The Portland daily press., 1875-09-13
Thirty niath Anniversary of Free Street.
Sunday School.

| There are probably no words of Scripture
about which cling so many innocent and tender
| memories as those of the text. Perhaps Their
very familiarity has robbed them of their sig
\ nifcance. We think of them as sweet lula
| by of the past and are charmed only with the
contrasts, the lights and shadows of the scene.
| Or the story serves to fill US with new .admi-
ration of the Savior who through human eyes
and out of human heart looks upon and loves
both US and ours But the lessons of the pas
sage are of the most practical nature and con-
Germs every family to-day.
l. The mistake of the Disciples. Their no.
| tons concerning Jesus and his kingdom were
crude and mistaken. Their minds were pos
sessed with anticipations of His coming earthly
| grandeur and of their share in it. When.
therefore, the mothers brought their little chill.
drenyto Jesus that He should lay his hands on
theEl, their act seemed out of all keeping with
His character What had little children to do
with government and power and honor? 1t
was presumptuous folly, belittling the Mes
siah and His kingdom. In the light of these
days how plainly we see the folly of the Disci-
piles; how deserving they were of Christ's re-
buke! But the mistake is repeated too often
by many in the church of Christ to-day 1t is
not the notion of Christs temporal power
uhhu uOW uluu6rS tU6 Culluf6Q, Dul tQo n0tl0n
that He is an intellectual soveregn,-a king of
minds rather than of hearts, that his services
is rot SO much the doing of His will as the in
tellectual grasp and comprehension of certain
truths which He taught, and to do which re-
quires the strength and clearness of mans un-
derstanding. Hence only the adult is well
coined as the proper subject of christianity,
while the converted child is considered as one
born out of due time.
How does this false conception of christianity
hinder the coming of the children to Christ?
l. 1t causes parents to neglect the religious
instruction of their children Many go on the
principle that in religious things a chld's mind
is to be left mainly to itself. AS we'll expect
the flowers and fruits of garden without delv.
ing and planting and culture. The Apostles
question, How shall they believe except they
hear?' applies to children as we'll as to adults
Nor can this work be delegated to any one else
1t is the work of the parent before that of pas
tor or Sunday School teacher. And it means
more than teaching the child a prayer, hymn
or two, or even the harmonizing of Scripture,
1t is the careful sowing of the chld's mind
with the seed thoughts of the Gospel and
tenderly leading the child to Him who is its
centre and glory.
2. II leads parents not to expect the CONVEX
sion till later life. Making no effort for such
result, they naturally do not look for it, But
while they are waiting the children grow up
and pass out from their influence into goddess
world
g. 1t causes the direct repression of the re-
hglous life in children. When God called the
young Samuel in the night vision the aged Eli
Dade him go and lie down again" 1t was
only after repeated calls he recognized the voice
OF God. Is not this the way in which many
sreat the voice of the Spirit in their families?
1t Christ thought it worthy to commission an
apostle to feed His lambs we may be very sure
He has lambs to feed. Let us be careful how
we ignore them or starve them.
IL. Christs invitation. 'Suffer the little
children to come unto Me, and forbid them
not There is nothing in the passage that
teaches the snlessnessyof children, any more
than Christ's love for the young man who
turned from Him proves it in bis case. The
scriptures teach that humanity needs cleans
ing in its fountain as well as in it's stream No
more does the passage justify the ceremony
styled infant baptism. There is no hint of
such ceremony here. "Jesus took the chill.
dren into his arms to help them," says Muller,
mot to baptize them" 1t gives us something
Infinitely better than such rite-Cbrist'S
most cordial welcome OF the children even tie
little children, to come to Him. He first COM
mands that the way be chosen for them, that
be put in their way What an encouragement
to all who are seeking the salvation of the
young! Christs mighter love precedes and re-
inforces theirs. Again. Jesus speaks of the
chid's act. The children are to s'come to
Him; Then, to come to the Saviour is an act
down our lofty specuations about christianity.
our perverted notions of its demands! The
condition of dicipleshp is within the children's
reacn This is not an intellectual! conception
at all, but following Christ. 1t is an act of the
heart before it is one of the head, of LOYALTY. of
obedience before doctrine. 1t is the yielding
of oneself to the mind and will of the Saviour
the following Him whittier His spirit leads.
And cannot child do this? Christ answers
the question, "Of such are the Kingdom of
God" Not that children as such are members
of His spiritual Kingdom, but that all who are
members are like them. What is the child's
nature? 1t is love, confidence, docility, obedi-
ence, simplicity, sincerity. These are the
traits necessary to following Christ. A disci-
pie must be loving, truthful, docile, obedient,
likeness is required of the disciple is not the
child already possessing these traits near the
Kingdom of God2 Is it not easier for him to
''come" than for the adult hardened, distrust.
full, reluctant warped by bad habits and sim
full life. The spirits work is Just as needful in
one case as in the other but the Instructions
do not exist in the child's nature that are found
in the adult. Christ bids us not to hinder the
children, because the very gentleness teacha-
bleness. trustfulness, affection of their nature
adapts them to follow Him.
In conclusion, after answering several obieo.
tons, the speaker drew the following lesson .
Parents and teachers are encouraged to instruct
the children in the principles of the gospel
They are encouraged to pray for their CONVEX
sion and splritual, growth. They should seek to
persuade the children to the Saviour. They
may expect the results they labor for
The church presented fine appearance in
the evening. Every seat was taken, and with
the floral display the sight was pleasing. There
were large number of boquets in the vicinity
of the pulpit and hanging plants ornamented
the gallery on eitEer side. On the wall in the
rear of the pulpit were the dates '36 and rs,
also the representation of an open Bible The
reports of the officers show the school to be in
most prosperous condition. Tho librarian,
Mr.. Z. F.sMorse, reports 45S volumes on hand.
Seventy-three volumes have been added during
the year and a large number given away to
destitute schools. Mr.. Il. d. Austin, the sec.
retary and treasurer, reports 377 officers, teach
ers and scholars of the school. The largest
attendance was 1856, smallest So and average
40. Seventeen members have been converted
13 joined the church and 155 of the scholars
are now church members; S492.9O have been
raised by the school and $39956, expended,
leaving $93.36 in the treasury The report of
the superintendent, Major FL. S. MeIcher,
covered a number of matters unnoticed by the
other officers of the school. Mr.. j. I'll. Clark
made few very appropriate remarks upon
the late Chas. Staples. Brief addresses were
also made by Eel. A. Hart w. S. Dana, and
the pastor, Rev. Mr.. McWhinnie The whole
exercises were very interesting.
LEcTURE.-Rev. Robert Smith, colored ma.
arseI De-