PICTORIAL teaching is only a slightly different form of Bible illustration, and, therefore, will appropriately follow the previous subject.

It presents, first, pictures and maps to the pupils for examination, in order that they may get a clearer view of truth. It consists, secondly, more particularly in picturing out in words, or in vivid, graphic description, so that the truth will appear real to the imagination of the child. It awakens interest and deepens impression, and all good teachers avail themselves, more or less, of its power.

"But," says a quiet teacher, "all this must be graphically done." I reply: "Of course it must;" and the answer returns: "Well, I can't use it, then, for I am not graphic." I will give all such teachers a recipe that will render them always graphic with children. If they would dwell clearly and plainly on all the little details in their descriptions to children, they will always be graphic. The imaginations of scholars of ten or twelve years of age are so vivid that much of the teacher's power over them, to interest and impress truth, will depend largely upon this power of "word-picturing." Words containing objects largely should be most used, instead of a mass of sentiments and principles. Let the objective words preponderate.

The following statement embraces about a dozen words in principles:

"It was David's duty to know the will of God, and as he had great faith in the divine power, he went forth without reluctance to meet the foe, and the result was the death of Goliath."

Let us now transpose the sentence into objects mainly, and it will not be difficult to see which will make the clearest and best impression upon children's minds:

"Young David stood in the valley and slung a stone into the forehead of the giant, Goliath, and he fell dead upon the ground."

Abbott gives many illustrations. He says:

"You tell a man, 'He went down to the shore, and got into a boat and pushed off.' You would interest a child more if you say, 'He went down to the shore and found a boat there. One end of the boat—the front part, which they call the bow—was up against the shore, a little in the sand. The other end was out of the water, and moved up and down gently with the waves. There were seats across the boat, and two oars tying upon the seats. The man stepped upon the bow of the boat; it was fast in the mud.' And so on, describing the water under one end, and sand under the other; the one end rocking and rattling the oars, and the man walking back and pushing the boat off," etc.

Be exceedingly minute, therefore, with little children. In all the details which you describe take very short steps, and take each one distinctly. The Bible narratives are wonderfully adapted to good pictorial teaching. Bible emblems, which so abound, must be carefully pictured out; as, "The Lord God is a sun and shield," a "rock," and "refuge." "As the hart panteth," etc. Detail it so as to make the scene as real as possible to the child, and enable him to see the hart, the mountain, the water brooks, etc. Suppose you were on the lesson of the apprehension and trial of Christ:

"Children, see that crowd of people wending their way through the streets of Jerusalem! Some of them carry torches or lanterns in their hands; others have staves or swords. See, in the midst of them there walks one who looks very kind, but very sorrowful. Who is it? It is Jesus. The multitude, led on by the cruel priests, have just been to the garden of Gethsemane and hurried him away from His disciples; and now they are going to take Him before their rulers, that they may have Him put to death. Then describe the High Priest, Pilate, and Herod; the judgment hall, the drops of blood, the soldiers, and crown of thorns; the cross, the angry cries of, 'Crucify Him!'"

All this must be done with care and exactness, and before adopting it the teacher must make himself very familiar with every part, so as never to hesitate or labor in it; and then afterward call it all back by questions, in the children's own language.

Again: Suppose you wished to make a lasting impression on a child while developing a single important thought; as, for instance, the omniscience of God. Talk candidly to the child somewhat as follows:

"Mary, do you know that God knows all things? He saw Adam and Eve when they hid themselves in the trees of the garden. He saw Moses when he lay in his little ark by the side of the river. He saw Timothy when his mother taught him to read the Bible. He sees every person in the world just now. You know in Africa there are a great many millions of men and women. They are black. They are called negroes. God sees them all, and he sees the missionaries who are there teaching them God's word; and at the very some moment he sees all the people of this country, and every person in this town. He sees you, Mary. He saw you when you were a little babe in your cradle; he sees you at all your plays, and in the school; he knows what you say, and what you think; he sees every tear that falls from your eye, and every smile that plays on your cheek; he hears you sing his praises; and when you pray, Mary, God listens to everything that you ask; and when you lie down, and the room is dark and still, and there is nothing moving but your pulse, and nothing heard but your breathing, then God sees you, for the darkness and the light are both alike to Him."

Thus dwell amply on a thought until you associate it in the child's mind with many circumstances. For Bible-classes, of course, a teacher would not descend to all the details of some of these examples, yet in every age and class be graphic and life-like in word-picturing. The parables of the prodigal son, and of the good Samaritan, are divinely beautiful examples of pictorial teaching, for when our Saviour wanted to impress love to our neighbor he pictured out for us the beautiful story of the good Samaritan.

The following example is from "David Stow's Bible-training," published in Edinburgh, and is the "Training System" pictured out in words:

"As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God." Ps. xlii.1. The more common way that the pious teacher or parent takes, is to pass over the emblem, and at once proceed with the spiritual lesson—thus beginning at the end—without any natural picture having been presented to the mind's eye of the pupils, by which they maybe assisted to the analogy—as and so, as the Natural, so the Spiritual—which is so uniformly done by the Spirit of God in Scripture.

Points in the Natural Picture to be brought out.

1. Some points in the natural history of the hart—different names given to the animal—swiftness of foot—where generally lives. 2. Frequently hunted. 3. Where to flee to in a mountainous country, as Judea, when pursued—hills or valleys. 4. Heat, drought, dust—effect on the animal, particularly after running—thirst. 5. Running about seeking for water—increasing—not merely a drink, but a brook, where it may plunge in as well as drink. 6. Why, then, a brook, and not stream?—picture out a brook. 7. Brooks more likely to be found in plains—but animal pursued there. 8. The hart, heated and thirsty, therefore pants—what is panting? 9. Has the hart ever bathed in water brooks before? If not, would it have panted and longed for it? The full picturing out of these points (even in the incomplete and imperfect manner that can be done on paper) would greatly exceed our limits. The natural picture or condition of the hart being visible to the minds of the children, the analogy to the circumstances in which David was placed will appear, viz., pursued by his enemies, and especially by his own son, Absalom—fleeing to the mountains for safety—away from the sanctuary, etc., etc. He, no doubt, on seeing the harts near him panting and seeking for water brooks, mournfully and longingly expressed himself: "So panteth my soul after thee, O God."

Teacher.—I must tell you, children, before we commence our lesson, that it is supposed this psalm was written by David, who was obliged to flee from his enemies to the land of Jordan, and that when there he probably took up his abode in the mountains, away from the public worship of ... God's house, and seeing the harts running ... Where? about the hills, and panting for thirst, most likely induced him to use the ... What metaphor or emblem did he use? Look at your books. David says: "As the hart panteth after the ... water-brooks (read on, children), so panteth my soul after thee, O God."

The first thing we must speak about in this picture is the ... hart. What is a hart? Can you tell me any other names given to the hart? Stag—deer—gazelle—roe. Very right; these are the names given to ... this animal, or ... species.

Well, the name of this animal or ... species, is called ... the hart. Is it a slow or quick moving animal? Swift. It runs ... very swiftly. What countries do harts chiefly live in? Mountainous countries. Why do you think so? The Bible says, "Like a young roe upon the mountains." And a young roe is ... a young hart. Well, that is one proof that they live in the mountains; but can they live in the plains? Yes, sir; they live in plains in gentlemen's parks, which are sometimes ... plain, or nearly ... level. Very well; but when allowed to roam and run about freely and ... naturally, they ... prefer the mountains. Is the hart spoken of in the psalm supposed to live in a warm or cold country, think you? A warm country. Why? ... Bring down the map, children, and show the country or countries you suppose to be meant. (The map of Palestine is presented.) Point out those parts you think harts live in. You think the Psalmist means ... the mountainous parts of Palestine. And Palestine is ... What sort of a country? Mountainous country, and ... very hot. Now, we must get smartly on. The hart lives in ... a hot country, and in the mountainous parts of ... a hot country. How does the sun shine? Over head, nearly perpendicular, and, therefore, the great part of the year the ground must be ... very hot and dry. In what state will the soil be? Parched and dusty. And in mountainous countries, where the sun is very hot, what happens to the streams or brooks? The brooks dry up. It is then a dry and ... thirsty land, and where ... no water is. If you turn in your Bible to Job vi.15, it is said: "And as the stream of brooks they pass away,"—showing that the brooks in that hot climate are ... very apt to pass away, or ... dry up.

Tell me, children, what you mean by panting? Show me what panting is? This boy thinks it is simply opening the mouth. (Take nothing for granted.) Have you ever seen a dog walking in a very hot and dusty day, after having run a long way? Yes, sir; it opens its mouth. Does it simply open its mouth, as this boy did? It pants, this way. It feels uneasy. Why uneasy? Because it is weary and thirsty. Weary and thirsty from ... the heat; and a thirsty dog, that is weary and very ... hot, would—what would it wish? To have a drink, or, perhaps, to ... plunge in the brook. Of what had the hart drank before? The brooks. Well, the hart having both drank of ... the brook, and ... plunged in the brook before, longed and ... panted to do so again. In this sad condition, therefore—heated and ... thirsty, and running about, ... panting—how would the hart feel? Would he be satisfied to lie down? No, sir; very anxious. And what more? Longing and panting for water. Not at rest, because it ... felt—the ... want of something it could not get at ... that time; and that was ... the water brooks.

Now, let us look at the verse, and see in what state or ... condition the hart is supposed to be. Repeat it, if you please, each word, separately, slowly, and distinctly. "As, the, hart, panteth, after, the, water, brooks." What is a brook? A clear stream—not a muddy, stagnant ... pool. Do you think the hart had drank of a brook before? Yes; else it would not have panted for it. What makes the hart so very thirsty? Because it runs about the hills, where there is no water. And as the hart opens ... its mouth, and ... pants for water, and runs about, it raises the ... What do you think it raises? The dust into its mouth. And what does the dust do? Increases its thirst, and causes the hart to long more for ... the brooks—which are now ... dried up—or, perhaps, at a ... great distance. What would you expect the hart to do were it to reach a brook? Drink plentifully—and, also, ... plunge into the water. Why? To cool and ... refresh itself. The application, or spiritual lesson, is by recalling the hart, on the mountains, hunted by dogs, shot at by arrows, hot and thirsty, panting for water brooks, for a plunge-bath, and drink. So, David fleeing on the mountains for life, pursued by enemies, longing for safety, and for the public worship of God at Jerusalem, panting for the Lord's house, where God's law was read, and the true God was worshipped, etc. He desired, longed for, panted, prayed for God, the living God. Children, do you so long for, and pant after God, the living God? etc., etc.