instruction, but a serious perversion of its legitimate use has
developed in connection with religious instruction of little children.
Though the discussion of this may be a possible digression, it seems
necessary in order to safeguard nurture from a mistake.

There are two helpful methods of using an object with children in the
Beginners' and Primary age. The first is to explain an unfamiliar fact,
or make it clear. A model of an oriental house or curios from a mission
field are examples of this. The second use is to illustrate a fact. The
flower is the visible expression of God's loving care; the table, heaped
high with grains and fruits and vegetables at the Thanksgiving service,
teaches as no mere words could the fact of God's provision for our need.
Objects used in this way require no reasoning power to make their
meaning clear. It is only a matter of perception.

The use of an object, however, in order to deduce spiritual truth
therefrom for children with reasoning powers undeveloped, is a mistake.
Instead of making the thought clearer to their minds it obscures it.
Close examination reveals the reason for this. A child is both
imaginative and literal. Through his imagination he can transform one
object into another object, as we have already observed, but in this
case he is asked to transform an object into an abstract idea. This he
does not easily do, since such transformation is made by reason, not by
imagination. Further, the spiritual teachings are drawn from the
abstract idea which the object is supposed to represent, not from the
object itself. Manifestly, therefore, if he does not get the idea he
will not get the deductions from it. His mind does not follow beyond the
point where he can understand, consequently, his thought remains with
the object as it literally is.

To illustrate, take the familiar object lesson of a cup overflowing with
water, used to teach the thought of God's manifold blessings in the
life. The child is asked to change the cup into the abstract thought of
life, and water into the thought of blessing. This is difficult, for it
involves reason and deals with resemblances which are artificial, not
real. The child's literalism, therefore, asserts itself, and the cup
remains a cup and the water is still water, and while the teacher is
drawing conclusions, the child is probably wondering whether her dress
will get wet or how he can get a drink.

The same principle obtains in regard to c