ought to study to excel in this way. the subject. And after singing the doxFourth, skill to avoid prosing. It would ology, the meeting was dissolved.

be impossible to convey in writing, the

FISH STREET HILL LONDON.

illustrations given under this division, WEIGH HOUSE SUNDAY SCHOOL, but the aim of all was, to avoid a dull monotonous manner in giving a lesson. 4th. The results. Fear's removal, ON Thursday the 4th of December, God's approval, earth's uprightness, and the Annual Parents' Tea Meeting was heaven's own brightness. This would held in the large vestry adjoining the all follow from the efforts of a diligent chapel. After tea, the chair was taken teacher, for they would remove the fear by the Rev. Thomas Binney. Mr. O. E. of death and judgment to come. God's Goddard, the secretary, explained the approval too, would be secured, for all object of, and the method of working, who serve Christ have that. Earth's the various agencies connected with the brightness would be promoted, because school. The friends were addressed by righteousness and virtue must spring Messrs. Smither, Jack, Hodder, and from it, and it would introduce very J. E. Saunders, jun., (the present supermany to heaven's own brightness at intendent,) on the following subjects last. respectively: The importance of mornThe Rev. A. M. HENDERSON, of Clare-ing and evening Separate Services for mont Chapel, spoke on the topic--"The children;" "Home influence and the means by which Churches and their necessity for Punctuality; "Children's Officers may best encourage and help Literature connected with the ObserSunday School Teachers in their labors." vance of the Sabbath." "The Meeting Previous speakers had their constitu- of Parents, Teachers, and Children ents before them,-he was at a disad-above." During the evening, encouragvantage, as he had not, but he must en- ing remarks were made by some of the deavor to speak as though he had. He Parents. thought church members and deacons might encourage teachers by their sympathy, and by shewing a friendly feeling on every possible occasion. A smile cost nothing, but would do much to encourage and help on a teacher. They might also shew it by sending their children to the school; such children being sent, might greatly tend to raise the character of the school. And by prayer for them, as well as by providing the necessary funds, it was not fair to lay this burden on those who gave their time and energies to the work. And lastly, they would greatly help by non-interference with the internal arrangements of the school.

Mr. F. CUTHBERTSON, was called upon to speak to the fourth sentiment, viz,"The Sunday School Union-What benefits may teachers and schools derive from connection therewith?"-but declined at that late hour, to enter upon

Poetry.

A CHILD'S WISH.

My Saviour Jesus Christ was once,
A little child like me;
I wonder if I ever shall
As good as Jesus be!

I wish that I could be as meek,
As gentle, and as mild;

I wish that I could copy Him,
And be a holy child.

I'll ask the Lord to make me so,

He'll listen to my prayer;
And take my naughty heart away,
And put his Spirit there.

Then though I'm young I need not fear,
If God should make me die;
For Jesus then would carry me

To live with Him on high.

And when I reach that happy place,
I shall my Saviour see;
And never, never sin again,
But like my Saviour be.
Ilfracombe.

S. L.

MORE PLAIN WORDS ON PLAIN MATTERS

BY A

PLAIN SPOKEN MAN.

To begin at the beginning. Were I asked in so many words, what is the most fruitful source of the numerous evils which harrass and perplex the Sunday school teacher at the present day? I should answer, mistaken views as to the nature and object of his mission. Here lies the root of the matter, It is of the highest importance that we clearly understand our mission to the world as Sunday school teachers, the nature of that mission, and the object it has in view. Failing these, we may go on blunderingly in the dark; but depend upon it, with far less success than we should otherwise achieve from a knowledge of them. Let us consider for a moment,

Our mission. What is it? and what is it not? It is not a mere formal, conventional custom, to be endured like many other old customs, because it happens to make a noise in the world, and has got to be talked about. It is not a mission originated by man, and which must contribute to his glory; it is a mission enjoined by the Saviour of men, especially under his care and protection, and one essentially dependent upon the strength and sympathy of him who said “Feed my lambs."

Our mission is not to train the mental powers of our scholars, so much as to cultivate the powers of the heart. We have to deal with souls, not sentiments; with the immortal, not the ephemeral. Our commission comes from God, and leads right to the hearts of our scholars. It will allow of no compromise; if we do our duty we shall seek none. The work we have to perform is to be done as for God; it cannot be done without his blessing attend us, and if we understand our mission rightly, we shall never attempt to perform it in our own strength. One of the prevailing errors on this point is, that with many people the Sunday school teacher is regarded as one who is sacrificing his time, and giving his labors solely for the good of the children whom he has got to teach. Hence we are constantly hearing it said, that the Sunday school teacher must exercise great self-denial, &c., &c., all which amounts to something like this:-in becoming a Sunday school teacher, a man confers a great favor on his day and generation; nay, we have even heard it argued that by so doing he, in a manner, makes God his debtor! Viewing the matter in a commercial point of view, I suppose such persons would cast up their accounts after the following style ;-Dr., to so many sins, &c., Cr., by Sunday school teaching. Do not think I am trifling with this grave and important subject; I will assure you I have no such intention,

E

neither would I have introduced to your notice such opinions as those just alluded to, did I not know that such are held only too extensively amongst us as a class. The sooner we disabuse ourselves of all such erroneous notions, the better it will be for our success and the measure of our usefulness. Ideas like these hang like dead weights about us, they deaden our sense of activity and perseverance; like stumbling blocks they lay in our path to annoy, perplex, and retard us. What with these and the lethargic, apathetic feeling they must inevitably produce, the car of enlightenment rolls slowly, heavily along.

No wonder we are told our labors are not commensurately successful to the means we employ. How can they be, with such ideas of our mission? We want to learn how glorious a privilege it is to be allowed to take part in this great work. To feel that it is indeed a favor, an honour; but precisely on the opposite side to that we have been accustomed to regard it. Working for God! why the very thought ought to strip us of all selfish pride and assurance, and lead us with a meek and lowly mind to work for him honestly, heartily, hopefully. The field each one of us possesses for improvement is too contracted to admit of the tares of selfishness and pride being sown there by us. We have room little enough to cultivate the true wheat, let us strive only to sow that; we shall find the tares sow themselves fast enough. The prayer of each should be, "Let me, O God, spend and be spent for thee, with a single eye to thy glory."

If we consider, however slightly, the nature of our mission and its object, we cannot but be convinced of the necessity of this. God needs no earthly pride or dignity to prop up or work for any of his institu tions. He wants no pharisees; their loud and meaningless professions he abhors as much now as ever he did. They shed no glory on his name by the pompous parade they make of serving him; and if they succeed in dazzling the eyes of men by much show of activity and labor, they cannot deceive the eye of the All-seeing; and to him they are but as "sounding brass or tinkling cymbals."

Whether we look at the nature or the object of our work, we must perceive, that in all cases, it is and must be necessarily heart-work. Unless it affect us there, our labors are all in vain, they are futile and ineffective. But let us throw our heart into the work, let us feel the grand, the glorious privilege given us, and be determined with our whole soul to improve and use that privilege rightly, "looking to Jesus" for the blessing which must, after all, sanctify and fructify our workings; let us do this, and depend upon it, the work we are engaged in will both grow and prosper, and we ourselves be the better for engaging in it. Oh if we could but conquer the old Adam within us,

sufficiently to see that "not what we have, but what we do," is that which brings us real glory! Were we the possessors of much honor, wealth, or power, we might rise much higher in the estimation of our fellow-men, but in the sight of God we should stand as low as ever. And although we may be lightly esteemed by men as we labor on in paths comparatively obscure and unknown, let us still keep doing our work of lowly love, and "he who seeth in secret" will bless and strengthen us.

Leeds.

"Howe'er it be, it seems to be,

'Tis only noble to be good;

Kind hearts are more than coronets,
And simple faith than Norman blood."

OBADIAH WILLIAMS.

OUR SUNDAY SCHOOL LIBRARIES, THEIR SELECTION, ARRANGEMENT, AND DISTRIBUTION.

(Continued from page 10.)

Ir will be essentially necessary that for the time, the committee of selection should lay aside all personal prediliction for any particular class of literature, and, forgetting alike their partialities and their prejudices, recall to mind the kind of books that gave them most delight and satisfaction in their early years, that these may serve as types to guide their choice. Not, however, to be followed too closely. Large allowance must be made for the great improvement in childish tastes and partialities which the wider extension of education, and increased facilities for obtaining useful knowledge, has undoubtedly effected, so that children of young and tender age are now able to read, and intelligently understand, books upon subjects which some few years ago were considered suitable only for those far advanced in their education. As a rule, however, the style of composition, and the mode of treating these subjects, must be simple and interesting, and he will make the best selection for a children's library who can, when so engaged, bring down his own mind to the level of a child's, so that whilst entering thoroughly into their pursuits, and sympathies, and wants, he can blend with them his own riper experience and judgment upon these points.

Having by name referred to some books which we consider altogether out of place in Sunday school Libraries for children, it will per.. haps be expected that we should on the other hand, in like manner, particularize some that are suitable. And here our experience as a Librarian as to the class of books most in demand amongst our scholars, (and which we have repeatedly confirmed by the testimony of others,) will enable us to name three or four books under each of different classifications, which, regard being had to the diversity of age amongst

children in the same school may, we think, be taken as a fair type of the style of literature best adapted for Sunday school Libraries.

Narrative.-"Anna Ross"-" Little Henry's Holiday at the Great Exhibition"-" Ministering Children"-" Robert Dawson, or the Brave Spirit."

History." D'Aubigne's History of the Reformation"-" Strick land's Tales from History"-" Abbott's History of Alexander the Great."

Science." Dick's Christian Philosopher"-" Dick's Celestial Scenery"-"Nature's Wonders"-"Curiosities of Physical Geography." Travels." William's Missionary Enterprises"-" Three Weeks in Palestine and Lebanon "-" Cheever's Wanderings of a Pilgrim in the shadow of Mont Blanc"-" The Traveller."

Theology." Todd's Lectures to Children;" and "Truth made simple" "Green's Lectures on the Bible"-" Green's Lectures on Scriptural Doctrines"-" Abbott's Young Christian."

Biblical." Kitto's Geography of the Holy Land"—" Scripture Natural History"-" Bible Hand Book"-" Scripture Illustrations." Miscellaneous." Anecdotes"-"Old Humphrey's Works"-" The Bible Class Magazine"-"The Leisure Hour"-" Book of Animals— Birds,-Fishes,-Trees,-Minerals and Metals," &c. &c.

Having upon some such principles as those we have laid down made their choice individually, the committee of selection should then meet together, and each in turn propose a book from his list, the acceptance or rejection of which to be decided by the majority of votes, until sufficient have thus been chosen to equal in value the proposed outlay. Under some circumstances it may be thought desirable to submit the list thus prepared to the teachers' meeting for confirmation; but if the teachers have had a voice in electing the committee, they should fully confide in them, rather than by adverse criticisms re-open the entire question at some risk of a less judicious selection.

Having thus advised how the books should be selected, we have now to notice some of the defects observable in the arrangement of Sunday school Libraries, and to offer some suggestions upon that subject.

We have a strong partiality for system and method, and believe that very many of our Sunday schools would be benefited largely by a more careful heed to the apostolic injunction, "Let all things be done decently and in order." In no department of our Sunday school labors is this more necessary, than in connection with the Library; there everything should be done by rule and method strictly observed, if all its advantages are to be realised; and when, on visiting some schools, we have found the Library books pitched indiscriminately into