Sabbath schools teacher's aid...

Front matter

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Preface

This book is intended primarily as an accompaniment for the author's Infant School Question Book. It is believed, also, that teachers generally will be able to draw from it interesting and profitable illustrations, to explain and enforce their Scripture Lessons. The book is intended, also, for the library. The anecdotes have been collected with much labor, from more than thirty volumes, of various descriptions, entirely rewritten, and arranged under the several subjects designed to be illustrated by them ; and accompanied with appropriate reflections. The author cannot, of course, vouch for the authenticity of thefii all ; though he has not selected any which did not appear probable ; and they all come under what may be denominated general facts; being descriptions of things which do actually occur. Under some of the heads, the material was so abundant, that a selection only could be published; while under 2

VI PREFACE.

some others, there was a deficiency of appropriate illustrations. When the same anecdote illustrates two or more subjects, it is inserted but once ; and subsequently referred to.

The object of illustrating* truth in this manner is not so much to render it attractive, as to make it understood, and impress it on the memory and the heart ; it being very difficult to communicate an abstract idea to the mind of a child. With the hope and prayer that it may, by the blessing of God, contribute something towards leading the tender lambs to the fold of the Good Shepherd, it is submitted to the Christian public.

Boston^ JVovemher, 1839.

Chapter I

NO. PAGE.

1. "The fool hath said in his heart there is no God," 13

2. The little infidel, 14

Chapter II. About God

1. The little giil that loved to talk about God,. 15

2. The king who wanted to see God, 17

3. The lost purse, 18

4. The man that forgot to look up, 21

5. Thou God seest me, / 22

Chapter III. Sin And Death

1. The boy that wanted to confess his sins, 27

2. The Fall, 29

3. Young, but great sinners, 33

4. Samuel Wyke Kilpin, 35

5. The Indian that thought the missionary lied, 38

6. The dying child, 40

CONTENTS.

Chapter IV. The Saviour

NO. PAGE.

1. The boy that wanted to be punished for his brother, 44

2. The unseen Saviour, , 47

3. The lost boy that was saved,.... 50

4. How much you must love the Saviour, 54

Chapter V. Praise

1. The starving babe, 57

2. The little prison boy, 61

3. Worship of Juggernaut, 63

4. The heathen killing their children, 66

5. The little boys who never heard of Jesus Christ, 68

6. The girl and the boy that can neither hear, nor see, nor

speak, 71

7. The idiot boy, 78

8. The afflicted family, 81

Chapter VI. Prayer

1. Not too young to pray, 83

2. Time to pray, 84

3. Place to pray, 90

4. Pray to God, 93

5. Pray with the heart, 94

6. Confess your sins when you pray,.. 97

7. We must love to pray, 100

8. God hears the prayers of little children, 101

9. Comfort in prayer, 106

10. Learning to pray, 108

CONTENTS.

CFI AFTER VII.

LOVE TO GOD — First Commandment,

NO. PAGE.

1. The little girl that was afraid she should make her dolls

her idols, 114

2. The little girl that loved God first, 115

3. The little girl that loved Christ more than her father and

mother, 116

4. The little girl that wanted to go home to heaven,. 118

5. How to prove that we love God, 119

6. The boy that would not go to meeting, 120

Chapter VIII. What 19 It To Be Lost ?

1. The wrong road, 122

2. The lost children, 124

3. The little wanderer, 126

4. The lost boy, 127

5. The way to heaven, 131

CHAPTER IX. IDOLATRY — Second Commandment

1. Worship of Juggernaut, 132

2. The heathen killing their children, 132

3. Infant missionary spirit, 132

4. An infant missionary, 133

5. How the heathen worship, 135

6. The heathen have no good god, 136

7. The heathen gods, , 137

8. The infant missionary's dying gift, 138

9. Self-denial in a child, 138

1 0. The little heathen beggar boy, 140

11. Visiting the iniquities of the fathers upon the children,.. 143

12. Children blessed for their parents' sake, 14^

2*

CONTENTS.

Chapter X

pROFANENEss, &c. — Third and Seventh Commandments'

NO. PAGE.

1. The little boy that was angry with his wagon, 146

2. We wont stay with you, 148

3. " If J thought there would be swearing aboard I would

4. " The Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his

name in vain," 150

5. The pure in heart, 152

CHAPTER X I .

THE SABBATH — Fouvth Commandmcnt.

1. Sailing on the Sabbath, 153

2. Bathing on the Sabbath, 156

3. Skating on the Sabbath, 156

4. Sliding on the ice, 159

5. Shooting on the Sabbath, 159

6. Hunting on the Sabbath, 160

7. Stealing apples on the Sabbath, 161

8. Gathering nuts on the Sabbath, 161

9. Riding on the Sabbath, 161

10. Playing on the Sabbath, 165

11. The Sabbath breaker's end, 168

12. The boy that repented of Sabbath breaking, 169

13. The Sabbath a delight, 174

14. How to prepare for the Sabbath. 174

15. A little boy's reason for keeping the Sabbath, 176

Chapter XII. Early Piety

1. The best time to become a Christian, 177

2. It is hard to repent in old age, 178

3. Measuring the graves, 179

CONTENTS. XI

NO. PAGE.

4. The infant scholar who had a new heart, 180

5. Another pious infant scholar, 185

6. The pious Indian girl, 190

7. An Infant Christian, 195

8. Effects of religion upon a child, 196

9. Seeking God early, 201

10. The little girl that thought God would do right to shut

her out of heaven, 203

11. The missionary's son, 206

12. I ought to have repented two years ago, 208

13. The sweetness and simplicity of early piety, 209

Chapter XIII. Filial Obedience

Consequences of Disobedience.

1. The little girl who disobeyed her mother and was burned, 214

2. The lost boy that went into a boat which his father had

forbidden him to do, 215

3. The young man who went sailing on the Sabbath against

his mother's wishes and was drowned, 215

4. The disobedient boy who fell through the ice and was

drowned , 215

5. The widow's sons, who disobeyed their mother and were

drowned, 216

6. The young man who disobeyed his father and was shot, 216

7. The boy that thought he knew better than his mother

and broke his arm, 216

8. The boy and the rose, 216

9. The little girl that disobeyed her aunt and was burned

to death, 217

10. The boy that disobeyed his mother and was burned to

death, 218

11. The disobedient boy that fell into the ditch, 219

12. The boy that disobeyed his mother and fell into the pond, 220

13. Eyes picked out, 222

14. The disobedient boy that was drowned, 223

Xll CONTENTS.

NO. PAGE.

15. The disobedient girl, who got hurt and was not pitied, 224

The end of Disobedience.

16. The murdered boy and the men and women that were

hanged, 226

Examples to illustrate what is meant by honoring 'parents,

17. The boy that wanted to have his own way, , 230

18. An obedient boy, 235

19. Another boy that honored his absent father, 235

20. The boys who honored their absent mother contrasted

with the one who dishonored his mother, 237

21. Little Anne, who honored her sickly mother, 239

22. The collier boy who honored his mother, 240

Chapter XIV. The Good Shepherd

1. What a shepherd is, 242

2. The Indian boy that wanted to be marked for one of

Christ's lambs, 244

3. The little girl that wanted her father or mother to go with

her through the dark valley, 245

Chapter XV. The Sixth Commandment

1. The little girl who killed another because she would not

play with her, 247

2. The 1 ittle boy who killed his brother, 247

3. The boy that killed his play-fellow, 249

4. Quarreling and fighting, 250

5. Anger is murder 251

6. Good for evil, 252

CONTENTS. XIU

NO. PAGE.

7. Cruelty, 253

8. The kind little girl, 255

9. Returning good for evil, ------- 255

C H AFTER XVI.

THE NEW HEART.

1. The little girl whose heart God changed, - - - 257

2. The little girl that prayed for a new hsart, - - - 261

4. The little boy whose naughty heart was changed, - 263

5. Effect of a new heart, - - 264

7. Samuel Wyke Kilpin, 266

8. The Indian that thought the missionary lied, - - 266

9. What it is to be cleansed, ------- 266

CHAPTER XVII. COVETING AND STEALING — Eighth ttud J^intk Commandmejits

1. The little girl that would not covet, - - - -267

2. The honest little boy, 268

3. The little boy that would not steal, 268

4. The honest little girl, - - - - ^ - - 269

5. Honesty in little things, ----- - - 270

6. The man that forgot to look up, ----- 271

7. Stealing from mother, - - - ----- 271

8. The little girl that took plums and was sorry, '* because it

9. Many sin in one, -- 273

10. The end of stealing, 275

XIV CONTENTS.

Chapter XVIII. Repentance

NO. PAGE.

1. The little girl that was sorry because she had sinned, - 278

2. The little girl that told a lie and repented, - - -278 [3. The little boy that got angry and said a bad word and

4. The little boy that dishonored his mother and repented, 278

5. Do not delay repentance, ------ 278

Chapter XIX. Lying

1. The boy that did not tell the whole truth, - - - 280

3. Telling what is not true by mistake is not lying, - - 283

4. A liar will not be believed when he tells the truth, - 286

5. The little girl whose word was always believed, - - 289

6. Liars are foolish and unhappy, ----- 291

7. When a person is in fault, he will always fare the better

to tell the truth, -------- 293

9. The little girl that told a lie and repented, - - _ 395

Chapter XX. The Gold Fn Rule

1. The hungry boy that gave the biggest piece to his brother, 297

3. Selfishness and generosity, .----. 299

C O NTENTS.

Chapter XXI. The Bible

NO. PAGE.

1. The use of the Bible, 305

2. The little boy and the Bible, 305

3. The heathen boy and the Bible, 306

4. The boy who gave all he had for a Bible, - - - 307

5. I've got the Bible ! I've got the Bible ! - - - - 309

6. The orphan boys and the Bible, ----- 311

7. What a child thought of the Bible on his death-bed, - 314

8. Reverence for the Bible, 314

9. Reading the Bible not a task, _----- 315 10. The best thing in the Bible, 316

Chapter XXII. Death And Eternity

1. What is death ? 317

2. Children may die, - - - - - - - 322

3. Children may die very suddenly, ----- 322

4. Death terrible to those that are not prepared, - - 324

5. How they feel who die unprepared, - - - - 325

6. Happiness in death, -------- 328

7. Why shall we go to heaven ? ----- 331

8. The best place, - - - - 332

SABBATH SCHOOL

TEACHEE'S AID

Chapter I. About Creation

STORY 1.

" The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God."

A LITTLE boy, who went to infant school, was talking with another boy, who said he did not believe there was a God ! ^' Why," said the infant schoolboy, ^' who made the world, if there is no God?" ^^O, it came so," said the other. ^' But who made the people?" said the infant schoolboy. ^^O," said the other, ^^they were in the ground, and the ants dug them up." ^'But who made the ants?" "They made themselves," said the foolish boy. "Well,'' said the infant schoolboy, " I believe there is a God; and that he made the world first, and then, men and women upon it." The next 2

14 INFANT SCHOOL BOYS.

day, when the httle boy told the story in the Sabbath school, one little child said, ^' How could the world come soV A boy, five years old, said, " How could the world make the world?" Another asked, ^' How could the ants make themselves, before they were made, when they were nothing?"

STORY 2.

The teacher of an infant school told the children that there were some people who say there is no God. '^ How can they believe that?" said a little boy. ''If they only look at themselves, they must believe that somebody made them ; and none but God could make us out of the dust of the earth."— What do you think about it, dear children? Could any one make himself? Before we were made, we were nothing. Could nothing make us ? Then there must have been some One who was never made. That One is God. He was not made. He always was. He never began to be. He made us, and every thing else.

LITTLE MARY. 15

Chapter II. About God

1. Tlie little girl that loved to think and talk about God.

A little girl, about five years old, went to visit her grandmother. One day, she stood looking out of the window upon the fields, which were all white with snow. She could not run about and play on the pretty green grass, as she used to do; and she wished the snow was gone, so that the green grass, and the pretty flowers, and the singing birds might come again. '' Grandma," said she, ^' who makes the snow come in the winter, and go away in the spring?" ''It is God, my dear," said her grandmother. Mary stood some time without saying a word; for she was not like some children who keep talking all the tim6, without thinking what they say. She would think^ as well as talk. After thinking a while, she said, ''Grandma, does

16 LITTLE MARY.

God make the grass come in the spring ; and all the flowers, and the leaves on the trees, and the birds, which sing so sweetly?" ''Yes, my dear," said her grandmother. Then she stood a great while longer, without speaking a word, looking first upon the flakes of snow under the window, and then upon the great white sheet of snow which covered the fields as far as she could see. And what do you suppose she was all this time thinking about? Listen to what she said to her grandmother : '• If God can make the snow come on the ground, and all go away again, when he pleases ; and can make the grass, and the flowers, and the leaves, and the birds come in the spring, what a great Being God raust heV

Can you tell now, what she was thinking about ? Did you ever try to count the flakes of snow, that fall so thick and fast, in the winter ? How many there are ! Do you think you could make one, if you should try? But God makes them all. Did you ever try to count the spires of grass in the field, or the leaves on a single

SEEING GOD. 17

tree? How many there are, and how nicely and beautifully they are made ! Every one of them has a great many little notches in the edge, all round it. Could you make one? Try and see. No; you could not make a single one, if j^ou should try all your life. But God made all the spires of grass in all the fields, and all the leaves on all the trees in the world ; and he did it very easily too; only by saying, ^^Let it be !" If you should think about it as long as little Mary did, what would you say about Him^ who can do such things?

2. The king xoho wanted to see God.

Trajan, a heathen emperor, said to a man named Joshua, a Jewish teacher, '^You say your God is every where. I should like to see him." Joshua answered and said, ''God's presence is indeed every where, but he cannot be seen. No mortal eye can behold his glory." But the emperor said he wanted to see him. He was not willing to believe in him till he could see him. Joshua told him he thought they 2#

18 THE LOST PURSE.

had better first look at one of the things his God had made. The emperor said he was Avilhng ; so they went out in the open air, on a clear sunny day ; and Joshua told the emperor to look up and see the sun. '^Ahj" said Trajan, ''how can I look up at the bright sun? Its dazzling light will blind my eyes !" " Thou canst not endure the light of one of God's creatures," said Joshua; "how would it be, if thou shouldst look at the dazzling glory of God himself?"

3. The Lost Purse,

Mary Hammond was a poor woman, who lived in a cottage, with her little granddaughter, who was a very pretty little girl, about seven years old. One day, Susan went out with her basket on her arm, to pick up chips for her grandmother, and she saw a purse lying in the road. She picked it up, and found it was full of money. She was very much dehghted, and ran with great glee to her grandmother, crying out, "O, dear grandmother, do see what I have found in the road ! Here is a

HONESTY REWARDED. 19

purse, almost full of money ; there will be enough to buy you a new gown, and me a pair of shoes. Her grandmother took the purse, and found there was a good deal of money in it. Then, looking at Susan, she said, ^'Indeed, here is more money than would buy many frocks and pairs of shoes ; but perhaps the person who lost it is now saying to himself, 'I hope some honest person has picked it up; for then I shall be sure to get it again.' Would it be honest not to try our best to find the owner?" Susan was silent a moment, and then throwing her arms round her grandmother's neck, she said, with all the warmth of her heart, ^' No, grandmother, I don't want the new frock, I don't want the new shoes with that money." ^^ Well, then, my good httle girl," replied her grandmother, ^^ we'll go to our neighbor, the squire's, and get him to have it put in the papers, that the owner may have it as soon as possible. How do you like that?" 'Til get your bonnet, and we'll go right off," said the little girl, ^' shall we, grandmother?" So they walked off together. The money was

20 WHAT A SPIRIT IS.

advertised, and found to belong to a gentleman who lived about a mile from the cottage, who was a good man, and veryrich. He was pleased with the honesty of the little girl, and her good grandmother; and not only gave them the purse, with the money, but removed them to a cottage on his own place, much better than theirs, and gave them every thing they needed. He also sent Susan to school, and let her play with his own daughter. So you see, dear children, that it is always best to be honest. Susan and her grandmother got much more than if they had kept the purse ; and, what is much better, they enjoyed it with a clear conscience, while they would have been very unhappy to live on money which they knew was not their own.

Now, can you tell what part of this little girl was thinking and reasoning about the purse ? I will tell you, if you do not know. It was her soul or spirit. Her inclination or desire wanted to keep it. Her understanding thought and reasoned about it. Her co7iscience told her it was

SPIRITS NOT SEEN. 21

wrong to keep it. And her will chose not to do it. If you had been there, could you have seen this girPs thoughts? Could you have seen her will, when it was choosing to go and find the owner 7 No ; you cannot see thoughts, even your own thoughts; for you cannot see a spirit. God is a spirit, without a body. That is the reason you cannot see him. He is a great Spirit, for he is every where. God knows all things; and he can do what he pleases. But he always chooses what is right. He is very good, and he can never choose what is wrong.

4. The man that forgot to look up.

There was a man who used to go into his neighbor's field to steal corn. Once he took his little boy with him, to hold the bag, while he put in the ears. The Bible says, ^' Train up a child in the way he should go." Was this man doing so with his little boy? But how do you think he felt, when he got to the place where the corn was ? He was afraid some

22 LOOKING UP.

one would see him, because he knew he was doing wrong. Before he began to pick the corn, therefore, he looked this way and that way, to see if any body was looking at him. •' Father,'^ said his little son, ^'you forgot to look some w^here." ^' Where ! where !" said the father. '• You forgot to look upT When the man thought that God was looking at him, he went silently away as fast as he could, without stealing the corn. Whenever you are going to do any thing that is wrong, remember to look up^ for God always sees you.

5. ^' Thou God seest me."

Hagar was Abraham's maid-servant. She did not behave well, and Sarah, Abraham's wife, punished her. Then she was angry, and ran away. However, the angel of the Lord met her, and told her to go back, and obey Sarah, her mistress. So she did. Ishmael was Hagar's son. But he was a bad boy ; for when Isaac came to be weaned, Abraham made a great feast; and Ishmael made a mock of it. Isaac was

ISHMAEL. 23

Sarah's son, and when she saw IshmaeFs behaviour, she was displeased. So she told Abraham that he must send away Hagar, with her naughty son Ishmael ; for she could not have them in the house. Abraham was a very kind-hearted man, and did not wish to do so ; but he knew Ishmael deserved to be sent away; and while he was thinking about it, God told him to send them away ; for he, too, was displeased. So Abraham got up early in the morning, and took some bread and a bottle of water, and gave them to Hagar, and sent her and her son away. Then they went away, and wandered about, till they had eaten up their bread and drank their water ; and when Ishmael was thirsty, and began to cry, she left him under some bushes, and went a good way off and sat down and cried too ; for she thought they should starve, and she did not want to see her child die. But the angel of God called to her from heaven, and told her not to be afraid, for he would take care of them. And he showed her a well of water, where she could get as much as she wanted.

24 THOU GOD SEEST ME.

Then she was very glad indeed ; for she did not think God saw her. And what do you think she said? I don't know what she said this time ; but I can tell you what she said the first time she ran away from her mistress, and the angel met her then. She said, Thou God seest me. If you remember this, it will be likely to keep you from doing wrong.

There was a boy, whose parents were very poor and also wicked. But he weiit to the Sabbath school, where he learned this text. Thou God seest me. There were a great many wicked boys where he lived ; and one Sabbath they tried to persuade him to go along with them, to steal some fruit; but he would not go. As he was going along, thinking about the wicked conduct of these boys, he felt very bad for them, for he knew they were in danger of being lost for ever. When his teacher saw him look quite sad, he asked him what was the matter; when another boy told him the whole story. His teacher asked him why he did not go. He burst into tears, and raised his eyes to heaven,

THE PRISON. 25

saying, ^* I know that thou God seest me." Then, turning his eyes to his teacher, he said, ^^ When I am but half inchned to sin, this beautiful text, which I learned at the Sabbath school, is in my thoughts, and how can I do what God forbids, when I know that he sees me ? This text has kept me from sin many a time; and I take more pleasure in thinking of it, than I could in sin." This boy grew up to be a man, and became a missionary to the heathen.

But, I will tell you another story, to show you the danger of forgetting that God sees you. I suppose you have heard of a prison; but perhaps you do not know what it is. I will tell you. It is a great house, with thick stone walls, and heavy doors, fastened with great iron bars and bolts and locks, with great iron bars up at the windows. Here they shut up persons that steal, and do other bad things, in very little rooms, fastened so strong that they can't get out. A minister was going round one Sabbath day, in one of these prisons, talking to the prisoners. As he came to 3

26 THE PRISONERS.

the door of one of the cells, an old man came and looked through, between the great iron bars, and said, in a very solemn manner, ^'If I had remembered what Hagar said, it would have saved me twentyfive years' imprisonment." That was true ; but it would have done more; it would have saved his poor mother a great deal of pain too ; for she did not know where he was for twenty-two years. The minister went along to the door of another cell, where he saw another man, and told him what the first one he met had said ; and he replied, ^^Ifl had remembered Hagar's words, it would have saved my father from a shocking death, and myself from being shut up in a prison all my life."

LITTLE GEORGE. 27

Chapter III. Sin And Death

1 . The boy that wanted to confess his sins.

As a lady was sitting one evening with a friend, her little boy seven years old, asked her if she would please to reach him the Bible from the shelf She told him she would soon, but he must be silent while she had visiters. George looked disappointed and sad, and sat still for some time. But after a while he asked very modestly if he might get it himself; and she said he might. So he got up in a chair, and took down the Bible. He then turned to 1 John 1:9, '^If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Then he handed the Bible to his mother, and asked her if she would please to tell him what was meant by cleanse and unrighteousness. His mother explained these words to him. ^' To

28 CONFESSING SIN.

cleanse," said she, ^' is to make any thing clean that is not clean ; and unrighteousness is sin. Sin is called filthy, because it is offensive to God. If you go into a house, that is not clean, you are displeased ; you do not like to stay there. So God is displeased, when he looks within us, and sees oiir hearts filled with wicked thoughts. To cleanse us from all unrighteousness, is, to take away our sins, or, to give us a sense of pardon, through Jesus Christ, so that we feel as you do, when I forgive you."

After this, she asked him why he had asked that question. But George did not like to answer before the lady. His mother told him it was about time for him to go to bed. He did not go immediately, and when the lady went out, his mother asked him why he did not go. ^^ Mother," said he, ^^ I want to confess my sins first." '^ Well, my son," said she, ^^ you know you always say your prayers at night." ^'I know it, mother," said he, ^^but I feel that that is not enough — I must 'prayP '' Why, my son," said his mother; ^' what

FEELING WRONG. 29

sins have you committed to-day? have you told falsehoods, or misused your brothers?" ^^Noj no, mother," said George; '^ but I have/e/^ wrong. I have felt angry with you and father for correcting me. O, mother, if I should die to-night, I could not go to heaven." He then threw himself on his knees, and said with tears, ^^ Do teach me how to confess my sins." After he had confessed his sins to God and asked him to pardon them for Christ's sake, he went to bed feeling quite happy.