The Penn's Grove record., 1889-03-16
EARLY EDUCATION
THE BASIS OF CHARACTER.
A Sermon Preached by Rev. Alexan-
der Alison, Pastor of the Alex
ander Presbyterian Church,
Nineteenth and Green Sts.,
Philadelphia.

der Alison, Pastor of the Alex
ander Presbyterian Church,
Nineteenth and Green SITS,
Philadelphia
TEXT.-"Truin up a Child IN the aDdy he
should 90 and tchen he Is old, he 1uill not depart
from u~.-Proyerbs xxi. O.
II any one should ask the question, "why do
I lay 30 much emphasis upon the training of
the young?" as / shall hope to develop in the
course of this address, / would be constrained
to reply, because I believe that such teaching
lies at the very foundation of all spiritual
character! and because / feel in my own heart
the benefit of such instruction.
There is, perhaps, no text of scripture of
more vital importance to parents, guardians,
and those who are in any way connected with
the training of the young, than this one. 1t
not only establishes a fact, but also conveys a
promise. / am aware that there are those who
have taken exception to this passage of the in
spired ANON. There are those who say that in
some cases the text is untrue.
How can any one, who believes the Bible to
be the inspired Word of the living God do this?
II may be that we imagine q possible excep-
ton, because we have not examined the sub
ject in its every aspect.
This fact will probably discover itself as we
proceed. People may argue If they will, that
In some cases children are SO naturally prone
to evil that all efforts to train them in the paths
of rectitude and virtue will be futile; but l
feel quite sure they cannot prove their point;
they cannot establish their premise.
No deviation ever took place from the de-
claration of the text. No one can prove that a
child trained up in the way he should go ever
departed from it in after life.
But, m~ethinks, l hear the remark: "Have not
the children of pious parents, ministers of the
gospel, for instance, departed in manhood and
w~omanhood from the way of truth, religion
and virtue?' Admitted.
Sometimes they have; but they have not de-
| parted from the way in which they were
trained. Ministers, like other people, are hui
man, and, therefore, liable to err in the train
ing of their little ones.
They are apt to be inconsidsrdte in their af-
lection; and by excessive indulgence, perhaps,
and kindness unnecessary, unconsciously train
their children in the way of wrong. 1t is pos
sible to hurt, yea, even as the old aphorism
says, ''to kill with kindness"
Ihave heard q minister of my acquaintance
| say, II believe it is our true wisdom to always
exercise the spirit Of forgiveness and forbear-
! ance when they err, rather than to punish"
This may be true, and doubtless is SO in a
certain sense, but not SO altogether. What says
| the sacred writer? 'He that spareth the rod
hateth his child" 1. C., his child will grow up to
draw out his hatred and dislike; and 'sparing
the rod" is not an evidence of love, but the
| Converse. Ath cerudlu hBe ieBdi Suusiun IL u
more forcible than moral. Letus learn a lesson
from our Heavenly Fathers dealings with
those who are His believing children. God,
| who is ever considerate in His love and affec-
ton for the heirs of glory 'chdstens those whom
He loves" and yet, on the other hand, we are
also informed, Lik as a father pitieth his
| children, so the Lord piteth them that fear
| Him."
| If the rod is spared, the child soon comes to
/ know how easy and lenient is the parent or
| guardian, and fear u. e., respect for his laws
being absent, he indulges in various kinds of
disobedience, mischief and pranks. 1t is one
| Of the attributes of the Christian nature TO
| fear God as well as "keep His command
mepts." Not with a timid fear, but with u be-
| coming reverence and cody fear and awe-a
| fear that is deeply mixed with Difference and
| respect. The same principle should be i'm
| planted in the mind of the child towards its
| earthly parent.
A parent who is strict in his discipline Is al
| ways most respected. The same is true of the
teacher, whether in the secular or Sabbath
| school, although the kinds of discipline are, OF
course, very much different. ga,
Where proper discipline is enforced the child
will respect authority without being afraid,
| except there has been a violation of the law
and IL the little boy or girl knows assuredly
| that penalty will certainly be enforced when
Laws are broken, or commands set at variance,
| he or she will soon come to avoid the repeti-
| ton Of those little offences which are displeas-
| ing to the parent, and IL allowed to go I'M
| punished, are 'the little foxes that spoil the
vines"
Children often know more, and are sharper
| and shrewder than we give them credit Tor.
| They soon discover whether we are inclined to
indulge them :ntheir faults and little follies,
| or to pay on 1.-THE full penalty Of their childish
| indiscretions; and as surely as they do so in
infancy, so surely shall they carry. these ten
, denotes into manhood and womanhood. There
| is no doubt at all of the truth Of our text. 1t
| is lust as great a truism as Solomon or any one
| ever uttered. ''Train up a child in the way he
| should GO, and when he is old he will not de-
| part from it." But some one may remark:
| "What are you going to make OF dsposntohI
"Well, i believe there is much, very much, In
| the influence of disposition. l believe there Is
| more truth than poetry in the well-known
| adage, blood will tell" 1 believe, also, that
! the same theories that prevail among men In
| regard to the humber members of the animal
| kingdom, will not be found absurd when ap-
| piled to Gods highest ~creaton-man II u
| gentleman desires q valuable horse, he Is anx-
| ious earnestly SO, to know It's antecedents, us
| pedigree. Nor does this prevent his exercising
| great diligence in the training of the colt. He
| does not allow the animal to grow up merely
| trusting to its record for admirable results.
| MOI he uses, If anything, more care In such Q
| case, believing that his attention TO the laws OF
| equestrian culture and development Will D.
/ more richly rewarded than In ordinary cases.
| But with an animal of good disposition in
| herited from a noble sire, or dam, he knows
| how comparatively easy is the work of produc-
| ing a pleasing effect. So it is with the genus
| homo. Where deep-seated, genuine morality
| and stable character is the fortune bequeathed
| by one's parents and grandparents the work
| OF fulfilling the text is comparatively easy.
| Where, however, no such thing exists the faith
| full training Of the cody parent or guardian
| will undoubtedly produce marvellous results in
| proof of the statement found in the text
'Train up a child, etc"
But I cannot dwell. lime will not permit me
| to consider as fully as might be desired the
| subject of natural disp~osition-that is, the dis
| position inherited-as a factor in the education
| of the child.
1t is proper, however, to say In leaving this
| part of our subject, that the man or woman
| who fully understands the idea involved in the
| simple word train, will make the first part OF
the study of the child, his disposition. Every
| thing depends on the discovery of this. Such
| knowledge is to the work of education, or
| "leading out" what the foundation is to a
| house. No two children are alike, and here is
| the point where they mainly differ, especially
In the moral aspect of the question.
But a word ere I pass to the more particular
calculation of the text on what we sometimes
| hear said about the children of ministers and
| other prominentC Christian workers.
Some one says, Ministers sons are the hard
| est cases. Is this true? Statistics have shown
| that ninsty-str per cent. of the sons of the
Manse turn out fine Christian men, a large
number of them, like their fathers, ministers.
OF the four per cent. who do not, 1t is said that
three-fourths of that four per cent. go down
by reason of strong drink &. e., outside infiu-
ence which cannot be entirely guarded against.
The same high rates hold good conversely in
the ranks OF those who are from parents OF
vicious habits and blunted moral sensibilities.
Why then do people talk so about the children
of ministers? Because they hear more about
them and their households, doubtless. In leav-
ing this, let me ask you individually to think
Of the number of minister's children you have
ever known to 60 to the bad. You will find the
number limited, 1 believe. People frequently
talk without deep reconciliation, and repeat
what they hear without giving it digestion.
And now let us examine the injunction OF the
text after which we may note its promise.
We notice Qst) we are called upon to "Train.'
It is to be observed that we are not told to
"Teaeh q child In the way, ETC." No, it is
.Train." Now, what is the diference?I Iii very
strikingi ! will use a homely, yet, l think, ap-
propriate illustration. Walter, we shall suppose
comes dashing into the parlor, throws down his
coat on the floor of the hall and on again with
a rush to play. His mother shouts after HIM
walter, Walter, come herel' The obedient
boy at once returns to his mothers presence.
She says: ..walter, my boy, you ought not to
have thrown your coat on the toor' please do