The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1880-06-12
CIIILDREN'S DAY.
THE T. OBERT RAIKES CENTENNIAL.
IN ELKTON


NJ +. Church instituted this day especially
for the benefit OF the children of the Sabbath
school, the church was handsomely deco
rated witha rich profusion of flowers wrought
| by fair fingers into tasteful pyramids and
I wrcathS, which We're nicely arranged in the
chanccl and altar, and produced 4 grand
and imposing effect. Flowers have APPLY
been called the alphabet of angels, where
! with they wrote OIL hills and fields mysteri-
Gus truths, and rs they are about all OF
Eden that have escaped the shiny trail OF
the serpent, it is meet and right when the
lambs of the flock assemble to sing the
praise of the Prince of Peace and do honor
to Him in many and various other ways
| that the sanctuary should be adorned with
| them. "Sut1ir little children to come unto
Me, and forbid them not" was the language
! of Him who Spake us never man Spake, and
| TO us it has ever seemed most fitting and
| appropriate that this June festival, designed
us it is especially for the benefit of the chill
drcn should be made more attractive by
the of natures beauty and nature ;
blppll. liz 10 tiit ipi
the morning service:
Opening hymn. Hail all Hail.
Hymn by congregation:
"Sariour, Like Il Shepherd, lead Us
Prayer, closing with the Lords Prayer
Singing by school =" Marching Together -
Reading the Sacred Lessons.
| Singing by little girls. " Happy Song
Sermon by the Rev j. NJ Williams.
Quartctte ..... by members of the choir.
Singing by the school:
"The Lion Of Judah "
Long Metre DoNology:
"Praise God from whom all blessing flow. -
Benedction.
\ collection was taken up, amounting to
Sl1.0S which will be given to the Sunday
School Union.
Rev. j. NJ. Williams, of the Wesleyan
Female College, Wilmington, Del, preached
from Prov. chapter 23rd verse: Keep thy
heart with all diligence, for out of it are the
issues of life" 1t was very logical and
impressive discourse.
The ordinary exercises Of the Sunday
school We're held in the afternoon at the
usual time under the supervision Of Mr..
Henry Einsinger, assistant superintendent,
in the absence of William Torbert, Esq,
who has filled the Office Of superintendent
of this school for fifty years, but is now con-
fined to the house by i'll health.
The church was crowded in the evening,
many persons from Cherry Hill and other
places being attracted by the announcement
that much good music and good speaking
might be expected If the audience We're
not pleased, it certainly was their own fault,
for the music was of the first order and the
speaking Of a character rarely excelled upon
an occasion of this kind.
The exercises We're opened by the school
singing the hymn eve Hear the Call. ~
After which the pastor, Rev. Vaughan
Smith, stated that the official members had
thought it well to postpone the celebration
of Chidren's day from the first Sunday in
June to this day, in order to have the Rob-
crt Itakes centennial and Children's day
celebrated at the same time. The school
then sang the hymn g We will Try to DO
More" which was followed by Rev. Mr.
Hunter, of Cherry Hill, who made an APP
propriate prayer, which was followed by II
beautiful selection sang by four little girls.
The pastor then introduced the speaker of
the evening, George y. Blake, Esq, who
read an appropriate and well-written adj
dress, of which the following lisa condensed
report:
Standing in the brightness of to-day, if in
Imagination we cast our eyes through CEN
tury's glimmering lights, we see the first
beginning of the present Sunday school sys-
TEN in Gloucester, i'll England. The ragged
urcElnS of that city moved the heart of Rob-
ert Raikes to establish school for their
moral benefit. His aim was like our own.
This system, born of love divine and i'll
spired by good will to men, has spread I'M
til it reaches the ends of the earth. On it
has swept hundred yearS--a hundred years
vocal with the notes of youthful song, fra
grant with the incense of offered prayer
and sanctited with the study of the word of
God. What pen can sketch the annals of its
history While war and bloodshed have filled
the earth, it has called children to learn their
Makers name, hushed the voice of cursing
and sunk deep into expanding life the les
sons of truth. Who shall count the mil
lions taught within its walls? What other
effort, except that of the church, can We
compare with it? The scholar may point
to the career of common schools: the histo-
rian may recount the trillmphs of war and
the rise of national greatness: and the poll
tcian and statesman may show how the
passions Of men llaye been swayed to their
good. But which of these can point to Il
hundred years of study of the word of God :?
Hence we honor the memory of Robert
RaikeS. We weave glrlands Of flowers for
the conquerors brow, and do honor to the
benetactors of mankind. So let the name of
Raikes be preserved during all coming time
But for Il grandcr reason will the world
during the coming month"; return thanks to
God. We do so BECAUSE like the flight from
Egypt, the advent of Christ, and the birth
of the reformation, the establishment of the
Sunday school has been one of those means
by which God has, reverently to speak, ap-
piled Il new lever to the elevation OF man
kind, or swung Il bri ghter lantern into the
zenith of time to guide them home. 1t is
because the reign OF seliiShness is passing
away, and the age of the brotherhood Of
man in Christ hein. ushere,l in.
The speaker here alluded to the English
centennial, and then traced the success Of
the Sunday school to the fact that its work
| has been accompanied with the power of the
| Holy Spirit.
The Sunday school has been necessary to
counterbalance purely mental training, and
to supplement the pul pit and the home, 1t
has called into its service pietY, intelligence,
song and prayer, and It's woEl. is so great
that, in the years to come unless the min
lister preach and pray with more arlor, the
pulpit must fall behind the Sunday school
as IL vehicle of Christian effort Hence the
work of the laity, the work of John Wana-
maker, and Moody being cited as examples
| Two sources of danger threaten the sys-
TEN. Gne within. Care must Le taken lest
we lean upon the mere machinery of the
school until, like the theology of Germany
and the Sabbath of France it become an
| institution and not Il living power. Parents
are the source of danger from without.
| Parents are not sufficiently interested in
and do not properly assist in the prepare
| tion of the Sabbath school lessons Of their
children. The necessity for hoiie nrepara-
ton is saltieFident. The sEGrt lalf hour of
recitation should act lie devoted so much to
putting in rs to drawing forth. The mind
Of the scholar should come already filled
| with the dcfGtis of the LESSONS, q familiarity
with the text, conception of its meaning,
and hearing unon the Christian doctrine.
| His mind should present itself not like Il
sheet of blank paper, bat rather like a box
! of materials to be systematically arranged.
! 1t is not maintained that Il teacher should
| be a mere machine TO ask questions, and
only such Is are on the paper. 1t is his
| sphere to give shape to the lessen. GIG ody
its meaning, ILLUSTRATE its TRUTHS. remove
difficulties, iInrress Tie nicmoi. !, drive home
to the heart, AROUSE ihe conscience and i'll
flame with enthusiasm. BUT how shall
that be done if through the inability or IN
dolence of the scholar, or the inGxcusrble
neglect of the parent, tie lesson has been
! only hastily rca over or not lnul-rd AT at