THE RELIGIOUS EDUCATION OF THE YOUNG.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XX, Issue 6692, 30 April 1883, Page 5

THE RELIGIOUS EDUCATION OF THE YOUNG.

Ax the Beresford - street Congregational Church last evening the Rev. J. Robertson, pastor, preached npon " The religions education of the young." He chose as hiß text, Deuteronomy 6th chapter, 6, 7, and Bth verses—(6) "And these worcle, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart ; (7) And thon shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou riseth up; (8) And thou shalt bind themfor a sign npon thine hand, and they shalt be as frontlets between thine eyes." He divided the subject into three parts—(l) The Scriptural method ; (2) the method that is largely depended upon the world to-day ; and (3) he would try to make some practical suggestions. He pointed ont that there was not in the Scriptures, from ~ firat to last, a single word about Sunday-school. There was not a single call telling people to go and establish Sunday-schools. He believed that it was a right institution, and that they could not properly value it. Personally he owed to the Sunday-school a debt of gratitude which he could never repay, but he wanted to call attention to this, that there was nothing in the Bible about Sundayschools. The Sunday-school had only recently. celebrated its centenary, and was therefore not an old institution. How came it that there was nothing in the Bible about Sunday-schools! For this reason, that Gud had a far more excellent way. He believed, however,- that there was warrant for Sunday-school in the Bible. God's way was the parenttal method. The text seemed to suggest that God's school was in the -home; that he was the Head-master, Chistian parents were the monitors under him, and the home and the family was the place where the instruction was to be given. There were a great many parents who were sorrowing over their children, who would have had a far different story to tell if they had done what the text taught—gathered the little ones early and talked to them about Christ.. If they had not given so much time to pleasure, work, money-making, and friendship, but had stayed at home and applied, themselves to the work God. had., given them, [there might in many, cases have been a far different story .to tell. . There was not more than one in ten of .the Moravian Brethren who could remember the ti.-ne when he did not love the L0rd.......Was not that a grand result, to follow parental instruction in the home and family? The method that was common now, and 1 that seemed to be depended upon, was to leave the religious instruction to the Sundayschool and the day-school. Many Christian parents were teaching their children, but as a rule people were leaving it to the .schools.;. He had been informed laßt'week' by Mr. ; Habeas, Inspector-General of Schools, that the last census showed that the number of children attending the Sunday schools was only 500 less than the number attending the day schools. A very small sportion of religious instruction could be given; in the schools, and he had been told by a. clergyman, who taught a class of 70 in a day school, that there was not one of those attending who did not go to Sunday-sohool. Only half or three-quarters of an hour, a week was devoted to instruction in the Sun-day-school. The Sunday-school- . was J not now serving the purpose for which it was originally intended. When ■ Robert fßaikes started the Sunday-school it was a purely missionary organization. ?;>■ At" the); present time, professedly Christian parents and church-going people, instead, sof !',teaeh-; ing their children at home sent them to schools to be. taught by other people who had duties to discharge to their/ own homes and families. His conviction was that both these methods , were; best: there should be parental instruction and Sunday-school instruction, but the latter only as an auxiliary. Nobody could instruct the . child like the parents, especially the mother. The children should be encouraged to take an intelligent part in. the religious exercises in God's house. He thought that there should be a children's portion in the services—either occasionally a sermon to them, or now and then a children's hymn should be used, or as the sermon proceeded a few minutes should be devoted to speaking directly and plainly to the hearts of the children. Hehad tried to meet this, and hoped to do so more in future. There were many ways in which Christian parents conld encourage the young to take an intelligent part in the services. He instanced the . witnessing of Baptism, and the celebration of the Lord's Supper. Parents should ■ see ' that ''" their children went regularly and punctually to Sunday-school, and thus assist to-'maintain, the discipline of the school/ - Parents might question the young on the' lessons ,for the: next Sunday's lesson, and thus cause them to. be familiar with it when the echool was held.' The Sunday-school Union had printed 'lists of the lessons. They as parents should do ■ their duty to the children while ' the young ! were under their influence, and while they, could make an impression upon them.