The Washington herald., 1909-05-10
The Habit cf Right Doing.

Editor The Washington Herald
An unusually timely talk for the pres
ent era OF grace rounded out the dis
course Of DR.. Radcliffe az the New York
Avenue Presbyterian Church yesterday
morning, the subject being the habit Of
right living. based upon Luke iv: IS,
where it is related And. as his custom
was, He tthe Christi went into the syn
agogue on the Sabbath Day. He showed
through the media Of many Illustrations
how successful the accomplishment Of
right purpose in any direction is achieved
only by persistent application Of we'll
formed rule until Il becomes fixed, habit
ual. and almost automatic
This was applied 10 church going. fam
ily worship, and the Ike. and 10 SundSv-
school children whose n0usJJendance up
on church worship had brought an alarm
ing state Of degeneracy, The end whereof
was sad % contemplate The pastor re-
marked incidentally that in former years
the children were educated not 10 attend
church when they felt Ike g." but 10
accompany their elders 20 the family
pew as simply a matter q course.
and that with a morning session Of Sun
day school followed by church service,
and the same In the afternoon.
The writer was carried hack 20 boy
hood days in New York City, where all
the children were Of 20 a morning ses-
sion al 2. another Al ! o'clock. in both
cases followed by the pastors sermon,
AMI no pupil was supposed 20 pass out
emitting the church service without a
written permit from home. Moreover, II
any were tardy a. Sunday school they
were detained In -the lobby-a cold place
in winter-until the opening exercises
were through. when the deIinquenJs
marched in abashed and resolving the
thing should not occur again. We thought
nothing Of leaving breakfast OF dinner
unfinished OF Untasted rather than risk
-tar6y" mark on the register. AS fo-
the superintendent, Christopher p Rob
ert. Of honored memory, II IS a matter
Of record that for a series of years he
had every Sunday bsen in his place on
time.
The above made four services, after
which the father, thoroughly hon0red by
his eleven children. gave an hour or more
10 afternoon prayers and instruction in
that magnificent compendium Of religious
truths. the Shorter Catechism-" This.
with the Longer Catechism. - references
and ali. became as household words 10
deepening twilight I can never forget.
Then followed a cold supper. that the
servants might have their fun afternoon,
and again OF To evening sermon. preced-
ed by a boys meeting and followed fire.
quently By an after-meeting. OF. as then
termed. an 'inquiTers' meeting
All this was Jne chilGren's Ch0ice-noth-
ing compulsory, the result Of this $50
called by some) church dissipation
was not reactionary by any means. All
the sons save one in the ministry; all
the children led consecrated lives and
died IN the faith. IN the family burying
ground the shaft that rises above the
grave OF David" and Anna" bears the
line.
And their children shall rise up and
call them blessed
As 10 family worship. each morning
before breakfast children and servants
must every one be present. each with
a Bible, the verses read in turn BY al,
the youngest spelling out the verse. while
al waited with deliberatiOn and patience.
In the fathers absence from home the
same form Of service was observed, save