p. 16 | Early Sunday School Work by Richard Hook, Sr.

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Sep 10, 1914

Early Sunday School Work

By Richard Hook, Sr.

I READ with much interest a note in the July Sabbath School Worker regarding the work of Robert Raikes, the father of the Sunday school movement. Having been a pupil and teacher in these schools later, I thought the few additional thoughts which follow might be of interest:—

It was in 1780 that Mr. Raikes began his work in the city of Gloucester, Mass., and early in the nineteenth century Rev. Charles Holder, a minister of Taynton, started a school in that place. These men, whose pictures hung on the wall of the Taynton Sunday school which I attended, saw the dire need of the people, who were ignorant and very superstitious, and set about to educate those who would join their classes in Bible study. My mother, grandmother, and some others in the neighborhood had become interested in religious things; for there was a great religious awakening about that time, and many ministers were preaching the second advent of Christ.

At about eight o'clock each Sunday morning I was started to Sunday school, in company with other children of our neighborhood. The school was three miles away and began at half past nine. We took our dinners in small bags fastened about the neck and hidden inside our smock frocks. Then we stayed to the afternoon session, which convened at two o'clock. Every month we were called from the gallery to the aisle of the church and questioned on the catechism. We did not usually reach home until about six in the evening. There we showed our tickets; for every scholar who was on time at Sunday school and repeated his verse received a ticket each time, on which was given a new text for the following week. After reaching home we were also required to give the text and a synopsis of the sermon to our parents.

How I wish that every child today had as great privileges as I enjoyed! Our home Sunday school was only six or seven miles from Robert Raikes's original school, where I believe he not only paid the teachers a shilling (twenty-four cents) a Sunday for their work, but paid one penny (two cents) to each child who attended. The Bible was our textbook; and as the day schools were very inadequate we had an A B C class, a syllable class, and then a more advanced group in our Sunday school. At the age of sixteen I was confirmed and became a teacher of the boys, at one shilling a week, the girls being grouped in separate classes. I taught the first class that was able to read in the Bible, and secured pupil teachers for the other classes. Many children in the intermediate classes of today know more than I did, but I had learned to pray to God and to love his Word, and was pleased to help others learn to read and understand it.

Later I began to attend missionary and prayer meetings at the Methodist Church. What I heard there gave me a thirst for greater knowledge in the things of God. I can attribute my first real religious awakening to the responses made to each of the ten commandments after they were read by the minister, and to the words of the following evening hymn, which was sung at the first of these meetings which I attended:—

“Glory to thee, my God, this night, For all the blessings of the light; Keep me, O keep me, King of kings, Beneath thine own almighty wings.

“Forgive me, Lord, for thy dear Son, The ill which I this day have done; That with the world, myself, and thee, I, ere I sleep, at peace may be.

“Teach me to live that I may dread The grave as little as my bed; Teach me to die, that so I may Rise glorious at the judgment day.

“Be thou my guardian while I sleep; Thy watchful station near me keep; My heart with love celestial fill, And guard me from the approach of ill.

“Praise God, from whom all blessings flow, Praise him all creatures here below; Praise him above, ye heavenly host, Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.”

With my new religious experience came a desire for an education, and when I was seventeen years old father allowed me to go to a school where trained teachers were employed, three days in the week. I also attended three nights each week. There I met good Christian friends who encouraged me in the right way. Later I left home to work, and the enemy tempted me and got the victory for a time. But, praise God, I was at last delivered from his power and led finally into the light of present truth. In 1886 Elder Charles Sturdevant came to give Bible readings in our home in Chicago, Ill., and since then the Bible has been a new book to me—a mine filled with priceless treasures, a never-failing fountain from which we may draw abounding grace.

I have in my possession certificates given me by the ministers of the two churches where I taught in Sunday school. In one place I received pay; at the other it was purely a labor of love. I have also a medal which I received at the centennial anniversary of Robert Raikes's first Sunday school, which was celebrated in July, 1880. I have today a heart full of joy and thanksgiving to God for all his mercy and goodness to the children of men. I am still growing in grace and in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ, whom to know aright is “life eternal.”

RICHARD HOOK, SR.