14. How long did Solomon's Temple stand?-About 420 years. (Margin.) 15. How long did the captivity of Judah last?-Seventy years. 16. Which of the Psalms describe their treatment in Babylon? Psalm cxxxvii. 17. Who released them from captivity?-2 Chron. xxxvi. 22, and Ezra i. 18. Who foretold that Cyrus should deliver them?-Is. xliv. 28. 19. Who rebuilt the Temple?-Zerubbabel. (Ezra iii. 8 to 11, and vi. 14 to end. 20. Who foretold that the glory of the second Temple should exceed that of the first?-Hag. ii. 9. 21. Was the second temple equal to the first in magnificence and splendour?-Hag. ii. 3. Ez. iii. 12. 22. In what way, then, did the glory of the second Temple exceed that of the first ?-By Christ appearing in it. (John i. 14.) 23. Who repaired the second Temple?-Herod. 24. How long was he repairing and beautifying it?-John ii. 20. 25. Who foretold the destruction of the second Temple?-Matt. xxiv. 2. Luke xxi. 6. 26. Who foretold the exact time when the Temple should be destroyed?-Dan. ix. 26. 27. By whom was it destroyed?-By Vespasian and Titus, A.D. 70. (Josephus.) IMPORTANCE OF TEACHERS VISITING REV SIR,-May I be allowed through the medium of the "Visitor," to call the attention of my fellow Teachers to the great importance of regularly visiting the parents of those of their children who may absent themselves on the Sunday. Every one who has had any experience in the work of Sundayschool instruction, knows something of the difficulty there is in obtaining the punctual attendance of the children. This late or nonattendance arises from many causes; but I fear from what I have observed, that in most cases, there is with them as with their children, a want of feeling as to the importance of the instruction. In this case might we not gently urge upon them the necessity of sending their children early, shewing them how much good they deprive their children of, and how much good they themselves lose by their course; telling them of our great object-the winning souls to Christ. Oftentimes too we might in a spirit of prayer speak a word in due season to them also. Again, the parents may take them out visiting or walking, on the Sabbath day: here then is a field for labour; our duty immediately presents itself. Or again, the child may be ill, and then may we not, by the grace of God, do much good in reading to him, or talking with him; truly there is great, very great encouragement in this. But I need not say more; those of us who have the honour and glory of God, and the salvation of souls, at heart, will not fail to see the importance of visiting absentees during the week, wherever there is the least time to spare for doing it. H. Y. A COURSE OF SCRIPTURE LESSONS FOR SUNDAY AND NATIONAL SCHOOLS. BY THE REV. WM. DALTON, A.M., Incumbent of St. Paul's Church, Wolverhampton. PREFATORY REMARKS. I. THE IMPORTANCE OF A PLAN IN SCRIPTURAL INSTRUCTION. In the education of children in our National and Sunday-schools, there is often an absence of a well-defined system. The Bible itself is frequently used as a mere lesson book, in which the children are taught to read without receiving distinct views of divine truth; or if it be made the medium of holy instruction, the lessons are too generally conveyed in a desultory manner-the links of divine revelation are neglected, and the child leaves the school without even a clear outline of Bible history. Whatever secondary benefits may accrue to the young from a religious and moral education, we should aim at reaching those great ends for the which they are committed to the pastoral care of the ministers of God. We should labour to train them up as children of God, members of the Christian Church, citizens of the realm, and heirs of the eternal kingdom. For these great purposes, the Bible is the true lesson book; but we must use the Scriptures with reverence, faith, and zeal, or we cannot expect the divine blessing on our educational labours. To communicate any thing like a substantial knowledge of the contents of the Bible, a certain order must be followed. The child should be led by degrees through the length and breadth of Revelation. Those parts should be selected which stand prominently in the scheme of man's redemption-the gradual unfolding of the will of God in type and prophecy should be pointed out-and above all, the harmony which exists between the Old and New Testament Scriptures should be clearly explained. How can these things be effected, when the children are allowed to read the Scriptures in a desultory manner? it may be, the first chapter they meet with, or different portions of Scripture on consecutive Sundays, or the difficult portions of the epistles, before they have an intelligent idea of the Gospel history. Several plans have been drawn up with the design of furnishing a course of Scriptural instruction for the young. None that I have met with appeared to be sufficiently comprehensive and simple. When, therefore, the outlines of the following plan were arranged by some of my Sunday-school Teachers, and submitted to my approval, I entered with pleasure on a careful revision of it, with the hope of making it suitable to the hallowed purposes of Scriptural education. It may be some inducement to a more extensive adoption, that I have tested its suitability in my own School, before I published it in its present form. It has also been submitted to some friends, who take a lively interest in the training of the young mind, and full use has been made of their valuable suggestions. It is now needful to explain briefly II. THE NATURE OF THE PLAN. It was necessary, in the first place, to fix on a given period in which the course is to be completed. Three years have been found by experience the general average of time for children to remain in our National Schools. The course has been arranged accordingly, and divided into six half years. We have followed the order marked out by the Church, whose year begins with Advent, and is divided by Trinity Sunday. For the Sundays from Advent to Whit-Sunday inclusive, the portions are selected for the first two years from the Gospels, and contain the most remarkable events in our Lord's life and ministry— and for the third year, they are taken from the Acts and Epistles. In all cases an especial season has an appropriate subject. For the Sundays after Trinity, the portions are selected from the Old Testament, and contain a continuous history in three divisions -first year, from the creation to the death of Joseph-second year, from the Israelites leaving Egypt to the time of the Judges-and third year, from the birth of Samuel to the building of the second temple. Genesis is entered on in the second half year, because a knowledge of that book seems essential to the understanding of the rest of the Bible. Many portions of the Old Testament, and some of the New, have been omitted, because it was necessary to confine the period to three years. This will also account for the length of the reading lessons, which would have been considerably abridged, had it been right to mark out a longer period. From each portion, one lesson of application is suggested, either shewing some connection between the Old and New Testament in the fulfilment of type or prophecy, or enforcing some practical duty. This is given merely as an example, or to secure one important lesson. It is left to the Teacher to enter into greater detail. After the reading course, there follows a selection of such portions of Scripture as appeared best suited for committing to memory, This also extends to three years-the Gospels, as given in the book of Common Prayer, are taken for the first year-for the second, the remaining portions of St. John's Gospel, and for the third, the Epistles selected for each Sunday. It is needless to say any thing here on the importance of committing Scripture to memory-like all branches of holy instruction, it requires discretion and attention; we must not burden the child with too long portions, lest that should be felt to be a task, which ought to be regarded as a privilege; neither should we be satisfied with a mere exercise of memory, but direct the child to such parts of the Bible as are likely to recur and be easily retained. It appeared to me that these objects could not be better attained than by the selection above mentioned.* Finally. A series of Christian doctrines, proved by texts of Scrip ture, is appended to the plan. This is not necessarily connected with the reading lessons, and therefore its use must be left to the discretion of the Teacher. The intention in drawing up this series was to afford a regular and harmonious view of the great truths of the Bible. The number of subjects is confined to fifty-two, that the whole course may be finished in one year. The Teacher may either read one subject, with its texts, each Sunday, or require the children to commit it to memory, as circumstances may point out.* III. THE ADVANTAGES PROPOSED BY THE PLAN. Having explained the nature of the plan, a few words may be added on the results which are aimed at in proposing it. 1. All Teachers, who are consistent members of the Church, are desirous of acting under full pastoral direction. They are anxious to have both the substance and mode of instruction pointed out by their pastor. Should any clergyman adopt this plan, it will be tantamount to one of his own arrangement. *Note. We may probably give these hereafter. 2. Without a defined plan, the Teachers of a Sunday-school are often perplexed in the work of instruction. Much time may be lost in selecting suitable chapters-the children are often taught in a vague manner, and even led to the more difficult parts of Scripture, without reference to their age and attainments. The present course is designed as a remedy to these evils. 3. Uniformity in a Sunday-school is of great importance. This course is intended for every class of the school at one and the same time. Thus all the Teachers and children are occupied about the same truths, and if the clergyman be able to meet his teachers, during the week, he is able to communicate his views of the Scripture portion to all, at one lecture. 4. The pastor may often select the subject of his sermon from the Sunday lesson. This will prove a great help to the Teachers, and enable them to examine the children on the chief subjects of the discourse. IV. HOW TO USE THE PLAN. If the class be able to read, the children should be required to go over the allotted portion with care once or twice, reading verse after verse. They should be questioned on the meaning with simplicity and accuracy, before any exhortation is given. If the class cannot read, the Teacher should read and explain the portion to them, endeavouring to keep up their attention by asking a few questions before the chapter is finished. 2. The lesson of application may be easily learnt during the school hours, by the children repeating it two or three times after their Teacher. This gives an interest to the season of instruction, and occupies the whole class at the same time. 3. It is well to have a fixed time for commencing the appointed lesson-this may be noted by the ringing of a bell. A Teacher should be at liberty to commence previously, but none should defer the lesson after this signal. 4. Teachers should study, with earnest prayer, the portion for each Sunday. Where difficulties occur, they should seek their pastor's explanation, and generally consider how the passage bears on the wants and feelings of the young. 5. Although this plan has been drawn up for Sunday-schools, it may be made available for National Day-schools. The Sabbath lesson may be read several times during the week; in this way the children will make a more solid progress in the knowledge of Scripture than by reading large portions in a hasty and superficial manner. |