THE INFANT & JUNIOR CLASSES.-SEP., 1883. BIBLE LESSONS.

September 2.-Death of Samson.-JUDGES xvi. 21-31.

Samson.-What did our last lesson tell us about the evil which God brought How did He deliver them from that evil? One upon the people of Israel? Some were wise to know what was best to be judge after another was raised up. done. Some were great warriors, who led the people to fight against their enemies, and helped them to overcome them. One of these judges was Samson. God gave him strength above that of other men, and he was the judge, i.e., the ruler and leader of Israel for twenty years. At that time their great foes were the Philistines, a strong fierce people, whose land was near the Israelites, and who troubled and injured them for a long time. Samson did them much harm. Again and again he fought against them, sometimes with others, sometimes alone. His great strength enabled him to drive back the Philistines many times, and to slay While Samson walked in the many of them, so that they greatly feared him. fear of God he was kept in safety. But after a time he did wrong, God left him, and he lost his great strength. Then the Philistines took him. They were glad to have their great foe in their power, and made

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Hear about this, and Samson a Prisoner. -They treated him very cruelly. what they did to him (ver. 21). Soon after they did this the "lords" and chief people gathered together in great numbers to see Samson, and to make mock of him. He was brought forth in his blindness and stood helpless there, as hearts were merry,' while he made sport before them. How sad was this scene! A judge of Israel, to whom God had given strength, now the sport of his enemies, while they "praised their god," and offered sacrifice to him, because they said he had delivered Samson into their hand. It is thus that those who are not true to God may bring His holy name into contempt.

The death of Samson.-Describe the scene as given in verses 25-27. The great house, built around the open space, crowded in every part and on the roof with the chief men and women; Samson, blind and sad, led by the hand of a lad, his And now came the being led up to the pillars, on which the house stood, etc.

end. Samson prayed for strength; how earnestly he prayed, "only this once." God heard and answered his prayer. He felt the return of the great strength he once had. See how he uses it (ver. 30). Bowing "with all his might" he pulls down the strong pillars. For a moment or two the house shook, then came the crash and the fall, and amidst the cries of those within and upon it, Samson So the died, and slew at his death more than all he had slain in his life. enemies of God and of His. people were destroyed, and the Israelites for a time were free.

September 9.-Ruth and Naomi.-RUTH i. 14-22.

Sorrow in a strange land.-This is a sad and tender story of a life lived long ages ago. A great and sore famine had come in the land of Israel. There had been no rain for a long time, and the seeds could not grow in the hard, parched earth. The fruits of the earth did not ripen, and there was a lack of food for the people. So that some left Canaan and sought a home in other lands. Naomi and her husband did this, and took their two sons with them. This family had lived in the pleasant land of Bethlehem in Judea. Of whom do you think as you hear that place named? But it was not till hundreds of years had passed away, after Naomi and her family had gone forth, that "Jesus was born in Bethlehem. They went to the land of Moab and settled there. The two sons of Naomi each married a wife of that land, and for a time they dwelt happily. But sorrow came. First, "Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died.' Years passed, and her two sons "died also, both of them, and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband." With a heavy heart Naomi "arose with her two daughters-in-law, that she might return" to her own land again, for she had heard that the Lord had taken away the sore famine, and given His people bread.

Ruth's choice.-Naomi remembered that her daughters-in-law belonged to the land she was leaving, and though she loved them very much, she bade them return each to her own mother's home again. They loved her too, and "lifted up their voice and wept " as they thought of parting from her, and wished to go with her to her own people. But she spoke to them in tender words, of the happy days that were gone, and of the sorrow they had borne together, and told them it was better for their sakes that they should leave her and go back to their father's home again. (Read ver. 14.) "Ruth clave unto her." What does that mean? Naomi reminded her that her sister-in-law had gone back to her friends. But Ruth's love for Naomi was greater than for her own friends. Hear the words she said-(read verses 16, 17). How great and how tender the love of Ruth for Naomi. But something even better is made clear to us. Ruth had learnt to love Naomi's God. The gods of Moab were idols, and Ruth now chose the Lord God of Israel. How blessed that choice was. And now Naomi gladly consented to take Ruth with her (ver. 18).

At home again.-"So they two went until they came to Bethlehem." There were many there who remembered Naomi, and how she and her husband and her two sons went away, long years ago. When the news spread that she was come back again, "all the city was moved about them;" and in glad surprise they said as they saw her, Is this Naomi? Naomi's heart was full. As she looked on the faces of those whom she had known as neighbours and friends, and thought of the glad days that were for ever gone, she said, "Call me not Naomi," that is pleasant, "call me Mara," that is bitter. Why was this? She tells us why-(read

Did not this verses 20, 21). She knew it was the Lord who had done it all. help her to bear her sorrows? So in patience and humility Naomi dwelt once more in the land of her fathers, and Ruth, the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, with her. The Lord who had guided her through the days of joy and of sadness that were past was with her still, and gave to her and to Ruth days of joy and of hope again.

September 16.-A Praying Mother.-1 SAMUEL i. 21-28; ii. 1-3.

The mother's love.-No child here can tell how much he owes to his mother. Through the days, and weeks, and months, and years of baby-life she has cared for him. When well and when ill her toil and care have never ceased. It is the love of mother which tends the child and keeps him safe when he cannot help himself. There is but One whose love and care are greater for the little one, and to whom the child owes more than even to the parents. Who is that One? It is a blessed thing for mother and for child when she seeks the help, for herself and for her babe, of Him who is the Father in heaven of both. This was what the mother of Samuel did. Even before he was born she did this. Hear what she said about it (ver 27). So Samuel began his life with God's blessing upon him, sought from the Lord by his mother.

Asked of the Lord.-The father and the mother of Samuel both feared God. It was his mother's great wish that she should have a son who might be a priest of the Lord, to stand before Him and to serve Him all the days of his life. When the child was born "she called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the Lord." The word Samuel means "asked of the Lord." It was good to have such a name for such a reason. But there was something better in store for Samuel. When the time came for his father and all his house to go up, as the custom was, year by year, to worship the Lord, Hannah, Samuel's mother, "went not up." She said she would wait at home with Samuel till he should be weaned, and be old enough to go with them, "and then, I will bring him, that he may appear before the Lord, and there abide for ever. And then in the quiet of their home this loving mother nursed her child tenderly, and trained him in the fear and love of God.

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"Lent to the Lord" (verses 24, 25).-The time had come when Samuel was old enough to be taken to the beginning of the great work and the great life which lay before him. Neither his mother nor his father knew how great that work was to be. But they took him to "the house of the Lord in Shiloh, and the child was young." They took him to the old priest, Eli. Hannah told him why they had brought her son, and what they wished him to do and to be (ver. 281. Eli

seems to have taken charge of the child, and set him about such simple work and service as he could do, for we read that "the child did minister unto the Lord, before Eli the priest." Then Hannah broke out into a song of joy and of praise to God, that this great wish of her life had been brought about, and though the heart of mother and of child must have been sad as they parted, yet she went back to her home glad and grateful that she had been able to offer to God the most precious gift which mother could offer. And such gifts are precious even now in His sight.

September 23.-The Child Samuel.-1 SAMUEL iii. 1-19.

Samuel in training.-Hear what is written about Samuel after his mother had left him with Eli, "The child Samuel grew on, and was in favour both with the Lord, and also with men." No child could have a better character than this. It is good indeed to grow in favour "with men," if at the same time we grow in favour with "the Lord." There were those about Samuel who did wrong, whose sin "was very great before the Lord." But Samuel was kept right. He remembered his mother's teaching, and God remembered and kept him. Did his mother in her distant home remember him also? Yes; and in token of her love she made him, year by year, a little coat and brought it to him. Happy meetings these for mother and child. So growing stronger day by day, learning more and more of the service of "the temple of the Lord," "Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli."

The call of Samuel.-(Read verses 2-5.) Describe the quiet which had followed the busy evening sacrifice; the worshippers had gone to their homes, the fire upon the altar was low, the temple doors were closed, the light of the lamp was fading; "Eli was laid down in his place," ," and "Samuel was laid down to sleep," when in the hush of the night "the Lord called Samuel." He thought it was the voice of Eli, and answered, "Here am I." And so the call of God came first to him as though in the well-known tones of his friend Eli. "And he ran to Eli," ready at a moment's notice to do his bidding. But Eli had not called him, and bade him "lie down again.' In wonder at the mistake he had made, Samuel went back to his bed, thinking, it may be, that he had dreamt, "And the Lord called yet again, Samuel." He arose at once, and went again to Eli, and said, "Here am I, for thou didst call me." But strange to say Eli's answer was the same as before, "I called not, my son, lie down again." Full of wonder at his mistake, Samuel again went back to his bed. "He knew not the Lord" at this time as he afterwards knew Him. So may it now be, the voice of God is not known as it calls us to Him. But a third time the Lord called Samuel. As the child heard his name called thus again, he arose and went to Eli, and now

feeling sure that he was right, he said, "Here am I, for thou didst call me." And now Eli was full of wonder, as Samuel before had been, for he "perceived that the Lord had called the child." Hear now what he said (ver. 9). With strange and solemn fear Samuel went back to his bed, and waited for the voice (ver. 10). What word did Samuel leave out of his answer which Eli bade him use? It may be that he feared to speak that sacred name.

The word of the Lord to Samuel (verses 11-14)-The Lord told Samuel what He purposed to do to Eli and his house for the wrong they had done. It was a sad message to take to Eli, and we need not wonder that he "feared to show Eli the vision." He lay till the morning, and then went about his work as before; "he opened the door of the house of the Lord." Eli called him, and bade him tell what the Lord had said. "And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him." It was sad news for the old priest, and sad to feel that God who had so often spoken to others by him, should now pass him by and send the message by the child Samuel. So Samuel's work as a prophet had begun. It was a pain to him to begin with such a message, but the work itself was a great and blessed one. See too what is said about what followed (ver. 19). Such work as Samuel did we may not hope for. But the Lord is still "with" each child who loves and serves Him as Samuel did, and still finds blessed service for such.

September 30.-A Lesson of Review.

An interesting and useful method of Review is to found the revision of each Lesson upon a reference to the picture which illustrates its subject. An obvious difficulty is that of securing a sufficient number of the pictures at the time of revision. The use of the large pictures where accessible is the best mode. In some cases it might be found practicable to induce the scholars, some of them at least, to preserve their tablets week by week, and bring them on the Sunday of the Review Lesson.

Where this is deemed to be inexpedient, or found impracticable, the Review should be mainly interrogatory, referring to the chief facts and teaching which were brought out in the course of the several lessons, linked together by explanations and remarks by the teacher.

Thus, eight lessons refer to Joshua, and his work as the second leader of the people of Israel.

Successor to Moses.-Why, and when he was chosen. What he was commanded to do. How he was fitted for his great work, and how he set about it.

Crossing the Jordan.-The directions given-to the priests, to the people. What they were to learn from it. The share taken by the twelve. What this meant. The way of crossing.

The Divine Captain-Why and when the manna ceased. The strange visitor. What he said and did. Preparations for taking Jericho. What the people were to do. What God would do for them.

The Defeat at Ai.-How it came about. said to him. How Achan was found out. on himself, his family, the people.

What Joshua did.
What his sin was.

What the Lord What it brought

What Moses had

Where.

What other

The Reading of the Law.-Why this was done, and how. commanded. Why a copy was written.

The Cities of Refuge.-Why set up. How many. Refuge it teaches. How it may be secured.

Joshua's Choice-Why the people were gathered together. What Joshua said. The people's choice. The stone of witness. Why set up. The covenant it was a sign of.

Joshua's Death.-Age-burial. What the people did afterwards. Their sin— the danger it brought. God's mercy in saving them from it.

Two Lessons about the Judges.-Their names. How Gideon was chosen. Why. How the three hundred were chosen, and why. What they did. Why Samson was chosen. What he did. The manner of his death.