The record-union., 1899-05-28

eral ulSpenSatlOn the nlSHtS VI peiiSNs
obedience
/ ask you, why do you teach in the
Sunday-school? I'll tell you why. Be
cause God has called you to His work
because there is some deep and apld-
ing demand coming in upon your soul
something in the home need, the cnliu
need, the community need, the soclai
need and your own need that keeps you
in your place and will not let you go.
Instead of rebelling at that call, answer
it, Answer in tears if need be; answer,
though choked with your conscious ma
bility; answer that call. Come to Him
quickly"
Say to Him gladly, Lord, I am com
ing, coming to Thee" God wants men
more than methods, persons more than
plans. This means that strong man.
well prepared for any given work, Is
superior to all methods; 1t means tnal
plans, however good in themselves, are
utterly worthless unless there is the
man behind them; it means that ideas
are powerless until they are incarnated;
it means that the question of who IS
greater than the question of what or
how, because the who determines the
what and decides the how.
Let us sum up our points:
First-The man behind the message
is yourself True, you have all these
great and good men to whom you may
look for inspiration and enthusiasm
Happy are you if you can sit at their
feet, catch their ideals and use their
methods. But what if you cannot do
all, or any of these things? Then you
have left the consciousness that what
they have done in their spheres you
can do in yours. If they are greater
than you, they have wider fields and
more responsibility. If they command
the ships and direct the battle you oc-
cupy just as marked a place if you
handle a gun, and if you are nothing
more than a stoker or powder monkey
on the great warship, DO your work,
the ship can't get in without you.
Second-The means and materials are
right here in your own school and right
now at your own appointment. No time
needs to be wasted defending the Sun
day-school or pointing out the place and
power of children in religious work.
Rev. George w. Mead in his admirable
little book ON Modern Methods in
Church Work" says: First and fore
most among the agencies for working
with children is the Sunday school.
Nothing has ever been devised to take
its place. DR.. Stephen Tying says:
THE devil would never ask anything
more of a minister than to have him
feel that his mission was chiefly to the
grown up people while some one else
was to look after the children" But
hQ do -c-l &c Ci, fO,. "a
children; it is for the friends of the
Master, the children Of God. No church
is doing most acceptable work for God
where the school enrolment is not at
least as large as the church enrolment
and where the average attendance at
school is not as large as the average
attendance at church. 1 am sorry to
have to make any comparisons. The
church should be in the Sunday-school
and the Sundays school in the church in
such real relation that no distinction
could be possible. The main objection
ever made to the school is. that it is
something outside the church. The
Sunday school is the congregation at
work, the church in school session. 1t
is the recitation hour of the Lords day
service. The Sunday-school is the great
Christian commission of the army of
the king. Then, the Sunday school is
the recruiting office for this army. 1t
is the inquiry room for soul seekers and
savior seekers. 1t is the evangelistic
service of the church-the congregation
in revival meeting, adding day by day
those who are being saved.
Third-The methods of work are your
methods We could cite numerous
works on the subject of methods. books,
papers, magazines: "Our Greatest
Work" by G. R. Robbins; ways of
Waking" by DR.. Schauf1er; Sunday
school Ways" by Rev. Carlos Chester;
THE What. Why and How of Sunday
school Work. by the Standard Publi-
cation Company of Cincinnati-these
and many more offer you splendid sug-
emn emphasis, you cannot put success
full methods into your Sunday schools
until you have gone into them your
selves, body, soul and spirit
And when the church is converted
upon this vital issue, the multitude will
make methods the ideals incarnated
in Elders and Endeavorers, in minister
and members, will become the miracle
modern methods of Sunday school
work.
The Sunday school of which I am
a member the Sunday schools here
represented tonight need samen more
than methods persons more than
plans"
The Sunday school is the teachers
appointment to preach the Gospel 1t
is the hour of all the week, when all
the disciples of the Master are in COM
mission with the Great Commission.
Oh the glory of that one word.
Teach" Hear the Master saying,
Teach all nations; make them My dis
ciples. teaching them to observe all
things whatsoever I have commanded
you, and loi I am with you alway,
even to the end of the age"
Teacher, you want equipment You
will find your armor. in His Word.
You want to do His work: prac-
tice in His artillery. The Spanish Ad-
miral was perfectly, astounded when
told that the American gunners had
actual and regular target practice with
shot and shell. but isn't that ire
mendousIy expensfve?'' Yes" was the
laconie reply, ''but Spain is footing the
bill You must be prepared if you
expect to hit the mark
A poor fellow was arrested and
brought before the Police Judge. What
is your Nance The fellow, whose
name was Smith, commenced to slut
ter: "S-s-s- Stop that now, sir,
and tell me. your namei'' thundered
the Judge. Still more embarrassed,
he could only stammer. "S-s-s''-
Officer" cried the exasperated
Judge, what is this man charged