The people's recorder. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1893-1925, 1909-09-11
THE PULPIT.
A BRILLIANT SUNDAY SERMON BY
DR.. ROBERT J.. KENT.
Theme: Home TRAINING.

Ola CuiiuISA, luc tcF. LIT. 1OUeEC j.
keat, the pastor, preached u sermon
on "Home Training" taking for his
teYt, Deuteronomy 6:7: And thou
shalt teach them diligently unto thy
| CHILDREN. and shalt talk of them
[ when thou sittest in thy house, and
| when thou walsest by the way, and
when thou liest Gown, and when thou
| risest up" DR.. Kent said:
The sacrament which yo1 have
| witnessed this morning Is either full
! of beauty and vital significance, or
! it is utterly devoid of all meaning
| and power; mere empty form.
} Which it is depends upon the spirit
, Of intelligent. sincere consecration
| that is present in, or absent from the
/ hearts OF these parents. The FILLING
! OF few drOIs Of water on q baby'S
| head, while the minister utters Il
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
j meaning Of the baptismal VOWS, and
| faithfully. What are the sacred
promises made by the parents'
They so!emnly pledge themselves
! TO do all in their power to bring up
| their children In Christian nurture.
| They. promise to teach their children.
rs 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 and
! privilege to explain why they bring
| their children TO church, and set
| them apart in this formal way. They
Sbnt1H foil fhan, re nj
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 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 child has never
heard It's fathers or its mothers
| voice in prayer; one OF the most
| precious memories Of childhood is
thus lost. And finally they promise
to set an example Of piety and godli-
! ness before their children. In word
! the whole personality IS pledged to
the Christian training of the child.
| These baptismal obligations can
not be satisfactorily met by sending
the boy or girl to Sunday school for
an hour Sunday afternoon during the
years OF childhood. Christian nurture
is a matter of years, requiring the
highest wisdom and a CfTlst-Ike pa
! f1PnCG Ehp fa{1v training In tho
home IS necessary. Right here is
where the finger of emphasis.needs
| to he 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 eyld ent-
| ly lacking. There is q 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 tc prevent
J the cupidity OF employer or parent
from sending children to worl; at too
| early al age. The Juvenile delir-
| quent has engaged the attentions Of
wise and rhilanthropic men. The
chllGrenS S courts have come into he
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
| falists, are devoting their best time
and thought to the education of the
| young; thu 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 growing demand for more
! Fairgrounds for them; We have all
| kinds of organizations among the
cnilCren themselves. Then there Is
the Sunday school. with It's multi
plying methods, and its host OF
teachers and its vast literature
Surely the thoughtful world is
) aroused to- the value ot the child.
And yet, no careful and candid OBJ
server can say that there Is not
something wrong. Something Is
ence, Of obedience, of resoect for law.
The home is not doing is part, and
nothing can atone for neglect Of
| home training. A very thoughtful
book. recently published, in discuss
ing the question of juvenile deliu-
/ 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 whole some influ-
ences. Whatever tends t., undermine
the homo is therefore to lie deplored; :;
and there are many such tendencies.
| The frequent change of residence In
the great city is one; the prevalence
OF divorce 5 ,c::i4.,c": and the con-
| slant DrsSElye OF DuSjneSS and SociaI