said of Hooper, "in every corner there may be some smell of virtue, good example, honest conversation, and Scripture reading," the importance of a proper selection of an help-meet and yoke fellow in his work, and above all the necessity of faith in the ministry, the union of the humility which "asks, who is sufficient for these things?" and the confidence that replies, and replies simply and undeviatingly "our sufficiency is of God;" this principle extends itself through many varied walks of pastoral labour; gives the talent where it did not exist, and calls it out where it was dormant, and finds that

"No difficulty is, therefore, insurmountable-our master has invested the principle of faith with his own omnipotence. The least grain will remove a mountain from its place. What would not a large grain, what would not many grains-do? If the weakest exercise is so mighty, what might not be expected from the habit of faith? Do we not see more beauty in the disciples' prayer, and more need of it in ourselves-"Increase our faith ?"

It is thus we can bring home to the hearts of our people, a practical argument in favour of the church and its ministrations, for however learning may deduce, and ingenuity may demonstrate; it is the personal character of the minister, and the spiritual success of his labours, habits of faith and humility, of self-denial and benevolence, which will commend our primitive and apostolic constitution most effectually to the affections of the people. Make them feel the advantage of your spiritual influence, and they will most readily yield to it.

(To be continued.)

A Brief History of the Life and Labours of the Rev. T. Charles, A.B. late of Bala, Merionethshire. By the Rev. Edward Morgan, M.A. Vciar of Systor and Ratcliffe-on-the-Wrecke, Leicestershire, and Chaplain to the late Right Hon. Earl Ferrers.-London, 1828.-pp. xii. 387.

(Continued from page 214.)

In a former number we called the attention of our readers to Mr. Morgan's very interesting life of Mr. Charles of Bala, and in so doing we could not help pointing out the circumstances of Wales as full of instruction with regard to Ireland. We have even purposely confined ourselves to those common features of resemblance which might exist between any two countries. We in general terms pressed the obvious conclusion that as Wales, in a state of ignorance and darkness, had been instructed and enlightened, so by the use of the same means might Ireland, ignorant and dark as it is, be instructed and enlightened also. It must have struck some of our readers that we passed over many circumstances which connected

tant churches of Hungary, they degrade a pastor whose wife indulges herself in cards, dancing, or any other public amusements which bespeak the gaiety of a lover of the world rather than the gravity of a Christian matron. This severity springs from the supposition, that the woman, having promised obedience o her husband, can do nothing but what he either dictates or approves."-(p. 200.)

the case of Wales in an especial manner with that of Ireland, and took no notice of those incidents in Mr. Charles's life, which connects him in a most interesting way with this our country.

We did this purposely, intending to call the attention of such of our readers as are interested in our national regeneration to a more undivided consideration of those parts of the volume which especially apply to Ireland.

Wales presents a parallel to this country in the circumstance of her having a native language long despised and neglected, but still beloved by the people, and cherished and continued amongst them in spite of all the attempts to destroy it either by neglect or opposition. One of the great causes of the ignorance and irreligion which appeared to characterise Wales, seem to have been the desire of instruction, oral or written, in that native language, and one of the great means used by Mr. Charles was the employment of that language in schools, and preaching, and tracts.

We desire to direct our readers to this very important fact set before us in this valuable memoir, and for the particulars of Mr. Chadler's we refer to a letter of his dated January 4, 1811, premising that there is not an argument which he uses which is not as applicable to the Irish as it was to the Welsh; and not a fact he states which is not full of instruction as to the native language used by above two millions in this country.

"The Rev. Griffith Jones, a clergyman of the establishment, about the year 1730, made the first attempt of any importance, on an extensive scale, to erect schools for the instruction of our poor people to read their native language. Before that time the whole country was in a most deplorable state with regard to the acquisition of religious knowledge. After the decease of this very pious and laborious minister, in 1761, the schools were continued on the same plan by a pious lady of fortune, an intimate friend of Mr. Jones, and a constant attendant on his ministry; her name was Mrs. Bevan. In her will, that lady, who lived several years after Mr. Jones left £10,000, the interest of which was to be applied for ever towards perpetuating these schools. Her executrix, a niece of her's, disputed the validity of this will, so far as it applied to this money. It was thrown into Chancery, where it continued for thirty years, before a decree was obtained. About two years ago, a decree was granted in favour of this charity; and the interest of the £10,000, with the accumulation of it by interest all the years it was in Chancery, is to be applied, under certain specific regulations and restrictions, to the support of circulating charity schools throughout the whole principality. This was a consummation devoutly to be wished indeed; and the more so, as we had all despaired of ever seeing the money applied to the proper object. There are now forty schools erected in different parts of the country, and the number is continually increasing.

"In the course of a few years after the cessation of these, on the demise of Mrs. Bevan, the country gradually reverted into the same state of stupor and ignorance, in which Mr. Jones found it when he first thought of these institutions. Besides, though Mr. Jones's schools increased to the amazing number of 206 before he died, yet there were many districts in the mountainous country never visited by his schools, or but once, and that for a short time. In one of these districts it pleased the will of Providence to place me. Soon after I assumed the care of the parish, I attempted to instruct the rising generation

This induced me

by catechising them every Sunday afternoon, but their not being able to read, I found to be a great obstacle to the progress of my work. to inquire into the state of the country in this point of view. I soon found the 'poor people to be in general in the same state of ignorance. Two or three of the children of the wealthiest were sent to the next town to learn English, and this was all. They generally were left totally destitute of any instruction. As Mr. Jones's schools had ceased to circulate, no relief could be obtained from that quarter. A thought occurred to my anxious mind, for so it really was, that by the charitable assistance of some friends, I might be able to obtain means of employing a teacher, and to remove him from one place to another, to instruct the poor ignorant people. When I had succeeded in obtaining pecuniary aid, he great difficulty of procuring a proper person to teach occurred. This difficulty was removed by instructing a poor man myself, and employing him at first near me, that his school might be in a manner under my constant inspection. The next difficulty was to obtain proper elementary books. In this point, Mr. Jones's schools were very deficient, as those used in his schools were little better than the English battledoors, and very ill calculated to forward the children in their learning. This obstruction also was gradually removed. I composed three elementary books, besides two catechisms, which are now used in all our schools, and very essentially assist the progress of the children. My teachers, as my friends increased, multiplied gradually from one to twenty, but of late the number is decreased, as the necessity of the week-day schools is superseded by the increase of Sunday schools, and my attention is drawn to the extension of them as wide as possible. The circulating day schools bave been the principal means of erecting Sunday schools; for, without the former, the state of the country was such, that we could not obtain teachers to carry on the latter. Besides, Sunday-schools were set up in every place where the day-schools had been.

"My mode of conducting the schools has been as follows :-) -My first greatest care has been in the appointment of proper teachers. They are all poor persons, as my wages are but small. Besides, a poor person can assimilate himself to the habits and mode of living among the poor, as it is his own way of living. It is requisite he should be a person of moderate abilities, but above all that he be truly pious, moral, decent, humble, and engaging in his whole deportment ; not captious, not disputatious, not conceited, no idle saunterer, no tattler, nor given to the indulgence of any idle habits. My care has been abundantly repaid, for my teachers in general are as anxious as myself for the success of the work, and the eternal welfare of those they are employed to instruct in their most important concerns. In introducing the school into a place, I pay a previous visit there, after conversing a little (on any opportunity that may offer) with some of the principal inhabitants on the subject. I convene the inhabitants together, having sent a previous message to them intimating my intention of visiting them, and specifying the time of my coming. When convened together, I publicly address them on the vast importance of having their children taught to read the word of God, and afterwards I inform them of my intentions of sending a teacher to assist in instructing their children, and also grown up people who cannot read, who will attend him on Sundays, and as many nights in the week as they please. I conclude in exhorting the parents to send their children into the school. I converse familiarly afterwards with the parents, and promise to assist them with books if they should be too poor to buy any. I take

kind notices of the children also; and thus in general we are kind friends ever after the first interview. The teacher is to take no entrance money, is charged not to encroach on them, and not to intrude himself upon them, unless particularly invited into their houses, and then he is charged to have family prayers night and morning wherever he goes to reside for a night, to introduce conversations respecting his own work, and not to indulge himself with them in idle talk, that in him they might see how a Christian lives, and how they ought to live. His time is entirely at my command, and to be devoted wholly to the work. He is engaged in the evening as well as in the day, and that every day. "Before the school is removed, I go there twice, if possible, and examine the children publicly. These public examinations and catechisings I have found most profitable to the parents and grown-up people. I have often seen them exceedingly affected by the intelligent and proper responses of the children. Before I leave them, I exhort them earnestly to support the Sunday school that had been begun among them, to prevent the children from forgetting what they had learnt, to further their progress in learning, now they have happily begun ; and this they generally comply with. At first the strong prejudice universally prevailed against teaching them to read Welsh first, and the assumed idea they could not learn English so well afterwards, proved a strong stumbling block to parents to send their children to the Welsh schools, together with another conceit, that if they could read English they would soon learn to read Welsh of themselves; but now these idle and groundless conceits are universally scouted. This change has been produced, not so much by disputing with them as by the evident, salutary effects of the schools, by the great delight with which the children attended them, and by the great progress they made in the acquisition of knowledge.

"The school continues usually at one time in the same place six or nine months. This depends on local circumstances, the number of children, and the progress they make. In some districts they learn with much greater rapidity than others. The cause of this is various, which I cannot enumerate here.

"This has been my mode of proceeding, subject to some local variations, for above twenty-three years, and I have had the only satisfaction I could wish, that of seeing the work, by the Lord's blessing, prospering far beyond my most sanguine expectations. The beginning was small, but the little brook became an overflowing river, which has spread widely over the whole country in Sunday schools, the wholesome effects of these precious institutions fertilizing the barren soil wherever it flows.

"As to teaching young people in the first place to read the language they generally speak, and best understand, if imparting religious knowledge is oar primary object, as it most certainly ought to be, in instructing immortal beings, it needs no proof, for it is self evident. However, I beg your attention for a moment to the following particulars, making no apology for the great length of the letter, as you desired me to be particular.

1.The time necessary to teach them to read the Bible in their vernacular language is so short, not exceeding six months in general, that it is a great pity not to give them the key immediately which unlocks all the doors, and lays open all the divine treasures before them. Teaching them English requires two or three years time, during which long period they are concerned only about dry terms, without receiving one idea for their improvement.

"2. Welsh words convey ideas to their infant minds as soon as they can read

them, which is not the case when they are taught to read a language they do not understand,

"3. When they can read Welsh, Scriptural terms become intelligible and familiar to them, so as to enable them to understand the discourses delivered in that language, used generally in preaching through the principality, which of course must prove more profitable than if they could not read at all, or could only read English.

“4. Previous instruction in their native language helps them to learn English much sooner, instead of proving in any degree an inconvenience. This I have had repeated proofs of, and can confidently vouch for the truth of it. I took this method of instructing my own children, with a view of convincing the country of the fallacy of the general notion which prevailed, and I have persuaded others to follow my plan, which, without one exception, has proved the truth of what I conceived to be really the case. Having acquired new ideas by reading a language they understand, excitement is naturally produced to seek for knowledge. And as our ancient language is very deficient in the means of instruction, there being few useful books printed in it, a desire to learn English, yea, and other languages also, is excited, for the sake of increasing their stock of ideas, and adding to their fund of knowledge. I can vouch for the truth of it, that there are twenty to one who can now read English, to what could when the Welsh was neglected. The knowledge of English becomes necessary from the treasures contained in it ;—English books are now generally called for. There are now a hundred books, I am sure, for every one that was in the country when I removed from England, and first became a resident of these parts. English schools are every where called for; and I have been obliged to send young men to English schools to be trained up for English teachers, that I might be able in some degree to answer the general demand for them. In short the whole country is in a manner emerging from a state of great ignorance and ferocious barbarity to civilization and piety, and that principally by the means of Welsh schools. Bibles without end are called for, are read diligently, learned out by heart, and searched into with unwearied assiduity and care. Instead of vain amusements, dancing, card-playing, interludes, quarrelling, and barbarous and most cruel fightings, we have now prayer-meetings, our congregations are crowded, and public catechising is become pleasant, familiar, and profitable.— One great means of this blessed change has been the Welsh schools.

"5. By teaching Welsh first, we prove to them that we are principally concerned about their souls, and thereby impress their minds with the vast importance of acquiring the knowledge of divine truths, in which the way of salvation, our duty to God and man, are revealed, whereas that most important point is totally out of sight, by teaching them English, for the acquisition of English is connected only with their temporal concerns, which they may never want, as they may, as the majority do, die in infancy. In my opinion, in the education of children, it is of the utmost importance, in the first place, to impress their minds with a sense that they are candidates for another world, and that things pertaining to their eternal felicity there, are of infinitely greater importance to them than the little concerns which belong to one short existence here, The neglect of this is, I apprehend, a very great defect in the education of children. "What I have put down, is, I apprehend, equally applicable to the Irish and the Highlanders, as to the Welsh.-- Praying for your success, I am yours respectfully,""&c.