The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1910-12-23

i'A J. ~ SuCn ID lIIc hlIlSuolu
of Heaven We pastors must be-
come the real under-shepherds of the
flock, not only tending His sheep.
some of them hayward or wandering
at times. but following Christ's first
command to Peter. Feed my lambs"
W. must be the leaders, UNDER His
spirit inspiring WORKERS in our Sun
day schools to achievements that
must be attained ere the kingdom
come on earth as it is in Heaven. We
must care for the Kingdom and gather
those that ought to be of His King
dom.
DO not forget that there are many
earnest men and women whose H..
spring personality puts life and at
t~ractiveness into the Sabbath school,
the Junior League or the church ser
vice. Many hopeful signs are also
appearing: the new emphasis on sun
day school work, decision day,
teacher training and the graded les
sons and many others indicate that
the mind of the church is becoming
astr. But as yet these have not
reached the rank and file, have not
become the usual thing throughout
the schools. And the fact still re-
mains that the great majority of the
children OF our communities are not
reached for Jesus Christ. and that
three fourths Of the children Of the
country are outside the Protestant
Sunday schools, South Dakota hav-
ing only fourteen per cen in them.
The need for us then is first to
study the child nature in the concrete
and in the abstract. 10y textbook and
observation, that re may intelligently
meet the needs of the child under
local conditions and adapt our meth
DDS accordingly. The psychology of
the child. the instructive out-reach-
ings OF his growing consciousness.
The motives n incentives that cause
1t to unfold and develop as against
those that tend to stunt and malform-
these should haveour earnestthought.
What the normal child likes and what
he dlsllkes may often give the key to
a different problem, if II minds are
alert to perceive the INTERPRETATIONS.
Judge Lindsay puts down fear as the
root of nearly all evil in juvenile
crlminology, while friendly appeal to
inherent manliness of the boy fire.
quently leads not only to frank con-
tession OF mistakes and misdeeds. but
also to earnest and successful efforts
to a better life.
With much %prayerful preparation
we need inspiringly to lead sour
teachers in Sunday school and Jun
ior League to feel the responsibility
and opportunity of their work and to
respOndence courses. Talk with them
personally and pray with them about
this. thai they may strive to become
fishers Of men. leaders of children to
the savior. We need tactfully to get
our Sunday schools to adopt and
adapt the new graded lessons to local
needs and themselves to these courses.
and to make these stories and lessons
from Gods Book of nature and of
revelation count in training the chill
dren to practical piety. in leading to
faith and obedience to Christ. We
need, above all things, to get near to
the boys and girls themselves, and, by
a frank friendliness and sincerity of
character that holds their respect. to
win their friendship and their con
fidence not only to ourselves but to
the Master whom we own. No cant,
no patronizing, no sounding brass or
tinkling cymbal of assumed interest
will cloak the instructive eye of child
hood. Our interest and sympathy
must be genuine.
We must meet them in their games.
provide healthful amusements, arrange
children's socials and other enter
tainments. Let us strive toward
making ourselves proficient in the art
of story telling. Good stories are
the healthful food and stimulant of the
child's mind. and fill it with good
thoughts and ideals to the exclusion
of many evil ones. We should adapt
more Of u church services to their
needs and understanding. A. man
who had met some negroes converted
under the preaching Of Sturgeon,
wrote him in would be d~etracting
spirit. saying that he judged Spur
geon's preaching was suited to such
people as ''niggers.' But the great
man felt that no higher compliment
ould have been paid him. If the poor
and the humble and the down-cast and
the ignorant and the young are en-
lightened and won by the preaching
that we preach, we need have no fear
for the rest.
In conclusion, allow me to quote
from Mr.. M~Organ's W words
| love to think Of the children as in
the arms Of the Master. He will carry
tIICII IL LIlS DoSOIll. lbit. YOU h1ON.
if you carry the tigure out, He will
not always do this: ii re must be a
moment when the child shall choose
for himself or herself. Those that
have not reached the Y Yrs when it is
possible for them to know and decide
for themselves and rec re Gods free
gift. He bears in His ans. He died
for them, and His great finished work
upon the cross avails tor them this
moment. He carries thfn ia His arms.
But there will come a moment present
ly in their lives don't know where it
is: thank God, these moments are not
dated for us-when He will take my
boy and put Rundown. md say, 'Now
l have carried you: nov, will you fol-
low me?" And that will be the mo-
ment when the child will receive or re-
ject tine free gift, and then, as the
Master leads, developing the posi-
bilities of the boys ma re. if he fol-
low, then by his yieldin to follow he
will receive the free giff and be born
again in the spirit: 1T until the
moment comes when a choose