The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-09-29
THE PULPIT.
4 BRILLIANT SUNDAY SERMON BY
DR.. ROBERT j: KENT.
Theme: Home Training.

: N. 4.-lC was DdpllSmdl
Sunday at the Lewis Avenue Congre-
gational Church, and after baptizing
six children, the Rev. DR.. Robert j..
Kent, the pastor, preached a sermon
on Home Training" taking for his
text, Deuteronomy ST.: And thou
shalt teach them diligently unto thy
children, and shalt talk of them
when thou sittest in thy house, and
, when thou walkest by the way, and
when thou Hest down, and when thou
risest up" DR.. Kent said:
The sacrament which you have
witnessed this morning is either full
of beauty and vital significance, or
it is utterly devoid of all meaning
and power; a mere empty form.
Which it is depends upon the spirit
: of intelligent, sincere conservation
; that Is present in, or absent from the
hearts of these parents. The falling
: Of a few drops Of water on a babys
head, while the minister utters a
, sacred formula may have no value
whatever. We do not believe that
there is any magical influence IN the
! rite of baptism. Everything depends
upon the understanding, by those
who consecrate their children, of the
meaning of the baptismal vows, and
upon their resolve to keep those vows
faithfully. What are the sacred
promises made by the parents?
! They solemnly pledge themselves
: to do all in their power to bring up
; their children in Christian nurture.
! They promise to teach their children,
as soon as they shall be able to un-
! derstand, the meaning of this act OF
conservation. Little children ask
curious questions about sacred
things. 1t is the parents duty n
! privilege to explain why they bring
their children to church, and set
! them apart in this formal way. They
should tell them of the Heavenly
Fathers love, OF the nobility Of the
| Christian life, of their earnest prayer
! and wish that they may have their
part in bringing in the kingdom Of
God, and that the sacred promise
they made in church they must strive
to keep. Children can thus be made
| to see that father and mother are
! under a holy obligation to lead them
into the knowledge of their Lord and
Saviour. Parents promise, too, that
they will instruct their children in
the Scriptures, teaching them the
great eternal principles of life. They
promise to pray with them and for
them. Many a child has never
heard it's fathers or its mothers
voice in prayer; n OF the most
precious memories Of childhood Is
thus lost. Aud finally they promise
to set an example of piety and godli.
ness before their children. In a word
the whole personality is pledged tc
the Christian training of the child.
These baptismal obligations can
not be satisfactorily met by sending
the boy or girl to Sunday school fol
an hour Sunday afternoon during the
years Of childhood. Christian nurture
is a matter of years, requiring the
highest wisdom and q Christ-like pa
| thence. The daily training in the
home. is necessary. Right here is
where the finger of emphasis needs
! to be placed in our time. Never in
the history Of the world was so much
thought given to the welfare Of the
child, and yet something is evident
ly lacking. There is a large and in
creasing literature devoted to the in
terests of childhood, books and mag
azines are discussing all sorts Of
questions pertaining to the physical.
mental and moral education Of our
boys and girls. There are societies
| for preventing cruelty to them. One
of the reforms earnestly urged to-day
is adequate legislation to prevent
the cupidity of employer OF parent
from sending children to work at too
early an age. The juvenile delin-
Quent has engaged the attentions OF
wise and philanthropic men. The
children's courts have come into be-
ing, and growing out of them is the
Big Brother movement. The public
! school has been developed to a high
| point Of efficiency; an army OF trained
educators, many of them gifted spec
ialists, are devoting their best time
/ and thought to the education Of the
young; the kindergarten Is being es.
tablished everywhere. The health
of the children is carefully guarded;
everything is being done to save them
from the devastation of epidemics.
There is a growing demand for more
Fairgrounds for them; we have all
kinds of organizations among the
children themselves. Then there Is
the Sunday school, with it's multi.
plying methods, and its host OF
teachers and it's vast literature.
Surely the thoughtful world id
aroused to the value of the child.
And yet, no careful and candid OBJ
F2rver can say that there Is not
something wrong. Something ID
missing. There is a lack of rever"
ence, of obedience, of respect for law.
TIE home is not doing it's part, and
, nothing can atone for neglect of
home training. A very thoughtful
book, recently published, in discuss.
ing the question of juvenile delir'
I quency has found the cause of the
trouble mainly in the lack Of home.
training, and the most promising
remedy suggested is the provision OF
homes with their wholesome infu-
enc3s. Whatever tends to undermine
the home is therefore to be d%eplored;
and there are many such tendencies.
The frequent change of residence IN
the great city is one; the prevalence
of divorce IS another; and the con-
slant pressure Of business and social
. interests is the worst. There is lit.
tie time left in many a home for the
cultivation of companionship be-.
twesn parent and child. Parental
privileges and duties Of supreme ira.
p~ortance are neglected.
Eut when these duties are faith.
fully and lovingly performed, they
result in ~unspeakable blessing to the
q. child, to the State, to the church.
No more valuable work is being
done to-day than the quiet, unob.