Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1889-10-26
VOL. 10.
CORRESPONDENCE
For the Independent.
SUGGESTIONS, DoINGs, FACTS, ETC.

A little more, if you please, on the
production of conscientious children:
Besides teaching them from the
Word, of the greatness of God, i'm
press them from the same source, OF
their accountability to Him for their
thoughts, words and actions, and
that this may be done well in them,
to protect them from evil, read to
them and have them read those por-
tions of the Word which teach of the
future general judgment, where God,
who knows all things, will call all
people to give an account of every
thought, word and action. Let them
know that God has appointed unto
man once to die, and after death the
Judgment. That HE hath appoint
ed day in the which he will judge
the world in righteousness, by that
man whom he hath ordained, where
of he hath given assurance unto all
men, in that he hath raised Him from
the dead" So as sure as Christ has
risen from the dead, just as sure He
will call each one of US to judgment.
) This fact must live in the mind of the
child. 1t must grow with his growth;
with this deeply set, he will have the
1sfear of the Lord which is the begin
ming of wisdom"
Then the commandments must be
known as written by God on the Ia
bles of stone, as spoken by God in
the hearing of the assembled people
at the foot of Sinai. Let the chill
dren have read to them, by their par
ents, Exodus 10Th and Goth, so that
the law of God and it's giving by God
may never be forgotten. Then let
every parent know what God expects
of him--as in Deut. 9Th chapter.
"These things thou shalt diligently
teach unto thy children when thou
sittest in thine house, when thou walk
est by the way, when thou Hest down
and when thou risest up" As par
ents, too often we will not be dicta-
ted to ON the question of raising our
children, as though we knew more
than God. If there is one great sin,
that parents have need to fear going
before God for more than another, it
doubtless is the sin of falling to teach
children the truth commanded by
God. We want our children to be
good, but we won't go to the trouble
to teach them what God saw they
needed, and has given us to give to
them to lead them to be good. We
set up our judgment and neglect
against the authoritative command
of the Almighty, and our children
grow up without knowing the essen
tial truth. If such is not rebellion
against the Divine government, that
calls foe the manifested displeasure
OF the Lord to and upon us, then we
fail to read Gods word Alright. The
manifested neglect to teach the chill
dren Gods word is not only with
people making no pretention to God
illness, but it is evident that many
making profession of Goodness are
neglectors Of their great duty-peo-
pie who would be highly offended,
yea, would be indignant, if told by
the authorities OF the church that
they were not doing their duty to-
wards their offspring by teaching
them the Word of God. How many
parents in Martinsburg and vicinity
are there who are sure that their
children have learned from them the
necessary truth concerning God !?
Sin, atonement, by the death and
resurrection of Jesus Christ, repent
ance, conversion, justification by
faith, and such truths as ought to be
familiar to all? How frequently the
question is mooted, chow strange
that the children of such good peo-
pie are so irreligious 2" Perhaps it
would not appear strange at all were
the facts to be known of the neglect
to put Gods word in early life into
their children's minds.
The remedy that is needed is re-
vival Of a conscicntiousness on the
part of parents. They have to be-
wall their manifold wickedness, in
neglect, before God the Judge of all.
Ifparents are easy in their conscience
while their children are unsaved and
irreligious, such ease is evidence OF
hack of conscientiousness on their
OWE part. They have treated Gods
truth as though it were not, or as
though it were of no value to them
or their households. Much is said
nowadays about the need of the BIZ
BILE in the public schools, and much
may and must be said. But we must
begin at home and open the Bible
there, and familiarize ourselves and
children ON what God the Creator OF