should be used. It is the entrance of God's words that bringeth light, as the Psalmist truly said. God wants the darkness of the world driven away, and there is only one way to get darkness out, and that is the very way the janitor drove the darkness out of this room to-night, by putting in light. The Word of God is the light. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." When God wants anything done He has an agency to do it. If He wants the earth watered He has a way. If He wants the earth saved He has a way. Take the Bible into your Sunday-school work, into the teaching of your lesson.

Let us look a little further at the teacher's work, and what kind of work we do as teachers. The teacher must be a living teacher. That was what God meant when He took Philip away from the promising work in Samaria, and led him away down that desert road, and pointed out to him the eunuch. The eunuch was reading the Word, but he needed the touch of the living heart. So we, too, must have some qualifications and some helps for our teachers.

First of all I would name preparation. It is not a general preparation that is needed, but specific study. Prepare early. If you begin in the early part of the week to prepare your lesson for the coming Sunday, then all through the week you are looking at everything through your Sundayschool spectacles. The very best illustra. tions are those that come from your own observation and reading, and intercourse with your friends. I heard one the other day that I thought was real good. It was not intended as an illustration, but I used it. One time a young lady was presented with a book by an older lady friend. The young lady took the book home and tried to read is, but found it so dry she gave it up. She said to herself, "I wonder why my friend gave me such a dry book." The next day she saw this friend, and was so afraid that she would ask her if she had read the book that she was very uncomfortable while in her presence, and made up her mind that she would go home and read that book even if it was dry. So she tried again, and again she was compel'ed to give it up. Three times she tried, and then laid the book away. Some time after she met a young man in whom she became very much interested. He became interested in her, too, and in due time they became engaged ed. Shortly after this she happened to pick up this book and noticed that the name of the author was the same as that of her lover. The next time he came to see her she said, "I have a book here which has your name in it, initials and all." He blushingly acknowledged himself to be the author. That night she sat up all night to read it, and wondered why she had ever seen a dry line in it. What was the difference? Why, she was in love with the author. Who loves God's Book and who does not? When do we love God's Book and when do we not?

Second-Prepare more than you expect to teach. You cannot teach all you know and teach with power. Prepare from the Bible. I think the Bible is the best commentary in the whole world. I have seen some commentaries of late day manufacture upon which I think the Bible would throw a great deal of light. We want more of the Scripture in our Sunday-school teaching.

Third-I believe in lesson helps, but I do not believe they ought to take the place of original Bible study. At the world's Sunday-school convention in London I heard Mr. Glover give three rules for the use of helps: First, use lesson helps, but don't depend solely on lesson helps; second, use them with the Bible and not apart from the Bible; third, those lesson helps are the best helps which set you thinking and not save you from thinking.

Fourth-We need to study methods of pre senting the lessons, and we need to study the scholars. I am so glad of this convention. It pays to stop and get the tools in order. This illustration was once given me: A man was shoveling sticky clay. Beside him he had a pail of water. He would dip his shovel into the water and then into the clay, then go back and dip it into the water and then into the clay, and it took him just as long to keep his shovel in condition to do the work as it did to do the work. But did the man who hired him complain? No, indeed, for if he had not taken the time to keep his shovel in the proper condition it would have been so covered with the clay as to be useless for the work which he was hired to perform. It is always best to take time to keep the tools in order, so we need to study.

Fifth-The essential conditions of a good teacher are regularity of attendance, punctuality, cheerfulness. There is a mighty little religion in a whine. We need more of the gospel of a shining face and an open hand. Mr. Reynolds once told me of a man in his Sunday school who did not have the ability to teach, but he used to stand in the door and shake hands with every one who went in and out, and Mr. Reynolds said that man shook more boys and girls into the kingdom of heaven than all the teachers taught in. There is power in a smile. A little boy once said, "Please, Mr. Superintendent, let me go over to that class where the teacher smiles so much."

Sixth-The successful teacher adapts himself to the situation. That is tact. This business takes tact. It does not do to ask a man if he is saved when he is running to make a train. You must know the persons in your class, and adapt yourself to the disposition and need of each.

Seventh-A teacher, to be a success, must have beyond his teaching the spiritual life. For after all it is what the teacher is that really tells. Emerson said, "How can I hear the words you say, when what you are is thundering in my ears?" One boy said to another, "I don't take any stock in my

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teacher any more." Why?" said the other. "Because when you add him up there is nothing to carry.' Teachers, you are more than instructors. You want to be what you seek to have your scholars to become, and a good lesson is absolutely spoiled by a bad life. The gospel gets into a man's heart not so much by words as by wedges. A man told this story of his conversion. He said, "I was a gambler, and I went into Pacific Garden Mission one night and heard a man testify who said, 'Jesus Christ saved me, and I was a gambler.' The next night I went again, the same man got up and said, Jesus Christ saved me, and I was a gambler.' I listened to that testimony for six straight weeks, forty two nights in succession, and I made up my mind if that story was true for six weeks it was true for me, and I was saved." It is what we are that tells the story. Eighth-Look for results. Would it be a surprise to you if a dozen of your scholars should come to you and say, What shall I do to be saved?" One of Mr. Spurgeon's students went to him and said, "I am discouraged; I don't see any results from my work." Mr. Spurgeon said, "You don't expect to see results coming along all the time, do you?" "Why, certainly not." "Well, that is the reason you don't have them." Mr. Reynolds told this story, and then said, "I might have had that harvest long before, but I did not look for it." One time in Peoria the the pastor went away for one Sunday, and sent a supply. He was a very godly man, but very peculiar and queer in many ways. He was to be entertained by Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds over Sabbath. He came to Mr. Reynolds's house, laid down his hat and coat and said, "What are you doing for God?" He told him, among other things, he was teaching a class in the Sunday school. "How old are they?" he asked. Mr. Reynolds told him they were girls about eighteen or nineteen years of age. "How long have you taught them?” “ About three years." Are they Christians?" Mr. Reynolds was forced to say that he did not know. "What!" said the man, "do you mean to tell me that you have taught those girls for three or four years and don't know whether they are Christians or not?" "Yes." " Well, let us pray." As soon as he got through, Mr. Reynolds went out into the kitchen where his wife was, and told her that he did not like that man at all. Of course she wanted to know why. He said, "Why, he had me down on my knees praying because I told him I did not know whether my girls were Christians or not." "Well," said she, "don't you think that he is about right?" That was too much for Mr. Reynolds, when, as he said, his wife went back on him too, and he went out and walked around the yard for awhile. Then it occurred to him that was not a very nice way to treat a guest, so he went back into the parlor. The moment he entered his guest said: "Mr. Reynolds, have you faith to believe those

girls are going to be saved to-morrow?" No, I have not." "Then let us pray.' After the prayer supper was announced. By keeping the conversation very warm, he managed to keep him off that subject during the supper. After supper they talked about various things until it was time to retire. Then courtesy seemed to demand that the guest should be invited to lead the devotions. He was handed the Bible, and then he said, "Mr. Reynolds, do you believe those girls are going to be saved to-morrow?" "No, I don't," said Mr. Reynolds. "Then there is only one thing to pray for to-night and that is you." Mr. Reynolds went to bed but not to sleep. He made up his mind that God must have sent that man there with a message for him. He had not been looking for results. Finally he rose without a wink of sleep, and went to the library and began to study his lesson, and as he began to study he began to weep. He got down on his knees before a chair and read over his class card. He read the name "Jennie." and talked to God about Jennie, and so on through the list. Do you ever go to God about Jennie, and Charlie, one by one, and ask the thing you want? It pays to do that. He stayed there all night long, and at daybreak he knocked at the minister's door, and asked him if he would get up and come down. When he came down he asked him if he would forgive him for the unkind thoughts he had the night before, and pray for his girls. Mr. Reynolds went to the class that day in a different frame of mind than ever before. He closed his Bible and said, "Girls, I want to make a confession. I have been a poor teacher. Here I have been your teacher for three or four years, and I don't know whether you are saved or not. Jennie, are you saved?" She began to cry. So he went on down the line until seven girls were in tears, and the last one said, "Mr. Reynolds, why did you wait so long to ask that question? We have often talked about it and wondered why you did not, and thought perhaps you did not care." Those girls were saved that very day. Let us honor God by expecting results.

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But do not be discouraged if you do not see results. Some will say, "I have taught and I have not seen my scholars saved." It does not say, 'Be thou successful," but "Be thou faithful." Some folks seem to be such good seed sowers that God lets them do the sowing and some one else do the reaping.

The Christian world had prayed and prayed and prayed for a single woman to go away to the cannibal islands to be a missionary. Finally Harriet Newell volunteered to go. Much money was spent on her training. They had a great jubilee meeting in New York City when she started. There was great rejoicing. But before she landed on those islands she died. The letter that came back with the sad news brought sorrow and disappointment to the Christian world. But that letter had not been on

American soil three months when fifty young women were ready to go. Harriet Newell's was a magnificent success, though she never did one moment's work in her chosen field.

FIDELITY IS SUCCESS.

Ninth-Do personal work if you want to be successful. I have had teachers come to me and say, "I have only one scholar in my class to-day, don't you think I better let him go in some other class, and I will go home?" On nineteen different occasions Jesus sat down and taught one scholar. Our scholars are not won by classes, but one by one. It is hand-picked fruit we want. Andrew is only mentioned three times in the Bible, but one time it is said he brought in his brother Peter, and do you know it seems to me that Andrew will get a whole lot of stars in his crown for the three thousand souls Peter won on the day of Pentecost. One time in Toledo there came a knock at my door just as we were sitting down to breakfast. I opened the door and there stood a young man seventeen years of age. He said: "I hear you dtd not feel very much encouraged over the work in Sunday school yesterday. I want to tell you it was your words that led me to Christ." That boy is Tracy McGregor. I believe it was the best day's work I ever did, and I don't know when I spoke the word.

Love is the hammer that breaks the heart. Our scholars are drawn by the power of love. Love will do what nothing else will do. These boys and girls want to know right away that we love them and are interested in them. My daughter teaches a class of little girls. One morning there was a knock at the door, and when Louise went to the door there stood one of the little girls in her class crying most piteously. When Louise put her arms around her and asked her what the trouble was, she said, "My little baby brother died last night, and I wanted to tell you and have you cry with me." That scholar knew the teacher loved her.

Tenth-Let us keep ourselves out of the way. So often we want to get in front of the cross. I was called to New York one time to meet a committee. I had never been in the building before, and did not know where Mr. Jacobs's office was. By mistake I got into Mr. Ogden's office. There was a fine looking man there who was Mr. Ogden's secretary. Present y Mr. Jacobs came in and informed me of my mistake, and was about to introduce me to the gentleman when it occurred to him that he did not know his name. When asked his name, the gentleman replied, "Mr. Ogden's secretary." "Yes," said Mr. Jacobs, "I know you are Mr. Ogden's secretary, but what is your name?" "In this office," he replied,

"I am just Mr. Ogden's secretary." If Christian people treated their Master that way He would shine some places where we try to shine.

Mr. Meigs, of Indiana, was talking a few years ago in a jail in Indianapolis. His audience consisted of about twelve men and one boy. The men were moved to tears by his talk, but the boy was as stolid as could be. He could not make any impression on that boy at all, but he was moved by the very indifference of the lad. After the service he asked that the men go to their cells and leave the boy with him. He went over

and said, "Well, my boy, what's your name?" "Charlie. Oh, I knew what you are going to do, you are going to scold me like everyone else does." Mr. Meigs just put his arms around that neglected boy, and pressed his head against his shoulder and said, "No, Charlie, I am not going to scold you; I am going to love you.' The boy's heart was won at once. There never was a heart so hard that it did not have an open door that would yield to the touch of love. Then as Mr. Meigs told him of the One who loved him even more than a mother, and who was his Saviour, the boy accepted Christ, and if you were to go to a certain lively little city in one of our western states, and into a certain Sabbath school there, you would find as superintendent one of the leading business men of the place, who is no other than that very boy. It is love that does it.

When we had the International convention at Louisville, Dr. John Broadus told this story. He was converted at the age of thirteen, and was so filled with joy that he felt he must tell some one, and so he told a colored boy of his acquaintance. And he said, "All the days that I lived in that place until that boy died, he would say every time he met me, Thank you, John, thank you, John.' When I get to Heaven I expect to see that little colored fellow there."

A Prayer.

Lord, I have laid my heart upon Thy altar,
But cannot get the wood to burn;

It hardly flares ere it begins to falter
And to the dark return.

Old sap, or night-fallen dew, makes damp the fuel;

In vain my breath would flame provoke; Yet see-at every poor attempt's renewal, To Thee ascends the smoke!

'Tis all I have-smoke, failure, foiled endeavor,

Co'dness and doubt and palsied lack; Such as I have I send Thee! Perfect Giver, Send Thou Thy lightning back.

-Selected.

....

Tuesday, 1st. Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place. Mark vi. 31. In these days of hurry and bustle we find ourselves face to face with a terrible danger, and it is this-no time to be alone with God. The world, in these last days, is running fast; we live in what is called the "age of progress," and we must keep pace with the times. So the world says. But this spirit of the world has not confined itself to the world. It is, alas, to be found among the saints of God. And what is the result? The result is no time to be alone with God, and this is immediately followed by no inclination to be alone with God. . . . . This "desert life," as many call it, is of an importance that cannot be overvalued. On scanning the precious pages of Scripture we find that God's mighty men were those who had been in "the school of God," and His school was simply this-in the desert alone with Himself. It was there they got their teaching. Far removed from the din of the haunts of men, there they met alone with God; there they were equipped for the battle. And when the time came that they stood forth in public service for God their faces were not ashamed-nay, they had faces as lions; they were bold and fearless, yea, and victorious for God; for the battle had been won already in the desert with Him.-Selected.

Wednesday, 2nd. Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? Acts ix. 6.

God has a plan for your life. Find out what that plan is; let it be the one great ambition of your life to work out in your daily conduct whatever God has planned for you. When the great span across the East River was finished, the builder was brought down on his sick-bed to see the bridgebrought in a canal boat and anchored in front of the great span. There, lying on his pillows, with the drafts of the bridge on each side of him, he looked down at them, and then up at the span, and said, "It is

like the plan." May you and I come to our dying hour and look up to God and say: "My life is like the plan; I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do; I have kept the faith; I have finished my course; henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day."—A. T. Pierson.

Thursday, 3rd. One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life. Ps. xxvii. 4.

"One thing have I desired, that will I seek after; that I"-in my study; I, in my shop; I, in my parlor, kitchen, or nursery; I, in my studio; I, in my lecture hall-"may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life." In our "Father's house are many mansions." The room that we spend most of our lives in, each of us at our tasks or our work table, may be in our Father's house, too; and it is only we that can secure that it shall be.-Alexander Maclaren.

Friday, 4th. If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. ix. 23.

Luke

Charge not thyself with the weight of a year,

Child of the Master faithful and dear; Choose not the cross for the coming week, For that is more than He bids thee seek; Bend not thine arms for to-morrow's load, Thou mayest leave that to thy gracious God. "Daily" only He saith to thee,

"Take up thy cross and follow Me."

-Selected.

Saturday, 5th. Fear not to go down into Egypt. ... for I will go down with thee and I will also surely bring thee up again. Gen. xlvi. 3, 4.

"Fear not " is the Lord's command and divine encouragement to those who at His bidding are launching upon new seas; the

divine presence ard preservation forbid so much as one unbelieving fear. Without our God we should fear to move, but when He bids us go it would be dangerous to tarry.— C. H. Spurgeon.

Sunday, 6th. This one thing I do; forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Phil. ii 13, 14.

What a bold religion this faith of Christ is! No human ambition has ever touched the height of its aspirations. The faiths cf the world have sought their glory in the past; this forgets the things that are behind. It has no past. It is all future, all desire, all longing; it presses onward to the mark for a prize. Yet say not this is pride in my soul; it is the very breath of humility. It is because my soul is humble that it is aspiring. If I were satisfied with my past, that would be pride. But when I press on to something in the front I do so because I feel poor. Pride is the opposite of aspiration. Pride watches over her conquered treasures. Aspiration traverses sea and land to find a pearl of great price. Pride goes back to the past and wraps herself in a garment of delicious complacency. Aspiration soars away into the far future and reaches forth to the things that are before. My God, it is my poverty that aims at Thee. It is my humility that soars to Thee. It is my nothingness that dares to hope for Thee. It is from my ashes that, phoenix-like, I rise to Thee. From the grave of my buried past I climb into the light of a new day. Accept my poverty of soul, for I have forgotten the thir gs that are behind.-George Matheson.

Monday, 7th. Giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. 2 Peter i. 5-7.

"My house was well built," said a farmer once to me, "for it was built by the day." That is the way in which the best and strongest and happlest lives are built; they are not constructed "by the job," but one attainment in grace is laid upon another like blocks of granite in a solid house wall. Each day brings its duty to be done, its

temptations to be met and conquered, its burden to be carried, and its progress to be made heavenward. There are three hundred and sixty-five days in every year, but really there is only one working day—and that is to-day.-Selected.

Tuesday, 8th. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. Rom. vii.

35.37.

No dark trials, no grievous judgment, can cross our sky without revealing some spot of heavenly blue in the midst of it; or if concealed for a moment, breaking forth again with greater brightness and beauty. No mysterious dispensation can ruffle the surface of our peace, and raise up agitating doubts and fears, without leaving behind a purer joy, a calmer and deeper satisfaction, that best and truest peace which is born of conflict and trouble. Behind every storm of trial and every cloud of sorrow is the heavenly blue of Christ's unchangeable love -a love stronger than death, a love that follows us amid all our wanderings and backslidings, amid all our changes of heart and of circumstance, and remains steadfast and unwavering even when our love is suspicious and cold. "I have loved thee with an everlasting love, therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee," and every mutation of earth passes away from before that love, as the cloud from the sky and the wave from the ocean.-Hugh Macmillan.

Wednesday, 9th. Ye are all one in Christ Jesus. Gal. iii. 28.

All honest, earnest seekers of God are in heart united, whether they know it or not. Though distinct as the billows, they are one as the sea; though distinct as the colors of the rainbow, they are one, as the pure, white light which those colors compose. The mount of truth has many paths. Those who are ascending by different ways will be led onward and upward by the Holy Ghost, till eventually they find themselves standing side by side before the throne of the Eternal.-Alfred W. Momerie.

Thursday, 10th. Every one of us shall give account of himself to God. Rom.

xiv. 12.