Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1895-07-18
WISE MOTHERS IN ISRAEL.

Influence Exerted by the Conscientious,
Faithful illustrations of q Cody
Mother.
When the Hebrew atron called out
to Joab from the walls of the be-
leauguered city of Abel and exhorted
him to spare the town and "a mother in
Lsraer' she did more than she bar
gained for. She not only saved her
own life, but she originated a fine pro-
verbal expression which has con-
stantly been applied to good women
who have distinguished their materni-
ty by beautiful and godly influence.
Would that 1 could burn it into the
heart of every mother who reads these
lines, that, under God, she is chiefly
responsible for the moral and spiritual
welfare of her household. If the moth
er is a frivolous fashion worshiper, or
is utterly prayerless and irreligious, or
even careless of the spiritual welfare
of her children, the whole atmosphere
catches the faint. The downward pull
of her home preaching is quite
too strong for the upward pull
of the best preaching in Gods
house on the Sabbath. On
the other hand, if she does her utmost
to make the religion of Jesus attrac-
tive to her family, if she is watchful of
every opportunity to lead them Christ
ward, if she follows up the effect of
Sabbath-gospel by the powerful influ-
ence of home-gospel, then there is al
most moral certainty that God will
send His converting grace into that
household. Let the mothers in Israel
who read this try the blessed expert
ments for themselves.
Carlyle found the teachings and the
granite piety Of his old Scotch mother
about the chief breakwater against
skepticism; his rugged roughness
seems always to have sweetened in
her presence. That eminent preach,
err, Richard Cecil, of London, tells us
that when a youth he tried his utmost
to be an infidel; but his mothers beau.
tiful and eloquent Christianity was too
much for him. He never could an
swer that. Sometimes she used
to talk to him, and weep as
she talked. He says: II flung out OF
the house with an oath-but wept,
too, when / got in the street. Smy-
pathy is the powerful engine of u
mother" Yes, lhere is a power in her
love. when it is reinforced by the grace
of God, to reach and bring down the
most stubborn heart; it is a power that
goes miles deeper than pulpit appeals,
for it links itself with the primal in,
stincts of our nature. If every parent
were thus faithful in prayer and win
some example, we should behold what
DIR. Horace BUSHNELL called 1.-THE out
populating power of the Christian
stock" The family would become the
nursery and training school of religion.
The home OF. natural birth would be-
come the place of the new birth, and
children-instead of running loose on
the open common CT sin to be pursued
by revival efforts" in after years
would be led early to Jesus and into
His church fold.
Take the, child away and nurse ii
for me, and will give thee thy wages, y
said the Egyptian princess to Joche-
bad, the mother of Moses She got her
wages in better coin than silver OF
gold. She got them in the joys a
mother feels when she yields up part
of herself to sustain her darling child;
she got them in the love of the bab be
she nursed; she got them in the glori-
GUS service which her son wrought for
Israel in after years. She was paid in
the Heavenly coin with which Sod
pays good mothers. For all her
suxieties. and all her exertions to