desire to do something for Him. This presupposes another essentialI had almost said the essential of the efficient teacher—namely, that he knows experimentally the way of life himself. Many have engaged in Sabbath school teaching without a clear knowledge of the truth; and while such a course cannot be altogether condemned in the case of those who are seeking the light-as the fact of their having to teach others frequently leads them to clearer views of the truth-still such persons, in the nature of things, cannot expect to be successful teachers. Out of the fulness of the heart the mouth speaketh;" and if a teacher himself is not an earnest believer in what he teaches, it cannot be expected that he will influence the minds-much less the hearts-of his scholars. The effect of example is powerful everywhere, but its influence is nowhere so strongly felt as on the young; and the teacher who can invite his class to "Come to the Saviour," manifestly occupies a much more influential position than one who can only exhort them to "Seek the Lord while He may be found."

The next requisite of the efficient teacher is knowledge, and this not only of his lesson for the day, but it should embrace everything which may be of use to him in his work, either by way of illustration or otherwise. The teacher should be in what may be described as a state of preparedness for his work, so that when he requires to study any particular subject, it does not come before him as entirely new. He must know its bearings and how best to approach it. Above all he must have a thorough knowledge of his Bible, especially of the lesson he has in hand. This entails home study and preparation. He must also have a thorough knowledge of his children; and to get this he must study their different characteristics. Each child has a separate individuality, and must be approached in its own way. This knowledge cannot be got entirely in the class. The teacher must see his children at their homes, and make himself acquainted with the circumstances of each child. Then only will he be able to adapt his teaching in a way that will make it effective.

Another quality of the efficient teacher is conscientiousness. With some their Sabbath class seems to carry with it no sense of responsibility whatever. They come to teach when convenient for themselves; and when it does not suit them to attend, it does not seem to occur to them that their absence will inconvenience their superintendent. After an absence-it may be of several Sabbaths-they expect to find the class where they left it; and if scholars have left through their absence, they consider it the duty of the superintendent to fill their places with others. In short, they seem to consider that in teaching the class at all they are doing the school a favour. Conscientiousness will insure regular attendance. It will also prevent the teacher from going to his class unprepared, or half-prepared. Realizing the supreme importance of the work, and the shortness of the time at his disposal, he will see that nothing is awanting on his part to make the most of it.

Above all, our teacher must be a man of prayer-for himself, that he may be fitted for the work, and that his efforts may be blessed; for each child, that his heart may be touched by the Spirit of God. The most successful Sabbath school teachers invariably realize the importance of

this. In nothing do we more feel that our own strength is but weakness, than in Sabbath school teaching; and were it not for the knowledge that the work is the Lord's, we would oftentimes be tempted to give it up in despair. But we know that He who said to the Apostle Peter, "Feed my lambs," is with those who now are carrying out His command; and it is sweet to be able to go to Him with all our troubles and misgivings, and seek His blessing on our work. No effort of ours can change the hearts of the children; all we can do is to sow the seed, and entreat the Lord of the vineyard to cause it to take root and grow.

The teacher must also be a man of faith, patience, and perseverance. He believes that he is doing the Lord's work, and that even now he may expect a blessing on his labours, though he must not be disappointed if his hopes are not realized immediately. He must labour on in patience and perseverance, though he may often be severely tried, knowing that "in due season he shall reap."

Let us now consider the efficient teacher as concerns his teaching. Having thoroughly prepared and mastered his lesson, the question is, How is he to get the minds of these restless children to grasp the truth he wishes to teach them? He reaches the school some little time before his scholars enter the hall, and is waiting, ready to give each, on his arrival, a kindly welcome. He knows the circumstances of each, and, by many little acts of kindness, has got the children to believe that in him they have a friend. In this way he has gained an influence over his scholars, which, if properly used, may be more potent for good than even his lesson. If we can attach our scholars to ourselves as their friends, we shall the more easily be able to lead them to our Friend-even Jesus. During the opening exercises perfect order is preserved in the class. Some teachers seem to think that the preservation of order is a duty incumbent on the superintendent alone. Certainly this duty devolves mainly upon him, and without a competent superintendent order is impossible. Even a good superintendent, however, is comparatively powerless if his efforts are not seconded by the teachers; as their allowing any breach of discipline, however small, to pass unnoticed is apt to be interpreted by the scholars as a condonation of the offence. The opening exercises over, the lessons begin. Go into any general school where more than one class is being taught in the same room, and observe the classes. You will not have much difficulty in picking out the efficient teachers. There, for instance, is a class of small, active, intelligent-looking boys, ever ready for mischief; but at present they are all eyes and ears on their teacher, who has so gained their attention that there is no thought with them of anything but the lesson. And this is not a mere passing interest, as when a story is being told, to be followed, when it is ended, by increased restlessness. No; the teacher has succeeded in interesting these boys in the lesson, he has aroused their curiosity, and by apt illustration, has got their mind to grasp the subject, so that they understand what is being taught. In short, he has got these boys to think. This teacher, you will notice, has got little or no trouble about order, for he has got the attention of the children. Look, again, at this other class-say of girls, of from 12 to 14 years of age. The teacher seems of superior education to the last, but he does not seem to have the control necessary. While he

is engaged addressing a girl at one side of the class, those on the other side are trifling, talking, or examining one another's clothes. You will notice that the teacher frequently pauses and refers to some notes he has in his hand; and his doing so is always accompanied by some minor disturbance in the class. You will also observe that frequent stories—some of them not very apt illustrations of the subject in hand—are mingled with the lesson, for the sake of the small amount of order which is secured while they are being told. The quiet of the school, too, is frequently broken by requests for "silence," and frequent cries of "Hush;" all of which shew us that—as far as getting good from the lesson goes-these children might as well not be in school at all.

No one can hope to be a good teacher unless his heart is in the work; and efficiency can come only by practice, and careful observation of the points in which we fail. The gift of teaching is, no doubt, to some extent born with a man; but aptitude in teaching can be acquired by careful training and perseverance.

Again, the efficient teacher does not lecture his class. He recognises that what is wanted is to get the children before him to think-to get their minds opened to receive the instruction he has to convey. He desires to educate them. This, he finds, is done most effectually by the use of question and answer, though he makes a point of pressing upon the heart and conscience of the children anything that may seem fitted to impress them savingly. As constant rain falling on an unbroken and heavy soil, instead of sinking in, lies in pools on the surface, so constant lecturing to a class only serves to harden it to the truth. The soil must

be broken up, the minds of the children must be exercised, so that openings may be made, by which the water of life can penetrate to the roots of their being. What we want in our Sabbath schools is teaching, not preaching.

To bring these remarks to a close I would thus sum up the characteristics of the efficient teacher. He is one whose mind is stored with the requisite knowledge, both of his subject and the best methods of teaching. His heart is on fire with love to his Saviour and the children under his care. Conscientiously he does his best to instruct these children in spiritual things. He has gained the confidence of his children. They look upon him as a friend, and are ready to follow his example. By prayer he entreats his Heavenly Father both for himself and his scholars, for he knows that neither can he teach aright nor they profit by his instruction, except it be given them of God. His greatest desire is that he may be used as a means of blessing to his class. He is possessed of great patience and perseverance; and while he is hoping for, nay, expecting an immediate blessing on his work, he is not discouraged though for the present the blessing may be withheld. Such an one is sure to do efficient work in the Sabbath school, no matter how many difficulties and discouragements seem to surround him.

But while you and I, my fellow-teachers, thus try, by every means in our power, to fit ourselves for the efficient discharge of the duties of our position, let us not forget to take as our example the greatest of all teachers-our Lord Jesus Christ. From Him we shall learn more than from any one else, and the more deeply we are imbued with His spirit,

the more successfully shall we be able to do His work. Let us take courage then and go forward, knowing that God is with us, and that He will crown our labours with lasting success.

Delightful work! young souls to win,

And turn the rising race

From the deceitful paths of sin,
To seek redeeming grace.

Almighty God, thy influence shed
To aid this good design;

The honours of thy name be spread,
And all the glory thine.

J. A. R.

The Training of Timothy:

A LESSON FOR TEACHERS.

By REV. JAMES Ross, Glasgow.

(Continued from page 183.)

3.-The teaching of the young which sets first of all the

blessing to be

found in Christ, will be remembered and felt through all life. We value the Bible as a book for all it contains, and it ought to be the aim of every teacher to make his pupils familiar with the whole round of instruction to be found in it. But it is a book with a special aim and purpose in it. It is possible for a good man or woman to teach young people much that is interesting and impressive from the Bible, and to do this reverently and lovingly, and with a sincere desire to lodge the truths of the Bible in the heart as well as the mind, and yet to fail to give prominence and distinctness to the truth concerning Christ as the Saviour of the soul. I can conceive how a teacher could take his pupils through the history of God's dealings with Israel in the Old Testament, and shew His wisdom and mercy in them all; how he could explain to them the devout and beautiful teaching of the Psalms; and also the wonderful fulfilment of prophecy. I can even conceive of him going through the life and teaching of Christ and His apostles; and all this without letting his pupils see and understand and feel that through all this God has but one purpose and aim—to lead men's souls to the saving knowledge of the truth as it is in Christ Jesus. Now, I ask you, is not this doing a grievous wrong to the Word of God, and a grievous wrong to young lives? Is it not leading human souls step by step up to the central truth of the Divine Word, and then keeping silence on that,-leaving them on the threshold of the kingdom of God, but failing to shew them the open door, and the glories within? I should be the last to undervalue the work that is being done by our Sabbath school teachers, but I often think there must surely be some great lack when so comparatively few of our scholars trace their conversion to the teaching and the teachers of the Sabbath school. I

say "comparatively" few, for I believe there are many such conversions; but they are few compared with those we might expect. Remembering that teachers have the spiritual care of souls at the most tender and susceptible period of life, when as yet the heart is tender, and the life free from the fierce temptations of later years; remembering that teachers come closer to the hearts and lives of the young than pastors ever can do, or even many parents do, I think it is right to expect that most of the conversions we look for should take place in youth, and as the result of the faithful and loving appeals, instructions, and persuasions of teachers who seek, chief of all in their work, to lead young lives to Christ. Many years ago I knew a Sabbath school in which this duty pressed heavily on the consciences of the teachers. They became dissatisfied with going on from Sabbath to Sabbath merely teaching lessons, and seeing no results. Some of them had been under the impression that it was vain to expect young people to turn to Christ, and that they must be content to lay the foundations of a future religious life by filling the mind with Scripture knowledge, and then trusting and hoping that when the young people became older they would themselves, under pastoral and other teaching, turn to God by faith in Christ. But, under the influence of a spiritual revival, they all met together, and resolved to aim at the conversion of their pupils, and to keep this before them in every lesson,— in all their intercourse with their pupils, in all their prayers for them. What was the result? Before many weeks passed away there were many young hearts in that school in deep concern about salvation. A little longer, and there were many who humbly confessed their faith in Christ. The first fruits of that great and good work was seen in the application, by a little girl of only twelve years of age, for admission to the church. There were more who followed. I knew them, conversed with them, and I never felt more convinced of a spiritual change in any one than I did of the real turning of the hearts of these young persons to Christ. Many of them are still honoured members of the Church of Christ; and I think their lives are all the holier and more beautiful because they can look back to the beginning of the Divine life in them in the Sabbath school, knowing of whom they learned," not only the Scriptures, but the Christ and Saviour whose saving love makes the Scriptures of true and everlasting value.

.66

And I beseech you, fellow-workers, to keep that aim before you. It is not a higher aim than God sets before you. You see in Timothy's case how his two mothers aimed high in teaching their child, and how God gave wondrous power and success to their effort. I truly believe that you, as teachers of youth, have more encouragement to expect the conversion of your pupils than we ministers have. You have young lives in their tender plastic state, ere sin and vice have had time to settle deeply upon them. We have to deal with men and women who are older, from whom the freshness of youth has passed, and, oh, it is hard to move them. If young people pass from you to us still unchanged in heart, are we likely to succeed when you have failed to win them to Christ at the best and most favourable time? Looking back on my ministry, I can confirm the testimony given by many of my brethren, that the large majority of cases of conversion that have stood the test of life, have been