vision must be quickened, and his power of explaining, illustrating, and enforcing truth, must be increased.

A discussion followed the reading of the paper.

Mr. C. REED, M.P., said, they must appeal directly to the various churches throughout the country to send their best men and women to labour in the Sunday school. Up to this time the Church had not cared for the interests of the school as she ought to have done; now she must be asked to send her best men into the school. One of the errors of the past had been that of allowing young persons to come into the school as teachers, and to take responsible positions, who gave no evidence of that knowledge of Divine truth, or of their aptitude for teaching.

Mr. HEATH, of London, said he had felt for a long time that the majority of Chistian people had no definite conception of the object of the Sunday school. Mr. Smither, in his paper, had properly described it as "the ministry of the Gospel to children." If this were clearly kept in view, it would solve many difficulties.

Mr. HENDERSON, of Guildford, asked what was to be done when, in the absence of converted teachers, those who had given no evidence of being under the influence of religious truth offered their services in the school?

Mr. GROSER said he would answer in the words of the late Mr. Cuthbertson: "Do as we do; make your teachers out of your senior scholars. You will have to wait awhile, but begin at once, and with care and close attention you will have a suitable band of teachers."

Mr. E. STOCK said he was a member of the Church of England Sunday School Institute, and he was also a hearty friend of the Sunday School Union, and, parenthetically, he might remark, that he believed if two or three pious Churchmen and two or three Nonconformists, like Mr. Reed, were to meet together to settle the question, "the religious difficulty," as it was called, would soon be surmounted. He trusted that whatever might be the end of the present painful controversy, this result would be apparent, that Sunday school teachers were drawn more closely together.

Mr. CALDWELL said the great want which seemed now to be recognised, was, better teachers and more of them. How were they to obtain better teachers, and increase their numbers? It was all very well to say they could be made out of the senior scholars, but it was easier said than done. The question which he would submit for consideration was, Whether the ministers of our churches might not be looked to for helping in this important matter?

Mr. W. H. GROSER believed that they had everything to hope and nothing to fear from the schemes of national education now under the consideration of the legislature. He could see nothing but gain in any increase of intelligence on the part of the youth of our land. As to the duties of Sunday school teachers, they remained exactly as they were, only that they would be relieved of the unpleasant duty of teaching reading, writing, and arithmetic.

Mr. GOULD, of Bristol.-Whatever the issue of legislation might be, he for one was most earnestly hopeful that it would serve to bring home to the Church with convincing power, that it was her duty to provide for the religious instruction of the young.

Mr. LANCASTER, of Manchester, regarded it as important that more

stringent regulations should be observed in the admission of teachers, and that candidates should be required to pass an examination as to their scriptural knowledge, or be able to produce a certificate of their having attended, with regularity and attention, a training class conducted by the minister, or some other experienced person.

Mr. PIPER, of Chelmsford, thought there would be very little truly religious teaching in the national day schools about to be established. Even if the Bible were permitted, it would be only used as a class-book, and very little would be done to train the children religiously. On this account increased responsibility would be cast upon Sunday school teachers.

Mr. BUTCHER, of Bury, urged that efforts should be made to rouse the churches to a sense of their responsibility with regard to Sunday school work, so that, instead of its being left thereby to the young people of the congregation, or whomsoever liked to take it up, it should become the care of the maturest, best cultivated, and most devoted men and women who could be found. Then, if the elder scholars were to be retained, it was important that the accommodation on the Sunday should be at least equal to that of the week day.

Mr. HARTLEY thought they were all agreed on one point, that whatever formed a part of national education, or whatever was left out of it, the young must have religious instruction. There was no sound education without religion; and if the State supplied education without religion, so much the greater was the necessity for the Sunday school teacher's work. Under whatever system of national education the country might be placed, a great responsibility would be entailed upon Sunday school teachers and the Christian Church at large. The way to make better teachers was for each teacher to resolve that at least one teacher should be better.

Mr. ROGERS, of Manchester, said, that at a recent large conference in that city, it was resolved that religious teaching in day schools was not desirable, and the belief was expressed that the Sunday schools of the land were quite able to carry on that work. They were willing to admit that the Bible should be read in day schools, but they were not willing to submit to what was called religious teaching.

Rev. JOHN KEED believed, that with the spread of national education a most portentous work rested on the Sunday school. It was the same in

character as it had been hitherto, but it would require to be entered upon with a more severe view of the whole question, a more noble enterprise, a more catholic spirit, and more thoroughness, or the children, better taught than before, would be in advance of their teachers. Especially would this be the case in regard to sceptical views of truth, and teachers must be prepared to meet them.

Mr. LEA, M.P., while recognising the increased responsibility which a scheme of national education would cast upon the religious instructors of the young, congratulated the Sunday school teachers that at least this advantage, so far as they were concerned, would result from it, that they would be released from the drudgery of teaching the mere rudiments of learning, and thus be able to devote themselves more entirely to their proper work of spiritual training.

Mr. J. DAVIS, of Manchester, did not share in the apprehension which

some people expressed as to the want of efficiency in the Sunday school teachers of the future to meet the altered state of circumstances. The work in which they were engaged was a spiritual work, and in the hands of the Head of the Church.

Mr. BISHOP referred to the special religious services held for young people of the higher classes of society in the drawing-rooms of friends, the importance of which he thought could not be overrated, because if these young people were brought under the influence of religious principles, they would not be content, as they grew up, to be unemployed in God's service, and they would bring to that service the advantages of the superior education and training they had received.

At the public meeting of the Union in Exeter Hall, the Hon. A. Kinnaird, M.P., the chairman, also referred to the predominant topic of national education. He said,-Come what may, the importance of a thorough Bible education in Sunday schools cannot be exaggerated. We can never hope to have every schoolmaster or mistress deeply imbued with scriptural truth, and thirsting to win souls for Christ; but may we not look for Sunday school teachers sufficient for this work? One of the objects of our Sunday School Union is to meet the demand created by the deep need of the people at large for Bible instruction for their children.

W. H. STEVENSON, Esq., M.P., and President of the Shields Sunday School Union.-Though we may pride ourselves on our proportionately larger number of Sunday scholars and teachers, it would be vain and useless to attempt to conceal the fact, that our teaching does not reach the standard of efficiency it ought to do. I do not attempt any theory_to account for it, but somehow or other we do not command in our Sunday schools the services of the best-qualified members of our congregations. From what I have heard of the Sunday schools on the other side of the Atlantic, we have something to learn from our American brethren. And the point on which they do better than we is this, they succeed in obtaining what we fail to do, the services of those members of Christian congregations who, by their social position and education, are best qualified to carry on the work effectively.

The Rev. C. VINCE, of Birmingham, moved a resolution, stating that "This meeting recognises the paramount importance of moral and religious instruction and training, and calls upon all Sunday school teachers to seek, by every means in their power, to prepare themselves for augmented duties and responsibilities, so that the anticipated advance of national intelligence may be attended by corresponding progress in morality and religion."

Go, to the world return, not fear to cast
Thy bread upon the waters, sure at last

In joy to find it after many days.

The work be thine, the fruit thy children's part:
Choose to believe, not see; sight tempts the heart
From sober walking in true Gospel ways.

Keble.

TEXTS FOR TEACHERS.

Our Commission.-"Feed my lambs."-John xxi. 15.

Our Motive." Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”—Matt. xxv. 40.

Our Responsibility.—“For they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief." Heb. xiii. 17.

Our Strength.“ Our sufficiency is of God.”—2 Cor. iii. 5; “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”—Phil. iv. 13.

Our Preparation.-"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed."-2 Tim. ii. 15.

Our Success." He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him."-Psalm cxxvi. 6.

WORLDLY PLEASURE.

PHILIP DORMER STANHOPE, fourth Earl of Chesterfield, was the most polished gentleman, and one of the most brilliant parliamentary orators of the last century. He was an accomplished scholar, a skilful statesman, a paragon of courtiers, a lover of pleasure, moving in the highest rank of English society, the admired of all admirers, flattered, envied, honoured. He wrote a book of "Letters to his Son," of which Dr. Johnson remarked, that "it inculcates the morals of a profligate, with the manners of a dancing-master." His own life was reflected in that contemptible and godless book. Lord Chesterfield left behind him nothing worth remembering except a pregnant testimony to the unsatisfying nature of worldly pleasure. Coming from such a source it is invaluable. He wrote to a friend :

"I have run the silly rounds of pleasure and of business, and I have done with them all. I have enjoyed all the pleasures of the world, and consequently know their futility, and do not regret their loss. I appraise them at their real value, which is in truth very low; whereas those who have not experienced, always overrate them. They only see their fair outside, and are dazzled with their glare. But I have been behind the scenes. I have seen all the coarse pulleys and dirty ropes which exhibit and move the gaudy machines; and I have seen and smelt the tallow candles which illuminated the whole decoration to the astonishment and admiration of an ignorant audience. When I reflect back upon what I have seen, what I have heard, what I have done, I can hardly persuade myself that all that frivolous hurry, and bustle, and pleasure of the world, had any reality; and I look on what has passed as one of those wild dreams which opium occasions, and I by no means desire to repeat the nauseous dose for the sake of the fugitive illusion. Shall I tell you that I bear this melancholy situation with that meritorious

No.

I cannot

constancy and resignation which most people boast of? help it. I bear it, because I must bear it, whether I will or no. I think of nothing but killing time the best way I can, now that he has become .mine enemy."

Lord Byron was another who enjoyed the pleasures of the world to the fullest extent. In his powerful verse he thus records his experience:—

"Though gay companions o'er the bowl
Dispel awhile the sense of ill,

Though pleasure fill the maddening soul,
The heart, the heart is lonely still.

"Count o'er the joys thine hours have seen,
Count o'er thy days from anguish free,
And know whatever thou hast been,
'Tis something better not to be.

"Nay, for myself, so dark my fate
Through every turn of life hath been,
Men and the world so much I hate,
I care not when I quit the scene."

Few in any sphere of life have the opportunity which these men possessed of testing the value of mere worldly enjoyments; and none ever indulged in them with a keener relish. How impressive their testimony to the hollowness of earthly pleasures when pursued as the great end of life, and what a comment on the Divine admonition—“ Love not the world!"

ACCOUNTABILITY.

(By the Rev. J. T. Crane, D.D.)

AT what stage of its existence does the human soul become fully vested with accountability? At what period of life does it reach that degree of development which makes it capable, not only of laying hold on eternal life, but of justly incurring the dread penalty of eternal death?

The question, so easy to ask, it is impossible to answer. Some souls, doubtless, reach the dread line sooner than others; but no mortal can tell, in any case, where the line is drawn. It is not only impossible for us to define it in point of age, but also in regard to the needful degree of knowledge and intellectual maturity. It may be that even the angels of God are unable to solve the problem, and that infinite wisdom alone can tell.

Still there is an error against which we may guard. The child may exhibit decided indications of depravity, and also shew proofs that it is susceptible of good impressions, while it is still incapable of a final and fatal forfeiture of the Divine favour. Perhaps an illustration will be clearer than the bare statement of the position taken. A son may be so unnatural and rebellious a child, and so war against the welfare of the family by his evil conduct, that the father, in justice to his other child