The English pastor C.H. Spurgeon preached a sermon called, "Do Not Sin Against the Child." In it he encouraged teachers and parents alike to take the souls of their children seriously. For those of you who invest each Sunday in the lives of little ones, take these words to heart:
Now, dear Sunday school teachers, I will mention one or two matters which concern you. 'Do not sin against the child' by coming to your class with a chilly heart. Why should you make your children cold towards divine things? Do not sin against them by coming too late, for that will make them think that punctuality is not a virtue, and that the Sunday school is of no great importance. 'Do not sin against the child' by coming irregularly, and absenting yourself on the smallest pretence, for that is distinctly saying to the child, 'You can neglect to serve God when you please, for you see I do.' 'Do not sin against the child' by merely going through class routine, without really teaching and instructing. That is the shadow of Sunday school teaching and not the substance, and it is in some respects worse than nothing. 'Do not sin against the child' by merely telling him a number of stories without setting forth the Saviour; for that will be giving him a stone instead of bread. 'Do not sin against the child' by aiming at anything short of his conversion to God through Jesus Christ the Saviour.
Teachers, thank you for pouring your hearts and your minds into the lives of the children you teach. If you want to read Spurgeon's sermon in full, you can find it here.
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