The Evening critic., 1881-11-03
CHILD CHRISTIANS,

Mt 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon,
by Rev. Mr.. Grimke, pastor of the Fif-
Presbyterian Church. After
the devotional exercises, Mrs. Crafts de-
livercd an address on the Conversion and
Christian culture Of little children" The
was large and appreciative, and
listened with marked attention throughout.
Commencing with the verse /; "Suflcr
little children, and forbid them not to
come unto me, for of such is the Kingdom
of Heaven, she said: This Is pre-
eminently the children's verse in the Bible.
IL gives them place among the followers of
the Lord. Jesus invitation opens wide
possibility before the children, and it also
places the responsibility of acceptance or
refusal upon them. Since Jesus invites,
let us not be among those who In thought,
word or deed would forbid them to come.
If there were no assurance in the Bible that
the religion of Christ is for the children as
well as for grown people, there would still
be convincing proof in the needs of their
little lives. Life is not all 'child's play
with them"
"what wouldscarccly be n ripple on the
surface of the ocean might be called tenn
pest on q little lake. Young or old, rich or
poor. great or small, we all have moral
struggles In life. The child has, perhaps,
the greatest need Of help, for he is without
experience, and is, therefore, without prep
aration when trials come.
The ChiId's Great Need
ofmoral and spiritual strength would alone
be certain assurance that, in some way,
somewhere, God had provided the help
necessary for them. We have not far to
seek for it. "rhese words which | command
thee this day shall be in thing heart, and
thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy
children, and shall talk of them when thou
sittest In thine house, and when thou walk
est by them, and whep thou lest down and
when thou risest up"
This teaching is not to be thought 81
merely as preparation for mature life, but
rather as an equipment also for the child's
present needs. o. Need we doubt
that Gods truth is adapted to child-life
when we read In tho Bible that except We
be converted and become as little children,
We shall not enter into the kingdom Of
Heaven"
The question might be asked, How are
YOU going 70 let these little children know
all the great truths of religion?" DIR.
Howard Crosby answers =,
ave do not expect them to understand
all the great truths of religion; only one Or
two. The smallest child knows there is q
God.
Atheism was Never Born In Any
Human Being.
A man must work hard to grind himself
down to an atheist. All that is needed for
salvation is to know God and believe in
Him. The smallest child can understand
God and love Him for His love-
Some say that, although children can
love God, they ought not to be takon into
the Church until they can more fully I'M
derstand the doctrines. Let me ask you,
church member, can you give satisfactory
explanations to yourselves and to Others OF
all the doctrines of the CHURCH, If you
can now, could you do 1t when you frst
Joined the Church
MY own conviction is that every child
that can from the heart answer "yes " to
the following questions ought 10 be con-
sidered an appropriate candidate for CHURCH
membership:
ssDO You Love Jesus?"
Are you trusting Jesus as your own pre-
cious Savior?' "Will you try by the help
of Jesus to give up everything that is
sinful 2" "Will you try to be moro like
Jesus every day?'
1t Is natural and important that a
thorough indoctrination should follow adj
mission to the church.
Another objection brought against child
Christians is that they will not hold out
Good authority on this point is the testi-
mony of Spurgeon, who says that he admits
| to church membership fifty children year
on the average, and, while he expels from
two to three persons year, he has never
yet been obliged to expel one member re-
ceived into the church rs child. Children
are the same the world over. Mrs. Crafts
then read letters from the leading primary
| -. -. In to tha ION
"What should be the aim Of primary teach
ing?" The answer of Mrs. Alden is, IN
substance, that of all, "The aim above
every other aim in primary teaching is tc
secure the con version Of the SOUL"
| Mrs. Crafts had found 1t worked well In
her school to prepare a little covenant OIL
creed to be sent with o letter to the parents
for them to have the children sign II they
thought proper The results were very salts
factory indeed.
She had also received valuable aid from
the songs Of children, and some of the
greatest reformers when wholly discour
aged and east down were cheered and sus
tanned by the songs of the little children.
Her lecture was listened to with close at
tention, and showed how much interested
the people are in the subject.
After she had finished, DIR. Meredith
spoke on
% Bible Glasses and Teachers Meet
fngs."
He fairly outdid himself AS this Is 9
special subject with him, he treated it In 8
familiar but brilliant style, showing how
his Bible.class ut Boston had risen from it,
discouragements and disappontments to III
present magnitude.
| He claimed that it ought not to be re
markable that every city should have just
such an organization, and that we had the
materials and men here in Washington
What we needed was to begin and preserve
II would grow and men would develop. Il
is conducted as deliberation assembly
the members are not allowed to talk to eacl
other, but must address the chair. Ques
tions are solicited, but no wrangling or dis
cussion allowed. He takes it for granted
that all believe the Bible, and allows no re
marks in opposition to that.
Evening session.
Mrs. Crafts met the primary department
teachers in the lecture room, and Mr.. Hurl
but the superintendent in room by them
selves before the regular exercises for ques
tions and conversations.
The regular meeting was opened by Rev
j. G. Butler, ID. d., and DIR. Meredith thei
proceeded to teach the lesson for Novembe
@. The audience was q critical one, an,
entered with enthusiasm into the exercise
and the good Doctor had his hands full; bu
he handled the subject In o mastery man
4 n