The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1905-06-30
The PULPIT.
AN EloouENT SUNDAY SERMON BY
The REV. RcesRT coLlYER.
Subject; Leading Children softly.

Congress streets. Sunday morning. His
last appearance In that church was last
fail, 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 fog
his text: Genesis yxSili;lS-l4. The
children are tender; will lead on soft
ly." and said:
IL was one OF the secrets OF my craft,
in the old days when | wanted 10 weld
iron or work steel TO fine purpose.
10 begin gently. III | began as all
learners do, 10 strike my heaviest blows
NJ the start the iron would crumble
instead of welding. or the steel would
suffer under my hammer. so that.
when IL came 10 be tempered IL would
"hy," as We used 10 say. and rob the
thing l had made Of It's finest quality.
II was the first condition of n good
job 10 begin gently, later l could strike
with tirmer hand. and in the end pour
out all my might in a storm of sturdy
blows; but il | began So il ended. as
rule. with wreck. The perfection Of
the Nasmyth hammer lies in the blend
ing of ks gentleneSs and its ponderous
might. so that IL can come down as
gently rs n June shower or smite like a
ASAhdho W VI lne
moment. So the skilful mechanic
starts new machinery. locomotive,
steam engine or even "A sewing ma
chine, gently. l. is the first condition
OF keeping the balance true that the
machine shall not tear away at first
at high pressure. l noticed the same
in the building up of n grand organ.
The builder began gently in bringing
hlsmnning IN
chords. made those true and went
on TO the others, ana SO wrought
on to the end. Again an animal trainer
while he smites the tiger with an iron
bar, IL he is wise talks tc a horse, nj.
lures him, courts him and makes him
lis friend. We do not speak Of break.
ing" horse, SO much now; we train"
him.
So | love 10 note such Thugs 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 | say, TO VIA tsOcver things
are true and lovely and OF good report,
start them TO the surest purpose and
train them so as 10 bring out the
whole power for good which God has
one right way. and l think this father
found il when he said: "rhe children
are tender; | will lead them on softly"
They may seem crude mere machines
or little brutes; there are some men
who seem by their actions TO have
such notions OF a cbilds nature. to
their eternal shame. Here is the prin-
ciple They are tender; we must lead
..It In,
with his cruel maxim OF Spare the rod
and spoil the child" He has no busi-
ness about my place while my children
are tender l can no more be hard
on them than Jesus could If hurt
them in this evil way | hurt those
who are of the kingdom OF Heaven.
My white hairs have brought me this
wisdom: That the objectionable sin
Is TO be hard on tender child | do
not wonder that the old grandsire is so
gentle with the second generation. Hc
will not tell you, or himself, perhaps.
why he is. but he would fain recall
some passages of his fatherhooh. but
that cannot be done, so he chokes bnck
the incxtinguishable regret and humbly
tries to get even through the over
measure. Ny good mother was some
thing OF a spartan, very gentle
Spartan. with her children. but IL was
wonderfully beautiful 10 see her in
her old age spreading her wide. grand.
mothcriy wings over the children OF
the now day. She could no more be
hard upoa thom, 10 matter what
pranss they played. Nthan your May
san can be hard upon your May bios-
SON. II was The rCtWH Of The heart
10 the soft answer the sweet .Gbm.s-
sion 10 the better plan. the vision Cf
the Infinite worth Of gentle ways With
tender folk, the ondeayOr unknown 20
herself 90 ease her dear old heart Of
what littie pain there was from the
,ld days, The feeling that perhaps she
might nave gone mora softly once
These children are not things at all
tnat we can turn out 10 pattern, but
human beings. each one living TO him
self or 10 herself holding a So
cret we cannot fathom. possessing
powers perhaps we cannot even
guess AT - our children after the
flesh; Gods children after the spirit.
but intruste1 TO our hands and homes
that, coming out Of Heaven with hints
OF the angels in them. they may 90
back when their time comes as sealed
odihtS' bt DDg may Dt lDe image W
the father. yet totally different within
We vainly try in our children. some
times, to see our image. we detect
faculty or temper we never had. The
Holy Spirit, which watches forever
selects and saves, by a law we do not
half understand, and we do not un-
dcrstand these tender natures until we
know what these powers are which are
waking out OF their sleep My boy
may have q faculty which I'm thirty
years may be n bencdictiOn TO the
human family, but to-day IL may look
like a vice % me, and may grow 10 BE-
n vice IL / did not say. The child is
tender. / will lead on softly" He may
be born with on overplus Of imagina-
ton and things that have no existence
may seem realities TO him: I imagine
he is lying right and left. and then
instead Of a gentle guidance, through
which he can find the line between
things and thoughts, I give first n stern
warning and then n sound whipping
Here Is case where q father and
son are alike. but with a difference
The father, minister. has been draw
ing on his imagination. time out OF
mind. for matter for his sermons: the
son has come honestly by the faculty,
but he IL not shrewd enough TO see
how far he can 90 without being found
ont The father prnys for him at the
family altar. as II he were n son OF
perdition. and helps 10 make him one
through such prayers. Gently" I
would say, pray for insight and fore
sight. this may no n rare gift yOu do |