The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1877-09-21
SERMON.
Tne cnHdrtn.*
BY'IRvING A sEARLEs.

Bi IRVING sEARLESs '.' i. 70 "
Tram I'D child in the way he should go aud
when be is Old he will not depart from it,
Prov, %, &,
To this rule there are, Of course, many ex.
ceptions. Instances are frequent OF children
who having the best of training, nevertheless
became bad men and women. But the rule is
as Solomon states it.
All other systems of religion than Christianity
ignore the worth of the child. Plutarch says
When children die, no libations nor sacrifices
are made for them, nor any other OF those
ceremonies which are wont tc be performed for
the dead. For infants have no part Of earth
or earthly affection. Nor do we hover or tarry
about their sepulc%ers or monuments, or st by
when their dead bodies are exposed" One
nation mad ali idol that forever sat with out
stretched arms. BY its side was pit Of fire.
The mother placed her child in the arms Of that
IDOL when the image turned around and dropped
the helpless babe into the flames An historian
speaking OF this custom, says: The mothers,
who with their own hands presented the little
innocents, thought it an i'll omen that the victim
should be offered weeping, and therefore used
a great many articles to divert it, that soothed
10y the kisses and caresses of parent, it might
smile In that dreadful moment in which it was
gwen up to the idol"
The Hindoo mother to-day throws her help
less infant to the crocodile of the Ganges.
But Christianity regards with paramount in.
terest the value Of .he child. Christ took tue
oh; -. l.
He made the child the pattern of humility. He
spoke of the little children as being under the
watchcare OF angels. When he entered Jeru-
salem ne was pleased with the glad hosannas
Of the children.
Attend TO some reasons why especial at
tention should be paid to the moral and re-
hglous training OF the child:
/ The chld's character for life and for etern-
ity may be formed before it has arrived Z. the
age OF moral responsibility and that, too, by
circumstances over which it had no control.
The acron dropped in rich soil, where the sun
can smile upon i, and the rsius refresh it, will
probably develop into noble oak. The acorn
dropped on the hard rock amid the thorns. or
oo poor soil, will most likely become a stunted,
dwsrfed specimen OF ITS kind. The two acorns
themselves gave equal promise of life. The
difference in the results reached was owing to
outside circumstances over which neither had
any control. A cald fest sees the light IN 8
Christian home. The first that 1t hears its
mother sing is some sacred song. The iTst
time that it remembers leaving home it went
! 10 70
Here is child that i: born near Five Points,
New York. The first song that it hears from
mothers lips is some vile trash Of the streets
1T learns 10 swear a. soon as il can talk, III
first associates are the outcasts OF society
II the one child develops noble character
while the other is a moral dwarf, We are to re-
member that their characters were, for the
most part, formed before either child had be-
come responsible for It's acts, and that too, by
circumstances over which neither had any
control.
The parent is responsible for the moral care
OF the child during this period OF it's life. In
the vegetable world we find that nature makes
ample preparation for the protection of the
tender bud during the chilling blasts and
blghtlng frosts Of spring. A thick covering il
placed over the bud to shield 1t from harm
during that period when it can not protect
itself. so should the parent throw around the
Guild the best OF influences that shall be as II;
shield from all moral harm. Naturalists have
found that the leaves Of certain trees are very
offensive to some of the most poisonous ser
pents. A traveller relates how mother birt
made use Of this fact to protect her home. HI
saw bird that in apparently great alarm flew
from her nest to a neighboring tree, plucket
leaf and returning, rapidly deposited 1t II
the nest. This was several times repeated =
Then the bird perched on limb near the nes
to watch proceedings. Soon large snake wal
seen slowly making it's way up the tree. /
reaches the nest, its eyes glisten, 1t opens III
mouth and reaches over into the nest, but
coming IN contact with one OF those leaves, 1
drops to the ground as If it had been shot
Then the traveller saw why that mother bird
acted 30 strangely. She used all the means il
her power to protect her young from harm
Christian parents, are we doing the samei ART
we placing in our homes the good example
the Sood lnstructlOp, tne SOOu pOoks anu pa
pers, the prayer, the Bible' If so, then wher
Satan. like the serpent, dragging his loathsomt
form along, approaches our home be wil
quickly leave.
2. The mind OF childhood is not engrosseC
with the cares incident to the adult. The ma
jority of the adult world have about all tha
they can do in order to secure the necessariei
OF life. The bread and butter question takes
the lead Of all others. This is not the bes
time to get their attention to religious truth
: If / were chaplain in the army and wished tC
make myself heard L would do the preaching
while the boys were in camp. would not wa
until the pckets began firing, until the enemy
were heard in the distance, until cannon anc
musketry and sabre clash and the shouts OF the
soldiery seem to We with each other in th,
clamor they could make. In childhood we are
in camp. The great battle of life has not ther
begun in earnest. This s the time for th,
preaching to be heard.
On this principle the same preaching will &C
complIsh twice the good in our small town,