The Taney County republican. (Forsyth, Mo.) 1895-1992, 1901-10-10
the TEACHER.
IAN Essay ny Mrs. q. W. Boswell, Read
at Tsusyvii!s Before the Convention
Of the Tancy County sunday
School Association. Last
JulyJ

A teacher is one who impsrts
knowledge to another. Nehemiah
defined II as "causiug another to uu.
derstand;" We know Of no bcttcr
deGnition--but really wo arc all
teachers, We are teaching not so
much what VIC know, but what We
are; VIC arc teaching by cxample-by
our daily walk in this lifc. I will
only give you my Idea Of what the
Sunday School teacher should DO and
do. First, they should be consccratod
christians aud devoted students Of
Gods word. To teach VIC must know,
to know we must study, and we noed
experience. We have often In our
Sunday School Conventions debated
as to whether an nnconvcrtcd person
ought to teach a class. How can
they? They may fill the place and
time, may teach the history, geog-
raphy, manners aud customs Of that
day aud time, but how can thoy make
the spiritual application? How can
they teach Christ when they know
him not? Our Sunday Schools exist
for tho purpose Of bringing souls to
Christ and building souls up in Christ.
An unconvcrtcd person can not &c.
cOmplish this work, tho SundAy
School teacher deals with the word
Of God. and IL is this word that he
should know, and know thoroughly.
They should know tho history of the
Bible; they should DO able 10 trace
the working Of Gods plan for tho 70.
dcmpiion OF the world in the WONDER
ful history Of tho Jewish people; they
should know Gods spiritual truths
which are for the salvation OF oil
people; they should know something
Of the geography Of the Bible lands,
something OF the lives and characters
Of the men aud women OF tho Bible,
something Of the manners and GUS
toms Of the people Of that day and
time, But a knowledge Of tho Bible
no matter how full, Is not sufficient
to enable one to do the most effective
work, but IN addition to tho kn0wl-
edge they should study prayerfully
tho truth or seed to be sown; they
should linger long at tho throne of
grace, until they have received special
power from on high, to accompany
tho labor, this will mako the work
effective. They should also study
the soil or heart OF the child, where
they are TO plant the wonderful seed
Of divine truth. The farmer does not
throw tho seed carelessly into the
earth, but he knows tho soil-knows
The kind Of seed he 10 planting and
how he Is planting. So they should
study their scholars; become &C.
quainted with them In their homes;
know the kind OF homes from which
they come; know their environments,
their temperamen,s and temptations.
Some truth should be prepared for
each child. II tho teachers realized
that the child, rs well as the truth.
must be studied IN order to accom-
plish the greatest good, we would
have IN our Sunday schools more
real teaching and . more abundant
harvest from our seed sowing. The
teacher should have each individual
scholar Ms . subject OF prayer each
day. II they are absent from the
school, ascertain the cause OF their
absence. Remember wo sro leading
them to Christ; and did not Chris'
teach us In the lesson of the lost coin
and tho good shepherd, that We
should know them by name aud they
should know the voice! The one that
ia lost and has wandered away Il
to DO sought for until found. There
should be . closcncss, q nearncss be.
tween the teacher and scholars; fol
10 thcro not this closeness between
Christ aud his followers2 and aro w