The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1901-07-30
Christian Life Column,
PARENTS as ~sOUL-w1NNERs.
BY LILY MANKER ALLEN.

Him almost from babyhood, we can
not but wonder why so many chill
dren of gOdly parents grow up with
out becoming Christians. 1 believe
the chief eason for this state of
affairs is because the child was not
led to q that he was expected to
give himself to Christ in childhood ;
that his acceptance of Christ was
not ratified, as it were, by a definite
surrender to himself.
As he grows older there comes a
feeling of shyness in regard to sacred
things, and he begins TO hide his
deepest feelings from others and
finally, not being definitely com
mitted in the matter, he finds him
self afoat to drift, it may be, among
w~hirlpools and rapids and dangerous
shoals, until perchance some strong
impulse later in life shall lead him
to seek and find anchorage. But
how much harder it will be then !
This is the course that parents are
unwittingly leaving open to their
children when they endeavor to leave
them entirely unbiased during their
early years, trusting that they will
make the right choice "when they
are old enough to decide for them
selves ;" but the parent who would
avoid all this for his child should
improve the blessed opportunities
of early childhood. How much bet
ter to grow up and unfoldin a sunny
atmosphere than to be torn up by
the roots later on, and transplanted
to the spot where the Gardener
wants them to be.
By surrender to Christ 1 do not
mean uniting with the church, al
though that is often the beautiful
sequence, and is certainly to be ex-
pected sooner or later. Nor would 1
intimate that the parent can take
his child all the way, for no father
or mother can give a change of
heart. But we may go farther than
we often realize and I would like to
suggest some ways in which the
parent may help the child to decide
for Christ:
1. By Selling the opportunity,
when there is a loving desire in the
heart, a softened turning toward
good, to invite the child to give him
self now.
2. By renewed c~onsecration. At
Christmas, or Easter, OF on birthday
anniversaries, or occasions of deep
experiences a family which kneels
together to r-econsecrate themselves
will help the members from slipping
back or growing worldly.
3. By sharing our spiritual expert
ences with our children. 1t is
natural that we should treasure in
our hearts our sacred experiences
there is an instructive shyness in re-
gard to them. But is there not an
other side? It has been said, "Some
experiences are too sacred to be
1 believed if Christians would
open their hearts more to each other
that the kingdom would come far
sooner. We are to be stewards of
the mystery of gOdliness, and we
shall be held accountable for the
way in which the experiences grant
ed US are used to help others. But,
however it may be outside our
circle, surely we owe it to our
children to let them know what God
means to is.
The mother who, surprised at her
devotions, hurriedly and shame
facedly makes a pretense of doing
something else, instead of inviting
the child to come and kneel a mo-
ment with her, misses a great bless
ing for herself and a greater for her
How are our children to know
what our Saviour is to us if we con-
stantly close up that side of our be-
and how cal we expect to win
and keep their confidence if we with
hold ours from them?
A father who had been deeply
by an unusual spiritual ex-
perience came to the breakfast table
with the tears still shining in his
eyes. Papa, why are tears in your
asked one of the children.
He was a practical. matter of-fact
man, but instead of trying to evade
the question or turning it off lightly,
he simply replied, "My child they
are tears of JOY for what the Lord
has done for me-" Could such In
answer fail to impress the children?
4 By a definite surrender on the
part of the parents, of their will,
time, strength, money, children,
home. Many a Christian parent
would be astonished, not only at the
nermaating. sDiritualizing influence