The child-Christian.—­All of these considerations point to the inevitable conclusion that the child is the great objective of our teaching.  Indeed, the child ought to be the objective of the work of the whole church.  The saving of its children from wandering outside the fold is the supreme duty and the strategic opportunity of the church, standing out above all other claims whatever.  We are in some danger of forgetting that when Jesus wanted to show his disciples the standard of an ideal Christian he “took a child and set him in the midst of them.”  We do not always realize that to keep a child a Christian is much more important than to reclaim him after he has been allowed to get outside the fold.

The recent report of a series of special religious meetings states that there were a certain number of conversions “exclusive of children,” the implication being that the really important results were in the decisions of the adults.  The same point of view was revealed when a church official remarked after the reception of a large group of new members, “It was an inspiring sight, except that there were so few adults!" When shall we learn that if we do our duty by the children there will be fewer adults left outside for the church to receive?

NO SUBJECT MATTER AN END IN ITSELF

The teacher must first of all take his stand with the child.  He must not allow his attention and enthusiasms to become centered on the matter he teaches.  He must not be satisfied when he has succeeded in getting a certain fact lodged in the minds of his pupils.  He must first, last, and all the time look upon subject matter, no matter how beautiful and true it may be, as a means to an end.  The end sought is certain desired changes in the life, thought, and experience of the child.  There are hosts of teachers who can teach grammar (or the Bible), but comparatively few who can teach John.

This does not mean that the material we teach is unimportant, nor that we can fulfill our duty as teachers without the use of interesting, fruitful, and inspiring subject matter.  It does not mean that we are not to love the subject we teach, and feel our heart thrill in response to its beauty and truth.

Making subject matter a means instead of an end.—­One who is not filled with enthusiasm for a subject has no moral right to attempt to teach it, for the process will be dead and lifeless, failing to kindle the fires of response in his pupils and lacking in vital results.  But the true teacher never loves a body of subject matter for its own sake; he loves it for what through it he can accomplish in the lives of those he teaches.