far as our example and influence go, see that others, our fellow-labourers, act out the great lessons we teach, and, lest a weak brother be offended, avoid even "the appearance of evil."

I have already glanced at irregular attendance, but it requires more particular attention. If you are not in your place at the appointed hour, how can you expect your children to be in theirs? If you make frivolous excuses for being absent, how will you deal with your absentees? As I would fain hope I have but few who come under this class amongst my audience, I

pass on.

Ignorance of the truths you teach is a fearful obstacle to success; there may be, though this is not often the case, so much ignorance of the way of salvation, that it is not in your power clearly to define it; or, there may be such an acquaintance with divine truth as will enable you to talk like parrots, and yet, experimentally, you may know nothing. To the former class, if any such are here, I would observe that it is comparatively unimportant to make a mistake in temporal matters, but not so in eternal things. A traveller asks the road to a certain place, and he is told, but told wrong, and the error may be the cause of much inconvenience, nay, in extreme cases, of loss, but it is rarely the case that the loss is irreparable.

A child is wishful to set out on the most important of journeys, and asks the

way to heaven. Relying on your teaching, and following your instructions, he sets out. If you have directed him wrong, he may suffer an irreparable loss, the loss of his soul; and what follows? Think you that you will be held blameless? Nay, indeed; rather would I have you dwell on the solemn words of the prophet, "Son of Man, I have made thee a watchman, and the blood of these children will I require at thy hands."

To the second class, who are mere parrots, and have no personal expe

rience of the truths they teach, I unhesitatingly say that they are deficient in that which, in my opinion, is the most needful qualification for the work. Nay, at the hazard of differing with some of my hearers, I go further, and call it an essential qualification. Of all the extraordinary objects which meet us in this strange world, none are so incomprehensible, none so painful and distressing to look upon as spiritual guide-posts, men and women pointing the way to heaven, but never moving one step towards heaven themselves. Of all the glaring inconsistencies of this age of profession, they stand at the head.

My remarks, be it remembered, however applicable to others, are confined to Sunday school teachers,-- to the youth or the maiden who, Sabbath after Sabbath, in some instances with scrupulous attention to rules and regulations, employ themselves in winning souls to Christ. Would we know how blind, how perverse, how desperately deceitful the heart of man is? Here we have the strongest evidence; here we see human creatures inculcating love to the Being with whom they are living at enmity; creatures trying to serve two masters, and teaching, nevertheless, Sabbath after Sabbath, that it is an utter impossibility to do it. Solemnly talking of the danger of delay, and yet themselves procrastinating. They expect their children to listen to them when they tell of the only way to happiness, and yet walk Lot in it. Nay, without the risk of being charged with bringing before you a picture too highly coloured, I may even go further than this; they are to be seen, at times, at the bedside of angel children,-angel children, on the point of their homeward flight: can talk to them in language befitting such solemn moments, can caress, weep over them, carry the thrilling message of the departed to surviving playmates; and yet, aye, and yet, for all this, themselves remain undecided, unconverted!

If, perchance, I should have an unconverted teacher as one of my hearers this evening, I would, in all brotherly affection, beg him or her to consider well the solemn truths I have felt it my duty to bring before them. It is not in unkindness I have spoken; I have no wish to cause needless pain; far otherwise, I wish them to act honestly. I long for their happiness. Double-mindedness in the sight of God is hateful. Oh, resolve, in God's strength, this night to be decided, to be whole-hearted Christians, to follow God fully, not merely to point, but lead the way. Rest not satisfied until you have the sweet assurance that you are born again. Let not talking of a Saviour's preciousness suffice, but try to realise it.

I might dwell upon numerous other hindrances, but my time will not allow of it; not only improper, but imperfect motive power; undue prominence given to non-essentials; a hasty temper; pride; and self-sufficiency; time frittered away with that which is unprofitable; unprepared lessons; neglect of visiting the children at their homes; defiance of school rules, though by some deemed trifling and unworthy of notice,-I say that all these things, and others which might be named, more or less retard the teacher's success.

One more hindrance, however, deserves special remark, and that is, unbelief. The teacher does not take God at his word, does not believe what He says. This is the main reason why God's people have so frequently to mourn that they have no answer to their requests. Is it not a fact that we, one and all, are in the habit of asking for things which we do not confidently anticipate receiving? The promises are very clear and explicit, and we understand them perfectly well, and are very ready to condemn the conduct of those who, in ordinary life, act as we do.

Note an incident of daily occurrence.

There is a beggar at our door, one whom we have often befriended, and have promised to do it again, if called upon to do so. He knocks; and what follows? Does he go away, and give no further thought to the business which brought him to our door? Not he, indeed! And if he did, what then ? He would not get what he wanted; and one and all would say, "He is rightly served." How odd it is that we cannot apply such a simple test to our own conduct.

My friends, there is not one amongst us who would not be ashamed at himself, if he were to treat his earthly friend as he is constantly treating his God and Father. Well may it be said of us, as of those of old, "Ye have not," (may I not add the word success?) "because ye ask not." "Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss."

Having drawn your attention to some of those hindrances to success which I thought worthy of notice, part of them arising from without, and others from within, and which it is unnecessary that I should recapitulate, I think you would have good reason to complain of me if I did not suggest means for their removal, and this I shall now endeavour to do.

The work in which we are engaged is indeed a glorious work; yet let us never forget that of ourselves we can do nothing. It is a great honour to be employed as instruments in the work; but to restore a dead soul to life requires what none of us possess, Almighty power. God the Holy Spirit only can quicken dead souls; and when He wills, a nation can be born in a day. Nor can we doubt his willingness; for there is not on record a fuller and more distinct promise respecting anything whatever which we need than there is of the gift of the Holy Spirit.

The truth is, we have a very imperfect perception of our need. We go on, week after week, preparing our

lessons, and teaching them to our respective classes, but I much fear that here the great majority of teachers stop, under the fearfully erroneous impression that they have done what they can. I have often said that God the Holy Spirit must not only prepare the seed for the ground, but the ground to receive the seed; not only the lesson for the children, but the children's hearts to receive the lesson. But obviously this is not all; the rain and the sunshine are needed; and, as in natural, so in spiritual things, it matters not who plants or waters, God, and God alone, giveth the increase.

This truth is so important that you must pardon me if I reiterate it ;-for the more we feel our need, the more likely are we to bestir ourselves in earnest. I beg you all, but especially my young friends, carefully to note what I am about to say.

There may be the most perfect machinery at work. The school may be well situated, and built in exact proportions; the rooms just the form and size we wish. To every class there may be a teacher,—one who is taught of God. The attendance of children may be punctual, and in as large numbers as the teacher can desire. The lesson may be prepared carefully, and no pain s spared to give it properly. In fine, everything may be done, and well done, which mere human instrumentality can do, and only one thing may be lacking, and yet, lacking that one thing,we have but brought before us a scene similar to that so vividly pictured by the prophet Ezekiel, and, as the eye rests upon it, and the teacher dwells upon the cold and lifeless objects before him, the same solemn enquiry seems, again and again, to force itself upon him-"Son of man, can-can these dry bones live?" It is a scene which conveys a most humbling, yet useful lesson. It tells us that all human efforts, talents, wisdom, are utterly powerless to give spiritual life.

only lesson it teaches. Perchance, after the contemplation of the scene which his class presents, the teacher, well nigh overwhelmed with a sense of his nothingness, may be tempted to give up the work as hopeless, and in answer to the reiterated enquiry-Can these dry bones live? rashly give a negative to such a seeming impossibility. This would be forgetting that what is impossible with man, is possible with God; rather let him bow in lowly adoration at the feet of Him who asks, and who alone can answer the enquiry, and like the prophet, acknowledge,-"Thou knowest!" For the instruction and comfort of the house of Israel, the prophet, sorrowfully contemplating the inanimate, breathless masses before him, was bid to prophecy to the wind, and he did as he was commanded, and, in language adapted for all time, he bid it breathe upon the slain, and, ere yet the echo of the words had died in the distance, "The breath came into them, and they lived."

Nor is the lesson of humility the

For our help and comfort, the same great Teacher has graciously left no record equally plain and simple instructions. One of the very first announcements which our Saviour made, at the commencement of his ministry, was this all-important one,-" Except a man be born again, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." And when the perplexed and wondering listener cavilled at the doctrine, He condescended to reason with him thus :-" Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth. So is every one that is born of the Spirit." Here we have stated by our Lord Himself what is absolutely necessary, A new birth in every one; and here, too, He tells us who is the agent in the great work,The Holy Spirit; and hence, both as respects our own salvation, and in seeking the salvation of others it is of the highest consequence to know how

and for success in our labours, we are wholly dependent upon the Holy Spirit.

One word more before we part! My dear fellow labourers, you who know something of the love of Christ, and long to know more, I feel as if an apology were necessary for reminding you of the privilege and power of prayer; and yet, perhaps, with me, you will be ready to confess that we are prone to forget, and undervalue our privileges. O! how readily would all our hindrances be removed if we would but tell Jesus of them.

Until that day arrives when you can find that there is something too hard for Omnipotence to accomplish; until that day arrives, when the faithful God breaks his word, and the God of love, who gave his Son for rebels, proves Himself unworthy of our confidence ; I say, until that day arrives, there is an unfailing Counsellor and Friend for every child of God; not merely possessing the will, but with power to accomplish every promise. He has put on record for his people's comfort and support. Look back, child of God, on what thy best friend has already done for thee. Why did He pass by thy

neighbour, and stay thee in thy mad career, hurrying in the way to death, and bid thee live? Why did He make thee one of his beloved ones? Why has He borne with thee so patiently, and dealt with thee so tenderly, since He called thee? Why does He not leave thee to thyself? Why suffer thy perverseness? Why? do I ask thee?-nay, ask thyself,-Why? Because guilty, loathsome, creature as thou knowest thyself to be, He set his love upon thee, and, unworthy as thou art, still loves thee. And as thou passest the portals of thy Father's house,—thou, whatever now may be thy fears,-whatever now thy trials, wilt bear the same testimony as the ransomed hosts who have preceded thee,-"Not one good thing hath failed of all that the Lord hath spoken." Let us go, then, my brethren and sisters, and tell Jesus all our perplexities. His ear is ever open, his heart ever lovingly disposed towards us; and his people honour Him when they ask great things.

It is, indeed, true, that many are the hindrances which the Sunday School Teacher experiences! and it is equally true that the Lord can, and if asked, will remove them all!