breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful and multiply upon the earth." What emotions were predominant in the mind of the patriarch and his family as they once more trod the firm earth, and walked abroad in the refreshing air and the cheering light of heaven, are manifest from what immediately followed. They were those, not of sensual pleasure and animal excitement, but of gratitude, love, and devotion; for his first act was that of worship and adoration. At once he builds an altar to his covenant-keeping God, and from his scanty stock of clean animals, selects one from each class, to present as an offering to the Great Preserver of his life and the Author of his salvation. His gratitude was not content with one offering. Again and again was the altar replenished, and the sacrifice repeated. For Noah "took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt-offerings on the altar." How beautiful the scene-the aged sire and his family lowly bending before the altar, from which the upright flame and the holy incense in fragrant wreaths ascend to heaven! Swelling gratitude filled their hearts, genuine praise rose from their lips, fervent prayers for future guidance and blessing were breathed forth in that sacred hour, while faith in the ancient covenant eyed the long-promised Saviour as the sole ground of mercy and acceptance with God. Never was the worship of fallen man more simple, more spiritual, and more intensely sincere, and never was devotion marked more signally by the evidences of God's approval. The Lord smelled a sweet savour-the savour of ardent gratitude, living faith, holy affections, and divine aspirationsthe perfume of a consecrated soul going out to himself. And he blessed Noah-blessed his family, and blessed the creatures preserved along with him. He renewed his covenant with his devoted servant, gave him a new charter with enlarged privileges-guaranteed his protecting care and guiding providence-promised him fruitful seasons and an abundant progeny, and declared that no more should a deluge destroy the world. The covenant of God was ratified by appropriating the most beautiful meteor of heaven as its sign-the Rainbow.* What more appropriate than "the many-coloured iris-that seraph zone of the skywhose warp is the rain-drop of earth, and whose woof is the sunbeam of heaven, chequered with celestial flowers by the mystic hand of refraction." The bow is of itself a thing of majesty, like the God who appointed it. It is an emblem of stability and harmony, representing the firm and unchanging word of His promise, and the Divine perfections blended and displayed in the redemption of a lost world. It is conspicuous, as God would have his covenant to be, in the sight of all nations; it is impressed on the bosom of the dark cloud, and the darker "I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth." An impression might be conveyed by this text, that the rainbow appeared then for the first time in the firmament. Some, indeed, have inferred from Gen. ii. 5, that rain had not fallen before the flood. De Luc and Schubert have, on grounds drawn from natural philosophy, maintained the probability of this supposition. Kurtz, also, seems to lean to this view. The reasons, however, for the opposite opinion, vastly preponderate. In fact, the impression of rain drops are found on some of the lowest strata of the earth's crust. the cloud the brighter the colours displayed; so God's covenant shines the brightest and yields the richest comfort in the day of adversity and. calamity. It is said to be looked upon by God himself, as well as by man, to indicate that as there are two parties in a covenant, and both are equally bound to be faithful, so God assures us that while we remember our duty, he will never forget his promise. Faithful is He that hath called us, who also will do it. He cannot deny himself. Thus saith Jehovah to all who love him, and trust in him:-"For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth, so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee. For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee." In our next we shall notice the evidences of the deluge. W. C. RELIGIOUS CARE OF THE YOUNG: BEING THE REPORT OF A COMMITTEE APPOINTED TO CONSIDER THE GREAT IMPORTANCE OF GATHERING THE CHILDREN OF OUR FAMILIES AND SUNDAY SCHOOLS INTO OUR CHURCHES, &c. &c. &c. IN the printed Minutes of the Conference of 1859, the 15th Resolution reads as follows:-" That, considering the great importance of gathering the children of our families and Sabbath schools into our churches, and, therefore, the necessity of making direct and systematic efforts to promote religious decision amongst them, the Conference appoints the Revs. S. Hulme, J. Taylor, L. Stoney, and H. Piggin, with Messrs. Dean, S. Mills, and G. Atkin, a Committee to inquire into this subject, and report their views to the next Conference; and that, in the meantime, they be empowered to offer to the Connexion any suggestions which they may deem expedient." Your Committee, in presenting their report, beg to say, that they have not deemed it expedient-they have not found it practicable-to offer any suggestions to the Connexion during the year, but have preferred presenting their views directly for the consideration of Conference. On its being intimated to Mr. Taylor, by the mover of the above resolution, that he was appointed secretary of this Committee, and on his being requested to enter upon its duties, he immediately placed himself in correspondence with ministers and friends of other communities, with a view of obtaining such information as might aid the Committee in coming to wise and practical conclusions on a subject which is second to none in its bearings on the diffusion and perpetuity of evangelical religion. This having been done, Mr. Taylor drew up the following SUGGESTIONS, a copy of which was sent to the members of the Committee, in order that the subject might be fully before us, and that we might bring out some practical scheme for general adoption. As these suggestions, with a few subsequent additions, present the subject in a condensed. 361 form, and were the basis of your Committee's recommendations, we place them before you in extenso. These suggestions had reference— First,-To THE NECESSITY THERE IS FOR SUCH A WORK AS HAS Second,-ON WHOM IT DEVOLVES, AND WHO ARE TO DO IT; and, CIENTLY? WHAT MEANS IT CAN BE DONE EFFI "The FIRST point for our consideration will be the necessity there is for special and systematic efforts being made to promote religious decision among the children of our families and Sabbath schools; and this will be seen when we consider 66 "1. That a great many children belonging to pious parents never become members of the Church; at least, not in youth. This fact is patent to all. It is felt and deplored by members of all communities, and how to bring about a different and a better state of things is a question which, at this moment, is engaging the prayerful attention of the thinking and acting members of almost every religious denomination. "2. That a fearful majority of the children belonging to our Sun-· day schools pass through-i. e., they come in and go out without becoming the subjects of religion-without joining the Church-and, alas ! without even attending a place of worship. According to the last census returns, twelve millions of our population were able to attend public worship. Of these, five millions were absent on the census Sunday. Now, near three millions of these absentees must have been connected with Sunday schools at some time. Only let us ponder the fact of near three millions of up-grown Sunday scholars being absent from public worship, and we shall both see and feel that special efforts The necessity for such efforts, as in this department are necessary. they relate to our own community, will be apparent when we consider that we have fifty-four thousand scholars in our schools, and if we suppose those children to remain in the schools on an average of ten years each, and then become members of our congregations, we should have an increase in our congregations from our schools alone of five thousand each year, or fifty thousand in the ten years! As we realize no such additions, surely we may ask, What becomes of our scholars? Where are they? But, besides this, how many of them who do attend public worship are strangers to experimental religion! The religious. care of the young is one of the Church's most solemn and imperative duties. This point will be further seen when we consider― "3. That if direct and systematic efforts were properly made to bring such children to decision, those efforts would in most cases prove successful, and, if so, that success would issue, not only in the spiritual welfare of the children themselves, but in the spiritual welfare of those on whom they might act. There can be no doubt but that such religiouslytrained youths would assist, to an incalculable extent, in promoting the world's regeneration. On all these grounds, then, special effort is necessary. Without "The SECOND point for our consideration will be-On whom does this duty devolve, and by whom is the work to be done? doubt, this duty devolves "1. On parents. But irreligious parents cannot do the work. Religious parents often neglect it; and by injudicious remarks about preachers and preaching, in the hearing of their children, they often lessen the influence of ministers, and prevent them doing it. It devolves "2. On Sunday-school teachers. Sunday-schools are the religious training institutions of our land, and are rendered necessary principally by parental defalcation. Much as Sunday-schools have improved, they are still to a serious extent an inadequate instrumentality. Many teachers are still without piety, and though they may give valuable instruction on religious topics, they cannot do the work that is required. It is a spiritual work, and requires spiritual qualification; and here it is we see the importance of the Church's talent and piety being consecrated to the benefit of the young. This duty, therefore, devolves in a special sense "3. On the Church-members, officers, and ministers. The religious training of the young is a duty imposed on the Christian as a Christian; and if this subject were properly seen and felt, it presents before every Christian a sphere in which immense good might be accomplished with comparatively little effort. "On examining this subject, it is found that pious parents complain that their children are often overlooked and neglected by ministers. This, doubtless, in part arises from Connexional and circuit arrangements, and in part from not being sufficiently impressed with the importance and urgency of the work. Such, however, is the importance -such its paramount importance-that it ought to occupy a prominent place in every minister's plans of usefulness, and every circuit should make the most suitable arrangements to facilitate its accomplishment. "The THIRD point for our consideration is How, and by what means, this work can be done most efficiently. "Before we shall be in a position to attend to the religious care of the young as diligently as we ought, and as efficiently as we might, there are a few points which we must realize with greater vividness and intensity. For instance "We must realize the fact that religious knowledge is not religion. We must not be satisfied with giving instruction. There is a vast difference between knowing and doing. A person may know much even of the Bible, and yet not be religious-he may not love God, nor seek his glory. Our aim should be to bring them to a voluntary surrender of their hearts to God. "We must also recognize the fact more distinctly that children are either religious or irreligious as soon as they attain to an age of understanding and responsibility. At this age their neglect of God renders them culpable and punishable! They also render themselves unworthy of that relation to the Church which was given them at their baptism. And we want some special means adopted to press these considerations upon their attention. "We must also bear in mind that children have consciences, which, if properly appealed to, will take our part and God's part against their depraved inclinations and wills. This is an encouraging thought, and should stimulate us to present the truth ever and anon, so that it may commend itself to their consciences and effect their sanctification. Finally-We must feel that it is our duty as Christians to take the young under our care for the purpose of giving them a spiritual training. And we should never forget that, so far as we neglect this duty, we are guilty of aiding and abetting in all the evil they may do, and of preventing all the good they might either enjoy or effect. "As it respects the means by which the rising generation may be brought to religious decision in the most effective manner, it is desirable "1. That as far as possible each child belonging to our schools and families, being ten years of age and upwards, should be occasionally taken apart separately for religious conversation and prayer. A third person present is in many cases injurious-human nature rebels-the child will not confess-and is restrained from opening his mind from a fear of what others present may think or say. Hence efforts in classes or groups often fail. "2. When such children are taken apart, they should be closely questioned as to their own religious feelings, their duties to God, their plans and purposes for life; and they should be shown the advantages of an early surrender of their hearts to God. The point of the greatest importance to be observed here is for the Church to see that this work is attended to by persons possessing a peculiar aptitude for it. "3. When these children have been affectionately and perseveringly grappled with until they evidently feel the force of the Saviour's claims, they should be pressed to begin a religious life at once, and to promise so to do. Efforts should be made to secure their attendance at class, and something should be found for them to do that will engage a portion of their time and thoughts, and bring them into companionship with other pious young people. "Finally-The officers of the Church should make arrangements for suitable classes, and suitable leaders; they should make arrangements also as to contributions, and (where required) for chapel accommodation, so that the young people may neither feel themselves oppressed nor pauperized. "JOHN TAYLOR, Secretary." The above "Suggestions," with others of great importance, having been carefully considered, your Committee took into account what was desirable on the one hand, and what was practicable on the other. It was felt by all that if a suitable agent could be found and sustained, as a travelling Sunday-school visitor, to hold conferences with teachers, address scholars, and by personal interviews with our young people endeavour to bring them to religious decision, such a scheme would be attended with an immensity of good; but it was felt at the same time that at present such a proposition would be impracticable, as the want of such an agency had, as yet, been felt only to a limited extent; it was therefore resolved to recommend to Conference, as initiatory of a wider and more effective scheme, the following propositions: First. That our ministers, with the concurrence and assistance of our leaders' meetings and Sunday-school managers, be recommended to arrange for the appointment of a suitable person or persons to visit our schools, for the purpose of conversing with our elder scholars on spiritual subjects, persuading them to an immediate decision for Christ, |