The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1896-09-03

Tho word that the Sabbath-school teacher
viii this afternoon whisper in the ear OF the
class, will be echoed back from everlasting
AGES OF light or darkness. The home and
the school decide the republic or the despot.
ism; the barbarism or the civilization; tho
upbuilding OF an empire, or the overthrow
ing OF II. Higher than Parliament or Con-
grcss are the school and the family, aud the
sound OF child's foot may mean more than
the tramp OF n host. What, then, nre you
doing for the purpose Of bringing your chil-
dren into the Kingdom Of Godf II they are
50 susceptible, and IL this IL the very best
timo to act upon their eternal interests. what
are you doing by way OF right impusion2
There were some harvesters In the fields OF
Scotland ono hot day; AMI Hannah Lemond
was helping them gather the hay. She laid
her babe under n tree. While she was busy
In the field, there was n flutter OF wings In
tbs air. and q golden eagle cluched the swad-
ding band OF the babe, and flew away with
II to the mountain eyrle. All the haryesters
and Hannah Lemond started for the cliffs.
IL was two miles before they camc to the
foot OF the cliffs Getting there. who dared
10 mount the cliffs? No human foot had
ever trod II. There were sailors there who
had gone up the mast in the day Of terrible
tempest; they did not dare risk It. Hannah
Lemond sat there FOR n while and looked up
and saw the eagle in the eyrie and then
she leaped TO her feet. and she
started up where no human foot had ever
trod crag above crag. catching hold OF this
root or that root, until she reached tho
eyrie and caught her babe, the eagle swoop-
ing In flerceness all around about her.
Fastening the chill 90 her back, she started
Tor her friends and for home. Oh what
dizzy descent sliding from this crag to that
crng. catching by that vine and by that root,
coming down further and further. TO tho
most dangerous pass, where she found
goat aud some kids She said: "Now III
follow tho goat; the goat will know Just
which Is the safest way down. aud she was
led by tho animal down 90 the plain. When
She got there. all the people cried. "Thank
God! thank Cod! her strength not giving
way until tho rescue was effected. Aud thev
cried; "Stani buck. now Give her nir!"
On, II awoman will do that for the physical
life of her child. what will you do for tho
eternal life OF your boy and your glrl2 Let
Il not be told In the great day OF eternity
that Hannah Lemond put forth moro cxer.
ton for the saving Of tho physical life o,
her child than you. o parent, have ever put
forth for the eternal life OF your little one.
God help you!
pass on TO consider the power which
child wiclds over the parental heart We
often talk about the influence OF parents up.
on children. l never heard anything said
about tho influence OF children upon their
parents. You go to school to them. You no
more educate them than they educate you.
With their little hands they have caught
hold OF your entire nature and you cannot
wrench yourself away from their grasp. You
are different men and women from what you
were before they gave you tho first lesson.
They have revolutionizel your soul. There
are fountains OF JOY in your heart which
never would have been discovered had they
not discovered them. Life Is to You moro
stupendous thing than IL was before those
little feet started on the pathway 20 eternity.
Oh. how many hopes, how many Joys, how
many solitudos that little one has created In
your souU You 90 60 school every day-a
school OF salf-denial. u school OF patience, in
which YOU are getting wiser day by day; and
that influence OF the child over YOU will In
rrease and Increase; and though your chill
dren may die. from the very throne OF God
they will reach down an influence to your
soul, lending yod on aud leading yon up I'M
Ill you mlnglc with their voices and ait be-
sidt .Asi. thrones.
Tho yfasp which the child has over tho
parents heart Is seen In what the parent
will do for the child. Storm and darkness
aud heat and cold are nothing to you IL they
stand between you and your child's welfare.
A great lawyer, when yet unknown one day
stood in the court room and made an elo-
quent plea before some men of great legal
attainments; and gent eman said To him
aiterwari: "How could YOU be so calm
standing in that august presence?" "Oh,"
said Erskine, II felt my children pulling Mt
my skirts crying for bread" What stream
will you not swim, what cavern will you not
enter, what battle will you not light, wnat
hunger will you not endure for yOui chill
dren? Your children Your children must
have bread though you stHrve Your chill
drcn must Dr well clothed though YOU 90 in
rags. You say; "My children shall be- olu-
Gated though | never had any chance"
What to you are weary limbs, and aching
npnH uuI nunIg hurlaunI mud guIlnnl
only the welfare OF your children can be
wrought out by II? Tbeir SORROW H. your
sorrow. their joy your Joy. their advance
ment yonr victory. And. oh. when tho last
sickness comes, how you light back the
march OF disease. and ii Is only after tro-
mendous struggle that you surrender Aud
then when tue spirit has Ned. the great deep
is broken up, and Rachel will not be- COM
forted because her children are not, and
David goes up the paluce stairs. crying:
"Oh. Ahsalom, my son, my son. would God
! had died FOR thee, oh, Absalom, my son,
my SON."
The brightest lights that can be kindled.
Christ has kindled. Let US. old aud young,
rejoice that heaven Is gathering up so much
that Is attractive. In that far land we are
not strangers. There are those there who
speak our name day by day. and they won
der why so long we tarry. II could co int
up the names of all those who have gone
heaven, II would take me all day 10 mention
their names. A great multitude before the
throne. You loved them once; YOU love them
nowi ami ever and anon you think you hear
their voices calling you upward. Ah yes,
they have gone out from all these families.
ana you want no book to tell You OF the dy-
ing experience OF Christian children. You
have heard Il; It has been whispered In your
ear. q father o mother, o brother. o sister
Toward that good lani all Christians are
bearing. This swapping OF fheart-strings, this
flight OF years, this tread OF the beart reminds
Us that wo are passing away. Under spring
blossoms, and through summer harvests, aud
across nutumnal leaves; and through the
wlntry snowbanks, we are passing on. Oh.
rejoice at It, children OF God, rejoice Mt II!
How we sha, gather them up. the loved and
the lost! Before we mount our throne be-
fore we drink OF the fountain before we
strike the harp Of our eternal celebration,
we will cry out: "Where are our loved and
losiY' And then, how we snail gather them
up! Oh, how we shall gather them up!
In this dark world OF sin and pain
4. a., la.