The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1873-11-08
WHOLE NO. 1922.

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your children what they ought to be.
But we pass to another branch of this
subject. Proper religious training require
not only the enlightenment of the mind
but also the subjugation of the WILL and
the cultivation of the affections. This i,
the acork Of discipline:-a work not less i'm
portant, but still more difficult than that Of
instruction.
No one is prepared to discipline or gov
ern others. who has not first learned to
to govern himself. And to the art of self
government should be added pretty cor
rect knowledge of human nature; of its
deficiencies and redundancies; and of the
means of supplying the one and curbing
the other.
Discipline requires first, the imposing Of
restraints. Children are naturally self
willed, thoughtless, and prodigal. They
ego astray from their birth" Foolish
ness is bound up in the heart of child. ~
Hence restraints must be imposed on their
passions, appetites, and conduct. DR..
Webster, of Now England. whose sad case
is yet fresh in the minds of many, and who
suffered the extreme penalty of the law for
the crime of murder, in petitioning for
pardon, endeayored to palliate his offence
by the consideration, that in early life, he
was high tempered, his passions strong,
and that his over indulgent parents failed
to restrain him. Hence in mature years,
his passions were uncontrolled, and he
imbued his hands in his fellows blood
And is not his case but the sad counter
part of thousands who come to an untime-
ly end. An overweening indulgence on
the part of the parent, permits the
child to grow up self-willed, passions
and appetites unrestrained, and at mature
years, that child becomes curse to him
self, grief to his parents, and a pest to
society.
Children should be restrained from evil
company, and especially from running at
large on the street at night. 1t is street
education, perhaps more than any thing
else, that demoralizes the rising generation.
On the street, especially after night, the
worst language is heard, the worst con-
duct is INDUCED, and the worst habits are
formed. 1t is on the street at night, sur
rounded by ungodly associations, that many
young person is led away from the path
of virtue, and a career commenced that
ends in dissipation, ruin, and death. To
let your children run at large, after dark,
is, in effect, to turn them loose to the devil,
and train them up for perdition. By all
means, parents, keep your children within
doors at night, unless they are under the
protection of some reliable person. Disc-
pline requires secondly, that the duties of
piety be o6serred. The children should he
required strictly to observe the holy Sab
bath, and regularly to attend upon the
public worship of God. We see no reason
why the children of seven years, and up
wards, should not be regularly in the house
Of God on the Sabbath day. Every con-
sideration that makes it important for the
parent to attend, makes it equally import
ant for the child. Let the habit be formed
early, and grow with the growth of the
child, and then it will he most likely to
control his future years. On this subject,
a change is needed in many families, little
short of revolution. We look over our
congregations on the Sabbath, and find
comparatively few, even Of the children
of religious parents, present. In all hon
esty, we ask such parents, if they are train
ing their children in the way they should
go, when they allow them to neglect the
house and worship of God on the Lords
day?
But perhaps the parent says:-"My
children do not want to 60 to Church. p
But then, who is to decide this matter, the
parent or the child? If it be right and
proper for the child to keep holy the Sab
bath day, and attend upon the house of
God, then the parent should require it of
the child This is, indeed, the very thing
involved in training: it is requiring of the
young those duties they would not be in
cined to perform if left to themselves.
But discipline, to be effective, must be-
gin early. 1t is a great mistake to allow
your children to have their own way, while
young, with the hope Of controlling them
when they are older. Better bend the
twig, before the sturdy oak is beyond your
power. If the will of the child is not sub
dued early, the probability is, it will never
be subdued at ALL And here, we beg leave
to volunteer little advice to parents. In
all cases where your children incline to be
contrary, and disobey your commands,
first, let pricate advice and counsel be CIV
en-. Appeal to their reason, judgment,
and conscience. And if that fail, Gas it
will sometimes then let coersion be used
and require obedience. You do your chill
dren great wrong when you suffer them
to trample on your authority. Good old
Eli simply demonstrated with his sons for
their bad condact, but did not bring his
authority to bear and require obedience.
The result was, Hophni and Phinehas both
came to an untimely end.
Let me add here: If the rod be neces-
sary to secure obedience, do not fail to use
it. Pretend not to be wise above what
is written" and by sparins the rod, spoil
the child. "Chasten thy son." says the
wise man, while there is hope, and let
not thy soul spare for his crying" But
when the rod is used, let it be with effect.
Be sure the child is subdusd, otherwise the
child gets the mastery and not the parent.
But here great care should be used not to
betray temper by angry words, scolding, or
haste. 1t is a remarkable fact, that parents
who scold and storm at their children, sell
dom govern them. Let parents he mild
but firm, kind but decided, and their chill
dren will learn to esteem, reverence, and
obey them.
Again: Parents should act in concert,
OF one may pull down what the other builds
up. A little girl in the Sunday school was
the fifth commandments Hon
or thy father and thy mother" Her teach
er undertook to show her how she was to
honor them. viz: by obeyinp them. 80,