THE WESLEYAN SUNDAY-SCHOOL MAGAZINE, AND JOURNAL OF EDUCATION. PRACTICAL PAPERS. <6 "ONE SOWETH, AND ANOTHER REAPETH." ONE NE soweth, and another reapeth." Thus has the Master expressed an abiding law of His kingdom; a law to which we may allow some few exceptions, even these often rather apparent than real; a law it becomes every worker in Christ's vineyard to recognise humbly and gratefully. Let him that sows believe with strongest, most hopeful assurance that the ripe corn shall certainly be gathered in, though by another hand; let him that reaps, while he rejoices with the joy of harvest, confess frankly that he has entered into other men's labours. To one, here and there, it has been granted to both sow and reap; favoured missionaries, apostolic and modern, have proclaimed the glad tidings of salvation in ears hitherto utter strangers to the joyful sound; and also have seen many heathen renouncing their idols, and bowing down in sincere worship before the living and true God. Generally, however, long years of patient, arduous toil have produced but little visible result; the first preachers, perhaps, have sacrificed health and life to obtain a glorious reward of faithful service in heaven, but to mark scant fruit of their labour on earth. Yet have they not spent their strength for naught. The subsequent triumphs of the Cross owe as much to them as to those by whose immediate agency the victory is won. In England, the words of a "revivalist are followed by numerous conversions; both himself and others are apt to count each convert as his own exclusive spoil, and to forget that many an appeal from the pulpit, many a prayer in the closet, many a lesson in the Sunday-school, might claim a share in the human part of the large majority of the conversions. Hundreds of blows may have been struck before the stronghold of Satan falls in any heart. The overthrow should not be ascribed to him alone VOL. IX. NEW SERIES.-January, 1874. B The mine must be bored, whose privilege it is to aim the last. the train laid, before it can be fired. ground, others store the gunpowder, and yet another apply the match. "One soweth, and another reapeth." Providence has so ordered it, that all men are mutually dependent. No one can afford to reject his brother's aid, or despise his brother's gifts. God allows us to be "workers together with" Him; He compels us to be "workers together with" each other. Thus are we preserved from undue elation and undue despondency; thus is each forced into sympathy with all. Of course the task of the reaper is the pleasanter, the more exciting. His success obtains the ready acknowledgment, the loud plaudits, of men. The quiet labour of the sower passes unnoticed and unpraised. But both are equally necessary to the harvest. The increase of the seed would be lost but for the reaper; but for the sower there could be no increase at all. It is not for us to choose our station; only to see to it that we perform its duties faithfully and well. By and by, “both he that soweth and he that reapeth" shall "rejoice together." No jealousy, no rivalry, no disputes as to their respective meeds, shall mar the hallowed satisfaction with which both shall contemplate the sheaves safely garnered. Each shall esteem the other better than himself: both shall agree in ascribing all glory to Him in Whose name they wrought. Hence another consideration arises. Sower and reaper receive wages from the Great Husbandman. He watches the work with unceasing interest; He values it with unerring accuracy. The principle of His valuation differs altogether from that employed by men. He rewards, not success, but faithfulness. According to our diligence, earnestness, love to and faith in Himself, is His approval proportioned. Our actual achievements may be very slight, almost worthless, as the two mites the widow cast into the treasury; the Master may estimate our devotion as highly as her sacrifice. Compare the parables of the Talents (Matt. xxv. 14—30; Luke xix. 11—27) and the Pounds. In the first, the good servants all show the same ratio of increase, each has doubled his original loan. To all is the same commendation given, all enter into the joy of their Lord. It matters not that one has gained five talents, the other but two; they have evidenced equal faithfulness. Beyond question had the "wicked and slothful servant" been able to return two talents for the one entrusted to him, he, too, would have received ONE SOWETH, AND ANOTHER REAPETH." 3 the same benefit. In the second Parable all start on equal terms, then the reward is measured by the increase; ten pounds obtain ten cities, five pounds but five. In both parables the reason of the reward is stated—because thou hast been faithful. The true worth of the increase is that it is the outcome of faithfulness. The latter, not the former, is commended and crowned. Enduring, self-denying labour, uncheered by ascertained success, manifests faithfulness at least as brightly as that to which is vouchsafed the constant stimulus of visible effect. Moreover, the Omniscient never forgets or overlooks the works of any of His servants. His eye is ever over each of us. Able to read with perfect certainty the secrets of the heart, He can take, in the fullest sense, the will for the deed, the attempt for the achievement. To all seeming, we may fail to accomplish anything; we may fancy despondently that our earnest efforts are as unnoticed as they are ineffectual: He has marked all; and, in His own time, will acknowledge all. Those whom we try to save may be indifferent, but not He: 66 Boldly thy bread upon the waters throw; Motives, endeavours are ours; consequences God's. To such thoughts as these most Christian workers have turned for comfort, when, weary, disappointed, heart-sick from hope deferred, they have contemplated the slight impression their strenuous exertions have produced. Sunday-school teachers, in particular, are prone to take gloomy views of their usefulness. They sow the seed abundantly, frequently water it with prayers and tears; comparatively rarely do they reap. "Be of good cheer: " "your labour is not in vain in the Lord." Be faithful; be zealous; be patient: the weighty sheaves under which others stagger home; the rich, full ears you gaze at half enviously, are the thirty, sixty, hundred fold increase of the live grains you planted. It is a stale story now how the hymns, prayers, texts, lessons, influences of the Sunday-school, have brought back prodigals, encouraged penitents, rescued from sin those who had sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord. For the precious seed of the Kingdom possesses intense inherent vitality. It is never safe to pronounce it dead; it may remain buried year after year, and yet become fruitful at last. At the tribunal of final award, your once unheeded labour shall be remembered and proclaimed. Yet, after all, are you sure that you have deserved success? Have you even done your best to attain it? Your class has been indifferent and inattentive. Have you really tried to interest them? The lessons of one Sabbath are forgotten the next. Have you taken pains to impress your instruction upon your scholars' memories? Above all, you have marked no signs of good, much less any conversions. Have you expected any? Have you talked seriously and affectionately to your pupils about their souls. Are you-forgive the question-converted yourself? Teachers must not rest content with perfunctorily performing the routine of their duty. Teaching of the right stamp is intelligent as well as earnest; suitable as well as sound. Nor does your responsibility cease when you leave the school-room. Absent scholars, specially the sick, should be visited at their own homes. Show your interest in the children in every possible way. Remember that your whole behaviour is intently watched, your example copied. It cannot be denied that too frequently something very unlike godliness is learned in Sunday-schools; too often in them are fostered habits of disorder, unpunctuality, irreverence for and listlessness in the house of God. We have known schools which-whatever good purpose they may have served-have bred in the scholars a positive distaste for and dislike of the sacred Scriptures. The class stands round the teacher, and reads chapter after chapter in wearisome monotony; not one word of explanation is vouchsafed, nor a single question put. What wonder if the tired children rejoice to escape to the chapel, where the livelier spirits interrupt and annoy the preacher with irrepressible fidgetiness, the quieter forget their misery in refreshing slumber. Add that the scholars have probably spent the half-hour before school-time in boisterous play in the chapel-yard, or on the road in front of the school-room; that the Superintendent has opened the school alone, the teachers dropping in one by one during singing and prayer-what fruit can come of such labour? An extreme case, you say. Just so: but one sadly too common, nevertheless. Some features of the picture are reproduced, to a greater or less extent, by a large number of Sundayschools in the country. Let us be careful to avoid the slightest approach to any of the faults indicated. For most of them, the remedy lies within the teacher's own power to devise and apply. As to the Lessons, our "List" furnishes a selection of suitable subjects; our "Exercises" supply material for the teacher's use. Bear in mind, however, that they are not designed to spare you the trouble of thorough preparation, but simply to assist you therein. They are not Outline Lessons, but "Exercises" wherewith you may train yourself previous to meeting your class. How are you to use them? First, with their aid, be sure that you SCHOOL SKETCHES. understand the meaning of the Scripture; that you can answer any inquiry likely to be made; that you can explain every allusion to the history and geography, (a map is indispensable,) to the manners and customs of the East. Hunt up every reference; none are inserted unnecessarily. Ponder the Reflections; think how you can enforce and apply them to the circumstances of your scholars. As a rule, it is advisable to take the Reflections as they are placed in the Exercise; sometimes in the body of the Lesson, sometimes thrown together at its close. Never carry the Notes with you to school. We have seen teachers actually reading from the printed page, of course to an inattentive class. A read Sunday-school lesson is worse than a read sermon; the scholars see how helpless and dependent their teacher is. The references may be jotted down; no more. Not even the Illustration should be read, whenever its substance can be retained in the memory. However carefully you may be prepared, upon your earnestness, your skill in eliciting replies from your class, your authority over them, will much of the success of your lesson hang. But no cleverness, no fluency, will atone for the neglect of previous thought and study. Above all, work in dependence upon God, in His name, for His sake; work prayerfully; work hopefully; work humbly. him plant who can; let him water who will; let him reap who may always alike, it is God that giveth the increase. "So then neither is he that planteth anything, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour." (1 Cor. iii. 7, 8.) J. R. G. SCHOOL SKETCHES. EVA'S NEW-YEAR'S GIFTS. It was on the evening of New-Year's Day when Robert B- unexpectedly and hurriedly entered the parlour where for the last half-hour his sister had been sitting alone. "O, Eva, I am so sorry!" he said kindly, when he saw that the interruption had startled her from a reverie, and that traces of recent tears were on her face. "I came to share your gladness," Robert continued, "but if anything troubles you, and sympathy in sorrow would be more acceptable, just let me know, and you may command any amount." "I am not very sorry," said Eva; but now the tears again fell rapidly, and Robert seemed quite at a loss. Thinking it was only some trifling disappointment that his sister was mourning, he endeavoured to attract her thoughts to other matters, so |