The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1875-02-06
IRRELIGIOUS CHILDREN.
By REV. THOMAS STREET.

lady member of my church said to me
once, why is it that my children are not
inclined to be religious? l see other chill
dren whose whole tendency is to piety-
uniting with the church early in life, in
teresled in devotional services, and grow
ing in strong attachment to the Saviour,
while mine are becoming more worldly
every day. Why is it?' she asked. ~
send them to Sunday School; l take them
TO church every fair Sabbath; but no saw
ing impressions are made upon them. l
canno( understand it."
proposed few questions:
40" yon show any particular religious
example daily to your children in the
household?"
II cannot say that do; but they know
that am professor"
You say that you send them to Sab
bath School and to church; do you con-
verse with them about the sermon they
have heard, or the lesson of the Sabbath
School? or do you discuss trifes of no reli-
gious bearing before them upon their re-
Lurn?'
IL am afraid the former is never done,
and the latter often. Still, there can't be
much harm in that"
DO You ever speak to them personally
about religious duties?'
No, l do not like to; it is a very deli.
cate subject
do You have family worship? Do
your children hear your voice raised to
heaven for them, and thus know that you
have an interest in their religious well
fare 2"
No, we never had family worship. My
husband and are both dlffideut, aud never
could bring ourselves to pray aloud; but
we do pray for them in secret
Do you allow them indiscriminate read
lng-newspapers, magazines, books, what
ever they iancy?'
Yes; we never troubled ourselves about
that. They go to the circulating library
aud suit themselves; reading, you know,
is improving TO their minds.''
"Do you cultivate worldly tastes in
them, let them 60 into goddess society, in
dulge and foster the love of fashion, send
them TO dancing schools, take them to tho
opera and theatre, and thus nurture keen
relish for irreligious pursuits
Yes; they must have some amusement;
their companions all do the same, and we
want them to be in the best society,"
Well" | said, NOW look at the mat
ter in the light in which you yourself have
put it. You are protesting Christian aud
want your children to be the same. Yet
you do nothing to make them such. You
give them no religious counsel. You set
them no religious example. You exercise
no religious care over them-let them
Chose whom you are appointed to lead and
mould 60 where they please, read what
they please, associate with whom they
please. You foster their natural pride and
vanity by indulging their worldly tastes.
You impose no restraint, no self. denial.
You educate them in the belief that the
highest success i'll life is to move in good
society, which means fashionable society
irrespective of its morality. You give
them no character training. You use no
plastic power to shape them after the d.
vlue pattern, and yet you are surprised
that they are just what you are insensibly
making Them. They naturally look TO you
us their guide. Your authority over them
Is absolute, aud yet they see nothing in
your life and hear nothing from your lips
to elevate their thought TO a higher char
acter.
Nor is this all. You not only do moth
ing, but you give them up to a power that
is necessarily influencing them away from
Christ. They mingle i'll scenes where god
lessness is attractive, where religion is de-
based before them, and they learn to feel
that it is humiliating to be Christian.
The very vaiuest thoughts are nurtured.
The world is never idle; it is always at
tracing, infatuating, educating. You re-
lnquish your hold upon your children and
give Them to the world, and then are amaz-
ed that they are so worldly! You sleep,
and willis you sleep the devil sows tares.
God will ask you for those children y-and-
by. He has given you power, positive re-
| suorces for their training, and he will ask
you TO give them back to him fitted to
dwell with him forever. What can you
say when that demand is made?
If when you go to your room to night
an angel, all beautiful and glorious, should
appear before you and say, i am com
manded of God, from whom l come, to
deliver to you precious jewel. Its value
is beyond estimate. 1t is to be placed
finally in the crown of Jesus, there to re-
main forever. deliver it to you for safe
keeping until it is called for. If you guard
! 1t carefully it will grow more beautiful and
precious every day; if you neglect 1t, it
will be marred and ruined. This is Gods
trust to you: watch it we'll What would
you do?
That trust would never be absent from
your thought. You would scarcely dare
to take your eye from it. You would be
inspired by it TO unrelaxing diligence
Nothing would be neglected to secure its
safety. You would bind it upon your very
heart, and defend it with your life. And
when the day came on which to deliver it
up. you would be proud to present it with
lustre increased, jewel worthy of its set
| ting. If it should be proposed to you to
throw it into the street, to send it to be
exhibited to vulgar eyes and fingered by
! irreverent hands, you would draw back
| with horror.
Aud yet God has given you such treas
ure in your child. An immortal soul, pur-
chased by Christ's blood, is intrusted to
your care. You are to bcautify it by in
struction and example. AS you treat it,
it may be a jewel for the Kings crown, or
darkened, blighted spirit, untitled for
heavenly cOmpanionship. And how do
you respect this trust? You throw it off
from your keeping. You fail to watch it.
You permit the King enemies to surround
| it and impress their faint upon it. 1t is
daily slipping away from you while you are
swiftly going to God to account for it.
The reason why your children are irreli-
gious is plain from your own acknowledge
ment The fault is not theirs, hut yours.
Change your treatment; give your children
heal hful amuSement-Sucha as will be good
| for soul and body; teach them to look away
from tollieS for their enjoyment. BE what
a mother should be to her children-a
/ spiritual director. Establish a confidence
with them about religious matters. Let
their eyes read upon your heart an intense
desire for their salvation. Surround them
with religious atmosphere. Show them
/ that to be a Christian is to be cheerful,
joyous, sunny, and at the same time of ex-
allied purity. Teach them the sweetness,
the ineff,able delight of communion with
God. Ask Gods help upon this course,
and you will see the result You desire"