Following this would come the story of Jesus rebuking his disciples for trying to send the children away, and his own kindness to the children.  Then such questions as these:  How did the disciples feel about having the children around Jesus?  Why did they tell the children to keep away?  Perhaps they were afraid the children would annoy or trouble Jesus.  Have you ever known anyone who did not seem to like to have children around him?  Does your mother like to have you come and be beside her?  What did Jesus say about letting the children come to him?  Why do you think Jesus liked to have the children around him?  How did Jesus show his love for children?  Why do you think the children liked to be with Jesus?  Do you think that Jesus loves children as much to-day as when he was upon earth?  Do you think he wants children to be good and happy now as he did then?  In what ways does Jesus show his love and kindness to children?  The impression or conclusion to grow out of these questions and the story is that Jesus loved and cared for children when he was upon earth, and that he loves and cares for them now just as he did then.  This will be the goal in the teacher’s mind from the beginning of the lesson.

THE DEDUCTIVE, OR APPLICATION, LESSON

Not all teaching can be of the inductive, or discovery, type.  It is necessary now and then to start with general truths, rules, or principles and apply them to concrete individual cases.  Rules and maxims once understood are often serviceable in working out new problems.  The conclusions reached from a study of one set of circumstances can frequently be used in meeting similar situations another time.

For example, the child learns by a study of particular instances the results of disobedience, and finally arrives at the great general truth that disobedience to the laws of nature or of God is followed by punishment and suffering.  This fact becomes to him a rule, a principle, a maxim, which has universal application.  Once this is understood and accepted, the child is armed with a weapon against disobedience.  With this equipment he can say when he confronts temptation:  This means disobedience to God’s law and the laws of nature; but disobedience to the laws of God and of nature brings punishment and suffering; therefore if I do this thing, I shall be punished, and shall suffer—­I will refrain from doing it.

Making the application.—­A large part of our instruction in religion must be of the deductive kind.  It is impossible, even if it were desirable, to rediscover and develop inductively out of observation and experience all the great moral and religious laws which should govern the life.  Many of these come to us ready-made, the result of the aggregate experience of generations of religious living, or the product of God’s revelation to men.  Consider, for example, such great generalizations as:  “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also;” “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy”; “No man can serve two masters”; “With what measure ye mete it shall be measured unto you”; “The wages of sin is death.”