37. Of what do we become members when we are baptized? Of the Church of Jesus Christ.

38. Of what do we then receive the promise?

Of the heavenly Canaan.

39. How is this expressed in the Church Catechism?

We are made "inheritors of the kingdom of heaven." 40. Who recovered for us the promise of heaven?

Our Redeemer, Jesus Christ.

41. Do all who are baptized attain unto that promise? No: not many.

42. Why? what happens after our baptism?

God leads us about in the great wilderness of the world, to try and prove us.

43. And what is the conduct of most?

They only grieve and resist the Holy Ghost continually,

44. What is the consequence ?

God is greatly displeased, and does not suffer them to enter into

the promised kingdom, but disinherits them.

45. If we would attain unto the promise, whose example should we follow?

The example of Caleb and Joshua.

46. What exhortation of Saint Paul to the Hebrews should this type put us in mind of?

"Let us therefore fear, lest a promise being left us of entering into His rest, any of you should seem to come short of it." [Heb. iv, 1.] 47. Can you repeat another verse from the same chapter which refers to the same type?

Let us labour therefore to enter that rest: lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief."

48. What did the Israelites do in the wilderness, after redeemed out of Egypt?

They went back again in their hearts to Egypt. 49. And what do too many baptized persons do?

[Heb. iv, 11.] they had been

They undo their baptism every day, and return in their hearts to the service of Satan.

50. If we die in the service of Satan again, will there be any other redemption for us?

No.

51. What then is our present state?

A state of trial and temptation, like the state of the Israelites in the wilderness, redeemed out of Egypt and put on the road to Canaan. 52. And what must be our chief concern?

That being placed by God's mercy and power in a state of salvation from our fallen and lost condition, we may continue in that state, and attain unto his promises, and enter in, at last, into his kingdom.

53. What exhortation of Saint Peter should we therefore always consider?

That we should give all diligence to "make our calling and election sure." [2 Pet. i, 10.]

54. How must this be done?

By living according to the obligations of our baptism, a life of repentance and faith.

J. R. W.

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL BOOKS ON SACRED HISTORY.

REV. SIR,-I am glad in being able to inform "P.," that there is a valuable series of elementary books on the Sacred Scriptures, exactly suited to his wants, published by Varty, of London, and edited by Mr. Charles Baker. I have found the following-forming a part of the series of great service to me, in imparting Scriptural knowledge to children, viz., "The Book of Bible History," "Bible Geography," "Bible Characters," and a "Tabular View of the Old Testament History." They are, however, independent of each other, and can be used separately. The writer has used them all with great advantage, in a school he was connected with; and he strongly recommends their adoption, where the reading of the Scriptures forms part of the school exercises; convinced as he is, by practical acquaintance, that they form an embodiment of Scripture truth rarely equalled.

I cannot do better than present your readers with the following extract from the author's exposition of the series. Alluding to the Bible history, he says "The lessons are written in easy language, and include all the principal facts narrated in the Old Testament; they omit no important occurrence, while they avoid prolixity of detail. One main object was to provide such a series of lessons as should be the means of imparting, in a reasonable time, a condensed, but a correct acquaintance with the Bible as a whole, and in order. The book has been provided with a series of questions, and about two hundred geographical notices; thus saving the trouble of reference to other volumes during the course of a lesson requiring some explanation of the scene of the events therein narrated."

The lessons admirably carry out the objects of the compiler. I have had pupils under my care who were taught Bible history upon Mr. Baker's plan, able to answer any reasonable question on any part of the Holy Scriptures. Such is my experience of their utility. The author of the series is, I believe, a sound churchman. The books have received the approbation of learned bishops, and many of the clergy of our Church; so that they may be placed in the hands of the young with the fullest confidence that they contain nothing inimical to our beloved Church.

It occurs to me, that it would be highly beneficial, if teachers, when they have found books of much service to them in their schools, would make it known, that others might be led to adopt them. If this plan were generally adopted, it would tend greatly to improve our schools, and be the means of infusing a kindly feeling amongst those who often stand much in need of counsel and encouragement.

Yours respectfully,

A. M.

REV. SIR,-In the last number of your Journal, a correspondent remarked the scarcity and insufficiency of school books in sacred history. This is undoubtedly true, not only of this most important part of scholastic instruction, but also of several others. There is, however, a publication, consisting of three volumes, called, " Scriptural Instruction for the Least and the Lowest; or, Bible History in its Simplest Form," (Binn and Thomson, Bath; Simpkin, Marshall, & Co., and James Nisbett, London), which, I think, would supply the particular deficiency that your correspondent mentions. There is, however, a plan that I would suggest, by

which, through the assistance of your Journal, the want of school books might in part be remedied.

It is well known that there are many zealous and well educated men among our schoolmasters, who make up the defect before mentioned, by compiling for their own use such books, &c. as they find they cannot obtain in print. These persevering and industrious men would willingly reap the benefit which they deserve, by the publication of their productions. But when we look at the expense, and at their means, which are scanty enough, and from which some have to provide for a large family, it will be seen that this is not possible. Thus many are deprived of the use of copies of compilations, which, if in print, would supply a large void in the educational library. The existence of several such manuscripts I am aware of, and am assured that their publication would be of great service to the cause of education. In your exertions, Sir, in the cause of education (not to mention the task of editing a monthly journal), you have taken means for the supply of good teachers for vacant situations. Another step in the same direction would be gained by the adoption of the following plan:

Supposing a person has an original manuscript which he considers useful in education, but which he is not able to publish by private means, let him first obtain the recommendation for his work from a clergyman, and then transmit it to you. If you consider the work worth the trouble, the intended publication of the same, charged as an advertisement, might be announced in your Journal, with a few extracts, &c. Subscribers would send their names to you or the author, and you would communicate with him. The requisite number of subscribers being obtained, the work would proceed to publication. I am,

Rev. Sir, yours respectfully

W. T. V.

Notices of Looks.

THE TEACHER'S MANUAL OF ENGLISH GRAMMAR. BY R. FROST, M.A.

(J. H. Jackson, Islington Green, London.)

HERE we have one more added to our school grammars, whose number is already countless. For what purpose such addition has been made, the author himself informs us. In his preface he modestly observes, that he does not propose to convey any new information on the subject of grammar; that his little work is merely an attempt to infuse some interest into this necessary, but too often very dull, branch of popular education." Such an attempt, it will readily be allowed, well deserves the gratitude of the teachers of our church schools, for whose use more particularly, the work has been prepared.

Mr. Frost has not merely charged himself with presenting an outline of English grammar, but has also pointed out the method by which he thinks the subject ought to be taught; or, to speak more correctly, and more in accordance with the spirit of his work, a method by which it may be taught with profit.

The hints for the use of the teacher are distinct from the text. This has been effected by the employment of different types.

We propose here to offer a few remarks on the subject of grammar, in a

spirit kindred to that in which Mr. Frost appears to have taken it up, and with reference to his work; only premising, that we have pleasure in recommending his book to the notice of teachers. They may not in every particular agree with the author; yet if they peruse the work in the same spirit in which it has evidently been written, they cannot fail to profit by it; and if they employ it in their schools in the method pointed out, the results, we venture to predict, will be satisfactory.

Mr. Frost has characterized grammar as a branch of education that is often found by the scholar to be dull and void of interest. For this state of things he has assigned one cause-the abstract nature of the subject; and the avowed object of his work furnishes us with a clue as to what he considers to be a second cause, viz., that a text-book suitable, both as it regards matter and method, has hitherto been wanting for our schools.

The first cause assigned suggests a wholesome caution. Grammar, as a whole, is an abstract subject,—perhaps the most abstract one to which the attention of the children in our schools is directed. It is not child's play. Nay more, it is not a study suited to infantile capacities. We doubt whether any alembic powers, or tact possessed by the best of teachers, can render it so. Nature will assert her right. Milk for babes is a rule never to be forgotten. Abstractions will not be coaxed into veritable child-like realities. They may be either said or sung, we know; for alas! we have heard them. But are they, in such cases, in any sense, intelligently apprehended?

To lay down definitively the age at which a child's mind is capable of grappling successfully with this subject as a whole, would be obviously impossible; for here, emphatically, circumstances alter cases. We say "as a whole," including under this, of course, the syntactical analysis of sentences, as well as the mere statement of the class or part of speech to which this or that word may belong. The degree of maturity, however, that the child's mind ought to have attained before entering upon the study of grammar, is an important preliminary consideration, the neglect of which is, it is often to be feared, one main cause of failure. In short, then, the rule here, and in similar cases is,-that instruction ought ever to be suited to the circumstances of the scholar, using the word 'circumstances' in a wide sense.

A

In regard to method, we have one word by way of general remark. writer in the English Journal of Education has told us, that it is not catechisms, but catechists that are needed. This is the sense in which we understand it expresses, in reference to this point, very much what we wish to say. In the hands of an efficient teacher, scarcely any text-book can be altogether worthless. On the contrary, in the hands of an unskilful and bungling workman, the best of tools will not effect half the good that they are really calculated to do. Moreover, a straining after excellencies of methods, where the internal conditions that such methods presuppose are wanting, is, we have reason to think, sometimes detrimental to the individual, rather than advantageous. As far as method is concerned, we are content to say, that he is a good teacher who teaches efficiently up the measure of his own standard. David, be it remembered, is not benefited by putting on Saul's armour. As a general rule, whatever direct instruction the teacher conveys to his pupils, should first pass through his own mind.

When the teacher is in a condition to act honestly in accordance with this rule, he finds teaching pleasant, and the scholars so instructed find

learning delightful. Let us look for a moment at the opposite side of the picture.

We find a teacher-a young teacher, who has seen, and in a certain sense imbibed more fine things than he has yet digested-bring before his class a medley of things scientific, but to them probably as unmeaning as Chinese. The subjects in themselves may not be wholly beyond the children's powers; but the teacher has only partially and hastily apprehended them himself, and in such a case, whatever method may be employed, it is impossible to teach them efficiently to others.

Again we find a teacher-often not a young one-with the text-book in his hand, listening to his pupils while they repeat certain lessons-listening only. Here that delightful chain of sympathy that exists between the teacher and the taught, when our rule is acted on, is entirely broken. They are now isolated. The individual who acts thus has ceased, in any proper sense, to be a teacher; he is merely a taskmaster.

The value of a text-book, intended to be of service to the teacher as well as to the scholar, is to be judged of, not merely by the amount of information that it contains, but by what it suggests. In both respects the work before us, as far as it goes, merits commendation.

There are certain questions which may be regarded as the "shibboleths" of young English grammarians.

Let us

Of this kind is the question, "How many parts of speech do you make?” If one, in the simplicity of his heart, should answer "Nine;" the interrogator is moved, and by his manner it is evident, that he has at once set down the person making such a confession, as one who knows nothing of the subject; for with him, to acknowledge the existence of an "article" in English language, is a doctrine far too heterodox to be tolerated. see how Mr. Frost treats this part of his subject. The author," he observes, speaking in the third person, "cannot satisfy himself to make these words (the articles) into a distinct part of speech. They seem to stand alone in the language, being a kind of index to nouns. They have not sufficient claim to be classed as adjectives. Hence their position in the text." That position is, that they are excluded from the parts of speech, but are not robbed of their name. This is accommodating, and will surely please all parties, for it seems to be giving a little on both sides. The fact is, Mr. Frost probably regarded the matter as being of very minor importance, and in this view of it we quite coincide with him.

A far more important question of the kind to which we have alluded is "how many moods and tenses do you make?” Five moods and six tenses." Ah! rejoins your interrogator, with a face of concern, I see you have not studied the subject philosophically. Mr. Frost shall himself explain on which side of the question he takes his stand. In reference to it he remarks: "Verbs are here treated at considerable length. The placing of the active and passive voices opposite to each other, will serve, it is hoped, to make the distinction between them clear and intelligible. Some grammarians dispatch verbs in a very summary way, making only two tenses, and three moods. This method certainly facilitates the parsing of verbs. All that is necessary, even where the auxiliaries are used, is to say that the auxiliary is in the present or past tense, as the case may be; and the principal verb in the infinitive mood or participle: and here is an end of the matter. This treatment has the advantage of being easy, and the teacher if he choose may adopt it. But the author decidedly prefers the fuller development of moods and tenses. Our English verbs, it is true, have not