p. 485 | PROMPTNESS

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Nov 4, 1880

PROMPTNESS.

A good woman was noticed as always punctual at meeting, though she had a long way to go. When asked how it was she was never late, she replied: "I make it a part of my religion, never to disturb the religion of others." Too few Christians realize that it is a religious duty to be promptly in their places, and punctual at all appointments. A good place to cultivate this virtue is in the Sabbath-school, and to this end it is of the utmost importance that officers and teachers set a good example to their scholars. The superintendent who is late in his place, late in commencing the services, or tardy in any of his work, must not expect his teachers to be any more prompt in their work. The teacher who is not on hand at the time for school to open cannot expect his scholars to be careful to be there in time. It is well to have the reputation for punctuality of the Elder Adams, of whom it is said that not being in his seat in the Senate one morning at the hour for business, the opening was delayed, supposing, as proved to be true, that the clock was fast rather than Mr. Adams late.

Apropos of this the Sunday School Times says:—

"One of our contributors recently pressed the importance of a teacher being at his post a half-hour or so before the school session, that he might greet the scholars as they came in, and have pleasant words with them until the opening moment arrived. The suggestion is a good one, and it is timely; for there are few teachers who are sufficiently prompt at school to do their best work. Most teachers lose a royal opportunity of a better hold on their scholars by not coming earlier. But, if a teacher will not be ahead of the school hour, let him never be behind it. Five minutes lost at the opening of the school are lost forever. The venerable Dr. Tyng has said, out of his fifty years' Sunday-school experience, that 'an unpunctual teacher can never be a spiritually-minded teacher.' He asks pertinently, 'What if those teachers are fifteen minutes too late to get into Heaven? There are some teachers who seem to have fallen behind years ago, and never to have caught up. They bid fair to be eternally late.'"—Sabbath Recorder.