whatever it may be, to Him who has promised to hear in the day of trouble? How very frequently in a Christian's experience have difficulties, trials and unpleasantness, which at one time seemed unsurmountable, been known to yield when prudently met and contended against, leaving nothing but surprise that they should ever have been permitted to operate so powerfully upon the mind! Such remarkable instances of the effects of intercessory prayer have come to the writer's knowledge, that he would affectionately urge upon all Sunday school teachers to communicate with each other on any difficulty or disagreeable occurrence which may arise in their respective schools and classes, and make that particular thing the subject of their mutual prayers, each praying for the other, creating thereby a closer bond of union amongst themselves. Having said so much, the writer will only add, that after 30 years' experience, if he had again to begin life he would not only commence but carry it on in a Sunday school for the reasons above: and to all who are now labouring therein his parting advice is, in the glowing words of one who was valiant for the truth, but is now in glory, "Warrior! on thy station stand, Faithful to thy Saviour's call; Z.Z. THE OBJECTS OF SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHING. To keep a definite purpose steadily in view, and to employ judicious measures to attain that end, will generally ensure success in the ordinary pursuits of life. The Christian, seeking to fulfil his Master's work on earth, must follow a similar course, in dependence on that Divine grace which alone can prosper his endeavours, and in submission to that Divine will which often withholds success from the most wise and earnest efforts. Trusting to our God to send the increase from above, according to his most righteous will, let us bring to our appointed duty in this world, not only an active hand and a zealous heart, but all the powers of mind wherewith our Father has endowed us; endeavouring justly to estimate the objects before us, and wisely to adapt our proceedings to further them. Among the various beneficial results of Sunday school teaching, let us never lose sight of that high and primary aim which is set before us in regard to each child committed to our care, namely, to lead that child to the knowledge of the Saviour, and to faith in Him; and through faith to union with Christ, and to happiness and peace. We must take care that where head knowledge and decorum of behaviour are produced, they should be regarded but as the lower processes in a great work, not as final results; and that the measures taken to instil these, are such as shall also tend to draw the scholar on to higher and holier objects. Although far below the mark, the teacher must often leave his work, I will not say content, but patient-waiting, seeking, and asking for a larger blessing and further fruit. He must not contract his desires or his aim, for hope and prayer may take a vast range; they draw upon the exhaustless treasury of One who can do more than we are able to imagine, and who can draw out through the years of eternity, the results of our labour of a day. Even the mortifications and disappointments which arise from the evil and corruption in ourselves or those we deal with, may be to us the vehicles of lessons and other blessings which we needed rather than desired. In pursuing the work of Sunday school teaching, we must in the first place guard against any element being introduced into our system, adverse to the end proposed. Undue partiality, or harshness, may encourage laxity or indiscretion, may permit the rise and developement of very bad and evil passions, under the routine of a soundly ordered system; and whilst a mechanical rigidity and unmodified vigour of discipline may induce proficiency and regularity in a school, it is probable that they may engender in many individuals a sense of injustice and unkindness, and a consequent irritation of feeling more inimical to moral welfare, than a diminished amount of intellectual information, or external discipline would be; for the importance of these, though great, is not paramount. In regulating his conduct in relation to the children around him, the teacher must remember, that he has not only to enforce the duties and call out the character of a scholar, but also to maintain those of his own position; and that patience and gentleness, kindness and forbearance, perseverance and diligence, are fruits of holiness not less required in himself than in them. And that although the young and volatile mind may not be able to receive all the salutary impressions of sympathy and example, they will not be wholly lost even now, and in future years the moral image retained by memory may be better appreciated. We must endeavour to provide, in the second place, that the mind of the child be not only supplied with the materials for moral training, but also taught how to use them. The corruption of human nature has rendered the perceptions dull, the reasoning process slow; and the depravity of the will inclines it to shut up knowledge as it were within the confines of intellect, to prevent its affecting the heart or the conscience, to arrest any practical result; and thus we often see a child fluent and ready in repeating, and even applying Scripture texts, yet appearing wholly unconscious of any guiding or restraining purpose in them. It is the office of the teacher to endeavour to overcome this tendency, to make apparent to the learner the connection between doctrine and practice, to carry out this from generality to detail, to bring home to the understanding the duty of "being good," and serving God not merely in that wide sense in which it is so easily admitted, but also in those minute details of daily life and school conduct which more definitely strike the mind and conscience. Care must indeed be taken in the application of Scriptural obligations, lest we lower God's word by a forced or overstrained sense, or lest we be induced (in striving to produce an effect) to give an artificial or disproportioned weight to any matter before us, an attempt which must issue in reaction and failure; but the epistles of the New Testament are themselves models of deductive teaching, leading the hearers from general doctrines, to the details of daily duty. The line of argument in them is longer than the mind of a child can ordinarily embrace, and the teacher must therefore endeavour to adapt a similar chain of reasoning to the capacity of the scholar, and thus make him feel, in effect, the connection and continuity of that inspired Word, which he can at first only receive in small and detached portions. The teacher must guard herein against the language of absolute dictation, not seeking to have dominion even over the incipient faith of a child, but rather to guide and help him to perceive and learn from God's Word the lessons it is designed to teach. A third subject for our special attention in Sunday school teaching is the right direction of our guiding efforts, the maintenance of a high and correct standard of desire in regard to them. No part of the spiritual life should be disregarded in our contemplation; knowledge and faith, holiness and wisdom, growth in grace, and an abundance of joy and peace in believing these are the treasures set before the Christian,-these are the heritage offered to each of our school children. To teach them to desire, to seek, to claim, and to enjoy these privileges, is the office of their instructors; and although when he looks upon the careless, ignorant, and wayward circle around him, they may seem unhopeful candidates for gifts so rich, so manifold, so pure, and he is tempted to ask almost doubtingly, "Can these arise to such a glorious life? can these at last enter the heavenly courts?" yet lower he may not aim; but from the humblest endeavours, the earliest step in the process of education, he must point every effort at this mark, so to impart to them knowledge that it may tend to holiness, so to inculcate faith that it may lead to sanctification and peace. There is in too many minds, not only of children but of adults, a tendency to desire and rest in the blessed fruits of redemption, only in that measure which may exempt from eternal punishment and open the gates of everlasting life. But, oh, may teachers rather seek for themselves and for their scholars, to possess and to cultivate that lively faith which shall grow and expand; and become more vigorous, not merely in its firm hold on Christ the Saviour, but also in the increase and developement of earnest loving devotion to him, and in all the fruits of that Holy Spirit which He is exalted to bestow. And if in the looking unto God as revealed to us in Christ, the image of our Lord and Master be in any measure renewed or matured in us, a keener sense of what we are, a truer perception of what we ought to be, will lead us in humbler, heartier, more undivided trust, to lay our hand upon that lamb of God which beareth away the sin of the world. SUNDAY SCHOOL ANECDOTES. Whilst lately reading with my class the history of Elijah's ascension, I was asked by one little fellow (about 6 years old) why Elisha was not taken up at the same time. One or two questions on my part led the class to the successive conclusions that Elijah had been doing God's work, that he had done some good, that there was yet a great deal to be done, and that, therefore, Elisha was wanted to carry on the work. To illustrate the point I said "If all our clergymen were to die what should we do ?" A simple-hearted country lad replied " We should all be poor mortals." I was lately explaining to my class a hymn in which occurred the words "Heirs of the same inheritance, "What home is here meant"? I inquired. Heaven-was the ready answer. "Why is Heaven called our home." Because our Father is there said a young child. Beginning the Week Well. I was told to-day (Monday), by the mother of a boy in our Sunday school, that he had called her up in the morning before it was light, to give him a candle, that he might read his Bible; and that he read three chapters before he went to his work. 3. C. Reverence for the Sabbath. M. A. R. is a little girl in my class, and on one occasion her mother said to her on Sunday morning, "We have no currants for the pudding, I must go and get some.' "Oh no, Mother," said she, "my teacher tells me it is wrong to buy and sell on Sunday, we had better go without the currants than buy them to-day." On another occasion when offered some chesnuts if she would buy them on the Sabbath, she preferred going without them to purchasing them on that day. Emily P. ENOCH. He walked with God in youth's bright morn When life was in its spring; And his young spirit soared aloft On hope's exulting wing. He walked with God, when joy's fresh buds Were opening on his way, And tempting him with fragrant breath, In pleasure's path to stray. He walked with God in manhood's prime, Nor heeded he the gilded toys That are the worldling's care. He walked with God when time entwined Still leaning on his pilgrim's staff He kept the narrow way. He walked with God from youth to age, And unto him was giv'n A deathless entrance to the land The bright fair land of Heaven. Lucilla. EXTRACTS FROM THE DIARY OF A SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER. JAN. 29th, 1844.-" At J. Porter's; five years old; very ill indeed; a most remarkable instance of a thoughtful child, in regard to the things which belong to eternity. On the morning of the first Sunday in this year, he attended school for the last time. I then saw him in the bloom of health, sitting amongst the infants on their gallery, listening to the new year's address of the superintendent, as he so affectionately besought them all, with the new year, to pray for new hearts; that their interest in a Saviour's death may be secured, their sins pardoned, and their young names written in the Lamb's book of |