Birmingham age-herald., 1895-07-14
"CHR|ST TIE TEACHER5S
 sal Subject of the Sunday-School Normal Lecture. .s. - A MODEL IN HIS METHODS His Nature Was Love-0ther Points of Dr. McNeiIIs Discourse-Mr. Lane on "Ele-
 ments of Character"

Talladega, July 12.-(Special Corre- spcndence) e)-The subject of the Sunday School Normal lecture this morning was Christ, the Teacher" After a hymn and prayer Dr. McNeill read pas sages to show that Christ does not first appear in the New Testament, but that He is found all through the Old as we'll Wherever we find LORD, all the letters being capitals. God. the Son. is meant, Jehovah Jireh.
 In southeastern Europe, on the banks of the beautiful blue Danube, there is a fair city, in whose outskirts there is a group of statuary representing the Sa- vior, first as little child, then as mas ter architect, as a physician surrounded by the halt, the blind, the maimed, the sick, weary invalids who have come to Him for healing; as the woman's friend, the children's friend; but, noblest of all, He sits upon pedestal above, teaching and instructing the twelve around Him.
 We come to study Christ, the teacher. In the four gospels, wherever the word Master occurs, it is from the Greek didaskolos which in the revised version, IS properly translated teacher, the word rabbi being the Hebrew form of the same word. One hundred and one times is N>hilSt IeCOSDlZeu dS q teacher ana only eleven times as a preacher alone. Tn John, the most spiritual of the gospels, not once is He mentioned as preacher being always called the teacher.
 Christ was model teacher. He made thorough preparation for his work. spending thirty years in this before he began his ministry. forty days in the wilderness after his baptism, whole night in prayer before selecting his as- sistants. Shall we, as teachers, frail, im- perfect, weak, ignorant. dare to go be- fore our classes without prayerful prep aration? He was thoroughly &C., quainted with the Book and in this we should emulate him.
 He was thoroughly acquainted with his pupils. If we would be successful teachers we must know our pupils per- sonally.
 He had the model textbook suited to all classes and grades, containing milk for babes, strong meat for men, poetry, geography, geology, fiction science, the science of the hereafter, of heaven, of salvation, of soul saving. He taught by example patience, humility, Sabbath wor- ship and all the other virtues. If you are ever in doubt as to how you should act, try to see how the blessed Master would do if he were In your place.
 He was an impartial teacher, though he was more patient with the bad boy, Judas. than with the best boy, Peter who
 
 swer wisely or otherwisely every ques- ton.
 Christ was a model in his methods, using natures ways of Illustrating. In answering the question, What is heaven?" he gave the perfect seven of truth, but from entirely different stand points. He and not Pestalozzi, was the originator of object teaching.
 His motive was love, and the Sunday school teachers should be love for chil dren, for the work. for those who are in need, who are in sorrow. or in sin.
 Don't be discouraged if your work bears no immediate, visible fruit. Christ's ministry was not popular, espe- cially during the second and third years. The end of our school teaching is com ing when there will be a final examina- ton to test our work. God grant that we may hear the plaudit. Well done, thou good and faithful servant"
 At 3 80 this afternoon the Laverty band and orchestra gave one of their most en- joyable concerts, the specially notable numbers being "The Last Rose of Sum- mer." violin solo. by Miss Marie Levy; "Athen Polka" a cornet solo. composed and played by the great Levy himself, Master Carl, and a beautiful orchestral piece, with Mrs. G. II. Puckett at the piano. MT. Laverty. violoncello; Carl, eornet; Marie, violin; Mary Warren. pie
 
 Warren played the piccoio instead of the flute because her hand is too tiny for the latter instrument. Master Carl though only H. is a very skillful cornetist He thoroughly understands what musicians call triple tonguing and can. without weariness. play hour after hour. You see no pulling of his cheeks. no swelling of his throat. but the tongue alone is the wielder of his breath.
 Promptly at 4:15 MT. West presented MT, Chares Lane. who delivered an able thoughtful lecture upon "The Elements of Strong Character" and thereby proved that he is much more than mere -humorist.
 We know what a man can do when we know what he is, therefore a most in- portant question is. What is charactar?"
 The letters of the alphabet. the numer- als used in arithmetic. the symbols em- ployed in algebra, the devices carved upon shields, all these are characters; but character is that assemblage of quail ities that make man good or bad. re- spected or despised. When the word character is employed without any dis tinctive epithets It is a positive term and signifies approval That which makes free and intelligent individuals is charac- ter. but character is something which must be acquired by insensible degrees. Even a Phidias must strike many blows before he can awaken the angel sleepi with the silent marble.
 The constituent elements of a strong character are:
 l. A clear practical judgment. the pow CT to weigh in equal scales all We see and hear. The pleasures of live are many. and though the serene enjoyments of the old are far sweeter than those of the young, those only who have stood at both ends of life can make a just an- alysis. Ambition of the proper kind is a noble quality. but We should carefully guard against that vaulting ambition which oerleaps itself and falls on the other side" One duty is sometimes pleaded as an excuse for the neglect of others but this Is an evidence of weak ness. The strong character fits and ad- iusts the duties of life into a perfect whole. We must be self-poised to have the highest character.
 ?. Tenacity of purpose. Character is a perfectly educated will. Ancestral blood counts for what it Is worth and that Is much, but ascent is better than descent. We must have patience. How the worlds workers have waited
 Mir. Lane paid high tribute to Henry Clay. but when he spoke of Grover Cleve- land. with his great strength of charac- ter. the applause was deafening. the roof itself having much ado to keep its place