Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1914-04-08
The Best Method by Which Children
Can BE Given an EARLY Chris
tian Training.
(By Miss Rena HunsingerD

(By Miss Rena HunSinger)
The command Feed my lambs"
and "Train up child in the way he
should 60" are strong and clear. The
best methods by which children can
be given an early Christian training
lnust be applied in the home, the
Sunday school and young peoples
societies.
Among the many great personals
lies that make the pages Of the Old
Testament to glow with those shin
ing wisdom, strength, ius
tice, mercy-that go to make nm
Gods noblest creatures, man. perhans
none, in whole-hearted and self-sac-
rificing leadership, stand out as
greater prototypes Of our Lord than
do Moses and Samuel. And surely
GOD himself in his Book pays trib-
ute to the mighty influence of woman
IN moulding character in that, in the
life OF both Moses and Samuel, he
shows back of the life the tender.
wise training OF a godly mother. If
has been truly said that the mother
is the child's best friend. She has
more influence over him than anv
one else has. Through the centuries
OF church history who can doubt that
the silent influence Of woman is the
most potent factor in training and in
spring the lives that have been con-
secrated to obeying the four-fold
command to go, to preach, to teacn,
TO bapt'ze? A boy or girl mav lor-
get great many things, brt The
things that mother IMPRESSED unon
the heart and life can never be for.
gotten. If children are trained for
God they will grow strong and make
godly men and women. Hence the
Importance Of early Christian train
ing cannot be too much stressed
Those days of training will never be
forgotten. They fit the child for a
life of greater service and useful
ness.
AS the child grows older he is not
so much under his mothers influence
and his Christian training must he
given in other forms. Taking. then,
INTO account the Importance of Chris
tan training as it may be shaped in
early years, ] do not know of any
work that equals in value that done
ny the faithful, consecrated Sunday
Schooi teacher, intent on winning
souls into the love and service of
Christ. In the Sunday school the
chiid Is taught the simple truths OF
GODS word. Christ. who taught the
II
means of the Sunday school. Here
is laid the foundation for his greater
usefulness in his Masters kingdom
Ihe true Sunday school teacher must
be the layer of this foundation. Nci-
ther he nor she may be able to SILL
perlntend the uperStruCture, but
the Superstructure always conforms
TO the foundation Hence it follows
that, as rule, the child Is father
to the man." Nothing can euuai, in
substance or proportion, the gran
deur of that labor of the faithful
Christian who through prayer trains
child to share the blessings of a
heavenly birth and come into pos
session AT least Of an inheritance in
corruptible and undeflled.
Another one Of the good methods
by which children can be given an
early Christian training is the work
done in the Sunbeam bands and
FoJal Ambassador chapters This
develops boys and girls into Chris
tian men and women. When the
Woman's Missionary Union was in
its infancy it was not long before the
full realization came of the power of
the children in this organization. In
other words, Christian women,
emancipated and organized, caught
the vision that henceforth not only
were they to train scattered individ-
uals for service in the Kingdom, but
they were also to train up a whole
generation for God. The watchword
OF our Womar's Missionary Union
reaching them to observe all things
whatsoeVer | Have commanded YOU
is one that should arouse all of
us TO our obligations to young peo-
pie. VIII our success be complete?
That depends on how you and | live
up to our individual responsibilities;
and more especially does it depend
upon the Christian mothers Of this
generation. In proportion as we see
them saying, with Hannah Of old,
AS long as this child liveth he shall
be lent to the Lord" in that shall we
see the evangelization of the world
In the coming generation.
Oh, how rapidly the children are
growing! Every now and then it
comes over to us that they are mount
ing rapidly to manhood and to wo-
manhood, and the thought comes
that what we do for them must be
quickly done. That is always true
in working for children. We cannot
begin too quickly; If they arc to be
trained for the kingdom we must get
about It. We must not delay, and
wait for them to be led into tempta-