perfected for ever. The society will also be the most dignified; and without its present embarrassments. There are now personages so superior, that you seem reduced to nothing at the thought of them. You esteem and admire them; and wish to hear, and see, and mingle with them; yet you shrink from the presence of such genius, wisdom, and goodness. But you will feel nothing of this when you sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and Moses, and with prophets, and apostles, and martyrs, and reformers, in the kingdom of God. Nor will saints only be your companions, but those glorious beings who never sinned, who excel in strength, who are proverbial for their wisdom, who are models in doing the will of God on earth, who are your ministering spirits, invisibly watching over you in your minority-the innumerable company of angels. And though they will not be able to say, "He hath redeemed us unto God by his blood," they will cry with a loud voice, though you will endeavour to cry louder, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing." You may reckon upon—

The most glorious employment.—I should as soon think that heaven was a nursery of vice, as state of inaction. Indolence is no more irreconcilable to virtue, than perfect ability incompatible with happi

ness;

"A want of occupation is not rest:

A mind quite vacant is a mind distress'd."

All the powers conferred by a wise Creator, necessarily imply their application and use: and the more life any being possesses, the more energy and activeness will distinguish him, unless he is in a state of perversion or restraint. But what are the employments of heaven? Dr. Watts has speculated much on this subject.--Some of his conjectures are probable, and all pleasing; but we dare not follow him. Of this we are sure, that there will be none of those mean and degrading toils which arise now from the necessities of our nature, or from luxury and pride. Neither will there be any of those religious exercises which pertain to a state of imperfection. Repentance will be hid from our eyes. There will be no more warfare and watchings. Neither will there be any more prayers, with strong cries and tears. Yet it is said "They serve him day and night in his temple." And their powers will be equal to the work; for neither fervency nor the duration of the service will produce exhaustion of languor. The common notion of always standing up and singing is too childish to be entertained. We have no doubt but that there may be stated assemblies for adoration and praise. But Christians are said to be still praising him now; and they do this, not by acts of worship only, but by performing his will, by filling up their station in life properly, and promoting the welfare of all around them and his work, even here, is honourable and glorious.

:

On the presence and sight of the Saviour, in whom dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily, you may reckon; and you will reckon

--and reckon supremely-if you are a Christian.-"Ah!" says Paul, "I long to depart, and to be with Christ which is far better.' "We are confident, I say and willing, rather to be absent from the body, and present with the Lord."-What would everything be in his absence? Could the place, the company, the harps, be a substitute for him? But here is the consummation-you shall “serve him, and see his face." You need not envy those who knew him after the flesh, you will have access to him; you will see the King, and see him in his beauty. He is now with you. He knows your soul in adversity; and comes to you as a friend, and helper, and comforter. But you are now in prison. His visits, when he looks upon you through the bars, and brings you supplies, and communes with you in the cell, are relieving. They solace the confinement; you wish them multiplied; you accept them with joy. But the best of all these visits will be the last, when he will come, not only to you but for you; when he will open the doors of the dungeon, and knock off the fetters, and take you home to his palace. Then you will be with him; you will "walk with" him "in white;" you will "eat and drink at his table in his kingdom;" you will be for ever with the Lord. It is hardly necessary to say, that you may reckon upon

The most exquisite enjoyment.-This will spring abundantly from all the foregoing sources, and especially the last. It will far transcend every feeling we have had of delight and ecstacy here. The state itself is expressed by it. "Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.” Jude says, "we shall be presented before the presence of his glory, with exceeding joy ;" and David says, "In thy presence is fulness of joy and at thy right hand are pleasure for evermore." For you may reckon upon-

The perpetuity of all this," Permanency," says the poet, "adds bliss to bliss." But here it is absolutely indispensable even to the happiness itself: for the greater the blessedness, the more miserable we should feel if it were in danger. Who, in the possession of such a prize, could exist under the thought of losing it? How careful, therefore, are the sacred writers never to leave out this essential attribute, in any of their descriptions! If it be life, it is "eternal" life. If it be salvation, it is "everlasting" salvation. If it be a kingdom, it is a kingdom that "cannot be shaken." If it be a crown, it is “ a crown of glory that fadeth not away."

To which we may add, that you may reckon not only on the eternity, but the increase. Who could think of being doomed to remain stationary? How irksome would any condition be in which there could be no possibility of advance and improvement! But your faculties will not be confined to a circle of sameness; they will be free; they will break forth on every side. How much more do the angels know now than once! and still they desire to look into the Saviour's sufferings and glory. How often will there be new songs in heaven, or fresh exclamations of admiration and praise, from fresh discoveries and displays of the perfections of God, in his works and ways! Every finite being is capable of accession; and in knowing

and doing, and attaining and enjoying, there will be an infinite progression before us.

MUTUAL IMPROVEMENT SOCIETIES FOR SABBATHSCHOOL TEACHERS.*

THE proper Education of Youth has been held from the earliest ages to be a matter of the highest moment. The Most High put the seal of his approval upon it, when he commended Abraham for his diligent instruction of his children and his household; and assigned it as a reason why special honour should be put upon him. Moses earnestly enforced upon the Israelites the importance of this duty; and commanded them to teach their children diligently the commandments and requirements of God, And Solomon gave it as the dictum of true wisdom, that children should be trained up in the way, in which they should go, in order to ensure their continuance therein. At that time it appears Education was almost exclusively confided to parents. The altered structure, and changed conditions of modern society, however, have produced great alteration in this respect.

Education, under the influence of Association, has long been adopted; expanded benevolence, and instructed experience have combined to project and execute plans for educating the young in a way, and on a scale, in former ages untried and unimagined. Sabbath-school instruction is a popular and valuable means of education to masses who otherwise would scarcely be educated at all. The importance of that work does not now claim our attention, nor does it need our defence. It has been tried. It has been successfully tried. Its results are in many instances before us. Its value is not a matter of controversy. Its excellence is not disputed.

Yet Sabbath-school instruction is not at its climax. It has not yet reached perfection. Its results, as yet, are scarcely commensurate with its toils. It aims at glorious results. It has achieved much. What earnest, pious, Sabbath-school teacher but feels it may, it ought, it must, achieve more. For the work of Sabbath-school teaching, qualifications of no mean order are requisite. Knowledge is power. Power to mould the plastic mind. Power to bend the rebellious will. Power to instruct, to elevate, to transform, those who are under its influence; to mould from the dull clayey lump, the vase, ornamental in its figure, beautiful in its symmetry, and useful in its capacity. The instruction of youth demands ability; demands earnestness; demands consecration. The teachers of the young should give to their work all the

This Essay was delivered by the Rev. T. A. Bayley, to the Sunday-school Teachers of the Grosvenor-street Circuit, Manchester; and, at their request, was forwarded to the Editor.

mental and moral power they possess; and should diligently seek the mental or the moral power they lack. To impart they must possess ; to teach they must learn; to pour out they must receive.

Three things are especially needful for every efficient Sundayschool teacher-knowledge, communicative power, or aptness to teach, and character. Knowledge, or he cannot teach; communicative power, or he cannot impart what he possesses; character, or little weight will attach to what he teaches.

I stay not now, either to define or to describe these qualifications but I hasten to show that "Mutual Instruction Classes for Teachers" are valuable, as they assist in the acquirement of knowledge-in imparting power to communicate it—and, at least indirectly, tend to form and give weight to character. What mutual improvement classes are can need no definition. Their name sufficiently defines them.

The first advantage I have to show, is, their helpfulness in the acquirement of knowledge. This arises principally from the community of knowledge-the collision of mind-the stimulus of emulation -the necessity of effort-the obtainment of self-knowledge.

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1. The Community of Knowledge. In a mutual improvement class, what each member knows should be cast into a common fund. No one should keep back part of the price. To do so, is to sin against the law of brotherhood, and to transgress the principle on which such societies are formed.

A number of teachers form a class. One has acquaintance with the Grammar of his own language; another, with the contents of the Sacred Volume; a third, is well read in History; a fourth, in Science ; a fifth, in Physical Geography; a sixth, has studied Astronomy; a seventh, Geology; an eighth, Mathematics; a ninth, Moral Philosophy; a tenth, Mental Philosophy; an eleventh, Theology; and a twelfth, Dynamics. In such a case, each man should cheerfully contribute to the common stock what he knows on those subjects, as the subjects considered, or discussed, may require such contributions to elucidate or illustrate them. The knowledge individually possessed may be small, but then the amount collectively possessed may be considerable; and few subjects will be likely to come before such a class to which the knowledge possessed by some three or four of its members, who have made different branches their study, will not furnish important, explanatory or illustrative observations.

2. The Collision of Mind. Solomon compares the influence of a friend's countenance upon a man, to the sharpening influence of iron upon iron, or of the steel upon the knife. And who has not felt, during the discussion of a subject, his mind aroused to lay hold upon ideas, which it never was able to grasp before; ideas not always propounded in the discussion itself, but perhaps suggested by it. The mind in such circumstances seems inspired with new vigour, enabled to smite the air with fresh nerved pinions, and soar to an height which, without such an influence, would have been apparently unattainable. As beneath the miner's-stroke the cold hard rock gives forth its latent fire; so mind, which seemed cold, dull, and sparkless, when brought into contact with mind, ofttimes gives forth a sudden spark, kindling up intellectual

fires. The solitary reader may doze over the dull book, the contents of which, brought before him, when his mind is roused to activity by collision with other minds, may deeply interest and greatly instruct him.

3. The Stimulus of Emulation. Emulation is a powerful principle. The inferior, or, as we say, the brute creation feels it. A racehorse once straining every nerve to distance her competitor found, as she approached the goal, she could not pass him, so making a desperate spring, she seized one of his forelegs with her teeth, and held him fast, refusing to let him end the race, which she could not win. Who can doubt her sense of emulation, and of something more. Emulation is a human passion. Ofttimes a bad passion-or a passion indulged to an undue extent. But it has its use. It may be eminently useful, exercised with reference to proper objects, and within proper limits.

In a mutual improvement class, who would like to be the most ignorant or the most obtuse? There are few who will not be stimu lated to greater effort for self-improvement under the influence of such a class. Such stimulus is good. The increased progress made is gain, clear gain; and there are few men who could study for a time in such a class without making much progress.

J4. The Necessity of Effort. Mental slothfulness is no uncommonly recurring evil. But members of mutual improvement classes are expected to take part in their proceedings, to prepare essays, join in discussion, &c., and thus effort is necessitated. Is an essay to be prepared? There must be thought, examination, and research. A plan must be laid; materials must be amassed; facts or arguments arranged; objections considered; composition must be attended to; the style craned up force and grace studied. All this is gain. All tends directly or indirectly to fit the teacher for his work.

915. The Obtainment of Self-knowledge. "Know thyself!" This is a difficult but most important exhortation. It is easy to be selfdeceived. It is easy to fancy we are something when we are nothing; that we know much when we know little, or nothing as we ought to know it. The mutual improvement class is valuable because of its manifestations. An ignorant person can scarcely pass there for much more than he is worth. His shortcomings become manifest. His misconceptions revealed. The scales fall from the eyes of him who deemed himself wise and knew not his ignorance. The balance incontestibly proves he is weighed and found wanting. Every rightminded man will wish to know his own real value, that he may think the truth of himself. Every revelation of a man's ignorance is an increase of his knowledge, which ought to lead him to supply the place of error, with truth; of ignorance, with knowledge.

The foregoing points have been but hastily glanced at. They deserve enlargement. Yet, I hope, it has been shown, that mutual improvement classes are eminently helpful in the acquirement of knowledge. They enlarge our stock. They quicken our minds. They supply inducements to effort. They necessitate study. They reveal to us what we need.

A requisite qualification, next in importance to the possession of