p. 120 | Youth's Instructor by Editor

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jan 10, 1856

Youth's Instructor.

By Editor

THERE can be no doubts in the minds of those who love God and keep his commandments, but what the youth and children need such a monthly visitor as the INSTRUCTOR has been for the past three years. We hope, however, that it may be still more interesting and instructive than it has been, and be issued the first of each month. And if there can be no doubt as to the utility of continuing the INSTRUCTOR, there should be no lack of interest in its behalf.

None can feel the importance of instructing children in the way to life as parents should feel; yet those who are called of God to preach his word, and watch for souls as "they that must give account," may feel for the lambs of the flock, more than language can express. But there is another class who should feel a deep interest in this matter. They can exert a holy and powerful influence over the youth and children. We refer to young Christians. Their age and experience is such—their minds are active and so free from worldly care—as to make them capable of rendering especial aid in the great work of leading the minds of the youth in the path of virtue, truth and holiness. With a good degree of faith and hope we engage anew in this work of sacrifice and love for the children, and expect the co-operation of all interested, especially the three classes referred to.

1. Parents and guardians. Will you mingle your fervent prayers with ours in this effort for your dear children? This you will do. You know what the INSTRUCTOR has been. It shall continue to be devoted to pure religious instruction, breathing forth the spirit of love for holy things into the affections of your children. Do you consider it necessary for them to read other matter, you can find it elsewhere. God grant that the INSTRUCTOR may be a pure spring of religious knowledge.

2. To the servants of God, who teach his Word, we would say, The columns of the INSTRUCTOR are open for you to explain the plan of salvation in a plain, easy style, that it may be understood and embraced by the youth. We hope that each number will contain short, pointed articles from several of you, pointing out the path to life, and marking the perils and dangers of the way, to which youthful feet are exposed. Here is an opportunity of spending a leisure hour of each month in speaking to perhaps one thousand or more of the precious youth.

3. Young Christians. Your minds are active and free from care. You have time for study, reflection and prayer, that others older than you are deprived of. You can exert an influence over your young friends, which it is not in the power of those older to exert.

If you are whole Christians, or, as the devoted James Brainerd Taylor said, "uncommon Christians," then the Spirit of God will rest upon you, and the spirit of consecration and devotion will be with you. And as you read the Word of God, which is spirit and life, that Word will make deep impressions upon your mind, and you will then be prepared to stamp the same impression, in a measure, at least, on the minds of those for whose salvation you labor.

Young Christians. Come to the fountain that is open to wash you from all the stains of sin, and make you white. Come close to Jesus and feel his smiles. Banish, O, banish from your hearts those idols, those sins that bar the dear Saviour out, and grieve the Holy Spirit away from you. Take the cross, and feel the care and burden for the salvation of your young friends that the Bible requires of you, and, then, you can do them good.

We invite you to write for the INSTRUCTOR. Study prayerfully and well the subjects upon which you write, then express your thoughts in a humble style. If you write in the fear of God, with a desire to do others good, you will not seek a lofty, or a precise style. This will make your communications appear stiff and unfeeling. But express your thoughts in a manner that will touch the finest feelings of your young friends and, at the same time, instruct them. Sisters Davis, Stephenson, Barrows, Harris, Stevens, Cory, Byington, Hastings and others, have set a good example. We hope to hear from them often, and from others who have not written.

With 1000 paying subscribers, the INSTRUCTOR can be published for 25 cents a year; but as we have not more than one half that number that pay, it is necessary to rise on the price of the INSTRUCTOR, or no longer publish it, as we do not possess means to expend in its publication.

It is true that the prices of some papers published for children are even less than 25 cents a year; but such papers have from five to fifty thousand subscribers. With four thousand paying subscribers the INSTRUCTOR could be better furnished at 12 cents a year, than for 25 cents a year to only one thousand subscribers. Type-setting and editing (which are three-fourths of the whole expense) cost as much for one thousand copies as for fifty thousand. This is the reason why papers published for the remnant (editions being small) cost much more than many other papers the same size. Those who give their influence to the cause of unpopular Bible truth, may expect that truth will cost them more than popular errors cost. While the real value of pure truth cannot be estimated, the popular errors and common trash published in many religious papers, both for adults and children are worthless, and even poisonous, as they lead the mind to this world, to darkness and to death.

We hope that all the subscribers of the INSTRUCTOR, will immediately renew their subscriptions. Should any of the poor feel unable to take as many copies as formerly, on account of the price, let them take the same number and pay for what they can, and we will send one copy or more, free. The expense of a few extra copies is but a trifle. It is necessary to copy the names of subscribers into new books, and we have decided to insert only the names of those who either send us the pay for Vol IV, or, promise to pay, or, report that they are unable to pay. To all such we will send the INSTRUCTOR for one year. By carefully looking over our books we have found that we have been sending more than fifty copies of the INSTRUCTOR to wrong addresses; how many more we know not. Many have changed their address, and have neglected to inform us, so that we have been sending, perhaps, one hundred copies that have not been read. For this reason, we decide to enter into the new books only the names of those we hear from. Those who wish to receive No. 2, in season should write without delay!

We hope that our brethren generally, especially young brethren and sisters, will patronize the INSTRUCTOR. The expense is but a trifle—50 cents a year—and where is the brother or sister that cannot spare the sum of one cent a week to assist in this enterprise for the children? We hope there are none. For $1, we will send to any new subscriber Vol. IV, also Vols. I, II & III, of the INSTRUCTOR bound in paper covers, with the Child's Hymn Book. Bills, specie, or postage stamps, sent at our risk. Address Eld. James White, Battle Creek, Mich.

J. W.