The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1885-07-15

bic of choosing or rejecting but is very
likely to be exercising that choice, with
out having church going habit already
formed. This much its parents can do
for 1t, while little more than an infant.
When it comes to look about with an
active will, choosing and rejecting, why
may it not find itself already in posses
sion of well-formed habit of church
going? Such a habit may be secured
with little or no conscious effort upon the
childs own part. Since its earliest re-
collection it has gone to church as mat
ter of course, and it continues to 90 as
matter of course. 1t would require
the suspension of habit, and the viola
tion OF conscience to cease attending
church. Why, then, we ask, may not
the child, when he comes to that period
In his life when he begins to do some
things by the direction of his own will,
find himself already in possession of
conscienscious habit of regularly attend
ing the house of God, ard listening to
divine truth according to Gods own APP
pointment Is not this much due the
child from the parent?
But again, it is impossible to tell at
what age children may cato h thoughts
from gospel sermons which may fix truth
forever in their minds, lead them to see
their sinfulness, and accept of Christ as
their Saviour. With little care on the
part of parents in calling the attention
of children to certain things in the SER
mons, reviewing them upon what they
have heard, and fixing it in their minds,
ordinary children may learn a great deal
of Scripture truth by the time they are
ten years of age.
We read in the Word of God, Hear,
and your soul shall live" Faith
cometh by hearing, and hearing by the
Word of God" 1.-The Word of the Lord
is pure, converting the soul" We have
higher hopes of the salvation of a child
who is regularly at the house of God
where that Word, which is pure, con-
verting the soul, is preached in his ears,
than of the child who is not church.
goer.
There is grand object-lesson in the
worship and order of Gods house. The
solemn bell that calls to devotion, the
revereht assemblage of Christians on the
Sabbath, in cleanly attire and worshipful
demeanoT; the house itself, set apart Tor
divine service; the man of God, speaking
for God, Sabbath by Sabbath from the
sacred desk; the great Bible always in
view, acknowledged to be the Word OF
God: the Christian hymns, and time
honored melodies in which the worship
ing assembly unite their voices of praise
the solemn, yet cheerful utterances of
the minister as he comes to the throne of
grace confessing the sins, pleading the
wants, and Offering up the gratitude of
the people of God; all these things, we
say, are an object-lesson to the child, and
are likely to make impressions on his
mind which time will never erase. Their
tendency Is to bind him to the house of
God, and give him reverence for divine
things which will go with him to the
grave.
Against taking small children to church
it may be objected that they annoy the
ministers, attract the attention of those
around them, and 80 occupy the mother
mind that she gets but little good of
the service. We admit that there is
force in all these objections. There are
nervous ministers, there are silly people,
and there are Troublesome children.
But we claim, that, under ordinary cir
eumstances, the advantages to children
from being brought up in the house of
God are so great that the compensation
is more than the sacrifice
1t was our privilege some time since,
to spend a Sabbath with a Christian
family whose religion and habits were OF
the oldfashioned kind The household
consisted OF the parents, six children, the
grandmother and the hired man. The
church in which the family worshiped
was about four miles distant. Every
member Of the household, including
hired man, youngest child and grand
mother, attended church We learned
that the pastor considered " deacon Gait
and his family, quite factor in his con-
gregation. Would it not be more com
fort to tnat pastor to see that whole
household, representing three genera
tions, gray hairs, middle life, and tender
childhood, coming into church, even with
the prospect Of little occasional restless.
ness on the part of the smaller children.
than to know that the mother and two or
three of the smaller children were kept
at home, losing the inspiration that is to
be found in worshipping audience, los
ing the benefit of Christian association
The mother losing the sermon over which
he had been laboring and praying, and
the children losing, at least, the object
lesson seen in the worship and order Of
Gods house?