Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1907-02-11

only not chiefly the direct influence
! that we exert on others that is the
most effective. II is the direct influ-
ence which is the more telling, that
which one feels to be the atmosphere
of the home. which surrounds one and
is continually operative.
And what are some of the charac-
teristics OF this atmosphere? The poet
| Wordsworth writing to his fellow coun-
| trymen at the beginning of the last
century. declared: THE world is too
much with us; late and soon getting
and spending. We lay waste our pow
ers.'
"WOrldliness-what does it mean?
Laboring primarily for material things
/ and especially this accepting for our
Standaid the standard of the great ma
/ jority Of the people. does it not? That
should not be in our homes. Surely
| home should be not only a harbor
where the ships lie sheltered from the
| pillows and the storms of the sea. 1t
should be also a place where whatso-
ever things are honest. whatsoever
things are pure. whatsoever things are
just, whatsoever things are lovely.
whatsoever things are of good report
are laid hold Of and cherished.
"'Ah, if only Il child has religious
parents, young man once said to me,
he has a good start in life. For l am
sure he continued. that unless a child
is helped TO realize the personality OF
God in the first few years of his life,
he can hardly ever hope to get it
How much do they hear OF God in
their homes? The child's prayer is
taught them. That is good. but it be-
comes mechanical If there are no new
petitions added as their needs increase.
God. being to whom to repeat short
prayer before one goes to bed: God.
one who is To be propitiated if ne is
i'm danger Of death; God. a name which
is frequently on mems lips by way Of
an oath; arc not these the chief ways
In which the child learns Of Him? We
flatter and feed them carefully, We
shelter them from Illness. We give
them in a pecuniary way. what we call
a good start in the world and is not
that what Christ said pa: ent would
not do. If a son ask for bread will
he give him a stone? II he ask fish
will he give him a serpent?
If you would win the full sympathy
and confidence Of your children you
must share with them the deeper
things Of life. Ny lot is cast among
young people and ! know from per-
sonal experience that YOU find the
readiest response 10 an appeal To a
boys higher nature; he understands
you most naturally as you speak to
him OF Christ when he has been
brought up In a religious home.
THE ways 10 it, some portions of
the ways. are forming the habit of
recognizing Cod in our family life; in
the earliest years TO speak Of him, as
time goes on to pray with your chill
dren in private and to teach them
YOU. selves of God and His son Jesus
Christ, our Lord.
These are the definite ways. With
them must go also the deep motive in
your own souls. the motive of Jesus
as shown in His prayer. For their
sakes l sanctify myself Why? That
they may also BE- sanctified through
the truth There is the source Of the
unconscious influence ~ which | spoke
at first The simple hearted desire
and intention to cultivate your inner
life: to try to learn the truth, to be
good in order that these little ones
may be led to be sanctified. The meth
cd is Christ's own method. taking
few and loving them and helping them
and so gradually working through
them on the world outside.
1T is unlimited, the effect that you
who are parents may have upon this
generation and through them upon
generations yet unborn. Unto house
holds thus ordered. the selfishness and
quarrels and unfaithfulness which
breed the demon Of divorce can new
or enter They are driven out and far
away by the gentleness and peace and
love which enter a family when Christ
comes in.