The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-12-08
Or. TALMAGE'S SERMON.
WHAT IS TO BECOME OF OUR
CHILDREN.

which Jacob felt toward Benjamin, the
Youngest son OF that patriarchal family; but
they are words just as appropriate to many
4 parent in this Eolse-Since his lie Is
pound up in the lads life" l have known
parents who seemed to have but little interest
n their children. A father says My son
must look out for him.elf. If he comes up
well, all right; if be turns out badly lcannot
help it. am not responsible for his EehaV-
ior. He must take the same risk in life that
(tooS." As we'll might the shepherd throw
lamb into den of lions aud then say: Little
r lamb, look out for yourSelf!'
1t is generally the case that even the beast
looks after its young. have gone through
;he woods on a summers day, and have
,eard q eat outcry in birds nest, and
have climbed up to see what was the matter:
found out that the birds were starving and
that tho mother bird had gone off not to
come back again. But that is an exception:
It is generally the case that the old bird will
pick your eyes out rather than let you come
aigh its brood. The lion will rend you in
twain if you approach too rearly the
whelps; the fowl in the barnyard,
.lunlsy-footed and heavy winged, flies fierce
" at YOU if you ccme too mar the little
group, and God intended every father and
mother to be the protection and the help OF
The child. Jesus comes into every dwelling
and saws to the father or mother: ''Yo You have
been looking after this child's body and
mind: tie time has come when you ought to
be looking after its immortal soul" l stand
before hundreds of people with whom the
question morning, noon and night is: what
z To become of the child! What will be its
aistory! Will it ,hoose paths Of virtue or
vices Will it accept Christ or reject Hlmf
Where will it spend eternityH
| read of vessel that foundered. The
boats were launched; many of the passengers
in tho water mother
with one hand beat the waves, and with the
other hand lifted up her little child toward
III :, Iife-boat, CRYING: "Save my child! Save
nv child" The impasSioned out"ry of tnat
mother is the prayer of hundreds OF Chlls-
hau people who sit listening this morning
while speak. l propose to show some OF the
muses. OF parental anxiety, and then how
that anxiety may be alleviated.
find the first cause of parental anxiety IN
the iuefficieucy and ;mperfecsion OF parents
themselves. We have slight hope, all of US,
hat 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 vices than choose
aess in parental imperfe"tions when the child
looks upon them The folly of the
parents is not so repulsive when the
child looks at it. He says: "Fa.her
ndulges in it; mother INDUCES in
it; it can't be so bad Your boy, ten years
Of age. goes up back street smoking his ci-
zarSan old stump that he found in tie
street-and neighbor accosts him and says:
What are You doing this for? What would
your father say if he knew it," The boy
iays: 20, father does that HIMSELF" There
- Is not one Of US this morning that would de-
iberately choose that his children should in
all things follow his example, and 1t Is the
consciousness of imperfection on our part as
eareuts that makes US most anxious for our
chldrel.
We are also distressed on account Cf the
uuwi.dom Of our dScialine and instruction.
It requires great deal Of ingenuity to build
house or fashion ship; but more ingenuity
to build the temple of q chiid's character,
and launch it on the great ocean OF time and
eternity. Where there is one parent that
seems qualified for the work, there seem to
be twenty parents who miserably fail. Here
isa father who says: "NIy child shall know
nothing but religion; he shall hear nothing
but relieio : lie shallsee nothing but religion"
The boy is aroused at 6 Go'rlcok in the morning
to recite the Ten Commandments. He is
awakened off the sofa on Sunday night to seq
bow much he knows of the Westminster Cat
schiSm. 1t is religion morning, noon and
uight Passages Of Scripture are plnstered
on the bedroom wal. he looks for the day
OF the mouth in religious almanac. Every
minister that comes to the house is told to
take the hoy aside, and talk to him, and
tell him what q great sinner he Is.
After a while the boy comes to that
period of life when he is too old
Tor chastisement, and too young to know
and feel the force of moral principle
Father aud mother are sitting uo for the boy
to come home 1t is nine o'clock at night
ten o'clock-it is twelve o'clock-it is half
past twelve, and they hear the night key
Jingle in the door. They say he is coming.
George goes very softly through the hall,
ho ing to get up stairs before he Ssss Is aseoStea
You beenl' ''Been out!" Yes, he has
been out, and he has been down, and he
is on the broad re ad to destruction, for this
life and the life to come. Father says:
s'There is no use in the Ten Commandments;
the Cate "hism seems to me to lie an utter
failure" All my friend, you make very
great mistake You Ted that child with
r ligicn Until he could not digest it.. you
made that which is Joy in many households
au abhorreac in yours! a man in mid-iife
said to me: II can't become Chris: ian. In
ny fathers house l got such prejudice
against rel sion doi t want any of it. My
father was one of the best men that ever
lived, but he bad such severe notiocs about
things, and he :an,mei religion down my
throat, until l don't want any OF it, Sir"
1Q6Te nave Dtcu oOlAS " ~ ho'S Stt So 49, SAS~s
direction.
There are households where mother pulls
one way and father ulls the other Father
saws: s'My son, l told you the first time l
caught YOU in falsehood I would chastlse
you and now an G ing to do it." Mother
says: Don't; let him off this time" In some
families it is all sol ling an fretfulness with
the child; from Monday mo nlng to Sa1nr-
day night it is that style of culture. The
boy is licked at, and picked at, and picked
OF. Now you i,sht better give one sound
thastisemenL aud Lave done with it, than 10
indulge in the perpetual scolding and fretf.ll-
nes There is mo. e he alth in one good thun-
derstorm than in three or four days of cold
driZzle.
Here is parent.who says: II will not err
on the side that parent has erred in being too
strict with h's children. will let mine DO
as they please. II they want to come IN to
PRAYERS. they can: if they want to play at
cards, t. ey an; they can do anything they
please-the-e shall be no hindranCe. 90 1t!
Here are tickets fer the opera and theatre,
son. Take Your friends with you. Do what
ever you desire" One day gentleman comes
in from the lank to bis fathers office, and
HThev want to so, you over at the hank
minute Father gt es into the bank. The
cashier says: { Is that your check:" Father
looks at it and says: mo, Inever gave that
check: I never cross a IT in that way; l
never make the curl to " in that way. 1t
Is not my check; that's forgery. Send for
the police!' A. says the cashier. don't
be so quick; your son did that" The fact
was that the boy ha been out in dissipating
circles, and ten aud fifty dollars went
In that direction, and he had been
treated and he hal to treat others, and the
bow felt he must have SEQ to keep himself
In that circl That night the father sits up
for the son to come home. 1t is o'clock be-
fore he comes into the hall. be comes IN
,,orv ,n,,cb Husbe] his ryes plaripc and his