The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-03-22
THE FUTURE OF THE BOYS.
REV. DIR. sCHAEFFER's SERMON ON
OUR BOYS AT HOME.

Too Little Attention Given to Their
Training-Precept, Discipline and
Example Three Elements in Life's
SchOOl-The Home the Place Where
the FOundatiOnsf of Correct Lives
Are Laid-The Responsibilities of
ligiOus Training.
Rev.W. G. Schaeffer, D. D., delivered the
first of his series of three sermons on Our
Boys" at the Lutheran Church of the AS
cension yesterday morning. His subject
was "Our Boys at Home"
The sermon was addressed chiefly to
parents, the text being Joshua PALS. LAS
for me and my house. we will serve the
Lord"
DR.. Schaeffer opened his discourse with
description of the home, as it should
be, with the statement that there are very
few homes of that kind. Home, he said, is
the oldest institution In the world. He
described what constitutes home and
what is required to make it healthy and
happy. He spoke of the responsibility
which attaches to parents. God gave us
our boys" he said, land in doing so i'm
posed upon US the responsibility OF train
ing them for Him" 1t is necessary, he
said, that the home should be pure, kind,
sympathetic, attractive and sweet, suited
to the tastes and requirements of the
children. In the proper training of our
boys, he said, it is necessary to have truly
religious homes. to acknowledge God in
the home.
The work of training he divided into
three parts, precept, discipline and exam
pie There is a great lack, he said, of
attention to the moral and spiritual de-
velopment Of the boys. Religious teach
ing in the home has become obsolete
largely and the family altar has fallen
into decay. He insisted upon family wor-
ship the acknowledgment of God in the
home, reading of the Bible and prayer.
The home, he said, should maintain an
atmosphere of reverence for sacred things.
This is an irreverent age" said Dr.
Schaeffer. The boys are irreverent. 1t
is the duty of parents to teach them to
reverence all sacred things. This respon-
sibility is laid largely upon the fathers
Many fathers don't know their boys They
see them occasionally at the table and
this is about ALL When God gives a
for Immortality. Patiently teach him
what he is here for and what he is to be"
Proper discipline, DR.. Schaeffer said, is
a duty of parents most commonly abused
1t Is the duty especially of the father to
study the disposition and tendency of his
boys from infancy that he may apply
proper discipline in his training. The dis
cipline should be one of love, firm yet ten
der. Never punish a child when angry"
he said. THE proper thing for the
father to do in the way of discipline
when punishment is necessary, is to take
his boy apart from the family sit him on
his knee and with his arms around him
tell him how much he loves him and that
he must punish him for wrong done as a
duty to the boy himself and God. and if he
will then pray with him he will be exercis-
ing profitable discipline. Care, thought,
and study are given to the training of an
imals. If men can give thought and time
for such purposes how much greater de-
mand is there for patience in the care and
training of immortal souls committed to
the care of parents in their children
Indiscriminate punishment DIR. Schaef-
fer said, makes children vicious and bad.
This is a responsibility which should be
exercised with great care by parents.
Great stress was laid upon the Importance
Of training by example, and the father s
responsibility on this score was empha-
sized. The father, DIR. Schaeffer said, is
the boys ideal of a man. What the father
says and does is right with the boy. 1t is
the thing TO do
Here" DIR. Schaeffer said, I'VE may an
swer the question of why so many young
men do not go to church. The boys are
not in church because their fathers are
not there The fathers, instead of going
TO church, so to their offices and stores,
to their club houses and armories, to
their lodge rooms and pleasure resorts
during the hours of service on the Lord S
day. They not only violate Gods day for
themselves. but for their boys also. These
fathers do not know where their boys are,
but the boys know where their fathers
are. So the boys regard it as manly and
right and the proper thing not to go to
church. They merely follow the example
of their fathers. The father who sets
such an example to his boys assumes a
terrible responsibility"
DIR. Schaeffer drew a picture of the
father taking his boy to church, sitting
together with him in Gods house and
worshipping with him. He referred to va
rious ways in which fathers lead their
boys astray and to teach them habits
which will end in the de-
stTuction of the fondest hopes
Of fathers and mothers. He closed
with an earnest appeal for Cody influ-
ences in the family, for the marching.
hand in hand, of parents and children,
serving God together here to the end that
at last there may be an unbroken family
in the kingdom of heaven.
DR.. Schaeffer preached at night to young
men, his text being ''The glory of young
men is their strength" The subject of