BAPTIST SUNDAY SCHOOL

Colonist, Volume LI, Issue 12405, 21 November 1908, Page 5 (Supplement)

BAPTIST SUNDAY SCHOOL

•■•■-.">. - — .g, . ANNIVERSARY SERVICES. The anniversary, services of the Baptist Sunday School wore held iir the -School- of Music on Oct. 25, when the building : was crowded by attentive audiences. , . ■ In the morning the sermon was preached, by the Rev F. G. Buckingham," a former pastor of the church. Miss "Gainsford, a missionary from India oil furlough, addressed • the children in the afternoon and the Rev R. S. Gray (also a former pastor of the church) preached in the evening. Special hymns and ducts were sung by - the - children and the music jyas 'provided by an orchestra consisting of ladies and gentlemen of local musical circles, Miss Lu.dley presiding at the -organ, tho whole being under the able, leadership of the clrurch organist, Mr Ernest Wood. .-■-., . Mr Buckingham - took for his text the. tenth: verse- of the 18th chapter 'of Matthew:: "Take heed that ye despise not 'one' of these- little ones." The -preacher said that, the setting of the text was a picture for: the aged— no •"mor.o beautiful a picttire could be seen than vthat. "of Jesus and the .little' children. . He. loved Jthem and understood to the.^till their value to the nation, and to life at ..large. Some of his most forcible lessons were derived from the little child. The child .must be in the/man before - the man caii cuter the Kingdom of God. Jesus gave ' a \ warning^agairisi/ despising -blie little .ones and: gave a plea for child ..life" and endorsed its value.: One of the most important -"sighs of our times was that the men and women and children occupied a large place in our minds. The church. too, had learned to estimate at its right value the possibilities of child life.-' By seciiring the ■'children early in life the progress of the church w k a? secur'edf^to . .neglect to -do so- was the cliurche's peril.' There was a dark side to work for Jesus and. the dark •side of-. Sunday School work- was the leakage there takes place of the schol-ars-between the ages of 15 and 16,----when -they - were too old for school. But the fact still .remains that thousands who.', were now church members I had been scholars in a Sunday School. It is never too early to begin to; bring the ■children- to Jesus Christ. The many glorious victories to-be obtained in. the future : would be obtained .-• by .the children who would groAv tip to fight as manfully as their ancestors the battles of the. : Lord. Sunday ScJiool work .is the noblest 'of .all work for Jesus Christ to-day. Despise the little ones and there can bo nor.-f u'fcuro..- greatness for the Kingdom' of Jesus . Clirist • The preacher appealed to Christian men and women of education to come forward and assist in •"■-the. teaching of .- the Sunday Schools:'-. The .highest talent and the -best educated men and. women in he church were needed. . But the children, needed ., not .only instruction, they needed : to be won for ' Christ and it was a responsibility resting upon the parents to : help the teachers in the. Sunday School to impart spiritual Ltruths to their ' children."': .■"Teachers also should not forget 'the personal element and their." personal influence upon the children" placed in their

charge. Their work would tell in the years that are to come and the preacher exhorted them to be standfast and immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord for aB--mucli as they knew that their labour would uot be in vain for the Lord. The sermon was ocncluded by an earnest appeal to parents to show a greater interest in their children's spiritual welfare. Preaching he evening tlie Rev R. S. Gray took as the text tlie 4th chapter of the Acts, verse. 23:' '^nd being 'et go they came unto their own co""" pany . ' ' The preacher detailed the circumstances which gave rise to the recording of the narrative. He saw that a great principle was enumerated, namely, that every man has his own place iii the world.' He may be an immoral man, You might lift him by persuasion out of his immoral surroundings but unless his nature was' changed as soon as the pressure was released bs would relapse into his unclean habit's. He wanted to suggest the application of the principle. Filial instinct made civil and national life possible. Only one power was mightier, the religious instinct,- which made a man love his God more than his country or his father arid mother. -This was evidenced amongst ' the Mqhaniniedans. It was the same spirit which influenced the Pilgrim Fathers when they left their homes for a far coimtry, preferring to even die for their religion than accept a liberty which would be dishonourable- in the sight of God. It was true of the persons referred to in Ahe text. Being let go they hurried to their own company' and the company of those who : loved Jesus.:. The preacher urged that England's greatest days .were those when tbe children were trained in the fear .of God, and the love" of parents and home. So it was with Scotlaud. If a child was not properly trained he would go to his 'own company, a company without God, and without .. Christ: He dwelt on tlie'importauce of children having instilled into them the principles of religion, and truth, in order to equip them to fight sue-, cessfiilly the! battle in life. The children .should know what they ought to do and. what they ought not to-do: The preacher gave stirring advice to the young men and women who were - present. .How should they know God ? and the answer was they could know Him through Jesus Christ, who- was the' Way, the Truth, and the Life. The -faith that made a man obey Jesus had made character all down tho ages, and it saved 'a mail both in this life and in. the one to come.