The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1855-09-06

Nv NV h4tAOOG SUNNI OIL S4IS ISAINOiaiB VI
preventing influence from better sources
grow up an enemy and contemner o.
! Christ? Nurtured in den Of thieves, ol
smugglers, or robbers, he will feel neither
horror nor disapprobation at the attro.
! cious crimes with which he is constantly
familiar; and to become the most daring
and expert of the gang, will in. all proba-
bility be, the highest aspiration felt by
his blighted and demoralized spirit. Do
We not almost daily see and hear of chill
dreC, whose reckless vagrancy defes all
christian effort; and of whom We never
think; when we remember they have souls,
without a shudder Of despair? And why!
All, their parents are vicious and careless
Of moral rcctitude, many arc prQfane,
and multitudes are regardless Of the sane
tity Of the Sabbath, and how can their
children be better than they--for the ten
dcncy is usually downward in morals,
when the examples and associations are
evil. But we are met here with an objec-
ton, viz DO not the children Of wicked
parents, some times become yirtuous and
christian? We joyfuiIy admit the exceP-
ton to the general rule, but let it be re-
membered, that these exceptions, arise
from the couuteracting influences Of Di-
vine Grace-of the beneficial influence Of
the Sabbath School, or some Of the In,
strumentalitieS of the Gospel which over
come the evil tendencies of bad example,
of home infdeIity,-or of early evil
habits On the other hand, We fully eX-
pect the children Of christian parents to
grow up yirtuous and religious. Do you
not know some families, where the houe
circle is so wisely ordered, and so gra-
ciously visited by Divine influences, that
all the children early become pious =
There are families where picty is so uni
form, consistent, graceful and efficient that
We look, as a matter of course, for the ear
ly conversion Of the children, and we are
surprised and disappointed, if one son or
daughter remains careless and vain. or
becomes vicious and profigate.
And DO we not ascribe the great sue
cess Of proper training in some families
to the deep, consistent piety which pre-
sides over it! Yet the piety of these fam
lies is not too elevated for general iuita-
ton. We DO not doubt, for a moment,
that other families might equal or sarpass
it. The only inevitable conclusion to
w4;oIs we can come, is this, that if all pa
rents were as intensely devoted to God,
as they should be, and must be, if they
are egcr numbered with the Blessed;
what should, or what could hinder their
children, each and every one, from be-
coming wise, yirtuous and useful! And
therefore, after making all due aIlowan-
ces for differences Of temperament and
disposition, We haze a right to expect the
conversion and salvation Of all who are
trained up in the way they should go.-
And if the children Of prohigate families,
usually grow up prodigatcs, ,-opposed to
ways of virtue and religion-would it not
be gross reflection upon the gospel econ
omy, which boasts of counter-working the
effects Of our fallen nature, and Of making
grace still more abound, where sin aboun-
ded, to suspect for a II momont, that it will
not put forth a power, as efectual, to
save, as that of sin to dessroy,-that it
will not as efficiently aid christian parents
to lead their children to God and heaven,
as sin does wicked parents, theirs to the
ways Of degradation and death? 1t is be-
yond all question, the will of Christ, that
our children should become christian. If
not, then why did He in the days of his
incarnation say to those parents about
him, 'EsufTer the little children to come
unto me, and forbid them not, jar Of such
is the Ltael5oHl of hcarcn,. and why did
St. Paul, when addressing the Ephesian
and Collossian churches specify so par
ticularly their duty, to bring up their chill
dren in the nurture and fear Of the Lord?
Why, but that their children were to
become virtuous and christian by these
means! Your children are the heritage
Of the Lord, and "it Is your Fathers good
pleasure to give them the dingdom. =
They are therefore, to be brought up in
the fear Of the Lord-to be trained up for
God-for Heaven. To this end Christ
intends the christian family, to be a school
in which they shall live in holy atmos-
phere,--shall be nurtured and baptised in
"a genial element,--He would have them
put on virtue, with the first garments Of
chilhood, and drink in christian senti-
ments, from the mothers loving eyes
He intends them to learn religion, as they
learn a thousand other things, from the
spirit and tone Of the family,-from its
vocal thanksgiying--from its quiet, joy
Gus Sabbath, from the penitent tear
the humble carriage,-the tender accents,
the reverent look and attitude, of the ia
tber, when as faithful priest he offers to
God, for his family, his children, the morn
ing and evening sacrifice. Let a young
immortal be introduced into family Of
this character, sanctifed BY its prayers
and faith, he aciH be brOught up IN tie ecaY
lie d0uM 90, and lrleH he as old lie sril
not depart from 1t"
(To be Continued }
There is a Quaker in New York, so
down on the sinfulness of music that he
L. I-Y,c Io