In a pithy little tract, by Pastor D. M. Panton, the peril of compromise is pointed out by an incident reported by the late Dr. Wilbur Chapman. A tramp once entered an evangelistic meeting. At the close it was thrown open for anyone to speak. He arose and said, “This is the chapel I used to attend when I was a little boy. My father was an officer in this church. He used to sit in that pew. There were seven of us boys in the Sunday School class, and we very much loved and respected our teacher. She used to take us home on Saturday afternoons, and we used to have some music and refreshment, and then we had a look over the lesson for the following day. After a bit, in order to keep hold of us, she introduced us to cards. She showed us how to play them, and she showed us a number of tricks, and so on. We soon began to ask her to have a little less of the lesson and a little more of the cards, and to show us a few more tricks. Shortly after this we began ceasing to go to the house at all, and we took to cards and cigarettes at other places. Then we took to gambling, and as a matter of course we left the Sunday School and her evening class altogether. I want to tell you what has become of those boys. Two of those boys have been hanged; three others are in state prisons for life; the sixth one, if the police knew where he is, would be there also; and if they knew I was here, I should be behind bars in double-quick time. All I have got to say is that I do wish my Sunday School teacher had never taught us boys to play cards.” He had no sooner finished than a woman dressed in black staggered forward and fell before his feet and cried, “My God, I am that Sunday School teacher!”
Oh! Sunday School teachers, with all your splendid opportunities to work for God and Christ among the children. Is it your definite aim to bring them to Christ? How many have you brought to the Lord Jesus this year? Do you press home to them the need of their souls, or do you fill up the precious hour of opportunity on Sunday afternoons, by reading tales to them or by doing those things to interest and perhaps amuse that lead them from Christ instead of to Christ? Let your motto be, “My class for God.” Christ says, “Suffer the little children to come unto me.” Are you leading them to Him?