after salvation, be of the Lord: how shall the teacher, any more than the minister, expect success, unless he systematically and specifically commit his way unto the Lord? Let us pray, and we shall obtain.

Sunday-school teacher! You wonder that you have taught five years, in yonder dark corner, without seeing a single manifestation of the Spirit among your scholars, to cheer your drooping soul with the assurance that the light of life is among you, and owning your exertions. You have had the charge of the senior class for many a long month in succession; and still there is the same flippancy in regard to the eternal truths of God, the same spirit of unkindness and resentment towards offending class-mates, and the same impatience under reproof, however affectionately administered. Perhaps you have been giving address after address in the Sunday-school, and still the cloud retains its wished-for shower, still the hearts of your auditory seem as dry as the summer's dust, and still the wilderness and the solitary place remain fruitless and desolate. Now, deal honestly with yourself. Do you daily pray that the occupants of the dark corner may have the light of God to shine into their hearts, and to cheer and refresh their sinful souls? Are the interesting members of the eldest class borne before Jehovah with an earnestness and a sincerity, which betoken that you mean what you say; and that you would account a blessing from the Lord upon your efforts as the greatest favour that you could receive? Do you, when preparing your address, remember that it is not by might, nor by power, but by the Spirit of God, that the trees of righteousness are prepared for the Lord's paradise; and, that it is when the north wind awakes, and the south wind comes, that a school becomes fragrant with the fruits which God the Holy

Ghost produces? You must pray, really pray: merely to read these remarks, urging the duty upon you, or coldly to admit the importance of prayer, will not suffice, but diligently cultivate the spirit of earnest intercessory prayer; and may it be yours to realize its many blessings, and to find the answer in numerous trophies won to the Redeemer's banner.

In the fourth place, we want a stricter attention to our walk and conversation. Christian consistency compels the respect even of the vicious; and those who have resisted every other attempt to gain an influence over them, have often felt the power of a holy example, and have quailed before that truthfulness of character which the habit of communion with Jesus has inspired. The influence which a Sunday-school teacher should maintain is frequently and greatly impaired by the want of a circumspect deportment. Observe the flippant manner with which many, on the Sabbath, enter the place where they are expecting to meet with immortal souls, and to speak to those assembled about the mightiest concerns which can engage their attention. A teacher should strive to carry with him the remembrance of his responsibility, and should cherish the conviction, that in no circumstances, and in no company, does he live entirely to himself. It is to be feared that, even in their social meetings, teachers suffer the spirit of the world to creep in among them, to a lamentable extent, by which their influence over each other is weakened, and the benefit of their intercourse considerably diminished. Witness the loud laughter, the idle jesting, and the worldly music, which are sometimes indulged in by teachers, who meet to spend a week-day evening, avowedly for the purpose of mutual profit.

"In doctrine showing uncorruptness, gravity, sin

cerity,"-here is a model for a teacher's imitation. He should be so guileless, that his fellow-teachers, and his class, should be able, by his very voice and aspect, to recognise a truthful, a real, an honest man; one who feels, as he professes to feel, that the world is the world, and that eternity is eternity. He should be so grave, that the unhallowed laugh, the facetious pun, and the worldly tone should sink at his approach,—and all those with whom he mixes should feel that he has been holding fellowship with the Father, and with his son Jesus Christ. And yet, should he be withal so simple and sincere, that there should be every thing in his manner and looks to invite the confidence of the gentlest and most modest of his fellow-labourers, and to ensure the love of the most timid child in his class. Sabbath-school teachers, get much of the spirit of heaven-ask for itwrestle for it! Endeavour to realize that idea of a christian, so beautifully sketched by one now gone to her long home; "Not one who looks up from earth to heaven, but one who looks down from heaven to earth;" and so shall your attendance in the Sabbath-school prove a blessing to your scholars, and your influence over them, and among your fellow-labourers, be both hallowed and powerful.

Then, lastly, we want more love. More of that selfforgetting affection, which makes duty light, and work easy. We must have the triple cord of love, if teaching is to go on successively-more love to Jesus, more love to each other, and more love to our scholars.

The true centre of love, is love to Jesus, and if that burn brightly in the heart, there will be a gracious and comely development of the celestial principle towards those who come within the sphere of its influence. It is the love of Jesus that must animate the missionary

over burning plains, or icy mountains,-the love of Jesus must stimulate the faithful minister to persevere in his work, through evil report and good report; and it is the same love which must animate the Sundayschool teacher while inculcating the doctrines of the word of life. Go, then, to the fountain-learn what it is to speak of Christ, for Christ's sake, and dwell upon his finished work for sinners, until a measure of the love which reigned in his bosom is transfused into your own.

And we want also more love to each other. There is, sometimes, nothing but a stiff formalism, or, at the utmost, a polite courtesy observable among teachers. They are but one body, and, therefore, an entire sympathy should subsist between the different members. The weakest, youngest, most illiterate teacher, should be on such terms of friendship with the most intellectual and influential, as to be able, should anything occur in his class needing aid or advice, to go to his superior friend with the certainty of obtaining it, both freely and fully. Each member of the school ought to feel that he is backed by the influence and authority of the whole school, so that, if he be insulted, it shall be a common grievance; or, if he has to rejoice in success, it shall be a common joy.

And then, we want more love to our scholars. We want that love which will lead us to welcome their entrance, and to watch their exit from the Sabbath-school with a throbbing heart and a glistening eye; which will constantly suggest new schemes for enlightening their ignorance, or subduing their rebellion; and which will make the execution of those schemes, however difficult, both delightful and congenial. True, there may be little enough to love in them. The vicious look, and

the careless tone of voice, may rather repel than attract affection. Teachers know how apt they are to regard with indifference those children, who neither appreciate their kindness, nor profit by their labours; but let us recur to our own perverseness and rebellion under instruction and reproofs, and the knowledge of our own sin will fill us with tender charity towards those, who only manifest that conduct towards us, which we have manifested in a hundred-fold degree towards the Great Teacher. Let us think of the example of Him who could pray for the infuriated men who nailed him to the cross on Calvary; and, surely, it will lead us to manifest a patient and a loving spirit towards the little group which so often endeavours to provoke our wrath, and ruffle our temper. Let us, above all, remember, that the soul of every member of our class is a treasure, so immensely precious, that the wealth of a thousand worlds would not be a substitute for its loss; that this immortal principle often lies enshrined beneath the forbidding countenance, and the heavy eyebrow; and the contemplation of the stupendousness of the results which may follow our efforts, will overpower our apathy, and lead us to regard our scholars with an interest and an ardour, of which none, but a teacher awake to the realities of eternity, will ever be conscious. We repeat it, it is love to our scholars that we want-love, which will spend itself in untiring efforts, in leading souls to Jesus, and which will not suffer a teacher to remain contented, while he knows that any of his class are exposed to the wrath of the holy God. In short, we want that deep affection which will constrain us to constant exertion to snatch them as brands from the burning; and which will lead us to consider no effort too laborious, no sacrifices too great, if, through the mercy of