Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1905-07-01
FOR HIGHER LIVING
OUR REGULAR SUNDAY SERMON
A Powerfus Appeal For the Higher anc
Better Life We All Should Lead.

ccter I'c We All should Lcao.
Brooklyn. ~. Y.-The Rev. Robert
Collyer, the oldest Unitarian pastor
In Greater New York. preached in tie
Second Unitarian Church. Clinton and
Congress streets. sunday morning. His
last appearance in that church was last
fan, when he delivered an address on
the late Rev. DR.. John White Chad
wick, the former pastor. who had Just
died. The eloquent preacher took FOR
his text: Genesis Nxxiii.l3-1f. THE
children are tender; L viii lead on soft
ly." and said;
Ii was one OF the secrets OF my craft
I'm the old days when l wanted 10 weld
iron or work steel 70 a fine purpose.
to begin gently. II 1 began as an
learners do. to strike my heaviest blows
AZ the start. the iron would crumble
instead OF welding. or the steel would
suffer under my hammer. 50 that.
wnen II came 20 be tempered it would
fly" as We used to say. and rob the
thing had made OF it's finest quality.
IL was the first condition Of good
job 20 begin gently. later I could strike
with firmer hand. and in the end pour
out all my might I'm storm Of sturdy
blows; but II l began so IL ended. as n
the Nasmyth hammer lies I'm the blend
ing Of its gentleness and its ponderOSs
might. so that &c can come down as
gently rs a June shower or smite like
tornado. according 10 the need OF the
moment. So the skillful mechanic
starts new machinery. 4 locomotive.
a steam engine or even q sewing ma
chine. gently. II is the first condition
OF keeping tho balance true that tho
machine shall not tear away at first
az high pressure. 1 noticed the same
in the building up OF grand organ.
The builder began gently I'm bringing
ont its harmOnics. with some fine
chords. made those true and went
on 10 the others. and so wrought
or TO the end. Again am animal trainer
while he smitcs the tiger with an iron
bar, IL ne IS wise talks Co q horse. al-
lures him. courts him and makes him
his friend. We Go not speak OF break
ing horse. SO much now; we "train"
him.
So love TO note such things as these
as / watch the perpetual advent OF
little children into this life OF ours. and
wonder how we shall deal with them in
the ono wise way which will weld
them. shall 1 say. to whatsoever things
are true and lovely ana OF good report.
start them 10 the sureSt purpose and
train them SO as To- bring out the
whole power FOR good which God has
hidden .n their nature There must DE
one right way. and I think this father
found it when hc said. "The children
are tender. I VIII lead them ON softly"
They may seem crude. mere machines
or little brutes: there are some mon
who sccm by lhcir actions 90 have
' a.
their eternal shame. Hero is the prin.
ciplc. They are tender. We must lead
them on softly. solomon may slip Dol
with his cruel maxim OF spare the roo
and spoil the child He has no bust
ness about my place while my children
are tender / can TO more De hard
on them than Jesus could. II hur'
them iu this evil way / hurt thos
who are OF the kingdom OF Heaven
Ny white hairs have brought mo thi.
F wisdom, That the unpardonahic SIN
+ rs 20 Toe hard ora tender child. I a,
not wonder that the old graudSirc is $,
gentle with the second generation. II,
viii not tell YOU. or himself. perhaps
+ why he is. bot he would fain rccal
some passages OF his fathnrhood. hu
that cannot be done. So De chokcs bacl
+ the Neutrality-suspicious. regret and humbl
measure. My good mother was some
thing OF a Spartan. very gentle
spartan, with her children. but it wa
wonderfully beautiful 10 see her ID
her old age spreading her wide. grand
mOtherly wings over the children o
the new day. She could no more bI
. naru upon them. no matter Wha
prankS they played. than your Ma,
sun can be hard upon your May bios
som. IL was the return of the hear
10 the soft answer, the sweet submits
sion 10 the better plan. the vision o.
the Infinite worth of semitic ways witt
/ tender folk. the cn0eavOr. unknown {,
herself. 10 ease hor dear old heart o.
7 what little pain there was from th
old days. the feeling that perhaps sh
might nave gone more softly once.
These children are not things az M
that we can turn out 20 pattern. bu
/ human beings. each one living 10 him
self or 10 herself holding So
cret we cannot faJhOm. poSseSSin.
powers perhaps we cannot ever
guess at our children after III
hesh; Gods children after the shirt
out lntrusted 10 our hands and home
that. coming out OF Heaven with hint
OF the angels in them. they may -
back when their time comes as scale,
saints. The boy may be the image @
the father. yet totally different within
We vainly try in our children. some
times. 10 see our image. we detect
faculty or temper we never had. IN
Holy Spirit, which watches fOreve,
selects and saves, by law we do no
han understand, and we do not III
derstand these tender natures until W
Know what these powers are which ar
waking out OF their sleep. NV DO
may have a faculty which in thirt
years may be a benedictlon 10 III
human family. but today il may loo
like vice To me, and may grow to b