The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1886-11-24

fact that some years ago There were two
young men who stopped at rhe door Of the
Park theatre in Sew York The QUESTION
was whether they should go in. That night
there was 70 be very immoral play enacted
in the Park theatre. One man went IN: the
other stayed out. The young man who went
In went on from Sin to sin and through
crowd Of iniquities. and died in the
hospital Of deliriun1 tremens The other
young man. who retreaSed, chose Christ
went into the Gosuel, and is now one Of the
most eminent ministers OF Christ in this coua-
try. And the man who reiterated gave as his
reason for turning back from the Park the
atretbat night that there was voice
within him saving: Don't go in; don't 20
In" And for that reason. my friends, be-
lievo 20 much in Bible classes. But there is
something better than the Bible class, and
that Is the Sunday school class. / ike it be-
cause it takes children at an earlier point:
and the infant class ike still better. becausc
it takes children before they begin TO walk or
to talk straight and puts them on the road TO
heaven. You cannot begin too carly. Ton
stand on the bank of river flowing by. You
cannot stop that river, but you travel days
and days toward the source Of it. and you
End after while where it comes down drop
ping from The rock, and with your knife you
maize course in this or that direction for the
dropping to take, and you decide The course
Of the river You stand AMI see Your cllil-
drcn's character rolling on with great impet-
uosity md passion, and you cannot AFFECT
them. Co up toward tho source where tho
character first starts and decide that II sian
take the right direction, and it win follow the
path yoa give it.
But want You to remember, o father! o
Il. Sc
to affect yo1r children, and not what you
say. You tell your children TO become Chris
TINS while you are not. and they viii not.
Do yoa think Eoah's family would have gone
into the ARK if no had not gore INF They
would say: NO, there is something ab0ut
that boat that is not right; father has not
gone in. =" You cannot push children into tho
kingdom Of God; you have got t. pull them
in There has been many a general in q
tower or castle looking at his army fighting,
but that is not the kind of man to arouse
enthusiasm among his troops 1t is .
Garibaldi or Napoleon who leaps into tho
stirIups, and dashes into the conflict, and has
his troops following him with wild huzza
So you cannot stand of in your impenitent
state and tell your children 70 90 ahead into
the Christian life, and have them 20. You
must yourself dash into the Christian conflict;
you must lead them and not tell them to 60
Do you know that all the instruction you
give to your children in religious direction
goes for nothing unless you illustrate it in
your own lifef The teacher at the school
takes copybook, writes 4 specimen OF good
writing across the top Of the page, but he
makes mistake in one letter Of the copy
The boy comes along on the next line, copies
the top line and makes the mistake, and If
10.
have the mistake there was il tho copy on
the top. The father has an error in this life
"a very great error. The son comes
along and copies it now, TO morrow. next
year, copies it TO the day of his death. 1t IS
what you are. not 50 much what you teach.
Have a family altar. Let it be a cheerful
place, the brightest room in your house. Do
not wear your children's knees out with long
prayers. Have the whole exercise spirited.
If you have u melodeon, or an organ, on a
piano, In the house, have it open. Then lead
in prayer. II you cannot make a prayer Of
your own, take Matthew Henry's prayers or
the Episcopal prayer book. None better
than that Kneel down with your little ones
morning and night; commend them TO God.
Do you think they will get over ita Neverl
After you are under the sod good many
years there viii be some powerful te.npta-
ton around that son, but the memory of
father and mother at morning and evening
prayers will have its effect upon him; it will
bring him back from the path Of sin and
death.
But want you to make strict mark, q
sharp, plain line, between innocent hilaIity
on the part Of your children and a vicious
proclivity. Do not think your boys viii go
TO ruin because they make a racket, a glum,
I, II
villain Children, when they are healthy,
always make racket want you at the
very first sign OF dcpravity in the child to
correct 1T. Do not laugh because it is smart
IL you do you will live to cry because it is
malicious Do not talk OF your children's
frailties lightly i'll their presence, thinking
they do not understand you; they do under
stand. Do not talk disparagingly of your
Child, making him feel hat he is q rcprobate.
Do not say to your little one, YOU'RE the
worst child I ever knew" II you do he wiz
be the worst man you ever knew.
Are your children safe for hcaven7 You
can tell better than any one else. l put 70
you the question: "Arc your children safe
for heaveng' 1 heard of a mother who
when the house was alire, in the excitement
of the occasion got cut a great many valu-
able things-many choice articles OF furni-
ture-but did not think to ask until too
late: as my child safer 1t was too late
then. The flames had encirc!ed all; the child
was gone Oh, my dear friend, when sea and
land shall burn ia the final eon1agration
will your children be safer
wonder If what [ have said this morning
has not struck a chord in some one in the
audience who had good father and mother,
but who is not yet a Christiau3 Is that your
historvf
Do you know why you came here this
moiningl God sent you to have that mem
DRY revived. Your dear Christian mother.
how she loved you! You remember when you
were sick how kindly she attended you; the
night was not too long, and you never asked
her TO turn the pillow but she did it, You re
member her prayers also; you remember how
some Of you'll do not know where the man
is in the audience-how some one here broke
his mothers heart. You remember her soi.-
row over your waywardness, you remember
the old place where she did YOU SO many
kindnesses; the chairs, the table, the door
sill where you played; the tones of her voice
Why, YOU can think them back now Though
they were borne long ago on the air, they
come ringing through your soul to-day, call
ing you by the first name You are
not Mr." to her; it is Just your
piainI HrSt name. Is not this the
timo when her prayers will be answered.
Do you not think that God sent YOU in
to-day to have that memory OF her revived9
Ii you should come to Christ this morning,
amid all the throngs Of heaven, the gladdest
of them would be yolr Christian parents who
are In glory waiting for your redemption.
Angels of God, shout the tidings, the lost has
come back again; the dead is alive, Ring
all the bells of heaven at the iubileei RING
Ring