Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-01-01
FAMILY RELIGION.
The Foundation Stone Of All True
Greatness.

Greatness.
The family is one Of the two insti-
tutions which have survived the wreck
Of Eden, the Sabbath being the other.
N Eden the family had its uses, but
much more in this sinful world In
which we now live. From the very be-
ginning God intended that the family
Should be a nursery for piety. This
is clearly indicated in Nal. ii, 15
And did not He (God) make one Cone
man and one woman)? Yet had He the
residue Of the Spirit. And wherefore
Jne? That he might seek a godly
seed" When the family was instituted
in Eden, God made only one man for
one woman. He was not hindered for
want Of power. He had the residue
of the Spirit He could have made a
thousand men for one woman, or a
thousand women for one man. Why
did he make just one man for one Wo-
man? That the family thus constitut-
ed might result in a "godly seed. AT
its very organization the family was
intended to be a nursery for piety
But if the family is to fulfill the pur-
pose of God in establishing it, family
religion is a necessity. Upon the pa
rents God has placed the responsibility
for family religion. And We fathers,
provoke not your children to wrath;
but bring them up in the nurture and
admonition of the Lord" The father
is the hight priest Of the home, and
the mother is his Indispensable helper
This responsibility cannot be delegated
to Sunday school teacher, nor to any
other person. To God all parents will
have to give an account for the way
in which they have maintained reli-
yion in their homes.
But while the parent should look
upon family religion as a duty, they
should also regard 1t as privilege:
t enables them to exert a wonderful
influence over their own children
These children are given to them when
they are most easily Influenced. Their
minds are comparatively unwritten
pages, giving the parent the opportu-
nifty of writing there the hottest
thoughts and the highest and noblest
aspirations. Like the young twig the
will at that early age is easily bent;
the feet can be restrained from sin and
set in the paths of righteousness. The
heart is then easily touched by the
story of redeeming love. When fami-
ly religion is properly maintained very
many are brought into the kingdom al
very tender age. The parents are
the instruments used in bringing their
-
come to give their account they can
say. Here are the souls that thou
hast intruSted to me-" 1t should be
the aim of every Christian parent to
so maintain religion in his home that
his children may be brought into the
kingdom in early childhood.
If there is to be true family religion
there must be parental control. The
child's feet must be kept from the
paths of sin, and set in the ways OF
righteousness. instruction is another
part of family religion. God has COM
missoned the parent to instruct the
child in religious things. There must
also be prayer The child must be
taught to pray, and the family altar
must be maintained. Without parental
control, parental instruction and fam
lily worship, there can be no family
worship in the highest sense of that
word. The Importance Of family reli-
zion cannot be ever estimated. The
formative. period of life, the period
when character is being fixed, is spent
under the parental roof, and conse-
quently the moral and religious life OF
the man depends largely upon the
moral and religious atmosphere of the
hCme in which he is reared. Family
religion, important as it is to the in
dividual, is equally important to the
church ard the state. The life of both
church and state is determined by the
character of men and women which go
forth from the home.
But. vital as family religion, is the cry
comes up from all parts of the coun-
try that family religion is dying out
Children are controlling parents instead
Cf parents controlling children. Pa
rents are delegating the religious in
struction of their children to the Sun
day school. The fires are dying upon
many family altars.
The chief reason assigned for the
neglect of family religion is the want
# time. 1t is true that we are living
in busy age. Hurry and hustle is
all around US. If we would keep pace,
we must hurry too. But if we have
time for anything, have we not time
for training the immortal minds of our
children? Is there any more import
ant work than that? rs not life more
than meat" Is not the soul vastly
more important than the body? If the
man who has failed to provide food
and rament for his family is called
worse than an infidel and is said to
have denied the faith, what will be
said of the man who has failed to pro-
vide his family with food for their
souls?
| am glad to state that through the
kindness Of the editor, arrangements
have been made for the publication
of number Of articles on the different
PARTS of family religion to appear In
this paper at an early date. l hope
that these articles will be carefully
read. and among the resolutions made
at this season Of the year, many may
resolve to maintain family religion In
their homes as they have never done
before J. X. HALL.