Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1868-05-08
8GliQiouG.
CHRISTIAN TRAINING FOR THE
CHILDREN.

CHRISTIAN TRAINING FOR THE
CHILDREN.
We take the following able article on the
training of children from the Philadelphia
Lcdger Ia the remarkable paper on the
Roman Catholics in the May number of the
atlantic, it is well said: 'Fhe best man is
he who can rear the best child; the best wo-
man is she who can rear the best child.
The whole virtue Of the race, physical,
moral, mental, comes into play in the most
sweet, most arduous, most pleasing, most
difficult Of all the work done by mortals in
this world But how is this work to be
accomplished? The formation Of right
principles, ofa truly Christian character in
the rising generation, Is not only the most
important work before all, but il isthe work
sooner or later each good parent feels to he
the highest work of his or her life. How to
perform it most successfully Is the great
problem. All our modern zeal for education
common schools, high schools, colleges,
public institutions or denominational ones
Is but the modern exhibition of this desire.
But in the very earliest portion Of the Bible
the Pentateuch, the same desire is bTeathed
aud plans are arranged for accomplishing
the work There Jehovah says. The
irStborn of thy sons shalt thou give unto
me. And this conservation of the first
born, though extended by Christianity to
all man 5 children and circumstances, has
never been repealed, only enlarged 1t lies
at the foundations of all the future hopes os
this nation. and Of all the nations Of the
globe. The formation of a true and pro.
greSsive religious character IS the hope of
the world. This great movement, which
began before the Staying of the first-born in
Egypt, and before even the call ofAbraham
has steadily advanced those families and ma
tions which have most favored it, and will
continue to do so while time shall last In
fact, the great object of the laws of grimo-
geniture was TO make the first born the
teacher, the guide, the inheritor of all the
wisdom and knowledge of the past, only that
they might be most securely handed down
to the future.
The laws of inheritance in regard to char
acter are far more vital TO the welfare of any
community than the laws for the transition
or property, for character is more ETHEREAL
pervading aud vital The formation of
good character, which is propensity to act
rightly in the future from all the experien-
ces of the past is one of the most priceless
OF iuheritances which good man bequea-
theS his children. A good reputation is
great treasure, but that Is but the gliding,
while a good character is the solid gold \
man Of benevolent character or nature Is
one in whom the habit Of eonSiderate giving
has been 50 cherished that no matter how
much he may give, you always feel that
there is something more than the mere gift,
namely, desire to do good with what he
bestows. And SO man Of pious character
is one in whom religious activity is always
an earnest tendency OF the soul Does any
one ask how truly religious character Is
formed2 How is all characters formed?
Emotions or desires ripen into choices.
Choices lie at the foundation Of all our ae-
tions, while actions repeated from habits,
and that tendency Of ali habits, to repeat
themselves in the individual, and reproduce
themselves by education, is character
1t is thus easy to perceive how much the
right training of the frst-born bears upon
the formation Of the religious character Of
the entire family, What peculiar feeling
of mystery, wonder, awe, trust and love Is
woke uo In the heart of conscientious,
thoughtful parents, by the cries of their
first born The novelty, the responsibility
of so new and strange a charge as young
immortal life committed to their care, is a
divinely arrangedand purposed leeling-one
that never can be forgotten, and rarely, il
ever, can recur again in its full force. The
Great Creator, who saith talf souls are
mine, draws near to those parents, and
puts the nurture and destiny of gem Of
deathless character into the charge Of those
young parents, and say, as Pharaoh
daughter said to the mother of Moses,
take this child and nourish it for me, and
will give thee wages.
The first-born educates the parents often
more than they educate it. The rest Of the
family come, are treated aud are educated
much after the pattern of the first, modified,
perhaps, little by experience. But what
watchings, cares, fears and hopes cluster M
stinetiyely around the hrst-bor0 Many of
these anxieties are needless for the firstborn
alone, yet most needful for the family
though vicariouS as to the individual They
all teach the parents how TO educate the
/ rest. The first born is often spoiled, And
| vet that concentrated wealth of affection
/ foelisbly lavishea often gives condensed
4 experience that mnuids the course ans
training Of the resi- cf the family. and edn
Gates thrm valnAbiy hy an cx peFience game
} In FIRST failure lSa1t where tha pafcnfs
affections aEn cpnseeFated from thp dgst h
all their fuGl rlaAinRa II tte tharAsk Nm
TelDpmant and tFaiEia tlfa hnaN Rh
mind aHd thH Tgl hNn N
family grows AaAE aR lsAeR na
coHnp, kHt flier RilA a Nn
cast nn iKr nf aiAi
Tho certain cAf ffSi IA iii As Ii a8ssk 1iiGlaI IN
misess anA lii hess