The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1891-06-19
MANKAToF FREE PREss
FRIDAY. JUNE le. 1891.
SUNDAY SCHOOL CONVENTION.
THURsEAY AFTERNOON.

Thu AFIERNOON.
The exercises were opened, with
song service, after which reports were
received from a number of schools,
whose delegates arrived during the
I forenoon. The program for the after
noon was then taken up, and Mrs.
Crafts delivered a telling address on
''The Conversion and Christian Gull
ture of Children Evidently the
Lord Jesus believed it possible for
children to be Christians, for he made
the child the standard for adult Chris
tians. We are too critical of child
christian We have changed the
standard and expect the child to be in
every respect like the mature man or
woman. When child dies we think
it is good enough to go to heaven, but
as to receiving it into the church on
earth we say wait until it is old
enough to understand the doctrines of
church. Christ made no such require
ment, but said ''suffer little children
I to come unto me for of such is the
kingdom of heaven" and what is the
church but the kingdom of heaven on
earth? The children need the church
and the church needs the children.
The church is likened to the Oriental
sheep-fold with it's four walls for the
protection of the sheep, and the
lambs as well. The first is the wall
of Christian promise. When a child
is old enough to make promise it is
.old enough for OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
the promise is protection ever after
it is made. The second is the wall of
instruction, the third the wall of the
sacraments, and the fourth the wall
of friendship" The address was re-
plete with instruction and enforced
by many touching incidents. adf
Rev. T. Ross Paden spode of ''The
Importance of S. S. Work to the
Church and its Relation TO it," dwell
ing largely on the work in rural dis
tricts, and showing that nearly every
church in such places owed its exist
-ence and success to the Sunday school.
He was followed by Judge Perkins,
president of the State association, who
spoke of 'The Magnitude of the
Work" He had been made to realize
the force of his theme by the demands
upon him in his official relation. The
success of the work depended upon
the perfection of county organiza-
irons. In addition to this the state
association proposes to arrange for a
series of Institutes for the instruction
of teachers and other Sunday school
workers. DR.. Crafts then delivered
an address on Chow to Read the Bible
with Relish First, more relish comes
with more religion. To apprehend
the truth there must be a spiritual
desire. This God gives to everyone in
measure, but it must be cultivated,
and the more spiritual we become the
more relish we will we have for the
word of God. Second, we can read
with more relish by making Bible
scenes real. This may be done first
by familiarizing ourselves with the
circumstances and facts in connection
with incidents recorded. Second, by
putting our hearts and lives alongside
of the experiences of the men and
women of those times. This was fine
ly illustrated by Paul's visit to Peter
at Jerusalem soon after his CONVEX
sion. Only the mere fact is recorded,
but we may have some idea of what
questions Paul asked by imagining
what we would ask if placed in like
circumstances. Third we can in
crease our relish of the scriptures by
making an application Of them to
present events. A japanese was con-
verified by reading the first verse of the
Bible, SIN the beginning God," etc.
That was just what he wanted to
know. 1t settled his mind on the
great question of the origin of things.
A prize fighter interested in the
story of David and Goliah, said "that
is something in my line," and was
converted. 1t is marvellous how we
may find something in the Bible for
every phaze of this manifold life of
ours.
The following officers were elected
for the ensuing year: w. d. Willard,
president, Miss Cora Noble, Secretary
and Treasurer, and number Of vice
presidents from different parts of the
county. Resolutions of qualification
for the success of the organization,
and appreciation of the work of Rev.
and Mrs. Crafts, and thanks for the
use of the Baptist church were passed
and the session adjourned with the
benediction by Rev. Mr.. Haywood.
ADDRESS BY REV. MIR. CRAFTS.
Mr.. Crafts spoke again last evening
to a good sized audience. His theme
was 'The Instincts of Childhood and
How to Utilize Them in TEACHING"
I He spoke as follows: