Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1903-09-25

an authoritative teacherI Are you
ready TO accept him as the Son of God?
y few weeks ago a gentleman wrote to
friend of mine pathetic letter. which
went something like this: "Oh. why do
the ministers keep on preaching upon
useless and Impractical subjects7 Why
do they not p-esch upon some of the
vital questions O. the soul7 A short
time ago the doctors told me that with
in six months | must die. What I
want to know is how I can straighten
out wasted life SO as to meet my
God" Well, my brother. IL these words
should eyer be seen by your eye or re-
peated TO your ear, the first step for
you to take is to accept Jesus as the
Divine Teacher. You are not to ac-
cept him as did Joseph Ernest Renan,
''as a good man." You must not accept
him as do many, as religious leader
like Mohammed or Buddha or Zoroas-
ter or Confucius. You nre not to accept
him as seer or prophet. a John tho
Baptist, an Elias or a Jeremiah. You
are to accept him as did Simon Peter
when he turned and said, Thou art
Christ. the Son of the Living God"
Are you ready to accept the authorita-
tive Jesus rs divine?
Oh. the credentials Of the teacher.
Christi In the prophecies OF Scripture
we can read them In the miracles
which he performed we can verify
them. In the testimony OF John the
Baptist and I'm the Heavenly Fathers
voice. which sounded over the dripping
locks OF the Son Of God whom Christ
was baptized, we can prove them.
Christ's credentials are OF the highest
authority. They must be accepted.
Napoleon was one day riding along
the lines of the French army. when his
horse SHE'D. Instantly q common sol
der leaped forth from the ranks and
saved his commander from being
thrown. Napoleon smiled at his res
cuer and said, Thank you. captain"
Quick as q fash the soldier saiuted and
asked his chief, "Of what regiment,
sireT The delighted emperor replied,
"Of my own guards" He then rode on.
With that the soldier threw away his
gun and stepped over TO where the
stan officers Of the guards were collect
ed. Indignantly those officers ordered
him back to the ranks. with that the
new made captain raised his mead as he
answered, 81 am no longer q private
soldier; am a captain of the emper-
or's guards" by what authority do
you make such a statement?" asked the
colonel Then the soldier pointed to-
ward the retreating form of his ruler
as he answered, Napoleon said itw
All, after that there was no further
criticism. Napoleon was the authority.
Napoleon was TO give him his creden-
tialS. So Christ, as the authoritative
teacher, comes TO Us with his creden-
tails. The Father. the Heavenly Father.
hath spoken It. Witness the Jordanic
revelation: Behold a light cloud over
Swallowed them. and behold voice
out of the cloud which said. ''rhis is
my Son i'm whom am well pleased
Hear ye him." Authoritativelyi Christ
always speaks authoritatively.
The gospel classroom. I'm the next
place. has self sacrificing teacher
The word self sacrificing" can we'll be
applied to all true men and women
who follow the noble profession Of
teaching. / care not whether those men
and women are filling conspicuous pro-
fessional chairs. as did William Ora
ham Sumner. and John Russell Bart
lett, and Julius IL. Seeley. and Joseph
Storey. and Theodore w. Dwight, and
Mrs. Mary Somervillc. and Elizabeth
Stewart Phelps, and Alice Freeman
Palmer, and Mary Lyon. or whether
they are teaching In humble district
schools; they are all people who sacri-
flee themselves for the good OF Others
There is no business or profession on
earth I'm which there is more wear aud
tear upon the nervous system than up
on those conscientious men and wom-
en- who, week in aud week out, spend
their lives expounding and explaining
and catechising behind q teachers
desk.
Just think Of the fractions human
colts the average public school teasbsr
has TO train. A great many parents
send their children TO school I'm order 20
get rid OF them as well as TO have their
brains developed. They cannot staBh
the boys racket mt home, 80 they ex-
pect the public teacher to supply the
neglected maternal discipline. God pity
the young graduate OF the normal
school, who herself is hardly old enough
to be mother. and yet has TO Keep In
line every day thirty or forty boys
and girls, most OF whom have not yet
learned what the word ''oSediencs-
meansi
Then estimate the thickness OF the
skull which every year the teacher
has to pry open TO let In the intellec-
tsai light. IL must be q great pleasure
for the teacher, who Is q genius, to de-
velop genius: for n Lord Chatham to
have for his disciple a william Pitt;
for Franz Liszt to guide the fingers
or an Anton Rubinstein over the ivory
keys; for an Ignatius Loyola to mold a
Frahcis Xavier; for a Peter Paul Ru-
bens to have for his pupil an Anthony
Vandyke. One day. after having ex-
amined some Of his famous students
work. the great Flemish master delight.
edly turned to his class and said: "A
greater than Rubens Is hereI The
young man whose brush has done this
Will some day outmaster his master"
But, though 1t may be q great pleasure
for genius to develop a genius, vet
ninety-nine hundredths OF all scholars
in all public school classrooms are gen.
fuses. They are not only children of
ordinary intelligence, but boys and
girls. many OF them below the ordinary.
All OF those scholars must be develop
ed. This accounts for the teachers ex.
haustion. Then the strain Then often
complete nervous collapse.
But, oh, my brother, what is the sac
rifice of an earthly teacher for her pu-
pills compared TO that which the Divine
Teacher has made for us? Is there any
patience like unto his patience? Any
forgiveness greater than his forgive
ness? Any martyrdom like unto his
nlartyrdom? During the life OF the late
Thomas Gailaudet. that noble Christ
like teacher sent by God to serve the
American deaf mutes. he often spent
days and weeks and months over ono
pupil teaching him how to pronounce a
single vowel sound. But great as Dr..
Gallaudets sacrifices were can his pa
thence be compared to my Lords? As
H..