The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1871-06-15

Quoted by Rev. +. Sampson, witt
credit TO himself, and profit to tn,
children.
The general exercises Of the da,
wero both profitable and interesting
j. N. RArDEL, Sec'y.
RELIGIOUS TRAINING OF CHILDREN,
An old honest Quaker once re
marked against our system MS
church Of bringing in, or almost tore
ing our children into the church, IAN,
asking them to assume the vows O
allegiance to our denomination.
Says he, II will tell thee friend, how
We as denomination manage it,
We, the older ohesy the Elders, who
are, or ought to be full of cxperienc,
and steadtastness, listen for the voic,
of our Savior, and if we are true fol
lowers we will know his voice wher
we hear 1t, and follow him as gooc
sheep will follow tho shepherd anc
the lambs will follow us They vii
not, or cannot follow tho shepherd
as the sheep set the example" Ther,
is moro real philosophy in tho plar
than appears at first glance. In th,
first place 1t is the natural Plan
"First the natural love, then the SO
cial, then the spiritual" First Low,
ofparents, love Of family. of brother
sister, domestic animals, house rooms
furniture, tree, shrub, aud flowers,
with all the tender, thrice holy asso
Citations that clusters around the true
hume, ever 80 humble though it be-
Then the love of friends will follow
and with it love Of country, q we'll
grounded patriotism land finally
to concentrate this tried we'll groun
ded lovo in one great volume upor
God" No one can be q true friend
warm lasting friend, unless they
have been warm loving sons OF
daughters. A true patriot and lover
OF his race, will have his principles
grounded in warm friendship and
brotherhood for mankind; and oul
highest IDEAL Of . christian, is one in
whom love for parents, kinsman
friends, and country, has been slowly
developed into holy passion, and
sacrificed for the good Of his fellow
creatures, and the glory Of God
Such was tho life and character OF
Christ, exemplifcd on atranscenden,
scale. Then, there is real philosophy
in the process. Love; friendship,
obedience, fidelity, in fact all the
graces of the christian, are capable
of infinite development; and if our
love is excited by picture, q flower,
a beautiful thought, tender grace,
is grows, and as it were shoots out
its tcndrils and roots to grasp for
support, and imbibe fresh sustenance
for future growth. Then if pal ents
and teachers have tollo,oed, and are
following the Savior, they will be
lovely in character and life and the
young heart gushing forth in love
will follow, and cling TO the object
from which they derive food and
help; but if they are uniovcly, harsh,
how all those tender aspirations and
longings to do right, will be dwarfed,
IL may be, bllghted.
Then again, we are all moro or less
affected, and impressed by realities,
rather than IDEALS this is especially
true Of children-they want some-
thing tangible, something real, to see
hearand feel. 1t is hard for us to
apprehend the abstrac. principle of
love, especially the unfathomable
love Of God; hence the great want Of
the hoathen, religion and the fullness,
the roundness, tho completeness of
the christian system with the Christ
man rs its central orb But l think
the love OF Christ cannot be under
stood fully by the child unless il sees
it shown forth in the life Of those
around it; and the heart Of the child
becomes so magnetized and perme-
ated with the love of the good, true,
and beautiful, that it will snontane-
ously break forth in loving the living
embodiment of all the graces : Christ,
Now, | only have one word to cay
against our Sunday School system
and religious training Of our chill
drcn. Tho tendency OF certain
features of it, combined with other
Objectionable features of modern
society, is to kill tho naturalness, the
artlcssness and simplicity of child
hood, and substitute a false indc-
pendence, and to cultivate the arts
OF little men aud women, who have
no right to obey, much less to be
contradicted or informed AS to their
duty. There are many who have
never had u real childhood never
been unconscious of sell, whose
manners, conversation, and attitudes
are the result of art. This spirit is
fostefed in the Sunday School, and
in certain homes, by series OF les
sons in severe catechising and shan p
questioning on morals and conduct,
10 show their smartness and they
advance rapidly, and proceed to give
moral lectures and spiritual advice
to their elders and superiors. Says
a certain writer, "Let your children
grow naturally, spontaneously, and
keep them unconscious of themselves
for their own sakes, for the sake oi
the world, which, amidst its conven
tionalitics, dullness and stalencss
longs for something fresh, true, low
ing and natural"
Mark the simplicity and natural
ness OF the childhood of tho Regene
| rator Of the world. First, the low
ing helpless "Baby-boy,' then th'
quiet unpretending lad next, tn,
obedient youth, which merged into /.
manhood of filial love AMI respect
"He is not represented as youthful
prodigy" There are no wonderful
stories of his smartness He grew
naturally. silently into manhood
We never desire thing unless W
feel tho need of it. Wo never as
for anything unless something in on
nature demands it. ChildrcA are d,
pendant on their parents scons,
vpsntly, they learn 10 ask. and X
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