The Penn's Grove record., 1911-09-15
Shall Young
Children Join
the Church?

NSWXE Vi Jesus. just as eoou as
- his mind a receive the
idea of a great unseen
friend. just as soon as his ma
ture is capable of loving, just
as soon must he be made familiar
with the fact OF Jesus, and with
the thought and duty of loving
idea of a great unseen friend, just as
soon as his nature Is capable of low
ing. just as soo must he be made
familiar with the fact of Jesus, and
with the thought and duty Of loving
surrender and obedience to him. This
can be brought about SO early as to
be almost incredible to n who has
not been accustomed to look and
work for 1t. By the grace Of God
and the power of his spirit working
with and through our human faith
fulness and love, 1t can be wrought
SO gently, even ~imperceptibly to the
child, that, like F. B. Meyer and
many another saint deep in the mys
teries and power Of God, he
knew the hour when he turned his
face ~heavenward. He only knows
that now his eyes are gloriously fixed
upon his Lord, and he is in the kings
country. And every Christian parent
must understand that precisely this is
the task set before him when that
baby is put into his arms, and that
he must begin with the child's per-
s~onality, and never cease his efforts
till the goal is reached-and not then.
Question for Consideration.
But another question is not always
SO easy. A young disciple begins to
find himself, often at a very early age,
in the very bosom of the church. sur
rounded by Gods people and their
love, with the Saviour's admonitions
to open discipleship and the example
of parents and older friends and COM
panions before him. He feels the i'm
pulse and desire for open, definite, de-
clared discipleship. What shall be
the attitude of parents and friends
toward this desire which will or
mally express itself in the wish for
church membership?
It might seem as if there could be
but one answer 20 this question.
Suffer the little children and forbid
them not, to come unto me-" But
there are parents to whom 1t occurs
that the coming to Jesus is one thing,
and the coming into the church. with
its professions and demands and re-
sp%onsibilities, is another. The first is
always safe. The second. they be-
lieve, may be full of risk. 1t Is not
proper or wise that so solemn and
weighty a thing as declared and &C
tive discipleship and church member
ship, they reason, should be under
taken by one who does not under
stand their full significance. These
scruples do honor to he forethought
and conscience of the parents who
really feel them. But they are far
from decisive.
Coercion Never Wise.
It must be conceded that no child
at any age, nor adult either, should
in any sort of way be coerced into a
profession of religion; and untold
harm has been done by getting chill
dren to "join the church." who had
NOT first "joined Christ" But sup
pose the case to be that Of a child
who was made a definite and volun-
tary commitment of himself to Jesus,
and who. by such loving and genial
tests as may apply to a child's re
Hgion rather than N adults. is clear
ly a genuine follower of Christ. He
desires to enroll himself as a disciple
in Christ's church.
In the words of Peter, Can any
man forbid the water that these
should not be b ptised. who have re-
ceived the holy spirit as well as we?'
To throw any more obstacles before
such a child than those few and
slight ones which may be necessary
to assure ourselves of the genuine
ness of his religion, this is indeed a
most serious invasion of the person
atty" negative though 1t be. This
immortal soul, made in Gods image,
and re-made by the power OF the
spirit. has entered into the most sol
m and glorious personal relations
with his heavenly Father. and desires
tn express that relationship in the
logical. the appointed way. Who
shall say him nay? Who will not
help him to his desire?