Part 3 (1/2)

But notwithstanding the immense array of opposition, we still believe that the Lutheran doctrine is nothing else than the pure teaching of G.o.d's word. Where we have the ”_Church in the House_,”

there we have lambs of Christ's flock. Ah, how many more we could have, how many more we would have, if the fathers and mothers in the Church understood this precious article of our faith, and prayerfully built their home life thereon! Then would there be a more regular and healthful growth of the Church, and the necessity for fitful, spasmodic revival efforts would cease. But we digress.

From our Christian homes the baptized children of the Church come to the Sunday-school. How is the school to treat them?--We speak now of the baptized children from Christian homes; we will speak of the unbaptized and untrained further on.

These children, with all their childish waywardness and restlessness, do generally love Jesus. They do trust in Him, and are unhappy when they know they have committed a sin against Him. They do, when taught, pray to Him, believe that He hears their prayers and loves them. Shall the teacher now begin to impress upon the minds and hearts of these little ones the idea that they are not yet Christ's, and that Christ has nothing to do with them, except to seek and call them, until they are converted? And shall they go home from Sunday-school with the impression that all their prayers have been empty and useless, because their hearts have not been changed? Dare the Sunday-school thus confuse the child, raise doubts as to Christ's forgiveness and love, and ”_quench the Spirit_?” Oh how sad, that thus thousands of children have their first love, their first trust, quenched by those who have more zeal than knowledge!

No, no, these are Christ's lambs. They come with His marks upon them. Let the Sunday-school teacher work in harmony with the mother who gave these children to Christ. Let the whole atmosphere of the school impress on that child the precious truth that it is Jesus'

little lamb. _Feed_ that lamb, feed it with _the sincere milk of the Word_. Lead that lamb gently; teach it to understand its relation to the Great Shepherd, to know Him, to rejoice in His love, to love His voice, to follow His leadings more and more closely.

Instead of singing doubtfully and dolefully:

”I am young, but I must die, In my grave I soon shall lie.

Am I ready now to go, If the will of G.o.d be so?”

or,

”Child of sin and sorrow Filled with dismay, Wait not for to-morrow; Yield thee to-day:” etc.

or,

”Depth of mercy, can there be Mercy still reserved for me?” etc.

or,

”Hasten, sinner, to be wise, Stay not for to-morrow's sun,” etc

or,

”I can but perish if I go, I am resolved to try, For, if I stay away, I know I shall forever die.”

or,

”When saints gather round Thee, dear Saviour above, And hasten to crown Thee with jewels of love, Amid those bright mansions of glory so fair-- Oh, tell me, dear Saviour, if I shall be there!”

Some of these sentiments are unscriptural. Some may do for penitent prodigals. But all are out of place on the lips of baptized children of the Church. Let such rather joyfully sing:

”I am Jesus' little lamb, Therefore glad and gay I am; Jesus loves me, Jesus knows me, All that's good and fair He shows me, Tends me every day the same, Even calls me by my name,”

and such other cheerful and healthy hymns as breathe the spirit of the Church of the Reformation.

This we believe to be the object of our Sunday-schools, as far as the baptized children of Christian parents are concerned. They are to be _helps_, to keep the children true to their baptismal covenant, and to enable them to grow strong and stronger against sin and in holiness. Jesus did not tell Peter to _convert_, but _feed_ His lambs.

From these considerations we see how important it is for Lutheran Sunday-schools to have teachers who ”_know of the doctrine, whether it be true_;” who are ”_rooted and grounded in the faith_;”

who are ”_ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh them a reason of the hope that is in them_;” who are ”_apt to teach_.”

A teacher who does not understand and appreciate the Lutheran doctrine of baptism is out of place in a Lutheran Sunday-school. It is certainly not desirable to have the child instructed at home that it was given to Christ in baptism, received and owned by Him and belongs to Him, and then have the Sunday-school teacher teach it that until it experiences some remarkable change, which the teacher cannot at all explain, it belongs not to Christ, but to the unconverted world. The teaching of the pulpit, the catechetical cla.s.s, the home and the Sunday-school, ought certainly to be in perfect harmony--especially so on the vital point of the personal relation of the child to the Saviour and His salvation. To have clas.h.i.+ng and contradictory instruction is a sure way to sow the seeds of doubt and skepticism.