Welsh Journals

THE HOME MISSIONARY. THE PROFITS (IF ANT) OF THE SALE OF THIS MISCELLANY WILL BE APPROPRIATED TO THE FUND RAISED BY THE WELSH CALVINISTJC METHODISTS FOR THE PROMOTION OF THE GOSPEL IN THE MARCHES OF WALES. No. XL APRIL, 1843. Price Id. TO SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHERS. A very interesting little book has just been published by the " Sunday School Union," entitled "A New Year's Address to Sunday School Teachers, by the Rev. J. A. James of Birmingham," from which we cheerfully extract the following, and earnestly recommend it to the notice of Teachers in general:— " There are three things, then, which I now urge upon your atten¬ tion :—Consideration—Examination —Determination. * * * * * * " Now comes determination. " 1. Determine to make a new and more entire surrender, a fresh dedication of your heart, and mind, and soul, and strength, to the work. Begin again and afresh. With the better understanding you may have acquired, and with the experience you have gained, give up yourselves with new purposes of entire devoted- ness. Open your heart to receive the subject, let it come in and possess you. In order to this, surrender your heart more entirely to God; present yourselves to Christ, and let his love constrain you. Pray for a more abundant effusion of the Holy Spirit upon your own heart: seek a revival of your own personal reli¬ gion. If you have lost your first love, recover it; " Do your first works." If the Christian be revived, so will the Sunday-school teacher. It is the oil of piety that must feed the flame of zeaL which, without more grace, will be flickering and dim. " 2. Determine to embrace more intelligently, cordially, and constant¬ ly, the great work of Sunday- school teaching. Begin the year more intent upon seeking the sal¬ vation of the children. Fix your eye upon the soul and eternity. Feel that your vocation is for minds and souls; and that though you could make your children scholars and philosophers, yet if you could not make them Christians, you would fail of your object: at the same time, recollect that you have to train the mind, to awaken the thinking faculty, and to keep it awake; to quicken and guide the intellect. Some teachers, yes, and superintendents, too, egregiously err, by supposing that they have little else to do, than to deliver long addresses to the children, and to be ever preaching to them. I am afraid some spend then time in preaching to their class, as a sort of preparation and practice, for preaching to adults; the eye of their ambition is upon the pulpit, while seated on the form. Long preachments to children are not the way to attract them to religion, but to repel them from it; teach them to think, to use their minds themselves, and not merely communicate knowledge to them, this is education. Instruction is not education.—Select a plain and easy