{"collection":"scripture-revelation","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_36582/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_36582","id":"gutenberg_36582","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/36582","summary":null,"tags":["Category: Children & Young Adult Reading","Category: Religion/Spirituality","Category: Teaching & Education","Children -- Conduct of life -- Juvenile literature","Christian life -- Juvenile literature","Conduct of life -- Juvenile literature","Sunday school literature","Sunday schools -- Juvenile literature"],"text":"</pre>\n\n\n\nProduced by Larry B. Harrison, Archives and Special\nCollections, University Libraries, Ball State University\nand the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at\nhttp://www.pgdp.net\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\n  ADVICE\n  TO\n  _Sunday School_\n  CHILDREN.\n\n  PUBLISHED BY THE\n  _NEW-YORK_\n  Religious Tract Society,\n  And sold at their Depository,\n  No. 142 Broadway.\n\n  D. Fanshaw, Print. 1 Murray-St.\n\n  SERIES II.      NO. XV.\n\n\n\n\n  ADVICE\n  TO\n  SUNDAY SCHOOL CHILDREN\n\n  [Illustration]\n\n  [Illustration]\n\n  [Illustration]\n\n  Published by the New-York Religious Tract Society,\n  and for sale at their Depository, (Wilder and Campbell's\n  Book-store,) 142 Broadway, and by the principal\n  Booksellers in the United States.\n\n  D. Fanshaw, Printer, No. 1 Murray-street\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\nADVICE TO SUNDAY SCHOOL CHILDREN.\n\n\n\n\n  MY DEAR CHILDREN;\n\nWhen our blessed Saviour was upon earth, little children were brought\nto him, and he kindly took them in his arms, laid his hands upon them,\nand blessed them. You have read this pleasing account in the New\nTestament, and you have been taught that this kind Saviour came down\nfrom heaven, and was called Jesus, because he should save his people\nfrom their sins; you have learned that God Almighty will punish all\nwicked people after death, by sending them into a dreadful place. Now,\nconsider, children, that you are all sinners, and though you are\nyoung, be sure, that unless you repent, and put your trust in Jesus\nChrist, God will cast you off for ever, and then you must be\nmiserable. But Jesus Christ loves little children who come to him; he\nwas nailed to the cross, and died to save them; and he will bless\nthem, while they live; and when they die, he will take their souls up\nto heaven to himself, where they will be happy with the blessed angels\nfor ever. Now, if you love him, my dear children, you will try and do\nwhat he says, and that is what we mean by your duty. Out of love,\ntherefore, to you, we give you this little book, which sets before you\nsome of the good instructions which are so kindly given you by your\nfriends in the Sunday School: you must take care to keep in mind these\nthings, if you would behave like children who love their Saviour, and\nhope to go to heaven. Read, therefore, this affectionate admonition,\nconsider it well, and pray to God for grace, that you may profit by it.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n1. _Be early and constant in your attendance at School._ Many naughty\nchildren come perhaps on one Sunday, and then are absent for two or\nthree following ones; this shows that they have no desire to learn; if\nthey loved our Saviour, they would not do so. Let not trifles keep you\naway; do not mind a little cold or a little rain, but hasten to\nschool, and if you are there before your teachers, they will be\npleased with you, and welcome you with a smile; they will also be\nencouraged to take pains with such good children, and you will go on\nregularly, and will not forget your former lessons, and be obliged to\nlearn them over again, as foolish and idle children must often do.\nSuch early attendance will prevent your class being thrown into\nconfusion; and your teachers will be delighted to find that you are\nalways ready for them as soon as they are ready for you.\n\n2. _Be very attentive to instruction._ If instead of minding what is\nsaid to you, you gaze about the school, and look at the other children,\nyou will still remain ignorant. When your teachers are explaining what\nyou have been reading, listen, and try to understand them. When you are\nlearning your lesson, keep your eyes fixed upon your book, and take as\nmuch pains as you can, that you may repeat it quite perfectly.\n\n3. _Be silent in your Class._ Do not whisper and talk with those who\nsit next you; you have much to learn, and little time for the purpose;\nmake it not less by your own carelessness.\n\n4. _Be thankful to your Teachers._ They seek your welfare; you hear them\npray for you, and they often do so when you are not with them. Their\nhearts' desire and prayer to God for you, is, that you may be saved;\nthey would bring you to Jesus Christ, that you may be delivered from the\nwrath of God and endless misery, through his precious blood shed for\nyou; that you may be saved from your sins, by repentance and faith in\nhim; that you may be taught to pray to God through him; and that, by his\ngrace, you may learn and obey his holy commandments, forsake all sin, do\nhis will all the days of your life, and when you die, may inherit the\nkingdom of heaven. Whenever, therefore, they admonish, take heed to\ntheir words, fix your eyes upon them, and your thoughts on what they\nsay; it is for your good that they take pains with you; they are seeking\nyour salvation, and your endless happiness. How unkind will it be if you\ndo not love them! How insensible must you be, if you do not profit by\ntheir instruction! How dreadful will your case be, if, in the day of\njudgment, they should be obliged to bear witness against you, that they\ntaught you, and laboured to bring you to salvation, but you would not!\nOn the contrary, how joyful will it be for both, if you are placed\ntogether at the right hand of our blessed Saviour, and hear him say,\n\"Come, ye blessed children of my Father, receive the kingdom prepared\nfor you from the foundation of the world.\"\n\n5. _Honour and obey your parents._ Remember, this is God's commandment.\nConsider this when you repeat the fifth commandment; grieve them not by\nimpertinence and obstinacy; dare not to answer them with passion or\ndisrespect; never speak evil of them, nor let others do so in your\nhearing; be always gentle, humble, and dutiful, in your manner; never\nfrown, or be perverse, or idle, when they require you to work, but show\nthat you are willing and industrious; be a comfort to them, attend on\nthem in sickness, read your books to them, and tell them what your\nteachers say to you; and strive, as much as in you lies, to be the staff\nof their old age, like good Joseph in the Scripture. So God and they\nwill bless you; and you will be like our blessed Saviour, who was\nsubject to his parents in his childhood, and cared and provided for his\naged mother even while he hung upon the cross.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n6. _Love your Brothers and Sisters._ Be kind in your behaviour to each\nother, and show your love by actions as well as words. Do all in your\npower to make them happy; let brothers especially behave with\ngentleness to their sisters; they are by nature more weak and\ndefenceless, and therefore brothers should treat them with peculiar\ntenderness. If your brothers or sisters displease you, do not speak\nangrily to them, but be patient, and forgive them, as you hope our\nblessed Saviour will forgive you. If they rail at you, rail not again;\nbut pray for them; let them see that you love them still, and they\nwill be ashamed of themselves, or, even if they are not, our Saviour\nwill be pleased with you; for when he was reviled, he reviled not\nagain. It is a sad thing when brothers and sisters quarrel, and\ndreadful when they strike each other; but a good and pleasant thing\nwhen brethren dwell together in unity and love.\n\n    \"Birds in their little nests agree,\n      \"And 'tis a shameful sight,\n    \"When children of one family\n      \"Fall out, and chide, and fight.\"\n\n7. _Reverence the Lord's day._ It is appointed for the worship of God;\nand all its hours should be employed in his service. On this holy day\nyou must give up your amusements, and have as little as possible to do\nwith worldly things; on this day you are taught to read the word of God,\nand you go with your school-fellows to worship him in his house; there\nyou are to join with the congregation in prayer and praise, and to hear\nthe minister of God preach the gospel, which is to make men wise unto\nsalvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. Let your behaviour be\nvery serious when you are thus engaged; listen to every word which the\nminister speaks; he is the messenger of God Almighty, and speaks as if\nChrist Jesus besought you, by him, to be reconciled to God. Pray to God\nthat his word may prove a blessing to you, and try to understand all you\nhear; good children will not only endeavour to recollect the text and\npart of the sermon, but will also repeat them to their parents and\nteachers. Those who are idle, careless, or sleepy, in the house of God,\nact as if there was no fear of God before their eyes.\n\n8. _Read daily in the Bible._ It is the word of God himself; it points\nout the way of salvation by our Saviour Jesus Christ; if you love him,\nyou will delight in reading about him in the Bible. God's word is\ngiven for a light unto your feet, and a lamp unto your path: you know\nthe use of a lamp in a dark night; such is the Bible, a light to guide\nus in this dark world. Ignorance and wickedness are the darkness of\nthe world: Jesus is the light, and the Bible is to instruct you in the\nknowledge and love of him. Obey its commands, avoid what it forbids,\nfollow its directions; and when you read it, pray to God to give you\nunderstanding, and a heart to receive its truths, that by his grace\nand blessing you may profit by them.\n\n9. _Pray to God constantly._ What a mercy it is that--\n\n    \"God will lend a gracious ear,\n    \"To what a child can say!\"\n\n[Illustration]\n\nGod is your heavenly Father, who loves you; and though you cannot see\nhim, he can both see and hear you; and he _will_ hear you at all\ntimes. Confess all your sins to him, and think upon the love of our\nblessed Saviour, who died for your sins, and pray to God to prosper\nyou, for his name sake. My dear children, he is very merciful; and if\nyou are sorry for your sins, and afraid you shall be cast into the\nwicked place for them, you must tell him your fears, and he will be\ngracious to you, and teach you so to believe on our Lord Jesus Christ,\nthat your sins will certainly be all forgiven; and then, oh, how must\nyou love him! When you are tempted to be naughty, and disobedient, or\nill-tempered, or idle, pray to him to give you a new heart and a right\nspirit; and do not give over praying for it till you find a better\nmind in yourselves; for he will give you the Holy Spirit, if you ask\nfor it. Praise him also for all his mercies to you, especially for\nraising up such good friends to teach you the way of salvation.\n\n10. _Take a cheerful part in the praises of God._ You learn hymns, in\norder to sing those praises. What beautiful hymns they are! I hope you\nwill not merely please yourselves with the tunes, but study the\nmeaning of the words, that your hearts may make melody to the Lord.\nHow sweetly Moses, and the children of Israel, sang upon the banks of\nthe Red Sea, when God had delivered them from the wicked Egyptians!\nExodus, xv. How sweetly David sang to his harp and other instruments\nof music, as you read in the Book of Psalms! Our blessed Saviour sang\na hymn with his disciples before he suffered; Matt. xxvi. 30. and Paul\nand Silas sang the praises of God when they were in prison, at dark\nmidnight, and their feet were made fast in the stocks. Acts, xvi. 25.\nOh, may you, dear children, sing his praises in the same blessed\nspirit, and it will be as sweet incense before his throne.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n11. _Abhor Swearing._ What! a Sunday School child swear! Awful\nthought! And yet there are some who do! Such wicked children are\ntaking the broad road which leads to hell. And what will be _your_\nfeelings, if _you_ are cast into that dreadful place, after all the\npains which have been taken to lead you to heaven! Your case will be\nfar more dreadful than that of others, who are left to perish in\nignorance and sin. Never take the sacred name of God in vain! Never\nuse it but with fear and reverence, and when it is necessary to use\nit. When careless children call upon the name of God in their common\nconversation, as many do, exclaiming, Oh, Lord! Oh, God! Lord, have\nmercy! and the like, it proves that they are very wicked, or at least\nvery thoughtless. Reverence his name, and tremble at the thought of\nmentioning it lightly.\n\n12. _Avoid bad company._ Remember the Bible says, \"A companion of\nfools shall be destroyed.\" \"Therefore, come out from among them, and\nbe separate, and I will be a father unto you, and ye shall be my sons\nand daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.\" Shun all places of public\namusement, particularly taverns and play-houses. Many people call them\nharmless, and their diversions innocent; but do not believe them; all\nsorts of wickedness and folly are practised there--gluttony,\ndrunkenness, indecency, swearing, and sins of almost every kind; if\nyou go to them, you will soon become as bad as the rest of those who\nfrequent them; do not mind the scorn of those who may despise you,\nbecause you will not run to the same excess of riot as they. If they\nare your relations, or your acquaintance, endeavour to persuade them\nto go to the house of God on the Lord's day, and on every other day to\nkeep out of the path of temptation. If they will not be persuaded to\ndo so, at least go not with them into any sinful course. They may\nendeavour to persuade you, but withstand their entreaties; call to\nmind the words of Solomon, \"My son, if sinners entice thee, consent\nthou not!\" They may entice, but they cannot compel you; and as evil\ncommunications corrupt good manners, so, if you join their company,\nyou will be in danger of following these wicked examples. If, my dear\nchildren, you hope to meet our Saviour at the last, and to spend\neternity in heaven with holy angels, and the spirits of just men made\nperfect, how can you bear to be in company with those wicked people\nupon earth, who are, every day, making themselves more fit for the\ncompany of the devil and his angels in the outer darkness, \"where\nthere shall be weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth?\"\n\nAnd now I commend you unto God, and to the word of his grace, which is\nable to give you an inheritance among them that are sanctified. We\nlove you, we care for you, we pray for you! Oh, may God turn your\nhearts by the Holy Spirit to himself, that you may be his dear\nchildren; and may he bless this little book to you, and give you grace\nto read, to mark, to understand, and to practise its directions; may\nyou walk in the path of duty while you live on earth, and at last join\nthe assembly of his people before his throne in heaven, share in their\nhappiness, and unite in their praises, to all eternity.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\n  CHILDREN'S BOOKS\n\n  PUBLISHED BY THE\n  NEW-YORK\n  Religious Tract Society.\n\n\n  2d SERIES.\n\n   1. Address to a Child.\n   2. Goodness of Providence.\n   3. The Vine.\n   4. The Orphan.\n   5. Elizabeth Loveless.\n   6. Little Susan and her Lamb.\n   7. Wonderful cure of Naaman.\n   8. Happy Cottager.\n   9. Mary Jones.\n  10. Ann Walsh, the Irish Girl.\n  11. Sally of the Sunday-School.\n  12. Destructive consequences of Vice, Dissipation, &c.\n  13. Mischief its own Punishment.\n  14. Louisa and the Little Birds.\n  15. Advice to Sunday S. Children.\n  16. Bread the Staff of Life.\n  17. Affectionate Daughter.\n  18. Happy Negro.\n  19. S. Butler, & Passionate Boy.\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\nTranscriber's Note\n\n\n  * Punctuation errors have been corrected.","title":"Advice to Sunday School Children","tradition":"scripture-revelation","translated_text":null,"word_count":2744}