The Detroit times., 1911-01-17

them In the Christening and ad-
monition of the Lord.
6.i.
What kind OF a man should father
be? what should have been his past
life? What should his present life beT
For reasons of modesty, only very
partial answer can be given to these
questions by any public teacher teacher IA x,v a
US a broad hint when they speak or
fathers upon the children unto the third
and fourth generation" In a past age,
unbelievers and inhdels urged thar
statement as an evidence that the Coo
OF the Bible was a myth. They declared
such a law 10 be unjust and upright
eous, therefore the God OF the Bible
could not be the true God. But the ad-
vance of science has revealed how
piteously true are these words. by the
law of heredity. Wickedness and dis
ease beget after their kind Just as truly
as righteousness and health. Many
boy or girl has gone through life weak
in body, defective In mind and morals,
because of the sins OF the parent. Every
observer of human nature has seen this
time after time.
What kind of a man should father
be? He should be healthy In body:
clean thought speech and conduct; Tree
from all habits which sap vitality anu
fasten disease. am not speaking
merely OF the time of fatherhood. but
of the days of young manhood. and
even boyhood. He owes IL to the future
generation that this early maturlns
period shall have no quality TAKEN
from Il which rightly belongs there;
nothing packed into II which Is foreign
and Injurious to the mature man; A
materialistic civilization. rich and lux
uriant, constantly, challenges such
yisid. . "''
Among all the relations men sustain
none Is more sacred or holy than that
embodied in fatherhood. So holy ana
appropriate Is TINS name nam .,o ,re' COM
monty applies the title to Him who rs
the Father over all. In the Ola res
lament the name. father. Is generally
but i'm the New Testament the use. Of
this name is reversed. Ii Is more ire
quently given to our Heavenly father
than to the fathers OF earth; nasty
at once this distinction. In referrlng
to God the tender name nearly always
on Jesus lips was. Father; HOW eN.
appropriately be applied TO Him who
is the Creator OF all!
The Authority Of Fatherhood.
Everywhere in Revelation, not only
is the authority of fatherhood, reeog-
nized. but taught and commanded. Di-
vine favorsis promised to children VINO
honor parents. Disobedience Is threat
ened with the curse. Says the Woru,
Honor thy father and thy mother. that
thy days may be long upon the lana
which the Lord they God giveth thee.
The apostle calls attention to this as
"the first commandment with promise.
The obedience and reverence due rain
ers. due both parents, Is everywners
most strongly demanded In the WORD
OF God.
The Obligation OF Fatherhood.
The obligation of fatherhood grows
out OF the fact of offspring. That ne
recognize this duty In Its FULLEST ana
largest relations Is due his children AT
large, and TO hir Maker.
speak especially OF the fathers duty
I'm the training OF the child. Here IL
the mark OF the superiority OF human
parentage over that of the lower anil
mails. Is IL the fathers duty to pro-
vide n home and nourishment Tor mis-
children? The bird-parent builds It's
nest, feathery home, and daily Tor
ages for the nourishment OF It's ntt,e
ones. IL is also true that the wolf
teaches her young TO hunt, the eagle
her fedglings to ny. Yet while this
last is true. the great dividing line pc,
tween the human parent and those OF
the lower orders II not at the point OF
providing bet rather In training. Here
lis where Revelation also places the
emphasis u very largely d oskss s s1r
hoits and strongly admonishes the ful-
fllment OF the other. The compelling
necessity for this Is found In the child
women OF tomorrow. with the institu-
tIons OF society, lone. school. church
and state resting on their shouldersy
The children OF today How are these
RESPONSIBILITIES to be met? BY mature.
strong men and women. strong In mus
Gle. in mind and In morals? or by those
weak in these powers? Are the prob
lens pressing on society to be more
effectively solved, or more hopelessly
mixed by the rising generation7 II
there TO come larger freedom or more
grinding bondaee7
As far-reaching as are these ques-
tions, In asking them by no means have
we reached the circumference. Two
other worlds, according to Revelation.
are 10 be very largely populated from
this earth There In realm lof the
I redet med and enc of the lost. OF
which shall the rising generation be
citizens? Appalling I'm their magnitude
are these questions. When and where
are thew 70 be rightly answered? Pre-