The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1908-01-23
Read Before Steen's Creek Bap.
fist Sunday School by Mrs.
M. v. White.

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NJ. v. White.
Rightly understood, and intel
Ilectually conducted, Sunday school
work comes within the scope of
the commission.
He in whose name and Whose
command, Sunday school work is
carried on, has ordained and order
ed that through the teaching and
preaching of the gospel, disciples
shall be made, taught and trained.
The gospel is the power of God
unto salvation. 1t is the first and
chiefest aim of the gospel, to in
duce in the lost sinner a condition
of repentance toward God, and
faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ,
to bring him under the immediate
and personal benefits of the atone
ment to save him. In this two
fold work is found the program of
the Sunday school, and the ire
mendously important field of the
teacher. The end sought is the
saving of souls, and the develop
ment of souls. Absolutely essen
tial tosthe accomplishment of this
end, is the gospel, Gods word,
truth. In order that the gospel
may accomplish that whereunto it
has been sent, it must be meditated
through the teacher. The seed is
the word; the sower is the teacher.
Organization, methods and helps
all that enter into the makeup and
operation of a Sunday school, are
but the scaffolding for the teacher.
But now, the teacher himself,
who is he? He must know Christ
as Savior. 1t must be that he has
tasted and knows the Lord is good,
that he has been to that fountain,
and is himself beneficiary of the
healing, cleansing flood. He must
be able to say, "Whereas | was
blind, now | see." AS Paul, he
must have seen the "heavenly
vision" eff the blind lead the
blind they both shall fall into the
ditch" No man, unrepented, I'M
forgiven, unsaved, is fit to teach
Gods word. No matter how con-
versaut he may be with books,
and history, and science aud
philosophy, the Bible, in its inner
deeper meanings. is sealed book
to him. The spiritual import of his
revealed word, God has hidden
from the wise and revealed unto
babes. The wisdom of this world
is foolishness with God. The
teacher must be possessed with
that wisdom that comes down from
above. He must shave his noun
tain top meeting with God, that he
may come before his class with
shining face. He must accept his
work as a commission from God,
else he will abuse his high privi-
lege, miss his golden opportunity.
And then, too, unless he feels him.
self sent from God, he will be
utterly lacking in that lofty con-
ception of his work so necessary to
efficient and faithful service.
The Bible School Teacher, be he
or she in charge of the primary, in
termediate or senior class, is the
biggest thing in any school. To
him be all honor. He must ap-
preciate his privilege, must not de-
preciate. 1t is not a burden, these
unpaid workers in Gods kingdom
on earth often have opened to them
heavens highest privilege or SER
vice ever bestowed upon mortals.
1t is a privilege angels might covet,
working to save immortal souls.
See to it that you do not esteem
it lightly. 1t is needless to say
that the careless, immoral, glaring-
ly inconsistent should be ruled out,
the dancing teacher could not do
Gods work. The card-pIaying,
theatre going teacher would be en-
barFassed and find his own con-
science condemning him, in teach
ing high morals and right living.
Questionable amusement and Gods
work do not harmonic.
The teacher ought to know his
Bible. How can one teach that
which he does not know. We may
not know all the book. If that
were necessary there would be no
teachers. Gods book is an in
exhaustible mine; but he should be
a reverent, diligent student of the
Bible, and he should know as
thoroughly as possible those
portions which from time to time he.
undertakes to teach. There is a.
way to get apart with the book, and
close to it, and feel its heart beat,