THE
jSABBATH gfflOOL IN A NUT^ELL
I. ORIGIN AND DESIGN.
II. DUTIES AND QUALIFICATIONS OF SUPERINTENDENTS
AND TEACHERS.
III. HOW TO MAKE ROOM FOR IT.
BY REV. LEVI J. COPPIN.
PHILADELPHIA:
AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL BOOK ROOMS,
631 Pine Street.
1884.
ol
THE
SABBATH SCHOOL IN A NUTSHELL.
I. ORIGIN AND DESIGN. II. DUTIES AND QUALIFICATIONS OF
SUPERINTENDENTS AND TEACHERS. III. HOW
TO MAKE ROOM FOR IT.
BY REV. LEVI J. COPPIN.
PHILADELPHIA:
AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL BOOK ROOMS,
631 Pine Street.
1884.
THE SABBATH SCHOOL
IN A
NUT-SHELL.
I. ORIGIN AND DESIGN. II. DUTIES AND QUALIFICATIONS OF
SUPERINTENDENTS AND TEACHERS. III. HOW TO
MAKE ROOM FOR IT.
By REV. LEVI J. COPPIN.
CHAPTER I.
ORIGIN.
THE earliest record that we have seen upon the Sabbath
School subject dates as far back as the sixteenth century,
and is placed to the credit of Saint Charles Borromeo. Another
record is made a hundred years later of the efforts of Rev. Joseph
Alleine of Taunton to gather children together on the Lord's day
for instruction. Then, subsequent to those dates, mention is
made of several persons visiting, clothing and instructing the
children of the poor, selecting the Sabbath as the most propitious
time for the work.
But it was not till the period of 1778-1783 that the effort
was so organized as to become a distinct department of Christian
work, and be lifted from local obscurity to national repute.
Robert Raikes, who gave this impetus to the Sunday School idea,
bears, as he well deserves, the honored name of founder. He
was an Englishman by birth and education ; born in Gloucester,
England, on the 14th day of September, 1735. Mr. Raikes was
a man eminently fitted for the exalted position of leader in this
new field of Christian work; a man of great business ability,
honest and charitable, public-spirited and philanthropic. His
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THE SABBATH SCHOOL IN A NUT-SHELL.
charity was first shown to the world by his attention to the poor
and imprisoned of his district. When I was " naked ye clothed
me : sick and in prison ye visited me."
Engaged in this work of love the founder was impressed with
the great need of an organized and well regulated means of
reaching the youth in time to save them from sin and ruin, from
poverty and disgrace. On the 3rd day of November, 1783, Mr.
Raikes published in his paper, " The Gloucester Journal," and
.gave to the world for the first time his idea of the Sunday School
System. The work was of God, and though, like the grain of
mustard seed, small at first, yet, like the cedar of Lebanon, it has
grown, spreading its branches outward and upward, growing in
power and influence with each century, period and decade, and
will continue to grow till the world is filled with its sanctifying
influences, and heaven made to re-echo with its songs of praise.
DRSIGN.
There are different kinds of knowledge to be obtained in this
world. Man himself, the heavens above, the earth beneath, the
world of waters and all that they contain are exhaustless store¬
houses of truth, wonder and beauty. The study of these subjects
is useful and honorable, and they should not be neglected; but
the study of God Himself, as revealed in His word, and our rela¬
tions to Him is first in the order of importance and should be
made first in order of time. This knowledge is as much higher
than earthly knowledge as the heavens are higher than the earth,
and as much more important as the soul is more important
than the body. Listen : " Thus saith the Lord, let not the wise
man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in
his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: but let him
that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth
me, that I am the Lord which exercise loving kindness, judg¬
ment and righteousness in the earth; for in these things I de¬
light, saith the Lord." It is the work of the Sunday School to
study those subjects which do not begin and end with this world,
but which reach beyond time into eternity.
THE SABBATH SCHOOL IN A NUT-SHELL.
5
Without a knowledge of God, man is as a ship at sea without
a compass or rudder. Amid the storms of earthly passion, and
the whirl of temptation, his precious soul may, at any moment,
be dashed to pieces.
The Sabbath School labors to lay a moral foundation, broad
and wide; while its doors are open to all ages, from the child of
three summers to the hoary head, it deals especially with the
young; realizing the fact that prevention is better than cure.
Untruthfulness, dishonesty, impurity, intemperance, and other.
vices are lying in wait to seize upon the souls of our innocent
ones; hence they must be guarded by parental vigilance and
religious instruction.
Children, from their very innocence and inexperience, are apt
to fall into snares, hence childhood is the age to watch with the
greatest vigilance. It is a saying, as true as it is old, that " as
the twig is bent, the tree is inclined."
Would we have our children form healthy moral habits we
must begin the work of training when the character can be easily
impressed with truth.
But where should this work be done ? The proper place for
it to begin is in the family circle. But shall not the church sup¬
plement the work of the home, since it requires the combined
effort of the Christian home and Christian church to counteract
the inducements offered by the world to lead the young astray ?
Moreover, parents often for want of time are unable to give the
necessary attention to this work; nor have they always the facili¬
ties for training the youthful mind. Many parents have not the
ability to teach the mysterious truths of the Bible like those who
make it their especial work. Again we must remember how
many children there are whose parents are not Christians, and
who, consequently, cannot feel the serious responsibility which
rests upon them to lead their little ones early to Christ.
O Christians ! It is our sacred duty to see that these children
are led into the fold of Christ. The Sabbath School is to them
their only church ; indeed, the Sabbath School is the children's
church. There they are taught to read the Bible, to sing, and
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THE SABBATH SCHOOL IN A NUT-SHELL.
pray; thus they often become a means of grace to their uncon¬
verted parents; for where the lamb-goes the old sheep is sure to
follow. The Sabbath School undertakes to do this work in
preference to the church proper, because the regular pulpit ser¬
vice, the prayer, and experience meetings are not adapted to the
child's limited understanding. We take our children to the
church; this is right; for by so doing, they learn to love and
respect the place, and they are impressed with the order and
solemnity of the sanctuary; but they cannot take part in the
services as in the Sabbath School, where everything is brought
down to their comprehension. Let us bear in mind the fact that
the children die as well as the old.
Much has been said concerning the age at which children be¬
come accountable for their acts. Some say at seven years, others
say at twelve. I don't believe that any age can be settled upon
that would apply to all children. Some know more at seven
years than others do at twelve. The fact is this : it is our duty
to begin the work of spiritual training as soon as the child can
understand what it is that you are teaching; when it is old
enough to learn the names of persons and places, it is old enough
to learn the name of Jesus.
I knew a young girl of eleven years who died from our Sab¬
bath School. She had never made profession of religion; but
she had been taught to love Jesus, and that He loved her. So,
in her death's sickness, though but a child, she believed on the
Saviour with faith unfeigned, and calmly gave up her life to
Him whom she had been taught to love; and, instead of leaving
her parents in heaviness and doubt, she gave them the blessed
assurance that she enjoyed great peace. I knew another who, at
the age of seven years, visited me, as her pastor, at a time when
I was sick in bed. She bowed at my bedside, and with the sim¬
plicity of a child asked the Lord in her prayer to make me well.
There are many persons living to-day, advanced in years, holy
in life and ripe in Christian experience who date their conver¬
sion from childhood.
We all know that evil, like weeds, comes voluntarily; while
THE S5BBSTH SCHOOL IN A NUT-SHELL.
7
good, like grain, must be sown and cultivated. So the Sabbath
School proposes to sow the seed of righteousness early, that it
may have fair play in the child's character before it is irredeem¬
ably overgrown and poisoned by the weeds of sin. There are
two ways of keeping a field clear of weeds—one by pulling them
up, and the other by sowing grain in the field.
For such work " the harvest truly is plenteous and the laborers
few; pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest that he may send
forth laborers into his harvest."
CHAPTER II.
THE DUTY AND QUALIFICATIONS OF SUNDAY SCHOOL SUPERIN¬
TENDENTS AND TEACHERS.
WHAT is a Sunday School?
It is a school held upon the Sabbath day, for the study of the
Bible and for moral and religious instruction. Its pupils may
be young, middle-aged, or old, but it is intended especially for
the training of the young. A Christian Sabbath School is one
that teaches the doctrines of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ
as given in the Bible.
What should be the duty and qualifications of those who teach
and of those who superintend such a school ?
I. The Teacher.
He should be a Christian, not nominally, not theoretically,
but one who has experienced a change of heart.—John iii. 3.
For only such a person can properly appreciate the infinite im¬
portance of the truths which he is teaching. As a Christian,
he must be pious and consistent; as an officer, prompt and
reliable ; as a man, kind and lovable. He should possess a fair
amount of acquired ability and should be a good reader. To
read the Bible correctly is the first step toward teaching it, and
to understand the subject to be taught is a necessity for all
successful teachers. But to read the Bible correctly is not only
THE SABBATH SCHOOL IN A NUT-SHELL.
to pronounce the words as they should be, and to give proper
attention to emphases and inflections, but it is to read with that
deep and serious sense of what the words mean, which may be
called reading with the spirit and with the understanding. It is
very important, also, that the teacher should have the gift of im¬
parting his knowledge to others. Many learned persons have
failed as teachers because they did not possess this talent.
We deem the foregoing qualifications necessary for a Sabbath
School teacher, because his work is not temporal but spiritual;
therefore, secular knowledge alone will not fit him for this
work. Again, child-nature is tender and plastic, and children
are imitative especially of their teachers and of those who are
their guides; hence the character and influence of the teachers
should be such as will reach the hearts of their pupils and
will impress them for good. An irreligious and worldly-
minded teacher would doubtless have as much influence
upon his pupils as would the most careful Christian; but
how different would these influences be! Not more different
are the effects of light and darkness. Childhood is the time
when lasting impressions are made; when habits are formed
which, in all probability, will follow the child through life, con¬
trolling, correcting and lifting him up, or enslaving, debasing
and dragging him down; therefore too much care cannot be
had with respect to a child's early religious teachings.
Like a pastor, the Sabbath School teacher should know some¬
what of the daily life and home surroundings of his pupils;
where they live, how they live, and what manner of company
they keep. The work of one day, the Sabbath, may prove
quite insufficient to counterbalance the doings and influences of
six days. The failure of good impressions, and the absence of
conversions may often be traced to the counteracting influ¬
ences of the child's everyday surroundings. Therefore the Sabbath
School teacher should, as nearly as it is possible, keep in sight of
liis class, that he may exert a constant influence over his children.
II. The Superintendent.
He should possess all the qualifications of a first-class teacher,
THE SABBATH SCHOOL IN A NUT-SHELL. 9
and more; for the superintendent is a teacher promoted, just as a
general is a promoted soldier, or a soldier of higher official
rank. He must be a competent teacher, because he is to have
charge of the weekly teachers' meetings, and must be able to
instruct his teachers, whenever it is necessary, in the lessons
which they are to impart. To understand and to explain the
Holy Scriptures, we must understand Bible History, also its
Geography and Biography. In all of these the superintendent
must be well informed in order that he may not only train his
teachers and arrange their work, but that he may interest them
and inspire them in the truths which they are to teach.
He must be a good governor. " Order is Heaven's first
law," says Milton, and it is the first law of every well-regulated
Sabbath School. Certainly nothing could be more damaging
to a school than a want of system, or confusion and division; and
nothing more sure to defeat its objects. The superintendent, at
the head of his board of officers and teachers, must see that all
are working together in harmony for the common welfare of the
sphool. To do this is often a difficult task, and it will require
all the tact and governing ability of the superintendent to secure
it. He should possess originality. However much general
knowledge of his work he may have, there will often be need of
measures to meet certain conditions of his individual school;
those needs he must be able to see quickly, and equally as
quickly must he be able to invent and formulate means to meet
them.
In carrying out his original plans as well as in managing the
routine work of the school, the superintendent will fail unless
he is a man of good executive ability. A man may succeed ad¬
mirably in forming a mind-picture, and yet be unable to
develop his ideas and reduce them to practice.
The good judgment of the superintendent will so often be
in demand that it is difficult to find the place where it is not
needed. In selecting and situating his teachers the best of
judgment will be required. A teacher who might be a perfect
success with a Bible class, may utterly fail in the infant depart-
IO THE SABBATH SCHOOL IN A NUT-SHELL.
ment; hence, as the success of the school depends largely upon
the fitness of the teachers for their respective positions, much
care should be had in their selection and appointment.
The superintendent must not be skeptical. The Christian
Sabbath School must be headed by, and imbued with, the spirit
of one who is sound in orthodox theology. If the Sabbath
School does its work well, it will send out its pupils with settled
convictions of truth; and if that truth be error, great is the
error. In the selection of Sabbath School helps and libraries
the superintendent should see that nothing unfit is used.
How many young people have been led astray, and their future
usefulness destroyed by reading sensational stories, and books of
fiction ! We must place in our libraries books on solid and practi¬
cal subjects for our young men and women, and picture books with
stories of the honest and truthful lives of many who have walked
the earth and have now passed to their reward. Have a com¬
petent librarian who will take proper care of the books, and see
that they are not lost. When they become worn out or lose
pages, lay them aside to be rebound, or fill their places with
others.
Supply the school with maps on the Bible lands; with black¬
boards ; with Bible dictionaries and reference books for the use
of teachers. Have spelling books for persons who are willing to
come to school, but cannot read. Persons who are too old to
attend the day schools should be put into a class by themselves
and given a faithful teacher.
Next, we want music. Instrumental and vocal. Music has
its charms for both old and young. It has often been a question
in my mind by what means the more people were led to Christ,
by the preaching of Moody or by the singing of Sankey. Singing
is attractive : first, because it is a sign of good humor; we seldom,
if ever, feel like singing if we are angry ; but the angry heart is
often made glad by sweet music, as in the case of Saul and
David. To hear a multitude of infant voices lifted up to heaven,
chanting the praises of God, is like an angelic choir.
To furnish a school with the necessary appliances will cost
THE SABBATH SCHOOL IN A NUT-SHELL. II
something; but if you would have a profitable school you must
spend something. Every school is not able to secure at once all
that is necessary to a perfect outfit; but no school should be
afraid to spend money so as to come as near to it as possible.
The supplies must be abundant, varied, of the best kind and
frequently renewed; therefore the superintendent must be a good
financier, for he must know how to raise money and how to
spend it to the best advantage. If the money management is not
good the school will become bankrupt.
Loyalty to one's Church is a quality of no little importance
to a superintendent; he is moulding the future Church, and
if he himself loves and respects the laws and government of the
church of his choice, those who are being trained at his hand
will partake of his spirit, and this will fit them for their future
responsibilities. There must be no discord between the Church
and Sabbath School; their relation is that of mother and
daughter, and to insure harmony between them, loyal persons ,
must fill all important posts.
Now the thoughtful reader, as he peruses these pages, may
exclaim, " O ! that I were such a teacher, or such a superintend¬
ent ! " Why not become such? Are you a Christian? If not,
" Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all
these things shall be added unto you." But another may say,
"I have long since become a Christian but have had no edu¬
cational advantages ; so I find it very difficult to interest and -
impress my pupils as I should like to do." To such an one I
say, look about you, treasure your spare moments, seize every
opportunity of improvement, and you will soon be astonished at
your own progress. Elihu Burritt, the Connecticut blacksmith
who became an eminent scholar and the master of fifty languages,
is an illustrious example of what a person may accomplish by his
own unaided efforts.
In this enlightened and progressive age, when books, news¬
papers, magazines and educational helps of every kind, both
secular and religious, can be had almost for the asking, no one
need be ignorant. Take any great painter or sculptor who has
12
THE SABBATH SCHOOL IN A NUT-SHELL.
risen to eminence, like Michael Angelo, and consider how much-
pains and labor were required before he could express upon can¬
vas or in marble the ideal of his mind ; and surely the Sabbath
School teacher, who labors upon the imperishable material of an
immortal soul, should think no sacrifice too great, no toil too
laborious to develop all its grace and beauty. O ! that the en¬
lightening influences of the Holy Spirit may direct our teach¬
ings and bless our work.
CHAPTER III.
HOW TO MAKE ROOM FOR IT.
ONE of the barriers to successful Sabbath-school work is the want
of time to do it in. In Sabbath School gatherings we have
often heard this spoken of as "one of our discouragements." In
conversation with individuals who are interested in the work of
training the young we have heard the same complaint. The
cause is not that any church or pastor—so far as we have been
able to learn—is opposed to the work of the Sabbath School, but
that many are unwilling to give entirely one of the three regular
church services, and let the time be used exclusively for Sabbath
School work. The prevailing custom has been the preaching of
three sermons on Sabbath, viz., morning, afternoon, and night,
with a brief session of Sabbath School interjected somewhere be¬
tween the regular services. Now, the friends of the Sabbath
School cause come asking for the time of one of those services,
and as the best time to gather the children, select the afternoon.
Should the request be granted ? It should, provided it can be
shown that by doing so more good for the cause of Christianity
can be accomplished. Which, then, is the more productive of in¬
telligent and practical Christians: the preaching of three sermons
every Sabbath, or the preaching of the gospel morning and
night and devoting the afternoon of every Sabbath to Bible
classes for the old and the young to study the word of God by
system ?
THE SABBATH SCHOOL IN A NUT-SHELL.
13
1. The negative.—Concerning the preaching of three sermons
every Sabbath, it has been said by wise and experienced theo¬
logians that a man can not prepare and deliver that number in
such a manner as to properly instruct and edify his hearers. If
this be true, then it follows that in such a case the sermons
would come short in their first and most important objects.
Then, to establish a three sermon system offers a temptation
rarely overcome, to place incompetent persons in the pulpit. In
either of the foregoing cases there is danger of reducing the
service of preaching to a mere formality, which may or may not
be gone through.
When the pulpit is not effectual in awakening sinners and en¬
lightening and strengthening Christians, it loses its power for
good. Again, granting that the people could be furnished with
three well prepared sermons each Sabbath, the valid objection
follows that so much matter could not be digested in a day.
There is a striking analogy between the way the body is fed and
the way the mind is nourished. However good our food may be
we are limited to a certain quantity of it. Overload the stomach,
and the process of digestion goes on with difficulty, or perhaps
stops altogether, then death ensues. So it is with the mind. Crowd
it with thought from morning till night, and instead of its being
digested, assimilated and changed into the very blood of spiritual
life, it simply lies in a confused and inactive mass in the mind.
Therefore people are not made better according to the number
of sermons that they hear, but they are benefited by words which,
having been understood and reflected upon, enter into their
lives, shape and control the whole character of the man.
2. The affirmative.—The second proposition is, a sermon
morning and night, and the afternoon service consecrated to
Bible classes in which both the old and the young may engage
in the study of the Holy Scriptures. In this service an oppor¬
tunity is given for mutual benefit; all may read, each may give
his views upon the passage read; one may profit by the views of
another and all may be benefitted by the views of the teacher.
Then, this being the only service for the afternoon, an hour can
14
THE SABBATH SCHOOL IN A NUT-SHELL.
be fixed upon when the congregation will have had sufficieht
time to attend to home duties after the morning service before
being called to attend that of the afternoon.
Whenever two services are held upon the afternoon of the same
day, as preaching and Sabbath School, one is sure to infringe
upon the time of the other, else, if they are held simultaneously
in separate rooms, those who attend one cannot attend the other;
hence the interest is divided, and both services weakened there¬
by. Then the study of the Bible is of inestimable value to
Christian growth. Therein alonewre found the law, the testimony,
the statutes and the commandments of the Lord; therein alone
is found the lamp to our feet, and the light to our path; therein
alone is found that wisdom which is more to be desired than
gold, yea, than much fine gold.
While nature makes her contribution of information concern¬
ing the existence of a God, revelation tells us what His will con¬
cerning us is. Probably the Bible is regularly and systematically
read in but few families for want of time, inclination, or ability.
It is therefore the duty of the church to supply this need. That
which made the Bereans in point of intelligence and proficiency
in the advance of other Christians of their day, was, they not only
listened to and accepted the preaching of the Apostles, but they
searched the Scriptures daily to see if the things preached were
true. The study of the Scriptures by the young is especially
necessary. The development of the church in active Christian
work, and the final salvation of the human family from sin is not
so much dependent upon reformation as it is upon formation.
We recognize in a human being three natures, viz: physical, in¬
tellectual and spiritual; and the happiness and usefulness of the
individual will be in proportion to the harmonious development
of all three of these powers. Neither the intellectual culture of
the Greeks nor the physical prowess of the Romans prevented
those nations from falling into vices which finally brought about
their decline and fall. "We may measure the growth and the
decline of a people by the purity or corruption of their morals.''
Nothing less than the grace of God can keep a man or a nation
THE SABBATH SCHOOL IN A NUT-SHELL. 15
from becoming a castaway. But in spite of the fact that the im¬
portance of moral training is brought home to us by the accu¬
mulated history of all past ages, as well as by the every day oc¬
currences of the present time, we are still unwilling to devote one-
fiftieth part of the time to the moral and religious training of our
children that we do to their secular education; for we keep our
children in the day school six hours each day for five days in
the week, and send them to Sabbath School once a week for two
hours. At the end of a school year the child has had twelve
hundred hours in day school and eighty hours in the Sabbath
School. Yet we seem astonished when we see our young people
going astray/ as if we had not known that mere secular learning
could not teach them to avoid evil, nor give them the power to
resist temptation. Said the great Apostle, Paul, who was brought
up at the feet of that master teacher, Gamaliel, " Yea, doubtless,
and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the know¬
ledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord." It is this saving knowledge
which the church is under sacred obligations to give her children.
If she neglects to lead them to God, Satan will not neglect to
lead them away. There is no hope that this work will be done
in the secular school, for the church wisely and properly assumes
the duty herself. In some schools even the reading of the Bible
is forbidden in order to avoid sectarianism. The Sabbath School
is not, therefore, a place where persons come simply to be enter¬
tained or amused; it is a school whose high purpose is to train
souls for heaven. Here the teaching is of sufficiently high grade
to interest and instruct the most advanced Bible student, and is
also brought down to the comprehension of the youngest pupils;
and thus those little ones do not have to be brought into the
church in after years, for they were never out of it; they grew
up in it.
It has been well said that habit, at first a thread of silk, finally
becomes a band of steel; hence the church owes it to her own
perpetuity to train her children early in habits of right thinking
and right doing, that they may go forth to take their places in the
church, in society and in the nation with enlightened con-
16 THE SABBATH SCHOOL IN A NUT-SHELL.
sciences, firm principles and unwavering faith in God; for the
glory of the church, the highest welfare of society and the per¬
petuity of republican institutions must, in the end, depend upon
the moral and religious character of the men who form them.
Therefore, if the plan of two sermons, one in the morning, the
other at night, with the afternoon devoted to the study of the
Bible, were generally adopted, and pains taken to make such
service what it ought to be, I believe that the result would be a
growth in religious knowledge, an advance in Christian activity
and a revival of Scriptural holiness.