus sketched the pervading idea and object of the Lectures.

"Every clergyman," he remarks, "who observes the tone of discussion on religious subjects as it is carried on, especially in populous places, must be aware that there is no point on which it is more warm than on the characters of the saints recorded in God's word. And there is superadded the difficulty caused by the erroneous views of both parties in the controversy. The sincere Christian is too apt, in the eagerness of defence, to maintain that each saint is faultless and is thus betrayed into the absurdity of palliating that which in truth-tried by God's unerring standard-admits of no palliation. The infidel, the sceptic, or the hollow believer, on the other hand, fastens on the frailties, follies, or sins of the saint: infers, not merely the hypocrisy of the saint himself, but the inefficacy of the faith which he professed: and then, through this imagined exposure of the sinfulness of the favoured believer, and the inadequacy of faith to make and preserve that believer sinless, he throws doubts upon revelation itself.

"My object, in the following pages, is to show that without faith in the promised or triumphant Redeemer, man cannot be a saint at all: that the chosen saints were still but men that each had received the principle of faith-a principle which though often dimmed was never quenched, but burned with a light glowing in the main, and beautiful to the end: that each was the chosen instrument of the overruling God, for the instruction and improvement of fallen man: that the frailties and sins of each could not weaken or pollute the heavenly truths which each was ordained to convey: and that thus, while we pray to be enabled to emulate the faith of the believer, and eschew the errors of the man, in every example brought before us, we may in the same spirit admire the wisdom and love of that gracious Father who hath provided that through channels so frail his truths should flow down safe and full of power, for the salvation of our immortal souls.”

The idea upon which Mr. T. has seized is a deeply interesting and important one. The mind which conceived and thus embodied it, could hardly fail to work out the idea with considerable effect. There are many striking and useful thoughts in Mr. T.'s volumebut he will excuse our saying that there are some unguarded ones, and that he might have bestowed more pains on so delicate and important a subject. What authority has he for saying, that "Isaac-meek, faithful, submissive-acted on one principle throughout his whole pilgrimage-darkened by only one season of weakness and sin"?-or that Peter was (( unstained by a single sin from the moment that he" went out and wept bitterly"?-or that the title, "a man after God's own heart," as given to David, has reference only to his governing Israel in obedience to God's commands that it was " in comparison with Saul on one particular subject that he was so called"? Mr. T., like many preachers,

is too fond of strong points, and would do well to think less of effect, and be more studious of a calm sobriety. Where, however, there is much to commend, we feel reluctant to animadvert more severely on what is probably the maiden-production of a "diffident" author.

CHRISTIAN DEVOTEDNESS: a Sermon, preached at St. George's, Bloomsbury, on May 1, 1845. By the Rev. CHARLES MAYO, D.C.L. In aid of the Funds of the Home and Colonial Infant and Juvenile School Society. London: Ridgeway. 1845. THIS is the first Sermon we have seen in aid of the Home and Colonial Infant and Juvenile School Society-a Society in behalf of which we have some time ago expressed our lively interest, and whose principles and claims we took occasion to bring before our readers at some length. The Sermon is one we can confidently recommend for its intrinsic merits. It is a clear and forcible exhibition of the nature of Christian devotedness-the motives which should constrain to it, and the practical application of the principle. The tone throughout is worthy of the preacher and the occasion; and intimately connected as Dr. Mayo has long been with this comparatively infant institution, the discourse, if judiciously circulated, cannot but have a favourable effect in conciliating the confidence of the public, and recommending the institution to support. The peculiar position of the National Society at this time induces us to attach peculiar and increased importance to the system so satisfactorily directed at Gray's-inn Road, and now so successfully carried out in many parts of the country. We are, therefore, anxious again to call attention to its claims, and for this reason it is we have noticed Dr. Mayo's Sermon. The passage we extract will revive the recollections of our readers, and present, in a clear and condensed form, the history and present state of the Society. We sincerely trust it may have the effect of promoting its designs, and seconding the appeal which the Committee have just made for more general support. The passage follows:

2

is as

"In the choice of Societies, to which we give our support, and the measure of the aid we lend them, we must of course be influenced by the judg

See an Article in our January Number for 1843, p. 16. "Works on Infant Schools." 2 We lament to have to add, that at the instant of sending this sheet to press, we receive the mournful intelligence of the death of this truly excellent man.

ment we form of the purity of their principles, the efficiency of their operation, and the singleness of view, with which they seek to promote the kingdom of God and His righteousness.

"On these principles I urge on your charitable consideration the peculiar claims of the Home and Colonial Infant and Juvenile School Society. I ground them, first on the improvement which it has introduced into early education. Some twenty years ago the plan of Infant Schools was formed in this country. There were many errors committed in the process of its formation, and there was always some desultoriness in its practice. But there was no little intellectual vigour even in its first essays, and a spirit of love presided over its administration. It invariably aimed at exercising a wholesome moral influence, and in most instances inculcated pure religious truth. When I look back on the record of those early days, which fell under my own observation, I find many beautiful traits of correct moral feeling exhibited by the children, and very many proofs, that out of the mouth of babes and sucklings,' God had perfected praise. This result was found not only in the hosannas uttered by their own lips, but in those taught by them to echo from the lips of their parents.

"The want, however, of an organized central Society to direct and perpetuate the motions of the system was soon felt. An effort was made in that direction; a Society was formed, but it never worked efficiently, and was soon abandoned altogether.

"Among the first teachers were undoubtedly some men of vigorous minds and aptitude to teach; on them naturally devolved the office of training others; but the men they trained were, as might be expected, inferior to their instructors, and could in turn hand down to others nothing more than a certain routine of exercises without the spirit that should animate it,-a body without a soul. A cold, lifeless style of teaching, and ineffective moral influence were, in consequence, soon visible in the majority of the schools. And as the best things, when corrupted, are usually the most evil, so it proved: mechanical and useless lessons, and the most quarrelsome, unamiable spirit, have been abundantly exhibited in those very schools, which professed to develop the intellectual faculties, and cherish the best moral feelings of the infant heart.

"It was under these circumstances, when the cause of early education was fast sinking into neglect, that this Society was formed. From the dust of temporary oblivion it drew forth and unfurled again, the original banner of the system, Holiness to the Lord.' Again, it was asserted and enforced, that moral training was of far greater importance than mere intellectual instruction; again, the difference between teaching a parrot to talk and a child to think was clearly and practically shewn. A model school for the instruction of infants, and a Normal school for the training of teachers, were established. In the latter, young persons were made acquainted with the theory of infant education by means of lessons adapted to that purpose, and they not only witnessed the application of those principles by others, but themselves applied them in the class-rooms of the Model School. Model lessons were drawn up for the purpose of furnishing teachers with definite instructions, while the true spirit of teaching was diligently instilled into their minds, during the process of their training.

"An efficient course of instruction, extending over six months, is given to persons trained as teachers in the Normal school, for eight guineas (all charges of maintenance being included.) The importance of giving that period, at least, to the training of teachers, and the necessity of keeping down the expense in order to meet the very limited means of the parties to be trained, has induced the Committee to adopt a course, which necessarily increases in a very great degree the expences of the Institution, and, therefore, should the more strongly recommend the Society to your support.

"It has been found that the subsequent instruction, and moral influence of

our National Schools harmonizes very ill with the more intellectual development and the moral training of the Infant Schools; while in the manufacturing districts, and, indeed, in most parts of the country, the years devoted to education are painfully abridged. These considerations have led to the formation of a juvenile class in the Model School, where more positive knowledge and more defined acquirements are built up on the foundation of infant teaching; the same spirit in different proportion, and in a somewhat different aspect, pervading both. By means of this class, a more intellectual style of teaching may be instilled into those persons, whose schools can still be conducted according to the forms of the National system. At the same time, teachers are trained for the most useful kind of school for our manufacturing districts, and for many of our small agicultural parishes, viz., for children from two to eight or ten years of age.

"In urging the claims of the Society on your liberal support I must not pass over that of the extensive range of its beneficent operations. It has not confined its labours to England only, Ireland has awakened its sympathies, and invited its efforts. An experienced teacher, sent and salaried by the Society, has devoted the labours of a year to the organization of schools, and the training of teachers in the sister kingdom. Such gifts to Ireland, are blessings indeed, most urgently required by the state of the schools and of the population, and most gladly given! May the Lord bless the seed sown!

"Our colonies, too, England's vigorous children, too much neglected in their intellectual and moral interests, have been aided by the Society. In Malta, and other dependencies of the British empire, flourishing schools have been established, and foreign countries, as Belgium, Russia, and the United States, have been aided with the materials of instruction. And, lastly, at Jerusalem, under the auspices of its venerated Bishop, there is probably at this moment in the process of organization a school for infants, in which a master, trained at the Society's institution, will have the privilege of leading the infants of the daughter of Zion to repose a pure and simple faith in that atoning sacrifice which Jesus offered for them, when He suffered without the gate.

"I proceed to the last ground on which I rest the claims of this Society. It is its earnest inculcation of pure evangelical truth. Its aim is to 'seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.

'It will, I know, be an objection to some, that it is not exclusively a Church Society. But this, I am convinced, offers many advantages. It is scarcely to be deplored that there should be presented to Churchmen and Dissenters, alike loving the Lord Jesus in sincerity, a sphere of peaceable co-operation, where, without compromise of their distinctive peculiarities, they may learn to tolerate, to esteem, to love one another. The Dissenter, I humbly conceive, is benefited by the definiteness of Church principles, for the Society professes to educate on Christian principles, as such principles are set forth and embodied in the doctrinal Articles of the Church of England.' The Churchman is benefited by being kept closer to the Word of God, and the essential verities of our holy religion. For, in the schools of the Society, the religious instruction is drawn directly from the Scriptures, or consists in elucidations of the Apostles' creed, the commandments, and the Lord's prayer. "There is a great tendency, in training schools connected with the Establishment, to give more attention, and to devote more time, to what is pecu liar to the Church of England, than to the common principles of the Church of Christ. But, while the former serve to train the attached, the intelligent Churchman, and therefore must, in our eyes, have their value and their place, it is the latter which serve to form the Christian, and therefore bear the highest value, and should hold the most important place. A Church of England teacher possessing those preliminary qualifications of character, which the Society requires, built up in Scriptural knowledge, and trained in the art