was held at the Berry Street Church, (Dr. Channing's,) on Wednesday evening at half past seven o'clock. Rev. Dr. Tuckerman, the President of the Society, in the chair. After a few remarks from the venerable President, the exercises were commenced with an appropriate prayer by the Rev. Mr. Hall of Providence. The annual report was read by Dr. F. H. Gray. The topics which were treated of in this interesting report, were manuals, juvenile libraries, teachers' meetings, general lessons, music, and Sunday School celebrations. The schools in connexionwith this society were represented to be in a flourishing and prosperous condition, and great activity of mind and feeling was indicated as existing among the friends of this institution. Exact statistical returns had not been received--but more than 130 schools had been reported to the Secretary in connexion with the society, giving a total number of their pupils at about 13,500, with 2300 teachers. Their correspondence with societies in England exhibited a spirit of sympathy and co-operation in this good work, which met with a warm response from every heart.

"The acceptance of the report was moved by Mr. Judd of the Divinity School at Cambridge, who advocated his motion by some original and very eloquent remarks. He urged the importance and value of Sunday Schools on broad and general principles, as the last means which had been given us by Providence to reform our country, and redeem the world. The millenium hope, he

said, had always existed, and he believed that glorious period was to be accelerated and perfected by the instrumentality of Sunday Schools through the religious education of the young. This he proceeded to urge by many interesting considerations. One idea he enforced with great success, viz: that a public religious ' education through these institutions would create a public religious sentiment, which did not now exist. At the present day our men in public life, and in the discussion of public measures, give but little proof of their Christian feeling or character, which he illustrated by reference to our legislation in regard to the late difficulties with France. The want of true Christian principle on that occasion had well nigh brought our country to the verge of a destructive war. This, he said, would be otherwise when our Sunday School generations should come upon the stage of action. A public religious sentiment would then exist, and war, slavery, intemperance, and all the more general and public vices would be swept away, and the reign of peace and purity be extended over the earth.

of the holy Jesus, who was to be their constant study and model. He illustrated the power of these principles as he had seen them manifested in the closing moments both of teachers and children. The touching instances which had come under his own personal observation, some of which he related, give a great value, in his view, to these institutions and he encouraged the teachers to persevere in the good work in which they were engaged and to consider the great responsibility of their situation, as those who had the care of immortal souls.

Rev. C. F. Barnard then made some remarks on the providence of God as displayed in the establishment of most of the great philanthropic enterprises of the day, especially of the Sunday School. He closed with proposing a resolution, which being of a business character not immediately connected with the object of the meeting, was laid upon the table.

"Rev. Mr. Farley of Providence, then rose and expressed the thought that there might have been too much of mere indiscriminate panegyric lavished upon Sunday Schools; if however, said he, they had not, as he thought they had not, fulfilled all the hopes, or warranted the too unqualified representations of their too partial friends, they had exerted a most salutary and delightful influence in many cases, upon both the young and the old. He expressed a fear that parents had not done all they might or should, to obviate one of the earliest objections raised against the institution, viz that it would tend to

make them negligent of that more than angel office confided to them, that of training the immortal spirits of their offspring for the light and bliss of heaven. Parents did not sufficiently keep in mind the infinite solemnity of that trust which had been committed to them with the birth of every child. From these considerations he took occasion to enforce the truth, that parents were the natural teachers of their children, and insisted that they should never content themselves with getting their children ready for and sending them to the Sunday School, thinking they had thus performed their whole duty in their religious education; that while they should welcome the Sunday School as a most desirable auxiliary in this great work, they should never permit it to supercede the more precious nursery of home and home's affections, or remove from their bosoms the sense of their own responsibility, "to bring up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord."

'He was succeed by the Hon. Samuel Hoar of Concord, who rose to give his public attestation to the utility and great advantage of Sunday Schools. He enforced the idea that the character of every Sunday School depended upon the character of its teachers, and insisted upon the necessity of a high moral and religious standard with them, if they would benefit rather than injure their pupils. If a teacher, said he, does nothing more than teach the literature of Christianity, the child will think that Christianity has nothing to recommend

it but its literature; but if the teacher feels and exhibits the power of its great truths in his precepts and example, the child too will feel and copy them. This general idea was further illustrated and enforced by reference to the books prepared for the young and placed in their Sunday School libraries.

"Rev. Dr. Nichols of Portland, rose for the same purpose, to bear his testimony in favor of these schools. At the period of their establishment he said he had doubts whether children were capable of being instructed in the principles and truths of our holy religion. But all these doubts had long since been removed. The fact of the great interest which uniformly characterised their manner on the return of the period for the re-opening of the school, was a sufficient proof of this. Such indeed was the degree of feeling which they manifested in his own school, that the teachers were incited by the children, rather than the children by the teachers. He called up

on the older members of the community to engage in the business of these schools, and for all to deepen their sense of responsibleness, in relation to their adequate support.

"Mr. Morton of Plymouth, made a few remarks on the best means of inculcating in the minds of the young, the "truths once delivered to the saints." His idea seemed to be, to recommend that the community should return to the simplicity of habits and manners, living and dress, which characterised the Apostles and earlier teachers of Christian

ity, if they would secure the best effects of teaching in Sunday Schools.

"The Rev. Mr. Taylor the friend of sailors and of Sunday Schools, indeed of every good word and work, brought the meeting to a close by some very original and striking remarks. He referred particularly to his own busy life, which took him so much from his home, that he was unable to give his own little lambs the religious instruction which they required; and he thanked God that the Sunday School was in existence to supply his omissions. He believed the world around him was equally busy. They were engaged in their merchandise, their stocks, their speculations, and their various worldly interests-and they were too absorbed in these, to give their children the necessary religious instruction. Every man was designed by Providence to be a priest to his own household; but we had long since departed from this original simplicity, by our refinements, and had shut ourselves out from this blessed privilege. We had therefore necessarily to give up our children to the instruction of those in the Sunday School. God had laid the corner stone of this noble building, and it had been reared up by man until its apex was in the heavens. His ideas on this subject were illustrated by many happy and original figures, and striking and glowing expressions, but which it is impossible for us to convey to the reader. He was listened to with intense interest and delight." Adjourned by singing.