him to present doctrinal truths, in their simplicity, with fitting clearness. He should have facility of utterance-not wordy fluency, but such an unfettered ease of expression, as shall prevent embarrassment in those who are listening to him. He should be able to expound a passage of Scripture, as a watchmaker takes to pieces and puts together our watches, though it be his main business to lead and train his pupils, so that they may become by degrees their own expositors. "Well," perhaps you say, "these requirements are enough to discourage any one." I think not; and I am persuaded that not a few of such teachers are to be found, especially in our metropolitan schools; and if they have not quite come up to the standard, still I am persuaded that a prayerful onset in the work, would, under God's blessing, soon bring them quite up to it. We must set a rather high standard for the qualifications of a Bible class teacher, because if we only go on teaching our Bible classes over and over again what they have learnt as children in the school, it is probable they will drop off. If we attempt to create an appetite, we must be prepared to satisfy it. If we only profess to teach others what they know as well as we do, they will soon discover that it is a waste of time to wait upon our teaching. Bible classes must have the assurance that the teacher is able to lead them on; and that his well will not easily be pumped dry. Children soon find out when a teacher is on his beam ends.

Now supposing such teachers to be provided in our schools, (and to that end if two or three of the best qualified were to meet for mutual instruction, it would be well) I should suggest the immediate formation of one Bible class in each Sunday school room-and no more; for though I am a great advocate for reducing, when practicable, all ordinary classes to eight children, yet I think the reasons for it do not apply so much to Bible classes; for we assume

that those who are old enough to begin to feel the value of the class, will require less, far less, of watchful discipline than their juniors, who have to be trained to the proprieties of the school and of the class.

Into the Bible class I would draft those elder children from the various classes of the school, who, for want of such attraction as a Bible class, would quit the school, as if they had got all that the school was to bestow on them. Long before the time of drafting off, I would have the privilege of becoming a member of the Bible class kept before them, as a reward; for we must deal with human nature as we find it. There is no poison in such a bribe as this. When once the class is formed, the full powers of the teacher are to be put in exercise, till every member of it feels that that teacher is one of the best, perhaps the best friend he has on earth; the one most capable of enlarging his knowledge, and of promoting his happiness and welfare, both here and hereafter.

I have already suggested the importance of keeping up one Bible-class meeting in the week; and I would have the Sunday teaching preparatory to the business of the week-day teaching. I would do it in this way :-Each member of the class should have a pencil and memorandum book to note down everything occurring in the Sunday teaching that might need further inquiry and consideration; everything that needed to be more carefully imprinted on the memory, and questions raised by the teacher, to be answered by the scholars. At the week-day class, these things should all be brought in review, in their order; and every particular thus worked out, should be enriched by the summing up of the teacher, with such proofs and illustrations as he should be master of. And if to all this could be added an occasional visit to the homes of the scholars, I think the teacher would soon find his influence acting upon the class

to a degree that would satisfy him for all his pains. And might not good be done by an occasional ramble with the class into the country, if practicable, in the Summer, where, amidst the visible works of God, the things of God might be the familiar subjects of free and happy conversation. If you think I am suggesting too much, you can make what deductions you please; but I repeat, we must deal with human nature as we find it. We must remember what our young people are made of; and consider how they may be best acted upon. The secret of all moral influence is sympathy. We must never forget that.

The strictest discipline, maintained to the utmost, fails beyond a certain point, if there is not an active sympathy between teachers and scholars. We must, therefore, seize upon all means for manifesting our sympathy, if our hold upon elder scholars is to be lasting.

But I must not dwell upon this part of our subject, however important; for I have yet to suggest a few matters of detail.

Suppose a Bible class to be formed, and the Sunday arrived on which the exercises are to begin; let the teacher be in his place before the time of commencement-not to follow, but to receive, the scholars committed to him. Let him welcome them with the cordiality of a friend; and at the outset make them feel that he regards them, not as mere children, to be drilled and kept in order, but as young friends willing to receive all the benefit he can bestow on them. Such should be the uniform tone and character of the intercourse between pupils and teacher.

I think if I were now entrusted with the management of such a class, I should commence by endeavouring in a compendious manner to set before them the leading evidences of the genuineness, authenticity, and inspiration of the Holy Scriptures; subjects which would never have occupied their attention while in the ordinary classes. I

am persuaded the time is coming when our young disciples will need to be well instructed in these matters, that they may be able to stand on the defensive against gainsayers.

I would begin this department of instruction by illustrating the various modes in which matters of fact may be proved, and so shew them what evidence is, when applied to matters of everyday interest. I would lead them clearly to distinguish between mere inferences and assumptions, and positive proofs. And I would not enter upon the subject of Scripture evidences till I found they had acquired a correct notion of evidence in general. And of course the simplest and most familiar examples would be the best. On this subject I should like on some future occasion, to address to you an entire lecture; for I must not enlarge upon it now; and will only add, that when the pupils shall have learnt the force and value of evidence in general, it will be an easy transition when an attempt is made step by step, to apply the principles of evidence to every part of the Bible. I have known some pious persons object, rather, to the study of evidences, as if the Bible were to be received on its own credit alone; and as if there were a danger of our faith becoming too rationalizing, if the mind were much engaged in the sifting of evidences. But we are to remember that we cannot believe sincerely what we do not know truly; and in this view of the matter it does not appear quite enough for us to receive the Bible as an inspired revelation from God, just and only because others have told us that it is so. We might have believed the Koran on the same grounds; and we probably should, had we been born and brought up within the bounds of the Ottoman empire.

Do not imagine that I would spend too much time on this subject in commencing a Bible class, or go as extensively into the subject as it admits of,

but judiciously select so much as would not only fairly establish the truth of the matter, but enable the pupils to resist the aggressions of infidelity, which sooner or later they must encounter.

Next as to teaching the contents of the Bible,-I should aimat three main points; one of which would be, to give them an intelligent view of the Bible as a whole; the second, to shew them the harmony of its various parts; and the third, to shew them the mode of adapting the contents of the Bible to devotional purposes. I would carefully avoid the selection of particular chapters of the most striking kind, when teaching the class; and forbear to exhibit isolated truths-or rather connected truths in an isolated form. My reasons for this will, I dare say, suggest themselves to most of your minds, when you think that a watchmaker would not make an expert artizan of his apprentice if he only lectured him upon certain wheels and movements, without shewing him the relation of each part of the watch to the other, and of all the parts to the complete machine.

After some years experience in guiding Bible classes (and I am now in the habit of meeting eight, for two hours each, in the first week of every month) I have long ago come to the conclusion that if we who are teachers, aim at accomplishing our end by lecturing, and endeavouring, to the best of our ability, to expound to our pupils, we shall fail. We cannot be sure of the amount of attention that will be paid to our exposition; we cannot be sure of any; for it is possible that our minds may be the only ones actually stimulated to any effort. To accomplish the desired object, every mind in the class must be made to act, and to supply its quota in the work of exposi tion if the subject be doctrinal, and to the collecting of particulars and combining them if the subject be narrative; and to the viewing subjects in their

various aspects and applications, if they are preceptive. I would endeavour, as a teacher, to be adroit in summing up what may be brought out correctly by the class, and presenting to them in a simple and connected form, the results of their united labour. He who receives constant presents of gold from California, may come to look on gold with indifference; but he who toils in the diggings will have a far different estimate of it. We all learn to prize most that which costs us something; if not altogether to despise that which costs us nothing. I declare I have often brought out from the minds of a Bible class matter that would have been creditable to a candidate for Deacon's orders, after a little careful and systematic labour.

Hence it follows, that the catechetical mode of instruction is the best. And, in constructing our questions, we must beware of putting them in such a form as to admit of being answered by a simple negative or affirmative. Such questions would be often answered by a guess, for the sake of keeping up appearances; and however we may safely guess about matters of inferior importance, a mere guess about Divine things must never be allowed to pass. Suppose we acquired the habit of guessing about all things of every-day life, where do you think it would lead us at last? Suppose a merchant were only to guess what balance he had at his bankers, how might he stand on winding up the transactions of any week, or day of his life?

In shaping the questions, and in leading the pupils to work them out, I would have great liveliness and point in the teacher, which would have the effect of quickening every mind. It would be like the hone to the razor, and, I believe, under such advantageous circumstances, the pupils would eagerly look forward to the week-day class, when the teacher would bring out the resources of his own mind, for the

clearing up, and, as it were, stereotyping on their minds the matters reserved at the Sunday-teaching for further and future consideration. This would be the occasion for the teacher to bring out his stores, having, during the Sunday teaching, created an appetite for them.

I am conscious, my Christian friends, that the best mode of conducting Bible classes cannot be fully shewn without examples; such cannot be given in a lecture like this, and I have contented myself by bringing before you these general suggestions, which, after all, are perhaps too general. A single lecture on such a subject must of necessity be but a sketch. But, perhaps, enough has been said on the three topics proposed, to occasion some degree of extra thoughtfulness in your minds, and to bring some to feel that the formation and management of Bible classes is not altogether impracticable, or so beset with difficulties as to deny the reasonableness of the experiment in most Sunday schools. I shall rejoice if this lecture should lead to the experiment in any one school. In my own I hope to make it; and shall be glad, when I can, to report the results, so far as I may perceive them, in your valuable Magazine.

In the hasty preparation of this

Lecture (over-pressed as I am by incessant occupation) I have, perhaps, introduced many thoughts and observations that may appear trite and too obvious to every experienced teacher and superintendent; but I have not expunged them, because I felt they might not be without benefit to the less experienced. We are all learners; and he who desires to learn thoroughly will not complain when he happens sometimes to be told what he knows already.

I trust I am not addressing any one whose heart is not in the work. If I am, I can only pray that his heart may be turned to the work and kept to the work, till he loves the work above all others.

The Sunday school teacher - the Bible class teacher-oh, what a field of usefulness lies before them! May they occupy it wisely, zealously, lovingly; and may our gracious God daily add to their numbers, and increase their efficiency.

Let us all remember, and never forget, there is a day coming, when in it shall be said by Him who is " our life,""Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these, ye have done it unto me."

HAVING read the excellent remarks of your Islington correspondent, in the December Number of your Magazine, and agreeing with him, that we must look to the middle classes for any improvement which may be effected in the better observance of the Sabbath,

and the appreciation of its privileges, it has occurred to me that his sugges tion, of making the Sunday school a medium for that desirable object, is well worthy the consideration of Sunday school teachers in general. If you should think the following hints worthy

of attention, perhaps you will find a place for them in the next Number of your Magazine. If they should be the means of rousing some one or other of the many practical men connected with your Institute, who would be willing, not only to prepare, but to carry out something more efficient, then shall I have been amply repaid. I propose,

That in every Sunday school, there be a class set apart specially for the children of the respectable members of the congregation.

That this class be treated in precisely the same way as the other classes, and that the punctual attendance and careful study of the lessons be strictly en forced.

That this class be presided over by a teacher who has had long experience in the work, and who, from his good

management, and general fitness, shall be selected by the minister or superintendent.

This is but a hasty plan, but I think the advantages of it will be apparent to many, as we should then have in the Sunday school those who might otherwise be crowding the steam-boats and places of amusement, (as noticed by your correspondent), and, what I think is of very great importance, we should be training up for Sunday school teachers, an efficient class, who would be prepared to take the place of those teachers, who, from a variety of causes, are continually being removed, and thus obviate one of the great difficulties with which ministers and superintendents have so frequently to contend.

S. C. D.

In most Sunday schools, verses of Scripture, or hymns, or the collect for the week, are given to the children to repeat. Every Sunday school teacher will grant that each of these should be repeated with perfect correctness; but, then, how this perfection can be accomplished or approached is another question. One teacher will say, "I punish those who say their lesson wrong." Another will say, "I encourage the children to say their lessons right." Let teachers be sure that encouragement is far more effectual than punish

ment.

I have been at two schools. At the first of these, the master's principle seemed to be to punish those who were wrong. At the other, the master's principle was to encourage those who did right. At the first school, our

practice was to do just enough to escape punishment. At the second school, though it would be boasting too much to say we all tried how good we could be, yet it is truth to say, many tried to please the master. This master used to get a good deal of work out of us by encouragement. He used to proceed on this plan :-When a boy had finished the portion of the lesson in which he was set on, the master would say, "Thank you, that will do," if the portion was fairly got through; or, "Thank you, that is well done," if the boy had taken pains, and sometimes, "Thank you, thank you, that is very good," spoken with life, when a boy successfully mastered some hard pasThen there was a descending scale. "Sit down," spoken sternly to the careless; and, "Stay after, I wish

sage.