shewn to these Canaanites, whose cities they had hoped to capture and plunder. (The cities are afterwards repeatedly named as having come into possession of the Israelites. See chap. xviii. 25-28, &c.) But the princes of Israel were true to their engagement, (ver. 19, 20.) Rebuked by Joshua for their deceitfulness, the inhabitants were made "hewers of wood and drawers of water" to the Levites. Humbling as were the conditions prescribed to the "mighty" men of a "royal" city, they pleaded the necessity of the case in excuse of their untruthfulness, (ver. 24,) and readily acquiesced in the sentence of perpetual bondage, (ver. 25.) But lowly as was their service, it was in the house of the Lord. "Israel's bondmen became the Lord's freemen." It is better to be a doorkeeper in the house of the Lord, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. Let us appropriate the language of the Gibeonites, and make it the expression of our willingness to resign all to Christ-" And now, behold, we are in thine hand; as it seemeth good and right unto thee to do unto us, do." Memory Exercise-Shorter Catechism 58.-Proverbs xii. 19. Golden Text "The lip of truth shall be established for ever; but a lying tongue is but for a moment."-Prov. xii. 19. NOTES.-The lip of truth means one who tells the truth habitually. Such an one shall be established, i. e., shall keep his place, shall have his feet in a sure place-shall not easily fall. Give illustrations to shew this. On the other hand, a lying tongue may for a moment seem to gain its end, but it is for a moment only. These Gibeonites were soon found out. Ananias and Sapphira were soon found out. Liars are sure to be found out sooner or later. Quote other proverbs to shew how hateful lying lips are to the Lord. OR, The Teacher's Quiver: ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE LESSON S. LESSON CLVII.-Points for Illustration:-Espials-providential leadings (1)— Rahab's faith-faith lives by works (2)-faith's self-denial and faith's charity (3)-faith's reward. 1. Instruments of Providence.- Who else was it but the God of Elijah who, only a short time ago, so kindly delivered a poor man out of his distress; not, indeed, by a raven, but by a poor singing bird? The man was sitting early in the morning at his house door. His eyes were red with weeping, and his heart cried to heaven, for he was expecting an officer to come and distrain him for a small debt. Whilst sitting thus, with a heavy heart, a little bird flew over his head into the cottage, and perched itself within an empty cupboard. The poor man closed the door, caught the bird, and placed it in a cage, where it soon began to sing very sweetly; and it seemed to the man as if it were the tune of a favourite hymn, "Fear thou not, when darkness reigns ;" and, as he listened to it, he found it soothe and comfort his mind. Suddenly, some one knocked at the door; but instead of the officer, whom the poor man so much dreaded, it was the servant of a very respectable lady, who said that the neighbours had seen a bird fly into his house, and wished to know if he had caught it. "Oh yes," replied the man, "here it is;" and the bird was carried away. A few minutes after, she came back and said, "You have done my mistress a great service; she sets a high value upon the bird. She is much obliged to you, and requests you to accept this trifle, with thanks." The poor man received the gift thankfully, and it proved to be neither more nor less than the sum he owed.-Krummacher. 2. Faith and Works.-Faith is like a cypher in arithmetic, which, no matter how often it is repeated, represents nothing, "being above," (James ii. 17,) but when added to the units it gives them value. So faith and works.-Bayot. 3. Rahab's Faith.-AN EYE ILLUSTRATION. LESSON CLVIII.-Points for Illustration:-At the Jordan-the river dividedJordan a symbol of death (4)—the ark of the covenant has opened a way through it. 4. Allegory of Death.-Now, I further saw that betwixt them and the gate was a river; but there was no bridge to go over, and the river was very deep. At the sight, therefore, of this river the pilgrims were much stunned; but the men that went with them said, "You must go through, or you cannot come to the gate." They then addressed themselves to the water; and entering, Christian began to sink; and, crying out to his good friend, Hopeful, he said, "I sink in deep waters; the billows go over my head, and His waves go over me.' Then said the other, "Be of good cheer, my brother; feel the bottom, and it is good." Then said Christian, "Ah, my friend, the sorrow of death hath compassed me about; I shall not see the land that flows with milk and honey." And with that a great darkness and horror fell upon Christian, so that he could not see before him. Hopeful, therefore, here had much ado to keep his brother's head above the water; yea, he sometimes would be quite gone down, and then ere a while would rise up again half dead. Hopeful did also endeavour to comfort him, saying, "Brother, I see the gate, and men standing by to receive us ;" but Christian would answer, "It is you they wait for; you have been hopeful ever since I knew you." "And so have you," said he to Christian. "Ah, brother," said he, "surely if I was right He would rise to help me; but for my sins He hath brought me into the snare, and bath left me." Then I saw in my dream that Christian was in a muse awhile. To whom, also, Hopeful added these words, "Be of good cheer; Jesus Christ maketh thee whole." And with that Christian broke out with a loud voice, "Oh, I see Him again, and He tells me, 'When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee.'" Then they both took courage, and the enemy was, after that, as still as a stone until they were gone over.-Bunyan. LESSON CLIX.- Points for Illustration:-The Twelve memorial stones (5)—the children to be told their meaning-Christian thankfulness (6.) 5. Memorial of Thanksgiving.-We ascended to the north-west side, winding round the foot of the rock, and making our way through narrow and intricate paths. I remarked that our old guide, every here and there, placed a stone on a conspicuous piece of rock, or two stones one upon the other, at the same time uttering some words, which I learnt were a prayer for our safe return. This explained to me what I had frequently seen before in the East, and particularly on a high road leading to a great town, whence the town is first seen, and where the Eastern traveller sets up his stone, accompanied by a devout exclamation, as it were, in token of his safe arrival. The action of our guide appears to illustrate the vow which Jacob made when he travelled to Padan Aram, in token of which he placed a stone, and set it up for a pillar. A stone on the road placed in this position, or one stone upon another, implies that some traveller has there made a vow or a thanksgiving.-Morier. 66 6. Gratitude.-An Illinois farmer was discovered kneeling at the head of a soldier's grave at Nashville. Being asked, "Is that your boy?" he replied, "No, he lived in our town, and I have come to find his grave." The observer said, 'Perhaps you represent his father, who could not come?"-"Yes, my neighbour was glad to have me come; but I came for myself. You see, I have seven children, all of them small, and my wife is sickly. I was drafted. There was nobody to carry on the farm, and I could not hire a substitute. My thirteen dollars a-month would not feed my family. It seemed as though I must go, and they must suffer. When we were in our greatest trouble about-just the morning I was to report to camp-my neighbour's son came over to the house, and offered to go to the war for me. He said he had nothing depending on him, and could go better than I. He went, and was wounded at Chickamanga; was brought to a Nashville hospital, and this is his grave." The farmer had come a long distance, at a heavy cost, to write upon the head-board of his soldier friend, "Died for me.' LESSON CLX.-Points for Illustration:-Jericho besieged-working (7)—waiting (8)—watching the fall of Jericho (9)—the power of faith. 7. Duty of Obedience.-If a boy at school is bidden to cipher, and chooses to write a copy instead, the goodness of the writing will not save him from censure. We must obey, whether we see the reason or not; for God knows best. A guide through an unknown country must be followed without demur. A captain yields complete authority to the pilot. A soldier in battle must fight where and when he is ordered. When the conflict is o'er, he may reflect upon and perceive the wisdom of his commander in movements that, at the time of their execution, were perplexing. The farmer must obey God's natural laws of the seasons if he would win a harvest; and we must all obey God's spiritual laws if we would reap happiness here and hereafter. 8. Waiting. "God doth not need Either man's work or His own gifts; who best -Milton. 9. Faith. It is always easier to act than to wait. The soldiers doubtless found it hard to walk round Jericho seven times, doing nothing. The Israelites doubtless found it hard to "stand still and see the salvation of God," instead of rushing on the hosts of the Egyptians. At Waterloo the Guards could scarcely refrain until the moment when the well-known words were spoken which allowed them to assume the offensive and gain the victory.-F. F. Trench. LESSON CLXI.-Points for Illustration :-Sin, its evil (10, 11)—its detection -Achan's sin-"saw, coveted, took" (12)-danger of loving riches (13.) 10. The Boomerang.-There is an Australian missile called the boomerang, which is thrown so as to describe singular curves, and fall at last at the feet of the thrower. Sin is a kind of boomerang, which goes off into space curiously, but turns again upon its author, and with tenfold force strikes the soul that launched it. 11. The Portion of Sin.-The consul, Q. S. Copio, had taken the city of Toulouse by an act of more than common perfidy and treachery, and possessed himself of the immense hoards of wealth stored in the temples of the Gaulish deities. From this day forth he was so hunted by calamity, all extremest evils and disasters, all shame and dishonour fell so thick upon himself and all who were his, and were so traced up by the moral instinct of mankind to this accursed thing that he had made his own, that any wicked gains fatal to their possessor acquired this name; and of such a one it would be said, "He has gold of Toulouse."-F. F. Trench. 12. Insidiousness of Sin.-A writer in the Young Pilgrim tells this incident:Little Henry had been quite sick. When he was slowly recovering, and just able to be up and about the room, he was left alone a time, when his sister came in eating a piece of cake. Henry's mother had told him he must eat nothing but what she gave him, and that it would not be safe for him to have what the other children did till he was stronger. His appetite was coming back; the cake looked inviting he wanted very much to take a bite of it, and his kind sister would gladly have given it to him. What did he do? "Jennie," he said, "you must run right out of the room away from me with that cake, and I'll keep my eyes shut while you go, so that I shan't want it." Wasn't that a good way for a boy of seven years to get out of temptation? I think so. And when I heard of it, I thought that there are a great many times when children-and grown people, too-if they would remember little Henry's way, would escape from sin and trouble. 13. The Fable of Midas.--Bacchus once offered Midas his choice of gifts. He asked that whatever he might touch should be changed into gold. Bacchus consented, though sorry that he had not made a better choice. Midas went his way, rejoicing in his acquired power, which he hastened to put to the test. He could scarce believe his eyes when he found a twig of an oak, which he had plucked, become gold in his hand. He took up a stone; it changed into gold. He touched a sod; it did the same. He took an apple from the tree; you would have thought he had robbed the garden of the Hesperides. His joy knew no bounds; and when he got home, he ordered his servants to set a splendid repast on the table. Then he found, to his dismay, that when he touched bread it hardened in his hand, or put a morsel to his lips it defied his teeth. He took a glass of wine, but it flowed down his throat like melted gold. In consternation, fearing starvation, he held up his arms, shining with gold, to Bacchus, and besought him to take back his gift. Bacchus said, "Go to the river Pactolus, trace the stream to its fountainhead, there plunge your head and body in, and wash away your fault and its punishment." Hence the sands of Pactolus became gold, and Midas learned to hate wealth and splendour. LESSON CLXII.-Points for Illustration:-The craft of the Gibeonites (14, 15) -Joshua's league the deception discovered-the Israelites keep their promise (16, 17.) 14. Lying Unsafe.-It is difficult to maintain falsehood. When the materials of a building are solid blocks of stone, very rude architecture will suffice; but a structure of rotten materials needs the most careful adjustment in order to make it stand.-Beecher. 15. Punishment of Lying.—It is related that when Petrarch, an Italian poet, a man of strict integrity, was summoned as a witness, and offered in the usual manner to take an oath before a court of justice, the judge closed the book, saying, “As to you, Petrarch, your WORD is sufficient." From the story of Petrarch we may learn how great respect is paid to those whose character for truth is established, and the folly as well as wickedness of lying. In the country of Siam, a kingdom of Asia, he who tells a lie is punished, according to law, by having his mouth sewed up. 16. Keeping Promises.-Sir William Napier one day met a poor child who was crying bitterly because she had broken her bowl. Having no money with him, he promised to meet her in the same place at the same hour next day, and give her money to buy another. Reaching home, he found an invitation to dine out with a gentleman whom he particularly wished to see, but he declined it on account of his pre-engagement with the child. "I could not disappoint her; she trusted me so implicitly," said he. 17. Reliable Promises.-I have somewhere met with an anecdote of Lord Chatham, who had promised that his son should be present at the pulling down of a garden wall. The wall was, however, taken down during his absence, through forgetfulness; but, feeling the importance of his word being held sacred, Lord Chatham ordered the workmen to re-build it, that his son might witness its demolition, according to his father's promise.-F. F. Trench. THE SABBATH SCHOOL MAGAZINE. NO. II.] FEBRUARY 2, 1880. [VOL. XXXII. A WORD OF CHEER TO SABBATH SCHOOL WORKERS.* BY THE REV. R. M. THORNTON, B.A., Of Wellpark Free Church, Glasgow. THE object of this meeting is to stimulate and encourage Sabbath school teachers. Many of you, doubtless, do not need either to be stimulated or encouraged. The best of workers, however, are liable, at times, to discouragement; they have their fainting fits their seasons of depression— when a cheering word is much needed. If good work is to be done for God or man, depend upon it, it will never be done by those who are suffering from spiritual melancholy. Cheerful workers are the best workers. I once asked a young sailor if captains cared to hear the crew singing when at the ropes. "Oh yes," he replied; "they prefer it, for a silent pull is generally a lazy pull." If it is a good sign when sailors "go singing to their work," it is also a good sign when Sabbath school teachers enter with enthusiasm and joy upon their labours, and thus serve the Lord with gladness. 66 The design of this meeting, then, being to give an impetus to Sabbath school workers-perhaps teachers, it will help to stimulate you if we mention one or two motives by which your zeal, if it needs it, may be quickened, and your hearts cheered; so that, when this meeting is ended, you also may go forth "singing to your work." I. First of all I would remind you of THE MASTER YOU SERVE. The Sabbath school teacher is a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. We may well esteem it a high honour, and an exalted privilege, to serve such a glorious Being. The angels that excel in strength, the redeemed in glory, "serve Him day and night in His Temple." Men are ready to serve an earthly sovereign; they count it a high honour to do so. Did you not notice that when the 24th Regiment was reviewed, the other day, by the Duke of Cambridge at Gosport, on its return from South Africa, that it was 810 strong? Yet there was but one man there who had fought at Isandula, where the regiment was all but cut to pieces. * Address delivered in the City Hall, Glasgow, on 16th October, 1879. B |