SABBATH-SCHOOLS by James White

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Aug 22, 1878

SABBATH-SCHOOLS

By James White

HERE in our quiet retreat in the Rocky Mountains we have time for reflection, and as our mind goes back a half-century, when at the age of seven years we attended the first Sunday-school organized in the State of Maine, and when we look out upon the broad field where our churches are located, we feel moved to appeal to our people on this important subject.

Deacon John White, our father, organized the first Sunday-school in Maine, at Palmyra. Always in the front rank in all moral reforms and religious instruction, he heard with joy of heart that in Boston and New Bedford schools were being organized for the instruction of youth and children on Sunday. On the first intimation of this he immediately organized a Sunday-school in an adjoining school-district, and took his children with him. And although fifty years have passed, with all their burden of care, anxiety, and mental toil, those lessons written upon our youthful mind and heart have not been effaced.

The first lesson we committed to memory fifty years ago, June of the present summer, was the record of the birth of Christ given in the second chapter of the gospel by Matthew, a portion of which we here give, as follows: “Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he that is born king of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judea; for thus it is written by the prophet, And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda; for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.”

This long lesson of twenty-three verses was then committed to memory, and there it remains until this day. The impress of it was made so deeply upon the young and tender mind that the wearing thoughts of a half-century have not effaced this precious lesson.

When we left school at the age of twenty, our preceptor said to us, “White, you have algebra enough to enter any college in New England;” but having neither studied nor taught it since, every principle peculiar to that branch of mathematics has been rubbed out, so that we cannot recall them, while this lesson learned in childhood remains, having stood the wear and tear of these long years. This thinking, care-taking head has grown gray and bald, but the lesson remains, and we can repeat it as readily as when first learned fifty years ago.

The fact that lessons learned in childhood and youth, when the mind is tender and free from the cares and responsibilities of manhood and womanhood, are more lasting than those learned in riper years, should impress parents with the importance of the Sabbath-school, where their dear children may learn and be impressed with the sacred lessons of the Holy Scriptures.

We need not say that Sabbath-schools should be organized in all our churches. There is not one of our churches that can afford to have the dear children and youth under their care deprived of this means of instruction. And it is not the children alone that can be benefited. The parents and the entire membership may be deeply interested in the Heaven-born institution of the Sabbath-school, and drink from the same sacred fountain of knowledge.

Our people are highly favored in having such a man as Prof. G. H. Bell, of the Battle Creek College, to prepare lessons graded to suit different ages, from the little child up to men and women of gray hairs. The system of Sabbath-school organization which he has introduced is excellent in its results. Under it the Battle Creek Sabbath-school has flourished beyond a parallel.

But in order that the Sabbath-school be what it should be, and what it may be among our churches, it must have the hearty and energetic support of all our preachers. These have influence with the churches. We may have good systems of organization and instruction, and question books as near perfection as possible, and yet without the support of the ministry we shall fail of doing what God designs should be accomplished in gaining the general interest of the children and youth among us, and in securing to them this means of grace.

Every Seventh-day Adventist minister should have one discourse at least, on the subject of Sabbath-schools, to be delivered, not only at the time of organizing new schools, but in those churches where the Sabbath-school interest needs awakening. It may be difficult for some of our theoretical preachers, whose business is to give courses of lectures from place to place, to come down to the wants of the youth and children. And should they undertake to reach the minds and hearts of the lambs of the flock, their words might produce a chill even in such hot weather as that of July just past, in which hundreds have perished by sunstroke. We say to such, Get down from your stilts, and let your cold hearts warm up by the fire of love that burned in the bosom of Him who took little children in his arms and blessed them.

These ministers of Christ have received their commission from the same Master from whom Peter received his. And it may be well for them to read with care the charge which Christ gave this ardent disciple, as recorded in John 21:15, 16: “Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.” Here it should be noticed that the dear Master remembers the lambs first, then the sheep. “He saith unto him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.”

And we here enter a solemn protest against the course of some of our preachers and some of our churches in suffering the Sabbath-school to be set aside on those Sabbaths when the church is favored with the labors of a minister. This should never be. This is the very time to strike a blow in favor of the school. And not only should the Sabbath-school be held at the usual time in the morning, but the minister should be there on time to a minute to set an example for the entire school, teachers and pupils, and he should come with something to the point to say. He should lift just where superintendent and teachers should be lifting. And if they are not lifting at the right points, he should be prepared to properly instruct them.

We do not say that any part of the Sabbath-school exercises should be omitted to give the preacher time to make a long, cold, tedious speech. He should not take the precious time which belongs to the school. This is not the time and place for him to preach. Rather let him make his appointment, and call his own congregation, and take an hour in setting the subject before the people in all its importance. But when he visits the Sabbath-school he should enter into the exercises of the school heartily, and be familiar with superintendent, teachers, and pupils. And it will not detract from the proper dignity of his position as a minister of the gospel for him to come down to the capacity of even little children in his conversational instructions.

It is a matter of rejoicing that our people keep up their Sabbath meetings in the absence of the preacher; but we think that a mistake is made in devoting two or three hours to a tedious social meeting to the neglect of the Bible-class and the Sabbath-school. The social meeting is right if it is conducted properly, and is not continued to too great length. We say, Divide the time between the season of prayer and social conference, and the Bible-class and school for the children. We have seen our people backslide while holding tedious social services on the Sabbath to the neglect of the word of God.

We confess that we have not received our principal joys and comforts in social meetings of great length, where we could hear only the same hymns sung, the same style of prayer and common exhortations; while in searching the Scriptures and seeing the harmony of the word of God upon which the great truths of the third message rest, we have found joys unspeakable and full of glory, which are expressed by the apostle in these words: “Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.” Rom. 15:4.

We have seen the good fruits of the Sabbath-school in the early conversion of entire schools, by a little labor, after the faithful instruction of the Sabbath-school from childhood. The youth thus instructed are almost certain to early become intelligent Christians. This important subject will be considered at our next General Conference. May all our people be ready to act in the fear of God. J. W.