Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1874-11-25

btOus. All experience Uldlulaiud III
proposition that In single-nearted devO
ton 10 the Master in sensitivenessto tn
' approach OF sin and In anxiety 10 do tn
work Of Christ, the youthful CONVEX
will surpass the adult entering the ser
vice after years OF bondage to the pOwe
Of Satan. The affections Of youth ar
warmer, its enthusiasm more EASILY
? aroused and its sympathies more quick
ty enkindled. Thus, entering tbs
Ichristi4n is race before their minds have
] been indurated by effects Of human
pride or cooled BY the insiduous and In
genious spseGlatlons Of flute phil
{ OsOphy, children find every stsI
of the ''thorny path" easy
progress more rapid and hopes o.
attaining the goal Of eternal life al.
most 8 reality. We ask, what has been
the fruits OF so much LABOR, and the tx
pendlture OF such vast sums of money
Listen; The officers Of your churches
the patrons Of your institutions OF ehsri-
"; the pioneers OF benevolent schemes,
and the brave men and women who
bear the "tOrchlightn Of truth into hea-
then lands, were trained in Sunday
schools. About seven millions Of CON-
municants constitute the body OF Christ
the church-in America and Il is esti-
mated that five millions Of them have
been connected, 10 some way, with sun
| fsy-schOOis. Statistics Of numbers
however, do not test the power exerted
/ "a the work OF evangeiiZ4liOn, OF turu-
Ing wandering hearts to the fold o.
/ Christ. Ia certain eastern lands the
bodies Of their iIlustrious dead are III
tered near the pearly waters of their
] mighty rivers. But the Sunday-schOol
teacher plants the word OF divine truth
st the sources Of rivers Of influence, and
these, "as they flow onward,
I widen and deepen, aud fertilize
/ broad acres, from which spring
Iup rich harvests for the LORD"
/ The influence Of this institution eX-
I tends even to secular and natioual rela-
/ tons, sdding to national virtue, purify
( ing aud enlightening society, and fitting
| our own people for better and safer self
1 government. By this agency men are
! taught TO fear God, aud to keep bis
commandments; and under the amel-
iOTating influences Of such institution,
men are restrained from the perpetra-
ton OF crime, The principles involved
10 such work, and tBat ever recurring
admOnitioD, "LOve God with thy whole
heart, and thy neighbor a. thyself,"
Undue men and women with better SEN
timents of friendship, aid them In cru
cifying unhOly desires, and thus contrib
ute largely to the stability and pros
perity OF our national republic. America
sustsins an Intimate relationship with
the christianizatiOn OF other lands. We
are daily receiving tidings Of great and
glorious work being accomplished 10
European countries by these same agen-
,cies. An American, born in Illinois, and
converted ia a Sunday-schOol at the age
OF ten years, has planted a Protestant
church, with several missions, in Rome,
and, already, thousands OF children
who were hungering for the Bread OF
Life have been fed, and rejoice with
great joy. In our own recent rambles
we met a missionary just from foreign
lands, who stated that more than ten
thousand miles distant, where no
American had previously planted the
Word, he heard five thousand children,
at one time, singing the Sunday school
songs that he and associates had taught
them. The bondage Of heather idols
were shaken of, and these young hearts
-aDg to the Lamb, who taketh away the
sins Of the world. "Out of the
mouths Of babes and suck
ing the weak thiags of earth with which
tn cOnfOund the things that are mighty"
Under divine administration, q child
Is more than a prince; a Sunday-schOol
stronger than q walled city, and Its in
stitutiOns warmed with fervent prayer,
are mightier than golden scspIers.
There are thousands of parents who
oppose early conversion OF children
chiefly from the belief that such con-
versions are unreliable and unwise, their
theology leading them to conclude that
it were better TO let them defer entering
into the church until they reach discre-
tons years. Many churches, as eccIe-
siastical bodies, have appeared 10 disre-
gard the matter Of converting children.
Ii Gods mercy blesses the efforts of g
teacher to a child, how radiantIy happy
win be that life compared to what il
might have been under the dominion o.
10, even though saliva ion came in the
December days Of that life. The SUD
preston OF crime and the reclamation
OF the lost is good, but the pre-
ventiOn Of crime is better.
What are thesrecOrds OF history 10
reference to early conversions, ano
youthful piety OF those who became
Industrious aud great? Let US see:
Joseph, Samuel, Josiah, David, Solo
mon, Naaman's little maid who in s
heather country forgot not the God Of
her fatherl, sre instances OF youthful
conservation to Jehovah's service.
Abij Al followed not his fathers idOls-
trOu5 course, because % that "goOd
thing" thst had been planted within
dim when young.
JehOash, at the age Of seven years,
'did right Ia Gods sight" because OF
the dilligeut instruction II the priest
But there are the histories Of Isaac, Re
Dekab, Jac0b, Miriam, Moses, JOshua,
Elisha, Uzziah, Esther and Daniel, WIG
IN esrly life manifested faith in God
under circumstances when adult De-
lievers might have failed. In the early
ages Ofthe church appear young teachers, |
martyrs and christians without number
Timothy, Origen, the great TheOderet
bishop Of Cyprus; AldCc, bishop OF
Meus; The0dOsius, Polycsrp, bishop Of
Smyrna, and Chrysostom, were early
converts in childhood.
The history OF the Reformation gives
testimony Of similar facts. Melancthou, |
Calvin, Luther, are prominent instances
thereof. In the economy of Gods prov |
idsuce it seems necessary that children |
should be taught that they may proper |
ly value the public ministry. "He Ihat |
will train children for God must begin |
betimes, before custom increases the de- |
pravity of their natures. No means doth |
more effectually tend to the happiness |
Of souls than a holy education, for il |
bOweth nature while it is but yet a twig. |
aud delivereth up the heart betimes.n |
Grave duties devolye upon parents as /
respects their relations to their children /
and the Sunday-schOol. The parent |
should secure their regular attendance,
and should see to it that they are not |
by tritiing circumstances. They |
should aid their children in preparing |
their lessons, aud examine them as to
what was taught at school. This Is not |
all. Parents should accompany their |
organizing themselves into
classes for the purpose Of studying scrip |
ture. Wales Is distinguished by two /
in their Sundsy-schools, I
the presence OF adults as well /
as the youth, and their instruction /
and catechising by the minister. The
Billie is the divine body Of God.
In it ia he whom the wise men OF the
east and the shepherds worshiped, that |
Savior, who, when IN the flesh, was
erueified, buried and restored to life In
his word. be is q living, quickeDed pres
euce. ready, as when ia the tiesh, to
eura disease Of the soul and deliver from /
evil. The work Of redemption IS now
expected by the agency Of the word.
Life is probation and q pupilage, in
which mau must be born again, and I
then trained for heaven" The holy
spirit does this through the truth re-
yesled in the scriptures. "The word il
ouick. powerful, sharper than q two
edged sword" DAVID, realizing the
value Of this power, sang of
he man who delighted in the law,
L 4. 4 L Il.