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The ocean-eagle soar'd

From his nest by the white-wave's foam,
And the rocking pines of the forest roar'd
This was their welcome home!

There were men with hoary hair
Amidst that pilgrim band,—
Why had they come to wither there,
Away from their childhood's land?

There was woman's fearless eye,
Lit by her deep love's truth;
There was manhood's brow serenely high,
And the fiery heart of youth.

What sought they thus afar?
Bright jewels of the mine?

The wealth of seas, the spoils of war?
They sought a faith's pure shrine !

Ay, call it holy ground,

The soil where first they trod!

They have left undimm'd what there they found-
Freedom to worship God.

An Address to a Redbreast which flew into my Room in the

Month of October.

POOR fluttering bird, a needless fear
Disturbs thy crimson breast;

Compose thy wings, and safely here,
This evening, take thy rest.

Thou tremblest still, if I could speak
The language of the grove,
Which thou canst understand, I'd seek
Thy terrors to remove.

I'd tell how truly I detest

The cruelty of those

Who pillage thy secluded nest

And weigh thee down with woes :

Lydiate.

That here, no foes will do thee wrong,
No enemies will harm;

But friends desire to hear thy song,
And banish thine alarm.

The scatter'd food which I have brought
For thee, how large a store!
Is such as thou hast often sought
About my cottage door.

Now Autumn's with'ring breezes sweep
The verdure from the plains;
Behind them wintry tempests creep,
And famine in their trains.

Then, Redbreast, all thy fears dispel,
And plume thyself and sing;
And here, in peace and safety, dwell
Contentedly till Spring.

And then thou shalt be free as wind,
Where'er thou wilt to rove;
And, welcome, here a shelter find,
When Autumn strips the grove.

Thou wilt not rest; thou dost not know
What mean the accents heard,
But think'st they from unkindness flow;
Mistrustful, timid bird !

Then, trembling songster, go thy way;
Now thou art free again;

Though thou would'st not consent to stay,
Thy visit was not vain.

God teaches us by whom he will;
And I, by thee, am taught,
When he inflicts, to suffer ill,
As his dependents ought.

As on thy bosom, so, on mine,
Oppressing me, hath hung

A load of trouble, which, like thine,
From ignorance hath sprung.

T

And though, in language understood,
Assurances are given,

That seeming evils, for our good,
Are dealt to us from heaven;

Still instances I call to mind,
And many such there be,
When I have at my lot repined
More foolishly than thee.

For, could'st thou half the kindness I
Intended thee have known,
Thou would'st not, by a wish to fly,
So much distrust have shown

In me as I, altho' his care
I'm told of every day,

By fears which border on despair,
In Providence display.

J. N.

Mr. Matthew Henry's Plain Catechism for Children,

SIR,

abridged,

In the year 1784 I had the satisfaction of being favoured with the privilege of establishing, in Hanover Square, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, the first Sunday-schools in the four Northern counties. Thay were soon followed by numerous similar institutions, both in the Established Church and by the various denominations of separatists: and among the working classes of this large town, and especially in the populous colliery-villages which surround it, they have been productive of the most beneficial effects. For the use of our own schools, I drew up an "Abstract of the History of the Bible," which has gone through seven editions, several of them of three thousand copies each; it may therefore be presumed to have been found useful in many other schools, as well as in many private families. At the same time the following "Plain Catechism" was adopted, for the purpose of leading the children to an acquaintance with the first principles of religious truth and duty.

When the first set of scholars had made themselves fully acquainted with this Catechism, so as to be able to repeat it before the congregation, I gave them, once a fortnight,

after the ordinary morning service, a short, familiar lecture on the several questions and answers in their order. These have since been repeated at different periods (as the children of the school, and also of the congregation, changed); and if you should be of opinion that their appearance in the Christian Reformer will be interesting to its numerous readers, they are very much at your service.

It may not be improper to mention, that the scholars, during several years after the first opening of the schools, consisted very much of young apprentice boys, and of girls nearly ready for going to service: the provisions previously made for the instruction of youth among the labouring classes having been very inadequate to ground them even in common elements of education. But since the establishment of our Lancasterian and Bellian Schools, our Sundayschools have consisted very much of children who attend these schools throughout the week, and resort to the Sunday-schools for religious instruction and worship. The schools, both for boys and girls, are under the personal superintendence and tuition of the young men and women of the congregation; much, however, of the laborious part is done by that class of young persons who at first formed the bulk of the scholars, but who now are more generally capable of teaching, instead of requiring to be taught. These, as well as the young people of the congregation in general, the Lecturer has endeavoured to keep in view, as well as the children more immediately addressed.

WILLIAM TURNER.

SECTION I.

1. Ques. What must you do in the days of your youth? Ans. I must remember my Creator.

2. Who is your Creator?

The great God that made the world.

3. Who is your Preserver ?

The same God that made me preserves and maintains me, and in him I live and move and have my being.

4. What are you made and maintained for?

To glorify God by being and doing good.

5. IVhat do you believe concerning God?

I believe that he is every where present; and that he is most wise and powerful, holy, just and good.

6. What is your duty to God?

It is my duty to fear and honour Him, to worship and obey Him, and in all my ways to trust in Him and to please Him.

SECTION II.

7. Have men always discharged these duties to God? No; they soon forgot the God that made them, imagined false gods, and became very wicked.

8. What measures did God take to teach them better? He sent good men from time to time to warn them of their sins, and to give them good rules for their belief and practice.

9. In what book are these rules contained?

In the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament, which we call the Bible.

10. What is the excellence of that book ? It contains the word and will of God.

11. What use will it be of to you?

It is able to make me wise unto salvation.

12. What is the chief design of the Old Testament? To teach us that God is One, all-powerful, wise and good; that He made and governs the world, and that to Him alone our religious worship is due.

13. What account does it give of the means employed for preserving the knowledge of the True God?

It teaches us that God separated one people from the rest of mankind; and directed holy men among them to teach them the right knowledge of himself, and the practice of the duties which arise from this knowledge.

14. What are the religious doctrines of the New Testament?

Like the Old Testament, it teaches us that we ought to obey and love God; it reveals the mercy of God to peni tent sinners; and, besides, it promises eternal life to the penitent, sincere and faithful.

SECTION III.

15. By whom did God give the promise of eternal life? By his Son Jesus Christ.

16. In what manner did the Son of God live here on earth?

He appeared in a low and mean condition; but he

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