IN your Magazine for May, I offered a few remarks on the character of the instruction which should be given in Sabbath schools. Permit me now to suggest what ought to be the character of the instructers. Without further preface I would say, that to be eminently useful, they must be distinguished for piety, prudence, punctuality, patience, and perseverance.

I do not say that

Piety in teachers is of great importance. all who are not decidedly pious should be excluded from this office. Were this regulation established, it would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, in many places, to obtain a sufficient number of teachers. Besides, many practical truths may be explained to children by those who have not felt the power of the gospel on their own hearts; and it is an interesting fact, that a great number of teachers have themselves been taught the way of salvation, while they were imparting knowledge to their scholars. Nevertheless, the dominant influence pervading all our Sabbath schools should be fervent and enlightened piety. If teachers would be successful in their vocation, they must keep their own hearts with all diligence, and go from week to week to their respective classes humbly, but earnestly invoking the blessing of God on their labors; they will then be prepared to address their pupils with a tenderness, solemnity, and skill, which can scarcely fail of being successful.

Prudence is highly requisite in a Sabbath school teacher. If f you would exert a beneficial influence over children, you must gain both their love and respect. If you fail in this, your ascendancy over their minds will be proportionably feeble. Guard then against all trifling conversation and levity of deportment in their presence. Avoid rash language and frequent changes in your mode of government. Maintain, as much as possible, an evenness of temper towards them. Let them know, not so much from your words as from your conduct, what they may expect, according as their beJULY, 1831.

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haviour is good or bad. In this way it is believed you will gradually and most effectually secure their confidence, esteem and love.

Be punctual. If your school commences at eight o'clock, never feel satisfied to be there at fifteen minutes past eight. Be in your place precisely at the appointed time, whatever that time may be. A rigid adherence to this rule will have a happy effect on yourselves. It will work in you habits of forethought and activity and regularity. It will have a favorable influence on your scholars. Observing your example, they will themselves form a habit of punctuality. They will be ashamed to be sometimes late, when they perceive that you are never so. And lastly, it will have a good effect generally on the school. It will promote harmony, order, and silence. There will be no waiting on the part of the scholars for' a tardy teacher. There will be no interruption of classes that have commenced their lessons, by the movement and noise of teachers, coming in late; and there will be that calm pleasure which is better felt than described, arising from the impression that each is cheerfully, assiduously, and punctually fulfilling his duty. Patience is peculiarly necessary. No Sabbath school teacher can be very successful, unless he have a large share of patience. Many pupils are under no control at home. They do as they please six days in the week, and it can scarcely be expected that they will meekly submit to restraint on the seventh. And yet, it is of great importance to bring them into subjection to wholesome authority, to persuade them to abstain from all vicious courses, and to inspire them with desires for that which is excellent and praiseworthy. Here is indeed a Herculean task. But it may be performed-not however without great patience. And to increase this patience, a teacher should frequently reflect on the evil influences to which such children are daily exposed, and the forbearance which on this account he should exercise. It will be well for him also to think of the delight he will feel should he be the instrument of reclaiming such children from wretchedness and sin, to glory and to virtue. A teacher, if he would do any good, should constantly suppress the manifestation of peevishness in a Sabbath school. "Never correct in anger," is an adage which ought to be engraven on the memory of every Sabbath school teacher. I have felt indescribable mortification, when I have seen a teacher, even in the house of God, stand over a boy with visible emotions of displeasure, for fifteen or twenty minutes, sometimes striking him with the palm of the hand, and sometimes shaking him so violently as to show that, could he do it with impunity, he would inflict severer punishment. Said I to myself, "there can be but little of the meek and bland spirit of Christianity in such a teacher. He creates more disturbance than the offending boy; and, however good his motives may be, he is not yet qualified to have a class in a Sabbath school." To all who are teachers I would say, "Let patience have her perfect work."

Perseverance in Sabbath school teachers is requisite to their success. The character of the young is not formed by accident, nor at once, but by repeated, various, and continued instructions. They need "line upon line and precept upon precept, here a little

and there a little." Do not therefore be discouraged because you do not see the immediate fruit of your labors. The seed may have taken root-a new and divine life may have commenced in some of your scholars, although you do not perceive it. Or success may for awhile be withheld to try your faith and patience and love; and when these are evinced, the Lord may bless your pious endeavors. The instructions you have given may not have been adapted to turn your pupils from the paths of disobedience to the wisdom of the just. And if the truths themselves have been suitable, there may have been a defect in the manner and spirit in which they have been communicated. Your failure should lead you to examine your motives and mode of teaching, and incite you to earnest prayer, but not to withdraw from the service. Perhaps other truths and other feelings, accompanied with the blessing of God, will be followed with the good you desire. Whatever may be the result, let this sentiment be fixed in your minds: that it is your duty to instruct the young, and that it is the prerogative of the Almighty to bless your instruction.

But you have much to encourage you. Multitudes of children

have been converted in Sabbath schools. And he who has blessed these means of instruction, is the same yesterday, to-day, and forever. "Be not, then, weary in well-doing; for in due season ye shall reap, if ye faint not."

"Let those that sow in sadness wait

Till the fair harvest come;

They shall confess their sheaves are great,

And shout the blessings home."

I regret that my remarks on this subject are not more clear and forcible. I feel that I have not done adequate justice to it. But I shall have attained my object, in part, if these hints should cause all the teachers who read them, seriously to consider whether there be not an intimate connection between their piety, prudence, punctuality, patience, and perseverance, and the religious prosperity of their respective schools.

ALPHA.

THE GLORY OF GOD THE GRAND MOTIVE IN DUTY.

[Continued from p. 146.]

Two things deserve attention. The reasonableness of the duty which requires us to make the glory of God the grand motive of action; and the manner in which we ought to perform it.

1. The duty is reasonable on account of the exalted character of the Supreme Being. He stands in no need of our services: "He dwelleth not in temples made with hands, neither is he worshipped as if he needed any thing." He is not dependent on any of his creatures for happiness; that would have been the same, if neither men nor angels had ever been created.

If we trample on his rights and violate his law, we cannot in reality injure him; he forever remains the same. We owe him our supreme love and constant service; and if we withhold these, he will remain equally happy. And if angels and all other rational beings should pursue the same course, his felicity would not in the least be affected by it: for he could in a moment destroy them all, and produce an equal number to whom he could exhibit his glorious character and perfections.

He is greater and better than all other beings. We can hardly find language to express a comparison between the infinite Creator and worms of the dust. "All nations before him are as the drop of the bucket; the light dust of the balance; less than nothing and vanity. He weigheth the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance; he taketh up the isles as a very little thing; and holdeth the waters of the ocean in his hand."

This sublime description conveys but an inadequate idea of the infinite God. He is a sea where all our thoughts are drowned. A particle of dust bears a nearer proportion to the whole universe, with all its rational beings, than all these bear to God. And he is as much better than other beings, as he is greater. "The heavens are not clean in his sight, and his angels are chargeable with folly;" how vile then must man appear in his sight. There is an infinite moral distance between perfect purity and polluted man.

It is reasonable, therefore, that he should be regarded more than all other beings; his wishes consulted; his commands obeyed, and himself glorified, by us in all that we do. We have, therefore, no right to be governed by self-interest, or be satisfied with merely regarding the welfare of our fellow-men. And it ought to be the grand object of all our conduct, as well as of each individual action, to aim at his glory. This is the voice of reason.

And it is equally proper that God should regard his glory in all he does, as the principal motive of action, on account of his greatness. Hence the Scriptures represent, that all things were made for his glory and he certainly could not be influenced either by a higher or a better motive.

In the creation of the world and the innumerable beings therein, he could not expect to increase his happiness, or gain any advantage. He could merely design to make such an exhibition of himself, of his glorious attributes and perfections to the view of rational creatures, as would lead them to love, admire, adore, and praise such infinite excellence.

As the happiness of the Deity cannot be increased by his creatures, so neither can they make any addition to his glory. To glorify him, therefore, does not imply any addition to his glory, but only the act of praise, which it is in the power of his people to perform. Hence he says, "Whoso offereth praise, glorifieth me:" And Christ says, "Let your light so shine that others, seeing your good works, may glorify your Father in heaven.".

In both of these cases, it is evident that praise is intended; and the same idea is conveyed in the remark of an apostle; "Whether ye eat or drink, or whatever ye do, do all to the glory of God." As

therefore, the grand object or motive of all his actions is, that he may be praised or glorified by all his rational creatures; so it is made our duty thus to glorify Him; and the duty is as plainly enforced by reason and the fitness of things, as by the authority of the sacred Scriptures. And the duty is precisely what each would approve and require, if placed in such an exalted station with respect to inferior creatures. Nothing could be more reasonable.

2. The duty is enforced by a consideration of all his temporal mercies. He has created us rational beings, and made us capable of contemplating his wonderful works and his glorious character; and of enjoying pleasures far above the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air; and capable of an infinite progression in knowledge and happiness; and rising to an equality with the angels of heaven. And being indebted to him for all these blessings, it becomes our indispensable duty to show our gratitude by continual praise, and glorifying him.

God has not only endowed us with these faculties, but he has upheld and supported us from our earliest moments till the present time; and in the enjoyment of our reason, and health, and bodily organs, friends and all the comforts of life; so that his goodness has been constant, and his mercies innumerable. All these lay us under still greater obligations to the performance of this duty, and show us that it is reasonable, although generally neglected, in consequence of the depravity of the human heart.

3. We might urge likewise the exhibitions which he has made of his grace, mercy, long suffering, and patience, in the salvation of sinners, without which, neither angels nor men would have had a perfect knowledge of the divine character. All these lay us under new obligations, and especially if we have experienced the effect of that grace and mercy which confers blessings infinitely greater than all others, and involves our eternal happiness: it forms the climax of our obligation to glorify our Creator.

4. We might take into consideration his command to have this duty performed by all his rational creatures; by which, independently of every thing else, it becomes the duty of all, both saint and sinner, willing, or unwilling, in all circumstances, and in every condition. And those who refuse will be accountable to him as the final judge; and as this has been the principal duty of man, so the neglect of it will be the principal ground of condemnation.

Our rewards and punishments will be in proportion as this duty has been performed or neglected; for there will be degrees, both of happiness and misery; while the wicked are punished according to their crimes, the righteous will be rewarded in proportion as they have glorified God. Those who have performed this duty. will then be found so have acted like God, from the same motive, and to be fitted to dwell with him forever. And those who have not, will not be able to escape his hand, or offer any excuse. They would not do their duty, and must, therefore, submit to his justice.

[To be continued.].

GAIUS.