THE NATIVITY OF JESUS CHRIST.
The picture being suspended as the others, and a whole class being
in
the class-room, put the pointer into one of the children's hands, and
desire the child to find out the Nativity of Jesus Christ. The other
children will be on the tip-toe of expectation, to see whether the
child makes a mistake; for, should this be the case, they know that
one of them will have the same privilege of trying to find it; should
the child happen to touch the wrong picture, the teacher will have at
least a dozen applicants, saying, "Please, sir, may I? Please,
sir,
may I?" The teacher having selected the child to make the next
trial,
say one of the youngest of the applicants, the child walks round the
room with the pointer, and puts it on the right picture; which will
be
always known by the other children calling out, "That is the right,
that is the right." To view the child's sparkling eyes, who has
found
the picture, and to see the pleasure beaming forth in his countenance,
you might imagine that be conceived he had performed one of the
greatest wonders of the age. The children will then proceed to read
what is printed on the picture, which is as follows: "The Nativity
of
our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ;" which is printed at the top
of the
picture. At the bottom are the following words: "And she brought
forth
her first-born son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him
in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn."--We
then
proceed to question them in the following manner:--
Q. What do you mean by the Nativity of Jesus Christ?
A. The time he was born.
Q. Where was he born?
A. In Bethlehem of Judea.
Q. Where did they lay him?
A. In a manger.
Q. What is a manger?
A. A thing that horses feed out of.
Q. What was the reason they put him there?
A. Because there was no room in the inn.
Q. What is an inn?
A. A place where persons lodge who are travelling, and it is like a
public house.
Q. What do you mean by travelling? When you go from one place to
another; from London into the country, or from the country into
London.
Q. Is any thing else to be understood by travelling?
A. Yes, we are all travelling.
Q. What do you mean by all travelling?
A. We are all going in a good road or else in a bad one.
Q. What do you mean by a good road?
A. That which leads to heaven.
Q. What will lead us to heaven?
A. Praying to God and endeavouring to keep his commandments, and trying
all we can to be good children.
Q. Can we make ourselves good?
A. No; we can receive nothing, except it be given us from heaven.
Q. What is travelling in a bad road?
A. Being naughty children, and not minding what is said to us; and when
we say bad words, or steal any thing, or take God's name in vain.
Q. Where will this road lead to?
A. To eternal misery.
Here we usually give a little advice according to circumstances,
taking care always to avoid long speeches, that will tend to stupify
the children. If they appear tired, we stop, but if not, they repeat
the following hymn, which I shall insert in full, as I believe there
is nothing in it that any Christian would object to.
Hark! the skies with music sound!
Heavenly glory beams around;
Christ is born! the angels sing,
Glory to the new-born King.
Peace is come, good-will appears,
Sinners, wipe away your tears;
God in human flesh to-day
Humbly in the manger lay.
Shepherds tending flocks by night,
Heard the song, and saw the light;
Took their reeds, and softest strains
Echo'd through the happy plains.
Mortals, hail the glorious King
Richest incense cheerful bring;
Praise and love Emanuel's name,
And his boundless grace proclaim.
The hymn being concluded, we put the following questions to the
children:
Q. Who was the new-born king?
A. Jesus Christ.
Q. Who are sinners?
A. We, and all men.
Q. What are flocks?
A. A number of sheep.
Q. What are shepherds?
A. Those who take care of the sheep.
Q. What are plains?
A. Where the sheep feed.
Q. Who are mortals?
A. We are mortals.
Q. Who is the glorious king?
A. Jesus Christ.
Q. What is meant by Emanuel's name?
A. Jesus Christ.
Here the teacher can inform the children, that Jesus Christ is called
by a variety of names in the Bible, and can repeat them to the
children if he thinks proper; for every correct idea respecting
the Saviour which he can instil into their minds will serve as a
foundation for other ideas, and he will find that the more ideas the
children have, the more ready they will be in answering his questions;
for man is a progressive being; his capacity for progression is his
grand distinction above the brutes.
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