WE ought to have an object in all we do. What is the object of the Sabbath-school? It is to educate. This implies thought and study, and to be successful that study must be hard and earnest. "There is no excellency without great labor."
Genius is all very well, but those who have the power of steady, persevering application to the object in view possess a genius indeed, and are the most likely of any class to accomplish that which they undertake.
If the object of the Sabbath-school be to educate, then all who need to learn that which is taught there, ought to attend; and those who complain of difficulty in learning and remembering the lessons, have a special need to attend, and learn to remember.
Our public schools impart a knowledge of the elementary branches of education, such as is needed by all, no matter what their occupation. Then we have law schools, medical colleges, military, and agricultural schools, etc. These are designed to expand and develop the human faculties, and lead the thoughts in a particular direction, and as much attention should be paid to the direction of the thought, as to the cultivation of the intellect. Many persons who are giants in intellectual capacity are worse than useless in the world, because their ability has not been properly directed.
We are taught in the Bible to get wisdom, and with all our getting to get understanding. That is, learn how to use the wisdom we obtain. The object of the Sabbath-school is not merely that the pupil may mechanically recite the lesson, (which, of course, should be learned elsewhere,) but that it may be thoroughly understood; and every school should be so conducted, that a deep and lasting impression may be made upon the moral faculties.
The object of the school should be to educate its members, and direct their thoughts in the way of morality; in other words, make them Christians.
All we know, we first had to learn. An infant's brain may be compared to a sheet of blank paper, upon which impressions are to be made; upon finely finished writing paper very beautiful lines may be drawn, while upon a coarser article it would be impossible to make them fine and smooth. So of the brain; when impressions are made upon it through any of the senses, action takes place, and thought is the result. If a certain class of impressions is made, a corresponding kind of thought is developed; but the strength and beauty of this thought may differ greatly in different persons, as the brain of one may be more highly organized than that of another. As soon as the brain begins to grow, character begins to form. Therefore, we cannot begin too young in the matter of education to see that correct impressions are made.
Human beings are the most helpless of any of the animal creation, when they make their advent into this world. The lamb soon runs and plays; the young deer at a few days old can follow its dame at a rapid rate, and soon learns to take care of itself; but the human dear must be long carried in another's arms. It must be watched, fed, and all its wants supplied by others for years; and in some cases, he never becomes able to care for himself, no matter how old he grows.
In this long period of helplessness is the time to mould the character, when the influences upon the child may be more fully controlled than at any later period of life. This is the time to see that right—and only right—impressions are made upon the brain. Proper education will result in making a Christian of the child. To this it is objected, that some parents are very strict, and yet their children have come up bad. No doubt this is true; but many children get far more education in the streets, than from Christian parents. How many there are who talk to their little ones of the love of Jesus, and the beauties of his character, until their youthful minds reach out with a desire to be like him, and in the next moment perhaps, they have fallen into a violent passion, and in a few sharp, cross words, forever broken the spell, and destroyed the confidence of those children in the existence of any such love, and left them in just the condition to receive evil into their hearts. Yes, many a child has been turned into the way of life or death, by a few words spoken when the mind was undecided, and almost evenly balanced.
How careful then ought we to be that our Sabbath-schools exert that sacred, hallowed influence, that will direct the thoughts heavenward, and turn the heart to Jesus. Keep ever before you the true object of the school. Educate for Jesus and the future life. W. M. HEALEY.