Provincial.

system might succeed for a time in casting out some devils , but they left the house open to receive other and worse spirits . For to oast out temptation from life , to avoid it altogether , is a vain attempt ; it is impossible . You cannot entirely eradicate human desires and passions , and so long as these remain , there will always be found fuel to excite them . A man may retire to cells and hermitages , but wherever he is , temptation ivill in some guise find him out . It is the necessary condition of humanity . It haunts the cloister as well as the court ; and he who thinks to shut it out by seeking solitude will but find that in some other form he

has shut it in . And it is not Avithout significance that the hermit , a man of traditional sanctity , has become a sort of mythical representative of the horrors and perils of temptation . In his solitude the legendary describes him and the painter represents him as surrounded by horrible and seductive images . In dealing with the tender grapes of our vineyard , we must consider them as absolutely unable to avoid temptation entirely ; our aim must be to send forth our youth not innocent altogether , because kept altogether out of temptation's way , but able to face

the temptation of manhood because they have been taught to resist and conquer those of boyhood . This is the great end and object of Christian education ; it is to take the foxes which spoil the vineyard , to baffle the devices of the spiritual foes of our nature , by acquainting the young with the true character of these insidious enemies of the real happiness of their souls , and by directing them to that gospel where alone they will find an armoury of defence adequate to meet the assaults of their adversaries . And saybrethrenis not this an undertaking to ivhich

, , we are compelled by every obligation of duty , voluntary or involuntary , which surrounds us ? It is the religion of Christ which inspires a sense of those virtues which are the great guardians of " peace on earth andgood will toAvardsmen . " The principles of the gospel protect the general interests of civilized society ; and the due execution of the laiv . Human enactments , were the hopes aud fears of immortality no longer acknoAvledged , ivould secure but a small share of public order . A just sense of our duty , each in the station in ivhich ifc hath pleased God to place us , enforced by the

law of God , is the only source and solid basis of the vigour , tranquillity , and prosperity of the nation at large , and of each individual Avithin it . To tho patriot , then , as well as to the Christian , the subject of education is deeply interesting and important . AVe have for years sadly neglected " that preventing justice , " to use Lord Coke ' s quaint and almost prophetic language , " which consisteth in the good education of youth ; aud that , both by good instruction of them in the grounds of true religion , and by learning some knowledge and trade in their tender years , so that there should not be an idle person or a b and this for the time to come

eggar ; would undoubtedly by preventing justice avoid idleness in all , ( one of the fold and fatal channels that lead into ' mare mortuum , ' ) and hy honest trades cause them to be good members of the commoiiAvealth . " And UOAV Ave seem to have awakened to a sense of the wisdom of the plan , how do we find those AA'ho should be the objects of it , the children of the poor , of Christ ' s poor , ivhom He has declared shall be with us always ? HOAV often forsaken and neglected , rude and barbarous as the beasts that perish , oppressed with misery and guilt which stains their tender minds with

hoofprints of devils 1 The last generation is well nigh lost to us ; let us , with God's help , save that which is now ripening before our eyes . Most men are made what they are , good or evil , useful or a curse , by education . The very tendencies of the soul ivhich in the uncultivated lead to evil , may be ripened by instruction , under the fatherly and fostering care of the Lord of the vineyard , into useful and noble qualities . And so generally . As to our immediate object , the poor among us , do we not find that , in proportion as they are left Avithout sound and godly education

, they are liable to groiv up stupid and immoral , or even rapacious aud desperate ! Children who have not from their parents the means of knowledge , have often from their bad example the seeds of corruption . Parents , through ignorance or depravity , are unwilling and indifferent , perhaps through constant necessary labour and indigent circumstances are unable , to train them up in the way that they should go ; the idle habits which they thus fall into , mixing with the sullen or violent passions of an uncultivated mind , produce the most flagrant crimes . Yet these little ones , neglected it may be or forsaken by their parents , are they of ivhom Christ said , "Suffer