His sight, and to labour for that bread which can never perish and you will, through grace, at length for ever close your eyes to fear and suffering, looking for His mercy, who alone can wash us from our countless sins in His own blood, and make us "kings and priests unto God and his Father." " "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand."

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CONCLUSION.

AND now, gentle reader, having ended this survey of some few of your difficulties, it only remains to say, "Farewell." Amidst so much that is grave, and so much that is gay, it can hardly be expected your displeasure has not been occasionally provoked at the plain things which have been said, and the plain admonitions which have been hazarded. Yet, be not angry with any one who seeks to do you a good office: count no man your enemy because he tells you the truth. It is very far from pleasant to have the secret and mischievous wound laid open, even by the keenest edge and the most skilful hand; how much less, when by ruder means and a rougher process? It is far from easy to suggest any remedy for the cares and sorrows which we see are harassing our closest and best-known friend: then, how much harder is it to mitigate them in the same way, where we and the sufferer are individually unknown the one to the other? Yet what lurking evils are there now at work in the land, hindering and marring the work of teachers in our elementary schools, both for time and eternity; in some cases well known, in others barely evident, in others altogether hidden from every eye but his who commits them, and His who in every place beholdeth the evil and the good!

And what perplexing cares, vexations, and sorrows are on every side, weighing down the energies and happiness of many a patient and anxious labourer in the field of education; sometimes with but little sympathy and less assistance, at others where they are concealed from, or at least unnoticed by, all with whom he has to do in this world! Say, who can look upon such things without regret? who can hear of their mischief and misery, their poignancy and end, without a wish to do good to so large and meritorious a band of persons, though in some things they be miserably mistaken? Take then, gentle reader, the will for the deed, though no good service has been rendered. Let not plainness of speech poison the motive which employed it; and do not attribute to it any reckless indifference to your views and feelings, whether right or wrong, or any attempt to add one straw to your burdens, or the wilful suggestion of impossible alternatives. Rather, give full scope to that charity which thinketh no evil, but believeth all things and hopeth all things. Then, possibly, as the bee gathers honey from many a source that man despises, you may be led to see some things otherwise than now you do; to rouse your dormant energies; to determine on a higher standard; and to hope for such results to your labours as shall not only prove a blessing to your country, but shall continue to flourish when the earth and the works that are therein shall be burned up. The sceptical, the liberal, and the open infidel, into whose hands these pages may fall, will no

doubt for the most part be much offended with the religious observations, and the Scriptural words, which are purposely scattered over them; and be half-disposed to cast the book aside as a tissue of superstitious and impracticable absurdities, or an attempt to prop up a sinking enthusiasm, which the wisdom of the present age has detected to be wornout and useless. Not that they will be all equally disgusted at the interweaving of Divine truth with their scholastic duties; or will all equally give way to that sneering spirit which so painfully marks the shallow and inflated learning of many in these latter days. Some amongst them, haply, may feel inclined once more to test the validity of their conclusions upon the most important of all subjects, by the only rule, and in the only way, whereby they can unfailingly arrive at the truth; and whereby, also, they may be convinced of the desperate peril they run, by staking their own eternal interests, as well as those of others, upon a cast of the hazardous dice of man's wit and man's corruption. Thus may they be led to inquire what they have gained, and what they have done, by an endeavour to live without God in the world: until, at length, believing the inspired declaration, that "the world by wisdom knew not God," they may seek it, for themselves and for their children, where it is offered "without money and without price." As to the more careless and obdurate in that unhappy party, whose increasing number we are prepared by the language of

Prophecy to look for, they may, it is feared, continue their contempt and their scorning, until calamity overtakes them, or they are suddenly cut off, and that without remedy. But, however sure they may feel that ground to be, upon which they are walking towards an unseen world, and would teach others to walk likewise, and however gaily they may sneer at the practice and inculcation of piety, let the scoffers answer this question" If the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?"

The secular teacher who, catching the spirit of the age, has brought himself to believe that religion, and what is commonly termed education, are such separate matters that they ought to be divorced; that the one only encumbers the other, and should not be introduced into elementary schools for the poor, will hardly fail to object deeply both to the opinions and the counsels he may here meet with: and this not so much as to the details, in themselves considered, as to the principle and issue of the whole question. He may, however, it is hoped, be induced to re-consider the purpose he has in view, that is, if he be truly a sincere and earnest man; and how far the system he advocates, and is pursuing, has hitherto answered its professed end, or is capable of doing so. He may, perhaps, be brought conscientiously to weigh his dogma, that the schoolmaster is not concerned in the teaching of such truths, however important they may be; and likewise to examine practically, what present happiness and satis