lectures for the children and parents. One week it may be "Jerusalem,"
another "coal," another "coral," and the next "the ocean," and then
some subject of natural history, as the "elephant;" and illustrate
highly to meet the eyes. Take especial care of the older boys and
girls, and strive to introduce week-day exercises that will interest
and please them. Appoint them upon committees and to little offices,
and give them all something to do--something that they can do,
something that they will do cheerfully.
The following, from _The Sunday-School Times_, is a beautiful
illustrative example of mission Sunday-school work and teaching. It is
entitled "Bill Jones; or, Our Colored Sabbath-school:"
It was one of those perfect Sabbaths in the early June, that I walked
with trembling heart along the locust-shadowed sidewalk leading to
our little chapel. On that day our colored Sunday-school was to be
organized; and we, who only a few weeks since had professed before
men and angels to love our Saviour, were to be enlisted as workers in
our Master's vineyard.
What can be done to improve the religious condition of our colored
population? was a question which had long occasioned anxious thought
among the godly of our village. Originally slaves, they had, when the
law of liberation was proclaimed through New York, refused to remove
farther than the grassy common, where, almost within the shadow of
"Massa's house," they were allowed to build their humble cabins.
Increased afterward in numbers, the suburbs of the town had become
edged with their miserable tenements. One or two attempts had been
made to establish preaching among them by a minister of their own
race, but thus far without success. True, in the "brick church," a
part of the gallery was set apart especially for their use. Still the
"dark corner" (as the mischievous boys called it) was only occupied
by a few old uncles and aunties, while the rest, though within sound
of the sweetest of all Sabbath bells, were as utterly without God in
the world as their brethren in Africa.
At length a Sabbath-school was determined on. As most of those able
and willing to work were already engaged, one of the officers of the
church volunteered to superintend the school, provided he might have
the assistance of a band of young girls, who hitherto had been
privileged to assemble week after week as a Bible-class in the
"pastor's study."
On the first Sabbath about thirty or forty children were assembled of
all ages and sizes, with wondering eyes; and in a few moments I found
myself seated in a chair before six boys, whom I at once recognized
as some of the worst village urchins, always to be seen at the
"depôt," or on the "hotel steps," laden with baskets of apples and
pea-nuts, their own best customers. I was about to ask for more
hopeful subjects, but our earnest superintendent only held out to me
the class-book and pencil--and I was alone with my destiny.
Among the names, I registered Andrew Jackson, Andrew Jackson, Jr.,
Marquis Lafayette, George Washington, and Byron Clarke. When about to
inquire the cognomen of the last, I was forestalled by his calling
out, in a stentorian voice, "My name a'n't nothing but _Bill Jones_;
but I guess you have heard of the boy who sings nigger songs and
dances Jim Crow at the 'Harrison House.'" He was unfortunately not
mistaken in his notoriety, and the task before me assumed a new
magnitude. None of them could read, and after half an hour of A B C,
I proceeded to ask some simple questions of Bible history, of which I
soon found that they knew absolutely nothing: their ideas of God,
even, were as wild as those of the little Hindoos. So I began at the
beginning. I spoke of the six days of creation; then of the deluge.
When in my account of the ark and its wondrous freight, I was
interrupted by one. "Did they have bears?" "Yes," I answered. "And
lions?" "Yes." "Elephants?" "Yes." "Monkeys?" "Yes." And finally
Billy Jones, all eagerness, "Did they have a _clown_?" And I found to
my utter dismay that my youthful auditors, certainly not incapable of
association of ideas, had conceived of Noah merely as the proprietor
of a menagerie travelling in that wild waste of waters. Truly this
was fallow ground. But our superintendent only smiled encouragement,
and bade me go forward.
Sabbath after Sabbath rolled on, and rain or shine my six boys were
always in their places. They had learned to love the school,
especially the sweet hymns; and their quick sympathies had gone out
to one who at least always tried to treat them gently and kindly. Of
their affection I had many unmistakable proofs. Once I remember
walking in one of the quiet streets. I was suddenly startled by three
sonorous cheers, and looking up I saw the "Marquis," Andrew Jackson,
and Byron Clarke. Though not precisely the most agreeable greeting
for a young lady, I could not in my heart do less than wave a return.
Again, they frequently brought to our door presents of flowers and
fruit. In one instance the latter bore such a striking resemblance to
some rosy-cheeked apples in a neighbor's orchard that I was forced to
reprove the boy, and the next Sabbath took for our "lesson talk" the
eighth commandment. Not many days after the same child made his
appearance at the kitchen, his hands filled with the first
pond-lilies of the season; and as he gave them to me he said, "There,
Miss Esther, you will like them, for _they's honest; God growed them
in the outlet_." Never, from that day to this, have flowers brought
more true gladness to my heart than did those pure white blossoms,
plucked by swarthy hands in the "outlet" where "God growed them."
We established a missionary society among them, and many a penny,
previously devoted to fire-crackers and the like, now found its way
down the red chimney of our "savings bank." Poor Bill Jones had less
to give than any of the boys, and this I plainly saw troubled him a
great deal. He had stopped dancing "Jim Crow," first on Sabbath, and
of late on week-days; and this being his chief source of revenue, his
spare pennies were few and far between. One day, with a bright face,
he asked me "if it was not right to do good on Sundays?" Of course I
replied yes; and then "if it was wrong to take money for doing good
on Sundays?" This was a nice distinction--one which I felt him not
capable of understanding should I attempt it. So I simply said, "No,
I thought not." Though feeling rather curious, I had no opportunity
just then of asking as to these pious earnings. Next Sabbath the
teachers were requested to remain a moment. A gentleman arose, not a
member of our school, saying that a few hours since he had witnessed
a scene which had so touched his heart that he could not forbear
cheering us with the glad tidings. Passing the "Harrison House," he
noticed that the invariable group of Sunday-noon loungers had
deserted their post. Just then his ear was caught by a clear
melodious voice singing. It seemed to come from the bar-room. Yes, as
he drew near, from the open windows of that den of pollution floated
out on the summer air the words:
"Watchman, tell as of the night,
What its signs of promise are."
He stepped upon the low platform and looked in. On a table sat a
negro boy. About the room were hard-faced young men, and those older,
on whose bloated features intemperance had set its livid brand. But
they were all listening. The singer finished the last verse, and then
began again. This time he sang, "Jesus, lover of my soul."
My own eyes were dimmed, said the gentleman, as he came to the lines,
"Vile and full of sin I am;
Thou art full of truth and grace."
It seemed as if for a moment an angel's wing brushed away the shadow
from those darkened hearts, and tears moistened cheeks long unused to
heart-rain. The singing stopped. "Go on, go on, we will pay you
more," said one and another. "I cannot now," answered the boy; "it is
time for Sunday-school, but I will sing again next Sunday, if you'll
come." And as he put into his pocket the coppers that were handed
him, he said, "I wouldn't take these, only I am going to send them to
the heathen. I'll sing you the hymn--it's beautiful--about
'Greenland's icy mountains;'" and humming it to himself, "Bill Jones"
left the bar-room.
Reader, should it ever be your good fortune to walk down this
thickly-shaded village street on a Sabbath morn, you might within
those very halls, now pure and white, hear the rich baritone voice of
"Bill Jones" leading in some song of Zion, and with him many others,
"plucked as brands from the burning."
XXIII.
THE CONVERSION AND CULTURE OF CHILDREN.
Immediate conversion ought to be the aim and expectation of every
faithful Sabbath-school teacher. It is indeed a poor excuse to suffer
a child to drown because we have but _one_ opportunity of saving it.
When a child is in danger of perishing, we do not first try to educate
it, but to _save_ it. The fact evidently is, that the great mass of
children ought to be led directly to Christ and become child-Christians
without delay; and multitudes would so become, methinks, if parents
and teachers and pastors had sufficient confidence in the power of
God's Word and Spirit, and had faith for the early conversion of
children to God.
Nearly one and a third centuries ago that great divine, Jonathan
Edwards, of Northampton, wrote the account of the conversion, as he
thought, of little _Phebe Bartlett_, at the early age of four years,
together with her Christian life for one year thereafter, and the
evidences of a gracious change of her heart. The little book has been
published since in many of the languages of Europe. Little Phebe
Bartlett lived for sixty years after this, and neither herself nor her
friends ever doubted that she truly met with a saving change of heart
at the early age named by President Edwards. Many of our most learned
divines and most devoted and useful Christian ladies date their
conversion to the early age of three, four, five, and six years.
We have heard many pastors declare in Sabbath-School Conventions--two
on one occasion--"That they never could remember when they did not
love the Lord Jesus with all their heart;" and we believe with the
pious Richard Baxter that if Christian parents were faithful in the
use of the means God has put in their hands, the most of their
children would be converted before they are old enough to understand a
sermon.
It is a fact that should never be forgotten, that the children, even
the little children of our Christian families and Sunday-schools, all
_want_ to be Christians more than they want anything else. Little ones
of five or six years tell us that they wet their pillows night after
night with tears of sorrow for sin, and they long for some one to lead
them to Jesus, more than all earthly longings. Such is the testimony
of devoted ministers and Christian ladies in great numbers, and many
of us can realize it all, most bitterly, if we will only recall our
early childhood and live that over again.
Said one little girl of four summers: "Mamma, I should think that
anybody that knows Jesus would _love him_."
This is the feeling of properly-trained children in great numbers.
They want pure, simple instruction who Jesus Christ is, and what he is
to _them_.
All the gospel knowledge really necessary for salvation lies, as it
were, in a nutshell. The knowledge of their fall and sinfulness, and
the atonement and redemption there is in Christ Jesus, and which, to a
willing mind, can be taught in a few minutes, is all the knowledge
really necessary for salvation. Really teach this and it will remain
attached to the natural conscience for life, and only awaits the spark
of grace from the Holy Spirit to descend and act upon it, and renew
the heart and change the life.
This subject is one of overwhelming importance. It is the vital point
of all Bible teaching. When Sabbath-school teachers learn the holy art
of leading children to Jesus, then we may expect constant conversions.
Sometimes we have known one-third of all the members of large
Sabbath-schools to unite with the Church of Christ in a single season.
Why should this not oftener be the case? Why should it not be the
general rule in all our schools? and will it not be if the teachers
will but have faith in God, faith in his Word, and faith in childhood,
and _aim directly_ to bring the children to Christ for salvation "at
this time and under my instruction?" The great point is to get Bible
truth, the Word of God, which is the sword of the Spirit, to bear
directly on the conscience, heart and life of the child. Convince him
thereby of his sin; then lead him by a simple trusting faith to Jesus'
blood shed for _him_. Seek the proffered, willing aid of God's Holy
Spirit believingly, and the work is done. "This is life eternal, to
know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent."
_Child-Culture._
Immediately connected with conversion is Christian child-culture and
training in Bible knowledge, religious habits and service, and
Christian character. Oh how important it is for child or man to have a
kind, judicious sympathizing Christian friend at hand at every step,
especially in the first year of life after conversion, to inquire and
counsel as to difficulties and dangers! Secret and social prayer, the
regular study of the Word, the social life and habits, the reading,
the associations, the feelings, the imagination, the judgment, and the
desire and tendencies all want watching, counselling, checking,
guarding or instructing by one who is tender, candid, sincere and
true. The whole life and usefulness much depends upon all this. The
churches of Christ ought all to be such training-fields of Christian
culture, but alas! we are sorry to confess that they are not generally
so, and consequently largely fail in this their great work. To throw a
little child, with only a spark of grace in the heart, into this world
of wolves of temptation and error, with no one to watch over, counsel
and guide, oh, it is sad indeed, and ought to excite the sympathy and
prayers of all godly people. Let us associate and band Sunday-school
workers together in earnest, in this great work of Christian culture
and holy living--in little prayer-meetings teaching the children how
to pray, how to resist temptation and fight against sin, and stand up
for Jesus, how to overcome bad tempers and feelings, how to cultivate
the disinterested missionary spirit of the gospel in caring for
others, and doing good to others as we have opportunity. The children,
like young trees from the nursery, need early "to be _planted_ in
courts of the Lord," if we would have them to grow up comely trees of
righteousness.
_Children's Prayer-Meetings._
Children, even little children, need to be taught _how_ to pray. We
all need to be taught to pray "as John also taught his disciples."
This is especially true with children, because the prayers of the
minister, or of the father around the family circle, are in most cases
examples which a child will not try to follow. The words and
expressions are, for the most part, quite unintelligible to a child,
and consequently they must be taught in a different way. We must call
the attention of a child to the particular things which he wants, or
ought to thank God for, the particular sins which would be in his
child's confession, and just the things he wants to ask God for in his
own language every day and hour mingled with adoration and praise.
Children's prayer-meetings are well adapted to this. Some of our
Sabbath-schools hold such a meeting at the close of each afternoon
session. A gentleman who is just adapted to the work leads off the
little boys who choose to attend, and a motherly lady goes with the
girls into another room. We have known eighty to follow her into the
room, and as many as half the number voluntarily follow her in prayers
of two or three or four simple petitions for just what the little
girls feel that they want. The meeting opens with singing a familiar
hymn, and then a few appropriate verses and remarks, just adapted to
kindle devotion in the little hearts, and then the little prayers
follow freely and almost spontaneously. They soon learn to love to
pray, and pray in real faith too, for the whole life of a little child
is a life of faith. Of course it will all depend upon the manner in
which these meetings are conducted, just as it is with any other
meeting or religious service. In good hands they prove to be eminently
successful and delightful. They teach the children how to pray, lead
them into the habit of praying with the heart and voice, and with each
other, and the influence on them, on their families, and the
Sabbath-school is in every way most blessed.
Let the exercises of such meetings be short, natural and simple, with
freedom and not constraint. A half or three-fourths of an hour is long
enough, as they should not be prolonged. They ought to be universally
adopted.
_The Scholar._
It is a great privilege to become a faithful, punctual scholar in a
well-ordered Sunday-school. Unnumbered blessings follow in the train.
He should be enabled to appreciate this. It is a matter of primary
importance that on his first introduction to the Sunday-school, he
should be given distinctly to understand its true character, position,
appropriate order and duties, and consent to a willing conformity to
all.
Every scholar should be punctual, orderly, quiet, and respectful; he
should learn and recite his lessons perfectly; never leave his seat
without permission; address no one but his teacher, as a general rule;
be obliging and pleasant to his class-mates, and set a good example of
reverence for the holy Sabbath. In testimony of his appreciation of
the benefits, and in some return for them, he will be diligent in
bringing in new scholars, and also be particular to invite his parents
and friends to the Monthly Concerts of Prayer for Sabbath-schools. The
library book should be carefully read, so that a good account can be
given of its contents to the teacher, if requested, and the special
instruction of the teacher may, also, profitably become a subject for
conversation with the parents. Above all, it is the duty and privilege
of the scholar in the Sunday-school to learn the way, and find without
delay, salvation by Christ in his own rich and joyous experience, and
then to fill his heart and mind with a general and particular
knowledge of Bible truths, and learn how to practice all in his daily
life.
Nothing short of this experience should be the aim of every pupil.
XXIV.
PREACHING TO CHILDREN.
Greater attention to the children in the public exercises of the
Church is becoming a real necessity. With one-half of all the members
of the families of the church and congregation before the pastor, as
well as the population, under twenty years of age, and those in the
most hopeful forming period of life, the question should forcibly
arise, Are they not entitled to a far greater proportion of their
pastor's labors and efforts than they have hitherto received? The
General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, at Dayton, Ohio,
requested all their pastors to "give at least one-half of every
Sabbath service to the children and youth." And Bishop Janes in a
Methodist Episcopal Conference recently expressed the opinion that
"the time is coming when there will be two sermons preached to
children and youth where there is one to adults;" and Rev. Dr.
McIlvaine, of Princeton, took very strong ground in favor of preaching
to children in the New Jersey State Sabbath-School Convention at
Elizabeth, two or three years ago. But we are met with this great
difficulty at the outset: Many ministers say, "We cannot learn how to
preach to children," to which we reply, confidently, "If you would
only take one-quarter the pains to learn _how_ to preach to children
that you have to learn how to preach to adults, you would generally
succeed to so great an extent as to astonish yourself and all your
friends. Therefore, 1. The plan is practicable. 2. The subject is of
overwhelming importance and imperative necessity. 3. Take a practical
interest in the children. 4. Set about gathering and arranging
materials for it. Have blank books to record every thought, fact, or
illustration, and scrap books in which file in all good illustrations
of Scripture truths from newspapers, magazines, etc. 5. Commence
regularly and systematically to preach to children; for the way to
learn how to preach to children is--_to preach to children_."
All this will involve the necessity of a watchful study of
child-nature, child-language, and child-character. Something must be
prepared especially adapted to attract and interest the children with
fresh illustrations, etc. The Rev. Dr. Newton's sermons are admirable
models. "The Peep of Day," "Line upon Line," and "Precept upon
Precept," are fine specimens of pure child-language. Bible truths and
illustrations are unequalled to interest children if they are only
clearly presented, in a life-like, earnest manner, and broken up into
little pieces for their use. It should ever be remembered that good
preaching to children never fails to be most interesting to the older
people. Good preaching to children by the pastor every week will
greatly elevate all our monthly concert, missionary, and anniversary
addresses, which should often be far more scriptural; and methinks, if
the pastor would but preach one good scriptural sermon to the youth
every Sabbath, both himself and his people would find a rich blessing
in it.
_Address to Children--In Outline._
_The Child Jesus._
Luke ii. 40. "And the Child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled
with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon him:" _Grew_ an infant,
then a boy, afterward a man. Labored, suffered and _died_ for you,
for me.
I. See _The Child's Strength_. Not like Samson or David. Strong to do
God's will, to do right. Resolute purpose, will, determination, etc.
Jesus was strong to learn, to teach, to submit, to reprove and
suffer. Strong to resist the world, flesh, and the devil. Strong for
self-control.
II. See _The Child's Wealth_. Not Gold, Diamonds, etc., but _Wisdom_.
How he got it? He gathered it. Where? Bible, doctors in temple, from
the Spirit, from the world, etc.
III. See _The Child's Beauty_. The grace of God. Not beauty of face.
Perhaps he had lost his beauty, "his face was as marred." It was
beauty within; meek and quiet spirit; beauty of holiness, of
obedience, of humility, of love.
1. God thought him beautiful. "In his Father's likeness," "All of his
glory," etc.
2. Angels thought him beautiful. "They wondered and adored:" "Angels
desired to look."
3. Men thought him beautiful. "The Leper, the Demoniac, the Blind,
the Palsied," etc.
_Do you_ think him beautiful? or is there "no beauty in him that you
should desire him?"
His strength he will give to you. "My strength is sufficient for
thee."
His wealth he will give to you. "Filled with all the fulness of
Christ."
His beauty he will put upon you. "No spot or blemish."
_Oh! what think ye of Christ?_
XXV.
CHILDREN'S MEETINGS AND MONTHLY CONCERTS.
These meetings are now becoming not only very important, but very
interesting both to children and to adults. Sometimes Sabbath evening
is set apart for it every week or every month; in other cases a
week-day evening is chosen, and familiar and instructive lectures
given. In other instances, again, a public children's meeting follows
the regular teaching hour on Sabbath afternoons. If well conducted,
these meetings are among the most acceptable and profitable and
crowded of all the religious assemblages in a community.