The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1868-11-18
Preaching to Children

Is one Ol Iue mOSG encouraging anu nope
full features of the present time. 1t il
shown not only in the new developments
OF our Sunday school work in the form
of conventions, Institutes, and norma
classes. but in the growing number Of
ministers who feel that they have per.
sonalresponsibility for the religious train.
ing of the children of the Church.
The idea which largely prevails, thai
the faculty of preaching to children is 8
peculiar gift bestowed only on few
is a mistaken and mischievous one
True, some may be more apt than other:
in it's use, as some can preach better
than others to adults; but we believe thai
every man who is truly called to the
ministry might find some way to interest
and to profit the children if he would
faithfully apply himself to the duty. II
there are those who never make the
effort, under the impression that it is too
small business for their talents, seeking
rather a reputation for profound preach
ing, We can only say that such are to be
pitied for their blindness, and that their
success will never be what it ought until
! this intellectual pride is overcome. But
the minister who is sincerely DESTROYS OF
doing all the good he can, and who is
! willing to apply himself diligently to the
task, may soon learn the best methods OF
reaching the little ones. We have known
ministers who have for years refrained
from all attempts to talk to children, un
der the impression that they had no gift
for it, make the effort at last, patiently
and persistently until success crowned
their endeavors. Ifevery preacher should
begin this work in the early part of his
ministry, the difficulties in the way would
soon diminish.
1t is not necessary to talk nonsense in
order to adapt ourselves to the capacity
of childhood "Mother Goose" may have
her place in the nursery, but she is mani
testify out of place in the pulpit. These
bright boys and girls who come to church,
have serious thoughts on some of the
most important questions that can be
discussed by human intellect, and they
want some answer to these questions.
Even very young children show the
yearning of the soul after the unknown,
when they make their strange inquiries
about God and about their own being.
Children are not to be put off with "baby
talk" or funny stories: if they ask for
bread, we must not give them stone.
To bring religious truth to the capacity
of child requires use of plain language
Plain words do not necessarily imply
monosyllables, since some of these are
rare and uninteligible, while, on the other
hand, many longer words are easily un-
derstood. But if we use such language
as children themselves employ in their
daily life, we shall make ourselves intelli-
gible to them; and where it becomes ne
cessary to use words not familiar to them,
these may be explained. But the style
must be simple as well as the words.
Short and direct sentences find their way
to the child's understanding; if they are
long and involved, the mind fails to take
in their meaning, Every one must have
noticed the attempts of children to mar
rate what they have seen, or heard, or
what has happened to them. The efforts
they make to tell everything in one sen
lance are always failures. They break
down before they 60 far, and are com
PEELED to begin over again, and finally
tell their story in short, abrupt state
ments, each one forming little sentence
by itself This may furnish a hint to
those who would talk to them. Album
dant Illustrations are also important in
addressing children, since their unframed
minds grasp what is objective sooner
than that which is subjective. In some
way or other, the truth to be taught
should be pictured to the mind, either by
means of anecdote, or history, or simile,
or object illustrations, that the eye may
see and the hands handle.
Let no minister refrain from this work
under the impression that it will unfit
him for preaching to adults. Such a fear
betrays ignorance of the laws of mind.
Preaching to children will be found to be
one of the greatest helps to the formation
of simple and direct style of addressing
adults. One of the most prominent edu-
Gators in our land (who has been recent
ly compared, by no mean authority, to
Arnold of Rugby remarked to us few