Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1903-03-30
the SABBATH SCHOOL AND THE
HOME.

degree with Sabbath school scholars. |
1t makes great difference In the
Sabbath school whether or not chill
dren are trained in Christian homes.
1t is a good work to interest and bring
into our Sabbath schools the children
of those who are not Christians. By |
so doing we may not only help the
children, but through them may
reach and help the parents. What
field for work among the families in |
which there is no religious training at
home. Even when they cannot be
persuaded to come to the Sabbath |
school they may be reached and
helped through the work of the home |
department. 1t is not an easy matter
to interest the children in these things |
when parents are uninterested or per-
haps are even hostile to this work.
The religious character of parents
gives direction TO the religious char
acter of children. This follows as
naturally as cause and effect. This
may be regarded as a general rule,
although there are exceptions to it.
The children of Christians largely be-
come Christians, while the children of
unbelievers to great extent grow up
in unbelief. Parents both by example
and precept instruct their children.
The infant mind opens faster than We
are aware. Early impressions are
the most lasting. The understanding
and affections are then unoccupied.
Everything is new and novel, hence
impressive. Very soon the child is
seen trying to initiate the motions
and signs which it sees. s'Likeifather,
like SOM is trite but true saying. A
story is related of father and son
who were walking over a dangerous
place on a mountain side. The father
was going before, but every now and
then, would look back to see how his
boy was getting along. At last the
little fellow said, "Choose safe path,
father, Pm coming after YOU" How
important it is both for time and eter-
nifty, for themselves and for their
children, that parents choose right
paths. Some look upon the Sabbath
school as being only for the children.
1t should be regarded rather as a
school for the study of the Bible.
None are too old for this study, there
fore all the members of the family
should be in the Sunday-school. One
great step towards holding the boys
in the school will be made when the
fathers stay for Bible study.
Even among Christians some make
more of religion in the home than
others. Parents have not discharged
their duty in reference to the religious
instruction of their children when
they have dressed and sent them to
the Sabbath school. There should be
religious instruction in the home. II
is a great mistake to leave children
to grow up without religious instruc-
ton until they are matured and ca
pable of judging and deciding fol
: themselves. Such a course would no
be pursued in other things. If you
want nothing but weeds in your gar
den all you have to do is to let i
alone. So if you want the child ruined
spiritually, all you have to do is to lie
him alone, and the evil work will bt
: accomplished. The fifth command
+ ment teaches directly the duty o
, children to their parents, and implied
y ly the duty of parents to their chill
dren. Parents can help their children
q and the Sabbath school by studyin
4 the lesson with them.
= 1t is a lamentable fact that there is
q, great amount of ignorance of tn
word of God, not only among tn
youth, but also among those of ripe
years. Where the facts of Bible his
5 tory are unknown, the impressio
which these facts we're designed t
produce on the mind and heart mus
also be absent. A young lady from
q Christian family was asked to explai
g the line in Lowell's "Vision of 81
:. Launfal," "We Sinais climb and kno'
. it not" But she could not, as sh
I did not seem to know whether Sins
g was man, river or mountain. c
" course she had no idea of what it sig
q nified. The same pupil could to
r nothing of the life, character, tim
and place of Moses. All she knee
was that he was mentioned some
- where in the Bible. If this was a
l. exceptional case it would not be 8
a bad. Are there not pupils, who whe
t, asked to look up reference are at
loss to know whether the book I
"a which the reference is made is in th
n; Old Testament or the New?
y There is need of something to SUP