PICTURE OF THE LAST SUPPER.
Q. What is this?
A. A picture of the Last Supper.
Q. What do you mean by the last supper?
A. A sacrament instituted by Jesus Christ himself.
Q. What do you understand by a sacrament?
A. There are two sacraments, baptism and the holy supper, and they are
both observed by true Christians.
Q. We will speak about baptism presently, but as we have
the picture of the holy supper before as, let me ask if it is called
by any other name?
A. Yes; it is said that Jesus kept the passover with his disciples,
and when the even was come he sat down with them, and as they did eat,
Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave to his disciples,
saying, Take, eat, this is my body.
Q. What took place next?
A. He took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it them, saying,
This is my blood, the blood of the New Testament, which is shed for
many.
Q. Did Jesus command this ordinance to be observed by his people?
A. Yes; he said in another place, This do in remembrance of me (Luke
xxii. 19).
Q. What ought those persons to remember who do this?
A. They should remember that Jesus Christ died on the cross to save
sinners.
Q. Is any thing else to be understood by the sacrament of the Lord's
supper?
A. Yes, a great deal more.
Q. Explain some of it.
A. When they drink the wine, they should recollect that they ought to
receive the truth of God into their understandings.
Q. What will be the effect of receiving the truth of God into our understandings?
A. It will expel or drive out all falsehood.
Q. What ought they to recollect when they eat the bread?
A. They should recollect that they receive the love of God into their
wills and affections.
Q. What will be the effect of this?
A. It will drive out all bad passions and evil desires; for it is said,
he that
eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me and I in him
(John vi. 27).
Q. Is any thing more to be understood by these things?
A. Much more, which we must endeavour to learn when we get older.
Q. How will you learn this?
A. By reading the Bible and going to a place of worship.[A]
[Footnote A: There are many more of similar lessons, and, if any
thing, more simple, which accompany the pictures and apparatus which
I supply for Infant Schools; the profits from which will assist to
enable me, if I am blessed with health and strength, still further to
extend the system.]
Allow such things as these to be brought before the infant mind: let
the feelings of the heart, as well as the powers of the understanding,
be called into exercise; let babes have "the pure milk of the Word"
before "the strong meat;" let as little stress as possible
be laid on
"the mere letter," and as much as possible on "the spirit"
of "the
truth;" let it be shewn that piety is not merely rational, but
in the
highest degree practicable; let this be done with diligence, faith,
and prayer, and I hesitate not to say, that we shall have an increase
of the religion of the heart.
Religious instruction may be given in other ways. Let the teacher take
a flower or an insect, and ask the, children if they could make such
a
one; and I never found one who would answer, "Yes." A microscope
will
increase the knowledge of its wonders. The teacher may then make a
needle the subject of remark; the children will admit that it is
smooth, very smooth; let him tell them it is the work of man, and
as such will appear imperfect in proportion as it is examined; and
shewing them it through the microscope, they will perceive it is rough
and full of holes. As a contrast, let him take a bee, obtain their
observations on it as it is, give them a short history of it, and they
will acknowledge its superiority over the needle. But on viewing it
through the microscope, astonishment will be increased, and I have
heard many say at such a time, "O sir, how good (meaning great)
God
must be!" The sting may then be pointed out, as unlike the needle,
and perfectly smooth; and thus truth may be imparted in a manner the
most interesting and delightful.
The influence of such considerations on character is obvious. When
the greatness of God is spoken of, allusion may be made to our
pride, and to the importance of humility; his goodness may suggest
the evil of unkindness, and the importance of benevolence; and
his truth may lead to remarks on its necessity, and the sin of
falsehood.
A small plot of ground may moreover be appropriated to the children;
some grains of wheat, barley, or rye may be sown, and they may be told
that, at a certain time, they will spring forth. Often will they go,
and anxiously watch for this; and at length they will say perhaps,
"Please, sir, such a thing has come up; we know it is so, for it
is
just what you said it would be." Week after week the progress of
vegetation will be observed, and the fulfilment of the master's
promise will greatly tend to increase his influence. So great will
he appear, that his words and commands will be more regarded; while
it will be his object to trace the wonders which he predicted to their
divine Source. I have frequently observed, on such occasions, what I
should term an act of infant worship. Often has the question been put
to me, "Please, sir, is it wicked to play?" as if the spirit
were
awed, and transgression against God were regarded with dread. Caution
has been also discovered in the use of the divine name; and I have listened
with delight to such remarks as these: "Please, sir, when we sing
a hymn, we may say Gad, or if we talk about the sun, we may say God
made it; and it isn't taking his name in vain, is it? But when we
talk of God as boys do in the street, that is very wicked!"
The following facts will illustrate the benefit of scriptural
instruction.
A little boy, about four years and a half old, belonging to an Infant
School, went to see his cousin, a little girl about his own age. At
bed-time, the little boy, to his great surprise, saw her get into bed
without having said her prayers. The little fellow immediately went
up
to the side of the bed, and put this question to her: "Which would
you
rather go to, heaven or hell?" The little girl said, "I don't
know!"
"Not know!" said the boy; "Why, wicked people go to hell,
and the
good go to heaven, a happy place." The little girl then said, "Why,
I should like to go to heaven." "Ah!" but replied the
little fellow
again, "You did not say your prayers; and all that go heaven pray
to
God." She then said, "Will you teach me to pray your prayer?"
"If
I lived with you," said he, "I would; but if you go to the
Infant
School, they will teach you to say your prayers, and sing hymns too."
One day, while the teacher of an Infant School was speaking to his
little children, from the conversation of our Lord with the woman
of Samaria at the well, a gentleman present asked the following
questions: "Where should we go to worship God?" When a little
boy
answered, "To a throne of grace." "And where is a throne
of grace?"
"Any where," answered the boy; "for where we kneel down,
and pray to
God with our hearts, we are then at a throne of grace."
There are times when the children are in a better state to receive
religious instruction than others. A teacher of observation will
soon perceive this, and act accordingly; if, however, the thing is
overdone, which it may be, and which I have seen, then the effect is
fatal. Hypocrisy will take the place of sincerity, and the heart will
remain unaffected and unimproved.
A little boy, the subject of the following anecdote, being six years
of age, and forward in his learning, I considered him fit to be sent
to another school; and informed the parents accordingly. The father
came immediately, and said, he hoped I would keep him till he was
seven years of age; adding, that he had many reasons for making the
request. I told him, that it was the design of the Institution to take
such children as no other school would admit; and as his child had
arrived at the age of six, he would be received into the national
school; moreover, as we had a number of applications for the admission
of children much younger, I could not grant his request. He then said,
"I understand that you make use of pictures in the school, and
I have
good reason to approve of them; for," said he, "you must know
that I
have a large Bible in the house, Matthew Henry's, which was left me
by
my deceased mother; like many more, I never looked into it, but kept
it merely for show. The child, of course, was forbidden to open it,
for fear of its being spoiled: but still he was continually asking me
to read in it, and I as continually denied him; indeed, I had imbibed
many unfavourable impressions concerning this book, and had no
inclination to read it, and was not very anxious that the child
should. However, the child was not to be put off, although
several times I gave him a box on the ear for worrying me; for,
notwithstanding this usage, the child would frequently ask me to read
it, when he thought I was in a good humour; and at last I complied
with his wishes; 'Please, father,' said the child, 'will you read
about Solomon's wise judgment' 'I don't know where to find it,' was
the reply. 'Then,' says the child, 'I will tell you; it is in the
third chapter of the first book of Kings.' I looked as the child
directed, and, finding it, I read it to him. Having done so, I was
about to shut up the book; which the child perceiving, said, 'Now,
please, father, will you read about Lazarus raised from the dead?'
which was done; and, in short," said the father, "he kept
me at it for
at least two hours that night, and completely tired me out, for there
was no getting rid of him. The next night be renewed the application,
with 'Please, father, will you read about Joseph and his brethren?'
and he could always tell me where these stories were to be found.
Indeed, he was not contented with my reading it, but would get me into
many difficulties, by asking me to explain that which I knew nothing
about; and if I said I could not tell him, he would tell me that I
ought to go to church, for his master had told him, that that was
the place to learn more about it; adding, 'and I will go with you,
father.' In short, he told me every picture you had in your school,
and kept me so well at it, that I at last got into the habit of
reading for myself, with some degree of delight; this, therefore,
is
one reason why I wish the child to remain in the school." A short
time
afterwards, the mother called on me, and told me, that no one could
be
happier than she was, for there was so much alteration in her husband
for the better, that she could scarcely believe him to be the same
man. Instead of being in the skittle-ground, in the evening, spending
his money and getting tipsy, he was reading at home to her and his
children; and the money that used to go for gambling, was now going
to buy books, with which, in conjunction with the Bible, they were
greatly delighted, and afforded both him and them a great deal of
pleasure and profit.
Here we see a whole family were made comfortable, and called to a
sense of religion and duty, by the instrumentality of a child of six
years of age. I subsequently made inquiries, and found that the whole
family attended a place of worship, and that their character would
bear the strictest investigation.
The following anecdote will also shew how early impressions are made
on the infant mind, and the effects such impressions may have in the
dying moments of a child. A little boy, between the age of five and
six years, being extremely ill, prevailed on his mother to ask me to
come and see him. The mother called, and stated, that her little boy
said be wanted to see his master so bad, that he would give any thing
if he could see him. The mother likewise said, she should herself be
very much obliged to me if I would come; conceiving that the child
would get better after he had seen me. I accordingly went; and on
seeing the child considered that he could not recover. The moment I
entered the room, the child attempted to rise, but could not. "Well,
my little man," said I, "did you want to see me?" "Yes,
Sir, I wanted
to see you very much," answered the child. "Tell me what you
wanted
me for." "I wanted to tell you that I cannot come to school
again,
because I shall die." "Don't say that," said the mother,
"you will
get better, and then you can go to school again." "No,"
answered the
child, "I shall not get better, I am sure; and I wanted to ask
master
to let my class sing a hymn over my body, when they put it in the
pit-hole." The child, having made me promise that this should be
done,
observed, "You told me, master, when we used to say the pictures,
that
the souls of children never die; and do you think I shall go to God?"
"You ask me a difficult question, my little boy," said I.
"Is it,
sir?" said the child, "I am not afraid to die, and I know
I shall
die." "Well, child, I should not be afraid to change states
with you;
for if such as you do not go to God, I do not know what will become
of
such as myself; and from what I know of you, I firmly believe that
you will, and all like you; but you know what I used to tell you at
school." "Yes, sir, I do; you used to tell me that I should
pray to
God to assist me to do to others as I would that they should do to
me, as the hymn says; and mother knows that I always said my prayers,
night and morning; and I used to pray for father and mother, master
and governess, and every body else." "Yes, my little man,
this is part
of our duty; we should pray for every one; and, I think, if God sees
it needful, he will answer our prayers, especially when they come from
the heart." Here the child attempted to speak, but could not, but
waved his hand, in token of gratitude for my having called; and I can
truly say, that I never saw so much confidence, resignation, and true
dependence on the divine will, manifested by any grown person, on a
death-bed, much less by a child under the tender age of seven years.
I
bade the child adieu, and was much impressed with what I had seen. The
next day the mother called on me, and informed me that the child had
quitted his tenement of clay; and that just before his departure had
said to her, and those around him, that the souls of children never
die; it was only the body that died; that he had been told at school,
while they were saying the pictures, that the soul went to God, who
gave it. The mother said that these were the last words the child
was known to utter. She then repeated the request about the children
singing a hymn over his grave, and named the hymn she wished to
have sung. The time arrived for the funeral, and the parents of the
children who were to sing the hymn made them very neat and clean, and
sent them to school. I sent them to the house whence the funeral was
to proceed, and the undertaker sent word that he could not be troubled
with such little creatures, and that unless I attended myself the
children could not go. I told him that I was confident that the
children would be no trouble to him, if he only told them to follow
the mourners two and two, and that it was unnecessary for any one to
interfere with them further than shewing them the way back to the
school. I thought, however, that I would attend to see how the
children behaved, but did not let them see me, until the corpse was
arrived at the ground. As soon as I had got to the ground, some of the
children saw me, and whispered, "There's master;" when several
of them stepped out of the ranks to favour me with a bow. When the corpse
was put into the ground, the children were arranged round the grave,
not one of whom was more than six years of age. One of them gave out
the hymn, in the usual way, and then it was sung by the whole of them;
and, according to the opinions of the by-standers, very well. The novelty
of the thing caused a great number of persons to collect
together; and yet, to their credit, while the children were singing,
there was not a whisper to be heard; and when they had finished the
hymn, the poor people made a collection for the children on the
ground. The minister himself rewarded one or two of them, and they
returned well stored with money, cakes, &c. This simple thing was
the means of making the school more known; for I could hear persons
inquiring, "Where do these children come from?" "Why,
don't you know?" replied others, "from the Infant School."
"Well," answered a third, "I will try to get my children
into it; for I should like them to be
there of all things. When do they take them in, and how do they get
them in?" "Why, you must apply on Monday mornings," answered
another; and the following Monday I had no less than forty-nine applications,
all of which I was obliged to refuse, because the school was full.[A]
[Footnote A: This circumstance took place in the heart of London, and
some of the chief actors in it are now men and women; and should
this meet the eye of any of them, I am sure they will not forget the
circumstances, nor entirely forget their old teacher.]
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