THE work of teaching divine truth is so difficult and important that every teacher should do himself the justice to make the most clear and careful preparation. No teacher can impart more than he has prepared to teach, and he should therefore bring to his class only beaten oil, well-digested and well-adapted thoughts, something worthy of being taught, and that will command attention for their own sake. It is well for the teacher to have method and system, as well as a set time and place to begin that preparation. The time to commence, we think, should be on the afternoon or evening of the previous Sabbath, and the place in the quiet of the home circle or the study.

1. Pray and read, and read and think and PRAY over the lesson; the words and the spirit of it. Here look for the best thoughts to use.

2. Search the Scriptures with the aid of a Concordance, or good reference Bible, for the most pointed and practical parallel passages and references; they will wonderfully illuminate the lesson. 3. By aid of the Bible references, and a good dictionary, be careful to get the clear, exact meaning of the important words of the lesson, in words adapted to your class.

4. Next use your Teachers' Helps, Commentaries, Bible Geographies, Bible Dictionaries, Maps, Antiquities, etc.

5. Go out into the world and gather excellent things for illustration of the Bible truth from what you see, hear, read or do.

6. Visit your scholars' homes in the preparation of your lessons, and learn their peculiar trials and temptations. Study well your children, child-nature and child-language, "Peep of Day" and "Line upon Line" are pure specimens of child-language.

7. Get something for each pupil, for Johnny is not at all like Willy, and Willy is not like Charlie, etc. Break up Bible truths into small pieces for the children and youth. Do not wander afar for simile, but remember "knowledge is before him that understandeth, but the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth."

8. Make full notes, write out your facts and references, etc.: (a) Of your best thoughts. (b) Of your best plan of teaching. (c) The aim and object of the lesson illustrations. (d) Of the commencement and closing of the teaching lesson.

9. Think it all over so carefully and repeatedly that you will need scarcely to look at the notes to the end. Select just what to teach, and do not stuff the children. Memorize the lesson and you will have special unction in teaching.

10. Prepare more, far more, than you will want to use, that you may have ample material for selections; for no teacher can impart all that he is prepared to teach, and the teacher should be careful NEVER TO EXHAUST HIMSELF.

Finally. Do not be tied down to any one plan or method of preparing a Sabbath lesson, but invent new and fresh modes. Never suffer any part of your preparation or teaching to relapse into a dull routine. Be fresh, warm, and earnest in manner and matter, and raise yourself above leaning upon any question-books or notes of lessons; use them if you please, but do not lean upon them. The weekly teachers'-meeting is an indispensable assistant to every faithful teacher. Never forget that the only sort of knowledge which can answer a Sabbath-school teacher's purpose "must be at once thorough, detailed, abundant, and exact."

It is of the first importance that the teacher of children should study well child-nature, child-language, and all the child's characteristics—such as activity, curiosity, inquisitiveness, etc.; what are its wants and cares; its dangers and its duties; its hopes and fears; its sympathies and feelings, likes and dislikes. All these must be candidly considered if we would prepare for the position of Christian counsellor and guide to the child. We must gain its confidence, draw out its sympathies, and win its heart, and all this will require the most diligent, earnest, prayerful study. In this process the teacher must needs often recall his own childhood, and live that over again—become as a little child again—if he would become a child's teacher. Do not ever fall into the error of supposing that your children are ever too young or too ignorant to appreciate a well-prepared lesson.

After these very full directions for the teacher, I am here permitted by Mr. Ralph Wells to give the notes of his actual superintendent's preparation in the regular service of Grace Mission-school, only one week before the previous part of this article was written. The following are his exact notes:

Subject—Hypocrisy.
Time, 8 hours' intense study.
Commenced Sabbath evening previous.

1. Prayer for light. Do you?

2. Go to the Bible to see what it says.

3. Texts found. Write all out. Job xx.5; xxvii.8-10; xxxvi.13, 14. Prov. xxx.12. Psalms lxv.2-5. Ezek. xxxiii.31, 32. Matt. vi.2; xxiv.51. Luke xii.1. Mark xii.15.

4. Definition of Hypocrisy.

To seek to appear what I am not.

5. Bible Examples.

6. Look into the lesson and examples until I feel it myself.

7. Emblems.

8. Common ways for all ages.

The store, the bank, and the office.

Profession of religion for credit.

Political, on 'change, fashionable, flattering.

9. Children's Dangers.

Don't tell mother.

Boy getting my white-alley.

Desire to please teachers or gain praise.

The hypocrite lies with his hands, face, clothes, gifts.

10. Illustrations.

Photograph—Absalom's monument.

Friar—Nelly and love of Jesus.

Picture of a hypocritical saint—London beggar.

11. Absalom's double face to his father and to God.

Picture the scene. 2Sam. xv.1-13.

12. Hypocrisy.

Its meaning.

Its folly.

Its causes.

Its end.