SUNDAY-SCHOOL DEPARTMENT. many responses to the call, and we have the assurance that the Home will be rebuilt. Many boys and girls, have offered up sacrifices which are rising up to Heaven as sweet incense on the altar of God. We thank the Lord that He has put it into the hearts of His people to do these liberal things; but the question still confronts us: Have we done our best? BE PROMPT. Let no time be wasted. Unless it is generally known that the services will begin precisely at the appointed hour, teachers and scholars will be sure to become irregular and careless. There should be no time spent by the officers during school hours, in selecting hymns, and reading-lessons. All this should be attended to before the opening of the school. Are there not many Sunday Schools, families, and individual Christians, who have not yet enjoyed the delight of It is a good thing to have a black-making a special contribution to this board, or large slate, on which to write noble cause? Can we rest satisfied the numbers of the hymns, so that the without doing our part? Remember scholars may be ready to join promptly too that it is not enough to contribute in singing them. to the rebuilding of the Home; we must provide for the constantly recurring wants of the inmates. hope the Sunday Schools will not fail to do their full duty in this respect. We There should be no appearance of haste, of course, but the order of exercises should move "like clock-work." As soon as children are left unemployed they instinctively feel that they might as well be somewhere else, and begin to long for green fields, and babbling brooks; surely, there is no advantage in detaining them longer than is necessary for worship and instruction. To superintendents no less than to pastors, we commend the advice of Luther, in which he inculcated promptness, earnestness, and brevity: "Tret frisch auf! · THE ORPHANS. • Are we doing our best for the Orphans? Our hearts thrilled when we heard that they had lost their beautiful Home; and when we read Dr. Bausman's tender appeal, we all determined to do our best to relieve their necessities. Well! There have been AN EXPLODED IDEA. The exploded idea that the Sundaystill to exist in the minds of too many, school is only for little children seems especially of many of the numerous vollistening, or trying to listen, to the unteer Sunday-school address-makers. In "few remarks to the dear lambs" with which twenty-five out of the sixty minutes of a school session were wasted, we have thought to ourselves, "Well, if many such baby-talks are made here, it is a wonder that any but infants come to the school at all!" At other times, where the scholars over fourteen years of age outnumbered the younger ones five to one, we have almost felt with the older majority like resenting as an insult the constant appeals to "My dear little friends," and "dear children," and the silly stories told in silly language and tone, in order to "illustrate" a truth already clear and becomes familiar, of betraying his real fully understood even by the youngest. want of courtesy. We are all in danger Some superintendents even still have an of living too much for the outside world, evil practice of addressing the school the impression which we make in as "dear children." If there is any-society, coveting the good opinions of thing that boys and girls, to say nothing those who are in a sense a part of ourof men and women, dislike, it is to be selves, and who continue to sustain and talked to as if they were babies. It be interested in us notwithstanding these destroys all the good effects an address defects of deportment and character. might otherwise have. It is, indeed, a We say to every boy and to every girl, little matter only, but it is one of no cultivate the habits of courtesy and prolittle importance. We all dislike con- priety at home-in the sitting-room and descension and a patronizing tone and kitchen, as well as in the parlor-and manner addressed to us. And the you will be sure in other places to deyounger we are the more sensitive we port yourself in a becoming and attracare.-Moravian. tive manner. When one has a pleasant smile, and a graceful demeanor, it is a satisfaction to know that these are not put on, but that they belong to the and under all circumstances.-Sunday character, and are manifest at all times School Classmate. MANNER. One of the most prominent public men of our time said lately: "I have lived sixty-three years in the world, and have come in contact. with all ranks and quality of men; but I have never met one who, when I spoke to him with sincerity and courtesy, would not reply to me in like manner." This testimony is the more valuable as it comes from a man who probably possesses more personal popularity than any living American, and who owes it to the magnetic charm of his sincerity and courtesy of manner. HASTY WORDS. Half the actual trouble of life would be saved if people would but remember that silence is golden-when they are irritated, vexed, or annoyed. To feel provoked or exasperated at a trifle when the nerves are exhausted is perhaps natural to us, in our imperfectly sanctified state. But why put the annoyance into shape of speech, which once uttered is remembered, which may burn like a blistering wound, or rankle like a poisoned arrow? If a child be trying, or "I showed them that I trusted them by my manner," was her secret. Dorothy Dix, who visited almost every prison in the United States, said that she had never received once a rude word from a convict, no matter how de-a friend capricious, or a servant unrea graded he might have been. sonable, be careful what you say. Do not speak while you feel the impulse of anger, for you will be almost certain to say too much, to say more than your cooler judgment will approve, and to speak in a way that you will regret. Be silent till the "sweet by-and-by," when you shall be calm, rested, and self-con There is no personal quality which young people are so apt to neglect as this, of an attractive, magnetic manner, which is so much more potent and enduring a charm than the beauty of face and figure which they prize so trolled.--Christian Intelligencer. highly. HOME POLITENESS. A boy who is polite to his father and mother, is likely to be polite to every one else. A boy lacking politeness to his parents may have the semblance of courtesy in society, but is never truly polite in spirit, and is in danger, as hel The smallest bark on life's tumultuous ocean, We should be wary, then, who go before A myriad yet to be, and we should take our wake. LESSON I. Palm Sunday. The Mission of the Twelve. MARK 6:1-13. { 1. THE SAVIOUR REJECTED. Vs. 1-6. GOLDEN TEXT: “He that receiveth you receiveth me; and he that receiveth me, receiveth him that sent me." Matt. 10: 40. CATECHISM. Ques. 14. Can there be found anywhere one, who is a mere creature, able to satisfy for us? Ans. None; for first, God will not punish any other creature for the sin which man hath com to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits; 8. And commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse; 9. But be shod with sandals; and not put on two coats. 10. And he said unto them, In what place soever ye enter into a house, there abide till ye depart from that place. 11. And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city. 12. And they went out and preached that men should repent. 13. And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them. INSTRUCTION. Verse 1. Thence, from Capernaum. His own country, Nazareth. 3. Joseph was a carpenter, and Jesus had also worked at that trade. Brothers and sisters; perhaps children of Joseph by a former marriage. 6. Villages, small towns near Nazareth. 7. The twelve, the Apostles. Two and two, inentioned only by Mark. 8. Nothing, "for the laborer is worthy of his hire." Scrip, a leather bag, or wallet, hung over the shoulder, to carry provisions. Money, brass or copper; they should not even take the smallest amount. 9. Sandals, the commonest protection for the soles of the feet. Two coats; long garments; one was enough. Not go from house to house. 11. Shake off dust, in token that all fellowship was at an end. Sodom, etc., the cities destroyed by fire. 10. April 2, 1882. mitted; and further, no mere creature can sustain the burden of God's eternal wrath against sin, so as to deliver others from it. 6. What caused Jesus to marvel, or wonder? II. THE TWELVE SENT OUT. Vs. 7-13. 7. To whom did He send the twelve? Matt. 10: 5-6. Did they all go together? 8. What command did He give them? From what were they to be free? Is selfdenial becoming ministers? 9. Why not two coats? 10. Whence should they have their support? See 1 Cor. 9: 14. 11. What is meant by shaking off the dust? What shall become of those who reject the gospel? Had Sodom rejected the Saviour? 12. Did the Apostles preach a new doctrine? What had John and Jesus preached? 13. What success had the Apostles? s Keynote for Palm Sunday.-"Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout. O daughter of Jerusalem. behold thy King cometh unto thee: He is just, and having salvation, lowly, and riding upon an ass. And His dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth." Zechariah 9: 9-10. These words describe Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday; and wherever the twelve and their successors go preaching, the great King comes in His power to bless and save. Let the Church receive her glorious King with glad hosannas. LESSON 1. APRIL 2d, 1882. and therefore only to those in whom a germ of faith was awakened, and that, this being wanting He could not heal without violating the fundamental principle of His life. And where faith is wanting to-day and Christ is rejected, no mighty works are wrought in His name by the Gospel. His salvation is made available only where it is accepted. V. 6. He marveled. The Omniscient One is yet surprised! "All such seeming contradictions are parts of the great mystery of godliness, God manifest in the flesh." He made himself of no reputation-literally emptied Himself of certain Divine prerogatives, such as foreknowing all things. Yet He could read men's thoughts, etc. About the villages. In the surrounding villages there was not such widespread unbelief; and there He healed the sick and taught the people. II. THE TWELVE SENT OUT. Vs. 7-13. We have already learned of the call of the twelve in lesson 6, first quar He now sends them forth, two by two, to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, Mat. 10: 5, 6. They were to minister both to the physical and spiritual needs of men; especially to free them from the power of unclean spirits, v. 7. Palm Sunday. "" As I. THE SAVIOR REJECTED. Vs. 1-6. Jesus withdrew Himself from Capernaum and went with His disciples to Nazareth, where He had been brought up, and which is called "His own country.' on a former occasion, mentioned in Luke 4: 16-30, He entered into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and taught. In His previous sermon at Nazareth He chose the beautiful text from Isaiah 61: 1, and thus signified that He was the Messiah. But the people were filled with wrath, and cast him out of the Synagogue. Once more His love for His kindred and acquaintances led Him to visit them and give them an opportunity to repent and accept salvation. Again they are offended. Their prejudice so blinded them that they rejected every proof of the goodness and power of Jesus. They thought that a poor neighbor of theirs could not be a great Teacher, and they despised His words, and hindered His works. Elsewhere. His words produced such mighty works, (v. 2); butter. in His former home the carpenter was not allowed to set Himself up as a guide and teacher! They were offended at Him, v. 3. Jesus then uttered a proverb, which is true of all places and times, v. 4. Iu all the walks of life great men are least esteemed at home; but when they have passed away, their own country and kin claim the honor of having produced the famous men. Seven cities claimed to be the birth-place of the blind poet, Homer, after he was dead; but whilst living he had to seek his daily bread amongst strangers. V. 5. No mighty work. This does not mean that He had lost the power of working miracles. The impossibility was not because "He was weak, but because they were faithless." In a moral sense, He could there do no mighty works, because it would not have been consistent with the design and purpose of His Mission. Then, too, the people, having no faith in Him and despising His claims of superiority, did not present themselves for healing and deliverance as they did in other places. Among the conditions to which Christ subjected Himself on earth was this, that He put forth His power of healing only as a means of spiritual development, The spirit in which they were to go forth underlies the commands He gave them, vs. 8 and 9. It was that of selfdenial, of comparative poverty. As they went to bestow spiritual blessings on men, temporal good was to be given them in return. They that preach the Gospel shall live by the Gospel. These commands of Christ ought to be sufficient to keep lovers of money out of the ministry. At the same time, when a minister trusts in the liberality of the church, his wants ought to be cheerfully supplied, so that he can give himself wholly to his work. V. 10. The worthy are not those who deserve, but those who desire the blessings of the Gospel. With such the Apostles should abide; from others they should separate. These instructions suited the circumstances of the times. The mission of the twelve was to a "narrow district of country, and extending only for a few weeks of time, in a mild and even climate, and under a simple state of society, so that elaborate preparations were not necessary." A minister's circumstances V. 11. They that reject Christ and re- WHAT MAKES YOU SO PALE ? Probably a lack of fresh air and exercise out of doors. Housework is exercise, of course, but it has not the invigorating quality that a brisk walk in the open air has. I wish, dear Daisy, you would be persuaded to try for a month the effect of a regular walk every day, in the morning, which is the vital, exhilarating, delightful part of the day. But walking without an object is very stupid, you urge. That is true enough. Have an object. Do the marketing. Undertake some of the family errands. Go to see the poor and the sick, the people who are in trouble or weighed with some infirmity. Carry the papers that you have read to Aunty Brown, who never sees a paper unless some one lends it to her. Ask to be included in the Visiting Committee of the Sundayschool, and look after absentees. That will give you an object. Still, all the out-door exercise you can take will not make you bright and blooming if you do not eat the right sort of food. Tea and toast, coffee and warm biscuit, rich cake and pastryabove all, Daisy, the constant nibbling of sweets and candies will keep you pallid. You must eat wholesome por ridge, made of nutritious cereals; you must eat rare roast beef and steak and mutton chops, and plenty of fruit. And if you go to bed early, bathe in cold water once a day, keep your mind busy and your heart at rest, by leaving life and its orderings submissively with God, you will have what every woman needs if she would be useful and happy A friend says, "Do tell the girls to rest, and not to wear themselves out by too much pleasuring, too much studying, or, indeed, by too much of anything.' "" And that is good advice, too. But the mothers need it quite as urgently as the daughters; possibly a great deal more.-Christian Intelligencer. THE TRUE GENTLEMAN. The following sketch is called "The Portrait of the True Gentleman." It was found in an old manor-house in Gloucestershire, written and framed, and hung over the mantle-piece of a tapeestried sitting-room: "The true gentleman is God's servant, the world's master, and his own man; Virtue is his business, Study his recreation, Contentment his rest, and Happiness his reward. God is his Father, Jesus Christ his Saviour, the Saints his brethren, and all that need him his friends. Devotion is his chaplain, Chastity his chamberlain, Sobriety his butler, Temperance his cook, Hospitality his housekeeper, Providence his steward, Charity his treasurer, Plenty his mistress of the house, and Discretion his porter to let in or out, as most fit. "Thus is his whole family made up of virtue, and he is the true master of the house. He is necessitated to take the world on his way to heaven; but he walks through it as fast as he can, and all his business by the way is to make himself and others happy. Take him in two words-a Man and a Christian." Our life is but a Winter's day, |