THE

Sabbath School Magazine.

NO. VII.]

JULY, 1885.

[VOL. XXXVII.

The Teacher's Hope.

By REV. ROBERT ANDERSON, D.D., Glasgow.

"Is a Sabbath school teacher, who does his duty to his class faithfully and in a right spirit, warranted in believing that he shall have all the members of his class, or at least those of them who continue any length of time with him, as a crown of joy and rejoicing on that day?"—This question, which was some time ago submitted to me by a devoted Christian worker, is as simple as it is important. But what answer should be returned to it?

Some would, without hesitation, answer it in the affirmative. Given a moderately capable teacher, a consecrated man, thoroughly devoted to his work, whose chief aim is to lead his scholars to the Saviour, and who is seeking to do so by the divinely appointed means, in the divinely prescribed manner, and these friends would not scruple to assert that such an one is warranted in cherishing this persuasion. In confirmation of their opinion they would doubtless be prepared to cite cases of teachers who cherished this belief, and acting on it, were not disappointed. I could cite such cases too. Quite recently I met with a somewhat interesting one, which deserves to be more widely known. A lady, who had a senior class of sixteen girls, was extremely solicitous to see the whole of them walking in the fear of God. To attain the realization of this desire she was scrupulously careful in the use of means. But she did not trust in these. Her hope was in the Lord. She knew that the result she aimed at was to be attained not by might, nor by power, but by the Spirit of the living God. Hence she was often and earnestly at the throne of grace pleading with God for the salvation of her girls.

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By-and-by she somehow reached the assurance that her prayers had been heard, and that the desire of her heart would be granted her. Nothing could shake this confidence of hers. Even when one and another of the girls saddened her by their thoughtlessness, she serenely said, "No, no, I have prayed too much for my class for any of them to be lost. I know that He will bring them to Himself in His own good time, and keep them safe from the evil that is in the world." And when friends rebuked what they esteemed her self-confident tone, she was accustomed to reply, "I have no confidence in myself at all. All my hope is in the Lord, and I know He will not disappoint me. I shall have them. I shall say to Christ at the judgment, 'Here am I and the class which thou hast given me.'” She did not live to see it; nevertheless what she expected came to pass. One member of the class after another was brought into the fold of the Redeemer, until, at length, the whole sixteen were, through grace, enrolled amongst the followers of the Lamb. I might cite other instances of a similar kind, but I forbear, as any number of isolated cases could do no more than furnish a presumption in favour of an affirmative answer. They could not warrant more.

For obvious reasons I am disposed rather to avoid giving a categorical reply to the question proposed. But while shrinking from dogmatizing on a problem so far above our own measure, I feel warranted in asserting emphatically, that if teachers perform their Sabbath school work in a kindly, conscientious, prayerful manner, they shall not be permitted to labour in vain. The Divine Word, as inculcated by them, shall not return unto Him void; but it shall accomplish that which He pleases, and prosper in the thing whereto He hath sent it. As in the natural world there is no absolute waste, so in the spiritual world love's labour is never lost. The man who goeth forth weeping, bearing his precious seed, shall doubtless come again with joy, bringing his sheaves with him. All who engage in the Master's work in a right spirit, without becoming weary in well-doing, shall in due season reap if they faint not; and reap, too, far more abundantly than they have any reason to expect, considering their own imperfections and the imperfections of their efforts.

But it is of importance to bear in mind, that though success is in some measure assured, yet it may not be secured at the time, nor in the form, nor even to the extent desired. The results of Christian effort, when carefully collated, place this beyond the region of controversy. In some cases the result is immediate, and the revelation of it to the worker is nearly simultaneous with its occurrence. Both of these characteristics were illustrated in an interesting way by an incident which recently came to my knowledge, in the ordinary course of pastoral work. A Sabbath scholar was induced by her teacher to attend the house of God. One Sabbath, shortly after she began to do so, the Spirit of God used one part of the Scripture read as the means of convincing her of sin, and another part as the means of directing her to the Saviour. At the close of the service the girl hastened to her teacher, and told her, with tears of joy trickling down her cheeks, how great things the Lord had that day done for her. In that case-and such cases of "sudden conversion" are by no means uncommon amongst the young-the result, and the revelation of it, followed close upon each other.

In other cases, however, although the result sought for is not delayed, the knowledge of it does not reach and cheer the teacher for a more or less lengthened period of time. The seed sown takes root and springs up almost immediately; but owing to the timidity of the pupil, to_some interposition of Providence, or to some other cause, the glad news do not reach the teacher for months, or years, or even, it may be, during the term of his earthly life. A case belonging to this class may be here related. One Sabbath morning a teacher, hurrying to his class, saw a ragged urchin engaged in somewhat cruel sport. With no little difficulty he induced the youth to abandon his amusement and accompany him to the school. That morning marked a new era in that lad's life. He became not only a regular and interested member of that class, but also, by degrees, he became an intelligent and respectable member of society. Through the kindness of his teacher he was soon placed in circumstances in which he could maintain himself comfortably, while his own desire for improvement prompted him to devote much of his spare time to evening classes and private study. He had not yet, however, openly confessed Christ as his Saviour, when his teacher had to remove to a distant part of the country. A dozen years later this old scholar introduced himself to his old teacher, and after thanking him for all his kindness, informed him that, as an office-bearer in the Church, and the superintendent of a Sabbath school, he was seeking to do for other neglected boys what had once been done for himself. Then the old teacher learned and this is the point for which I have detailed the incident-that at least a dozen years ago his interesting pupil had embraced Christ as his Saviour, although the one who had been instrumental in leading him to Christ knew not of it. Similar cases are, doubtless, of frequent occurrence.

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There is another class of cases, to which, however, I can only devote a sentence or two, less pleasing to contemplate than either of those already noticed. I refer to those cases in which there is not at the time, nor for many years after, any apparent benefit resulting from the means employed on their behalf. But even these are not necessarily hopeless, nor has the labour expended on them been necessarily in vain. truths made known in early youth may be lying there, in the mind, only awaiting favourable circumstances to call them into active exercise. Although not here, yet in the better land, the teacher, who dropped these seeds of truth into the mind, may meet with some who formerly belonged to this apparently hopeless company, and learn from them how, by His providences and His Spirit, God revealed and used these precious truths as instruments to open their eyes, to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they might receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith in the Redeemer. This and the preceding cases warrant us in believing, if not that we shall have all for whose spiritual well-being we labour as our crown of joy and rejoicing, yet certainly that our well-directed efforts shall not by any means be in vain in the Lord.

"But how are we to work so as to attain a large measure of success ?" Speaking, some time ago, with one whom the Lord has greatly honoured in leading souls to Christ, I asked him to tell me the secret of his success. He replied to this effect:-"There is no secret about it. I work as if

everything depended on me and on my efforts; and I pray as if I could do nothing, as I really can do nothing of myself. That is all. I just work and pray, pray and work.” Here lies the secret of successful effort. Perform your work all through with both hands earnestly. Then, remembering that "Paul may plant and Apollos water, but God alone can give the increase," pray always, with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, that the blessing of God may rest on your labours. Thus working and praying ye shall neither be barren or unfruitful, but shall be privileged to turn many to righteousness here, who shall be for a crown of joy and rejoicing to you on that day.

The Training of Timothy:

A LESSON FOR TEACHERS.

By REV. JAMES Ross, Glasgow.

"Knowing of whom thou hast learned them."-2 Tim. iii. 14.

We know from the Apostle's own words in the first chapter of this Epistle, of whom Timothy had learned the Scriptures. As a child he had been brought up by Lois and Eunice, in whom dwelt the unfeigned faith, which also became, through their teaching and example, the faith of their son Timothy. The Apostle desired to recall the tender associations and memories of a Christian home, and to stir up the faith and love of his young disciple by remembrances of the days when the word of God was made precious to him by all the tender love and care with which its sacred lessons were taught to him. The Book of God was valuable to him in itself; but it was doubly so because it was associated with memories of the saintly lives in which its teachings were enshrined. It was not only God's Bible, but his mothers' Bible. If amid all the erring from the faith of which Paul was warning him, he had ever been tempted, he was doubly fortified in his love for the Divine Word. He had the testimony in his own soul that it was the book of life and salvation; but he had also the testimony of two lives dearer and saintlier to him than all others, that in that Book they, as well as he, had found the grace and truth that made their lives beautiful and good, and gave him the blessed assurance that they had passed to the spotless life beyond.

Now, I want at present to set before you the aspect of your work, as teachers of youth, which is presented here-namely this, that the love of Divine truth, and convictions of its value and power, are greatly strengthened by the spirit and example of those who teach it. There are many Sabbath school scholars to-day in all lands, who grasp their Bibles all the more closely to their hearts and lives, because they know and remember of whom they learned that Book in earlier days, because they find Bible lessons coming up before them associated with all the love, and zeal, and purity of life of those teachers who first made known to them its sacred truths. They value the Book not only for what it teaches, but also because they remember in gratitude those who taught them. I think it is a grand inspiration to every teacher in his or her work to