St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1886-12-04
A SERMON NC PARENTS,
Rev. T De Witt Talmage on the
Rearing Of Children.
parental Anxiety-Inehhciency and Imper-
fection-Unwise Discipline and Instruc-
tion-Youthful Sins and Tempta-
tions-Dofng vs. Teaching.

uohs-Doing vs. Teac ching.
BRooELYS, N. Y, Nov. 21.-The subjec
OF Dr. Talmage's sermon at the Tabernacl
this morning was: "What Is to Becom
of Our Childreng' The text chosen wa
from Genesis A 80, as follows: "Seein.
that his life is bound up in the lads life.
Mr.. Talmage said:
These words We're spoken by Judah a.
descriptive of the tenderness and affectio,
winch jacob felt toward Benjamin, thu
youngest son of that patriarchal family
OUT they are words just as appropriate t.
many parent in this house-since "hi!
lie is bound up in the lads life" l have
known parents that seemed to have but lit
tie interest in their children. A father
says: My son must look out for himself
IL ne comes up WELL all right; if he turns
out badly | can not help it. am not re
6ponslble for his behavior; he must take
the same risk in life that took" AS well
might the shepherd throw lamb into a
den OF lions and then say: Little lamb
lock out for yourself!''
1t is generally the case that even the
Beast looks after its young. 1t is generally
the case that the old bird will pick your
eyes out rather than let you come nigh its
brood. The lion will rend you in twain if
you approach too nearly the whelps; the
fowl n the barnyard, clumsy-footed aad
heavy winged, flies fiercely at you if you
come too near the little group, and God ill.,
tended every father and mother to be the
protection and help of the child. Jesus
comes into every dwelling ard says to the
father or mother: ''You have been looking
after this child's body and mind; the time
has come when you ought to be looking
nj Iofo
hundreds of people with whom the ques-
ton, morning, noon and night, is: 'What
is to become of the childs What will be its
history? Will it choose paths of virtue or
vice? Wilt accept Christ or reject HINT
Where will it spend eternity2"
| read of a vessel that foundered. The
boats were launched; many of the passen-
gers were struggling in the water. A
mother with one hand beat the waves and
with the other hand lifted up the little child
toward the lfe-boat, crying: ''Save nv
child! Save my child!" The imprisoned
outcry Of that mother is the prayer Of hun
dreds OF Christian people who sit listening
this morning while l speak. l propose to
show some of the causes of parental anx-
iety, and then how that anxiety may be al
1eviated.
find the first cause Of parental anxiety
IN the ineficiency and imperfection of par
ents themselves We have slight hope,
all of US, that our children may escape our
faults. We hide our imperfections, and
think they will steer clear of them. Alas
there IS poor prospect of that. There is
more probability that they will choose our
wees than choose our virtues. There is
like sacredness in parental inn
PROJECTIONS when the child looks upon
Nf hn -
repulsive when the child looks at it. He
SAYS: Father INDUCES in it; mother in
dulses in il; it can't be so bad" There is
not one of h.. this morning that would de- |
llberately choose that his children should |
in all things follow his example, and it is |
the consciousness of imperfection on our |
part as parents that makes us most anxious |
for our children.
We are also distressed on account of the |
nnwisdom of our discipline and instruction.
It requires a great deal of ingenuity to
build house or fashion a ship, but more |
to build the temple of child's |
character and launch it on the great ocean
IF time and eternity. Where there is one
parent that seems qualified for the work
here seems to be twenty parents who mis-
,fably fail. Here is father who says:
My child shall know nothing but re-
igion--he shall hear nothing but religion
lie shall see nothing but religion"
The boy is aroused at six O'Clock
n the morning to recite the Ten Command
nents He is awakened off the sofa On
Sunday nights to see how much he knows
# the Westminster Catechism. 1t is re-
igion morning. noon and night. Passages
Il Scripture are plastered on the bedroom |
vail. He looks for the day of the month
n religious almanac Every minister that
ONES to the house is told to take the boy
side and talk to him and tell him what a
'reat sinner he is. After awhile the boy
ONES to that period Of life when he is too
Id for chastisement, and too young to feel
ne force Of moral principle. Father and
lother are sitting up for the boy
} come home. 1t is nine o'clock
night-ten o'clock-it is twelve O'Clock
is half-past twelve, and they hear the
ightkey jingle in the door. They say he
coming. George goes very softly through |
,e hall, hoping TO get upstairs before he is
;costed. The father says: "George,
here have you been." "Been outl" Yes.
q has been out, and he has been down, and
3 is on the broad road 10 destruction, for {
lis life aud the life to come. Father says:
There is no use in the Ten Command
ents; the catechism seems to me to be an
ter failnre.n All, my friend, you make
cry great mistake. You stuffed that child J
it'll religion until he could not digest it; {
'u made that which is joy in many c
'useholds. an adherence in yours. A man {
middle life said to me: 81 can't become | &
Christian. In my fathers house / got G
ch prejudice against religion I don't c
ant any of it. My father was one of the | I
st men that ever lived, but he had such @
we're notions about things, and he damned a
ligion down my throat, until don't want a
y OF it, SIR" There have been some who 4
we erred in that direction. r
There are households where mother pulls e
Q way and father pulls the other a