PICTURING. CULTIVATE a habit of picturing. Teach as much as possible by throwing the lessons into a narrative, descriptive, or dramatic form. You see children, even after they are able to read, turning over the pages of a book, and looking only at the pictures. This is an instinct of their nature, which you may turn to good account. In surveying a farm that you have purchased, with the view of considering how you may best make your own out of it, you find a stream running rapid from the mountain side. It is there. It will continue to run, whether you will or not. You may turn it to good account. Divert its course a little. Make a new channel. Turn the stream upon your wheel, and it will drive your mill. Try to make Nature the handmaid of Grace. The children will greedily take stories and pictures; it is your business to give them stories and pictures, imbued with the gospel. In your capacity of teachers, you may take them by guile. They will hang upon your lips for a story. Let them have it; but let it be so steeped in the truth, that while they are listening to the story, they will receive the word of life, which is able to save their souls. In following this method, you have the Bible, not only as a source whence to draw your material, but also as an example to teach you how you should draw it. It is full of historical and pictorial teaching. The parables, whether they assume the form of a circumstantial narrative, or of a brief allusion to some fact of history or law of nature, are most effective instruments. They both transfuse the colour, and fix it in the fabric. For example, when the truth to be taught is, the difficulty of learning to do good after you have been long accustomed to do evil, the Scriptures fix the lesson in the memory the question, "Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots?" Jer. xiii. 23. How many retain at least the knowledge of that lesson to their latest day, who, but for the picture, would not have remembered it beyond the period of childhood! Not only teach from the Bibleteach like it. Extract its matter, and copy its plan.-Arnot's Suggestions on Sabbath-school Teaching. PRAYERS. LET the prayers in the class be very short, and the language very simple. The degree in which this caution is applicable will vary with the age and attainments of the scholars; but the caution, I think, is much needed, and of great importance. Of all that can with any propriety be included under the head of "manner in teaching," I know nothing more offensive than difficult words, and involved sentences, and long loose repetition, in a prayer wherein children are expected to join. Soon after I began to teach a class, an outrageous violation of this rule came under my notice, which tended to impress it more deeply on my mind. A teacher was conducting the concluding devotions at the dismissal of the class. In the prayer, referring to the inheritance of the saints, he characterised it as "incorruptible, and undefiled, and amaranthine in the heavens." Our translators, in their simplicity, have given the meaning of the Greek word amaranthine in good plain English, "that fadeth not away," 1 Pet. i. 4; but this teacher, with an excess of pedantry in the circumstances altogether intolerable, disdaining the language that everybody could understand as well as himself, dragged forward the unintelligible Greek. Well might the children have said, We came here to ask bread, and do you give us a stone? That incident, occurring at the time when I was beginning the work, made a strong impression on my mind. The very enormity of the fault made it more effectual as a warning. I got good from it somewhat in the way that the Spartan children got good by seeing the Helots drunk-it made them abhor drunkenness. In a Sabbath-school teacher's prayer, there are two things to be desired:-1. That it may be heard of God; 2. That it may be followed by the children. "Much speaking" will not help you to attain the first; and it will effectually hinder you from attaining the second. Many go into this error, and go far into it. It is inexcusable. I can give it no quarter. Common sense might keep men out of it. I do not at present speak of the matter of the prayer; but as to the manner of it, I would entreat the teachers of children to have in their school no long prayer; in their prayer no involved sentence; in their sentences no hard words.-Arnot's Suggestions on Sabbath-school Teaching. RELIGION IS FERVENT. FERVOUR in religion, earnestness as a Christian, is as natural an effect of the close contact of truth with a man's mind, as a spark is from the meeting of steel and stone, or as a glow is from friction, or as ebullition is from pouring water upon unslacked lime. Real religion is fervent. It awakes a man in earnest. It is an inward fire that burns, and makes one boil. It gives both light, and heat, and spiritual electricity; and the preacher should be giving off these like an electrical machine or galvanic battery. He who is never fervent in prayer, nor in labours for souls, nor in praise, nor in doing good, then it must be that the fire of Divine love has never been kindled in his heart. Real religion, like real lightning, will naturally give light, heat, and electricity. The true Christian is charged with truth, and with the love of God, and with love to souls; and the electric sparks will be flying off from him. If you are a good conductor, you can draw off a great deal of spiritual electricity from a good minister, or from any good Christian, and he will have none the less for it, while you will be all the better. It was said of a certain minister, that his office reproved men's folly, long after the teachings or holy living of the man who filled it ceased to do so. 66 "Stop sinning, the minister is coming," should be the result of his approach; and when he lives the life of faith on the Son of God, his very shadow, like that of Peter, should check the spiritual disease of the fallen soul. His voice, though melting with tender love, shall reprove with more power than the earthquake's terror, or the whirlwind's rage. THE SUNDAY-SCHOOL MAGAZINE. land, we say, At once form some plan for a weekly meeting for preparation and prayer; and as some one in each school must act first in promoting such an organisation, we may say to you, Dear reader, will you begin? THE RAGGED SCHOOL ADVOCATE we have been from the commencement of this noble enterprise. The project, started in obscurity, had but few friends at first; it now rejoices in the patronage of the wealthy and the good. In this we rejoice, and still hope to bear our humble testimony, from month to month, in favour of so useful an institution. Another Magazine has appeared, called the "Illustrated Ragged School Magazine." Of its publication we do not complain-the field is NORMAL CLASSES FOR TEACHERS. MUTUAL improvement among Sundayschool Teachers is a thing much lost sight of. The teacher who always studies alone, when he might sometimes unite with his brethren in the pursuit of knowledge, deprives himself of great advantage and unknown pleasure; and there are many who, for want of the stimulus supplied by such opportunities, do not make a point of giving due time and thought to the subjects they have to teach. Then, again, it is not possible for every teacher to obtain information upon any given subject, equal to the aggregate of all the knowledge brought together by a dozen "busy searchers after truth," who, like himself, find much, but not all that is to be found. There are, besides these, many argu-wide enough for all; but we feel bound ments in favour of TEACHERS' CLASSES; to say, that the present age demands and it is matter of sincere congratula-efficiency in such projects. The little tion, that the experiment recently made by the Committee of the Sunday-school Union, whose members formed themselves into a class, has been tried with such success in the auxiliaries, and other districts. What can be better training for the Sabbath exercises? The given subject, the allotment of the particular branch of inquiry, the patient and laborious research, the gathering "It is not designed to interfere with any of opinions, facts, and arguments, the existing periodical; and to occupy its own peculiar place; and so to fulfil its approcontact of mind, the giving up of pre-priate mission in Britain. It ought to conceived and mistaken notions, the generous admission of error, and the elevating and ennobling influence of Christian converse and devotion: what can be more desirable, and what more easy of attainment? To our dear friends, the teachers of schools, all over the periodical before us might be edited by the veriest tyro in the Lamb-and-Flag Ragged School; for such spelling as "Cain and Able," and such composition as the following, taken verbatim from the prospectus, is most unpardonable in the present day. Mavor and Lindley Murray would be amazed at such an exhibition : obtain friends among, "1. CHRISTIAN MINISTERS. Every Clergyman and Minister of the gospel, it is hoped, will show favour to this work, and recommend it the notice of their peole." We regret to see the name of our friend, Mr. TIMPSON, attached to the work as the ostensible Editor. MARCH. THE MONTH. MARCH was the first of the ten months in the state calendar of Romulus-December the last; the whole contained 304 days-The name of Nisan is derived from the Chaldeans-nes and nus-the month of war and storms; of the Jews. 2. John Wesley died, 1791. 4. The Egyptians sacrificed to the sun on this day-burning incense three times a-day resin on his first appearance, myrrh when in the meridian, and a mixture, called kuphi, when he declined. 5. Partial eclipse of the sun, invisible in this kingdom-Bishop Beveridge died, 1708. 10. The 10th day of the month Nisan was a Hebrew fast for the death of Miriam, the sister of Moses. Upon the evening of this day, 1643, Evelyn observes, "a shining cloud in the air, in shape resembling a sword, the point reaching to the north; it was as bright as the moon, the rest of the sky being very serene. It began about eleven, P.M., and vanished not till above one, being seen by all the south of England.” 11. The memorable eruption of Mount Etna began about sunset of this day, 1669. 13. An eclipse of the moon is noticed by Josephus, which happened at the hour of three in the morning of this day, B.C. 4, about the time when the infant Christ was carried into Egypt. It prognosticated the death of Herod, which took place in that year, and probably before the feast of the Pentecost, having reigned 37 years -The new planet, Georgium Sidus, discovered by Herschel, in 1781. It has six satellites, and is the most distant of all the planets. 14. The Passover of the Jews began on the afternoon of the month Nisan, when the offering was to be slain; and concluded before midnight, by which time it was commanded to be eaten, although the great holiday was not kept until the 15th, or following day; Exod. xii.-The feast of unleavened bread properly commences about the same time-The Jews kept the fortieth anniversary of their passover at Gilgal, four days after the passage of the Jordan, when they took possession of the promised land, B.C. 1451. 16. It was from this day of Nisan, the Sabbath, that the fifty days were to be reckoned unto the feast of Pentecost. 19. Total eclipse of the moon, visible in this kingdom. First contact with the shadow, 16 min. after 7, P.M.; middle of the eclipse 12 min. after 9, P.M.; closes at 8 min. after 11, P.M.-Bishop Ken died at Frome, 1711The first eclipse of the moon on record (by Ptolemy) B. C. 721. 20. Spring Commences-Equal day and night. Sir Isaac Newton died, 1727. 21. Archbishop Cranmer burned, 1556. 24. A fast in the Jews' Calendar, for the death of Joshua, B.C. 1426. 25. The annunciation to the Virgin Mary of our Saviour's advent, (commonly called Lady Day)-Evelyn observes, 1649, "I heard the CommonPrayer, (a rare thing in these times,) at St. Paul's Wharf"-Charity-schools are first instituted in London and Westminster, 1688-An earthquake at Venezuela, in South America, 1812; twenty thousand persons suddenly perished. THE PASTOR AND TEACHERS. and Charles For the sake of my own peace I regret that I listened to their observations; but if you can help me to a satisfactory solution of these difficulties, I shall feel that the sum of my obligations is increased." “I am truly sorry to find," said the superintendent, "that those unfortunate young men have been endeavouring to entangle your mind in those meshes of sophistry by which themselves have become so fatally ensnared; but I am somewhat relieved by observing that your mind is still open to conviction, and anxious for the truth. Subsequent engagements this evening render it impossible I should remain with you so long as may be necessary to enter fully into the important question, nor indeed am I very competent to the task; but, if you will name any evening you may be at liberty during the next week, I will gladly meet you in the library for the purpose; or, what just strikes me as the better plan, I will accompany you to our beloved pastor, who will both an ONE Sabbath afternoon, after the duties of the school were finished, a young man about twenty-two years of age, whose mind had become perplexed and unsettled, followed the superintendent into the library, and inquired with apparent anxiety if he could direct him to an author who had satisfactorily defined the province of reason on subjects of divine revelation. The superintendent replied, that there were several authors who had written well on that and similar topics, and one or two works of that kind were in the catalogue; but he believed they were engaged at that time, and that it was somewhat remarkable those works had been asked for by several teachers, both on this and the preceding Sabbath. The anxious and disappointed look of the young man induced the superintendent to ask with his usual affection, whether there was any assistance he could render him in conversation? adding, that he should be most happy to aid his inquiries so far as he had ability to do it. The young teacher, after some hesi-swer your inquiries in the spirit of tation and confusion, acknowledged that for several weeks he had been in a very unhappy state of mind, in consequence of some doubts which had been suggested to him in conversation with John and Charles and he had not been able to get them satisfactorily removed. 66 I cannot understand how it is that doctrines can be said to be revealed, and yet be confessed to be mysterious; nor on what principle man can be held responsible for his belief in propositions which he cannot comprehend. It is on these general questions my mind is perplexed, and has been so ever since the conversation I had with John tender affection, and lend you any work which he may deem the most suitable to your state of mind." The young man thanked him for the suggestion, and said he would accompany him to the minister on the following Thursday evening. They separated, and Thomasretired thoughtful to his home. His mind was much relieved by the disclosure he had made, and he could not but contrast the gentleness, humility, and tender affection of him whose advice he had just received, with the self-sufficiency and arrogance of those whose flippant suggestions had given birth to his perplexity. Well," said he to 66 |