tion in which religious, is detached from secular instruction. Amidst all the speaking and writing on this subject, we scarcely remember having seen any reference made to the case of Holland, where the experiment appears to have been tried for some time; Mr. Chambers, however, writes as a partisan, and his opinions need further corroboration.

SKETCH OF A BIBLE LESSON.

THE MIRACULOUS DRAUGHT OF FISHES. ST. LUKE V. 1—11.

HEADS OF THE LESSON.

1. The meanings of the principal words and phrases.

2. The chief points to be illustrated.

3. The application, or the practical lessons.

I.

Pressed upon him standing by-prayed him-thrust outlaunch out a draught-nevertheless-partners-beckoned - from henceforth, &c.

Pressed upon him, crowded him.

Standing by, drawn up on the shore.

Prayed him, asked him; requested him.

Thrust out, push the boat from the shore.

Launch out, row the boat further out into deep water.

A draught, the quantity of fish caught in a net at one time.
Nevertheless, though this has been the case.

Partners, those that laboured with them; those who had a share of what was caught.

Beckoned, made signs.

From henceforth, from this time.

II.

(a) The people crowd around Christ-(6) the Lake of Gennesaret— (c) he enters a ship and teaches the people-(d) the command to Simon, and the answer- -(e) The net in the sea, and the result.

(a) After going over all Galilee, we read that Christ went to his home, or the place where he was accustomed to live. Who knows the name of this place? Capernaum. Well, this town is called "his own city;" because he resided here more frequently than anywhere else. The disciples also had returned to their homes, and to their callings or occupations. What was their occupation? They were fishers.

One day our Saviour leaves Capernaum; he passes through the city, and directs his steps to the borders of the lake. Many persons follow him; the numbers gradually increase; and by the time the shore of the sea is reached they have swelled to a mighty multitude. They press him; they crowd around him, so that he has a difficulty in moving. And why did they thus follow, and press, and crowd? To hear the word of God: to hear One speak whose words were full of wisdom," who spake as never man spake."

Examination.

Where is the lesson taken from? Give the title of the lesson. To what place is Christ said to have gone? What is this city called in reference to Christ? Why so? Where was Capernaum? How were the disciples employed whilst Christ lived here? What happened on the day he left his home? What do you mean by pressed upon him? Why did they do this?

(b) The lake by which he stood is known by various names. It is called the Sea of Tiberias, the Sea of Chinnereth, the Lake of Gennesaret. This is a beautiful piece of water; it is surrounded by hills, and through its centre flows the river Jordan. Many boats, no doubt, at this time were on its surface, carrying goods and people from the one side to the other.* Here and there you might have seen pieces of cork or wood floating on the water, and, if you had looked very attentively, you might have perceived that to these were fastened large nets. These nets were made of twine, and their use was to catch the fish, which were found in great abundance in this inland lake or sea. Examination.

By what names is this lake known? Where is this lake? Why is it called a sea? What waters flow through it? What is the Jordan? What may we suppose in reference to the lake at this time? What is a net? How are nets kept from sinking? &c.

(c) When Christ came to the side of the sea he beheld two little ships or boats drawn up upon the beach; or, as the Bible says, "standing by the lake." There were no persons in them; their owners had just left them; but, if you look to one side of these little vessels, you will perceive strong, powerful men very busily engaged. These are the owners of the vessels. Now, see what they are doing. They are cleaning and washing their nets, mending them where they are broken, so that they may be in a fit state to cast into the sea when the fishermen require them.

Into one of these ships did the Saviour enter, because the people pressed upon him. They were anxious to hear him speak; and, as Christ never allowed an opportunity of doing good to pass, he prayed Simon, or Peter, to thrust or push his boat a little from the land. This he did that all might hear him. He sits down, as was the custom; the mighty hum of human voices is stilled; every eye is turned upon the Son of man; and every ear drinks in the draughts of heavenly wisdom. The discourse is ended; slowly the multitudes disperse, and now and then you may see some one turn to take another look of Him who was so meek and mild, so full of compassion, and who spake as one having authority.

Examination.t

(d) When the multitudes were dispersing, our Saviour turns to Peter, the owner of the boat, and requests him to" launch out into the

* -Josephus tells us there were 230 boats on this lake, each attended by four or five men.

† Question before proceeding to the next head.

deep;" that is, to row the boat away from the shore into the deep water, and to let down the net into the sea, This Peter might have refused; for lately he had met with no success: but, no! listen to his words; "Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing; nevertheless, at thy word, I will let down the net."

For hours had these fishermen toiled upon the lake: they had pulled up their nets in one place and let them down in another; and this had they been doing all the night; and yet, on every occasion, they had met with no success. Worn out, and perhaps dispirited, they had made for shore early in the morning, and were washing their nets at the time Christ appeared. But no sooner does He give the command to Peter than the net is put in its proper place; the vessel is rowed out into the deep, and the net gradually sinks into the sea.

Examination.

(e) The command is given to take up the net; they begin to draw it towards them, and at the first pull they feel that they have been successful. But, as it comes nearer, the weight increases; and at last the net snaps or breaks here and there, because it is not strong enough to support the immense multitude of fishes which it has enclosed. Nay, they were obliged to get help. They made signs or beckoned to their partners, the owners of the other boat, to come and assist them. The net at last is emptied; the boats are filled, so much so that they began to sink; and, on beholding such a miracle as this, the disciples were filled, as well they might be, with wonder and amazement. Peter "fell down at Jesus' knees," and feeling how unworthy he was to be in the presence of so high and holy a Being, says, " Depart from me for I am a sinful man, O Lord."

But

But Christ calms their fears with tenderness and mildness, and declares, that from henceforth they shall catch men; that is, they shall be his apostles and disciples, the ministers of his gospel, whose business shall be to win men to the truth, that they may be saved. "And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all and followed him."

Examination.
III.

1. We should be anxious to hear the word of God (v. 1).

2. We should obey the commands of God (v. 5).

3. The faith of Peter (v. 5).

4. That Jesus is almighty (v. 6).

5. Humility (v. 8).

6. We should be willing to give up all for Christ's sake (v. 11). 7. We should always be ready to assist our brethren (v. 7).

W. M'L.

ON QUESTIONING.

No. III.

WORDS, figures, and facts are the primary elements in which the pupil's thoughts are formed and exercised; laws and principles are

left to occupy his riper judgment, and to form the basis of opinions and convictions. Much of the business of the school is necessarily mechanical, but little exercises the memory, and less the reasoning powers. Even where the mathematics are professedly read, to direct and engage the understanding, equations may be satisfied by formulas, without any reference to first principles, and demonstrations may be repeated without a single effort of the mind. That mode of questioning can alone aid in expanding the intellect which brings the pupil to a reflective pause; for though smartness in the scholar is not undesirable, it is sometimes apt to foster superficiality.

The rage for catechism and dialogue, which many years ago infected school literature, arose from the almost universal neglect of oral questioning in schools, Until lately, the absurdity of the scholar's committing to memory both the question and answer was not only tolerated but commanded, though it ought to be evident to every one that the very object aimed at is defeated thereby. It is a favourable symptom of progress in teaching that this style of conveying instruction is fast disappearing from our school-books. As all questions are problems, the ideas contained negatively in the interrogatives being the data, and the answers the solutions, the judgment is more fitly exercised by those questions in which the answer is a deduction from the proposition; a class of questions is thus formed which may be called inferential. For this reason, questions in mental arithmetic, and particularly those questions in proportion where the ratio of the first and second terms is integral, afford an excellent exercise to the reasoning powers. There are few branches of study to which this mode of questioning may not be applied, but it is not advisable to apply it to subjects which do not admit of inferential questioning. Here, as indeed in every other point of questioning, much depends on the skill of the catechist in observing the proper mean between a simplicity which falls below the capacity of the pupil, and an abstruseness which goes beyond it.

In speaking of the necessity of a correct mode of questioning we cannot overlook the importance of reversing, at times, the position of the examiner and the examined, by inviting the pupils to suggest for an answer any questions upon the subject in hand. A distant and magisterial authority may thus be agreeably changed into a familiarity, which still commands respect and obedience.

W. T. Y.

ON READING.

GOOD reading is a rare attainment in our schools. Impressive reading superadds to this some degree of adaptation of the tone of voice to the character of the subject, and of the style. Instead of it, we meet with a lifeless, drawling, monotonous style, by which the sense of the author is obscured, lost, or perverted. In such cases reading is a mechanical not an intellectual process. We can scarcely call this an attainment. An ability to read to this extent can be of little benefit to a pupil. It will not induce him, after he has left school, to read for

amusement or instruction. Before he will do this reading must have ceased to be a task. He must have acquired the power of reading with fluency and intelligence. If he does acquire this power, the benefit, great though it be to himself as a means of intellectual advancement, will not be exhausted upon himself, but will in many cases extend to his parents. "It is of great moment that as many as possible among the poor should be able to read aloud, so as to be well understood and listened to with pleasure. It tends to make home more attractive, and to relieve the weariness of the sick bed; to increase the poor man's comforts and supports; to civilize and christianize him." When laid on a bed of sickness, the poor will sometimes listen to their own children reading "the words of consolation," when the tones of a stranger's voice would be unwelcome. We have known instances of this ourselves.

Archbishop Whately, in his Rhetoric, says, "The object of correct reading is to convey to the hearers, through the medium of the ear, what is conveyed to the reader by the eye; to put him in the same situation with him who has the book before him; to exhibit to them, in short, by the voice, not only each word, but also all the stops, paragraphs, italic characters, notes of interrogation, &c., which his sight presents to him. His voice seems to indicate to them, 'thus and thus it is written in the book or manuscript before me.'"

Every teacher is aware that to teach a pupil to read correctly and impressively is no easy task. One reason of this is, that it is the result of a combination of subordinate attainments in a greater degree perhaps than other branches of elementary knowledge.

Notices of Books.

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W. R.

ON THE STUDY OF WORDS: FIVE LECTURES ADDRESSED TO THE PUPILS
AT THE DIOCESAN TRAINING SCHOOL, WINCHESTER. BY RICHARD
CHENEVIX TRENCH, B.D., VICAR OF ITCHENSTOKE ; EXAMINING
CHAPLAIN TO THE LORD BISHOP OF OXFORD; AND PROFESSOR OF
DIVINITY, KING'S COLLEGE, LONDON.
John W. Parker and Son.)

12mo. pp. 148. (London:

THE following extract from the "Introductory Lecture," will best explain the kind of study which Mr. Trench proposes :—

"There are few who would not readily acknowledge that in worthy books is laid up and hoarded the greater part of the treasures of wisdom and knowledge which the world has accumulated; and that chiefly by aid of these they are handed down from one generation to another. My purpose in the present, and in some succeeding lectures, which, by the kindness of your Principal, I shall have the opportunity of addressing to you here, is to press on you something different from this; namely, that not in books only, which all acknowledge, nor yet in connected oral discourse, but often also in words contemplated each one apart from others and by itself, there are boundless stores of moral and historic truth, and no less of passion and imagination, laid up, lessons of infinite worth which we may derive from them, if only our attention is awakened to their existence. I wish to show you, though with teaching such as you enjoy the matter will not be new to you, how well it will repay you to study the words which you are in the habit of using or of meeting, be they such as relate to highest spiritual