The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1896-04-01
RELIGIOUS THOUGHTS.

RELIGIOUS THOUGHTS.
BY REV. J. O. COUGH, MANNING, S. c.
THE SUNDAY scHooL-Irs ORIGIN AND
MISSION.
On or about the year 1888, Robert
Raikes gave to the world the first IN
timation of the modern Sunday
school. There had been long before
this, however, something Of a similar
nature here and there, but Raikes
was the first man to bring the system
into prominent notice and employ
means to extend it. When he began
his work he had no idea of what it
would come to. Since he began his
work the world has honored him as
being the first to stamp perpetuity on
the system and to make it known to
the world.
Raikes tells US in his own words
that "the beginning Of the modern
Sunday-school was entirely owing to
an accident. Some business one
morning leading me into the suburbs
of the city, where the lowest Of the
people, who are principally employed
in the pin factory, chiefly reside, I
was struck with concern at seeing a
group OF children, wretched and rag
ged, at play in the streets, [ asked an
inhabitant whether those children be-
longed to that part Of the town, and
lamented this misery and idleness.
All, sir!r said the woman to whom I
was speaking, could you take view
of this part OF the town on a Sunday
you would be shocked indeed, for
then the street is filed with multi
tudes of these wretches,lwho, released
that day from employment, spend
their time in noise and riot, cursing
and swearing, presenting to a cult.
vated mind some idea of he'll. This
conversation suggested to me that it
would be a harmless attempt, if it
were to produce no good, should
some little plan be formed to check
this deplorable way of spending the
Sabbath" Consequently some lady
teachers were employed at salary Of
twenty-four cents per day to teach
them to read aad memorize the
church catechism.
From this and out of this system
has grown the wonderful plan Of
teaching the word Of God in the
Sunday-school. This was but the
spring, the first little stream, which
has come on and still on, widening
and broadening and deepening, until
the Sunday-school work is known and
felt all over the entire civilized world.
It was the intense love that Chris
tian man had for the wretched chill
dren that led to this great work.
THE MISSION OF THE sUSDAY-sCHooL.
From the history of its origin we
find that the very first reason given
for this organization was:
l. To gather the children and
young people from the streets, pre-
venting them from violating the Sab
bath day. The teachers employed
would 60 into the darkest alley and
the flthiest street to fud the little
s'tot" and carry him or ber into the
school. What blessed thing it
would be If some Of our teachers
would commune with God until their
hearts would "heave within them"
for the children and young people Of
our town and community. Almost
every Sunday morning we see boys
and young men gathered around the
postofice or on the street corner, or
in buggy, riding, in the place of
going to the Sunday-school, There
is not boy or girl oyer three years
OF age in this community but that
should so to some Sunday-school.
I would not say that the reason they
don't 60 is because of the negligence
of the teacher. Many times it is be-
cause OF the carelessness and negli-
gence Of the parents at home. Ii the
parents would like for their children
to 60 to the school and take some in
terest in that work, by all means, pa
rents, 60 and take them, and show
some interest in it yourself. Your
child would not be interested in any
thing of that nature unless you are
interested yourself.
Now the measles are about gone
and the sickness in our midst is
about over, let all the Sunday-school
workers and teachers of all denomi
nations, seek 10 gather in from the
homes and the streets every little boy
or girl that should be there.
?. The second mission OF the
school is to teach the truths OF the
bible. I suppose that one of the
most difficult duties to perform that
the teachers come in contact with, is
to present the teachings of the bible
to their little minds in a way that
will be so simple that they can un-
derstand ii, and in a way tnat will at
tract and draw them to you, or in
other words, "hold the attention" of
the scholar.
There are many now who hold po-
sitions in our school as teachers who
are absolutely incapable OF teaching,
especially the younger scholars.
Many seem to think that any kind OF
teacher will do for the infant class