The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1855-09-13

then they will not exercise control. Their
is then, in this state of affairs, perpetua
|, conflict between the religious sentiment
of the parents and the ungodly propensi
ties of the children-under which the tenn
per is soured-the conscience seared-th'
heart hardened and the very name of th'
bible and of religion made odious. Nov
we must think all this wrong-fatally
wrong. The parent is bound (in accord
ance with the teaching of the holy bible,
to settle all these questions absolutely and
without appeal, and to settle them so ear
ly, that the child will no more think Of
breaking the Sabbath, or neglecting the
place of Divine worship, or Sabbath school
or family prayer, or of engaging in games
of chance, or going to ball or theatre OF
5oac r0'cdy circus, or ofkeeping bad COM
pany, or Of remaining out at unreasona-
bic hours in the evening, than he would
of lying or stealing, or cutting a mans
throat. Under such an enlighted, scrip
tural, firm regimen, habit comes to favor
piety. The claims of religion are rever-
enced, not scoffed at-and the heart may
be expected to open kindly to its genial
influences. The child thus, Grained up
in the way he should go, will not depart
from it,"
I'd. In some families, professedly chris
tian, there is constant clashing of inter-
ests among the members, constant bick-
erings and heart -burnings, it may be
about the veriest trifes-yet sufficient to
keep the mind in state of constant ex-
citement, extremely unfavorable for the
success of religious training. The parents
who suffer this state of affairs, at home,
need not expect soon to see their children
pursuing virtuous and religious course
of conduct, though they themselves may
profess much of religion.
Sd. Another hinderance, found in some
seemingly religious families, is the con-
slant practice of parents finding fault with
the society or church to which they in
name stand connected. These faults,
whether real or imagined, are fully can
yassed in the family, children are fully
posted in the little difficulties and shape
their views and actions accordingly. Now
this conduct must have baneful influence.
For how can the children receive good at
the place, when the parents have SO much
at fault! They must, in the very nature
of things, grow up ashamed of the sect or
congregation, when their parents exhibit
so much dissatisfaction; and if they con-
tinue to attend upon its ministrations, it
will most likely be in such spirit as will
repel instruction and defy conviction: or
if they desert its courts for some other
form of christianity and worship, the Sc
lection will most probably be dictated by
a worldly spirit, which dares to seek the
qualification of sense and the vanities of
a wicked world in the name of crucifed
Redeemer, spirit chiefly solicitous to es-
cape the rebukes of an earnest ministry
and the restraints of pure christian dis
cipline. 1t is hard to determine what
course could be more effectual in thwart-
ing the influences of vital christianity
than that of the parents and children here
described.
Another and the last difficulty Eve
name in this conpection) is, the ambelaef
which marks and characterizes all the eff
forts of some proteSSedly christian parents.
They pray for their children it is true
they control them to some extent-incul-
cate often good lessons-yet they do not
expect that their children will early be-
come pious. They pray that light and
spiritual influences may be given of God
to overcome the evil in the hearts of their
children, that very grace which is prom
ised, yet they do not expect that these
children will be thus benefited until they
have lived some time in sin. This, to
say the least of it, is most certainly a
strange christianity; verify, not that of
the blessed Savior. If christians can
pray for other blessings and expect i'm
mediate answers, why not for their chill
drenl The scriptures evidently encour-
ages parents to ask and expect Gods
blessings upon their children.
Conclusion next week.