and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honor into it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day; for there shall be no night there: and they shall bring the glory and honor of the nations into it. And there shall in no wise enter into it, anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie; but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life" (Rev. xxi. 10 to the end). Such, under the emblem of so magnificent a city, was seen by John, that glorious church which was to succeed the Lord's second advent. It was to enjoy a perpetual day, to which night should never succeed; and though its gates should stand perpetually open, during this everlasting day, yet nothing that defileth, worketh abomination, or maketh a lie should enter into it. AMEN; SO BE IT. REVIEW. Sunday Lessons for the Instruction of Children of the New Church, in Schools, or at Home. By a MEMBER OF THE BOSTON SOCIETY OF THE NEW JERUSALEM. Republished by J. S. Hodson, 112, Fleet Street; W. Newbery, 6, Chenies Street, Bedford Square, London; Edward Baylis, St. Anne Street, Manchester; and S. and A. Goyder, Eglinton Street, Glasgow. 1839. Pp. 107. WE hail the appearance of this little book, as eminenly calculated for the purpose intended. The members of the New Church in America, like their brethren in England, have long since experienced the necessity of preparing and publishing a variety of books intended for religious and moral instruction in our families and schools. These books, in order to be efficient, must be prepared for the purpose. Fields entirely new, of spiritual and moral intelligence, are opened to the reflecting mind in the New Dispensation; and new modes of inculcating that intelligence must also be adopted, before the seeds. of genuine truth can be deeply implanted in the soul. Every effort, therefore, to instruct the young on the genuine principles of New Church philosophy and religion, we shall welcome with the utmost cordiality, and shall not fail to make it as extensively known as possible through the pages of our Magazine. The work before us is written by an American, and is intended as a class-book for youth whose rational faculties are just beginning to blossom, and may be used by a judicious teacher as an excellent means to assist the dawning perceptions of the mind to a discernment of spiritual things. The author begins at the beginning, and teaches the children from their own experience what faculties they possess for knowing and loving their God and the things of his kingdom. As a specimen, we adduce the first lesson. My dear children,—I have made this little book for you, and have called it "Sunday Lessons." The name may not have caught your notice; or you may understand by it only that the book contains something which you are to learn on Sundays. But I mean by the name more than this. You are learning lessons every day; but did you ever happen to consider what a lesson is, or should be? Let me try to tell you. You all have affections. Perhaps this is not plain to you. But all of you must know that you love some things; you wish to be with this person or that; you desire to do this thing or that; and these wishes and desires, and all wishes and desires, are affections. You are capable of wishing and desiring, and of being happy when your wishes are indulged; and this is because you have a will. If you had no will, you could not wish, or desire, or love any thing. And all your wishes and desires, and all your affections belong to your will. I hope you now understand what I mean when I say, you have affections. But beside these, you have also thoughts. You can think sometimes of one thing, and sometimes of another. You can think of each other. You can think of your books, of your play, of your homes; and whatever you have ever seen or heard of, you may think about. Now this is because you have an understanding; and all your thoughts belong to your understanding. If you had no understanding, you could not possibly think at all. If the meaning of what I have been saying is not plain to you, you had better ask your teachers to make it plainer. If you will always try to tell what you do not understand, a little conversation with your parents or teachers will often enable you to perceive the meaning of it. I have told you that you have a will and an understanding; let me now tell you why you have them. God gave them to you when he created you. He gave a will to you, in order that you may love what is good. If you love what is good you will be happy; and he wishes you to love what is good, because he wishes you to be happy. He loves you better than any body else loves you; and you never can possibly know how well he loves you; and he knows all things; and he wishes you to love what is good; because he knows that this is the only thing which can possibly make you happy; that is, truly happy, and happy always; happy as the angels in heaven are happy. Because God wishes you to love what is good, he has given you an understanding. If you had no will, you could not love any thing; but if you had no understanding, you could not tell what was good or what was bad, or whether you loved good things or bad things. If you had no understanding, you could not think any thing; and if you could not think any thing, you could not know any thing, and therefore you could not know what was good and what was evil; you could not know whether you were loving good or loving evil; you could not learn how to change your will, when you are loving evil, and make your will better and better, until you love what is good, and nothing but what is good. And yet you must know and learn this, and do this, go to heaven, and be happy with the angels there. you would Do not forget that I am saying all this in order that you may understand what I mean by a "Lesson." God gave you a will, that, with this will, you should love what is good; and he gave you an understanding, in order that you should make this use of your will; that is, in order that you may know what is good, and learn to love it; and your understanding can help you to do this; because by your understanding you may learn the truth; and the truth will tell you what is good and what is evil. Now a "lesson" is that which gives truth to your understanding; a lesson gives you truth, in order that it should be useful to your will in the way it ought to be. Whether it is useful in this way or not must depend greatly on yourself. sons. You hear every day in your schools something said about learning your lesTo learn a lesson is to put it into the understanding, so that it may do its proper work. But you may tell me that you are all learning lessons every day in the school; and you cannot tell what they have to do with loving what is good or what is evil. You may say one of you learns a lesson in geography, another a lesson in grammar, another in spelling, another in French, or in music, or in drawing, or in dancing, and you cannot see what these lessons have to do with loving any thing. But you cannot see this, only because you do not know why you are at school, and why you are learning any thing. You are quite too young to understand all the reasons for all the things you are required to do; but you may still have some knowledge of these reasons. I can tell you that the true use of every thing you are learning is to help you to love what is good, and do what is good. All the things which you are leaning are taught you because experience has shown your parents and instructors that they will probably help you in doing good of some kind or other to your neighbor when you grow up. You cannot see just now that they may help you in this; but you must have some trust in those who love you, and who, from their greater age, and wider experience, are able to judge of these things for you much better than you could judge of them for yourselves If you love to learn all your lessons, because they will probably help you in some way to love good, to do good, and to be good, then you will feel right about your lessons, and they will be most useful to you. Perhaps you now understand what I mean by lessons; but this book is called "Sunday Lessons;" and you may wish to understand its whole name; and I will endeavor to explain the rest of it in the next lesson. We are glad to see that the editor has cleansed it from some Americanisms, which would not be understood. It is very cheap, considering the quantity of matter it contains, the price being only tenpence; and we are authorized to state that orders for schools, to the number of fifty copies, may be had at the rate of sevenpence-halfpenny each. We hope that in the next edition the publisher may be induced to print it in a larger size, as the present form is too small for a class-book. MISSIONARY PROCEEDINGS. LONDON MISSIONARY AND TRACT SOCIETY. THE REV. W. WOODMAN'S VISIT TO IPSWICH. To the Secretary. MY DEAR SIR, Feeling myself justified by a previous communication received from the Missionary Society, and anxious to make another effort before leaving Brightlingsea,. I made arrangements, although at some inconvenience to myself, to visit Ipswich for the purpose of again unfurling the standard of the Lord's New Church, and of humbly endeavoring to exhibit the Lord's character in the glory of his second advent. My arrangements were greatly facilitated by Mr. S. who kindly undertook to superintend the printing and distribution of the bills announcing the lectures, and of procuring me a room for the delivery of them. It, however, (speaking after the manner of men,) unfortunately happened that, at the very time the bills intimating my lectures were in the course of distribution, the town was set in a state of fermentation by the resignation of Mr. Gibson, the Tory member, and the anticipation of an immediate election, when Mr. Gibson again became a candidate on the opposite interest. I mention this circumstance, for the purpose of explaining why the lectures were not more numerously attended-a circumstance that will not appear at all extraordinary, when I further inform you that he was receiving deputations, answering enquiries, and addressing the public every evening, at the precise hour of my lectures. To our short sighted views, this may appear an unfortunate event; but it was doubtless in the highest degree providential, particularly as it brought those only to the lectures, who were most deeply interested in the subject. The points of doctrine announced for consideration in the lectures were as follows: July 9th: "The miraculous signs of a true faith;" 10th: The Shepherd of Israel; inferring the divine character of Christ from his claiming the title of the good Shepherd ;" and on the 11th: "The Second Coming of the Lord." Wishing to give them as decidedly a religious character as circumstances would admit, I introduced each lecture by reading and expounding a portion of the Word, and a short extemporaneous prayer. At the first lecture, about fifty were present; and the subject was listened to with the greatest attention, and apparently with the deepest interest. At the conclusion, a gentleman rose to propose a question; not from opposition, but for information. Having, however, previously considered the subject, I stated that it was not my intention to enter into any discussion on the present occasion, as the controversy connected with my former lectures was not yet decided. At the last of my former course the audience, who then did me the honor of their attendance, requested me to publish that lecture; which I had accordingly done; I had noticed the statements and arguments of my opponents: and, no reply having yet appeared, I was unwilling to enter on a new discussion. I was therefore anxiously waiting an answer to the Appendix to my Lecture; and, should one be forthcoming, I should not only consider myself bound to return to the subject; but should also feel great pleasure in so doing. This statement was exceedingly well received, and also fully acquiesced in by the gentleman proposing the inquiry, with whom I am personally acquainted. I was afterwards informed that the lecture gave great satisfaction. An infidel who was present, I was told, remarked that, in spite of priestcraft, there was great truth in what the lecturer had advanced. The attendance at the second lecture was considerably increased in numbers; and the attention and interest were greater even than at the preceding one. Many were the expressions of satisfaction and delight on the part of those present and, I believe, it was generally felt that the sole and exclusive divinity of Christ is the only rock whereon the church can rest with that perfect safety promised in the words, " and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." About the same number of persons was present at the third lecture: but the novelty of the subject, and especially of the arguments, rendered it even more interesting to the audience than either of the former. A Unitarian expressed himself very highly gratified; and another remarked that, in the lecture, there were better and more powerful arguments than he had ever previously heard. So favorably were the sentiments, advocated in the lectures, received, that a vote of thanks was carried by acclamation. To shew how favourable a feeling existed in the minds of those who attended the lectures, nearly the whole of whom were present at all of them, I may mention, that, although it was my aim to impart to them, as far as practicable, a religious character, yet not only was each lecture accompained by the usual indications of approbation, but even the explanation I gave of prayer, and a brief exposition of the Lord's prayer, previous to one of the lectures, were applauded Notwithstanding the attendance was much smaller than, under other circumstances, it would have been, it was yet the general impression, on the part of those with whom I became acquainted, that this visit would be attended with great good. To my self it was a truly refreshing season; and, when contrasted with the opposition I had met with on my former visit, appeared almost inconceivable. I had indeed become rather fearful that, in a communication I sent some time since, in consequence of information I received through Mr. Maskell, I had represented the state of Ipswich in too vivid a light. I am now happy A to say such was not the case. I was little prepared for finding so many possessing an attachment to the doctrines; and you will readily conceive my feelings, when, at the conclusion of the first lecture, I was surrounded by a little circle of ( may almost say) New Church friends-friends who had, at least become convinced of the truth of those points of New Church doctrine with which they were acquainted. You may, perhaps, be anxious to learn, to what circumstances the silent progress of the doctrines in Ipswich may be attributed. The first cause is unquestionably that the minds of the inhabitants of that town, are to a very great extent in a prepared state. very extensive dissatisfaction with the old doctrines exists and a consequent desire to have something more satisfactory and consistent with the common sense and apprehensions of the mind is felt. Another circumstance, of which, till my last visit, I was not aware, is that a very favourable impression was made by my first lectures; not only in spite of, but, in some measure, owing to, the opposition they encountered, and chiefly from the superior spirit manifested on the part of the New Church. So lasting has the impression been that, I was informed Mr. Whitby has, in consequence of his uncalled for persecution, sunk considerably in the estimation of many parties in the town. I mention this circumstance as a proof of a fact, of the truth of which I have long been convinced, but which appears to me to be sometimes overlooked by our Missionaries; viz. that the doctrines will carry a stronger conviction from the spirit they breathe, than even from the arguments by which they are supported. I have invariably found that the impression they make is deep, in proportion as the truth is advocated in love. Possibly among the means that have contributed to the promotion of the cause in Ipswich is the circumstance that the works of the New Church, have been very extensively read there. Three copies of "Noble's Appeal" have been, and |