Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1852-09-17
Obedience.

|
Washington, by Rev. DIR. DEWEY. enforcing the
| principle of obedience. This sermon has been pub
lished in New York and Boston by Messrs FRANcIs
and Co. The preacher devotes portion of his ser
mon to the subject of family government, which he
thinks Is not arranged it sh uld be in this coun.
try. We quote from this part of the DISCOURSE
| Let US go back then to the family discipline, and
see If we can determine what it should be-
| A parent is one, to whom is committed the charge
OF training beings, utterly ignorant, incapable OF
reasoning-incapable at first, of knowing The rea-
sons of things-up to knowledge virtue and happi-
ness 10 his to his love and tenderness to his
guidance and control they are committed. HIS We
ry position implies authority divest it of that and
1t loses all dignity fitness and reasonahleness. 1t
cannot have been meant, that his wisdom should be
h h"arted and his life distracted by the passions cap
rice and wlf.lroes &c his- children Init that their
passion caprice and wfulness should be subject to
his authority. Could there be any such thing as
compact in the case, we should saw it is but fair
compact between the two" will train and take
care of you, if you will obey me- 1t never
meant in the ordinary course of things that duties
should be martyrdons And yet, half {: dozen little
children, irrational beings ungoverned or only half
-wful-breakng out constantly into
screams Of passion turning things into perpetual dis
order and disarray, doing this and that--running
this way and that way. without check controlled
only by momenary expedients to get along-nust
make Of the mothers life, or of some other persons
life who has the charge of them. sort of living
in the nature of things. 1t must be sad teaching
OF wright to those young minds for it is wrong
1t is positive unr gheousncss, enacted into the ve-
ry government, or rather mis- government Of fam-
ly.
And there is no necessity for it. These children
can be governed. They were made to be governed
Obedience, in some respects is natural to them and
they are trained by neglect by false system of
treatment, to disobedence, that is unnatural and
monstrous. A child disobeying its parents Gods
I.1r IL -L.Lr I
law be laid upon it from the very beginning. | am
persuadedi ii is great mistake we make, in suppo-
sing that nothing in this wise can be done, till the
child is year old. 1t would be nearer the truth to
say, something can be done when it is month old j..
Just as it has will, rising above instinct
conscious and perssting wi]l-that will should
on proper occasions, be gently and firmly restrained
And that discipline continued, ever gentle but firm
ever loving, considerate and sympathsing but to
IFS point, irm-from its point immovable-will Sc
patient and perfect obedience. Ifthe child is
permitted to dsobey. it will soon cease think
of it possible. And it should never be permitted
say it is sin before Heaven and is no to be
tolerated in the house Such a law established and
the house would be builded anew. Passionate self
wiIl-the most hateful thing I believe on earth =
ence would enter in. 1t would be that peace that
family love- which the Psalmist celebrates when he
says, How good and pleasant it isl" 1t would be
like that perfume of holy incense to which he
pares 1t. 1t would De ike line dew or Hermon -
like the dew that descended upon the mountains of
Zion; where the Lord commanded the blessing. even
life for eyermore."
Yes. the children themselves would be incompara-
bly, happier in obedience. We do them the crueest
wrong, if give them up to their own self-wilI To
give them comfts and sweetmeats that make them
ILL., because they cry for them, is but an illustration
of the evil and wrong which we do in this way. to
their whole moral nature. 1t might seem at first
sight, that indulgence would make them happier !:
and with many kind hearted but mistaken parents
hat is the plea but it is not true. Wilfulness and
waywardness, in child man, is the unhappiest of
all states of being. Ever in such state are things
growing worse-the craving for grfcation more
intense and unreasonale-thc whole life and heing
more distracted and miserable Only when living
under law-only when walking in obedience. is
porous Selfish passion everywhere is anarchy be-
getting injustice, and bringing forth destruction
The reign of conscience only is calm. The reign of
order is'' peace and quetness and assurance forev