Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1882-03-08
The Sunday-SchOOl.
ITS INFLUENCE ON THE HOME.

Many profess to believe that the Sunday
school has lessened the sense of responsible.
ity among Christian parents for teaching re-
ligious truth TO their children. / was once
inclined to think so myself, but frequent
so1ourn in Christian families, from Maine to
Dakota, has convinced me that the Sunday
school has greatly quiokened Christian home
training. The lesson and the home readings
furnish topics for conversation at family
prayers. The "golden texts " supply verses
for the children to commit to memory. Not
seldom the father catechses the children on
the principal truths of the lessons of the
quarter, or the entire family repeat portions
of the lessons in concert. The Sunday.
school is remembered at the family altar
and recognized as dear to the heart; and
thus the affections of the children are quick
ened towards the church. In a word, there
are thousands of families in which the Sun
day-school directs and gives impetus to the
home training every day in the week.
There are other causes which undoubtedly
operate to lessen religious instruction in the
home. The increased activities and ener-
| gies of a new and rapidly developing coun-
| try make fathers impatient to be at their
work, and family prayer drops out for want
of time. The cares of the week crowd into
Sunday, and drive out the disposition to
teach religious truths to the children. The
crowding into towns and cities brings people
into constant and close contact, which in
tensifes social activity and lessons the seclu-
sion of the home. A great influx of foreign
ers, to whom the family altar is strange
thing, has not been without influence in
Christian homes. But the SInday-school is
not to be reckoned with those causes. 1t
supplements home training enlists youth
full interest in the house of God; awakens a
healthful rivalry in the study of the Bible
turns the desires of the young towards
teachers and pastors whom they would 9TH
erwise have scarcely known; adds to solitary
teaching the advantages of religious influ-
ences in association. Says pastor of long
experience and great success :" / havesadly
felt the impossibility of gaining the affec-
tions of children with whom had no other
relation than that of PASTOR or of their
families. Children belonging to Christian
homes, and apparently conscientiously in
structed there, have grown up free from any
influence of mine or of desire for my min
istry, and as q rule, voluntary strangers in
maturity to the blessings of day and q
church they had never been accustomed to
love in their youth" In these days mos
young people learn to love the church through
interest in that department of it where they
feel most at home,-the Sunday-school II
is the only means of religious instruction
for multitudes who come to it from homes
that are not Christian but it is blessing
also to every Christian parent who is really
trying to train his children to keep the way
of the Lord. One of our greatest needs il
to rouse these Christian parents to make
wiser use of it for their children and for tht
church of God.-Reu. Z. A. Dunnino.