The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-07-14
Bv Edward Leigh Pell, D. d.
Soho Chon 81


has enough to answer for, what shall
he said of him who shamelessly leads
others into sin? What shall be said
Iof him who leads into sin those who
have been committed to his keeping?
! AaBasseh led his own people into
sin. 1t was as If H. father should lead
his own children astray. I He turn
Cd deaf ear to the warnings of God
lie not only sinned against God. but
he sinued openly and dehantly. The
Lord spalSe to AIanasseh and to his
people Thy his prophets. but they
would not hearken."
! How long did Manasseh continue in
/ his wild career? evidently many
years --long enough to prove the long
4e.titf .fssg .tf ea.4tfiay Il Ia ft+st e1t.ta
allow him to go on until he had hrok-
| en- his own neck How did God bring
i HIM 10 his senses When Manasseh
came 10 his senses what did he dor
4 What evidence do Wa find in his sub
seQuent life that his repentance was
/ sincere? tSee verses Is, 49, When
itssti saw bat Ste,repertsed what did hss
! do How did ho show that he for
gave him? tNesse 1872 IF God had
been an tndulgent father instead of
Il Kind father is 1t likely that Ma
nasseh would over have been brought
to repentance (This brings us to the
!
The Heart of the Lesson
GOD il a kind father. but he is not
+ an tndulgent father He is patient but
he Is not weak. He may wait year
aftpr year for foolish youth Ike
Mana&seh. ta come To- his senses but
4 " hen he sees that nothing but a Sc
we're whipping will bring him To his
senses. be Will not hesitate to use
The rod
We hear a good deal In this day of
iindulgent parents about the superior
iiy of gentle methods in the training
OF children. and the inhumanltv Of
the old way that spared not the rod
+, we are told ~ the wonderful power
/ Of loving word and "a tender hand
! IN winning Il child into right ways
iAHt the trouble about the new meth
od Is that II does not take into ac-
count the incorrigihIes 1t has moth
/ ing TO suggest for the child who
PUSHES at his mother in q 1T of rage
/ to tear her eyes out. and, falling in
! the attempt, falls on the floor and
lifts up his voice and his heels and
! brings the policeman in to see what
/ is to pay. We know II is a waste of
breath 10 try love whispers In q din
that cracks the eardrums. There are
wise old mothers, undisturbed by the
new ideas. who Will know what to do
; III such time. while the young moth
ler OF the new ideas goes off into The
farther end Of the house to consult
the books on this new phase OF The
subject. ,.
Gods plan in the case or this spojlt
young King MAS the old fashioned
plan. God IS infinitely gentle, and
when his children are sane he Is GER
/ tain 10 speak TO them in the still
small voice Of pleading love; but ia a
eelsr Of insanity. when he would save
"a man who is lost TO all reason. he
sometimes chooses to first bring him
+ to his senses by a shock. And that Ii
4,shat 4e did 4gitl' Manasseh. lie d.
1 rected the King or AssyIia to come
over and tAke this conceited young
man, ~he thought he was his own
master, and give him q good shake
ana lead n!rn on BY the nose to Baby
Ion such shock was calculated to
settle him to give him a new idea,
AZ we say when We give "a frightened
fhorse sharp Whack to restore his
equilibrium.
! Gods plans always work. When
Manasseh reached Babylon he came
10 MS senses. And he ''besought the
Lord his God. and huinbled himself
/ greatly before the God Of his faith
ers - DID God forgive him Would
you and | forgive a man who had
idone everything that human ingenuity
icouid invent 10. in1ure us? Yet God
matted years and years for an on