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Education
words” the Scriptures declare to be not only “sweet to the soul,” but
“health to the bones.”
Proverbs 3:1, 2
, margin; 4:22; 16:24.
The youth need to understand the deep truth underlying the Bible
statement that with God “is the fountain of life.”
Psalm 36:9
. Not only
is He the originator of all, but He is the life of everything that lives.
It is His life that we receive in the sunshine, in the pure, sweet air, in
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the food which builds up our bodies and sustains our strength. It is by
His life that we exist, hour by hour, moment by moment. Except as
perverted by sin, all His gifts tend to life, to health and joy.
“He hath made everything beautiful in its time” (
Ecclesiastes 3:11
,
R.V.); and true beauty will be secured, not in marring God’s work, but
in coming into harmony with the laws of Him who created all things,
and who finds pleasure in their beauty and perfection.
As the mechanism of the body is studied, attention should be di-
rected to its wonderful adaptation of means to ends, the harmonious
action and dependence of the various organs. As the interest of the stu-
dent is thus awakened, and he is led to see the importance of physical
culture, much can be done by the teacher to secure proper development
and right habits.
Among the first things to be aimed at should be a correct position,
both in sitting and in standing. God made man upright, and He desires
him to possess not only the physical but the mental and moral benefit,
the grace and dignity and self-possession, the courage and self-reliance,
which an erect bearing so greatly tends to promote. Let the teacher
give instruction on this point by example and by precept. Show what a
correct position is, and insist that it shall be maintained.
Next in importance to right position are respiration and vocal
culture. The one who sits and stands erect is more likely than others
to breathe properly. But the teacher should impress upon his pupils
the importance of deep breathing. Show how the healthy action of the
respiratory organs, assisting the circulation of the blood, invigorates
the whole system, excites the appetite, promotes digestion, and induces
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sound, sweet sleep, thus not only refreshing the body, but soothing and
tranquilizing the mind. And while the importance of deep breathing is
shown, the practice should be insisted upon. Let exercises be given
which will promote this, and see that the habit becomes established.
The training of the voice has an important place in physical culture,
since it tends to expand and strengthen the lungs, and thus to ward