The Penn's Grove record., 1889-03-16

God nor for your negligence as parents anu
guardians in allowing 1t.
oh, that my words might reach the heart OF
every father and mother in this great city of
Philadelphia, and that the result thereof
might be an attendance, even at the exercise
o great self-denial on the part of all concerned
OF your offspring on the worship of Coo in His
Holy Temple.
As 1 have said before, bring them just as
early as possible to the church. Never mind
ever IL they do make an occasional sound God
bless the children; their sweet, treble tones can
never be aught but musical to all who love the
Lord in sincerity and in truth. Surely, He
who said, "Suffer the little children to come
unto me-" never meant us to go to the Holy
place without them.
But now that I have spoken thus fully of
church attendance let me further say, do not
neglect to send them also TO Sabbath-schoOl.
Never mind If they are not as well dressed as
other peoples children; this cannot always be.
1t is absolute folly for people to vie with each
other in this way.
Many people are so much exercised how
they are to cater most TO the tastes and
etiquette of society that they have very lit e
time eft to look after the moral, not to speak
of the higher spiritual welfare of their child
rem. Avoid this You will be none the less
thought of by those whose friendship is worth
having, that your child has worn the same suit
for a couple of seasons, IL you can purchase
clothing that will endure so long. cannot. How
ever, in these days of such cheap, ready-made
wearing apparel, such an excuse requires no
more than a passing notice.
But / have said, send your child to Sabbath
school,; now, | add, send him to the Sabbath
school of pour, not his choice. You are the best
judge, not the child.
/ have heard children say: 81 am going to so
and so Sabbath-sehOoli there they give the best
library books-that is, those containing the sill
Hest stories, for these, by such children are of
~ H-aN L.. NO. q 81 -
school, they always have the incest Christmas
tree, and the teachers give the handsomest
presents at Christmas, and there the picnic in
summer is just splendid"
Such a commentary on the Christian training
of the professedly Christian home! such Il re-
Election on the boosted Christian education OF
the dayl The very idea of a child going where
he or she likes: why the thing seems, in the
highest sense, absurd.
1t is not, after all, so very important which
of the evangelical Sabbath-schools a child goes
to, but the parent should choose. 1fa child is
allowed to go to one school to-day, and another
tomorrow, or two in one day, he will not be
likely to remain by one church when hereaches
the age of maturity.
If you desire to have your children Presby-
terians send them to Il Presbyterian sabbath
school; If you wish to make them Methodists
send them to the Methodist Sabbath-school,
and so on. Remember the Sabbath-school is in
quitc uh at sthT t"N ~ 'HN
church. The Roman Catholic Church has taught
us a grand lesson in looking after the children.
1t would be well for our children as well as the
Church, If we would follow their eXamp ehere.
1t was Bishop Bellarmin, | believe, who said,
''give me the first eight years of Il child and
you may have the rest" But, once more, in
sist upon your child going regularly 10 the Sab
bath-schoOl which you select, as well as to
church. Depend upon it the habit of going to
church one day and staying at home another,
will grow up with the child, and 1t Will, in all
probability, be found that in after years, ir-
regularity in church attendance Will be the re-
suit.
Be also enjoined to discourage your child In
finding fault with the teacher. Do not grum-
BILE because the teacher does not say all that
could be said about the lesson; no one can.
| Rather tell your child what you discover has
| been omitted. Rejoice that the teacher does
your child some good. Remember that the
teachers work is u labor of love, prompted,
| probably by the highest desire for the saving of
| your child from eternal death.
But, finally, we notice In the third and last
| place, the promise of the text: ''Train ups child
in the way he should go, and 1teH he Is old he
tDiH not depart from ii,
How cheerful, how encouraging Work that
the promise may be realized in YOU expert
/ ence, my Chi stan father and mother.
| Pray for your children. Thus did Job con-
| tinually," are the words of the inspired writer.
| Let us follow his example. The language of
| the word is spray without ceasing,' etc., and
| while you pray tUOrk and use the means
| for God surely helps those, and only those who
| help themselves. The Lord will guide you
! only trust Him. Now, oh, now give yourselves
to the task! Nay, not the task, the pleasure.
There can be no doubt that on the great day
| of final account all who have had aught to do
| with the education of the young will be held
| heavily accountable, for great had been the
| privilege laid upon them of training the young
| in the knowledge of holy things while their
| minds were pliable, and "to whom much is
| given, of him shall much be required"
Oh, that we all might be more concerned
about the young. They are the lambs of the
| fold. We must not allow them to wander off
like some of the older sheep who ought to know
| better and do not. As it Is with the confirmed
| inebriate-the habitual drunkard-so 1t is with
sinners who are Gospel hardened-and there are
| such in every place-there is no use in hopi g
| to do much with them. We must, however, do
| what we can, even with them. We must never
| falter or waver in our faith in the promise of the
| Lord. Even in working with those most harden
| ed on depraved, for,
Gas long as life its terms extends,
Hopes blest dominion never ends,
For while the lamp holds on to burn,
The greatest sinner may return"
This Is a faithful saying and worthy of all
| acceptation, that Jesus Christ came into the
4 pLlu ~ M az Va VaSht = bNe NAASA
But We must in the future turn our attention
very largely and mainly to the safety of the
lambs. They have not yet become polluted,
they have not yet become devoted to the enemy,
and they are not yet entirely the servants
of sin. Listen to the inspired appeal "Remem-
Der now thy Creator in the days of thy youth
while the evil days come not nor the years draw
nigh when thou shalt say, l have no pleasure
in them" And furthermore, the grand
promise; Those who seek me early shall find
me-" Oh, friends, let us labor for the saving
of children. Let us warn them before the false
steps are made. Let us by earnest, conscien-
tious and loving teaching throw around them
a fence, a mighty wall of conscience
which will stand them eiiectnal stead in the
evil day, and which, when they go out into the
giddy whirl of the mighty city, in the midst of
the wicked world, all the battering-ramS OF
evil will be unable to penetrate or break down.
To this end, see TO it, that the blessed Word OF
God-the Bibles thoroughly taught them in
childhood. Any boy or girl who goes out into
society and life well founded upon the solid
rock of Divine truth, will, like the magnificent
lighthouse in the midst of the dashing break
ers, stand grandly, unmoved when the waves or
| sin and the storms of temptation threaten to
carry everything before them. Let parents,
guardians, teachers and others be only faith
full in presenting before the young the
Lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the
world, even Jesus, blessed Jesus; and withal
endorsing their teaching with a holy walk
and conversation that becometh the Gospel of
Christ" / am willing to leave the next genera
ton and the glory of the Church of Christ for
the future TO unfold. Train up a child :. the
way he tho:!d sc and when he is OIL he will not
depart from IT,"
Cardinal Manning, in a letter lndors-