The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1868-12-10
JACKSON G. H, OHIO THURSDAY DECEMBER 49, 1868

as well as the ignorancs Of the uulesrn-
ed, aud the incapaeity Of the distin
gaished as well as the incapacily OF the
obscure.
For It in very truth does seem thai
goodness, intelligence and capacity,
which are sufficient for all other exi-
gencies Of life, are Of no avail IN this
matter.
To train up a family Of children in the
way they should go is about the highest
achievement of which man is capable
and he who would accomplish it must
make the Divine Fstherh God his type
and model. And however great and
however frequent his failures may be,
he must forever keep his Divine model
in mind, and forever aspire to approach
it more and more closely
And what are the prevailing charac-
teristlcs of the Divine Fatherhood!
They are ever enduring patience, for
bearance and mercy. with never SEM
blance or shadow Of reproach or fault
finding with the repentant prodigal.
No penitent son of God, no matter
how frequent or outrageous his offenses,
on coming to his Heavenly Father con-
Tossing his sins aud asking forgiveness,
ever heard any such response sounding
down from on High as
GYoa are dl,roys doing something
you've no business to do I'm tired Of
this. It's oil very well to come pro1iS-
ing obediepce and good behavior;
promises are cheap but I should ike to
see little per- formance as well as 30 much
promise g'
How many penitants would ever
approach the Throne of Mercy again
after such a response7 And yet that
is often the tone, and in some cases
almost the precise words with which
earthly parents respond to the peni-
tential confessions oil their children
One such mistake, at such q time, is
apt to be fatal At the moment Of con-
fession the heart is melted and mex
pressibIy sensitive, and the impression
then made upon it, especially if it be
malignant, is apt 70 be enduring. Aud
no reader of this article, of whatever
age, needs to be told that nothing SO
stngs the soul, nor so rankly testers in
the heart, 4as the rude and uDgracious
reception of an honest, ,well-meant
apology or confession.
Nor does our Heavenly Father ever
I.forsake an erring child, no matter how
grevious its offense may have been. He
forever follows the offender with His
b0seeching love, and eeaselessly holds
open door of return, from out which
streams the beacon of redeeming grace
to welcome the wanderer from afar
But it is not an uncommon thing for an
earthly parent to drive an offending
son forth to utter rnin of body and soul
and to cast out an erring daughter unto
certain and eternal death. Such feroc-
ious virtue on the part of a parent is
about the most revolving emanation
from the Bottomless Pit ever manifested
on earth. Who would stand in such
an ones place when God shall call hin
to a reckoning, and require his chill.
dren's souls at his hand?
Unless parents retain the implici
confidence of their children they can
not train them up in the way they should
go, nor control their destiny. This /
; the uital poipt!
So long as children, whether young
men or maidens, ever COME with un
hesitating confidence to their parents
and tell them all their troubles anC
temptations, the parents can keep then
under a guiding and controlling hand
but as soon as They begin to conceal
their offenses, and especially theil
temptations, from their parents, th'
devil gets the inside track and is pretty
sure to win the race.
The only thing which will retain thC
/ intimate confidence of young people il
intimate sympathy.
The parents who always heartily sym
pathize with their children in all thei
griefs, and trials, and temptations, whC
never chill them in the hour of contri
ton and confession, and who neve
fail to stand by them nall conflicts will
strangers; will forever retain their con
Gdence in such degree as will enabl,
the parental hand, under God, to gnid,
them Alright and shield them from
temptation.
And the parent who fails in any o
these respects will be certain to los,
the confidence of his children, and tha
confidence will be bestowed elsewhere
, for someWhers it must and will be be
. slowed, and they on whom it happen
to be bestowed will to that extent wres
the destiny of the children from tn
parents control, and have it in thei
! power to work them deadly mischief
We wish we could send this poin
like an arrow Kissing home to the hear
} of every parent in the land, for 1t is ii
, point--the central, the vital, the con
/ trolling point of the whole matter---th
! point Of departure which unceasingl
/ determines whether myriads ofchildre
D shall tread the path which leads I
Heaven or that which leads to He'll.
D We have said that it is needfuI tha
parents should stand by their childre
: in their conflicts with strangers. Thi
i is an important point, to which du
3 heed should be given. Whenever
: parent finds that a difficulty has actual
0 n.;..., hatwaan his children aud ssn,,,