Part 14

A few words of caution may be appropriate: Sing no more than that which will be truly worship and devotional on the Lord's day. Introduce all new hymns with great care to make the children _understand_ the true sentiment before they sing it. Consequently, not more than one new hymn should be presented to the school on any one Sabbath. Let the practice in them take place on a week-day, or so as not to interrupt the worship of the Sabbath-school. Never should singing be introduced as an entertainment or diversion in the Sabbath-school, or made a hobby. Sacred music has a higher, holier mission. The hymns should be appropriate to the circumstances and occasion, and adapted in conformity to the Bible lesson of the day.

There is a great amount of music and hymns introduced into our schools of a very improper character. The hymns are nothing but a jingle of nonsense, and the music sometimes has very doubtful associations. All this should be avoided most carefully. Several of our Sunday-school music-book makers, it is said, have made a large profit out of the schools on the sale of a single book. We think this is not right. We are opposed to paying thirty-five cents for hymns and music in a book for children, when the music notes are of no use to the children, and the hymns can be sold for one-half of the price. Let the superintendent and music choristers have the books with the notes, of course. Besides, some of our best Sabbath-school superintendents are largely using Watts's and Wesley's and Cowper's hymns from our church hymn-books in their schools with great success, and they even sing church-music. If the hymns are adapted to the lesson, and are carefully explained to the children, so that they get a clear idea of their meaning, they sing them with great spirit and gladness of heart--such hymns as "When all thy mercies, O my God;" "On the cross uplifted high;" "Jesus, and shall it ever be;" "Hail my ever-blessed Jesus;" "My Saviour, my almighty Friend;" "There is a fountain filled with blood;" "Jesus, I my cross have taken," etc., etc. These, and many more like them, are used in preference to Sunday-school hymns, and the children greatly enjoy them. By the aid of stencil plates these hymns as needed, one for each Sabbath, are placed in large plain letters on sheets of white muslin, and suspended so as to be easily read by the whole school. Thus, every head is kept erect, and there is no diversion in looking over the hymn-book, and as a result the order is better, and the singing is better in every way.

XXVIII.

MEANS AND MEASURES.

_Anniversaries._

Anniversaries have been quite common of late years; they seem to be very appropriate, and when well conducted, are productive of good. The summing up of the labors of the year in the annual report is often of more than local interest. The presence, orderly deportment, and singing of the children are all calculated to leave a happy, salutary impression. They are conducted with alternate hymns, prayers, addresses with the report, and are usually on the afternoon or evening of the Sabbath, with crowded audiences.

Here are brought out for prayer and review all the plans and work of the school for a twelve-month. The addresses should always be appropriate, instructive, and interesting to all, tending always to an increased spirituality and higher religious tone to the school. They should always reach the parents and friends present, as well as the children.

_Excursions and Exhibitions._

Pic-nics, exhibitions, and the like, are all rather dangerous things in connection with Sunday-schools. In very sound, discreet, judicious Christian hands, they are often productive of good to all concerned; while under young, giddy, thoughtless management, they sometimes result in evil. Great caution should, therefore, be used. It will require much more grace and wisdom to conduct a Sunday-school exhibition than it will an ordinary service of the school. Says one writer: "Show-children are sometimes gotten up and exhibited, as if they were insensible to flattery as prize poultry." "A word to the wise is sufficient."

_Premiums and Rewards._

We would carefully avoid entailing upon any Sunday-school a _system_ of premiums and rewards, for several reasons. 1. It is needlessly expensive; 2. It is almost impossible to find a corps of teachers who are so good accountants as to be enabled to administer the system impartially; and thus jealousies and dissatisfactions arise both on the part of teacher and pupils; 3. Some of the very _kindest_ teachers are often induced to reward those not _strictly_ entitled to them, and as a consequence, loose and dishonest habits of business are taught the scholars; 4. After the novelty is worn off, the children learn to depend upon and claim their reward as a matter of right which they are justly entitled to, having earned it--thus an improper habit and motive of action is entailed.

The pupils are debtors to the teachers, not the teachers to the pupils. We would not discourage the occasional judicious awarding of premiums to deserving scholars by the school, the teacher, or by benevolent individuals only let them be given for a specific extra service--such as gathering new scholars, extraordinary punctuality, recitations, or sober attention for a long period of time; and let them be awarded so seldom as to be valued and influential.

_Benevolent Contributions._

Benevolent contributions in our Sunday-schools are assuming an attitude of much importance, and it is, therefore, a point that needs to be well guarded from danger. It is very important that our children be early taught the principles and practice of benevolence; of caring for the ignorant and destitute, and doing them good according to their several abilities. They should especially be taught to _earn_ and _save_ money, instead of asking parents for it. Let it all be real and sincere. Great care should also be taken with the children to give for definite objects, and thus secure for them careful reports of what is done with their money. We should, however, most strictly conform to these legitimate objects, and on no account permit them to interfere in any way with the great work of teaching the Bible; and guard them especially against being so conducted as to foster pride, envy, and vain-glory. This can and should be done. The small penny rivulets of the millions of Sunday-school children, uniting, have swelled to a mighty stream, enlivening and refreshing many a dark, moral waste in our own and other lands, carrying untold blessings to myriads, and therefore, we are the more solicitous to keep the fountain pure and free.

_Catechisms._

Most church and many mission schools adopt and successfully and regularly teach the great system of religious truths contained in these excellent compendiums of Christian doctrine. Sometimes one Sabbath a month, and sometimes a part of one, is allotted to this service, and not unfrequently the pastor meets with them, and reviews the lesson. It is preferable, however, to appoint a special service for the catechism, so as to let nothing interfere with the Scripture lesson of the day. "To the law and to the testimony."

There is a great want, however, of a sound, good catechism, translated into the best language of children of the present day, so that they can the more readily receive the truth into their understandings.

_Two Sessions._

Most of the schools in the city of New York and vicinity, and some other cities, hold two sessions a day. The reasons they give for this course are, that teachers have not time faithfully to make the deep, permanent impression on the hearts of their pupils in one session that they think is necessary; that they cannot do justice to themselves, the children, or the lesson; that no thorough system of teaching can be carried out with one session; that the schools with one session, as a general rule, have only a struggling, lingering existence, and that neither pupils nor teachers will consent to return from two, to one session a day. With two sessions, they say, they have time to go over, _finish_, and _apply_ the lesson, hear the enforcement or illustrations of the superintendent, and several times sing their sweet songs of Zion. Besides, they find their rest in the hearty service. Change from the Sabbath-school to a sermon is a relief, and change is rest. So that faithful, earnest teachers very rarely complain of too much labor or fatigue. Every church and school, however, determines this question for itself.

_Constitution and By-Laws._

Sunday-schools usually adopt a few plain rules to govern them; we therefore give a simple form:

ART. 1. This Sabbath-school is connected with the ---- Church, or shall be called the ---- Sabbath-school.

ART. 2. It shall consist of a Superintendent, a Secretary, a Librarian, and as many teachers and scholars as may be duly received and appointed. The usual duties will be assigned to the different officers of the school.

ART. 3. This school shall open at ---- o'clock in the morning, and ---- o'clock in the afternoon, and each session shall continue one hour and ----.

ART. 4. On the first ---- of January, or July ----, the terms for which all the officers are elected each year shall expire, and the teachers shall proceed by ballot, at such time, to elect new officers, or to re-elect the old ones.

ART. 5. Strict order shall be observed, and all the rules conformed to, by every one connected with the school, and no one shall leave the room until the close of the school, without permission.

ART. 6. The annual meeting, or anniversary, shall be held in the month of ----, at which time reports for the year shall be made, and an address by the pastor, or some other person who may be invited. Quarterly meetings for business, and weekly meetings for mutual assistance and counsel, and for the study of the lesson, shall be held by the teachers and officers.

ART. 7. This Constitution may be amended at any annual meeting, and By-Laws may be made or amended at any quarterly meeting, by a majority of all the teachers.

The By-Laws should define when and where teachers' meetings, missionary meetings, temperance or boys' meetings, or social Christian gatherings, may be held; and also what penalty, if any, for absence from teachers' meetings, etc.; also any other necessary objects may be included in the specifications of the By-Laws.

XXIX.

SABBATH-SCHOOL GUARDIANS.

_Parents._

Parents are the divinely appointed guardians of their children. There is no shrinking from their responsibility except by unfaithfulness, and no evading it without guilt. In a few short, fleeting hours parents hold a position of honor and responsibility unparalleled in the duties of any human being.

In the case of Christian parents we believe that God has given them the power to paralyze the influence of the best Sabbath-school teacher or pastor in the land. If they give the cold shoulder to the Sabbath-school, they ought to understand that they will generally destroy its entire influence for good upon their children. Therefore they ought actively and heartily to co-operate with the Sabbath-school teacher and pastor in this work with the young. Parents who are not Christians cannot present so mighty a barrier; but every parent holds an important relation to the teachers and the school.

Parents should watch over the school, often visit it, and manifest a deep interest in it. They should also notice and kindly check any tendency to error in doctrine or practice. They may counsel and suggest in every appropriate way whatever will advance its best interests, and they should personally know and kindly recognize the teacher as the friend of their children, and welcome and aid him in his visits to their homes. They should also contribute liberally and cheerfully to the support of the school, and particularly to the library. They should see that their children punctually attend school, commit their lessons to memory, and thus co-operate with the voluntary unpaid teacher, in giving their children the best and most valuable of all knowledge, and by God's blessing leading them to Christ for salvation.

Parents, accept the teachers to supplement and aid your efforts to save your offspring, but never, in any case, allow anything to supersede or lessen your obligations or spiritual labors for your own children.

_Pastors._

We are fully convinced that our Sabbath-schools will never rise to what they ought to be until our pastors become the well-instructed leaders in this great work. We laymen are not in all cases sufficiently reliable nor fitted to be the leaders. We should take the place assigned to us by the Rev. Dr. Kirk, of Boston, in the State Sunday-School Convention of Massachusetts, when he said he "loved to recognize Sabbath-school teachers as lieutenants in the great army in which Christ Jesus has made him one of the captains."

Our Sabbath-schools, churches and ministers must all rise together. 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.