Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1894-07-27
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Teachers Opportunity-A Paper Read by
Prot. Burke of Elsie at Middleton at
the Recent ). s. Convention.

We are born with faculties and powers
capable. almost, of anything; such, at least,
MS would carry us farther than can be cas-
lily imagined
We will acknowledge that no one was
ever born Newton or an Edwards; but
there is dormant in the intellectual tenn
pie that same potent force, which, il it Is
gradually expanded. and strengthened into
vigorous manhood 10y the proper exercise
OF its powers, Will emincntly distin-
guish Us from the countless forms of AMI
mated nature around US.
The purposes Of mans existence include
the perfection Of his being and his prepar.
alton for all the duties and obligations
which arise from his relations to his fe
lows, 10 society, 10 the state and to God.
But our subject will not permit US to as.
sumo that the Sunday school teacher is to
impart knowledge in the three fold sense,
rs does the public school teacher; hence
our limits will necessarily be restricted to
the consideration Of the moral and spirit
ual development of youth.
If time be of all things the most pre-
/ cious, wasting time must be the greatest
| prodigalIty. for lost time is never found or
reganed; ana what we call time enough
always proves little enough.
Ladies and gentlemen. hoh that today,
in view Of the faCf Of the many high and
! lofty avocations of life, and of their op
portunities for the PRONUNCIATION of Chris
tian principles and the alienation of man.
kind that none have greater or grander
opportunity for doing good than does the
Sunday school teacher, and Hotwithstand.
ing the idea of systematic bene Scence
the conservation Of business life and the
fearful and wonderful responsibility upon
all leaders and in all classes Of society
no greater responsibility rests upon any
one than upon the Sunday school teacher
Tbs sudden growth Of our country with
in the last FIFTY years, with the numerous
national consequences attendant upon it,
have hardly been appreciated by most OF
its c,isens, especially Christian citizens.
The politicians, the demag Dgues, hare
taken IL into aecount, considering well It's
bearings on their party schemes. The
railroad magnGte, the banker, and the mo-
nopolist have saken advantage OF every
opportunity in this free country, and so
called Christian hand Of ours, for their own
personal aggrsadizement But have the
friends Of education and religion, they
who have in their hands the vital elements
of the national well being they con-
scious II the imperitive demands upon
them? of the perilous elements Of our
pOpula,ieny of the almost inevitable and
Immeasurable aisproportion which does
and viii exist under present circumstances
TO the provisions for religion which we are
making for 1t? Let Us consider for a mo
ment this dispvDportion Of the advancing
population with all its crimes and degener
alive Influences, with the provisions of
moral and intellectual nutriment and the
respect and love for God and his book.
Here ia this great continent, isolated by
It's widely separated conhncs-thc Allan
tic, the Pacific, the great tropical gulf and
the Arctic-away from the traditional
governments and faiths and other lnsttu
tons Of the old world; here, where our
government permits the lowest refuse and
scum Of Europe and from nearly every
CLINE with its ignorance and vice, to mi
CRATE to our shores and then ask ourselves
whether or not the Sunday school teacher
does not have grand and glorious oppor
tunity fos laboring in the Masters VINE
yard.
Let us look again at this great question,
FOR it is an appalling one. In few years
we shall have within our own dominion
800 000. 00O many OF those to a great eX
tent composed of semibarbarous foreigners.
with their il-trained children, who will be
! dependent upon the activity and earnest.
ness of Christian teachers. Although we
are prond of the rapid growth Of our
country, and have a right to boast of our
Advancement, politically, scientifically and
religiously, yet its perpetuty is questioned
and is known to be in imminent peril.
1t is too rapid to be healthful; il
is to be the severest test of both
our religion and our liberties, for the
one is the essential of the other Pom
der them. Sunday school teacher, and let
everyone who has cent to give or prayer
to offer feel. at the close OF this-the nine
teenth-century, and on the dawning of
Goth, that there is moral and religious
exigency, such as perhaP0sso other land or
time ever saw, an exigency as full of sub
Unity as ii is of urgency, and as grand in
its opportunity as it is in its impending
peril What theatre is this for the
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