The record-union., 1899-09-24
A CHILD'S
SERMON TO
PARENTS.

The following address was deliv-
cred at the Jewish synagogue, on FRI
day evening, by H. Weinstock:
If 1 We're a child in years. with the
mind of an infant, 1 should esteem II
a duty to do little preaching to pa
rents in exchange for much of the
preaching to children indulged in by
parents.
1 should try to let parents see them
selves as children often see them and
to send forth plea in behalf OF my
fellow children throughout the land !
should, of course, realize that there are
all sorts of parents and that they have
all sorts of children.
The intelligent. thoughtful, broad
minded parent who makes it a sacred
duty to learn to thoroughly know his
child and to properly guide and direct
him, would need none of my preacn-
ing, and hence 1 should not include
him in my audience. The utterly and
densely ignorant parent, who has
neither the intelligence nor even the
rudiments of an education by which tc
rear and train his child, would likewise
be beyond my reach. But between these
extremes, l know I should find an army
of parents of average. intelligence ani
education who want loving, sympa-
thetic. obedient children, but have them
not, and who are filled with envy when
ever they find just such children among
what they believe to be their more for
tunate neighbors.
T H. fn a.
rents, if I am not loving, sympathetic
nor obedient, do not blame me, but
rather blame yourselves. God has
placed me in your care like so much
5 clay into a potter's hands, and 1t re-
mains for you to turn me out into the
world either as a coarse, common
clay pot or as a highly valuable vase
God has given me, as a child, many
noble attributes, and implanted In
heart and mind important faculties. He
has placed within me the power to love
and to make myself beloved; the quail
ties of sympathy and affection, the
spirit of obedience, respect and rever-
ence. He has also placed within me
the opposites of all these qualities. 1t
is for you, as a parent, having an aver
age of intelligence and education, to
determine which side of my child-na-
ture shall be developed.
If your comfort and convenience,
your profit and pleasure, are of more
concern to you than my future life.
you must not find fault when, in due
time, you discover that you, as pa
rent, have failed to win my love, my
affection, my reverence and esteem. As
a child, the law of nature has destined
that l must grow. My growth, how
ever will either be like that of a neglec-
ted weed or of we'll nursed and care
fully reared plant
You, as a parent, can no more cheat
the law of human nature than you can
cheat the law of plant nature. A
neglected garden means plant weeds
A neglected child means mental, moral
and physical weeds. Before you can
take out of the soil, you must first put
in Before you can bring out from me,
as a child, the qualities you most de-
sire, you must likewise first put in.
If you plant harshness into my chill
dish mind, you will reap a. crop of re-
sentiment.
If you plant severity, it will return
as fear.
If you plant injustice, it will bring
crop of hatred.
If you fail to plant sympathy, you
will reap loss of confidence.
If you plant the seed of irritability
you will be rewarded by crop of i'm
patience.
If you fail to plant far and deep
into my child heart the seeds of q
strong, abiding love, you will be re-
warded by a crop of Indifference.
If you plant the spirit of unreason-
ableness, there will come to you, in re
turn, an abundant reward of disobedi-
ence.
God, I am sure. meant us to be TO
you a blessing, meant US, in your
younger days, to be to you a means OF
joy and comfort, and in your old age q
source of pride and support. But pos
sibly he was mistaken. Possibly you
would be happier without US, and pos
sibly we are to you but a cross and
a heavy care. If, as children, we are
but so many drawbacks and needless
responsibilities, than it is to be deeply
regretted that infanticide, so prevalent
in many parts of the Orient, is among
us so rigidly punished. Far better for
you, as parents and for us as children
if we are a burden that we should never
have been born. or, having been born
that, for your good and ours, we should
be made way with as speedily as pos
sible.
AS children, we are but mirrors; you