Glasgow Sabbath School Union. SESSION 1885-86. MUSICAL TRAINING CLASSES, CONDUCTED BY MR. D. S. ALLAN, F. E. I. S., THE Directors of the Union, encouraged by past success, have again arranged to begin the Singing Classes on Monday, 7th September, 1885, at 8 o'Clock, in the CHRISTIAN INSTITUTE, 70 Bothwell Street. Opening Night Free. The ELEMENTARY Class will meet every Monday thereafter, for SIX MONTHS, at 7.30 p.m. The INTERMEDIATE Class will also meet on the same evening, at 8.35 o'clock. In both Classes those desirous of working for Certificates will receive every encouragement and assistance. Attention will be paid to Time, Tune, Voice Culture, Expression, and Sight Singing. Fee for either Class during the entire Session of Six Months: Gentlemen, 4/6; Ladies, 2/. For those attending both Elementary and Intermediate Classes during the Session the Fee will be-Gentlemen, 6/6; Ladies, 3/6. Tickets to be had from Mr. Crawford, Room No. 7, Christian Institute. TRAINING CLASS FOR TEACHERS. THE Directors have much pleasure in intimating that this Class will be resumed on Saturday Afternoon, 5th September. The CLASS will meet Weekly, in the Lesser Hall of the CHRISTIAN INSTITUTE, 70 Bothwell Street, from 5 till 6 o'clock; and be conducted, as hitherto, by Ladies and Gentlemen from several of the Board Schools. The Lessons of the Union Scheme will be taken up as under : THOMAS MORRISON, ESQ., M.A., Numbers xii. 1-16, Sept. 5, LL.D., 12, MISS WILSON, 19, MR. JOHN RUTHVEN, 26, MISS JACKSON, A}: The Leprosy of Miriam. xiii. 26-33; xiv. 1-25, The Report of the Spies. xvi. 1-35, The Rebellion of Korah. The Brazen Serpent. Subscriptions, and Contributions from Sabbath School Societies, on behalf of the Union. Eighteenth Scottish National Sabbath School Convention. THIS Convention will be held in Dumbarton, on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd October next. The Programme will be issued shortly, and forwarded to all Sabbath School Unions, &c. If any further copies are wanted, they can be had from the Secretaries, or at the CHRISTIAN INSTITUTE, 70 Bothwell Street, Glasgow. Delegates from Towns and Country Districts are specially requested to forward their Names, Occupations or Professions, and Addresses, not later than the 15th September, to the Convener, MR. JOHN DOUGLAS, Levengrove Terrace, Dumbarton. A special Committee been appointed to provide suitable lodgings for those Delegates who may indicate Lir desire to be accommodated. THE Sabbath School Magazine. NO. IX.] SEPTEMBER, 1885. [VOL. XXXVII. The "Children's Portion".in the Sanctuary, and the "Children's Day." IN submitting the Annual Report of the Sabbath School Committee to the Free Church General Assembly in May, the Convener, Mr. William Dickson, invited the special attention of members to several of the most important sections of it. His remarks as to what should be done in behalf of the young on Sabbath, by means of the pulpit, ought to have a wide circulation. In the course of an interesting address he said, During a pleasant holiday in the north last summer, I worshipped on a Sabbath with one of our somewhat remote congregations in the once famous Presbytery of Strathbogie. After reading the 13th chapter of Luke, there was a hush while the minister selected from it verses 18, 19, as the "text of the day for the young people." A ten minutes' address followed, on the grain of mustard seed," so interesting and pointed, that, after the services, I petitioned the minister that I might have it for the Children's Record, in which it thereafter appeared. The address was followed by an affectionate and touching prayer for the children, that the blessing of God might rest upon them, wherever in after-life their lot might be cast. When it is remembered, as shewn in the report, that this practice, which the committee has year by year been urging on the attention of the Assembly, is now spreading all over the Church, is there not cause for abundant thankfulness? If for twenty years the Sabbath school committee had done no further good than this, may it not be said that it has not existed in vain? Who can tell what a means of blessing this weekly "word to the young," in whatever form given, may prove to the generations to come? And that, not only in the good words spoken by the minister, but in the wondrous power, in encouraging to do good, and in restraining from evil, which may be I exercised upon many of those young people, perhaps during all their future lives, by the affectionate and hallowed associations connected with the Church of their childhood. Some years ago, as referred to in the report, much feeling existed as to the prevalence of the so-called “Children's Church," as being the occasion of withdrawing the children from attendance with their parents at public worship. The opinion was expressed in the Assembly that in so far as concerned congregational children, the evil, if it were one, had, in many cases, its root in the lack of interest and attractiveness to the young in the ordinary worship of the sanctuary; and that "if no food convenient were provided for them at the family meal, it was scarcely to be wondered at that a side-table apart should be found for the children." In the largely extended recognition now given to the young, and in the special provision now so generally made for them in the Sabbath services, it is believed that the ground is being rapidly cut from under the formerly alleged necessity, while the "Children's Portion" is not only an attraction and enjoyment to the young people, but is not less welcomed and enjoyed by their parents. Another matter in which the report reveals most encouraging progress is in the fostering care exercised by kirk-sessions over the Sabbath schools in connection with their respective congregations. The amount of systematic and kindly supervision bestowed, by visitation of deputies and otherwise, cannot fail not only greatly to consolidate the Sabbath schools, but greatly to encourage both teachers and scholars. In an important sense the session, from its constant opportunities of personal contact with the work, has more in its power to help and encourage than even any of the superior courts of the Church. One of the most cheering records ever presented in a report of the committee will be found in the notes this year from congregations in reference to the "Children's Day." As stated in the report, "with what intense interest and success that proposal has now for three years been carried out, there is abundant and most gratifying evidence. There is no part of the Church's operation in connection with the young which has so frequently been spoken of as an occasion of spiritual profit and enjoyment, or in connection with which the purpose of it has been more amply fulfilled." As to the enjoyment, such testimonies as the following have a peculiar and significant interest :—“ Day observed, and greatly enjoyed;" All the services well attended, and heartily enjoyed; "Services greatly enjoyed by all;" "Services enjoyed both by parents and children; »"These services are looked forward to with pleasure alike by old and young ; " "It was a most delightful season." The "Children's Day" seems truly to have been a means, by the blessing of God, of turning the hearts of the fathers to the children, and of the children to the fathers. As it is beautifully put from Crailing, Presbytery of Jedburgh, "We have our 'Missions Day' and our 'Temperance Day,' but our Children's Day' touches the deepest sympathies of the people." 66 A question of considerable practical difficulty has arisen as to what season or Sabbath in the year is the best for the "Children's Day." Obviously no day can be appointed which will be equally convenient for all; but if only a special Sabbath be observed, it is of course comparatively unimportant although a different day be taken, as has already, in some cases, been done, according to circumstances. As the result of consideration by the committee, and in view of the opinions elicited at the Sabbath school conference held during the present Assembly, it is suggested that the day to be appointed for the present year be Sabbath, 11th October. Let me only further refer to the earnest and spiritual tone, in connection with the whole subject of Sabbath school work, which so perceptibly pervades the congregational notes contained in this report. While it is manifestly accepted as the teacher's first study to seek skilfully and successfully to store the scholar's mind with the word and truth of God, it seems never to be lost sight of that this is but as means to the great end, the present conversion of the scholar. Yet is it not to be feared that many, even while professing this, seem practically scarcely to believe it? On the one hand there may be over haste, but on the other may there not be over slowness, to believe that the Spirit of God is touching the heart? It were well for us in this to "take heed that we offend not one of these little ones." When the "flax," however feebly, seems beginning to smoke, let us thankfully welcome the faintest indication of spiritual life when it comes. And is there not something peculiarly heavenly in a clearly marked case of grace in childhood-in the wonderful illumination of mind when God's most sure testimony is thus making the simple wise? The babe in Christ, unentangled by doubts and doubtful experiences, finds salvation and peace by simply looking in the face of Jesus. Let me give an illustration which occurred several years ago in the pastoral experience of a much-respected minister and member of this Assembly. A little boy, a Sabbath scholar, was ill of fever; after a visit from his minister, who had indicated to his mother that he feared he was not likely to recover, his mother asked “Roby” if he thought he would be afraid to die. His answer was, "No, mother; I ken Jesus, and Jesus kens me, and I'm no feared." The boy died soon after. It is for such fruits as these that the true Sabbath school teacher works, and waits, and prays. The week-day teacher's is a noble profession, with its daily opportunities of training the young, even for this world, in all that is lovely and of good report; but to the many thousands of my dear fellow-labourers in this field throughout the Church let me humbly say, that nobler still is the work in which they are engaged, not for the mere purpose of personal enjoyment, or denominational aggrandisement, but as workers together with God in the winning of souls. It is somewhere recorded of a soul-seeking minister of old times, that when preaching from the words, "Behold what manner of love," he said that he wondered how men could refrain, when in the pulpit, from crying, in their fulness of heart, "I'm a minister of Christ! I'm a minister of Christ!" Have not our labourers, when they realize the blessedness of their work, some cause in like manner to cry, within their own souls, "I'm a Sabbath school teacher! I'm a Sabbath school teacher!" In view of all that is doing, have we not cause to say, in the words from Fortwilliam quoted in the report, "Much encouraged in the past, we look forward with hopefulness to the future"? Moderator, I think it right and respectful to the house to say, before sitting down, that for a considerable time it had been my purpose to |