Page images
PDF
EPUB

of greater efficiency in the conduct of their schools.

For a Sunday school is a very peculiar institution. To be well conducted, it must have plans of its own. A large proportion of the children attend no other school; they are debarred from doing so; they need therefore a very pains-taking treatment. It appeared by inquiries made by the National Society, three years ago that out of more than a million of scholars registered in different schools, between four and five hundred thousand had no other instruction than that which they received on the Lord's day. The minds of these children therefore, do not come under the ordinary discipline of a week-day school. They are unused to the subordination which is there maintained. Their attendance at the Sunday school is voluntary. It is evident therefore, that if their continuance in the school is to be secured, it must be gained almost entirely by the power of an attraction which the school itself shall have upon them. But to create that attraction is no easy achievement. It requires much care, much moral influence, much studious contrivance.

The

Again, the teachers in a Sunday school are not like professed, or regularly trained instructors. For the most part they are persons who are engaged all the week in other avocations. A large proportion of them are young. They need to be taught themselves. very lessons of their scholars they must first acquire, or they cannot teach them with any good effect. Moreover, beside the lesson to be taught, there is the art of teaching-one of the first of all arts. How to fix the volatility of a child, to arrest his attention, to rivet his eye, to engage his ear, and above all to reach his affections, and impress his heartall this skill is not intuitive. The work of Sunday school teaching is really difficult. A greater mistake cannot be made, than to think that any one is

F

competent to be a Sunday school teacher. If the duty is to be done well, it demands a combination of qualities, both intellectual and spiritual, of no ordinary kind.

on

Now, the originators of the Church of England Sunday School Institute felt this. They observed with pain, how many a Sunday school failed of its due effect, from the want of better ideas the part of those who had the management of it, as to the way in which their work was to be done. And they noticed with deep regret, how many a teacher, pious, earnest, and anxious to do good, was discouraged, and vexed with himself, and induced to abandon his post, from a consciousness of his own inefficiency in it. Their aim, then, has been to set the system of Sunday school teaching on a better footing, and to raise the qualifications, and augment the effectiveness of the teachers. To this end they have prepared books especially adapted to secure a regularity of proceedings in a school; as well as other books, providing for a course of Scriptural instruction, Sunday after Sunday, through the year; and other books again, to teach the teacher no less than the scholar; and many of these little productions have already been attended with the best results. In addition to this, the mental and religious advancement of Sunday school teachers has been greatly promoted by means of Libraries, Lectures, meetings for deliberation on practical questions connected with their duties, Training Classes, and Periodicals containing a very large amount of informa tion, and of suggestion, and of narrative, all bearing on the one point. And beside these plans, it is part of the design of the Institute to render pecuniary aid to Sunday schools in embarrassed circumstances. Its funds have as yet permitted but little to be done in this way. Nevertheless, that little has brought out facts of a most affecting character. It has shewn how many of

the devoted pastors of our Church, stationed in poor and populous districts, are struggling hard to sustain their Sunday schools, and often providing out of their own scanty incomes for the whole, or nearly the whole of the expenses. Many such an applicant, not knowing where to turn for assistance, has hailed our Institute as a friend in need, and our only regret is, that hitherto its finances have suffered it to offer but very limited expressions of its sympathy.

To give an impulse, then, to this undertaking, by contributing to its support, and by shewing an interest in its success, is what we ask, my brethren, this evening at your hands. And permit me to say to not a few who may hear me, and who, it is possible, from various circumstances, may have had little or no opportunity of knowing much of Sunday school labours, that their brethren, who are actually toiling in those labours, have a strong claim on their regard. Many of them, as we have said, are young; and there are very few who are not engaged during the week in active, and frequently exhausting occupations. It costs them no small exertion to maintain their place in their Sunday school. It is really a labour, though a labour of love, to go forward. Shall we then ask in vain from those who are spared this effort, some pledge of their Christian affection for these self-denying ser vants of the Lord? We are confident brethren, that this will not be. No, you will feel, we trust, that the enterprise which they have in hand is one in which they are most truly workers together with God, and one therefore in which you will rejoice to assist them. You will feel that the end which is sought in a Sunday school, rightly conducted, is pre-eminently a sacred end. It is not the secular improvement of the children, although this follows as a consequence, but it is their spiritual benefit which is the primary object. The day is holy. The work is holy.

The holy Book is the book of the school. And to bring the minds of the children into contact with the mind of God, to fix his truths in their memories, to win them to a reverence for his commands, in one word, to save their souls-here is the mark and aim of Sunday school instruction.

And blessed be God, that aim is not sought without frequent success. We look not by any means for all the fruit of Sunday school teaching, or of any teaching of young chil dren, immediately. Far otherwise. For the most part our reward is to come at some future day. Perhaps it is never to be seen by us in this world, but will be reaped in the day of Christ. Still we are allowed at times to witness enough, and more than enough, to fill our hearts with joy, and to make us sensible that God does condescend to reckon us as co-workers with Him. We see good evidences of children being sanctified, taken out from the snares and sins of this evil world, and separated unto the Lord. They have lived in his fear and love; and not s few have died, willing to "depart and be with Christ," and confessing that to their Sunday school they owed it that for them to die was gain. The world, we know, in its Babel strife and confusion, takes no account of such matters. It will deem them foolishness. But angels watch, and as they watch, give praise to God for what they often see transpiring among us. And the God of angels, we are sure, is there, working with us, as we with Him. For here is the development of his own everlasting plans of grace; here the end for which his Son came down to earth to live and die; here the purposes for which his Holy Spirit now exerts his power; we are confident, therefore, that He is with us. And, therefore, we are confident, dear brethren, that you, who love his name, will give us your aid, and be workers with Him.

Plans and Progress.

GENTLEMEN,

SEPARATE SERVICES FOR CHILDREN.

I hail with delight the introduction of a subject into your Magazine, which I am desirous should engage the minds of all interested in the instruction of the young in the present day-I mean the forced attendance of our junior scholars, in the House of the Lord, on the Sab. bath day. Since a respected correspondent in your last, courted enquiry on this interesting topic, perhaps I may be allowed to add my mite in support of what he has judiciously advanced.

In broaching a theory which has for its object the remedy of certain defects, we are continually reminded by advocates of the present system, that the intrinsic excellence of it consists in the formation of right habits, arising from the constant attendance in the sanctuary. In this way—say they—we are carrying out the precept of Scripture-"Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it." Granted that to bring children to a throne of grace is good-to bring them where prayer is wont to be made by "the excellent of the earth" is a pleasing thought--but who will say that any good can arise from the use of a service they do not understand? Add to this the inconvenient position in which they are placed in Church, and can we wonder that instead of the habit of prayer being formed, other habits-and those of the worst kind, do grow out of it? I appeal to all who have had to sit with children, if the habits of sleeping, talking, whispering and thoughtless wiling away of the precious hours in day-dreaming, sitting motionless, but without the least effort to attend, are not the general fruits of such a system? Are these

habits likely to operate for their good? Habits strengthen themselves by exercise. Can any Christian mind desire to see such habits confirmed in them? I trow not. We urge that the excellent Liturgy was framed for adults and intelligent worshippers, and therefore unfitted for the weak capacity of a child. To bring all children indiscriminately to Church without regard to knowledge, is to my mind, fraught with danger to the infant mind, in making them believe that the outward form is everythingthat simply their presence in the sanctuary, with good behaviour, is keeping holy the Sabbath day, while we are aware that spiritual worship has been offered by none, because we know they understand not the meaning of the service! The same may be said of the sermon, It is but very rarely that the children are addressed at all-that the minister comes down to their shallow understandings. To expect then that junior children can profit by this ordinance--I had almost said was impossible: for let me observe--before salvation is received, faith is necessary-and we all know knowledge is the foundation of faith. While they are infants they have not this knowledge and therefore cannot have faith. Mark! I say while they are infants!

Because the ordinary

language in which a sermon is preached is not calculated to supply what they need. "It is like giving strong meat to babes."

The glimmerings of intellect require careful culture; step by step must they be led, till their expanding minds are prepared to take in the glorious truths of the Gospel, in the ordinary language used in proclaiming them.

[ocr errors]

To do this effectively, not only do we need to begin at "first principles," but our gentle leadings must be by language the most simple. There is reason to fear, that in the present day, the present conversion of the children of our schools is too much overlooked. Many "cast their bread upon the waters," content to look for fruit, "after many days." But is it wise thus to act? Is the heart too hard for Divine grace to soften in childhood? Do we not know the promise?" I will pour my spirit upon thy seed and my blessing upon thy offspring, and they shall spring up as among grass, as willows by the water courses. Isaiah xliv. 3, 4, 5. Clearly this refers to their state as children and should encourage our weak faith; but the present system goes upon the principle, that though they cannot understand now, hereafter they will; hence they are dealt with as if the present time were of no value to them; left to wait until their opening minds shall enable them to worship with intelligence. To the law and to the testimony! Though we do not find much in Scripture to bear upon the point-there is one historical fact which will be sufficient for our purpose. We have it stated in Luke ch. ii. that Jesus went not up to the feast until He was twelve! I say went not, because Scripture does not record any other visit prior to this. And as a comment on this, Dean Stanhope says "That on these occasions females attended though not commanded, as did also children, when capable of understanding the intent of those festivals." Now this is all we could desire. But

is it in accordance with the present practice? Can it be said of the infant whose knowledge is limited to the Alphabet-many of whom belong to these groups-that they understand the intent of the Worship of God's House? If it be true that children are endued by the Lord with natures that are averse to stillness and rest-minds and bodies that caunot be idle-can we wonder that if they find not that in the prayers and sermons of our Church which arrests attention, and by diligent occupation banish trifling from their hearts, there is so much irreverence and unconcern?

How different might be their conduct, and how improved their minds, as it regards their readiness to receive serious impressions under a better course of training from infancy! Separate them from the senior scholars and from the congregation for a while; give them forms of prayers as simple as can be framed and in which they may take part, and soon would they acquire the habit of attending to prayer throughout. Again, such a withdrawal would afford an opportunity to explain our beautiful Liturgy, to enable them to worship with "the understanding." Combined with which, let them have a Scriptural lesson on the elliptical method, by which their opening minds may be stored with Divine Truth, and by which the habit of attention may be secured. These means used in dependence on the grace of God with earnest prayer, appear the most likely to bring about decision for God in early life.

Faithfully yours. H.E.

DO YOU VISIT YOUR CHILDREN?

Will you take an hint for an old teacher, and do so? I have found the benefit of it in my class, and the more you visit the parents the more interest they will take in your school. I have

always made it a rule, if a child is absent, to see the parent before the following Sunday, and have found much benefit and interesting conversation in these visits. If a child in my class is absent

the parent is sure to look for my calling.

A few years back I had a boy whose parents were respectable, but very careless respecting his attendance at the school, and seldom at any place of worship, spending the sabbath as too many others do, out on pleasure. By my continual calling after the youth and persevering efforts for his attendance, and conversation with the parents, they were led to think that there must be something (to use their own words) good in the school.

I got the boy regular and in time

morning and afternoon, and the parents to a place of worship; and after a short time the father joined the school as a teacher, and turned out a most pious excellent man, and a greater distributor of tracts on Sabbath mornings also.

This is only one result of visiting the children out of many others that could be named.

Some may plead want of time; surely all could spare a few minutes. I was at this time engaged from half-past 8 in the morning till 7 at night. Try what can be done.

a. v.

JUVENILE MISSIONARY ASSOCIATION.

GENTLEMEN,

The following brief account of the establishment of a "Juvenile Missionary Association," in connexion with Christ Church Sunday school, may prove encouraging to those interested in Sabbath school missionary work.

At the latter end of August last, it was suggested at one of our teachers' meetings, that a Juvenile Missionary Association might be formed. The idea was carried out, and some cards, (of which I enclose a copy) were printed, upon which an account of the sum given by each child, might be kept, and a book was also prepared for the same purpose. A preliminary missionary meeting was held on the 9th of September, at half-past seven in the evening, which most of the children attended, and listened, with great attention and manifest interest, to an account which our worthy Rector gave them of the historical and natural features of Australia, and of its spiritual condition. It had been decided at the teachers' meeting above referred to, that the amount collected should be devoted to one or more schools for native and other children, in the diocese of Melbourne, South America; as it was considered that the children would feel

more interest in contributing towards a special object, than to the general missionary fund.

The next Sunday there were numerous applications for missionary cards; and the sum contributed, from Sept. 15th, 1850, to March 2nd, 1851, amounts to two pounds twelve shillings and two pence three-farthings; by no means a small sum for a school averaging only 100 in attendance.

By God's blessing, we may now consider the association as fairly established; the excitement, which of course attended its first starting, has died away, and the regular weekly contributions amount now, upon an average, to one shilling and ninepence.

It was proposed to hold a missionary meeting once a quarter, but circumstances have prevented us from having a second meeting up to the present date, and therefore, the above average may be regarded as independent of any such stimulus.

Very faithfully yours,
John Howes.

RULES.

1. That Children subscribing to this Association be its Members.

2. That Meetings be held occasion

« ՆախորդըՇարունակել »