The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1882-08-30

series Of them.
Again, the gospel for children. of no.
cessity, should have a narrower RAM
than that designed for manhood TT
letter needs the principles of religion an.
Piled to score of business, social and
moral, and even intellectual Interests
that do not touch the sphere of child's
life. In the course of a well sustained
argument on the relations of religion. for
example, to questions of public morals il
would be extremely difficult to introduce
portion fitted for the children without
at the same time, failure to enlist the
children, and such break in the aror.
ment as to peril the interest of adults
Unquestionably large part of the dis.
cusslon OF the pulpit is not in close cor.
nectlon with the simple life of childhood
and cannot be made so except by hazard.
ing the discussion. The direct wav Of
getting at an audience is the best wav
and while 1T is true that certain class
OF themes admits of an application 50
wide as to take in all classes of hearers
yet, in general, if the preacher wants the
attention of children, he must not reach
them by tangent from his subject, but
by having his subject, in all its circle
htted to their capacity and condition and
addressed directly to their minds.
Ii the best way to child's attentior
is to speak to the child, then, when and
and how? AS to the when. there ave-
two opinions. With many successful
preachers it is the habit at stated times
monthly or quarterly, to devote the ser.
vice to the children. The singing, read.
lngs, and preaching are exclusively an5
directly for them. With others, and in.
creasingly.of late years, a part Of eve.
morning service is thus given. A five
minutes sermon is preached, and perhaps
childrens hymn sung. The advan.
tages claimed for this method is that il
can be adopted without any undue
!engthenlng of the regular service, that
1T offers food for the children not once in
one or three months, but every Sabbath
and that children are more likely to he
prohted by fve-minute sermon than bv
one very much longer. At a recent cor.
terence OF ministers it was the general
convection that this method, wberevAr
adopted, has resulted in very LARGELY
increased attendance of children at
church. And whatever interests the
children interests adults. So il comes n
pass that such sermons have an influence
very much wider than the little conore.
cation to which they are addressed
AS 10 the substance of such preaching,
let no minister pick it up as an easy or
tlmte.-saVlng thing. Indeed, it is an art
so difficult. and requiring adaptations so
peculiar, that not every pastor will sue.
coed In it, though willing to give it never
so much labor. And those who by sym.
pathles and other gifts are best fitted to
speak to children are the very men who
will realize how pains taking must he be
who would succeed in winning and hold
ing from year to year, the attention of
children. 1t can be done, and on lines
so various that no prescription for the
compromising of childrens sermons can
be written, but he who would do it must
be willing to give to it the same patient
and earnest labor that is given to the
most exact reasoning addressed to adults.
Neither is 1t necessary that the childrens
sermon should always be lit with pic
ture, or illustrated by story. Some
chlldren's preachers, like Rev. DR.. New.
ton, use the story very freely and effec-
lively. But others again, almost never
tell story. They depend upon simple
truth, simply and clearly stated, for the
attention OF their audience. The fact is,
the homiletic rules of simplicity, unitv
and movement, which hold for preaching
to adults, are applicable to children'5
sermons, and whether these be secured
along the thread OF story, or along
line of single and clear thought, matters
but little, so only they be secured.
49, Will the coming man go to church,
That depends largely on whether the
present child goes to church, and that
again depends on whether the minister
sets that child in the midst of the disci.
pies, manifesting his interest and faith
In him. by personal acquaintance and