Forty years' experience in Sunday-schools
<3 V KH fc & V o fo ►5 h— < ^ j > < N X jS « ^*HL. £ 8 • FORTY YEARS' (Btytxxmtt hx &mibK%-%tl[}ttBh. BY STEPHEN H. TYNG, D.D.. BIOTOB OP ST. GEORGE'S CHURCH, NEW YORK. NEW YORK: SHELDON &c COMPANY, BOSTON i GOULD & LINCOLN. 1860. ^9 Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1860, by SHELDON & COMPANY, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York. ?*«66 stereotyped by printed by Smith & McDougal, Pudney & Kussell, 82 & 84 Beekman-st., N. Y. T9 John-street, N. Y. INTRODUCTION. The importance of the subject of this little vol- ume none can doubt. There is a familiarity in treating it, and a desultory method pursued in its discussion which may be considered inappropriate for a book. I have only to say, the chapters herein contained, were so many distinct letters addressed to a friend who was the Superintendent of a Sunday- school, at his own request. After a publication in the Independent had given them a very extensive circulation, their compact publication in the present form was also solicited. They are the simple lan- guage of personal experience and observation in the field of which they treat. They may be the instru- ment of suggesting other and better thoughts and IV INTRODUCTION. experience to other minds. I can not but hope they will be made useful to many. If they shall but set Christians and ministers to thinking, in- quiring, and speaking, even in opposition to some of the sentiments they contain, they will do good. There can be but one result to which conscientious thought and inquiry must lead, and with that the end and purpose of the book will be so far attained. To his brethren in the ministry of the whole Church of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to his sym- pathizing friends, the Sunday-school teachers in all the Churches, the author gratefully presents his little work, praying for their countenance, and the Lord's blessing. St. Geobge's Reotoby. New York, August 1, 186a CONTENTS. PAGE I.— Personal History.— Quincy, Mass.— St. Paul's, Phil- adelphia.—Epiphany, Philadelphia : T II.— St. George's, New York.— New Church.— Schools in New Church. — Exercises and Plans for Schools. ... 15 III. — Failure of Teachers. — Advantages of Sunday- schools. — Conversion of Children. — Eesults of Ef- forts.—Revival in St. Paul's.— Fruits of Teaching. 26 IY.— Manner of Teaching.— Useful Teachers.— JonN Farr. — Young Female Teacher.— Lovely Child in Epiphany School 86 Y. — Later Eesults.— Two Different Cases. — Dying Chil- dren.— Love of Children for Sunday-school. — Ef- fects on Families.— Home Teaching 48 YI. — Repining.— Elevating Influence. — A Professor in College. — A Female Principal. — The Poor Children. — Missionary Knowledge. — Contributions 6;1 YIL— Future Benefits.— Present Actual Gains.— Obliga- tions of PASTOR8 69 YIII.— Agency.— Teachers.— Yalue.— Usefulness. — Quali- fications— True Piety 78 IX. — Teachers. — Religious Knowledge. — Scriptural Knowledge. — Special Preparation. — Love for Souls. — Efforts for Salvation 87 X. — Teachers. — The Best Needed. — Missionary from Africa.— Love the Rule.— Boys and Girls Taught Together.— Foolish Quarrels 96 XL — Teachers, — Punctuality. — Divine Aid. — Prayer. -— Opening Worship.— Prayer for Children,— Quiet Attention 105 VI CONTENTS. PAGE XII. — Superintendent.— Punctuality. — Christian Charac- ter.—Intelligence.— Kindness 115 XIII. — Anniversaries. — Anniversary Books. — Mission- ary Contributions. — Eleventh Anniversary. — St. George's. — Account of Schools 124 XIV. — Relation to the Church. — General Sunday-school Cause.— Independence op the Sunday-schools. — Change of feeling in the Church 135 XV.— Relation to the Church.— Duty of the Church. — Mission Schools 144 XVI. — Duty of the Churches.— Suitable Buildings. — Provision for Mission Schools. — Method of Con- ducting 154 XVII.— Mission Schools.— Emigrants.— St. George's.— Mis- sion Chapel.— Plan and Occupation 163 XVIII. — Sunday-school Effort. — Public Schools.— Duty of the Church to the Cause. — Successful Efforts. . . . 172 XIX. — Pastoral Duty.— Influence of Sunday-schools. — Instances. — The Ministry in relation to this work. — Incident at Jaffa 131 XX.— Tns Ministry.— Pastoral Care.— Neglect.— Per- sonal Superintendence.— Value to the Pastor... 192 XXI.— The Ministry.— Superintendence of Schools. — Per- sonal Visiting. — Lectures for Teachers and Chil- dren 202 XXII.— Duty of Schools to the Church.— Church Teaching. —Church Relations.— Value of them to Children. 212 XXIII.— Duty of Teachers. — Catechisms.— The Bible the Book for Sunday-school Teaching 222 XXIV.— Teachees. — Bible Teaching. — Preparation. — Prayer.— Illustration. — Simplicity in Teaching. . . 232 XXV.— Teachers. — Manners. — Actual "Work. — Blessed Re- sults.—Joy in Final Success 242 PERSONAL HISTORY. — QUINCY, MASS. — ST. PAUL'S, PHILADEL- PHIA,— EPIPHANY, PHILADELPHIA. \Y Dear Friend : You ask for some notes of my personal experience in connection with Sunday-schools, and some of the results of that experience. I shall be glad to gratify you in a very simple and desultory way, having no time to arrange any thing in a more methodical or didactic shape. The proposal will lead me first to a few reminiscences of my own con- nection with these interesting nurseries of the Church of Christ. In the year 1819, when a candidate for the ministry, I was first sent forth by Bishop Gris- wold, as a young laborer in the Gospel, under the title of what we call in the Episcopal Church a Lay Header, which included, in those days, the utmost range of personal exhortation 8 QUINCY, MASS. and preaching. I was directed by him to the temporary charge of a small, vacant Episcopal church in Quincy, Mass. A few scattered fam- ilies and individuals made up the congregation, of whom two ladies, still living and useful in the church, agreed to unite with me in the opening of a Sunday-school. Such an enter- prise had never been undertaken or seen by either of us ; nor had there ever been a Sun- day-school in the town. But the zeal and love of young Christians, earnest in the Lord's service, will furnish both the model and the accomplishment of what they are prompted to undertake for him. We scoured the town among the families to whom we had access, and among whom we could circulate our noti- ces, to invite children of all kinds to our school on the appointed Sabbath. To our amaze- ment, when the morning arrived, we found per- haps fifty children assembled, a larger number than our whole congregation had ever been be- fore. Our youthful hearts rejoiced, and our in- experienced hands were full. There were four teachers besides myself — the two young ladies, QUINCY, MASS. 9 and two young men whose family attended the church. We knew but little of the work we had undertaken, but we had hearts that desired to work, and a love for the enterprise with which the Lord had so remarkably honored us. We labored on with a happy spirit and suc- cessful results. The first boy whose name I took at the opening of that school, has been for more than twenty years a distinguished minister of the Episcopal Church. One of the two male teachers gave his life to the Foreign Missionary work, and died in Ceylon. The other was taken away while in his course of theological study, and the two ladies are still living, active and useful in the Lord's work. Little as I knew then, this first Sunday- school was a very exciting and stirring event of my life. It had the effeqt of an entire enlist- ment of my affections and efforts in this work. But my subsequent early ministry was for sev- eral years in a very scattered and wide-spread country, where the gathering of large Sunday- schools was impossible. And yet I have but the last week received a letter from the Sunday 10 ST. PAUL'S, PHILADELPHIA. school missionary laboring in that region of the South, informing me that thirty public prima- ry school-rooms in the county are now offered for Sunday-school occupation, and asking my co-operation in furnishing means for libraries for their use. So remarkably has the work progressed and enlarged in our day. In the spring of 1829, I was called to St. Paul's church, in the city of Philadelphia, where there had been Sunday-schools, very com- plete and well arranged, from 1816. There were in those schools perhaps four hundred children. They made a very effective arrange- ment in both sexes, from adult Bible-classes down to infant schools. The best and most intelligent members of the church were en- gaged in them. Many of the most influential of the officers of the church were also occu- pied in them. They were wisely, intelligently, and efficiently conducted. They made the very field of labor for which I had longed, and which I ardently and instantly embraced. I organized a weekly lecture on the lesson for the teachers, and had beside a weekly Bible-class of ladies, ST. PAUL'S, PHILADELPHIA. 11 including the female teachers. I spent every Sabbath morning in a personal visitation of all the schools, examining the classes and aiding to the utmost of my power in the work of teach- ing, often having the opportunity to take some vacant class, and thus come into direct contact with the children themselves. I gave every Sunday afternoon, when our public service was in the evening, to a personal address to all the schools combined. A whole generation has since passed away. The children of that day are now the active mature workers in our churches. More than ten of them have become preachers of the Gospel. Over one hundred and fifty have given themselves to the Lord's service in the lay fellowship and labor of the churches. How many more of all these clusters of fruit have been gathered since, from the same heavenly plant, I have no adequate means of knowing. Those schools have all been maintained in all their efficiency to the present time. Never were they so strong and prosper- ous as under the present rector of St. Paul's, 12 EPIPHANY, PHILADELPHIA. who was one of the boys of that day, and who has proved himself so earnest, and successful in the Sunday-school work, in his ministry since. I imagine these schools may be regarded as a model of successful effort at the present day. Five years' ministry at St. Paul's prepared me with a knowledge and experience which were brought into operation in the successful founding and establishment of the Church of the Epiphany in the same city. That church was founded upon the Sunday-school. Its energy and strength were given to the school. Previously the Sunday-school had been considered an appendage to the church, and by some ministers and members a trouble- some appendage. We founded this church with the distinct understanding and plan, that the Sunday-school should be the main and prominent object of regard, and its convenience and successful operation thoroughly provided for; and we carried out this principle com- pletely. These schools in their general features were arranged as those at St. Paul's. They were opened in December, 1834, with four EPIPHANY, PHILADELPHIA. 13 teachers and ten scholars in the male school, and five teachers and fifteen scholars in the female school. They were left by me in 1845, when I removed to New York, with thirty- eight teachers and three hundred and eighty- one scholars in the male, and forty-two teach- ers and four hundred and twenty- three scholars in the female department. I have never seen elsewhere, schools at all equal to them in the whole scheme and elements of successful ope- ration. They were blessed with many very precious evidences of the Lord's presence and grace, and large numbers from them were gath- ered to the table of the Lord, and already many young ministers are in the Lord's work, who have gone forth from them. To these schools, I continued my habit of a weekly lec- ture to teachers, a weekly female Bible-class, a monthly address to the schools, and the giving of every Sunday morning to a supervision of the work as it went on. In these I established also an Anniversary, with the donation of books to every scholar, as a token of our mutual in- terest and affection. And when I survey my 14 EPIPHANY, PHILADELPHIA. Philadelphia work of sixteen years, no part of it seems to me to have been so remunerative and happy as my connection with my Sunday- schools. Incidents and facts of this connec- tion may come up in some future communica- tions. But they were happy, useful, and improving hours which were so occupied. And God was pleased very largely to add his blessing to the work. No toil could be more delightful, or bearing richer fruits. II. ST. GEORGE'S, NEW YORK. — NEW CHURCH. — SCHOOLS IN NEW CHURCH. — EXERCISES AND PLANS FOR SCHOOLS. . EKHAPS an apology is necessary for en- tering so largely upon the history of my own personal relations to Sunday- schools. But understanding your desire to be a practical account of my individ- ual experience and observation of the working and results of these precious nurseries of our youth, I saw no way to get at it so simply and naturally, as by the introduction of a personal narrative. Do not blame me then in the utter- ance of stories of pergonal affection and in- terest. In 1845, I was most unexpectedly transferred in my ministry to this city. St. George's church had always been distinguished for a lively and active interest in Sunday- schools, and honored by the labors of a faith- ful pastor and an earnest body of teachers. 16 NEW CHURCH. But our removal of the church to a new field of labor occurred so soon after my coming into the pastoral relation here, that I had no oppor- tunity in the old church to do more than to co-operate, as earnestly and actively as I could, in the limited schools which I found in Beek- man street. We entered upon our new under- taking in the autumn of 1847, but did not oc- cupy our new church until November, 1848, nor till a year after that, had we any building apart from the church in which the schools might be held. Till then we struggled -on in the gallery of the church, in a very scattered and unsatisfactory way. But our new enterprise was in its very foun- dation and purpose, like the Epiphany, a Sun- day-school church. Several of the officers of the church became engaged in the work. The Vestry adopted it and provided for it in the most liberal and effective manner. Appropria- tions and arrangements for its convenience and accommodation were made with cheerfulness and pleasure. A cordial and lively interest in the work always marked their deliberations SCHOOLS IN NEW CHURCH. 17 and plans ; and much of the prosperity of these schools has depended upon this zeal and gener- ous interest in them on the part of the Vestry of this church. We have never needed funds, or laborers, or affectionate support, which have not been at once forthcoming and efficient. The children of our congregation have, as a rule, uni- formly attended our Sunday-school, and thus every family in the church, rich and poor, have felt themselves possessed of a common property and a common responsibility in everything which has concerned the welfare and success of the undertaking. We commenced our school in October, 1847, in the University chapel, with about thirty chil- dren of all classes, and in the year of our oc- cupation there, could grow but little. But it was a living coal, however small, and though a little matter, kindled for us a great fire. In the spring of 1850, when we held our first an- niversary, we had grown to forty-two teachers and five hundred and five scholars. This was the first year of our meeting in our new chapel, and the first spring after the completion of our 18 ' SCHOOLS IN NEW CHURCH. church. Iii two more years, so rapidly had we grown, that our third anniversary gave us a total of one thousand and two. Our infant school, which was commenced in the organ gal- lery of the church with eleven children in 1849, had now enlarged to two hundred and eighty- eight, under the same teacher. The crowds in our one building, and the multitudes of poor children still seeking admission, compelled us after this to engage in the establishment of a mission school, of which I shall desire to speak in a separate account. Our sixth anniversary, the first which included the mission school, presented ninety-five teachers and one thous- and five hundred and thirty-six scholars. And this has remained about our average number since. Our tenth anniversary, in the spring of 1859, closed with one hundred and six teachers and one thousand five hundred and sixty-five scholars. But in these ten years more than ten different schools had been established by other churches in the field which we had at first occupied alone. I had always anticipated a diminution of our numbers as inevitable, un- . EXERCISES AND PLANS FOR SCHOOLS. 19 der a process like this. We have found, how- ever, no essential difference in our own number, while there are probably near two thousand children now gathered in other Sunday-schools of various kinds, within the limits which were then our sole domain. It is to me a very happy and grateful thought that our efforts have not been without their influence in en- couraging and fostering these adjuvant efforts, so that God may have made us a blessing be- yond our own direct labor and immediate rela- tions. With the attainment of such a result, I should have felt no surprise, and I trust no sorrow, at a necessary lessening of our num- bers, in the more general spreading of the in- fluence and the work around us. If our poor children may be taught the Saviour's word, and fed with the Saviour's love, I trust it will be always our part and purpose only to rejoice, whoever may be made the blessed instruments of the glorious result. In the organization of the schools now un- der my more immediate notice and care, ex- cepting for the present all reference to our mis- 20 EXERCISES AND PLANS FOR SCHOOLS.. sion schools, we have six different rooms for instruction. One infant school under two teachers, of three hundred and twenty chil- dren ; another infant school under one teacher, of one hundred and thirty-five children ; two female Bible-classes, one of fifty-seven and an- other of thirty-nine young ladies, in two sep- arate rooms, under two female teachers ; a young men's Bible-class of thirty-three mem- bers, with one teacher ; and in our main school, two hundred and seventy-eight girls and two hundred and forty boys, under fifty- eight teachers. All these have always been under the superintendence of one executive head as superintendent. We have thus means and arrangements for appropriate teaching for every age and class from three years old to full maturity. All these departments are in com- plete and successful operation, and under the most harmonious arrangement and control. For the first seven years of our growth and establishment here, I was favored with the aid of two valued and efficient laymen, who successively had the superintendence of this EXERCISES AND PLANS FOR SCHOOLS. 21 large array of youth. Since their necessary separation from the work, I have taken the entire personal superintendence myself. From the commencement of this school, I have never failed to go through all these rooms and classes, and to maintain a personal inspection and oversight of the whole operation in all its branches and its practical details. For the last three years I have given my whole time and presence to their actual personal management, during the whole period of the session. If you should be disposed to ask why I have un- dertaken this additional labor, I can only say, because my whole experience of the operation has so enlarged my sense of its importance, and my affectionate personal interest therein, that I have felt it a vast pleasure and enjoy- ment to be myself personally and constantly engaged in its duties and its success. I have around me valued laymen whom I should be glad to see earnestly at work, and very faithful teachers who are constantly so. But thus far, neither the amount of actual toil, nor the im- portance of keeping the lay power of the 22 EXERCISES AND PLANS FOR SCHOOLS. church engaged, has been sufficient to over- come my own selfish delight in the occupation, or my unwillingness to relinquish it. Perhaps in this I have been wrong. But I have seen some very blessed and valuable results arising from the labors thus pursued. And in a future consideration of some general elements and principles involved and developed in the whole process, I shall have occasion to speak of this subject more particularly again. In these schools, from their commencement, I have given a weekly lecture on every Friday evening, on the lesson for the ensuing Sunday, trying in this method to illustrate not merely the subjects involved, but also the simplest and most effectual manner of teaching. The great object in this lecture always is to bring out the important evangelical principles which are ex- hibited in every portion of Scripture history as well as teaching, that our children may learn to see the Saviour, and something of his grace, everywhere in the words of Divine in- spiration. I have always thought that every portion of the Word of God speaks of his sal- EXERCISES AND PLANS FOR SCHOOLS. 23 vation, ' in some illustration or description, either of its agencies, its principles, or its re- sults. And therefore if teachers can be as- sisted in bringing out this hidden light of Divine truth, that it may all shine upon the Saviour, to their children, as it all shines from him in the Word, they may gain advantages of precious value to themselves while they are imparting like precious instruction in living truths to the children before them. I have thrown this into the shape of a familiar per- sonal lecture, rather than a catechetical exam- ination with the teachers, because the interest seems greater to them, and the same oppor- tunity is given to other members of the con- gregation who desire it, to gain the same bene- fit of simple practical instruction in the Word of God. I have always felt the importance of some further personal relations to the Sunday-school than could be maintained merely through the teachers. And from the time of my first re- moval to Philadelphia, I established a monthly sermon for the children, in order to bring my i TTXTT^ TTKIVI 24 EXERCISES AND PLANS FOR SCHOOLS. personal instructions more directly to bear upon them. This monthly address on Sunday afternoon I have continued until the past year, when my morning opportunity seemed to ren- der it no longer especially necessary. But when our new St. George's was opened in 1848, such was the attendance of youth around me, that I was not satisfied with the amount of direct attention which was given to them. I then made the sermon of every Sunday after- noon a sermon to the young. This plan I have continued to the present time. It has been one of the most interesting and effective of my labors in the ministry. I have pursued a course of connected instruction in series of plain and intelligible lectures on various Scrip- ture biographies, of which Euth and Esther have been published, — on Scriptural plants, and animals, and mountains, — on Scriptural religion as exhibited in youth, — on the Para- bles, etc., till I have now gone through eleven years of such continued instruction. And the Lord has been pleased very graciously and mercifully to own this teaching in many EXERCISES AND PLANS FOR SCHOOLS. 25 cases of conversion to himself, and in much real edification of youth in his service. I have considered no part of my work more valuable and important than this. And cer- tainly no portion of it has seemed so popu- lar and acceptable to others. In addition to these instruments, I have employed lectures and exhibitions with the magic lantern as an instrument of interesting the children in the school, and creating a happy and innocent op- tunity of amusement for them. Other ele- ments of our plan will occur for notice in some future heads of remark upon this subject. Thus fifteen more years of my personal rela- tions to Sunday-schools have passed away, and another generation has come to maturity under my care. And I still look upon the oc- cupation with increasing delight. It seems to me every year more and more remunerative and encouraging as a ministry for Christ, in every way within my power to feed his lambs. III. FAILURE OF TEACHERS. — ADVANTAGES OF SUNDAY-SCHOOLS. — CONVERSION OF CHILDREN. — RESULTS OF EFFORTS. — RE- VIVAL IN ST. PAUL'S. — FRUITS OF TEACHING. ^Y outline of personal history has brought me to a point at which, per- haps, I may be permitted to apply the results of experience and observa- tion to a wider and more abstract field, in reference to the important subject involved. Forty years' active interest and intelligent con- sideration connected with our Sunday-schools, have convinced me more and more of their value and efficiency as an instrument of blessing to the church of God. During this period I have seen the waxing and waning of many individ- ual agencies in this connection. I have known brethren who were once earnest advo- cates of the system, and have preached and prayed for its prosperity, giving up in despair FAILURE OF TEACHERS. 27 or in disgust, and refusing longer to bear the anxiety and trial involved in its support. I have seen many teachers, of both sexes, wearied and exhausted, either with the fatigue of the labor, or the failure of success, and retiring from the whole field, to undertake its culti- vation no more. I can only say for myself, the influence of the operation on my mind has been precisely the reverse. Never have I felt the importance of the work more really ; and never was I more determined to continue my labors in it while my Master shall give me opportunity and his blessing. And I have, in the circle of my most valued acquaintance, many teachers who have labored faithfully for years, and are still unwearied, and some who were active in the work before I began, and are still earnestly engaged therein". I desire to re- cord my testimony as the result of my whole experience, that, in my judgment, there is no department of Christian labor more vitally influential upon the triumphs of the Gospel — more remunerative in its immediate results of blessing to the soul engaged — more effective in 28 ADVANTAGES OF SUNDAY-SCHOOLS. maintaining and enlarging the best interests of the Christian church and the most efficient operation of the Christian ministry. Yet my personal experience has not been without a clear perception of the difficulties and defects in the practical operation, and in the way of full and desired success. But these lead to the consideration of the very practical question, What advantages have we a right to expect from our Sunday-schools, as fair and legitimate results ? This is a ques- tion which long practice, and, perhaps, still more, repeated disappointments, will very naturally force upon the mind. And the more earnest is the interest felt in the opera- tion, necessarily the more anxious and habit- ual will be the consideration of this question. My own answer to this question, arising from anticipations always cherished, and from act- ual results partly attained, would involve sev- eral important particulars. I should, first of all, say, we have a right to expect the actual conversion of our children, under the influence of Divine truth faithfully CONVERSION OF CHILDREN. 29 and siniply taught. The grand uniform in- struction of the Sunday-school is to be in the Word of truth ; and supposing the praying and experienced Christian teacher expounding and applying this, with a dependence on the heavenly teaching to bless his own, we surely may look for that manifestation of the power of this transforming truth to the children's minds and hearts. This, or any subsequent suggestion will not be pursued by me, in any shape of controversy or argument. I shall simply state what are my own personal views and conclusions. I cannot consent to any lower result, as a satisfactory object and pur- pose in a teacher's mind, than this. The teacher's thought and plan must be that of a real and living messenger of Christ, to a little congregation whose eternity may depend upon this immediate relation and opportunity, and whose salvation, never to be secured but in a cordial acceptance of a Saviour's finished work of love, may be secured under the present agency, and with the Divine blessing on the means- now faithfully employed. And in the 13* 30 RESULTS OF EFFORTS. faithful and earnest employment of these means we have a right to look for the conver- sion of children to Jesus, and their living by the Holy Spirit for God. The qualifications of adequate teachers I do not now consider, but suppose them fully and actually possessed and exercised. This being so, the pastor, the parents, and the church may justly desire and expect that God will bless the work with this all-important result. A seed will be growing up in the church who shall really serve him. When I survey the actual results of bless- ing which I have witnessed under this one great head, I have much reason to bear my testimony that God has never failed to bless his Word, thus faithfully ministered, in some degree. I certainly have never seen the full- ness of these spiritual fruits which I have de- sired. Yet I have not been without frequent proofs of the love and presence of God as a Saviour among us in the conversion of our children. In the thirty-one years during which I have now been a city pastor, and per- sonally connected with large schools, I have REVIVAL IN ST. PAUL'S. 31 received to the Lord's table over three hun- dred youth of both sexes, directly from the Sunday-school. And I have no doubt I might with equal truth add two hundred more, unit- ing with us from the resulting influence of previous Sunday-school instruction. This is doubtless a great and blessed result, which must give joy in the kingdom of God for ever. Yet it has hardly been one in ten of the chil- dren to whom I have seen these priceless blessings dispensed, and over whose favored youth I have watched as a pastor. An early revival in St. Paul's church in Philadelphia, commenced in our weekly Sunday-school prayer-meeting on Saturday evening. The exercises closed, and the people were dis- missed, when, rising from my place, I counted sixteen of our youth still on their knees on the floor. They were apparently immovable from their position, and in deep emotion. I went from one to the other with a few words of affectionate and pastoral conversation, and appointed Monday evening as an occasion for their special assembly. On the next day I 32 SICK GIRL. gave notice of this appointment, and over seventy youth met me for instruction and prayer. It was the divine commencement of a very remarkable work of mercy. The result was the addition of over one hundred, mostly from the Sunday-school, to the communion of the Church. The subjects of that work are now active and earnest Christians, in the ma- turity of grace. Many such results, upon a narrower scale, have I since witnessed, and in every class of society, in connection with our Sunday-schools. I was called, in Philadelphia, to visit a sick girl in a very worldly and irre- ligious household, with whom I had but little acquaintance — and went, anticipating only a painful visit of warning to a careless soul. To my astonishment, I found a gentle child of grace, perhaps eighteen years of age, sink- ing in a consumption, but perfectly clear in mind, and happy in hope. " How," I asked, " have you learned all this in your condition here ?" Her answer was most precious. " I had a faithful Sunday-school teacher — and though I left her some years ago, and never HAPPY RESULTS. 33 gave her much satisfaction, yet when 1 was taken sick, I took my little Bible, and went over the lessons she used to teach me — and God has taught me here alone/' She then showed me her little Bible — turned down and marked with many Sunday-school lessons — her constant and loved companion. Dear child — she had no other religious companion. But she departed in sweet peace and hope — and my visits to her while she lived were full of satisfaction and delight. Similar instances of actual conversion under Sunday-school in- struction have occurred in such numbers that I might fill many sheets of paper with them. I have seen them manifested in children from six years old and upwards ; infants giving a clear account of their hope in Jesus, and love to Him — and thus, according to the promise of the Spirit, " perfecting His praise/' I have seen whole families brought to Christ under such influence, who were far off from all Christian habits even, until little ones carried home from the Sunday-school the life-giving messages of truth. I have seen most interest- 34 WHAT MIGHT BE DONE. esting exhibitions of deep and real religious fervor and faithfulness in the actual instruc- tion ; teachers and children really alive to their work, and completely engaged in its en- joyment. But as I have marked these blessed results, demonstrated possible and within reach, my heart has longed to see a constant and extended manifestation of such Divine influence in this youthful congregation. When I have looked upon them in their gathering and occupation, and spread before my anxious mind the value of their youth, the precious- ness of their opportunities, the peculiar advan- tages of their assembly, the direct promises and illustrations connected with the young, and seen what might be attained in all, from what had been attained in so many, I have often been disturbed and overwhelmed by the want of real efficiency and vital power con- nected with the occupation. I have doubted whether the real expectation and object in the teachers' minds were the conversion of the souls of children. How precious has appeared that short hour of instruction ! How import- DEPORTMENT OF TEACHERS. 35 ant every impression which was to be made on those open and plastic minds ! And when levity or carelessness have occupied the place of deep seriousness and concern in the little assemblies around me, and teachers and chil- dren have appeared listless, or indifferent, or trifling, I confess my soul has sunk in many a moment of despondency and distress. I have longed for a seriousness and solemnity, con- nected with cheerfulness and agreeable rela- tions on the teachers' part, which would indi- cate their apprehension of the unspeakable importance of their employment, and value of the influence to be exercised. The work has often had a tendency to run into a mere amuse- ment, and the desire to make it attractive and popular tends to throw a worldly and secular- izing influence around it. It is sad to think that we have often failed in obtaining the real blessing, in the playful and light character which we have given to the occupation, slnd have sacrificed to superficial enjoyment the more lasting happiness of real conversion. IV. MANNER OF TEACHING. — USEFUL TEACHERS.— JOHN FARR.— YOUNG FEMALE TEACHER. — LOVELY CHILD IN EPIPHANY SCHOOL. feel encouraged and grateful for the ap- parent acceptance and interest which have welcomed my hurried attempts to comply with your original request. The subject is very extensive and has a great variety of connections. Should I attempt to touch them all, my few familiar letters would swell into a volume. The single point now sug- gested, the advantages we have a right to ex- pect from a faithful cultivation of this impor- tant work, spreads out into a variety of topics for consideration. I have said we have a right to expect the conversion of our children. Upon this point I would not be unintelligible or indefinite — by conversion, I mean the real spiritual turning of the heart to God, and its renewal for His service by the Holy Spirit. MANNER OF TEACHING. 37 This is the only actual starting of true Chris- tian character : the new creation of the soul in Christ. Now, I suppose, a faithful Chris- tian teacher will propound this to himself as an object. It will direct his prayers, his prep- arations, his methods of communication, and all his personal influence and intercourse with his children. He will labor for this great re- sult until he gain it. He will not be satisfied without it. I do not mean that he shall oc- cupy his time with mere exhortation to his class. Still less that he shall adopt a vehe- ment and imperious style of address in his work — a manner which I have sometimes seen running into uncomfortable noise and actual disturbance. The instrument of conversion with children is the same as with adults — the Word of truth, the simple message of redeem- ing love. This message speaks in the simplest language in the sacred Word, and is perfectly intelligible to the youngest mind, nay, I often think far more so than to elder and more be- wildered understandings. And if this message of actual pardon in the Saviour's blood, real 4 38 MANNER OF TEACHING. salvation through His death for all who will re* ceive it, is placed before the youthful minds as designed for them and belonging to them, with the evidence of sincerity and earnestness on the teacher's part, we may as reasonably look for a blessing to attend the truth in the experience of children as of adults. I call this expecta- tion a right, because it seems to me the sub- ject of divine promise ; and that which God has promised, we have an undoubted right to ask and to expect. To this one great point every lesson should be brought, and with every child. The full attainment of this result, un- der the divine blessing, does not imply extra- ordinary powers or education on the teacher's part, but a real living experience of the power of the truth, and love of the Word of God, an earnest desire for the salvation of those to whom it is offered, with a real belief that they can be, and ought to be saved, under its min- istration. This constitutes the adaptation of the ministry in the pulpit, and is equally the instrument of blessing for precious souls in the Sunday-school. 