MEMOIR OF THE AUTHOR.

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Calm and energetic, orderly and untiring, he passes his cheery days in that beautiful valley; working to the utmost of the powers with which God has gifted and commissioned him; loved by all, loving, and, to his ability, benefiting all. In his family he is the tenderly loving and guiding father; shedding around him the sunlight that reigns within, and leading those whom God has committed to his charge in the way of goodness and of peace. The living embodiment of the well-pleaded exhortations and powerfully enforced lessons of the "Student's Manual," he spreads order all around him; without bustle, without hurry, he accomplishes his varied and extensive duties: regularity, method, quiet effective industry, are his watchwords and guiding mottoes. Of his sympathy with nature, in its ever-varying, but everbeautiful moods, it is unnecessary to remind those acquainted with his works. If he gazes not on it with the rapt earnestness and piercing eagle glance of the poet or prophet, he has yet a delicate and soundly honest perception of its loveliness and its terrors. There is one part of his annual system which at once proves and illustrates these remarks. Every summer, when the trees have unrolled their robes of silky green in those grand transatlantic forests; when the streams and lakes gleam golden in the sun, and the waterfalls are throwing their sunbowed foam; he shuts decisively the study door, leaves his wearied pen to repose for a season, and his books to gather dust while he shakes it off, and strides forth, with one guide and one companion, to look into the face of Nature in her native solitudes. His rambles occupy several weeks.

As a minister of the gospel he has been eminently happy and successful. In the pulpit, he is earnest and impressive; in the parish, he is unresting and all-accommodating. In him, his flock find a guide in their difficulties, a solacer in their sorrows, an unsleeping herald and watchman, to proclaim to them the hour of the night, and call them to trim their lamps against the coming of the bridegroom. His universal diligence reaches its climax here. He is to be consulted on all occasions; he performs sedulously and unremittingly all ecclesiastical functions; unallured by the temptations of literature and the consciousness of facility in composition, he devotes all due time and study to preparation for his pulpit ministrations. One of the great peculiar tasks which he was appointed by God to fulfil, seems to have been, to see distinctly into college life, to cast a deep and prac

tical glance into its dangers, its difficulties, its temptations, its toils, and to throw some gleams of guiding irradiating light into its depths. He was therefore led through all its sorrows, accustomed to all its hardships, and brought into conflict with all its temptations. Here, and in the long course of struggle in which his whole early life was passed, he acquired or matured those habits of clear decisive thought, of unwearying diligence, of ordered effective work, which he has enforced in his pages. It was here that he gained the experience which he has so tersely and tellingly imparted to the world, and which has struck new life into the veins of so many students. We are informed that almost every month the author of the "Student's Manual" receives letters from young men, who desire to convey to him their sense of the obligations they lie under to him for the lessons of that book.

The "Lectures to Children" are such as were to have been expected from the man-apt in illustration, of extreme loveliness, and of clearest simplicity. In the power of conveying the lessons of meek Christian piety to the youthful mind with enchaining emphasis and telling effect, in all that pertains to the guiding of youth to the margin of manhood, he stands perhaps alone. The springs of the emotions he can touch gently but deeply; above all, he can fix the young eye in rapt attention, wake the young heart to eager sympathy, and persuasively lead the young foot into right paths.

The first series of the "Lectures to Children" was published in America in 1834, where upwards of twenty thousand copies have been sold; while it is estimated that in this country the issue has reached five times that number. The second series appeared only about twelve months ago, and has already met with extensive circulation in America. In the present edition, both series are given in a complete form. Few books, it has been thought, are more susceptible of, or more required, illustration, and it is believed that the present effort thus to popularise, and to render even "TODD'S LECTURES" still more attractivo and beneficial to the young, will prove generally acceptable.

LONDON, 1859.

PREFACE TO THE FIRST SERIES.

IN "rightly dividing the Word," it is a difficult question to decide how and in what manner we can best meet the spirit of the command, "Feed my lambs." That children are a very important class in every congregation, all admit; that ministers owe them some peculiar duties, is equally plain; and that they are a difficult part of the flock to feed, the experience of every one who has ever tried to do his duty to them will testify. Says Cecil, a profound thinker, and one of uncommon knowledge of human nature, "Nothing is easier than to talk to children; but to talk to them as they ought to be talked to, is the very last effort of ability. A man must have a vigorous imagination. He must have extensive knowledge, to call in illustration from the four corners of the earth; for he will but make little progress, but by illustration. It requires great genius to throw the mind into the habits of children's minds. I aim at this, but I find it the utmost effort of ability. No sermon ever put my mind half so much on the stretch. I am surprised at nothing which Dr Watts did, but his Hymns for Children. Other men could have written as well as he, in his other works; but how he wrote these hymns, I know not." Happy that minister who can rightly divide the Word of God to this portion of his flock. Should such an one take up this little volume, he will be very ready to excuse its defects, knowing how difficult it is to bring thought down to the comprehension of children.

"It is an easy thing to move the passions: a rude, blunt, illiterate attack may do this. But to form one new figure for the conveyance of the truth to the mind, is a difficult thing. The world is under no small obligation to the man who forms such a figure."

The best way of preaching to children is to have them entirely alone-not an adult in the house. You can then come down to them, and can interest them. The next best way is to have all the children in the centre of the house, and the congregation above and around them; and then let the speaker forget, if he

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can, that anybody is present besides the children. This has been my method, at the close of the second service on the Sabbath. The congregation have had permission to retire, but have, to an individual, preferred to remain.

I have usually delivered one of my "little sermons" once in three months, supposing this to be no more, certainly, than the share of the lambs. The following lectures are a selection from such as I have thus delivered to the children under my care. My language and illustrations may seem familiar and commonplace; but I have tried to talk in such a manner, that, on pausing several times, and asking my little bright audience what point had just been stated and illustrated, the child who could only lisp should usually be able to throw his voice in with the rest in answering.

I have thought that a system of theology, embracing all that we usually mean by the term, and containing a full, clear, and condensed view of the doctrines of the Bible, might be prepared for children to great advantage. Nor am I certain that such a series of volumes might not be as useful and as interesting to common readers as to children. It ought to be a text-book of the great doctrines of the Bible, for Sabbath Schools and the young generally. That I have thought of preparing such a work, is saying little, since I have not done it. Possibly, should Providence spare my life, and such a work be needed, I may hereafter attempt it.

I have hoped that parents and Sabbath School teachers might receive some hints from this little volume which would aid them in the very difficult work of illustrating truth to children. For no teaching will do any good, unless so plain that it cannot be misunderstood, and so interesting that it cannot be forgotten.

To the blessing of the Great Redeemer I commend this little book, and the dear children who may read it.

NORTHAMPTON, May 20, 1834,

LECTURES TO CHILDREN.

First Series.

I. HOW DO WE KNOW THERE IS
ANY GOD?

"No man hath seen God at any time."-JOHN i. 8.

Why God called by this name-Paris and London-Did anybody ever see God? Or the wind?-Or pain ?-Hunger-Love-Eyes put out and ears deaf-A child can think without eyes and ears-The watch in the caseProof of God-The church: what made for-No house built by chanceThe silk-worm-The dead rabbit and birds-The cow and horse seeing a painting-The mind is glad-The body is a house for the soul-The printed book-God made things-The rainbow, flowers, and fruits made by GodGod seen plainly-When ought a child to think of God?-The sincere wish.

CHILDREN have heard a great deal said about God. Our forefathers, a great while ago, used to call him "the Good." We shorten the word a little, and call him God, but it means the same thing,-good. And they gave him that name because he is so good to But I am going to ask these children a question. How do you know there is any God? Have you ever seen him?

men.

God at any time."

No; for "no man hath seen

Are we sure there are things in the world which we never saw? Yes, a great many. You probably never saw Paris or London; and yet you know there are such places. How do you know? You