The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-10-07

by Mr. Stebbins. Saved by grace" the
audience joining in the refrain.
The closing address Of the convention
was then given by DR.. ]. M. Buckley Of
New York. editor OF the Christian ADJ
vocate. Or, Buckley has a most com
manding manner and the attention OF
his audience for quarters Of an
hour to one Of the most vital questions
taken up during the entire convention.
He showed by his earnes tness that he
was thoroughly conversant with his
subject and had made careful study
of the methods which had ben and are
being pursued In intoxicating spiritual
truths to young pupils in the Sunday
school. Mr., Buckley said In part;
The actual title of my address this
afternoon is 1.-THE Sunday school and
the spiritual realm" l desire to speak
to you of the Sabbath school as it was,
as 1t Is and as it should be, or rather,
of the Sabbath school as 1t is, as it
was and as 1t ought to be. In the Sab
bath school as 1t was, there was a lack
Of variety and freshness; in the Sab
bath school as it is today, there is too
much superiority of these same quail
ties In the school as it is, there are
methods employed that require a nu-
merle system to retain even their
names. What 1t is to be, will certainly
have to be worked out by the teachers
and superintendent themselves.
The is is the most uncertain guam
tity in the universe, but 1t is certain
that neither God nor man nor angels
nor devils can make the slightest
change from what was. 1t is more
fixed than the perpetual hills. To the
Sunday school as it was, / owe a great
debt. 1 remember 1t vividly for its
system OF ticket arrangement for meri-
torious work done. The little blue
slip for the verse Of Scripture memo
rized. the red slip for five of the blue
ones. and the prize book for ten of
the red tickets. In the course Of my
Sunday school training, I collected
quite a library, and Of the thousands
upon thousands OF verses of Scripture
l am enabled to quote, learned the
larger share Of them in that manner.
1t is Co the Sunday school that We
must look for all uplifting influences
It will be found that out of every
thousand who finally Join the church
fully seven hundred have come from
the Sunday school
If any one before me thinks that the
subject that have chosen is an easy
one, l am glad that he is not required
to speak upon it here today. A per-
son can compile discourse with the
greatest ease from books, but when
! II tO1uCS - SRedhltiS SDlllLhdI maj
| ters, he must speak from experience,
for there are no works on the subject.
know of q minister who declares that
he spends but two hours a week on his
| sermons, and know that he has never
! furnished q single helpful spiritual
thought. He is simply a mechanical
I preacher.
| wish to say in closing, that while
I admire the work Of the Christian En-
daavor movement, the greatest organ
ization that the church has ever seen,
am sceptical regarding its recent
workings. 1t is assuming more Of a
parapethetic aspect. 1t is assuming to
do the work mapped out by the Y. NJ.
C. associations. The primary object
of the Christian Endeavor societies
should be to bring souls into the fold.
The exercises of the afternoon and OF
the convention closed with a solo selec-
ton by Miss Lizzie Blair Olive OF Pos-
ton, God be with you," and the bene-
diction by Rev. William j. Thompson
of Grace Church.