They should always keep closely together. It is here that Christians
find a good working field under the training of the pastor, who is the
pastor of the Sunday-school as well as of the church. It is here that
the Church finds a great field of labor and her largest additions.
Some pastors simply give their Sunday-schools their patronage and
approbation. This is not sufficient. Much more is needed. Active
co-operative service and direction are wanted. Sometimes pastors must
needs act as superintendent of their own Sabbath-schools, and conduct
their own teachers' meeting for a time, until they can train brethren
and fit them to be superintendents. It is not lecturing, or preaching
to, on the subject that we so much need as how to superintend, how to
prepare the lesson, how to visit, what to teach, how to teach and lead
to Christ, and how to conduct teachers' meetings.
The Sabbath-school enfolds the lambs of the flock. The pastor should,
of course, watch over it very carefully and very tenderly. Every
Sabbath he should at least walk through the school to encourage, by
his presence, the weary teachers and scholars in their work of faith
and labor of love. Many of the best pastors in our land make this an
invariable rule. The teachers need their pastor's counsels and
assistance in the school, the teachers' meetings and concerts of
prayer, as well as in the pulpit. Here he will find his true working
men and women, and if any of the church have especial claims upon him,
they surely do have.
We need our pastors' presence and counsel in all our conventions and
gatherings of teachers. They are _ex-officio_ members of all. We also
need their help in calling out the membership of the churches; in
model sermons and model scriptural addresses, and teachings to
children for instruction and for example. In fact, we feel that we
must rely upon our ministers to raise up and make our Sunday-schools
what they ought to be--the great training-schools of the Church, and
the fitting field of labor for her large membership. As a matter of
necessity, and as a matter of propriety, we throw ourselves as
Sabbath-school workers upon the pastors, and call earnestly upon them
for personal aid and comfort, in the strong assurance that our appeal
will receive a warm and favorable response.
_The Church._
The Church of Christ is the grand centre and radiating point of all
our Christian efforts. The Sabbath-school is simply the Church of
Christ _itself_ putting forth its legitimate _action_. Says Dr.
Baldwin: "It is the _workshop_ of the Church for all working
Christians." Here she trains her members for personal service and
leads the lambs into the true fold. The nearer in sympathy our
Sunday-schools are kept to the churches the better it will be for all;
and if superintendents and teachers wish to give their labors a
permanently successful character, they cannot make too short work in
leading their pupils to the Church of Christ; at first, perhaps, as
only attending, hearing members, then believing, obeying members. The
outer, or mission-schools, are stepping-stones to churches. If
mission-churches are established with those schools, as is often the
case, the Church will be on convenient ground. Sunday-schools, Bible,
and tract mission efforts should be superintended and sustained by the
churches. Especially should the churches stand by the Sunday-schools--the
nurseries of the Church--and see that they want no good thing. Rooms,
seats, books, and all appliances, should be freely provided for the
school; for the future hopes of Zion are there. By far the greater
number of her additions from the world come through the Sabbath-school.
Not one-half of the children of our land, or scarcely of any State in
our land, can be found on the Lord's day in any of our Sabbath-schools.
The churches ought, without delay, to supply this lack. Surely we can
ask no less of them. The churches are abundantly able to do this. They
have never trained and sent forth as Sabbath-school teachers as many
as fifteen per cent. of their great membership, and not half the
children are yet taught. Let the churches train and send forth thirty
per cent. of their members, and the neglected are all reached and the
work is done. Therefore the question is one of disposition, will--not
ability.
_The Community._
The community has a deep personal interest in the Sunday-school, and
has corresponding duties. Thousands of youth are every year saved from
prison and from crime by this institution. The three hundred and fifty
or four hundred thousand voluntary Sunday-school teachers of our land
comprise a moral police, to which the community are immensely
indebted, whether they are sensible of it or not. It recently cost New
York city more than twenty-five thousand dollars to convict one
murderer, who had been neglected from a child. That sum of money would
have paid his board for sixty years, or sustained twenty thousand
children in mission-schools for a whole year. The Sabbath-school is a
cheap and simple agency to give the gospel to the millions. It is the
cheapest civilizer extant.
Thousands of the best patriots, statesmen, and Christians of our own
and other lands love to acknowledge their immense obligations to the
Sabbath-school, for what they are, and what they hope to be. Said the
Bishop of London: "The Sunday-school has _saved_ the manufacturing
districts." And the Earl of Shaftesbury declared: "To you,
Sunday-school teachers, is entrusted the future of the British empire."
Many thousands of parents in our land, who are entirely neglecting the
religious instruction of their children, can bring them to the
Sabbath-schools, where four hundred thousand voluntary teachers stand
cheerfully ready to teach them, without money and without price. Like
the waters of the river of life, this stream runs free. Let parents
see to it that their children are regularly there. The community
should do all they can to help forward this beneficent voluntary
scheme of public education, acknowledge their real obligation to the
teachers, offer them rooms in their public school buildings, and by
the pressure of a sound public sentiment, increase the uniform
attendance, particularly from the ignorant and neglected classes.
XXX.
MISSIONARY AGENCIES.
_Neighborhood Prayer Meetings._
The Sabbath-school teacher in his work finds it convenient to do
incidentally a vast amount of good. He distributes copies of the Bible
and Testament, tracts and good reading, helps the needy to a place for
work, relief, etc., etc. Among other means the opening of neighborhood
prayer-meetings has been greatly blessed. A score or two of friends
and neighbors meet on a week-day evening in a tenant-room or house
convenient, and there two or three of the Sabbath-school teachers
conduct a familiar religious service, which, if appropriate and
interesting, often results in conversions and bringing individuals
into Christian associations and influences, and sometimes leads to the
reformation of a whole neighborhood. Our young women teachers
sometimes conduct these meetings with great success and profit.
A good mission-school of teachers has sometimes sustained a dozen
weekly neighborhood prayer-meetings. All these plans are equally
adapted to cities or country villages.
_Bible Readers._
Of late years the employment of pious and discreet women as Bible
readers has accomplished the most blessed results. These constant
visitors penetrate many a dark alley and cellar, and rescue from
intemperance, starvation, destitution and crime those who would not
otherwise be reached. They also comfort, and instruct, and aid
multitudes of poor ignorant mothers who really know not what to do,
and sustain many neighborhood prayer-meetings and mothers' meetings.
Sometimes they are supported by the Bible Society, and in other cases
by the City Mission, but oftener by the mission or church
Sabbath-schools and churches.
Young women who are adapted to the work leave their sewing and other
labor, and receive a salary sufficient for their support in this
service. Some of the poor ignorant, reclaimed women make, when trained
for it, most excellent Bible readers.
_Industrial Schools._
Industrial schools are usually for girls from the streets, who are
picked up, washed, supplied with a dinner, taught to read, to sew, and
other useful employments; besides, good manners and good dispositions
are carefully cultivated. They are also taught to sing our choicest
Sabbath-school hymns, and receive much valuable counsel and sound
Christian instruction from their kind teachers and friends. These
schools are doing a most excellent work. They are held every day in
institutions. In Sunday-schools they are generally held only on
Saturday afternoons, and a score of ladies volunteer to come and teach
them. In either form they are very useful.
_Boys' Meetings._
This is a modern thing, but it grew out of the warm, earnest sympathy
of excellent Christians for the worst class of street-boys of New
York. They were attracted by the fine music taught them, the interest
and kindness manifested toward them, and the stirring, pointed,
interesting stories in which religious truth was clothed as it was
spoken to them; and the energy and capability which first started
those meetings could sustain them now on the same basis. Latterly,
they assume more the general form of young people's meetings, being
composed of a majority of boys and girls from Christian families, or
at least Sunday-schools, and most of them contain but a few of the
rough street-boys. They are a stepping-stone to a good Sunday-school.
Youths' attractive papers are circulated at the close. Interesting
popular lectures, made very familiar and plain, on practical subjects,
are sometimes enjoyed on the week-day evenings.
XXXI.
THE QUESTION BOX.
Among the modern improvements in our Sabbath-school meetings the
"Question Box," or "Drawer," is worthy of particular mention. Slips of
paper are placed in the hands of the members of the Convention or
Institute, who are requested to write upon them any question which may
be suggested to their minds, and on which they would like to gain the
opinions of others. These questions are, from time to time, dropped
into a box provided, and left at the door or on the platform.
Otherwise, they are collected by a committee and handed up to the
conductor, who, at the proper time, either answers them himself or
designates some other person or persons to answer them. In this way a
vast amount of clear and correct information is often gained, and that
of a kind exactly adapted to present wants. No exercise in an
Institute is more directly profitable than the question box often
proves to be.
It of course depends entirely upon the correct knowledge and grasp of
the persons who essay to answer; for either truth or error are alike
rapidly propagated in this way. Therefore the greatest care should be
taken that no one be allowed to answer questions in this way, who
cannot, as the result of mature and deliberate observation or
experience, comprehensively look on all sides of the question, and be
careful to do justice to all its points. No "snap" judgment should be
taken, no witticism indulged in, and no dogmatic answers allowed. On
the contrary, the utmost fairness and candor is indispensable.
For illustration of this subject, the following examples of questions
and answers will suffice:
1. How can we obtain good teachers? _Answer._ Train them up in your
Bible-classes and teachers' meetings. Be on the lookout for suitable
persons and excite their interest by conversations on the value, the
details, and working of the Sabbath-school.
2. Would you recommend the grading of Sabbath-schools? _Answer._ We
like the word _adaptation_ better, for there must be _that_ in all
good teaching; there must be, also, advancement and thorough Bible
instruction. But we fear that an attempt to grade Sunday-schools would
stiffen and injure them, for we have but one hour in a week, while the
public schools have six hours per day and five days in a week, with a
dozen grades of text-books, and paid, disciplined teachers. Besides,
we have never found a successful Sabbath-school with more than the
three regular gradations; viz., the infant-classes, the intermediate
classes, and the young men and women's classes.
3. Would you ever employ unconverted teachers? _Answer._ Get the
_best_ teachers you can; the most pious, the best skilled and regular.
When you have taken the _best_ you can get, you have done all your
duty, and God does not require any more, for he accepts according to
what we have. In some remote sections it is simply a question between
accepting moral and upright young people or no teachers. They can
teach the elemental truths of religion, and God has repeatedly
employed the most unworthy persons to deliver his most solemn
messages. Therefore get the _best_ teachers you can. It is the
message, not the messenger.
4. Do you approve of one uniform lesson for the whole school?
_Answer._ Yes, by all means; and then concentrate all the exercises,
the prayers, the hymns, the addresses, as well as all the teaching,
directly upon that one portion, so that it will be impressed upon all,
as it was upon a little boy who walked up to the blackboard and
pointed to the drawing of an altar and the bleeding lamb upon it,
saying, "It was _that_ all day, wasn't it, Jimmy?" Let the
infant-class have the central verse for their lesson.
5. Would you expel a bad boy? _Answer._ I never did, and never would
do so, except as a last resort, after trying every available resource.
6. How can we get the parents, pastors, etc., interested in the
Sabbath-school? _Answer._ Go to them and respectfully ask their
counsel and advice about the Sabbath-school. Get them to investigate
and inquire, give them hints and information, and thus excite their
interest.
7. Is it consistent for a Sabbath-school teacher to play at cards,
dance, etc.? _Answer._ Cards are gamblers' tools, and we should beware
of them. Besides, the teacher's time is too precious. I have never
danced since I first became a Sabbath teacher, nearly forty years ago.
It will lessen Christian influence. "If meat make my brother to
offend," says Paul, "I will eat no flesh while the world standeth."
8. What is the best way to get rid of inefficient teachers? _Answer._
Treat them with the most tender consideration. Call upon them and give
them some hints about a verse in the lesson, which they can use with
this or that scholar in their class. I have always found it better to
make poor teachers over, than to look up and train new ones.
9. How can you restore order in a disorderly class? _Answer._ The
teacher mast first be in the most perfect order and control himself,
and he will soon control the class, if his patience holds out.
10. What is the pastor's position in the Sabbath-school? _Answer._ He
is the pastor of the lambs in the Sabbath-school as well as of the
church.
11. Is it best to reprove scholars or teachers in presence of the
class or classes? _Answer._ NEVER.
12. Who are to elect the superintendent? _Answer._ In most cases he
should be elected by the teachers, not by the scholars.
13. Who appoints the teachers? _Answer._ They are generally appointed
by the superintendent.
14. How long ought a lesson to be? _Answer._ Six to ten verses, and
forty minutes' time for the teacher.
15. What is the best way of training teachers? _Answer._ Get for them
_The Sunday-School Times_, and attract them into the regular weekly
teachers' meeting.
16. How shall we retain young men and women? _Answer._ Get a teacher
who loves, honors, and respects them and can understand young people,
and does not forget that he was once young. Then elevate the
Sabbath-school, so that the young people will not be belittled in
attending it.
17. Is there not danger that the Sabbath-school will induce a
disrelish for the preaching service? _Answer._ We must certainly guard
against such a result. The Sabbath-school must cling close to the
Church of God.
18. How much money should be expended annually on a large
mission-school? _Answer._ A fair Christian economy is _best_. I know
of mission-schools, of four hundred scholars, sustained at an expense
of less than four hundred dollars, including rent, that are better
every way, they are more regular and successful, than some similar
schools which expend from one thousand to twelve hundred dollars per
year.
19. How many children are there in all our Sabbath-schools? _Answer._
If the question refers to the United States, I think we may safely say
that now we have, in Sabbath-schools, about four million children and
youth, with about four hundred thousand teachers. A quarter of a
century ago or so, the numbers were estimated at two million five
hundred thousand, but this was when the great Western States were in
their comparative infancy. The number rapidly increased to three
millions, and then to three million five hundred thousand, and now our
returns and estimates reach four millions. Great Britain has about the
same number, both of teachers and scholars; but we do not think all
other countries can raise the full number of Sabbath-school children
quite up to _ten millions_, or the number of Sabbath-school teachers
to a grand army of _one million_ strong. The census of 1860 gave the
number of persons in the United States, between the ages of five and
sixteen, at nine millions (or only a few thousands less). As a
consequence, we have the great aggregate of _five millions_! of
unreached and uncared-for children and youth in our land. What an
immense and hopeful missionary field here lies open at our doors!
There is scarcely a State in our whole Union or a city which can truly
report _one-half_ of her children in any kind of a Sabbath-school on
any given day. And yet some of our great States are working very
energetically and systematically. Witness the State of Illinois, which
has organized every one of its one hundred and two counties during the
past two or three years, by the voluntary and Sunday-school missionary
labors of its Sunday-School Association, aided by other agencies. What
this State has done, other States, if they will, can do, and the
immense work before us, when systematically undertaken, is by no means
a hopeless task.
_The Answer Box._
Nearly allied to the question box is the answer box. It consists in
this: At an appropriate time in an Institute, the conductor writes an
important question on the blackboard--blank papers are distributed and
all the members are requested to write their answers. For instance,
all are requested to write upon the question, What is the great want
of our Sabbath-schools? One writes, "The Holy Spirit, praying
teachers, aim at conversions," etc. Another writes, "Good
superintendents, devoted pastors and parents." Another writes, "Clear
teaching, good order, and devout singing." Others, "The Bible needs to
be exalted and applied;" "Make the Bible attractive to the children;"
"Living, earnest teachers who love the children;" "Aim at salvation
and Christian training." Or if the question should be, "How to prepare
a Bible lesson?" one answers "1. Pray. 2. Read it over carefully. 3.
Think and pray. 4. Look up the parallel passages. 5. Examine
Commentaries, Dictionaries, etc. 6. Search out illustrations for each
pupil. 7. How to apply truth to each and all." Another writes: "1. Fix
on the subject early in the week, keep it constantly before the mind,
trying to find illustrations anywhere and everywhere. 2. Endeavor to
make it simple, yet interesting and practical. 3. Constantly seek
divine direction."
At the close of a recess of ten minutes for writing and receiving the
answers, they are taken up and read by the conductor, and then
referred to a committee of three to digest and report upon at a future
meeting. We get at the heart of the people in this way.
XXXII.
MISTAKES OF TEACHERS.
It is a mistake to suppose that mere _talk_ is teaching.
It is a mistake to think that hearing a Bible lesson recited, or the
reading of questions from a book, or telling stories, is good
Sabbath-school teaching.
It is a mistake to think that one who in manner and temper is
impatient, dogmatic, overbearing, slow, heavy or dull, can be a good
Sabbath-school teacher.
It is a mistake to suppose that one who is not understood, or is
misunderstood, is a good teacher.
It is a mistake to suppose he who gossips with his class is a good
teacher.
It is a mistake to suppose, because we have a general idea beforehand,
that we shall be able to supply the details and illustrations as we go
along.
It is a great mistake to underrate oral teaching, and overrate merely
reading and reciting from the Bible.
It is a great mistake to think that our scholars are too young to
appreciate a well-prepared lesson or a well-governed school.
It is a mistake of teachers to expect attention from motives of duty,
or the sacredness of the day or importance of subject--nothing but
real interest will secure it.
It is a mistake to teach as if all young children had the same
_tastes_.
It is a great mistake to fail to arouse curiosity and awaken interest.
It is a mistake to suppose that we shall be understood without careful
simplicity of language.
It is a mistake not to recall by questions the last Sabbath's lesson,
and to treat lessons as if they were isolated; by all means connect
them.
It is a great mistake for teachers to think that giving good advice or
exhortation to children is as good as "breaking down" Bible truths
with questions and answers.
It is a mistake to suppose that many common terms, such as
"Providence," "grace," repentance, justification, etc., convey any
meaning to children, ordinarily.
It is a mistake to attempt to purchase affection or attention by
frequent gifts to children; neither by threats nor punishments.
It is a great mistake of Sabbath-school teachers to suppose that their
work is that of a mere philanthropist--or a moral educator, or a mere
promoter of social good order, or raising up of good citizens and
children.
It is a mistake of teachers to expect a cold reception from parents.
It is a mistake of teachers to suppose that their manner and habits
are unobserved by the children.
It is a mistake to avoid repetition with children--simplify and repeat.
It is a mistake to teach our children, that if they will be good and
read the Bible, pray and join the Church, they will thereby go to
heaven. Nothing but repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus
Christ will secure that.
It is a great mistake for Sabbath-school teachers ever to teach Bible
truth without being really in _earnest_--calmly, cheerfully, seriously
in _earnest_.
XXXIII.
HELPS FOR TEACHERS.
Every thorough workman ought to have the best of tools to work with,
and the teacher should be furnished with all needful helps. The
_indispensable_ books for a Sabbath-school teacher are--1st. A
complete reference Bible--your own Bible. 2d. A Concordance. 3d. A
good Bible Dictionary. Add to these, accurate and careful observation
to see in the opening flower, the falling leaf, the events of the day
and the providence of God, rich and apt lessons for youthful hearts.
On opening my library door I notice upon the shelves most of the
following books, which, with others that are now out of print, have
accumulated to meet my real wants as a Sabbath-school worker, and none
of which I would be willing to part with:
_Bibles._
Family Bible, with Notes and Instructions.
Annotated Paragraph Bible, 2 vols.
Reference Bible, with Index and Maps.
_Dictionaries, Cyclopædias and Commentaries._
Dictionary of the Bible. 1 or 3 vols.--_Smith._
Dictionary of the Holy Bible.--_Robinson._
Biblical Cyclopædia. 3 vols.--_Kitto._
Cyclopædia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical
Literature.--_McClintock and Strong._
Encyclopædia of Religious Knowledge.--_Brown._
Daily Bible Illustrations. 8 vols.--_Kitto._
Comprehensive Commentary. 6 vols.--_Jenks._
Critical, Doctrinal and Homiletical Commentary.--_Lange._
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels.--_Ryle._
Studies in the Gospels.--_Trench._
Notes on the New Testament. 11 vols.--_Barnes._
The Gospel Treasury.--_Mimpriss._
A Year with St. Paul.--_Knox._
The Parables.--_Guthrie._
Notes on the Miracles.--_Trench._
Introduction to the Study of the Holy Scriptures.--_Horne._
Notes on the Old Testament. 5 vols.--_Barnes._
Notes on the Bible. 8 vols.--_Bush._
_Books of Reference._