Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1896-07-29
NO. 33

Us voices Of riot and blasphemy would not
come mp with such ecstasy of Internal
/ triumph.
Again. Hannah staDCs before you to-day as
Christian mother. From her prayers and
| from The way she consecrated her hoy to
| God know she was good. A mother may
| have the finest culture. the most brilliant
surroundings but she is not lit for her
duties unless she be Christian mother
There may be well read libraries in tine
| house. and exquisite music in the parlor,
and the canvas OF the best artist adorning
he walls, and the wardrobe be crowded
with tasteful apparel. and the children be
wonderful for their attainments aud make
the house ring with laughter and innocent
mirth. but there is something woefulIy
lacking in that house il it be not also
The residence OF Christian mother.
[ bless God that there are not
many prayerless mothers. The weight
Of responsibility is so great that they feel the
need OF II divine hand 10 help and divine
voice to comfort and "a divine heart to
sympaihize. Thousands of mothers have
been led into the kingdom of God by the
nands of their little children. There are
hundreds of mothers to-day who would not
nave been Christians had it not been for the
prattIe of their lit tie ones. Standing some
iay in the nursey, they bethought them
selves: "This child God has given me to
raise for eternity. What is my influence
upon It? Not being Christian myself, how
';in ever expert hlul TO become CHRISTIAN
Lori. help me.'
Every child is a bundle of tremendous pos
Gbilities. Aud whether that chilli shall come
forth in life, its heart attuned 10 the eternal
1armones, and after a life of usefulness on
Earth, 20 TO a life OF joy in heaven or
whether across it shall jar eternal discords,
and after u life OF wrongdoing ON earth il
shall 20 to a home of impenetra lie darkness
and an abyss of immeasurnble plunge-is be-
nS decided by nursery song ami sabbath
lesson and evening prayer and walk and ride
inl look and frown and smile. Oh. how
many children in glory. crowdng all the
oattlements and lifting u million voiced ho-
'anna, brought to God through Christian
parentage! One hundred and twenty clergy
men were together, and they We're telling
their experience and their ancestry. and OF
The one hundred and twenty clergymen,
how many OF them, do you suppose, as
:iSuei rs the means of their conver-
SION the influence of a Christian mother?
One hundred out of the hundred and
.wenty. Philip Doddridge was brought
20 God by the Scripture lesson on the
Dutch tile OF the chimney fireplace. The
mother thinks she is only rocking "a child
cut at the same time she may be rocking the
.stiny of empires. rocking the fate OF
aations, rocking the glories of heaven The
:ame maternal power that may lift a child
up may press child down. A daughter
'ane TO worldly mother and said she was
dbDul Stfis anu sue nai Daen
prfying all night. The mother said .'Oh.
stop praying! l don't believe in praying
Get over all those religious notions, and I'll
give you dress that will cost five hundred
iollars. and you may wear it next week to
that party"
The daughter took the dress, and she
moved in the gay circle, the gayest of all
the gay that night, and, sure enough, all
religious impressions were gone, and she
'toppef praying. A few months after. she
came to die and in her closing moments
said, Mother, wish you would bring me
that dress that cost $500" The mother
thought It was a very strange request, but
she brought it to please the dying child.
NOW, said the daughter. mother, hang
hat dress on the foot of nv bed. And the
dress was hung there on the foot OF the bed
Then the dying girl got up on one elbow and
looked at her mother and then pointed to
the dress and said. Mother that dress is the
price of my soul" Oh what Il momentous
Thing it is to be a mother,
Again, and lastly, Hannah stands before
you tc-day, the rewarded mother. For all
ih- coats she has made for Samuel for all
-he prayers she offered for him, for the dis
;iPiine she exerted over him. she got abun-
liant compensation in the piety aud usesuI-
less and the popularity OF her son Samuel,
md that is true in all ages. Every mother
gets full paw for all the prayers and tears in
'ehaif of her children. That man useful In
commercial life, that man prominent In the
Irofession, that master mschanic-why
very step he takes in life has an echo of
,ladness in the old heart that long ago
aught him to be Christian aud heroic and
arnest. The story of what you have done
n what you have written, of the influence
ou have exerted, has gone back to the old
there is some one always
sady to carry good tidings--and ttat story
makes the needle in the old mothers tremu-
Gus hand fly quicker and the fail in the
ithers nand come down upon the barn
oor with n more vigorous thump. Parents
lve to hear good news from their children.
10 you send them good news, always2 Look
u: for the young man who speaks of his
lther rs the governor" the esquire" or
ne ''oli chap" Look out for the young
7oman who calls her mother her ''maternal
ncestor' or the ''old woman" "The eye
lat mocketh at his father and refuseth TO
bey his mother the ravens of the valley
hall pick it ont, and the young eagles shall
At IT. God grant that all these parents
lay have the great satisfaction of seeing
leir chiitren grow MP Christians.
But, oh, the pang OF that mother who
ter lie OF street gadding and gossip re-
Hing, hanging on her children the "trip
cries and follies of this world, sees those
lildren tossei out on the sea of life like
'am On The wave or nonentites in world
here only brawny aud sialwart character
IN stand the shock! But blessed be the
nd daughters of the Lord Almighty! Oh,
Ie satisfaction of Hannah in seen Samuel
rving at the altar; of Mother Euuice in
eing her Timothy learned in the Scriptures
hat is the mothers recomp.ns.-.o see
lildren coming up useful in the world, re-
aiming the lost, healing the sick, plying
10 ignorant, earnest aud useful IN every
'here. That throws new light back on
10 Old family Bible whenever she reads It;
nj that Will be ointment to soothe the ach-
y limbs OF decrepitude and light up the
osing hours of lifes day with the giorieS
an autumnal sunset.
There she sits-the Old Christian mother
pc for heaven. Her eyesight is almost
me, but the splendor5 OF the celestial city
ndie up her vision. The gray light Of
saven's morn has struck through the gray
cks which are folded back over the wrin-
e 1 temples. She stoops very much now un-
Or the burden of care she used to carry for
er children. She sits at home to-day, too
d to md her way to the house of God; but
bile she sits there all The past comes back.
Id the children that 40 years ago trooped
ouud her armchair with their little griefS
III joys and sorrows, those children are all
me now-some caught up into better
aim, where they shall never die and others
IT in the broad world, attesting the excel
nee of Christian mothers discipline Her
st days full OF peace, and calmer and
7eeter will her spirit become, until the
ties of life shall lit aud let the wornout
grim into eternal springtide and youth,
here the limbs never ache aud the eyes
'ver grow dim and the staff OF the exhaust
and decrepit pilgrims shall become the
Ilm of the immortal athlete.
Don't have "heart talks" with every
q n Won rnnr