might be looked for by the influence of the upper ranks of domestics on those of less knowledge and experience, supposing kindness of manner to season the instruction. In this case, where those to be instructed are very young, many little encouragements might be held out as rewards to such as were the most attentive to habits of cleanliness, and forfeits levied on particular offences against the rules of neatness and order established in a family.

Respecting the art of making clean, and keeping clean those places, or articles, of which each servant has the care, much might be said to prove that it requires less labour to keep them clean than dirty. With most people who work hard, it is an object to save labour, and upon the authority of one of the best and most intelligent of domestics, who filled almost every department in the same family for two-and-forty years with the highest credit, it is asserted that when dirt is not suffered to fix and root itself by neglect, it is easily removed, and when a good polish is once raised, on either wood or metal, the hand slips over it with more ease, and the spots and dust make no resistance; and, consequently, that there is less difficulty in keeping furniture always bright and clean, than in alternate fits of negligence and labour. Habits of slovenliness from scattering coals, cinders, or dust, spilling water or oil, must be known to make so much work, that it is surprising they are so commonly practised. The same may be said of the use of dirty cloths and brushes, which often leave more dirt than they remove; and, consequently, must make work in the end. Before it was the fashion to pay so much attention to dress, as it is at present, both mistress and servants took more pleasure in seeing the polish of cleanliness about a house; and it was no small gratification to a good servant to hear the visitors declaring their admiration of such a servant. It is always good policy to endeavour to mix pleasure with the performance of every duty, and in every station in life this is to be done, by a right view of what is required of us. In all the pursuits and labours of life, we have some motive or object to set us to work, and this will vary with the temper and education of each individual. One class will act by the impulse of the moment to please themselves, another will strive to please their friends

and employers, and a third will look higher still, and by doing every thing with reference to their Maker, will ensure both the other objects.

Yours, &c.

T. D. S.

THE IMPORTANCE OF PUNCTUALITY.

METHOD is the very hinge of business, and there can be no method without punctuality, which is important, because it subserves the peace and good temper of a family; the want of it not only infringes on necessary duty, but sometimes excludes the duty itself.

The calmness of mind which it produces is another advantage of punctuality. A disorderly man is always in a hurry, he has no time to speak to you because he is going elsewhere, and when he gets there he is too late, or he must hurry away to another place before he can finish his business. Punctuality gives weight to character. "Such a man has made an appointment, then I know he will keep it." And this generates punctuality in others, for like many more virtues, it propagates itself. Servants and children must be punctual when their leader is so. Appointments may be considered as debts, and if one man has made an engagement with another, he has no right to throw away his time, though he may choose to squander his own. An idle person, who is not aware of the value of time, can scarcely imagine the injury he inflicts upon one who knows how to appreciate its worth. The hour which the irregular man loses when he fails in his appointment, mingles with those which are gone before, and shares the same fate with them; and though there will one day be an awful account to render for the profligate waste of the precious moments allotted us here, yet the man who never devotes his time to useful purposes, does not feel the specific loss of any portion of it now; but it may not be so with those with whom we have to deal. To many persons, time is money. To others, who have no necessity for turning it to

pecuniary advantage, it is still more estimable; and when people of this character are wantonly deprived of what they value more than gold, it may be considered a robbery of the worst kind, since that which is taken away from them can never be restored.

ON THE EPISTLE OF ST. JAMES.

MR. EDITOR,

It is hoped that the following humble remarks, on the Epistle of St. James, will not be considered as any attempt to intrude on the plan proposed by your more able hands, of giving explanatory essays on these difficult parts of scripture. This is by no means intended, but this Epistle contains so much of the pure spirit of benevolence, humility, and peace, that as a help to domestic harmony and virtue, it seems almost an epitome of the whole gospel. The description of that wisdom which is from above; that perfection growing gradually by the addition of one virtue to another; the necessary controul of that unruly member which has never been tamed by man—the peaceful mode of cultivating righteousness; and the condescending regard to the poor, so forcibly recommended, all seem to point it out as a proper study for those who aim at amending the errors of private life, in the present times, when knowledge is increased, and worldly wisdom is over-rated; when the tongue, of the young especially, is not bridled; when humility is little encouraged, and ambition is set on worldly acquisitions, and when friendship with the world seems, with many, to be the one thing needful. The following sentences appear to me so impressive, that every one might supply subject for a separate sermon.

"Whoso is a wise man, and endued with knowledge amongst you, let him show out of a good conversation, his works with meekness of wisdom. The wisdom that is from above, is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits; without partiality, and without hypocrisy, and the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace, of them

that make peace: but if ye have bitter envying and strife in your heart, glory not. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish; where envying and strife is, there is confusion, and every evil work. Speak not evil one of another, brethren: the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity, it setteth on fire the course of nature. Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. If any man seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, that man's religion is vain; wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. In many things we offend all yet if any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able to bridle the whole body. Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own souls: he who is not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man is blessed in his deed: pure religion, and undefiled before God, and the Father, is this: to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction; and to keep himself unspotted from the world. If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, and one of you say to him, Depart in peace; be you warmed, and be you filled: notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body, what doth it profit? Even so faith without works is dead.”

The foregoing is a very inconsiderable portion of the Epistle of St. James, so abounding with matter which is good "for doctrine and reproof," that it is difficult to leave off quoting from it, and it would perhaps be better to direct the reader to his Bible for the remainder. St. James being one of the three favoured disciples who lived to see and to write against some of the peculiar errors which first crept into the church, his opinions cannot be too much studied, as they have so direct a tendency to produce “the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace,” which at this period of divisions in the church, is so desirable an object to attain.

I am, Sir,

Yours, &c.

D.

284

ON THE ATTENDANCE OF CHILDREN AT CHURCH.

"SUFFER the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not," were the gracious words of our blessed Saviour, implying that even the prayers and devotions of babes were acceptable unto God. Yet many parents, either from fancying that their children are too young to conduct themselves properly in the house of God, or from an erroneous notion that they cannot possibly derive any benefit from going to church, studiously keep them at home. But this system is always sure to be attended with serious evil to the children, and is grounded upon the ignorance of our nature. It is an old saying, and full of wisdom, that "just as the twig is bent, the tree's inclined;" that is, that early discipline will mould any thing into what form we please-so that even lifeless or senseless bodies may be made obedient to the laws which we may impose upon them. Much more truly may this be said of children, with them early habits are all in all: if those habits in childhood are habits of order and industry— the man will generally be found to be orderly and industrious; if they be those of obedience to his parents, and piety to his God-the man will in general be found to be a loyal subject, and possessed with a serious and due sense of the importance of religion. If, on the other hand, the parents set before their offspring examples of irregular, dishonest, or intemperate conduct; if they show no command over their own tempers, no reverence for their superiors, no regard for the will of their God-if all their habits are evil-can it be expected that a miracle should be wrought in their favour, and that their children should grow up into honest, religious, sober men? Every day's experience shows the folly of entertaining such hopes or expectations. Among the great number of disorderly, dishonest, and profligate children with which London abounds, it will, generally speaking, be found that their parents were not persons of orderly, regular, and virtuous habits. Habits never leave a man—they may be the spring and source of his respectability and happiness; or they may conduct him to shame and the grave-but he will hardly ever be able to throw them off. When formed upon right prin