systematically and directly, in a common-sense way, to accomplish
these grand objects. Suppose, after singing two verses of an
appropriate hymn, a direct prayer of two or three minutes, and one
verse of Scripture that just meets the case, the leader inquires for
the next half hour the size, regularity, etc., of the different
classes, and asks counsel to correct irregularities. In this way the
teachers will become so well acquainted with each other's classes that
they can intelligently pray for each other. Then have a recess of ten
or fifteen minutes for introduction and social intercourse; after
which another half hour should be devoted to inquiring of each teacher
for the various _best thoughts_ of the lesson for them to use. Let the
next meeting be directed to the difficulties, and how to relieve them,
and the last half hour to asking for illustrations for the week or
month's lesson. At the next meeting inquire, Have you _visited_ your
scholars during the month, and what have you found of interest in your
visits? Then devote the last half hour to examples and _plans of
teaching_ different verses by several teachers. At the fourth and last
meeting of the month inquire, Is there any special religious interest
in your class? or, Why not? and lastly, How can you _apply_ the lesson
so as best to make a saving impression?
In some such way I would meet real present wants, avoiding routine,
and providing something fresh and varied at every meeting, just
adapted to all. In some such way conduct your meetings, and no teacher
can afford to be absent.
In a country school district Sabbath-school let the teachers turn all
their sociability into this channel, and set apart, say Thursday
evening of each week, for a pleasant social teachers' meeting at the
residence of the superintendent or one of the teachers, alternating
about. Let the farmers arrange to leave their work an hour earlier on
that evening for the sake of the great blessing to their children.
Provide attendants for the lady teachers. Suppose the superintendent
lives one mile north of the school-house, and two teachers are one
mile east, three south, and four west. The two young lady teachers
"one mile east" have no escort, but the superintendent remembers that
in the next house further east, the only son of Esquire Jones, a fine
young man of sixteen years, has just drifted out of the
Sabbath-school, and is inclining toward fast horses and gay
companions. The superintendent yearns to reach and save him. He thinks
and prays over the matter until he feels deeply for the youth. He then
visits him, and approaches him with unusual respect--informs him that
he has come to ask a particular favor--will he accept the post of
librarian in our flourishing little Sabbath-school? He readily
consents. The superintendent then says, "Charlie, we teachers have a
delightful social gathering at each other's houses every Thursday
evening, and as you have a fine horse and buggy, cannot you make it
convenient to bring up the two Misses S---- to that meeting?" Why, of
course, it is just what the superintendent wants, and it is also just
what Charlie wants--something to do, and soon, by God's grace, Charlie
becomes a true Christian.
In whatever form the teachers' meetings are conducted it is
indispensable--1. That the conductor feels a sincere respect for each
teacher, and treats his opinions with candor. 2. That the conductor
shall adapt his questions to each individual, and ask those questions
with real courtesy and consideration. 3. It is absolutely necessary
that the conductor should receive all replies in a life-like manner,
with due respect, and make the best of them. If the answers are not
well received, it will close the lips of the teachers. They must draw
together, and a dull, prosy conductor will check them all.
There is great value in the combined counsels and experience of almost
any common band of teachers if fairly and fully drawn out. It will
often be seen that "the commonest mind has thoughts worthy of the
rarest." In this way the teachers' meetings can be sustained in the
hands of ordinary superintendents, and will become the most attractive
gatherings in the whole community. An accomplished young lady said to
me: "One such meeting as this is worth more than a dozen costly New
York parties." The teachers will regularly attend, for they need the
assistance which can here be obtained. As well ask a brakeman to run a
locomotive, or a spinner to superintend a factory, or an untaught man
to teach an academy, as to ask an inexperienced person, or even a
classical scholar, to teach divine truth when no one has taught him
how. James Gall says, most truly, "Education is the highest of all the
sciences, and teaching the most important of all the arts." Teachers
then, need training, and the teachers' meeting can be made one of the
most valuable means of securing it. One of the great objects of
Sabbath-School Teachers' Institutes is to train superintendents,
teachers, etc., so that they can interestingly and profitably conduct
their weekly teachers' meetings, which are the real institutes for the
great mass of teachers.
_Examples._
The following Examples are real, as taken from my note-book during the
present year:
I. At one time the lesson was the parable of the Prodigal Son. The
first teacher was called up for the best thought for his class in the
lesson. He replied, "Like the prodigal, all children want to have
their own way." The second teacher, "The farther he wandered the
greater his misery." The third, "When _starving_, came to himself."
4. He resolved to "arise and go to his father." 5. "He _returned_."
6. "After his father fell on his neck, he _confessed_." 7. "His
confidence in his father when he returned." 8. "His father saw him a
_great way off_." 9. "Father _ran_,"--old men do not usually run. 10.
"With joy _embraced_ and kissed him," etc. 11. "The degradation of a
sinful course." 12. The father's wonderful condescension and
willingness.
II. At another teachers' meeting the lesson was Luke xviii. 18-27.
The Young Ruler.--First, prayer, singing, and reading of the lesson.
Then called on the teachers for their plan of teaching the lesson.
The _First Teacher_ gave five heads. 1. Question, "What shall I do?"
2. Knowing the law. 3. Taking up the cross. 4. Rejecting the cross.
5. The great obstacle.
_Second Teacher._--1. Eternal life, what is it? 2. Have you kept the
law? 3. What else was required? 4. Come. 5. Overcome every obstacle.
6. You must love nothing better than Christ.
_Third Teacher's_ plan was--The Young Ruler was, 1. Rich; 2.
Pleasing; 3. Respectful; 4. Ready to learn; 5. Prostrate--the custom
of the country; 6. Put first his love to neighbors; 7.
Commandments--Pharisee. Show the children how far they can go and yet
be lost. He was a church member, an officer in the church, a ruler:
he came to Jesus prostrate, prayed respectfully--Jesus applied the
touchstone and _all_ was _wanting_.
_Fourth Teacher._--1. Young man's great desire. 2. It was to be
saved. 3. Go to God's word. 4. Justified himself. 5. He loved money
more than he loved God. 6. Hollow-hearted. Study the scholar as much
as the lesson.
_Fifth Teacher._--1. Young man's question and manner. 2.
Asserting he kept all the law. 3. He thought himself honest and
sincere, but was deceived. 4. Wanted satisfying peace. 5. Not willing
to remove his idols. 6. Great ignorance of the young man. 7. Riches a
great hindrance. 8. See our Lord's firmness.
_Sixth Teacher._--We must show our love to Christ by love to our
neighbors.
_Seventh Teacher._--With man it is impossible, but not with God.
_Eighth Teacher._--Something must be given up for Christ. What?
Pride, sloth, ill-temper, bad company, bad books, love of dress,
pleasure.--See Abraham going to a strange land. Offering Isaac, etc.
_Ninth Teacher._--Ruler had his ideas of _doing_ something to gain
heaven, and was at work for it. The great Teacher took him on his own
ground and _convicted_ him of _sin_.
_Tenth Teacher._--A child says: "Why, here is an honest, sincere
seeker, who went to Jesus in the right manner and way, but failed."
How hard to be saved! But see--1. His question. 2. The Saviour's
answer. 3. The obstacles and hindrances. 4. The greatest apparent
defect is in the second table of the law. If perfectly convicted, why
so confident? etc.
III. Lesson, Matthew viii. 1-4. Have eight distinct exercises. 1.
Read the lesson. 2. Catechise or question upon it. 3. The numerical
exercise or asking, How many things, etc. 4. _Explanations_ and
illustrations of difficult words. 5. Draw out great important
_thoughts_ of the lesson. 6. Call forth the _lessons_ of instruction.
7. Make the _application_ to heart and life. 8. Review of the whole;
and then, if desired, two more exercises can be added by turning the
lesson into _prayer_, and next to a _paraphrase_ formed of the verses.
There are _three_ kinds of teaching. 1. Catechising or questioning.
2. Conversational. 3. Lecturing. Which is yours? We might add a
fourth; but that is not teaching at all, only it is sometimes called
so--viz., Reading questions from a question-book, and reading the
answers. Good teaching is earnest, hearty work.
IV. The fourth and last example is of the social form of teachers'
meeting. I give the notes of one held on the evening of December 11,
1867. We met at 6 o'clock P.M., precisely, at the house of Mr. C----;
opened with singing and prayer. Then had half an hour's studying of
the lesson, which was upon the Atonement. Some of the thoughts drawn
out were: Mediation,--arbitration,--the God-man,--dead goat and the
goat sent away,--the passover,--the victim,--a substitute,--altar,
victim, shed blood; vivid picture of offering the lamb;--atonement
looks both ways;--blood cleanseth. How do you get the atonement? Have
you got it? How do you prove gratitude to God for it? Exalting the
great truth, "Christ died for me." He is the only barrier against
eternal death. The lesson was shown in three phases: 1. The Redeemer
buys us from sin--is our ransom; 2. Saves us from sin; 3. Reconciles
us to God. Take first under three heads: 1. Man is a ruined wanderer;
2. Man a captive; 3. Man is free in Christ and saved. After the
lesson was thus considered, the next half hour was devoted to
_business_. The library, Christmas exercises, singing, and length of
opening exercises, and the treasury, were topics. The next hour was
given to tea and social intercourse. The last hour was devoted to
accounts of interesting or discouraging things in the teachers'
classes, and work, and intermingled with frequent prayer and singing.
All was conducted spiritually and in earnest, and it was a precious
three hours.
XX.
VISITING THE SCHOLARS.
Every Sabbath-school teacher should regularly visit his scholars once
a month, and every Sabbath-school superintendent should visit his
teachers regularly once in three months. These are very important and
yet too often neglected duties. A superintendent can hardly discharge
his duties to the teachers without frequently visiting them. This
should be no mere formal visit. It should be a Christian conference
about all the details, particularly of their classes and their duties.
The superintendent is the regular counsellor and guide of the
teachers. He should talk about their teaching, about each and all
their scholars, their difficulties, their trials and successes, and
aid and encourage them by every means. These visits should be made so
cheerful and pleasant, so free from fault-finding and complaint, that
the teachers will hail them with great joy.
The Sabbath-school teacher also, from his own necessities and from
duty, must needs visit his scholars often. He has a real errand to the
home of every child. He can snatch intervals of time going to or
returning from business. He cannot teach that child aright and to good
advantage unless he is well acquainted with all his home influences;
with all there is in the child's surroundings to help or hinder the
teacher's work; with all the dangers, temptations, and trials of the
child's everyday life; with all the characteristics of parents and
friends. It is from the vicinity of these homes that the teacher will
be enabled to see and hear things that will furnish him with good
illustrations. He can obtain the parents' co-operation and friendship,
and have personal interviews and gain the child's spiritual confidence
in these visits to its home and fireside circle. "My teacher has come
to see _me_," is often the joyful utterance of the grateful little
ones.
Sabbath-school teachers should never neglect this privilege, neither
should they make careless or indifferent visits. Arouse up and think
your visit all out beforehand. Think what in substance you are going
to talk about, what you ought to say, so as to make your visit as
welcome and as profitable as possible both to parents and scholars.
Have an errand to every house. Carry some little book or tract or
paper, if convenient. Give them some interesting and valuable
information, or make earnest inquiries and give good wishes and
prayers for rich blessings, temporal and spiritual. Choose the right
time and seek favorable opportunities. Absentees must, of course, be
visited without delay, for it may be sickness has detained them. "The
sickness of a child is a golden opportunity for the teacher; God
himself ploughs the ground and he must not withhold the seed."
Especially avail yourself of seasons when the heart is made tender by
illness, afflictions, and trials. Then be constant and true, for it
may be your harvest-time of souls. "Oh, to be the guiding star of such
a little circle is one of the highest privileges of earth." Teacher,
may that privilege and blessing be yours.
We add a single illustrative example from "_The Teacher Teaching_:"
"A decently-dressed woman calls at your house and begs for a shawl to
protect a neighbor of hers from the cold when she goes out to her
daily work. You have a shawl. You have laid it aside for this very
purpose. Why not give it to her and have done with it? If you do not
know the person who calls, it would be very injudicious to entrust to
a stranger what you intended for a third person. It may be pawned for
strong drink, or retained by one who is not in want. Better go or
send and satisfy yourself that the need exists, and see that it is
supplied. You wisely conclude to look for yourself. You find the
object of your charity, and ascertain that she is a superior
needle-woman, capable of earning her living, but not able to find
work where there is none. If she could hire a room in some part of
the city nearer the demand for work, she might succeed. You give her
the shawl, and with it a few words of encouragement. In a day or two
you are at a meeting of the directors of the Industrial Home or
Orphans' Society, and allude to the case of this woman. A young lady
present immediately recollects a poor woman, whom she has seen during
the week, who has a room to rent, and perhaps it would exactly suit.
The parties are brought together and the room is taken. Two wants are
thus promptly supplied--the want of a _room_ and the want of a
_tenant_. But how came the young lady to know of such a room? Why,
simply by visiting the mother of one of her class in the
Sunday-school. It was not any part of her plan to obtain any such
information; nor could she have known that it might be of any
advantage to her or to any one else for her to possess it. The
indirect result of this simple visit accomplished--what? 1. It
secured a tenant for a vacant room, and thus helped a poor woman to
pay her rent. 2. It put another poor woman in a comfortable and
convenient position to earn her own living. 3. It laid the mother of
one of her Sunday-school children under great obligation to her, and
thus increased her influence and her power to do good both to mother
and child. It will take a strong force to sunder that tie. 4. It
brought to the new tenant Christian care and sympathy, which she
before lacked, and the way for her attendance on the stated means of
grace."
Thus is exemplified, by a single real and comparatively unimportant
incident in humble life, the power of the Sunday-school machinery, in
its legitimate movements, to improve and elevate social condition and
character. It was all the work of that little wheel in our machinery
called VISITING.
XXI.
SYSTEMATIC DISTRICT CHRISTIAN VISITATION.
The plan here given in its present form grew out of an exigency in the
operations of the Missionary Committee of the New York Sunday-School
Union in the summer of 1856.
In their great endeavor to reach the neglected masses of children and
youth, more than sixty thousand seemed to be beyond their reach. A
more _thorough_ work was needed. Occasional visits and ordinary
attention did not so gain the acquaintance and confidence as to rescue
these neglected ones. They were the most destitute and needy, and the
most important to reach in our city. After much consideration and
prayer, this plan was adopted, presented to, and accepted by the
churches in New York and Brooklyn, and it was soon adopted by other
cities and States also. Everywhere it has developed astonishing
results, increasing Sabbath-schools and churches, and speedily
transforming dark neighborhoods.
Forty-four churches of various evangelical denominations entered upon
the work within a few months after its introduction, and quite
uniformly the Sabbath-schools _doubled_ their scholars within the
first month or two, and in some marked instances church members and
congregations were more than doubled in numbers within six months. As
long as it was faithfully worked it everywhere prospered,
demonstrating that the plan was a good one.
It is based on the great command, "_Go ye and teach_." It believes
that every church-member should be a working Christian, a real
missionary; that "every man should _speak to his neighbor, and each
one to his brother_;" that every Christian's business should be so
arranged as to give a wider scope for his religion, that he may
become, in a degree, a voluntary missionary. It proposes to
_systematize_ the work. Mere voluntary personal effort is at times so
fitful and evanescent as not to be sufficiently reliable.
The plan is for every church to take a definite district as its
special missionary field--in the city a certain number of blocks and
streets, and in the country a number of miles square, or
neighborhoods, properly arranged so as to give every other church a
portion of the field to work.
All this is to be subdivided by a committee of the church into small
sub-sections of from five to fifteen families, proportionate to the
number of able members. A sub-section is assigned to the member, and
becomes his or her little parish, on which to bestow especial labor,
sympathy, and prayers. He is to visit it every month, invite all the
children to some Sunday-school, the family to church, supply with the
Bible, tract, etc., and do all possible temporal and spiritual good.
Once a month each church devotes one of the weekly prayer-meetings to
hearing reports from the visitors, and conferring and praying over
this great work. Special care is taken not to proselyte; not to take a
child from one school to another, or induce a person to leave one
church for another, but to respect the rights of all. Individuals are
not considered under any obligations to _confine_ their visits to
their assigned districts, but still enjoy the Christian liberty of
going everywhere and doing good to all men as they have opportunity.
This work is--1. A holy work. 2. A deliberate work. 3. It is a work of
pure good-will. 4. Says Rev. Dr. Chalmers: "No other ministration is
to be offered than that of respect and kindness." 5. They are to go
just so far "as they will be gratefully met by the population." 6.
Visit rich and poor, but carefully select districts adapted to the
visitors. 7. Seek the confidence of parents and children; be patient,
be persevering, be courageous, be sympathetic, and take no notice of
repulses. 8. Enter no house in vain. Leave some kind suggestion,
counsel, or sympathy in regard to spiritual or temporal interests. 9.
Relieve all want and distress possible; inculcate temperance,
cleanliness, and economy. 10. Counsel with mothers with reference to
their children. 11. Give a fraternal aspect to your visits, and avoid
controversy, and generally even argument.
If each professing Christian in our churches who is able would become
responsible for the regular visitation of but four neglected families,
every family in our land would be faithfully visited. "What a plain,
simple, magnificent idea is here presented!" A regular Christian army
of occupation for our whole country. Says the Rev. Dr. Guthrie: "It
would everywhere bring life into contact with death, and cover the
whole outlying population, even as the prophet with his own body
covered the dead body of the child." The motto is: EVERY CHILD IN THE
SABBATH-SCHOOL, AND EVERY FAMILY IN THE CHURCH.
XXII.
NEW MISSION-SCHOOLS.
In all our great cities, in the town and country, there are vast
numbers of immortal youth far beyond the reach of churches and church
Sabbath-schools, and therefore, it becomes necessary to carry the
Sunday-school to them. A room is obtained, conveniently located, with
seats, books, etc. The children are gathered, taught to read, to sing,
to pray, presented with library books, papers, etc., and thus
innumerable blessings are sent down into destitute families, and soon,
like leaven, the Gospel is seen diffusing itself everywhere among the
mass.
Something like seventy of these mission-schools are now successfully
sustained in New York City alone, with twelve to fifteen thousand
pupils in them. Roman Catholic, Jewish, and other classes of children
are in this way easily and successfully reached, and permanently
benefited. This instrumentality must be largely increased everywhere.
Some five or six different denominations often unite in the labors of
one of these schools, and all work together in the most beautiful
harmony. This movement is in the highest sympathy with that
_aggressive_ feature of the system, before named.
But to come to the details of this work, and how it should be begun
and carried on: First choose wisely the location for a new church or
mission Sabbath-school. Then select one or more men and women full of
life and zeal as a nucleus of interest and labor. Next survey and
visit systematically all the families in the district, and present the
objects and the value and adaptedness of the Sunday-school to their
wants. Pray much and at every step, privately and socially, especially
in the early stages of the effort.
Get all ready for a good commencement. Have every thing arranged, so
that not a moment of delay in finding the right hymn, or in singing
it, will prompt the children to find something else to do. Do not
admit children faster than you can conveniently control them. Some
superintendents aim at gathering a rush of scholars the first Sabbath
or two, and the result is that they lose months in getting to order
and control of the children. It is often better to admit only a dozen
or two new scholars at a time, and get them well classified and
arranged, and in the hands of good teachers. There most be order, and
the superintendent must wait for it, although he may not at the first
do much beside. Much depends upon starting right. Have Testaments,
hymn-books, and Sunday-school papers, if possible, ready on the first
Sabbath.
Select a clear, distinct, easy lesson at the first, and whatever is
done, let it be well done. Select the teachers carefully, and admit
none who have not a good report, and are not of a teachable spirit.
Meet with the teachers socially every week, if possible, to aid them
with your suggestions and help. Be cheerful, earnest, and respectful
to all. Keep up a regular visitation of teachers and scholars, and let
your visits bear a fraternal and not an inquisitorial aspect. Prove
yourselves the true friends of parents and scholars, and never get out
of patience or discouraged because you cannot gain the children of
Roman Catholics or Jewish parents at once: it may be only a question
of time. At any rate, do them all the good you can at their homes,
whether you ever lead them to the Sunday-school or not. Duty is
ours--results belong to God. Through the children reach the parents,
and through the parents reach the children. Let your errand to the
house always be one of kindness and good-will, so that if they do not
receive you kindly it will be because they misunderstand you. These
visits, however, are almost invariably well received if made in a
natural, pleasant manner, proceeding from a "charity which hopeth all
things." Respect and honor the parents all you can, whether they
commit their children to your care or not. Exhibit our beautiful
library books, our sweet songs, our attractive children's papers, and
speak of the great kindness and love of the teachers to the children.