Intelligence.

SOUTH-EASTERN SABBATH SCHOOL | ruary, the Home Mission Committee UNION.-This Union met on the 10th of the Free Presbytery held a similar February, and the business consisted conference in the Presbytery Hall. chiefly in receiving several interesting There was a good attendance, and reports of Committees-viz., 1st, The the Rev. Dr. Buchanan, who presided, Course of Lectures to teachers and stated, on behalf of the Committee, a adult scholars had been delivered as number of subjects which they had a advertised, and had been the means desire should be discussed; such as of doing much good; 2nd, The Union's the relations which subsist between Lantern had been used at seven meet- the Presbytery and the schools, or ings, at which there had been an their superintendents and teachers; aggregate attendance of upwards of the propriety of holding such con2,000, and the Lecture Committee ferences at stated periods; special intended to make it still more useful, evangelistic services for the young on by organizing a series of meetings in week-nights; separate Sabbath daydifferent districts; 3rd, The Com- services for children; and some of mittee on "Schools" had completed the aggressive features of Sabbath the measurement of twenty societies' school work. An exceedingly interschool-rooms, &c., and had computed the accommodation for Sabbath school purposes of these societies to be sufficient for 11,300. This, however, included seven churches, which are being used for want of school halls. Six societies had yet to report respecting certain of their premises before the Committee could report finally, or make use of the information which they are collecting upon this subject; 4th, Several of the school visitors reported visits made during the past two months, which were exceedingly encouraging. In two cases, however, the school-rooms were so overcrowded as to render efficient teaching almost impossible; 5th, it was agreed that the Annual Meeting should be of a social character, and a conference, and be held on Tuesday, the 15th March.

PRESBYTERIES' CONFERENCES WITH SABBATH SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTS. -Our readers will be gratified to be informed, that the Glasgow U. P. Presbytery, and also that of the Free Church, have been recently manifesting an increased interest in Sabbath Schools. Some months ago, the U. P. Presbytery's Committee had a most interesting conference with the superintendents within the bounds, in the Hall of John Street U. P. Church, which was well filled on the occasion; and on Monday evening, 14th Feb

esting and lively conversation, in which a large number of earnest and intelligent superintendents and several ministers took part, followed the announcement of such a programme for the evening; and the result was a decided feeling in favour of having such a conference at least half-yearly, in order that some of the subjects might be again taken up, along with others, which, on account of the briefness of the sederunt, could not possibly be fully discussed.

SALTCOATS AND STEVENSTON SABBATH SCHOOL TEACHERS' UNION.This Union was established on 21st December last, and includes the teachers of the Established, Free, and West U. P. Churches of Saltcoats, and the Established Church of Stevenston. Several meetings have already been held with encouraging success; and one or two other societies are expected shortly to join the Union. Meetings are to be held monthly for business, and a fortnightly preparatory meeting is about to be commenced, the exercises of which will be varied by the President reading a paper on "Sabbath School work: how to make it successful." The office-bearers consist of Mr. Jas. Fullerton, President; Mr. John Dickie, Vice-President; Mr. Alex. Baird, Treasurer; Mr. Álex. Wood, Secretary.

NOTES ON THE UNION'S LESSON SCHEME FOR 1870.

LESSON XI.-MARCH 13.

THE FLOOD.-Genesis vii. 1-24.

1.-A hundred and twenty years had fled since God doomed the men of the old world to destruction by water. A long space for repentance, of which, if any availed themselves, they were mercifully removed from the evil to come. How much of this time was occupied by the building of the ark does not appear; the period must have been very considerable, during which "the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a-preparing," (1 Peter iii. 20.) How were the impenitent, unbelieving multitudes of mankind occupied in the meanwhile? Christ tells us, (Matt. xxiv. 38, 39.) Seven days before the commencement of the deluge, Noah and his family are graciously invited to "come" into the ark, as the only refuge from the impending judgment. God renews His testimony to Noah, as the only faithful man of his generation. God's covenant with him (vi. 18) included also his family.

2-4. The distinction between clean and unclean beasts was laid down long after, in the Levitical law, (Lev. xi.;) when certain animals were allowed to be eaten, and the use of others, as food, was prohibited. But here, the distinction is referred to in such a way as to shew that it had been recognised long before the flood; and then, undoubtedly, with regard to animals to be used in sacrifice. We thus learn that the great Sacrifice that was to be, was typified alike in the Patriarchal and the Mosaic economy.

5-16. Notice is taken of Noah's strict obedience to the Divine commands, both as regarded the construction of the ark, and the selection of the strange living cargo consigned to its shelter. V. 11 describes, in terms brief and simple, but sublime, the process in nature by which the world and its inhabitants were miraculously overwhelmed. We are left to imagine the despair and consternation of the infatuated multitudes, now at last convinced, when it is too late, of the reality of God's long-threatened judgment. How different with Noah, afloat in his great ship!"the Lord shut him in." (V. 16.) As a "preacher of righteousness," Noah, doubtless amidst reproaches and mockeries, had warned the world of the ungodly, for more than a century, of the fate that awaited them, and thus "he delivered his own soul," (Ezek. xxxiii. 9;) whilst his preparation of the ark was "the saving also of his house," (Heb. xi. 7.)

17-24. These verses record, in impressive words, the completion of the catas trophe. Death reigned supreme over the surface of the earth, as it never shall prevail again, (viii. 21; ix. 11,) till the consummation of all things, when the world shall be destroyed by fire.

What a terrible evidence does the narrative present of the dire effects of human corruption, when unrestrained by the grace of God! The wickedness of man so great, the thoughts of his heart so constantly vicious, all flesh corrupt before God, the earth that He created "filled with violence," and the entire purpose of creation perverted by human folly and profligacy. The Lord is described as "grieving" and "repenting" that he had made man, and then as uttering the emphatic and awful denunciation, the fulfilment of which is now before us in the narrative: "Behold I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life.'

Let us learn to imitate the faith and obedience of Noah, and his unwavering trust in the paternal grace and protection of God.

Jesus Christ is the ark of refuge to His faithful followers from the power and punishment of sin. The apostle speaks of the ark as an emblem of our baptism, or entrance into Christ, (1 Peter iii. 20, 21.)

Text for Non-Reading Classes.

"And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons'

wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood. And the Lord shut him in."-Gen. vii. 7, 16.

LESSON XII.-MARCH 20.

THE BLESSEDNESS OF GOD'S PEOPLE.-Matthew v. 1-20.

I. Note the occasion of these beatitudes, (1, 2.) He was in Galilee, followed by great multitudes. For convenience in addressing them, he ascended a hill, and sat down, according to Eastern custom. Picture the scene-the hillside covered with the people, row below row, and the Great Teacher sitting in calm majesty, uttering these wonderful words.

II. The beatitudes, (3-12.)

a.-Poor in spirit; those who think little of themselves the humble; humility is the first requisite for the kingdom. Read Matthew xi. 25; xviii. 1-4, and learn what Christ thinks of humility. Pride is the opposite, and nothing is so powerful to keep men from the kingdom as pride. Note the reward of this spirit-the kingdom of heaven. None but the poor in spirit shall enter therein.

b.-The mourners-evidently not all mourners, for many mourn who are never comforted; but those who mourn for sin, as David did, and as Peter did, when he wept bitterly. God comforts all such. Read Isaiah lxi. 3, and learn how God does this.

c. The meek, i. e., the gentle. Illustrate by Moses; how he bore with Israel, how he kept his temper. Illustrate by Christ; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter; "He never gave railing for railing; when He was reviled, He opened not His mouth. This was meekness, and such meekness always conquers-always inherits the earth. Our word gentleman conveyed this exact meaning once. The highest type of man is the gentleman.

d.-Those who hunger and thirst after righteousness. Illustrate first by natural hunger and thirst. Shew that these require to be, crave to be, satisfied. Then explain righteousness-holiness-freedom from sin in its guilt and power. See how Paul thirsted for this, (Rom. vii. 24;) and see how he was filled, (2 Tim. iv. 8.) So shall every one be who so hungers and thirsts.

e.-The merciful-those full of mercy; i. e., pity, compassion for man in general, but pity, compassion, for lost sinners especially; pity, however, that leads us to work for them. Always test your pity or mercy thus-what sacrifice does it lead you to make? Think of the mercy of our God, (Psalm ciii. 13.) Then notice the remarkable connection between shewing mercy, and obtaining mercy. Read the same connection again, (Matt. vi. 12;) and again, (xviii. 35.)

f.-The pure in heart.-Explain pure; it means clean, free from stain or spot; here it is pureness of heart, i. e., holiness, which is essential to the seeing of the Lord, (Heb. xii. 14.) Read also Rev. xxi. 27; Psalm xv. 1, 2. This purity shall one day be perfect, (1 John iii. 2.)

g. The peacemakers-those who do not love quarrelling or strife-those who do love and labour for peace and goodwill. God is the "very God of peace," and the peacemakers shall be called His children. See the honour put upon them-God's own children.

h.-The persecuted for Christ's sake. Explain persecuted. Shew that a sneer, a laugh, may often be bitter persecution. If a boy laughs at his companion because he prays, this is persecution. Then note God's gracious promise to all such persecuted ones-the kingdom of heaven is theirs; their reward in heaven will be great. Well may they rejoice and be exceedingly glad.

III. The position of disciples in the world, (13-16.)

a.-Salt.-Explain its nature; its characteristic property is, that it preserves. Illustrate by reference to meat, butter, &c. Now Christ's disciples are the preserving element in the world. Without them it would become, as in the time of Noah, thoroughly corrupt. But how dreadful if those who call themselves disciples become themselves corrupt! Their doom is certain; they will be cast out, and trodden under foot of men.

b.-Light.-Light throws its beams all round. What a blessed thing is light! How we rejoice in it! How the sailor rejoices, when he sees the lighthouse cast its beams across the dark waste of waters! But men are all sailing on the stormy sea of life; and every disciple should be a light-a light on a high place, casting his beams all around, and pointing men to the LIGHT of the world. Are you a light? Do men see your good works, and so glorify God? Think how fearful to be darkness. The ship expects a light on that rocky coast, but there is no light, only darkness, and the ship is lost. Have you helped to guide some tempest-tossed one into the harbour?

IV. Christ's relation to the law, (17-20.)-He came not to destroy it, but to fulfil it. The ceremonial law was all fulfilled in Him, and ceased. The moral law was all fulfilled by Him, and ceased to have any demand on those who are in Him. "Who is He that condemneth? It is Christ that died." Every jot and tittle of the law was kept, and no jot or tittle can ever appear against those who are His, (Romans viii. 1.)

Text for Non-Reading Classes.

"Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled."-Matthew v. 3, 6.

LESSON XIII.-MARCH 27.

THE WATERS DRIED UP.-Genesis viii. 1-22.

V. 1-3. The flood has served its purpose: all the wicked have been swept from the face of the earth. Forty days sufficed to accomplish this, and now Noah and his family alone remain of the whole human race. While the work of destruction proceeded, the inmates of the ark would be aware of it, by the torrent-rain, and the gradual uprising of their ship. All at once, however, the rain ceased; and for five long months thereafter, that lonely family were becalmed on the mighty deep. During all that time there was no communication with the outer world, whose state and fate could be but guessed. Consider what patience would be needed, both for the discharge of common duties to each other and to the creatures entrusted to their care, and for waiting to know the will of God. No wonder if the heart and flesh of Noah were ready to faint and fail. But God's own hand had shut him in, and no doubt he would be exercised like Jonah in similar circumstances of extremity, (Jon. ii. 7.) God had never forgotten Noah, but now He manifests His care, by using means to assuage the deluge, and to deliver His servant from his imprisonment and from all his fears. The means used were, the stopping of the fountains of the deep, the shutting of the windows of heaven, and the causing a drying wind to pass over the face of the earth.

V. 4, 5.-The grounding of the ark was a token of God's care for Noah. It would be a satisfaction to the inmates, to know that they were again upon firm ground. The ark rested on a mountain in the country of Ararat. Ararat was both a country and a kingdom, (Isa. xxxvii. 38, margin, Jer. li. 27.) One of the mountains there is upwards of 17,000 feet above the sea; the top is perpetually snow-clad. It is supposed that the ark touched Ararat about the middle of March, and that the waters gradually subsided till the beginning of June, corresponding to the first day of the 10th month. Note the faith and patience still required of Noah. How dependent was he still on the grace and power of God; a solitary family, as yet only in sight of a drowned world!

V. 6-12.-Noah waited forty days after the grounding of the ark, or to the middle of July, before opening what is called the window, or aperture, from which he sent forth, first a raven, and then a dove. The raven found carrion in abundance floating on the waste of waters, and thought no more of the ark; but the dove, we are told, found no rest for the sole of her foot. The particularity with which the dove's reception is recorded, evinces the care of Noah, and may also reflect his sense of

God's care for him. At the end of seven days the dove was again sent forth, and this time she returned with an olive leaf in her mouth. There is an expression of surprise, doubtless of glad surprise, when the olive leaf was seen. Noah regarded it as a sign of the waters subsiding from the earth. Yet other seven days, and the dove was sent forth a third time, to return no more to the ark; it was now free to sing among the branches, (Ps. civ. 12.) The seven day intervals, so frequently mentioned in this and the preceding chapter, evidently refer to the six days of creation, and the seventh day of rest.

V. 13-22. The earth was now ready to receive Noah and the inmates of the ark. The precise day of Noah's entering the ark was given, (ch. vii. 13,) and now the day of his quitting it is given as precisely. God had shut him in, and now He bids him go forth. Mark, at once, God's care for Noah, and Noah's obedience to God. He waited upon God. See David's charge to his soul, (Ps. lxii. 5.) Noah was in the ark exactly a year and ten days, that is, as near as may be, a solar year. It is supposed that Noah left the ark about the end of October. The season was autumn. Since the subsidence of the waters, it is not unlikely that the earth had again brought forth food for man and beast. Noah's first act was to build an altar, and offer burnt-offerings to the Lord. Mark Noah's piety and devotion. What mingled feelings of adoring love and gratitude must have filled his heart! And yet the ark was but a type of Christ. May we own Him as our Deliverer, and present the living sacrifice, which is but our reasonable service, (Rom. xii. 1.) Noah's sacrifice was an acknowledgment of his guilt; of the claim of the broken law upon his life; and of the mercy of God in accepting a substitute. The burnt-offering was the symbol of this substitution. Note the gracious words in which the acceptance of the sacrifice is expressed, and compare them with what is said of Christ's sacrifice of himself, (Eph. v. 2.) The judgment is past, and now God reveals His purpose of mercy. He will not again bring a deluge upon the earth, though the heart of man is, naturally, not less evil. Not only so, but God promises positive blessings. While the present world lasts there will be the regular succession of seasons, with their influences, and the alternation of day and night. We can bear witness to the faithfulness of God in this respect. If we trust him for temporal mercies, may we not as firmly trust Him for spiritual blessings? Like Noah, may we walk with God, being reconciled to Him by the blood of Jesus. May we, in like manner, wait patiently upon God, and serve Him with the obedience of faith.

Text for Non-Reading Classes.

"And God spake unto Noah, saying, Go forth of the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons' wives with thee. Bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee."-Gen. viii. 15-17.

LESSON XIV.-APRIL 3.

TRUTH, MEEKNESS, AND LOVE, ENJOINED.-Matt. v. 33-48.

V. 33-37.-Our Lord proceeds to explain and enforce the laws of His kingdom. The erroneous teaching and practice which He condemns was not swearing, or even false swearing, but swearing unnecessarily and unwarrantably. Christ does not

literally quote from Scripture; He gives the substance of several texts bearing on the subject-as, Lev. xix. 12; Num. xxx. 2; Deut. xxiii. 23. The Jews, it seems, had inferred from such passages, that swearing might be freely practised, if only the name of God was not mentioned. In opposition to this, Jesus says, Swear not at all in circumstances where an oath is unnecessary; but let your affirmations be supported by a simple yea, and your denials by a simple nay. Be so truthful that your yes or no will be as good as if enforced by an oath. Jesus next exposes the subterfuges to which the Jews had betaken themselves, in order to give solemnity to an oath, while omitting the Divine name. He says, in swearing by heaven or