Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1894-04-20

Sandstone question of the child dem
onstratod the fact that he knew all about
it?
Your children are apt to think that
what you do is right. They have no idea
Of truth or righteousness but yourself.
Things which You do knowing at the
time to be wrong they take to be right.
They reason this way; Father always
does right. Father did this. Therefore
this is right. That is good logic, but
bad premises. No one ever gets over
having had bad example set him. Your
conduct more than your teaching makes
impression. Your laugh, your frown,
your dress, your walk, your greetings,
your goodbys, your comings, your 60
ings. Your habits at the table, the tones
of your voice, are making an impression
which will last million years after you
are dead, and the sun will be extin-
guished, and the mountains Will crum-
BILE. and the world will die, and eternity
will roll on in perpetual cycles, but
there will be no diminution Of the force
Of your conduct upon the young eyes that
saw it or the young ears that heard 1t.
The Age For study.
Now Iwould not have by this the idea
given to you that you must be IN cold
reserve in the presence Of your children
You are not emperor. You are companion
with them. As far as You can, you must
walk with them, skate with them, fly
kite with them, play ball with them,
show them YOU are interested in all that
Interests them. Spcnsippus, the nephew
and successor Of Plato in the academy,
had pictures Of joy and gladness hung
all around the schOOlrOOm. You must
not give vour children the impression
that when they come to You they are
playful ripples striking against a rock.
You must have them understand that
You were a boy once yourself that you
know a boys hilarities, a boys tempta-
tons. boys ambition-yea, that you
arc boy yet. You may deceive them
and try to give them the idea that you
are some distant supernatural effulgence,
and You may shove them off by your rig
orous behavior, but the time will come
when they will find out the deception,
and they will have for you utter con-
tempt
Aristotle said that boy should begin
to study at Il years Of age. Before that
his time should be given to recreation
Icannot adopt that theory. But this sug-
Cests a truth in the right direction
Childhood is too brief, and we have not
enough sympathy with its sporfulness
We want divine grace to help us III the
adjustment Of all these matters
Besides that, how are your children
ever to become Christians if You your
self are not a Christian: l have noticed
that however worldly and sinful parents
may be they want their children good
When young people have presented
themselves for admission into our mem
bership. have said to them, Are your
father and mother willing You shall
Gomez And they have said, "Oh, yes;
they are delighted to have us come.
They have not been III church for 10 or
Is wears. but they will be here next Sab
bath to see me baptized" Ihave noticed
that parents, however worldly, want
their children good.
A Good Mother Sought
So it was demonstrated III q police
court in Canada, where mother her
little child in her arms, sat by table
on which her own handouts lay, and
the little babe took up the handouts and
PLAYED with them and had great glce.
She knew not the sorrow Of the hour.
And the. when the mother was sent to
prison the mother cried out: 80 God,
let not this babe 90 into the jail! Is
there not some mother here who Will
take this child: 1t Is good enough Tor
heaven. 1t is pure. am bad. l am
wicked Is there not some one who Will
take this child? l cannot have it tainted
with the prison. Then a brazen crca-
ture rushed up and said, Eyes, I'll take
the child. " "No, no, " said the mother,
mot you, not you. Is there not some
good mother here who will take TINS
child?' And then when tho offlcer OF
the law in mercy and Pity took the chlId
TO carry it away TO find home for 1t
the mother Kissed it lovingly goOdby and
said: "Goodby, my darling. 1t IS better
you should never see me again.
However worldly and sinful people
are, they want their children good. How
are you going to have them good, o, ~
them a few good boQks9 2T - 'ii ',I "
=, march? That is all very well, but Of
little final result unless you do 1t with
the grace Of God in your heart. Do You
not realize that your children are started
for eternity: Are they on the right road?
Those little forms that are now so bright
and beautiful-when they have scat
tered in the dust, there will be an i'm
mortal spirit living on in a mighty thea
ter Of action, and your fairhfulness or
your neglect now is deciding that des-
tiny.
There is contention already among
spirits Of salvation and
fallen angels as TO who shall have the
mastery Of that immortal spirit Your
children are soon going ont in the world.
The temptations Of life will rush upon
them. Tic most rigid resolution will
bend in the blast Of evil. What will be
the result: It will require all the re-
straints Of the gospel, all the strength
Of fathers prayer, ali the influence Of
a Christian mothers example to keep
them.
You say it is too early to bring them.
Too carly to bring them to God: Do you
know how carly children were taken to
the ancient passover: The rule was Just
as soon as they could take hold Of the
fathers hand and wall,up Mount Alori-
alb they should be taken TO the passover.
Your children rcnot too young to come
to God. While you sit here and think
Of them perhaps their forms now 50
bright and beautiful vanish from you,
and their disembodied spirit rises, and
you see it after the life OF virtue or
crime is past, and the Judgments gone,
and eternity is here.
Prayer In tae Home.
A Christian minister said that in the
first year of his pastorate he tried topper
suade a young mechanic Of the impor-
tance Of family worshiD. Some time