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Fundamentals of Christian Education
brought with them into the schoolroom. But if they go in a provoked,
irritated spirit into the schoolroom, the moral atmosphere surrounding
their souls is leaving its impression upon the children who are under
their care, and in the place of being fitted to instruct the children, they
need one to teach them the lessons of Jesus Christ.
Let every teacher who accepts the responsibility of educating the
children and youth, examine himself, and study critically from cause
to effect. Has the truth of God taken possession of my soul? Has the
wisdom which cometh from Jesus Christ, which is first “pure, then
peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good
fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy” been brought into my
character? While I stand in the responsible position of an educator, do
I cherish the principle that “the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace
of them that make peace”? The truth is not to be kept to be practiced
when we feel just like it, but at all times and in all places.
Well balanced minds and symmetrical characters are required as
teachers in every line. Give not this work into the hands of young
women and young men who know not how to deal with human minds.
They know so little of the controlling power of grace upon their own
hearts and characters that they have to unlearn, and learn entirely new
lessons in Christian experience. They have never learned to keep their
own soul and character under discipline to Jesus Christ, and bring
even the thoughts into captivity to Jesus Christ. There are all kinds
of characters to deal with in the children and youth. Their minds are
impressible. Any thing like a hasty, passionate exhibition on the part of
the teacher may cut off her influence for good over the students whom
she is having the name of educating. And will this education be for
the present and future eternal good of the children and youth? There is
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the correct influence to be exerted upon them for their spiritual good.
Instruction is to be constantly given to encourage the children in the
formation of correct habits in speech, in voice, in deportment.
Many of those children have not had proper training at home.
They have been sadly neglected. Some have been left to do as they
pleased; others have been found fault with and discouraged. But little
pleasantness and cheerfulness have been shown toward them, and
but few words of approval have been spoken to them. The defective
characters of the parents have been inherited, and the discipline given
by these defective characters has been objectionable in the formation