PREFACE
These short addresses are designed to help the busy pastor get a flying start in his effort to fill the minds of his church children with compelling imagery and their eyes with the sweet lessons by Seeing Gospel Truth.
I have made no attempt at phrase-making, nor have I sought to create a literary marvel.
I have used the greatest simplicity of language at my command, in some cases employing the unpolished words of the children themselves. This I have done because many of these chapters have been framed for their eyes and ears, and it has always been my ambition that the children should hear the truth in their own tongue.
Perhaps my words and sentences would not pass the Sanhedrin of the universities, but my ideas are on the run to catch the child before the ever-shortening days of youth have passed, and perhaps sometimes I have run by some of the standards of the school.
When Evangelist D. L. Moody was in London, England, the first time some of the critical divines made sport of the fact that Mr. Moody in pronouncing the word "Jerusalem" did so in two syllables. The secular press also took up the matter and made high glee over it. C. H. Spurgeon, then in all his glory at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, in one of his sermons used the following language, "I am glad there is one minister in London who is in such haste to give the gospel to the people that he does not stop to pronounce every syllable."
The King's business requires haste, and this business of gaining the King's children requires double haste. This will explain some of the sentences of this book that may cause you to stop and think why I said them. C. H. Spurgeon has given you my answer.
These talks aim to fill the eye as well as the ear. This is the reason that a line of simple objects is used.
These objects are golden hooks which hang up ideas in the hall of memory to stay "put" evermore.
Some of the chapters are designed for children and adults alike, for there are some adults who, like Peter Pan, refuse to grow up and still "like to see things."
Read over each chapter twice before you attempt to work it out.
Think yourself back to childhood's happy days and "be a child again just for tonight," and then when your ideas are romping about in your head with the zest of youth, tell your lesson and show them "the things."
And may it come to pass that you may turn the Wonderful Eyes and Hearts of the Wonderful Children toward the "Rose of Sharon" as the rose of the garden turns toward the light of the Sun.
This is the prayer of the author to whom God has given the distinguished honor of talking to a million and a half of little folks about Jesus, "who loves the little children of the world."
C. H. WOOLSTON.
EAST BAPTIST STUDY, PHILADELPHIA, PA.
April, 1926.