The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-07-06
81 SERMON. 81
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TRAIN THE CHILD IN YOUR OWN
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
BY AARON A. THAYER, DID.
Oa Grange, Ill)

Bring up your children in the nurture ana
admonition of the Lord. "-Epb. vi. A.
1 suppose the meaning to be,-edu-
cate your children in the instruction
and discipline of the Lord. Give
your children religious instruction as
to Gods dealing with men-and asto
the ways and purposes of life. And
so long as human beings are govern
ed by reason land not by instinct, they
will need education. The bird and
the bee and the beaver and the fox,
need no education because they are
wise by nature in exactly the things
which they have to do. Their Crea-
tor seems to have provided for their
conduct as securely as he has pro-
vided for digestion and heart-throbs
and the circulation of the blood. But
the human being is moved by reason,
and his works are wrought imperfect
". He must be patient and learn
by experience and become perfect
through training and the wisdom and
example of others. Hence the imper-
alive necessity of what we call edu-
cation-the learning how to do it,
And human being wants instruc-
ton in all departments of his being,
and in such callings and employ
ments as he is likely to follow. He
needs wisdom as to the kinds and
uses of food-as to the care of his
body-as to the cunning of his hands.
He needs a storage of knowledge in
his brain, of morals in his heart, and
of manner as to his person. He needs
education in secular things-in bust
ness affairs-in social matters-in
his treatment of his fellows and in
his duties toward God. But we must
not forget that custom and civiliza-
ton have revolutionized the methods
of all kinds of education. There are
but few things in life that we do as
we used to do. ] suppose the blood
circulates as it did five or six thous-
and years ago. And digestion and
breathing go on about the same way.
But our vision has been heightened
by many millions of miles. The voice
can be heard good many hundreds.
And as to locomotion it is a poor old
ratified condition of things which
forces one to go far on his legs.
From a cambria needle to a steam
engine is great stride of invention.
And all old ways give place to the
new. There is evolution everywhere.
Hence let us not think it strange
that education is not the same IN
plan and method.
Fathers and mothers used to I'M
part all the education to their chill
dren. In secular matters there was
precious little of tin domestic mat
ters little-in intellectual matters
little-in moral and religious things
more in proportion. Secular educa-
ton is remanded to the shop, the
office, the factory, the mandatory,
and SO on. Intellectual education is
confined to the school, the college,
the university, etc. While moral and
religious education is very largely
impaired by the pulpit and the Sun
day-school. Only very trifing sys-
tematic education is conducted by
the family. Only trifing systematic
religious education is conducted in
the family. And yet the Christian
education of our children remains OF
vast Importance.
The Christian exhortation of Paul
is still worthy of obedience,-"Bring
up your children in the nurture ana
admonition of the Lord" And the
current instrumentalities to this end
are wise for this generation. 1t would
be folly not to use the Sunday-school
and Sunday-school literature and sys-
tematic instruction SO abundantly
provided. We could as well afford
to abandon the public schools and
turn to private methods for intellec
tual instruction. Secular education
would be a very slipshod affair if the
public schools were closed and wisdom
and learning came only through do
mestic sources, as in Bible days.
Hence the Sunday-school is perma-
nent institution. 1t has come to stay.
It is a part of our modern Christian
civilization.
Are we now ready to probe the
question, = Should we religiously
train our children in our own Sunday
school7 By "our own Sunday-school,'
we refer to sympathy of sentiment
and doctrine. We mean a Sunday
school connected with our own con-
gregation, if we attend one, or
school nearest of kin to our own re-
lipious views and doctrines, and the