Forty years' experience in Sunday-schools

Introduction

The importance of the subject of this little volume none can doubt. There is a familiarity in treating it, and a desultory method pursued in its discussion which may be considered inappropriate for a book. I have only to say, the chapters herein contained, were so many distinct letters addressed to a friend who was the Superintendent of a Sunday-school, at his own request. After a publication in the Independent had given them a very extensive circulation, their compact publication in the present .form was also solicited. They are the simple language of personal experience and observation in the field of which they treat. They may be the instrument of suggesting other and better thoughts and

IV INTRODUCTION.

experience to other minds. I can not but hope they will be made useful to many. If they shall but set Christians and ministers to thinking, inquiring, and speaking, even in opposition to some of the sentiments they contain, they will do good. There can be but one result to which conscientious thought and inquiry must lead, and with that the end and purpose of the book will be so far attained. To his brethren in the ministry of the whole Church of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to his sympathizing friends, the Sunday-school teachers in all the Churches, the author gratefully presents his little work, praying for their countenance, and the Lord's blessing.

St. Geoege's Rectoey.

New York, August 1, 1860.

Contents

PAGE

I.— Personal History.— Quincy, Mass.— St. Paul's, Philadelphia.— Epiphany, Philadelphia : 7

II.— St. George's, New York. — New Church.— Schools in New Church. — Exercises and Plans for Schools.... 15

I

PERSONAL HISTORY. — QUTNCY, MASS. — ST. PAUL'S, PHILADEL- PHIA*— EPIPHANY, PHILADELPHIA.

\Y Dear Friend : You ask for some notes of my personal experience in connection with Sunday-schools, and some of the results of that experience. I shall be glad to gratify you in a very simple and desultory way, having no time to arrange any thing in a more methodical or didactic shape. The proposal will lead me first to a few reminiscences of my own connection with these interesting nurseries of the Church of Christ.

In the year 1819, when a candidate for the ministry, I was first sent forth by Bishop G-riswold, as a young laborer in the Gospel, under the title of what we call in the Episcopal Church a Lay Eeader, which included, in those days, the utmost range of personal exhortation

8 QUINCY, MASS.

and preaching. I was directed by him to the temporary charge of a small, vacant Episcopal church in Quincy, Mass. A few scattered families and individuals made up the congregation, of whom two ladies, still living and useful in the church, agreed to unite with me in the opening of a Sunday-school. Such an enterprise had never been undertaken or seen by either of us ; nor had there ever been a Sunday-school in the town. But the zeal and love of young Christians, earnest in the Lord's service, will furnish both the model and the accomplishment of what they are prompted to undertake for him. We scoured the town among the families to whom we had access, and among whom we could circulate our notices, to invite children of all kinds to our school on the aj>pointed Sabbath. To our amazement, when the morning arrived, we found perhaps fifty children assembled, a larger number than our whole congregation had ever been before. Our youthful hearts rejoiced, and our inexperienced hands were full. There were four teachers besides myself — the two young ladies,

QUINCY, MASS. 9

and two young men whose family attended the church. We knew but little of the work we had undertaken, but we had hearts that desired to work, and a love for the enterprise with which the Lord had so remarkably honored us. We labored on with a happy spirit and successful results. The first boy whose name I took at the opening of that school, has been for more than twenty years a distinguished minister of the Episcopal Church. One of the two male teachers gave his life to the Foreign Missionary work; and died in Ceylon. The other was taken away while in his course of theological study, and the two ladies are still living, active and useful in the Lord's work. Little as I knew then, this first Sunday-school was a very exciting and stirring event of my life. It had the effect of an entire enlistment of my affections and efforts in this work. But my subsequent early ministry was for several years in a very scattered and wide-spread country, where the gathering of large Sunday-schools was impossible. And yet I have but the last week received a letter from the Sunday

10 st. Paul's, Philadelphia school missionary laboring in that region of the South, informing me that thirty public primary school-rooms in the county are now offered for Sunday-school occupation, and asking my co-operation in furnishing means for libraries for their use. So remarkably has the work progressed and enlarged in our day.

In the spring of 1829, I was called to St. Paul's church, in the city of Philadelphia, where there had been Sunday-schools, very complete and well arranged, from 1S16. There were in those schools perhaps four hundred children. They made a very effective arrangement in both sexes, from adult Bible-classes down to infant schools. The best and most intelligent members of the church were engaged in them. Many of the niost influential of the officers of the church were also occupied in them. They were wisely, intelligently, and efficiently conducted. They made the very field of labor for which I had longed, and which I ardently and instantly embraced. I organized a weekly lecture on the lesson for the teachers, and had beside a weekly Bible-class of -ladies,

ST. PAULAS, PHILADELPHIA. 11

including the female teachers. I spent every Sabbath morning in a personal visitation of all the schools, examining the classes and aiding to the utmost of my power in the work of teaching, often having the opportunity to take some vacant class, and thus come into direct contact with the children themselves. I gave every Sunday afternoon, when our public service was in the evening, to a personal address to all the schools combined.

A whole generation has since passed away. The children of that day are now the active mature workers in our churches. More than ten of them have become preachers of the Gospel. Over one hundred and fifty have given themselves to the Lord's service in the lay fellowship and labor of the churches. How many more of all these clusters of fruit have been gathered since, from the same heavenly plant, I have no adequate means of knowing. Those schools have all been maintained in all then' efficiency to the present time. Never were they so strong and prosperous as under the present rector of St. Paul's,

12 EPIPHANY, PHILADELPHIA who was one of the boys of that day, and who has proved himself so earnest, and successful in the Sunday-school work; in his ministry since. I imagine these schools may be regarded as a model of successful effort at the present day.

Five years' ministry at St. Paul's prepared me with a knowledge and experience which were brought into operation in the successful founding and establishment of the Church of the Epiphany in the same city. That church was founded upon the Sunday-school. Its energy and strength were given to the school. Previously the Sunday-school had been considered an appendage to the church, and by some ministers and members a troublesome appendage. We founded this church with the distinct understanding and plan, that the Sunday-school should be the main and prominent object of regard, and its convenience and successful operation thoroughly provided for ; and we carried out this principle completely. These schools in their general features were arranged as those at St. Paul's. They were opened in December, 1834, with four

EPIPHANY, PHILADELPHIA. 13

teachers and ten scholars in the male school, and five teachers and fifteen scholars in the female school. They were left by me in 1845, when I removed to New York, with thirtyeight teachers and three hundred and eightyone scholars in the male, and forty-two teachers and four hundred and twenty- three scholars in the female department. I have never seen elsewhere, schools at all equal to them in the whole scheme and elements of successful operation. They were blessed with many very precious evidences of the Lord's presence and grace, and large numbers from them were gathered to the table of the Lord, and already many young ministers are in the Lord's work, who have gone forth from them. To these schools, I continued my habit of a weekly lecture to teachers, a weekly female Bible-class, a monthly address to the schools, and the giving of every Sunday morning to a supervision of the work as it went on. In these I established also an Anniversary, with the donation of books to every scholar, as a token of our mutual interest and aifection. And when I survey my

14 EPIPHANY, PHILADELPHIA.

Philadelphia work of sixteen years, no part of it seems to me to have been so remunerative and happy as my connection with my Sunday-schools. Incidents and facts of this connection may come up in some future communications. But they were happy, useful, and improving hours which were so occupied. And God was pleased very largely to add his blessing to the work. No toil could be more delightful, or bearing richer fruits.

II

ST. GEORGE'S, NEW YORK. — NEW CHURCH.— SCHOOLS IN NEW CHURCH. — EXERCISES AND PLANS FOR SCHOOLS.

. EKHAPS an apology is necessary for entering so largely upon the history of my own personal relations to Sunday-schools. But understanding your desire to be a practical account of my individual experience and observation of the working and results of these precious nurseries of our youth, I saw no way to get at it so simply and naturally, as by the introduction of a personal narrative. Do not blame me then in the utterance of stories of personal affection and interest. In 1845, I was most unexpectedly transferred in my ministry to this city. St. George's church had always been distinguished for a lively and active interest in Sunday-schools, and honored by the labors of a faithful pastor and an earnest body of teachers.

16 NEW CHURCH.

But our removal of the church to a new field of labor occurred so soon after my coming into the pastoral relation here, that I had no opportunity in the old church to do more than to co-operate, as earnestly and actively as I could, in the limited schools which I found in Beekman street. We entered upon our new undertaking in the autumn of 1847, but did not occupy our new church until November, 1848, nor till a year after that, had we any building apart from the church in which the schools might be held. Till then we struggled on in the gallery of the church, in a very scattered and unsatisfactory way.

But our new enterprise was in its very foundation and purpose, like the Epiphany, a Sunday-school church. Several of the officers of the church became engaged in the work. The Vestry adopted it and provided for it in the most liberal and effective manner. Appropriations and arrangements for its convenience and accommodation were made with cheerfulness and pleasure. A cordial and lively interest in the work always marked their deliberations

SCHOOLS IN NEW CHURCH. 17

and plans ; and much of the prosperity of these schools has depended upon this zeal and generous interest in them on the part of the Vestry of this church. We have never needed funds, or laborers; or affectionate support, which have not been at once forthcoming and efficient. The children of our congregation have, as a rule, uniformly attended our Sunday-school, and thus every family in the church, rich and poor, have felt themselves possessed of a common property and a common responsibility in everything which has concerned the welfare and success of the undertaking.

We commenced our school in October, 1847, in the University chapel, with about thirty children of all classes, and in the year of our occupation there, could grow but little. But it was a living coal, however small, and though a little matter, kindled for us a great fire. In the spring of 1850, when we held our first anniversary, we had grown to forty-two teachers and five hundred and five scholars. This was the first year of our meeting in our new chapel, and the first spring after the completion of our

18 SCHOOLS IN NEW CHURCH.

church. In two more years, so rapidly had we grown, that our third anniversary gave us a total of one thousand and two. Our infant school, which was commenced in the organ gallery of the church with eleven children in 1849, had now enlarged to two hundred and eightyeight, under the same teacher. The crowds in our one building, and the multitudes of poor children still seeking admission, compelled us after this to engage in the establishment of a mission school, of which I shall desire to speak in a separate account. Our sixth anniversary, the first which included the mission school, presented ninety-five teachers and one thousand five hundred and thirty-six scholars. And this has remained about our average number since. Our tenth anniversary, in the spring of 1859, closed with one hundred and six teachers and one thousand five hundred and sixty-five scholars. But in these ten years more than ten different schools had been established by other churches in the field which we had at first occupied alone. I had always anticipated a diminution of our numbers as inevitable, under a process like this. We have found, however, no essential difference in our own number, while there are probably near two thousand children now gathered in other Sunday-schools of various kinds, within the limits which were then our sole domain. It is to me a very happy and grateful thought that our efforts have not been without their influence in encouraging and fostering these adjuvant efforts, so that God may have made us a blessing beyond our own direct labor and immediate relations. With the attainment of such a result, I should have felt no surprise, and I trust nosorrow, at a necessary lessening of our numbers, in the more general spreading of the influence and the work around us. If our poor children may be taught the Saviour's word, and fed with the Saviour's love, I trust it will be always our part and purpose only to rejoice, whoever may be made the blessed instruments of the glorious result.

In the organization of the schools now under my more immediate notice and care, excepting for the present all reference to our mission schools, we have six different rooms for instruction. One infant school under two teachers, of three hundred and twenty children ; another infant school under one teacher, of one hundred and thirty-five children ; two female Bible-classes, one of fifty-seven and another of thirty-nine young ladies, in two separate rooms, under two female teachers ; a young men's Bible-class of thirty-three members, with one teacher ; and in our main school, two hundred and seventy-eight girls and two hundred and forty boys, under fiftyeight teachers. All these have always been under the superintendence of one executive head as superintendent. We have thus means and arrangements for appropriate teaching for every age and class from three years old to full maturity. All these departments are in complete and successful operation, and under the most harmonious arrangement and control. For the first seven years of our growth and establishment here, I was favored with the aid of two valued and efficient laymen, who successively had the superintendence of this large array of youth. Since their necessary separation from the work, I have taken the entire personal superintendence myself. From * the commencement of this school, I have ;never failed to go through all these rooms and classes, and to maintain a personal inspection and oversight of the whole operation in all its branches and its practical details. For the last three years I have given my whole time and presence to their actual personal management, during the whole period of the session. If you should be disposed to ask why I have undertaken this additional labor, I can only say, because my whole experience of the operation has so enlarged my sense of its importance, and my affectionate personal interest therein, that I have felt it a vast pleasure and enjoyment to be myself personally and constantly engaged in its duties and its success. I have around me valued laymen whom I should be glad to see earnestly at work, and very faithful teachers who are constantly so. But thus far, neither the amount of actual toil, nor the importance of keeping the lay power of the church, engaged, has been sufficient to overcome my own selfish delight in the occupation, . or my unwillingness to relinquish it. Perhaps in this I have been wrong. But I have seen some very blessed and valuable results arising from the labors thus pursued. And in a future consideration of some general elements and principles involved and developed in the whole process/ 1 shall have occasion to sjoeak of this subject more particularly again.

In these schools, from their commencement, I have given a weekly lecture on every Friday evening, on the lesson for the ensuing Sunday, trying in this method to illustrate not merely the subjects involved, but also the simplest and most effectual manner of teaching. The great object in this lecture always is to bring out the important evangelical principles which are exhibited in every portion of Scripture history as well as teaching* that our children may learn to see the Saviour, and something of his grace, everywhere in the words of Divine inspiration. I have always thought that every portion of the Word of Grod speaks of his salvation, in some illustration or description, either of its agencies, its principles, or its results. And therefore if teachers can be assisted in bringing out this hidden light of Divine truth, that it may all shine upon the Saviour, to their children, as it all shines from him in the Word, they may gain advantages of precious value to themselves while they are imparting like precious instruction in living truths to the children before them. I have thrown this into the shape of a familiar personal lecture, rather than a catechetical examination with the teachers, because the interest seems greater to them, and the same opportunity is given to other members of the congregation who desire it, to gain the same benefit of simple practical instruction in the Word of God.

I have always felt the importance of some further personal relations to the Sunday-school than could be maintained merely through the teachers. And from the time of my first removal to Philadelphia, I established a monthly sermon for the children, in order to bring my personal instructions more directly to bear upon them. This monthly address on Sunday afternoon I have continued until the past year, when my morning opportunity seemed to render it no longer especially necessary. But when our new St. George's was opened in 1848, such was the attendance of youth around me, that I was not satisfied with the amount of direct attention which was given to them. I then made the sermon of every Sunday afternoon a sermon to the young. This plan I have continued to the present time. It has been one of the most interesting and effective of my labors in the ministry. I have pursued a course of connected instruction in series of plain and intelligible lectures on various Scripture biographies, of which Buthr and Esther have been published, — on Scriptural plants, and animals, and mountains, — on Scriptural religion as exhibited in youth, — on the Parables, etc., till I have now gone through eleven years of such continued instruction. And the Lord has been pleased very graciously and mercifully to own this teaching in many cases of conversion to himself, and in much real edification of youth in his service. I have considered no part of my work more valuable and important than this. And certainly no portion of it has seemed so popular and acceptable to others: In addition to these instruments, I have employed lectures and exhibitions with the magic lantern as an instrument of interesting the children in the school, and creating a happy and innocent opt unity of amusement for them. Other elements of our plan will occur for notice in some future heads of remark upon this subject. Thus fifteen more years of my personal relations to Sunday-schools have passed away, and another generation has come to maturity under my care. And I still look upon the occupation with increasing delight. It seems to me every year more and more remunerative and encouraging as a ministry for Christ, in every way within my power to feed his lambs.

III

FAILURE OF TEACHERS. — ADVANTAGES OF SUNDAY-SCHOOLS. — CONVERSION OF CHILDREN. — RESULTS OF EFFORTS. — RE- VIVAL IN ST. PAUL'S. — FRUITS OF TEACHING.

^Y outline of personal history lias brought me to a point at which, perhaps, I may be permitted to apply the results of experience and observation to a wider and more abstract field, in reference to the important subject involved. Forty years' active interest and intelligent consideration connected with our Sunday-schools, have convinced me more and moreTof their value and efficiency as an instrument of blessing to the church of God. During this period I have seen the waxing and waning of many individual agencies in this connection. I have known brethren who were once earnest advocates of the system, and have preached and prayed for its prosperity, giving up in despair

FAILURE OF TEACHERS. 27

or in disgust j and refusing longer to bear the anxiety and trial involved in its support. I have seen many teachers, of both sexes, wearied 'and exhausted, either with the fatigue of the labor, or the failure of success, and retiring from the whole field, to undertake its cultivation no more. I can only say for myself, the influence of the operation on my mind has been precisely the reverse. Never have I felt the importance of the work more really ; and never was I more determined to continue my labors in it while my Master shall give me opportunity and his blessing. And I have, in the circle of my most valued acquaintance, many teachers who have labored faithfully for years, and are still unwearied, and some who were active in the work before I began, and are still earnestly engaged therein. I desire to record my testimony as the result of my whole experience, that, in my judgment, there is no department of Christian labor more vitally influential upon the triumphs of the Gospel — more remunerative in its immediate results of blessing to the soul engaged — more effective in

28 ADVANTAGES OF SUNDAY-SCHOOLS.

maintaining and enlarging the best interests of the Christian church and the most efficient operation of the Christian ministry.

Yet my personal experience has not been without a clear perception of the difficulties and defects in the practical operation, and in the way of full and desired success. But these lead to the consideration of the very practical question. What advantages have we a right to expect from our Sunday-schools, as fair and legitimate results ? This is a question which long practice, and, perhaps, still more, repeated disappointments, will very naturally force upon the mind. And the more earnest is the interest felt in the operation, necessarily the more anxious and habitual will be the consideration of this question. My own answer to this question, arising from anticipations always cherished, and from actual results partly attained, would involve several important particulars.

I should, first of all, say, we have a right to expect the actual conversion of our children, under the influence of Divine truth faithfully

CONVERSION OF CHILDREN. 29

and simply taught. The grand uniform instruction of the Sunday-school is to be in the Word of truth ; and supposing the praying and experienced Christian teacher expounding and applying this, with a dependence on the heavenly teaching to bless his own, we surely may look for that manifestation of the power of this transforming truth to the children's minds and hearts. This, or any subsequent suggestion will not be pursued by me, in any shape of controversy or argument. I shall simply state what are my own personal views and conclusions. I cannot consent to any lower result, as a satisfactory object and purpose in a teacher's mind, than this. The teacher's thought and plan must be that of a real and living messenger of Christ, to a little congregation whose eternity may depend upon this immediate relation and opportunity, and whose salvation, never to be secured but in a cordial acceptance of a Saviour's finished work of love, may be secured under the present agency, and with the Divine blessing on the

means now faithfully employed. And in the

13*

30 RESULTS OF EFFORTS.

faithful and earnest employment of these means we have a right to look for the conversion of children to Jesus, and their living by the Holy Spirit for God. The qualifications of adequate teachers I do not now consider, but suppose them fully and actually possessed and exercised. This being so, the pastor, the parents, and the church may justly desire and expect that God will bless the work with this all-important result. A seed will be growing up in the church who shall really serve him.

When I survey the actual results of blessing which I have witnessed under this one great head, I have much reason to bear my testimony that God has never failed to bless his Word, thus faithfully ministered, in some degree. I certainly have never seen the fullness of these spiritual fruits which I have desired. Yet I have not been without frequent proofs of the love and presence of God as a Saviour among us in the conversion of our children. In the thirty-one years during which I have now been a city pastor, and personally connected with large schools, I have

REVIVAL IN ST. PAUl/S. 31

received to the Lord's table over three hundred youth of both sexes, directly from the Sunday-school. And I have no doubt I might with equal truth add two hundred more, uniting with us from the resulting influence of previous Sunday-school instruction. This is doubtless a great and blessed result, which must give joy in the kingdom of God for ever. Yet it has hardly been one in ten of the children to whom I have seen these priceless blessings dispensed, and over whose favored youth I have watched as a pastor. An early revival in St. Paul's church in Philadelphia, commenced in our iveekly Sunday-school prayer-meeting on Saturday evening. The exercises closed, and the people were dismissed, when, rising from my place, I countedsixteen of our youth still on their knees on the floor. They were apparently immovable from their position, and in deep emotion. I went from one to the other with a few words of affectionate and pastoral conversation, and appointed Monday evening as an occasion for their special assembly. On the next day I

32 SICK GIRL.

gave notice of this appointment, and over seventy youth met me for instruction and prayer. It was the divine commencement of a very remarkable work of mercy. The result was the addition of over one hundred, mostly from the Sunday-school, to the communion of the Church. The subjects of that work are now active and earnest Christians, in the maturity, of grace. Many such results, upon a narrower scale, have I since witnessed, and in every class of society, in connection with our Sunday-schools. I was called, in Philadelphia, to visit a sick girl in a very worldly and irreligious household, with whom I had but little acquaintance — and went, anticipating only a painful visit of warning to a careless soul. . To my astonishment, I found a^gentle child of grace, perhaps eighteen years of age, sinking in a consumption, but perfectly clear in mind, and happy in hope. "How," I asked, " have you learned all this in your condition here ?"' Her answer was most precious. " I had a faithful Sunday-school teacher — and though I left her some years ago, and never

HAPPY RESULTS. 33

gave her much satisfaction, yet when I was taken sick, I took ray little Bible, and went over the lessons she used to teach me — and God has taught me here alone/' She then showed me her little Bible — turned down and marked with many Sunday-school lessons — her -constant and loved companion. Dear child — she had no other religious companion. But she departed in sweet peace and hope — and my visits to her while she lived were full of satisfaction and delight. Similar instances of actual conversion under Sunday-school instruction have occurred in such numbers that I might fill many sheets of paper with them. I have seen them manifested in children from six years old and upwards ; infants giving a clear account of their hope in- Jesus, and love to Him — and thus, according to the promise of the Spirit, " perfecting His praise." I have seen whole families brought to Christ under such influence, who were far off from all Christian habits even, until little ones carried home from the Sunday-school the life-giving messages of truth. I have seen most interest-