The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1911-09-20


two others said they didn't know when
they were converted ror they hind
loved Christ since infancy. The in
tcresting fact remains that six out of
the seven young men VINO were de-
dicating themselves to the service of
God before the age OF sixteen years.
III an assembage of ministesS num-
bering 1000, 1860 out of the number
testified that they gave themselves to
God before they were sixteen years of
age. We're finding out every where
in the church that we have to catch
them young or we won't catch them
st al.
Sunday School Presents Field
"In our Sunday schools today we
have over three millions of young peo-
PIE on the under age of Is years
Talk about your field for evangelism
The Sunday school is the greatest field
we have and 1t lies right In the
church. with fields wnite and ready
for the harvest. In spite of this op
portunity, we have been blind and
dull to the obligations put upon us
by the master to feed my lambs"
We as church have never apprecia-
ted this. out of FIVE reports which
once heard given IN by minister's.
concerning their churches, three re-
ports were completely silent on the
subject of the Sunday school 1 was
a guest in the pulpr of an eastern
church last Easter. I'he music was
rendered by fine qnartet which cost
the church yearly $1,000. Upon in
quiry. / found that no money at all
had been appropriated for the Sun
day school by the board.
1--WE pride ourselves thbt we have
access to the divine mind. You'll
never make me believe that church
has access TO the divine mind until
that church pulls its lest men and
departments into this work of saving
souls. The Wesleyan church of Eng
land nppointed committee to find out
the situation of the membership of
the churchs young people. 1t was
found that ten per cent of the young
reophe were engaged in active mem.
bership in the church, ten per cent in
rather loose membership and eighty
per cent had been allowed to drift
awisly.
God has given this old church the
opportunity to serve the world a doz-
en- times over. / tell You that If the
church of Christ would set itself the
task of saving the world for Christ
and would try to save only the men
and women who are awily from God,
should greatly despair. For the
rigldity tof habits and the hardening
of hearts is so great that it would be
I'm impossible task
God has provided us, however with
His Divine economy. Every thirty |
years he sends a fresh generation of
young lives into the world which
presents a fresh opportunity to save |
souls. Our religion teaches us to be-
lieve that little children do not need
conversion but are a.ready in Christ's
kingdom. Our business is not to bring |
children into the kinscom of God. but |
to hold them there where he has al
ready put them.
school Great Agency for CEiist.
Next to the church of Christ, the |
day school is one of the greatest in
huences for good in human life. l |
have no patience with the church |
which drives the Bible out OF the |
schools But I'll tell you that although j
the Bible may not le permitted TO |
be taught in the schools, never the |
less with 5000 men and women teach |
ing in our schools today who are not |
Goddess, the story of the Gospel will |
reach the school room. II is time |
for the Methodist church to be stand
ing by the public schools. / declare
that they are the most magnificent |
tt..s q.
that there is out side the church. But,
v hen tke church loses its grip then
the school loses.
Home Stands Above All.
"But above the church and the
take our stand. 1t is the greatest in
ititutlon OF modern civilization. But
when the church loses It's hold, then
the home breaks off. Until boy is
fifteen years of age, ne takes evcry
Thing on the say-so OF come one else.
tt en- comes the age OF conscience of
rec agency. He is no longer under
The law of others lie Is law unto
himself. He is not slow when he be-
gins To decide for himself. He be-
gins to decide matters.
Father and mother may still coun-
'el, but not determine. The lad steps
cut to see and feel for himself and
10 elect his own calling. DR., Lewis
ays:
"rhe boy sets sall in mis- little craft
'ut on the sea with no compass or
hart" He handles his own rudder,
and, charters and composites. he
inally comes to snip wreck. The
nome, the church and the school all
ose their grip at the same time. At
his very time We should be doing
our utmost to hold them.
"The first break comes with religion.
Up to this time, they boy depended
on the $3.50 Of others. Now, 1t is
mis- own say so. He begins to ex-
iminc, to question anc finally to dis
lelieve There are more shipwrecks
In the four years between the ages of
sixteen and twenty, than there are in
-he forty years between the ugls of
thirty and seventy. If ever the church
lught to exert Itself to hold a boy
4 Is at the time when he loses his
grip on religion. Then he loses his
deals. He has been taught not to
ouch various things, for fear that
hey besmirch his life Now. he is a