Part 4

The books of the Sabbath-school library must be attractive and interesting, or they will not be read by the young. They must be true to life and fact, or they will prove pernicious. They must be instructive, or they should find no place in the library. They should be adapted to awaken, convict and convert, to nourish in the religious life and morals, and throw light upon all the pathway of everyday practical life, or they will fall short of meeting the great want. They must strictly conform in all things to the Bible standard, or they should never be found in any of our Sabbath-school libraries.

Better have no books than to have unsound ones. Spare no pains to procure an abundance of good, sound, attractive, and useful reading, and we will soon drive away the flood of bad books which is now threatening to destroy our youth. _Several copies_ of superior books should be placed in the library at the same time. Select such as are adapted to all ages and conditions, from the children in the infant-school up to the wide-awake young men and women in our highest adult Bible classes, and to teachers. Let them also cover all stages of religious feeling and want. Books of narrative, history, biography, youthful Christian experience and training, on temperance, good morals, good habits and manners, should all be provided for the thorough religious instruction of our children and youth. The library should also comprise a good teacher's library with good reference Bibles, a Concordance and Dictionary. Then give the books the largest, freest and most active circulation.

_Managing the Library._--In a great many Sabbath-schools the manner of distributing the books is a very bad one, and in consequence of this some schools have improperly discarded the library altogether. The great difficulty has arisen from the fact that the librarian has been allowed to be on the floor and have access to and interrupt the teachers during the teaching hour. This should never be allowed. An interruption to the teacher while applying divine truth may peril souls for ever, and therefore should be carefully guarded. The only access to the teachers which the librarian ought to be allowed during school hours is to simply hand them the books, just at the close of school. There are several good systems for distributing the books that conform to this idea and protect the teachers. I would never ask the teachers to write the scholars' names or numbers for books, or do the work of selection, during the school hours.

In the management of the library, what is called "The Check System" is considered one of the best. We cannot describe the various good plans, but I will detail one which seems to me to be more simple and to obviate more difficulties than any other that I am acquainted with. It first provides a carefully-printed numerical catalogue of all the books, with the number of pages. Give to each scholar one of these catalogues, and replace it when lost. If the school is a small district-school, a written catalogue will answer the purpose equally well. Then a "Library Card," four inches by two-and-a-half inches, is provided for each scholar on the first of each month. On this is written or printed--"Library Card," "Class No. 6," "John Smith." Each scholar takes his "Library Card" and catalogue home, and there, with aid from his parents or a friend, he selects from ten to fifteen books, either of which he will be satisfied with during the next four weeks. The "Library Card" is then placed in his book, and kept there as a marker, and is returned to the librarian on the next Sabbath with the book. Each scholar hands his book, with the card in it, as he enters the room, to the librarian, who is always to be found at the opening of the school at the outer door of the school-room, with a large basket ready to receive all the books from the pupils. When the school is opened the librarian carries these books to the library and assorts them, as he ascertains from each book-mark to whom and what class and name the book belongs. The book is then credited as returned, and the new one charged. If any scholar wants one book particularly that is on his list, he _underscores_ it, and if it is in the library, it is given to him and charged. If any scholar is late, and the librarian has gone to the library, he loses his exchange of books on that Sabbath. The librarian keeps the account of all library-books, and charges them all to each name and class according to the book-mark, and credits them when returned, and the teacher has no care of it. After the teaching is closed, the lesson reviewed by the superintendent, remarks made, prayer, singing, etc., then the librarian, by a notice from the superintendent, passes down the aisle and hands each teacher his lot of books, and the teacher passes them to each pupil according to the library card, and then the school is dismissed. No scholar opens his library-book or paper in the school. The teachers have no care of the books or their numbers, unless the scholar loses his library-card; in which case his teacher, at the close of the school, accompanies him to the library and obtains for him a new library-card and book. The librarian and his assistant charge and credit all the books while the teachers are teaching. Each class has a column or place in the register. This plan satisfies the scholar, he has his own choice, and never interrupts the teachers or the school for a moment, or diverts the attention of the school, and no time is lost. It works admirably.

_The Librarian._--The librarian's office is an important one. He should be one of the most considerate, watchful, careful young men in all the community, for his office gives him much prominence. He should open the library, arrange it in order, distribute hymn and class-books before the school opens, and allow no unauthorized person access to the library. He will become acquainted with the general character of the books, as well as know the scholars, that he may intelligently aid them in their selections. He will, also, ascertain what class of books is most in demand.

VII.

THE SECRETARY.

This indispensable officer of the school is a sort of clerk or helper to the superintendent.

1. He should be a good accountant, prompt, watchful and attentive. He should keep a record of the attendance.

2. He should make a note of the opening exercises, with the names of those who participate, and any interesting circumstances connected with them.

3. He should record the names of all the scholars and teachers who have been or are now connected with the school, and note everything of their changes in life and history, especially their profession of religion, marriage, etc.--keeping up a correspondence with them. This record-book will become very valuable as the years roll on, since it includes parents' names, every removal and death, etc., etc.

4. He will also count the number of scholars and teachers present, enter it in the minute-book, and note the absentees.

5. He should write up the class-books, and deliver them to the teachers.

6. He should enter in the minute-book the names of visitors, especially if the pastor be one of them; note the addresses, what kind of weather, and all items affecting the school.

7. He should give certificates of dismissal to every teacher or scholar about removing to another place, recommending them to the Christian fellowship of those who love Christ's lambs.

8. He should know every scholar, so that he can check them off without asking the teacher the name, and should have a quick, vigilant eye, not only for his own duties, but, also, in order to communicate valuable suggestions respecting the school to the superintendent.

9. In the absence of the superintendent, he may sometimes take his place in the charge of the school, except in the case of very large schools, which may require an assistant to the superintendent.

VIII.

THE TEACHER.

The true Sabbath-school teacher is one called and "sent of God;" for we read (1 Cor. xii. 28), "And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly _teachers_;" and the same divine lips which said "Go preach," said also "Go teach." Whosoever receives this sacred call should devote himself to it by a holy consecration, remembering that he is truly an ambassador from the King of kings to a small circle of his rebellious subjects,--a ransomed sinner offering pardon to precious youth condemned to die. His great business is the preparation of young immortals for the kingdom of heaven through the application of heaven-revealed truth by a simple appeal to their intelligence and feelings through the power of the Holy Spirit. This is truly an angel's errand entrusted to redeemed sinners. Mr. Groser justly says: "The office of a Christian teacher transcends all others in interest and importance. No matter what his precise sphere of labor may be, whether that of a professor like Chalmers, a pastor like Oberlin, a schoolmaster like Arnold, or a Sunday-school teacher like the 300,000 men and women who on each returning Sabbath seek to instruct our youth in those truths which are able to make them wise unto salvation." He should, therefore, accept his mission thankfully, and enter upon it heartily, and attend to his duties punctually, faithfully, and earnestly.

He is to teach Bible truth. That is the divinely provided aliment for the human mind, and if rightly taught and received it will be attractive and satisfying to the soul, and all besides will be only supplementary. To be able to teach Bible truth thus faithfully and truly, calls for _hard_, _earnest_ work, for, says one of the English bishops, "It takes all we know to make things plain." The teacher, therefore, must needs be well furnished and thoroughly fitted for his high calling.

This brings us to the next article, on the teacher's preparation.

IX.

PREPARATION.

The work of teaching divine truth is so difficult and important that every teacher should do himself the justice to make the most clear and careful preparation. No teacher can impart more than he has prepared to teach, and he should therefore bring to his class only beaten oil, well-digested and well-adapted thoughts, something worthy of being taught, and that will command attention for their own sake. It is well for the teacher to have method and system, as well as a set time and place to begin that preparation. The time to commence, we think, should be on the afternoon or evening of the previous Sabbath, and the place in the quiet of the home circle or the study.

1. Pray and read, and read and _think_ and PRAY over the lesson; the words and the spirit of it. Here look for the best thoughts to use.

2. Search the Scriptures with the aid of a Concordance, or good reference Bible, for the most pointed and practical parallel passages and references; they will wonderfully illuminate the lesson.

3. By aid of the Bible references, and a good dictionary, be careful to get the clear, exact meaning of the important words of the lesson, in words adapted to your class.

4. Next use your Teachers' Helps, Commentaries, Bible Geographies, Bible Dictionaries, Maps, Antiquities, etc.

5. Go out into the world and gather excellent things for illustration of the Bible truth from what you see, hear, read or do.

6. Visit your scholars' homes in the preparation of your lessons, and learn their peculiar trials and temptations. Study well your children, child-nature and child-language, "Peep of Day" and "Line upon Line" are pure specimens of child-language.

7. Get something for _each_ pupil, for Johnny is not at all like Willy, and Willy is not like Charlie, etc. Break up Bible truths into small pieces for the children and youth. Do not wander afar for simile, but remember "knowledge is _before_ him that understandeth, but the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth."

8. Make full notes, write out your facts and references, etc.: (_a_) Of your best thoughts. (_b_) Of your best plan of teaching. (_c_) The aim and object of the lesson illustrations. (_d_) Of the commencement and closing of the teaching lesson.

9. Think it all over so carefully and repeatedly that you will need scarcely to look at the notes to the end. Select just what to teach, and do not stuff the children. Memorize the lesson and you will have special unction in teaching.

10. Prepare more, far more, than you will want to use, that you may have ample material for selections; for no teacher can impart all that he is prepared to teach, and the teacher should be careful NEVER TO EXHAUST HIMSELF.

Finally. Do not be tied down to any one plan or method of preparing a Sabbath lesson, but invent new and fresh modes. Never suffer any part of your preparation or teaching to relapse into a dull routine. Be fresh, warm, and earnest in manner and matter, and raise yourself above leaning upon any question-books or notes of lessons; use them if you please, but do not lean upon them. The weekly teachers'-meeting is an indispensable assistant to every faithful teacher. Never forget that the only sort of knowledge which can answer a Sabbath-school teacher's purpose "must be at once thorough, detailed, abundant, and exact."

It is of the first importance that the teacher of children should study well child-nature, child-language, and all the child's characteristics--such as activity, curiosity, inquisitiveness, etc.; what are its wants and cares; its dangers and its duties; its hopes and fears; its sympathies and feelings, likes and dislikes. All these must be candidly considered if we would prepare for the position of Christian counsellor and guide to the child. We must gain its confidence, draw out its sympathies, and win its heart, and all this will require the most diligent, earnest, prayerful study. In this process the teacher must needs often recall his own childhood, and live that over again--become as a little child again--if he would become a child's teacher. Do not ever fall into the error of supposing that your children are ever too young or too ignorant to appreciate a well-prepared lesson.

After these very full directions for the _teacher_, I am here permitted by Mr. Ralph Wells to give the notes of his actual _superintendent's_ preparation in the regular service of Grace Mission-school, only one week before the previous part of this article was written. The following are his exact notes:

"THE SUPERINTENDENT'S PREPARATION."

Subject--_Hypocrisy._

Time, 8 hours' _intense_ study.

Commenced Sabbath evening previous.

1. Prayer for light. Do you? 2. Go to the Bible to see what it says. 3. Texts found. _Write all out._ Job xx. 5; xxvii. 8-10; xxxvi. 13, 14. Prov. xxx. 12. Psalms lxv. 2-5. Ezek. xxxiii. 31, 32. Matt. vi. 2; xxiv. 51. Luke xii. 1. Mark xii. 15.

4. _Definition of Hypocrisy._

To seek to appear what I am not.

5. _Bible Examples._ _Causes._ _End._

Saul, 1 Sam. xv. 14. Love of gain. -- Gehazi, 2 Kings v. 26. " -- Judas, Matt. xxvi. 50. " -- Ananias, Acts v. 1-26. Gain and applause. -- Simon Magus, Acts viii. 26. Gain. -- Absalom, 2 Sam. xv. 1-12. Power. --

6. Look into the lesson and examples until I _feel_ it myself.

7. _Emblems._

_Bible._ | _Common._ Leaven. | The mask. Whited sepulchres. | Counterfeit money. Hidden graves. | Paste jewels. Spider's web. |

8. _Common ways for all ages._

The store, the bank, and the office. Profession of religion for credit. Political, on 'change, fashionable, flattering.

9. _Children's Dangers._

Don't tell mother. Boy getting my white-alley. Desire to please teachers or gain praise. The hypocrite lies with his hands, face, clothes, gifts.

10. _Illustrations._

Photograph--Absalom's monument. Friar--Nelly and love of Jesus. Picture of a hypocritical saint--London beggar.

11. _Absalom's double face to his father and to God._

Picture the scene. 2 Sam. xv. 1-13.

12. _Hypocrisy._

Its meaning. Its folly. Its causes. Its end.

The simple notes certainly give but a faint idea of how thoroughly hypocrisy is unmasked in this lesson. The teacher or scholar will never forget it. "_Intense_ study" should be contrasted with the _easy_-chair, lounging, intermitting study of many.

"The store, the bank," etc., refer to rum shops; so named that husbands and young men who return at late hours may say, I have just left "_the bank_," etc.

The "photograph of Absalom's monument" reminds us that, to this day, every Jew casts a stone at it, and curses the hypocrite's memory; and so on with the other illustrations.

The following brief notes were taken at one of our New York Association's meetings: Subject--How to prepare a Sabbath-school lesson. "Piety _alone_ is not what we want in Sabbath-school teaching any more than preaching." Take the lesson--Luke xviii. 35--"A certain blind man," etc. Take a good Reference Bible and a Bible Dictionary. I ask myself, What is in this passage? A miracle. Say something about miracles, but never lead a child into deep water. I can never make a thing plain to another that I cannot make plain to myself. You cannot teach more than you can put into words, etc.

Tell them about a particular part of the country: Jericho (Josh. ii., and 2 Kings xvi. 34), sixteen miles from Jerusalem, and about six from the river Jordan. I find here a beggar--_two_, but one is silent. "Jesus, thou Son of David"--the sublime epithet applied to the Messiah. His suit is for mercy. "Cried the _more_"--evidence of faith--plea for mercy--earnestness. Jesus is arrested in his progress by the prayer of the needy man. Prayer arrests all laws. Jesus stood and commanded. You have got to come to Jesus. Submission to Jesus absolutely essential. What wilt thou? We are to tell Christ just what we want. Prayer is absolutely necessary. Jesus made the blind man tell Him. Revive thy faith. Must believe. How apply. What last impressions to leave. Jesus was going up to Jerusalem for the last time. Only opportunity, or last opportunity. All go. This opportunity, dear boys, may be the last.

The superintendent, as well as the teachers, needs the most ample and careful preparation of the lesson, in order to suggest and aid and sympathize with the teachers and school, and to conduct the teachers' meeting.

X.

THE TEACHER TEACHING.

The teacher is the master and superior, and his character, attitude, bearing and words should be well calculated to govern and to guide. Teaching is not simply educating--namely, drawing out, nor simply instructing the pupil, but _training_ him. It is taking my thought and converting it to _his use_.

With this view great care should be taken to begin a lesson aright. The teacher should come from communion with God, and his spirit and manner should be at once thoughtful, earnest and cheerful, never cold, cheerless, indifferent, or severe. Let him give to each scholar a warm, quiet, but hearty salutation; be early, be calm, be gentle, be firm and seriously in earnest; never allow any scholar to take any undue liberties; and see that each one and everything is in its place.

With interest and reverence the teacher and his class will then enter upon the devotional opening exercises, joining in them. After which he will gather his class around him, and first place himself on terms of good-will with all, and find some _common ground_ for their minds to begin acting upon. A well-timed, easy, and awakening question about the former or present lesson will arrest attention, but it must be well adapted, and readily answered. The first questions must never perplex or embarrass the pupil, for they are very important. From thence proceed and rapidly draw their minds up towards the great central thought of the lesson; awakening thought, arousing curiosity, and deepening impressions.

The teacher should question the lesson _out_ of the pupils, and then question it _into_ them. He will first get the _words_ of the lesson clearly into the minds of the scholars--mostly by catechising--and then the _meaning_ and illustration of the principal words. Next the _lessons_ of instruction must be carefully drawn, and lastly, _applied_ to the heart and life of all.

A severe test comes upon the teacher in the recitation and catechising upon the lesson. He is to remember: 1. To draw all the information that he can from the class; 2. To induce the class to find out all they can for themselves; 3. To give such information as is best for the class, but before giving any information, be sure that no member of the class _can_ give it.

The true teacher starts from the _known_, and proceeds over short and easy stepping-stones to the faintly known, thence to the contrast, and then to the unknown. Some very learned men utterly fail as teachers. They take such tremendous strides that no pupil can follow them. It is like the father rushing up three steps at a time to the top of the staircase. If he would lead his child, he must be careful to take but one step at a time. Let the child's present knowledge be the starting-point for all future acquisitions. Reading, or even reciting, a lesson, may possibly teach nothing. "'Tis in vain that you make them read the life and doctrines of the Saviour, if you do not explain to them that he lived for their example, that he died to redeem them, and that those doctrines are to govern them in thought, word and deed." Care should be taken, to select the best plan of arranging the lesson. "The _beginning_ should arrest attention, the _middle_ inform the mind, and the _end_ affect the heart." Let there be a natural order and method in all your teaching;--one thought gliding into and connecting with the next, and so on. In no department of life is system and method of more value, and a child is as much aided by it as a man. Robertson justly says: "Memory without method is useless. Detached facts are practically valueless." Method is the laying out of the lesson and proceeding in its natural order in conformity with the uniform laws of the human mind. It tells what shall come first and second, and puts everything in its right place, so that the mind can take a clearer grasp, and memory a more easy and a more retentive hold, of the truths presented.

We should not, however, bind ourselves to any _one_ method of teaching, for there is no standard mode alike adapted to different persons and lessons. The most of our good teachers have wrought out some way of teaching in a measure peculiar to themselves and adapted to them. Those who can do so, however, will be able to borrow much of value from "Gall's Lesson System," with its thorough analysis, numerous exercises, exhaustive doctrines and lessons of instruction, or from "Stow's Training System," with its sympathy of numbers, its picturing out into life and training which will aid others, and "Mimpriss's Gospel Harmony" will help many. Let us ride no hobbies, but gather the best suggestions from all for our Sabbath-school work.

What we want in our Sabbath-schools is to add a sufficiency of teaching-power--to give efficacy to our teaching without stiffening it with rules and forms.

A few years ago hymn-learning, catechism, and task-lessons formed the staple of even our Scripture-classes. Now there is a demand for good Bible-teaching, that will equal the teaching of our best academies and colleges. The Bible is so adapted and wonderful as to place us on great vantage ground. We want to know, How to use it? Mr. J. G. Fitch, of the Normal College, London, has given us an admirable synopsis of the few simple principles which underlie the great art, and which, as he justly observes, "require to be pondered and thoroughly grasped by every teacher:"

1. "Never to teach what you do not quite understand." Clear knowledge makes clear, pleasant teaching.