STUDIES

     Every class-leader should be studious. His library may be small, but it should be choice, and its contents should be well mastered. Half an hour a day devoted to careful reading will enable any one to master at least half a dozen volumes of choice literature each year. This would mean the mastery of thirty volumes or more in five years, sixty or more volumes in ten years, and so on. This would have various advantages. In the first place it would beget the habit of reading and study, which in itself is of much value. In the next place it would be a means of constant intellectual quickening, broadening and strengthening -- acquisitions of value incalculable. Then, too, provided the reading were of the right character, it would be decidedly a means of grace -- a most valuable aid to spiritual self-culture. Finally, it would in many ways furnish helpful equipment for the more effective performance of the numerous and responsible services a class-leader is regularly called to perform

     In these days of cheap literature books that would be helpful in particular to class-leaders are multiplied on every hand. Those who desire to become well informed in directions that will strengthen them for their work certainly may do so. Valuable books may be obtained at comparatively trifling cost. The following are recommended, not only to all class-leaders, but to their members as well, and also as being helpful to Christians generally and to those who are known as "Christian workers" in particular:

1. The Discipline of the Church

2. The Catechism of the Church

3. Binney's Theological Compend [An HDM publication]

4. The Class Leader -- Atkinson

5. The Drill-Master of Methodism -- Goodell

6. The Class-Meeting -- Fitzgerald

7. Memoir of Carvosso [An HDM publication]

8. Life of Bramwell

9. Christian Perfection -- Wesley

10. Perfect Love -- Wood [An HDM publication]

11. Fishers of Men -- Roberts

12. Hymns That Are Immortal -- Hogue

13. History of Methodism (abridged edition) -- Stevens [HDM has published the unabridged 4-volume edition of Steven's M. E. History, and it is part of the HDM Electronic Library. -- DVM]

14. Daniel Quorm and His Religious Notions -- Pearse

15. The King's Son: A Memoir of Billy Bray

16. The Christian's Secret of a Happy Life -- Mrs. Smith [Edited -- An HDM publication]

17. Lectures to My Students -- Spurgeon

18. Teaching and Teachers -- Trumbull

19. In Christ -- Pierson

20. The Person of Christ -- Schaff

     Most of these are small and inexpensive volumes. None of them are heavy works, and all of them will, we trust, be found instructive, inspiring and helpful. They need not all be bought at once, although if one is in circumstances to procure them that way he might thereby save something, and in addition would have quite a complete class-leader's library on his shelves from the start. All reading should be done discriminatingly, since books that are, on the whole, good and helpful, may contain passages here and there that are less worthy of acceptance than are the main portions. The foregoing volumes, however, will be found comparatively free from whatever would be unacceptable to those most loyal to Methodist doctrines. Bacon's advice at this point is eminently appropriate: "Read not to contradict and confute, nor to believe and take for granted, nor to find talk and discourse, but to weigh and consider."