The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-08-11
TALK TO MOTHERS.

Their Duties TO Their ChIidren-Sermor
by Robert COlIyer, Liberal Christian.
From mature and Liie:n Boston, 1895: Horace B
Fuller,
l SAMUEL, II: IS, 10. Samuel minis
tered before the Lord, being a child.
Moreover, his mother made him a Goa
and brought 1t to him from year to year,
This Is part OF a most touching story,
how God gave to a Hebrew mother q man
child many years after her wedding; and
the gift was such a gladness that she dedi.
Gated him back to God and carried him
back to the temple, there to minister all
his life. And once every year she made
him a little coat and carried II up 10 the
temple herself when she went to sec hsr
child, whom she called Samuel, which,
being interpreted, is, "He who was asked
Of God"
We have three separate statements OIL
the nature Of a little child. The first Il
that, in some way, it is utterly deprayed
and lost; not capable Of co%nceivinc one
good thought, saying n good word OF
doing one good thing, being
Sprung from the man whose guilty fall
COrTupa his race and taints US ALL"
This statement, to my mind, is untrue
for two reasons. The first is that 1t clash.
es with the Hottest revelation ever made
to our race about the child.nature. Jesus
said, "Suffer little children to come unto
me and forbid them not, for Of such is the
kingdom OF heaven" One cannot helm
seeing here the inevitable logic. IfJthe
child Is utterly depraved and Of such Is the
kingdom Of heaven, wherein does the
kingdom OF heaven differ from the king
dom Of hell2
1sat at my desk, trying 10 put my sec
ond and most impregnable objection, rs it
springs out o ftho nature Of the little child
itself, into words. And one sat at my
feet, rich in the possession OF a new toy;
while another went and came, singing
through the spring morning. Then I said
in my heart, 10 God, my Father! when l
can say that this morning sunshine, pouring
into my room fresh from the fountains Of
thy light, is q horror Of great darkness,
and the voices OF the singing-hirls are in.
tended to echo to us the cry OF lost souls;
and that the everchanging glory OF spring,
summer, autumn and winter is but the
ever-sifting shadow Of the frown of God
on a sin-stricken world-then / can saw
that the light that comes out otthe eyes OF
that little child, who has not yet framed
its tongue to call me father, is the bale.fre
OF a soul already akin to the lost; and the
sweet condolences OF tho other, the un.
learned blasphemies Of despair"
The second theory is n that l have
heard from some liberal Christians-that
the heart and nature Of a little child are
like a fresh garden-mold in the spring
time. Nothing has sprung out OF It; but
the seeds Of vice are already bedded down
into it; and VIC must plant good seeds and
nurse them until there is q strong growth
OF the better promise carefully, all the
while, wedding out whatever is bad as It
comes to the surface. AT the first glance
this Scent to be about the truth. Still, l
fear 1t has not come 30 much out OF that
true philosophy which is founded on a
close observation Of our nature as it has
come out OF a desire not to differ so very
far from those who denounce us heartily
as unchristian.
Such an idea Of the child nature is, at-
ter all, a moderate theory Of infant depra-
witty; and as such l reject II, so far as 1t
gives any p~re:occupation and predomin.
ance to sin. and accept the third theory,
as the true gospel about the. child nature;
namely, that the kingdom Of heaven, in a
child, Is like unto a man that sewed good
seed in his field; but aiterward, while
men slept, his enemies came and sowed
tares among the wheat, and went away;
and when the blade sprung up, and
brught forth fruit, then appeared the
tares also. That is the true statement Of
this fact, my friends, rs ] understand 1t,
The good seed Is sown lirst,-Rood princi.
pies and powers are tho first to DO sci
down in the fresh, young heart; while
even the tares themselves are moi utterly
worthless weeds, but degenerate wheat, q
poorer grain, but never utterly useless OF
worthless; for the better kinds OF 1t car
be made intoa rather bitter bread, whllt
even the worst can be burnt up, and be
made to enrich the ground for another
harvest OF tho nobler grain. The good |.
primary, and purelyI tho bad Is second
airy, and not totally bad. And every lit
tie child ministers before tho Lord, anC
every mother makes his garments from
year to year.
Ipropose to speak briefly on the nature
and possibilities OF this mother influence
what 1t Is, and WHAT II may DO. And note
first Of all, that while in after. life the faith
er may cometo an equal or even stronger
influence owe the Child,-in the plastlt
morning Of lie, when the infant sonl putt
on its first robes Of joy and love and faith
and wonder, the hand OF tho mother
alone is permitted to give them their ricl
quality and texture; and, to hey loyinj
and skillful eyes. only is left tho decision
Of their comfort and adaptation to thI
ever varying nature Of every little ont
that comes into the world. God hal
made II 20 In bis infinite and uniailinI
providence.
The way to rear up children 10 30 Iust)i
Thy Know 4 simple, ,n merry. tS%ndefknl0k
!, And !tHpgtpg pretty words that make no ssn;S,
And kissing full sense Into empty words;
, Which thing arc eorals % cat 4e upon,
Although such .I 1nIS T. . Children lsaFn, By Speh,
And get not oVer-eatlY solemniIOd."
'aFsLhcrs love as we'll,
49,. but still with heavier brains,
And wills more consciously responsible,
I And not q, risaHr Haes &a ESdhgn
. To every child, In the beginning, thi
. earth Is without form and yo.ai and, tn
first great light that, God brings out6I til
!; darkness Is the face Of It's mother, andth
I Hrst sound that ever enters the silent sc
7 of the intapssOp Is the voice Of the mott
q er as she bends oyer y, endeayoring [
find some answering glance and cell {
s recognition. And God has made It d
+ that The first sure sound the mother eve
hears breaking out ri that silence Is MOI