The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1883-11-01
sUNpAr SCHOOL coNrENr1oN
Proceedings OF the Lyon County Sunday
school Union, Last Might and
To-day
SATuRpAY, Oct. %.

attendance upon the opening session Of
the Lyon County sunday School con-
vention was very small. Those present, |
however. were veil paid FIR their a.
tendance.
J. F. Drake, president OF the Lyon |
County Sunday School Union, presided.
and after some brief and pointed |
remarks, asked the audience 10
join in singing Jesus Lover
OF Ny Soul,' following which brief |
prayers, by the request of the president, |
were made by Rev j. F. Hendy. Rev. |
Henry Mackay and Judge Cunningham.
The president then read from the 14th |
chapter OF st. John. after which was
sung, 20, for Closer Walk with God"
The objects of the convention were
then briefly stated by the president. who |
called upon the following gentlemen 10
make four or five minute talks on "T'he
Spiritual Lie of Sunday Schools"
Rev. j. F. Hendy. DIR Cord
ley j. I. Burton. Rev.
J. T. Hanna. Rev Henry MackaY and
Judge Cunningham.
Mr. Hendy spoke with great earnest
ness upon the power of Christian teach
ing in connection with the prescribed
topic, and thought in order for the teach
er to be effective in his work he must be
endowed with spiritual grace himself
he should he firmly grounded in the
faith or doctrine he teaches in order to
impart saving knowledge to others; and
secondly the Sunday school teacher
should have faith. a firm, abiding
4, CONNECTION as to the efficacy of the rem
edy for the disease of sin; teachers and
preachers should be able TO speak and
teach Gods word in its purity, and the
thought was that these servants OF the
Master would be successful in their
work just in proportion as they OBJ
served this practice, and to reach this
point we must have direct communion
with Christ.
These remarks were followed with
prayer by Rev j. T. Hanna, after
which DIR. COrdley, IN his well known
brief anG pIthy style, took up the theme
Of the occasion and greatly interested
his hearers within the time allotted.
The thing for which the Sunday school
exists is spiritual life. He did not dis
parage the mechanical part of the work
of the Sabbath school, but thought that
too much attention was paid to this, and
advocated a more thorough study of the
Bible, and wished that every Sunday
school teacher would more thoroughly
familIarize himself with Holy Writ and
seek closer communion with the
Great Author of spirituality.
He wished that prayer
meeting might be established for those
who were engaged as teachers in Sab
bath schools.
Mr.. Burton expressed the idea that the
purpose of the Sabbath school was TO
j train children for Christ, and unless
spirituality characterized the teaching of
them the real object of the work in
their behalf would not DC obtained.
Rev. ]. T. Hanna read from the 51st
Psalm as the foundation for his
remarks, which were brief
and pointed. David's experience
was that in order to impart spirituality
to others Que must possess it himself,
and this was Mr.. Hanna's idea, and the
foundations for this spirituality should
be found in the church and home.
Rev. Henry Mackay took a different
view from the rest of the speakers in re-
gard to the spiritual fitness of teachers.
He believed that no man could impart
spiritual grace, and he. did not believe
that good moral man or woman, en-
dowed with superior Intellectual
altainments should be de-
barred from the work of a Sunday
school teacher, He, however, preferred
that the teacher should be en-
dowed with the spirit of Christ who
was the foundation and only source Of
spirituality.
"What Friend We Have in Jesus"
was sung at the close of Mr.. Mackay's
remarks, after which Judge Cunning
ham made the closing address, which
was full OF hopeful ideas touching the
work of the Sabbath school.
He dwelt with particular
emphasis upon me thought of the pre-.
ciousness OF the material which Sabbath
school teachers have TO work with, and
the great responsibility which rests up
on them as the guardians of those under
their charge.
At the conclusion oil this address the
president announced that "The Benefits
OF Bible Study" would be the theme of q
lecture by President Taylor, of the Nor
NAL, this evening.
"Beulah Land'' was then sung, after
which Rev Mr.. Moyes lead in short
prayer, which was followed by the bene-
dictIOn by DIR. Cordley.
To-DAY's PROCEEDINGS.
The convention opened this morning
at 9 80 a, m, with devotional exercises
conducted by Rev. j. F. Culver. The
attendance was not large, the weather
interfering with the plans of many peo-
pie from the country who had expected
TO be present. There were twenty
schools represented.
, The subject for discussion was sun
T day School Literature" Under the
head of Sunday School Papers, J. T.
Culver made al interesting talk favor
| ing publications of this kind, which the
speaker thought aided in the general
work Of the school.
Judge Cunningham spoke at some
length on Sunday School Lesson Helps,
and his remarks gave rise to some
discussion on the subject. 1t was
the general sense of tue meeting that
the ''helps" were valuable, but the dan
ger of using them as 'stilts" was point
ed out. and it was agreed that 1t was bet
ter that they be used outside instead of
. IN the school. :.
i Ga the matter of Sunday
School Libraries Rev. H. Mac
kay advanced some new thoughts
He is not in favor of them, urging as his
reasons that the books in Sunday school
libraries delineate class of characters
that are not met with in every day life;
that the distribution Of books takes up
yIluable time and distracts the attention
Of the scholar from his lesson, etc. The
J paper contained many suggestions that
r invited discussion and was source of
much interest.
, Under the head of Sunday School
Management J. T. Burton offered many
: valuable suggestions for the promotion
3 of temperance, and laid eloquent stress
: upon the importance of that work. his
) remarks were we'll rendered and heartily
+ concurred in.
5 Owing to delicate health, Mrs. Morse,
who was 20 have read q paper on "How
70 Secure Conversions" was not present,
and this part of the program was not