The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-09-05
Memories of Childhood.

Memories Of Childhood.
A SERMON TO CHILDREN. BY THE
REV. HENRY BUNTING.
"When 1 was child."-l Cor. KILL
Our text forms part of letter writ
ten by the Apostle Paul from Ephesus
to the Christian people who dwelt at
Corinth. He was noticing how poor
and unsatisfactory our knowledge is,
in this world, compared with what ii
will be in heaven. We can imagine
him psusing for an illustration, and as
he does 80, his thoughts 60 back to the
days of his childhood. He is once
more in his childhood's home in Gill
cia. He watches his father as he
stitches away, making and repairing
sails, wanders among the boats on the
river Cnidus, listens to the sailors as
they whistle, sing and jabber through
the sunny day; gazes again upon the
grest buildings, the old schools and
colleges of his native town, Tarsus ;
feels the wonder and awe which, as
boy, he used to feel when he saw the
scholars and learned men who dwelt
there. The thoughts and feelings of
childhood come back again, so very
different from the thoughts and feel
ings of his manhood. He used to
think some things better than they
were of other things he did not think
highly enough. He felt afraid some
times when he had no reason for fear.
He was sometimes fearless when he
ought to have been afraid. By the
things he said and the questions which
he asked, he often showed that he was
very ignorant. He was but child.
Now he has seized upon the illus
tration which he wanted, and he goes
on writing: "When 1 was child, /
thought as a child; but when I be-
came a man, I put away childish
things" Paul remembered his child
hood, from which we learn that
I. Children, Remember. One OF
the most valuable gifts which our
Heavenly Father has bestowed upon
US is memory the power to treasure
things in our minds so as to be able to
recall them, look at them and think
about them again. Have you ever
thought what a valuable possession
memory is, and what miserable
state of things would exist among US
if we could not remember? Without
memory we should notbe able to think
or imagine, or sing, or read a book,
even if there were book to read.
How should we get on without men,
ory? In order that you may succeed
well in life, it is important that you
should have good memory. Learn
the importance then of improving it.
1t may be strengthened by exercise.
Carefully and honestly learn all the
lessons appointed you to learn.
Never, if you can possibly avoid it,
have to say, II don't remember"
We begin to remember very early.
We have heard some one say ere now,
"Look baby notices ~ That is the
first step toward remembering. Baby
soon learns to distinguish mothers
face and voice anywhere, because ba-
by remembers.
Our memories are always receiving
fresh impressions. The doors of men,
ory's chambers are always open, and
all sorts of things walk in and remain
there.
We can remember best what we
commit to memory when we are
young. I used to hear an aged min
lister who could repeat many lines of
Greek poetry correctly, and yet he
could scarcely evor repeat correctly
a dozen lines of hymn. The reason
was, he learned the Greek when he
was boy and the hymns afterward.
Seeing, then, that through life we
shall be familiar with that which we
learn when young, how necessary it Is
to learn the best things now, and not
allow any bad things to enter the
mind.
Whatever is once lodged in the
memory will remain there for ever.
You have heard of Scotchman NAM
ed Hugh Miller who, by his own in
dustry and ability, rose from being a
mason to be an eminent geologist.
He wrote a book which every youth
would do we'll to read, called "The
Testimony of the Rocks" Geolo-
gists can read upon the rocks records
which were made upon them ages
upon ages ago-how this world was
formed, and how changes have taken
place in it from age to age. And they
can read records of small events as
we'll as great. Upon the red sand
stone the geologist reads how ages
ago there fell a shower of rain-gen-
erations of people have been born and
buried since then; but the impress
sions remains and they are so plain
that the geologist tells US he can tell