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measure proclaimed thraldom, when the Jews expected liberty; poverty, when they looked for freedom to win wealth. They again rose in revolt. Judas the Galilean, and Zadok the Pharisee, raised the standard of revolt, with the watchword, "It is not lawful to pay tribute to Cæsar." Again the Romans put down the national uprising, and this time with more than usual severity. The streets of Jerusalem and the Temple ran with blood; and in the end, Judas, with his last thousand of followers, fell on their own swords at Masada, and died free men.

Thus Judea and Samaria became incorporated in the Roman Empire. At first the severity of the Roman government did not make itself apparent. It was the policy of Augustus to spare the provinces, and respect the religious beliefs of the conquered peoples. He permitted no acts of tyranny, and changed in quick succession the Roman governors. The religious susceptibilities of the people were respected, save only that two daily sacrifices were offered for the Emperor and Roman people at the cost of the Jewish nation.

Augustus died 14 A.D., and Tiberius succeeded him. Then the government gradually changed. His procurator, Valerius Gratus, changed the high priests at pleasure, until he found a pliant tool in the Sadducee Joseph, called Caiaphas; and otherwise interfered with the religious observances. The rule of Pontius Pilate was still more severe. The Roman cohorts marched through Jerusalem, with the standard surmounted with the image of the Emperor, the god of the regiment. The Temple was defiled with Roman money and Roman arms. Revolts began. Galileans were slain in Jerusalem, their blood mingling with their sacrifices. Religious agitations were put down with bloodthirsty promptness. Patriotic freebooters again strove to maintain themselves in the country. But, on the whole, the Jewish state was not very harshly treated. The feasts were celebrated; they were ever honoured by the custom of pardoning a criminal, whom the people would. But the nation chafed under the stern rule of a resistless foreign domination. They frequented the Temple in peace; but every one knew that, at the slightest sign of revolt, at least 1,000 Roman soldiers could be thrown from the fortress Antonia into the Temple; that the legions at Cæsarea were within twenty-four days march of Jerusalem; that when the governor of Syria came up to see the feast, he was observing the temper of the nation; that the Romans retained in their own possession the robes of the high priest, and produced them only on occasions of feasts and days of sacrifice.

These were the political surroundings of Palestine in the days of our Lord; everything was ripening for the final catastrophe forty years later, when Jerusalem was laid in heaps,—for the days which our Lord foresaw when He "wept over the city;" which He foretold when He said, "If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace; but now they are hid from thine eyes. For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, and shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation."

How to obtain Teachers for our Sabbath Schools.

By MR. D. M. WEST, Glasgow.*

THE Directors of the Sabbath School Union of Glasgow recently invited to a public meeting four gentlemen who had attained their jubilee as Sabbath school teachers, and presented each of them with an address of congratulation, on their life-long devotion to this department of Christian work. And more recently it was our privilege to hear, at the Annual Conference of the Young Men's Christian Associations of Scotland, the testimony of Mr. David Paton of Alloa, that he had been engaged for 64 years as a Sabbath school teacher, and he hoped to die in harness. The old lines of the Psalmist came vividly to our mind,—

"And in old age, when others fade,

They fruit still forth shall bring:
They shall be fat and full of sap,
And aye be flourishing."

Such examples ought to have a stimulating effect on the teachers of the rising generation, and induce them to continue "steadfast and unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord," a work which ought to be continued as long as life and opportunity last-for personal service for Christ advances His kingdom on the earth, and is one of the best means of maintaining our spiritual life.

It is to be regretted, however, that the reports of our Sabbath School Unions frequently have to record the secession of a large number of teachers from the work of teaching, without any satisfactory reason being assigned. Indeed, the startling statement has been made to us, by one well qualified to judge of its accuracy, that out of every 100 teachers, 75 retire from the work every 5 years, that is to say, only 25 teachers remain at the end of 5 years of the 100 who began at the same time. Such a statement may well account for the lack of teachers which is everywhere felt, and suggests to us the consideration of some of the causes which have led to the abandonment of the work of teaching in our Sabbath schools.

Among the causes which have led teachers to give up the privilege of personal service in teaching, we notice first,-Lack of qualifications for the work, combined with the too early period at which many have commenced it, without sufficient preparation of either head or heart. Many of these have been thrust into the work against their will, simply to fill up the gaps in the Sabbath school. Entering on the work without any love for it, they soon loose heart by the difficulties which they meet in their attempts to teach; and without having received any mental training for the personal study of the Scriptures, the work becomes a drag instead of a delight; and with no clear apprehension of the great object of teaching, their interest flags, they become irregular in their attendance, their class diminishes, and they soon give up a work on which they ought never to have been allowed to enter.

Closely connected with this cause of deflection from the ranks, is the

*A Paper read, by request, at the Annual Conference of Teachers of the Aberdeen Sabbath School Union, on 22nd November, 1881.

lack of personal trust in Christ on the part of many of the teachers. It ought to be laid down as a fundamental principle of our Sabbath schools, that only those who are trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour should be admitted as teachers. Our Lord himself has enunciated the great principle, that there is no such thing as neutrality in His service; "He that is not with Me is against Me." There is no middle way. We are either trusting in Christ or we are not; we are either in sympathy with Him in His divine work or against Him; we are either the friend or foe of Christ. It is apparent that if the great purpose of instruction in our Sabbath schools is to be attained, none but those who are united to Christ can convey to others a knowledge of Him, in order to lead their scholars to receive Jesus Christ as their Saviour. How can they persuade their scholars to trust in Him in whom they have not trusted themselves? How can they speak of the blessedness of pardon, when they have not realized it? How can they tell of His love, when they are themselves rejecting it? How can they pray for the Holy Spirit's presence and power, when they may be like the disciples recorded in the Acts of the Apostles xix. 2, “We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost?" How can they pray that the hearts of the young may be opened to receive the Word, when their own hearts are shut against Him who has been standing there knocking for admittance?

Lack of personal trust in Christ is, we believe, one of the causes why so many teachers give up the work. Their hearts were never in it. They were in darkness themselves, how could they lead others to the light? No one can have steadfastness or enthusiasm in this work unless the love of Christ is the constraining motive of their service.

Another cause which has thinned the ranks of our Sabbath school teachers is " SUCCESS IN LIFE." When the heart has been won to Christ in the early years of manhood, the teacher enters on this service with the fresh enthusiasm of his first love to the Saviour. There is a holy joy in the work, a bounding delight which no difficulties can quench, and an ardour in the preparation for the class which bids fair for years of successful labour; and there are years of labour, and there are "first fruits" of service; but as time passes on, there is advancement in worldly position, there are tokens of prosperity. The world with its attractions, and wealth with its deceitfulness, are gaining their unconscious influence over the mind and heart. The interest in the work begins to lessen, the enthusiasm cools, the delight in the study of the Word is gradually decreasing, and the spiritual declension is seen in the work being given up for the pressing engagements of business and the absorbing attractions of the world. Have you not seen successful men who have purchased their success at the expense of their godliness? They are the fossils of the Christian Church, which tell you of their early history-the icebergs of the house of God, who chill you by their presence, the "Epistles" daily read by the young men in their service, who often wonder whether there is such a person as a Christian, and who have often to bear with meekness the fury of their unbridled tempers and tongues. Oh the injury which is done to the cause of Christ in the house of His friends! "He that gathereth not with Me scattereth abroad."

I have thus indicated, in a brief and general way, some of the primary causes which lead so many teachers to give up the privilege of personal service for Christ in our Sabbath schools. No doubt, in this migratory age of ours, change of locality, country, and emigration take away many from the ranks, and are often fitting opportunities for not resuming the work in their new place of abode. And, it may be, the Church herself is often to blame for the secession of teachers who are not brought into living connection with her; their service is not recognised, they are treated with indifference by their fellow-teachers, coldness creeps in, which ultimately ends in separation. It may, of course, be said, that the teachers ought to be superior to such influences, remembering whom they serve; but all teachers have not reached that stage of faith which raises them above depressing influences-which surround them even in the Church of God.

The next question which suggests itself in connection with this subject is, How are these things to be remedied?-in other words, How ARE WE TO OBTAIN TEACHERS FOR OUR SABBATH SCHOOLS?

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The two sources of supply of teachers are the Church and the Sabbath school. The supply of teachers will, to a large extent, depend on the place which the Sabbath school occupies in the Church. If there is a close and vital connection maintained by the pastor and office-bearers of the Church with the Sabbath school; if they regard it as the nursery of the Church," and as one of the most effective agencies in advancing the kingdom of God; if they give to its organization and efficiency time, money, and prayer,-its claims will come prominently before the members of the Church, who will rejoice in its prosperity, and be interested in its progress. If the Sabbath school, on the other hand, has itself to blame for the secession of many teachers from its ranks, on account of their youth and inefficiency, it is evident that some other method must be adopted in the choice or admission of teachers to the work. You are all aware, that if admission to the membership of the Church is loose and unscriptural, the character of the Church will be depreciated, and great injury done to the cause of Christ. And so it will be with teachers. Their admission to the office of teachers ought to be solemnly recognised by the Church, and be regarded as important as the recognition of its office-bearers, whether as elders, deacons, or managers. And when this is done, they will only be admitted when they possess the character and qualifications necessary for the work. I would say, therefore, as the first and indispensable qualification for the office of teacher in the Christian Church-Personal Piety—a Living Faith in a Living Saviour. If the great aim of our teaching in the Sabbath schools is to lead the young to faith in the Saviour, that can only be attained as the teachers are sustained and animated by their own conscious personal experience of His divine love as revealed in His death on the cross. This is the supreme qualification-the only one which Christ himself will acknowledge. To this qualification, however, it is necessary to add intelligence and aptitude to teach.

You cannot exaggerate the importance of the work. When it is the supreme desire to convey to the youthful mind "the glad tidings of the kingdom of God," what a zest it gives to the work, what a delight in

preparation, what a personal interest in each of the scholars, what a study of character and temperament, what inventions of love to win their confidence, so that they may regard you as their friend!

Among the means to obtain teachers for the Sabbath school, I would suggest the formation of separate classes for the teaching and training of the senior scholars in the knowledge of the Word of God,-in other words, youths and young men and young women's meetings for the study of the Scriptures. It is well known that large numbers of our senior scholars lapse from the Sabbath school at the most critical period of their lives, when their characters are shaped and determined, to a large extent, by the circumstances in which they are placed. If the young were taken out of the Sabbath school at the ages of from 13 to 16, and from 17 to 19 or 20, and formed into meetings of their own, with an experienced teacher, who would interest himself not only in training them to think on the Word of God, but in directing their secular studies, with the ultimate object of their becoming teachers, I believe there would be, in the course of time, an accession of qualified teachers for our Sabbath schools. If the young in our schools are to be the future men and women of our age-the future members and office-bearers of the Church-they ought also to be regarded as our future teachers. If such classes were formed in connection with all our churches-and in some cases they do already exist— they would, we are certain, supply many teachers.

It will, however, be apparent to you that much of the success of these classes will depend on the devotedness of those who are appointed to conduct them. You want the most cultured and earnest men in your churches to undertake this work--a work which, if entered on in faith and love, will be productive of the best results.

I know of no work which will be more profitable to the teacher himself. Amid the cares and anxieties of his business or profession it will be a sweet relief to have his leisure hours occupied in meditation on the subjects which are to come up every week with his class, while contact with the youthful mind opening up to the apprehension of the great thoughts of God, will keep his own heart fresh with the enthusiasm of youth; and with joy he will draw water out of the wells of salvation, not only for himself, but for those under his care. But let there run along the line of his Sabbath-day exercises the study with his class, on week-day evenings, of some standard book on the human mind, on the principles of moral science, or of that masterpiece of condensation-Dr. Angus's Hand-book of the Bible, and some work on the Geography of Palestine; and it will be found that the mental discipline received by the members of his meeting in the preparation of papers on topics of Scripture, conversation on these subjects, as well as what John Locke calls "bottoming" (in his Essay on the Conduct of the Understanding) in the facts of mental and moral science, and the habit of mastering two or three books in these departments of knowledge, will give a spiritual and mental equipment for the work of Sabbath school teachers which will enable them to enter on it with an intelligent appreciation of its importance, and with the capacity of personally studying the subjects which he is to teach. Here are some suggestions made by the Free

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