The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1873-01-09
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Hints Worth Reading.

In Scribner's Magazine is an artl
Gle on Sunday Schools, from the per
of the editor, DR.. Holland, containing
some suggestions SO judicious and
timely that we are disposed to cal
then to the attention of pastors and
teachers. We cite few passages on
ly, and would hope that even those
thoughts, coming as they do from a
literary, and not religious periodi-
cal, may have some force with those
whom they concern. We have long
felt that many of the exercises of our
Sunday schools, addresses and sing
ing, were more for entertainment
than instruction, to amuse the child
rem rather than to make them Chris
tians. We have heard Sunday school
addresses by popular and distinguish
ed speakers, that gave us only pain,
SO fitted were they to make any 9th
er than a serious impression upon a
youthful mind. Says this writer:
'sThe observations of a life of OBJ
servation have taught us that the
principal good results of Sunday
schools come not from enterprising
and gifted superintendents, come not
from interesting and funny story
tellers, who are known technically as
Sunday school men, come not from
singing sacred words to Yankee Doc
die, or of frivolous words to still
more frivolous tunes, come not from
huge feats of memory in the rehear-
sal of long chapters of Holy Writ,
come from none of the numberless
tricks resorted to for enthraling ju-
venile interest and exciting juvenile
ambition and love of praise, but from
the personal influence of Christian
teachers, who, knowing their scholars
intimately and loving them tenderly,
lead them by the power of their love
and the light of their own Christian
character into the adoption of Chris
tian life.
s'The children are not to blame for
demanding excitement and amuse-
ment, because these have been the
means resorted to for bringing them
into Sunday school and keeping them
there. Indeed, the impression is
quite prevalent among the children
of some schools that they are confer
ring great favor on superintendent
and teachers by their attendance. Ii
they cannot get funny books, or
premiums, or hear funny stories, or
have picnics, or Christmas presents,
or some visible reward, they threaten
to leave the school,-either to stay
out entirely, or go to some other
school where they can obtain what
they demand. So all sorts of means
are resorted to, to keep up excite
ment, and, in the meantime, they get
no religious impression whatever.
The tunes they sing amuse them, but
nurse no spirit of devotion. The
books they read and the stories they
hear interest them, but leave no re-
suit except hunger for more excite
ment of the same. kind. The prem
iums they win inspire their pride in
a sort of excellence which spares lit
tie room for Christian humility. In
one way and another, the opportuni-
ties of making deep and good i'm
preston upon character and life are
fittered away, and the children are
no better prepared to enter upon life
and the resistance of its multiplied
temptations to evil than if they had
never seen a Sunday school.
'1n our Judgment there is vast
amount of machinery instituted by
professional Sunday school men that
is the veriest hrmbug. They have
complicated that which is unspeaka-
bly, simple. They have undertaken
to do that by artificial process and by
ingenious contrivances which can on
ly be done well through the instincts
of a loving heart and heaven-en-
kindled zeal. The touch of a gentle
hand, in the exhibition of a personal
affection and interest, is worth ten
thousand times more than the most
elaborate exposition of Bible truth on
a blackboard. If fsuperintendents and
teachers possess common sense, and
know exactly what they wish to do,
and wish first and most to make
Christians of their children, let them
follow their own methods, and leave
the professional methods to those
who need them"