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Samuel's mother gave him his name, which signifies, asked of God, and determined to devote him to the service of the Lord, How many parents neglect the souls of their children, and if they do but obtain money, care not whether they fear God or despise him! But his good mother wished, above all things, that he should have the grace of God, and therefore as soon as he could speak, she taught him to pray and seek the divine blessing.

Those children are much to be pitied whose parents curse and swear, break the Sabbath, neglect the sacred Scriptures, and never attend the public worship of God. I hope, my dear young readers, that this is not your case, but that you have parents who fear the Lord. Think then how highly you are favoured, and improve your advantages by attending to their pious instructions, and by imitating their good example.

2. Samuel was taken to the House of God at an early age. The place where the Jews worshipped was at Shiloh, there a tabernacle had been erected. This tabernacle was a square moveable building, made of boards which were fastened to each other. It was set up first at Shiloh by Joshua, as you read Joshua xviii. 1. It is a great blessing, my dear children, to have an opportunity of worshipping God in his house, and you should be thankful that you were born in a Christian country, and in a city or neighbourhood where you can hear the sacred truths of the gospel plainly preached, and have the advantage of learning to read. O that you may improve by it! Whenever you hear a sermon listen to it attentively, and pray that you may understand and feel and remember it. It is an awful truth that many are very thoughtless while they are hearing the word, and are constantly looking about and playing with or talking to each other. God sees all your actions and knows all your thoughts. If you can read, how highly are you favoured above hundreds of children who cannot pronounce a word in the Bible. No one takes the trouble to teach them. No one seems to care for their souls! They imbibe bad principles, and perhaps, come to a bad end! But you may sing

3. God was pleased to call Samuel at an early period.

When he first heard the voice he did not perceive that the great Jehovah was speaking to him. This has been the case with many young persons, who, notwithstanding the impressions they have experienced, have not perceived that Divine mercy was inviting them to Jesus Christ.

Nothing is so pleasing to God as the piety of youth. Of this we have many instances in the word of truth. Hear what the Lord himself says, "I love them that love me, and those that seek me early shall find me." When you bear sinners invited to come to the blessed Redeemer, you are to consider this as God's voice to you, and that he calls you, though a child, to seek him, to love him, and to serve him.

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When you hear a minister preach and exhort his hearers to leave their sins and turn to the Lord, this is God's address to you.

When you hear or read of the death of any one, and especially of a child, this is another call to you; it is a voice from the grave, and says, "Reflect, my dear child; the time will come when you must die! Are you prepared for death, judgment, and eternity? Have you prayed to God to give you "a new heart and a right spirit;" to pardon your sins, and enable you to devote yourself to God with all your soul? "God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not." Thus God has spoken to you, and hitherto you have not attended to bis message!

When your conscience has told you that you were a sinner, and reproved you for not reading the Bible, and for neglecting private prayer; when your mind has been affected under a solemn discourse, and you have been afraid to close your eyes to sleep, lest you might die before the morning, then God spake to you, then he said, "Come ye children hearken to me.' Then he called you to forsake the world and the company of wicked unholy children; then he called you to seek the grace of Jesus Christ, who, when he was upon earth, said, "Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not." Oh! my children, listen to this gracious voice of the blessed God. His ways are ways of pleasantness, and all his paths are peace. Turn to the following examples of early piety.

Obadiah, of whom you read, 1 Kings xviii. 3, was a great man, and governor of King Ahab's house; he boldly declared to the prophet, "I thy servant fear the Lord from my youth." Solomon, the king of Israel, began at an early age to seek God, and he was blessed with wisdom, wealth, and honour.-(Read 1 Kings iii. 7, and the following verses.)

Josiah, King of Judah, was eight years old when he began to reign, and he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left. These instances are for your example and encouragement; and there are many more which might be mentioned, if it would not exceed the limits of this paper.

One, whom I shall call Theophilus, was impressed at an early period with the value of his soul, and the necessity of real religion; he determined to seek the Lord, and God heard his prayer. He has often said that religion was the soul of happiness, and that be would not relinquish the ways of God for all the world; he went formerly to the play-house and spent many precious hours at eards, and often took an excursion for pleasure on the Lord's day; but divine grace showed him the sin and folly of these things, and he afterwards became a minister, and told

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"to sinners round,

What a dear Saviour he had found."

4. Samuel paid immediate attention to the voice of the Almighty, and said, Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth.". It was a happiness that Samuel enjoyed to have Eli, the good

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old High Priest, to direct him. The servants of God love to hear young people ask the way to Zion, and say, "Sirs what must I do to be saved?" Nothing, my dear children, gives us so much pleasure as this. We wish to point you to the Lamb of God, and are ready to carry you to him in our arms of faith and love.

Thrice had God called Samuel, and thrice he knew not his voice; at length God came and stood (for he waits to be gracious) and called him a fourth time. Infinite condescension indeed! But such condescension has He displayed towards you. How long has he stood, holding in his hands his promises and pardons, and how often has he called you by his gospel!

The conduct of Samuel evinced that he was of a teachable, humble temper-" Speak; thy servant heareth." He did not refuse to receive instruction, but was ready to hear what God should communicate. God stood and called, Samuel stands to hear. Observe his humility; thy servant heareth., Now he manifests obedience to all that God should say. My young readers, are you willing to be the servants of the Lord, to take his yoke upon you, and acknowledge him as your King and Governor? He that is Christ's servant, shall not only serve him on earth, but serve him in heaven too, and

"walk with God,

High in salvation and the climes of bliss." Once more-Samuel does not delay, he answers immediately, Speak, thy servant heareth now. He does not put off God till tomorrow-he delays not to receive his commands. Let me entreat you, dear children, to act like Samuel; do not delay, come to Jesus now, for now is the day of salvation. "The life of man,' says Mr. Brooks, "is very short and very uncertain; death does not always give warning before-hand-sometimes he gives the mortal blow suddenly." Philip, King of Macedon, gave a pension to an officer to come to him every day at dinner and to say, * Remember that thou art mortal!" You may die young, therefore seek the Lord immediately, for it is a hundred to one if you are ever converted, if you are not converted in your youth. That which a person only intends to do, is never done. Heaven and hell are before you-Life and death are offered to you-Oh! choose heaven-choose life that you may live for ever. Youth's Mag.

THE NEW-YORK JUVENILE HINDOO SOCIETY.

On the first of January, 1818, a number of young persons met together for the purpose of considering the expediency of forming a Society, to contribute a portion of their spending money to aid the missionaries in India in educating the pagan children of Hindostan in the principles of the Christian religion. The meeting was opened with prayer, to implore the Divine blessing upon their deliberations. A statement was then made to them of the deplorable condition of the heathen world, living without the knowledge of the true God, and of the gospel of his grace. They were also informed, that, according to the calculation of the Rev. Missionary, Mr. May, thirty dollars a year would suffice to educate a Hindop youth. Having all of them received a religious education, and we trust appreciat

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ing in no small degree the Christian privileges which they enjoy, their sympathy for the young immortals in the heathen world did not suffer them to hesitate in deciding on the propriety of throwing their mites into the treasury of the Lord, to aid in promoting so important an object. They accordingly agreed to associate under a constitution, of which the following is the substance. All subscribers to pay 25 cents down, for entrance money; and at the rate of 2 cents a week thereafter; to be continued members as long as they continue the latter contribution. The meetings of the Society to be held quarterly, on the first Saturday in January, April, July, and October, at 4 o'clock P. M. and an annual meeting on the first of January. The following young gentlemen were elected officers for the present year:-Henry Mudge, President; Isaac W. Reed, and Robert Buloid, Vice-Presidents; Rensselaer N. Havens, Secretary; James Richards, Treasurer.

CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY.

The Treasurer has acknowledged the receipt of the following sums in December last, viz.

One hundred and fifty Dollars from several Ladies of the Wallstreet Church, New-York, to constitute their pastor, the Rev. P. M. Whelpley, a Director for life.-Thirty Dollars each, to constitute the following Ministers Members for life:-Rev. Hart Talcott, by the Ladies of the First Society in Killingworth, Conn.; Rev. Elijah Waterman, by the Ladies of Bridgeport, Fairfield Co. Conn.; Rev. Wm. Lyman, by the Female Cent Society, in the Society of Millington, East Haddam, Conn.; Rev. Thomas Hamilton, by the Ladies of the Associate Church, in the city of NewYork; Rev. Joshua Bates, by the Female Charitable Society in Wedham Mass.; Rev. Josiah Peet, by Ladies in Norridgewalk, Maine; Rev. Dr. Seth Payson, by the Female Missionary Society in Rindge, N. H.; Rev. Jesse Appleton, D. D. by the Ladies of Brunswick, Maine; Rev. D. Denny, by a little band of Females in Chambersburgh, Penn,; Rev. Jonathan Miller, by Ladies of Burlington, Hartford Co. Conn.; Rev. Joshua Knight, by the first Benevolent Society in Sherburne, Chenango Co. N. Y.; Rev. Dr.. John McMillon, by a Committee of young Ladies in Chartiers Congregation, Washington Co. Penn.; Rev. Richard Sutton Storrs, by Ladies of the Parish of Long-meadow, Springfield, Mass. ; Rev. Joseph Vail, by Ladies of Brimfield, Mass.; Rev. Munson C. Gaylord, by the Female Charitable Society of Western, Mass. ; Rev. Dr. James Richards, by young Gentlemen in Newark, N. J.; Rev. Leverett, J. F. Huntington, by a few Ladies of the Presbyterian Church in New Brunswick, N. J.; Rev. Fœderal Burt, by a few Ladies in the Parish of Durham, N. H.; Rev. Dr. Alexander M'Leod, by Ladies of his Congregation, New-York; Rev. Timothy Tubble, by a number of Ladies in the town of Groton, Conn.; Rev. Jason Allen, by the Ladies of Woodbridge, Conn.; Also, 256 43 from the New-Haven Bible Society; $15 50 from the Green's Farms Aux. Fem. B. S. Conn.; $ 210 from the Columbia Aux. B. S., for Bibles sold; $ 153 50 from the Fem. Aux. B. S. of the town of Westchester, and its vicinity; $30 from the Fem. Aux. B. S of Woodbridge, Conn.; $179 90 from the New Haven Fem. Aux. B. $.

THE CHRISTIAN HERALD.

VOL. IV.] Saturday, January 17, 1818.

[No. 17.

AN ADDRESS from the COMMITTEE of the (LONDON) SUNDAY SCHOOL UNION, to the Teachers and Friends of Sunday Schools, on the Establishment and Regulation of SUNDAY SCHOOL UNIONS.

DURING the first twenty-three years of the existence of SUNDAY SCHOOLS, the Teachers pursued their benevolent employment, in detached situations, with different plans of instruction: but it was found, that zeal, thus private and retired, might be likely to languish; improvements in education could be only partially known and adopted; and intelligence which might animate wavering exertions, direct inquiring benevolence, and promote more energetic and extensive plans of instruction, could not be communicated by any existing medium. Hence arose the necessity of a Sunday School Union, by which Teachers from different schools might as semble to encourage and assist each other in their important engagements. In London, the Teachers and active supporters of Sunday Schools, of different denominations, felt the necessity of such a Society; and in 1803, they agreed to form the SUNDAY SCHOOL UNION, for promoting mutual communication, and combined exertion. The beneficial effects of this Christian union and co-operation were soon experienced, and the cause of Sunday Schools, from this era, became more successful and extensive. In 1810, Nottingham and Hampshire followed the example of the Metropolis, and formed Sunday School Unions. Many other Counties, Cities, and large Towns, soon pursued a similar plan; so that at present about forty of these societies have been organized, which have diffusedt he means of instruction to a great extent in many parts of Great Britain, and have been productive of innumerable benefits wherever they have been instituted. Previous to the establishment of these Unions, Sunday School Teachers resembled scattered warriors in an enemy's country. Individually they had been valiant and victorious in their separate stations; but a combination of talent, of energy, and of means, was much needed. By these societies the instructors of the young, led for ward under the banner of Union, have commenced a combined, and, we trust, irresistible attack against ignorance and vice, those worst of enemies to the human race.

After these preliminary remarks, we shall make a few observations on the necessity and advantages of Sunday School Unions, to which we shall add a few hints on the formation and regulation of these institutions.

To the cursory and careless observer, it may perhaps appear, that there is little necessity for an increase of institutions for the instruction of the poor; but we are persuaded that he who inves. tigates the situation of the indigent around him, will find that ig norance and profligacy still mark, in a striking manner, the cha

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