The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1896-12-02

A SERMON BY REV. J. V. McAN1NcH.

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A clear conception of what is aimed at
is essential, otherwise ones effort will be
without system or order, and random
work seldom accomplishes anything. 1
know of no words that come to us with
such conciseness and authority as the
words of holy writ regarding this
"Grow in grace and in the knowledge
of the Lord Jesus Christ" "Be con-
formed to the image of His Son" "Let
this mind be in you which was also in
Christ Jesus" The highest development
of character is that which tends toward
the likeness of Christ. This, believe to
be the highest type of character which
has Christ for its center; which consists
not only in being good but in doing good
not in being D1inistered unto, but in min
iste1ing which calls into activity all the
powers of the child life and directs them
Godward.
This is brought about by enlarging the
mind, or intellect, in the knowledge of
things that are right and true, and in
keeping it free from all that is false and
evil; by educating the will in the con-
troll of the mind and body in right ways,
in cultivating a love for the true the
beautiful and the good, and in placing
before the emotions as the object of their
attachment those things that are pure and
noble.
Goodness in the abstract is well enough
in its place, but 1 believe in good
ness in the concrete; not a
mere negative affair, but a positive
kind not an emotional service, but an
intelligent one which enlists all the pow
ers of ones being, for it is said, "Thou
shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy
heart, and with all thy soul, ard with all
thy strength, and with all thy mind :"
1t does not appear that the famed wisdom
of Solomon was sudden endowment
granted in answer to his prayer, but
rather this blessing of God was manifes-
ted in the clearer apprehension of those
things of which he had always been a
student. Christs questions and answers
at twelve years OF age that astonished
those old doctors in the temple was large
ly because he was familiar with the word
of God from his stndy of it. So 1 be-
lieve in the proper development of a
good character there must be brought in
to use all the faculties and powers of the
mind.
The idea of goodness which many seem
TO have falls far short of that here spoken
of. They seem to think it consists in
what a child does not do rather than in
the active exercise of his powers to ac-
complish something. Their highest con
ception of good boy is one who does
not say bad words and can keep his face
clean, his hair curled, and his clothes
from being soiled. He is all right and al
excellent example to others as he walks
carefully about, picking his steps, comes
into the house when it rains and sits up
right in high chair with vacant stare
and asks no questions. Such a boy
might grow up into a dainty young mar
but certainly would not prove much of {
blessing to the world while living MOI
leave much of gap when he is gathered
unto his fathers. But woe to the boy whC
wades knee deep in the muddy stream tC
get a lily to please his littlt
friend, or tears his clothes on thu
bushes while gathering wild flowers fol
some sick old lady! He is perfectly
dreadful and they don't know what they
are ever going to do with him. Poo
boy because he is full of life and kint
words and deeds at the expense of hi
personal appearance his case is hopeless
Children often have preached up to then
that weak, flat insipid kind of goodness
of the little boys who die young as an ex
ample for them to follow. Boys dom
want TO die--if they are of any accoun
at all, they want to live and so of course
they want something else than this kline
of goodness.
Parents oftentimes, too often, seem t.
think they have discharged their duty il
the training of their children when they
have taught them to be good after this
fashion, not to lie, steal, swear and sucf
like and perhaps go to church and Sun
day school. This is good as far as it goei
hut the trouble is it does not go fal
enough. Something more is needed thar
simply the absence of vices; there SHOULD
be also the possession of positive virtues
They should develop in them a know
ledge of and love for the good and thu
true, and cultivate their wills in th'
choice of these and in self control. TO thil
end there must be development of al
their powers-physical, mental, mora
and spiritual.
Just what method is best t
persue in order to accomplish this enc
must be left to the good judgment, tast'
and sanctifed common sense Of thos
who have this work to do. / might of
fer few suggestions, or general princi
pies, but to enter into the details would
require more time than the present oc
casion will allow. Indeed, this being tn
practical phase of the subject, it is de
serving of a study much beyond tn
limits of single hour. To my min'
this is branch of knowledge that shoul'
be taken up and studied with the sam
system and earnest work that is devoted
10 any other subject, and not in a super
fetal hap-hazard manner that results il
nothing. All 1 can do here is simply b
outline, very briefly, some of the NOR
important points that ought to be oh
served. And first l might mention
something of negative character, or o
the nature of a prohibition. The child
mind should be kept Tree from all that /
false and evil in so far as it is possible t