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fever, he felt in a measure disheartened, under the apprehension that neither teachers nor scholars would readily return, and had made up his mind no longer to conduct the school, and did not attend until two or three Sabbaths had elapsed, when he was induced by a friend to call and see the school, and on finding 46 children assembled, instead of 6 or 8 as he expected, his feelings, on witnessing thẻ evident desire of the children to be instructed, were such, that he could not leave them, but continues his labours with cheerfulness and delight.

In one school about half the scholars have returned, and of six teachers but one can now be found to aid the superintendent, and that but half the time.

In another the attendance of the children is equal to that before the suspension, while of five teachers, two only have returned.

In another, where all the teachers have returned to their stations, though many of the children have not returned, their places have been filled by 15 new scholars received last sabbath.

A superintendent says-Our school is in an unusually prosperous state-the regular attendance greater than at any time before, and our exertions seem crowned with wonderful success, yet we esteem it only as the budding of the harvest.

We might proceed through the schools with a similar enumeration, but these instances we deem sufficient to show that the seed sown has fallen on good ground and sprung up, and that the poor children are evidently much more ready to come and receive instruction than our Christian community to impart it. Let us here be indulged in the remark, that the idea of Sunday Schools being for the sole benefit of those in extreme poverty, is very erroneous; for the fact is, that children of many, very many respectable, and even wealthy, families attend the schools, and receive as much benefit in the formation of virtuous habits, and the implanting of moral and religious principles, as those of the poorer classes.

We now throw together a few out of the many facts and anecdotes which have come to our knowledge, all of which go to show the ultimate tendency of sabbath schools, as well as the immediate effects, and to exhibit also in a striking light, the astonishing, the salutary influence of these institutions, over not only the children, but their parents and the community.

Two boys were apprenticed in a pious family, and both very attentive at the Sunday School, the eldest 14, years of age, has established a complete guardianship over the younger, 12 years old; not long since he was overheard reproving the other for not praying when they went to bed, and after near half an hour's persuasion got him on his knees; he would not pray aloud; "now" says the eldest, "what do you think of when you pray: let me hear." "About my God," replies the other. "But you ought to think of your sins," said the eldest.

A boy, 9 years old, one day very abruptly remarked to his father, "Kings are very wicked, but there is one King who is good, and he is the King of all the earth, and will judge all kings, and we shall see him father, for he will judge us too, for every eye must see him, and we

must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ." These thoughts, the father observed, he must have learnt at the Sunday School.

Two lads, 10 and 12 years of age, were overheard talking, as they passed along the street, about swearing; and referring to a former occasion, when they were reproved at the Sunday School, one asked the other, "have you sworn since?" "No," replied the other. "Nor I either," rejoined he, "nor will I again."

Two lads made a visit to a school after having been absent more than a year, and approached the superintendent, when the elder said we are happy in the privilege once more to come and see you and this school, which looks as delightful as ever.

Two boys who had been absent from the city three or four months, on re-entering the school, while the superintendent was addressing the children, were so affected that both burst into tears as they went to their accustomed seats, and when he had closed, they hastened to seize him by the hand, and pour forth the joyful feelings of a grateful heart, as when a child returns after a long absence to the bosom of parental affection.

In administering reproof to an orphan lad, of 13, for careless conduct, the teacher said, "I believe you do not care for me or my advice;" to which the lad replied, with much feeling and energy

Yes, sir, I do care more for you than for any of my friends."

If these instances go to prove the happy and abiding influence of Sunday Schools, the two following will no less exhibit the salutary effect of a well timed visit and reproof by a teacher. A boy who had a long time absented himself from the Sunday School was almost given up as hopeless. One day, in company with a gang of young depredators in Coffee-house Slip, while in the act of stealing coffee out of a bag by the handful, and handing it to his comrade, who was stationed just by, behind another boy, caught the eye of his teacher; he started, gave the signal, and the other followed with what plunder they had got. The teacher embraced the opportunity, and called on him in the evening, and found him trembling, in expectation of being accused before his parents for his acts of thievery; but seeing he needed no accuser, he made no allusion to the subject, but reasoned with him on the loss he might sustain by his absence from school. The boy ingenuously acknowledged his error, and promised to attend the next sabbath, which he did, and has continued from that time (which was 6 or 8 months ago) as attentive as any one in the school.

A teacher happened to call at the home of a lad who was habitually truant and disobedient to his widowed mother, just as he was about to join his comrades in some enticing enterprize: as he entered, his sister entreated him to stop the boy, who she said had been left by the mother to assist her in some work which could not go on without his aid. After a short but affectionate reproof the teacher left him, somewhat affected, but too stubborn to promise not to go away. a subsequent visit, the teacher was told that the boy had from that time behaved uncommonly well, was industrious, and refused to g☛ -out with his companions.

On

We will here relate some instances of particular influence over the parents, and the confidence reposed by them in the Sunday School teacher.

A teacher asking for a boy one morning, the mother answered, "Oh, I have sent him to school (one of the Free Schools.) After your advice the other day, Stephen and I felt ashamed, and I told him, poor as I was, I would keep him from school no more to gather chips, but he should go to school every day." She is indeed poor, and the labour of the boy in gathering chips was equal to a load of wood a month, yet this, which before seemed so necessary to their support, she could readily forego for the good of the child. This is but one of many similar instances where parents have freely relinquished present good, to put their children in the way of receiving good instruction, and remove them from the influence of bad morals.

A lad who had been placed at a porter house, and whose wages, a dollar a week, was of no small account to his needy parents, was taken away and restored to the Sunday School, on being reminded by the teacher of the evil that such a situation might be to the boy, by the corruption of his morals.

A teacher observes, that on visiting a family he was delighted to find the mother surrounded with a school of little girls. This woman had sometime before stated to him, that owing to the neglect of an intemperate husband, their means of support was so uncertain that she could not pay for schooling her two little girls, and she scrupled to send them to the free school, when he advised her to take the course she had now adopted, and which will enable her to educate her little ones, and afford them a partial support.

One observes, we have succeeded in every instance, in removing prejudices against vaccination, so that every one within our limits bas either been vaccinated or had the small pox.

A person who, from unwillingness to trust his children from under his own immediate notice, had hitherto instructed them himself, by living in the district of one of our most efficient schools, observing its operations and influence, and admiring the usefulness of the system, yielded his objections, and consigned his son to the school.

A parent going to sea, and about to leave his only son, with his grandmother, placed him in the guardianship of his teacher, in the event of her death.

Many are the instances in which parents have sent for the Sunday school teacher, formally to commit their children to his charge, when called to leave the city-saying they could not leave them behind without great uneasiness, unless the teacher would consent to exercise a care over them.

The widowed mother of a family, long since separated from the school, and now in New-Jersey, writes" I know not how soon I may be called from my dear children; but should it be so, I intreat your affectionate instructions and advice to them, though distant from you."

(To be Continued.)

AMERICAN EDUCATION SOCIETY.

Extracts from the seventh Report.

In the summer of 1815, a few young men in Boston thought it their duty to educate a pious young man for the ministry. They met the first time for consultation, at the study of our lamented friend and brother, the Rev. Joshua Huntington. The subject magnified in importance; and at an adjourned meeting, everal other gentlemen were invited for the purpose of ascertaining whether it was not their duty to educate more than one; and if so, how many, and in what manner? The subject here opened in greater magnitude, and at another adjourned meeting, in the Vestry of Park street Church, where the neighbouring clergy and others had been invited to attend, the American Education Society was formed, August 29, 1815; and the act of incorporation was obtained, Dec. 6. 1816. Fear and trembling then mingled with ardent hope. The difficulties to be anticipated from the novelty of the undertaking, and from the jarring elements of denominational and local feeling, assumed in the eyes of many an imposing aspect; and some sincere friends of the object more than doubted the practicability of uniting, in its favour, the energies of any considerable portion of the Church. But, the providence of God had proclaimed that "something must be done;" Heaven smiled on the incipient measures that were adopted, and in the first year of its existence, the Society received into its Treasury $5.000; the second year, $7,000; the third year, $6,000; the fourth year, $19,000; the fifth year, $9,000; the sixth $13,000; the seventh and last, $17,000, besides a bequest of $2,500, and important aid to a large amount in board and clothing, tuition and classical books, making, a total, in cash, of $76,000. This Society has now a permanent fund of $21,800, and has afforded assistance since its organzation, to three hundred and fiftyfour young men.

Not only are the resources of the Society, increasing but it is already exerting a powerful and salutary influence on colleges, academies, and schools. Many of the beneficiaries teach a part of the year, and not unfrequently they have been instrumental of revivals of religion in their schools. But where so great good as this has not resulted, they have, in all instances, it is believed, instituted morning and evening prayers, and the reading of the Scriptures with their scholars, and communicated much religious instruction; it is impossible to tell how much fruit the seed thus scattered shall produce. Their influence upon the academies is learned not only from the testimony of their instructors, but in the anxiety of the people to get this class of young men into their academies, and their readiness to assist them when they are there. Their influences on the colleges, all the officers agree in saying, is most salutary; and the following facts speak volumes on the subject. In the lapse of two years previous to 1821, there were revivals of religion in seven colleges, in which more than one hundred and eighty students were added to the churches. How much of this effect is to be attributed to your beneficiaries, it is not possible to tell; but the following extract of a letter from an eyewitness, and one of the professors in Yale College, accords with

the testimony of the officers of other colleges, and is highly satisfactory to all the friends of Education Societies. He writes: "We are again blessed with a revival of religion. The influence of the charity students in producing this state of things, under the divine blessing, has been very great. Indeed, what could we do without them. No one can speak on this subject but an officer of college. Every year increases our conviction that the church would be amply repaid, doubly paid, for all its expense in supporting charity students, were the effect confined to the walls of a college-were every beneficiary to die the moment he leaves us." As from the letter, so by a comparison of the present religious state of the colleges, with their religious state twenty years ago, the same truth is evident. Last year, in the colleges of New-England, New-York and New-Jersey, there were 1821 students, of whom 546 were hopefully pious, which is almost one third of the whole number. From the same colleges, during ten years, from 1800 to 1810, only one sixth were pious. The conclusion from this general statement is confirmed by a few particulars. Last year, in Bowdoin College, twenty-three were professors of religion. The gentleman who wrote the letter from there, recollects the time when "a solitary individual broke the deep silence with his prayers." Last year, in Yale College, ninety-seven were professors of religion, and eighteen others hopefully pious. In 1812, when the whole number of students was nearly as great as it is now, only thirteen were professors of religion. At one time, when A. B. was a member of college, who graduated in 1811, three students only were professors of religion. When B. C. was a member of college, about twenty-five years ago, he was the only professor of religion. In September, 1822, at eleven colleges, 150 pious students were graduated.

Christians have been long praying that God would cast salt into these fountains. It is done; and it is done in a manner which they thought not of; it is done not by miracles, not without the use of means; it is done through the instrumentality of Education Societies, which have sought and found poor and pious young men, and sent them to the colleges, to promote revivals of religion by their example, their conversation, and their prayers.

ADDRESS

To the Baptist Associations, Missionary Societies, Churches and att Christians in the state of New-York and its vicinity, who love that truth which we cherish.

DEAR BRETHREN,-We are still anxious to impress every individual member of our communities with the importance of that, which we conceive of such great consequence to the prosperity of the visible kingdom of our Lord Jesus-to the advancement of truth-to the interests of our denomination. It is union-union in heart, in sentiment, and in labour to do good.

There are objects, which may be accomplished by the union of

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