Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1890-11-01
Sunday Reaains
EDITED BY REV. +. L. DEEPER.
THE MOTHERS INFLUENCE.

the years their character is in process
Of formation, and they are what she
makes them. \ Her work is difficult
and delicate one. Her patience is
sorely tried. She has to contend
with depraved nature, sinful COM
panions. and the wies of the devil.
At the time, her work is unnoticed,
and she is not inspired by the praise
of Others. She has nothing to sus-
tain her, save the consciousness that
she is doing right. 1t is no wonder
that she is often discouraged w.
Discouraged mothers will do well
to study the story o., Timothy, the
disciple Of Lystra who afterwards be-
came pastor of the church at Ephe-
sus. His mother "was Jewess and
believed; but his father was a Greek";
and therefore for whatever religious
instruction he received in his home,
he must have been indebted to his
mother. In two familiar passages,
Paul spenks of Timothy's hOme-train-
ing as an unquestioned and promi-
nent instrument of his faith and sal
walton II call to remembrance the
unfeigned faith that is in thee, which
dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois
and thy mother Eunice"; "From a
child thou hast known the holy
Scriptures, which are able to make
thee wise unto salvation"
Remember Timothy's native place
and surroundings. Lycaonia was one
of the interior provinces of Asia Mi
nor, on which Greek and Roman
civilization had made little impress
sion. The people of Lystra, the city
of Lycaonia in which Timothy lived
were ignorant and superStitious idola-
tiers, as is evident from the fact that
they regarded Paul and Barnabas as
heather deities, and were about to
offer sacrifice in their honor. There
could he no more unpromising field
for missionary labor, according to
human measurement, than rude Ly-
caonia. live had had the Apostles
ear, we would have advised him to
confne his labors TO wealthy Antioch
or cultured Athens, or some other
centre of life and activity, and not to
spend his time and strength in such
an eut>of>the.way place. And yet
neither Antioch, nor Athens, nor
Corinth, nor Ephesus gave the Church
a man like Timothy. Why? We
are safe in saying that one reason was
because Timothy's heart was pre-
pared to receive the gospel by his
mothers training.
What congregational advantages
he enjoyed, we do not know. II
would seem that the Lumber of Jews
in Lystra was small. 1t is not prob
able that there was any synagogue
Likely there was only "praying
place" in some retired spot outside o
the city, in which a few children o
Abraham met for their weekly wor
ship. But Timothy enjoyed home
advantages. He knew the law, TIT
prophets, and the Psalms better thar
many who lived in the City of David
He had a Gentle father, but he wa
more of a Jew than many in who's
veins flowed the pure blood of Abra
ham. And so, when the gospel wa
preached at Lystra, his heart, pre-
pared by early training, at once re
ceived the truth and accepted Jesu
as the promised Messiah. Paul I'm
doubleday sowed the seed, but Eunic
had prepared the soil by years of pa
tient and faithful labor.
No one can read the story of limo
thy without being convinced that hi
conversion and usefulness, so far a
human instrumentalitie were con
cerned, were largely due to his piou
mothers influence. Let the mother
of today lay this story to heart. Tn
future Of the Church is in thei
hands. If there are to be TimothyS
there must first be Eunices. The
have advantages which that mothe
in Lystra did not possess. They d
not dwell in the midst of idolater,
There are educational institutions t
assist them. They can easily intro
duce their sons and daughters to con
panions who will not be stumblin
block. The spiritual dangers, whic
heset the young in our towns an
cities, are great enough, but they d
not compare with those of Lycaoni;
If Christian mothers will take Go
as their helper and the word of Go
rs their daily textbook, they ca
guard their children from danger