When our children are brought into a Christian experience the victory is only partly won; life lies before them with its temptations. Many are the allurements to turn those young feet into worldly paths. We have witnessed the bright, happy conversion of many children. We have seen their countenances beaming with the light and joy of Christian love and heard their voices ring with spiritual praise, only to soon yield to the influence of the world and lose that sincere devotion to God. This is not the inevitable course, thank God, but it is the course of many. To teach our children the fear of God and enable them to retain in their hearts a deep reverence and devotion to him has been a subject of much prayer with us. We find the Christian life is a warfare. There [pg 280] are temptations to be resisted, there are watchings and prayings, there must be a constant looking upward to God for his aid and direction.
One trouble with many parents has been that as soon as their children were converted they seemed to think the battle was over and the victory was won, when really the battle was only begun. The first thing necessary in keeping our budding “olive plants” in deep spirituality is to keep very spiritual ourselves. Now whatever means are necessary to promote a growth of spirituality in our hearts, the same means are necessary to develop and deepen the spiritual life of our children. A habitual effort to cultivate a deeper sense of the divine presence is necessary and one of the most beautiful employments of the sanctified heart. Those reverential feelings toward God must daily become stronger. Those inmost affections of the soul must reach out with greater yearnings and deeper longings toward the Holy One. A benevolent regard in our hearts for our fellow men must become stronger and more true. O beloved, if you would have your child to grow up into a beautiful Christian character you must teach him to suppress every selfish feeling, to banish every idle, careless thought, and to resist all temptations to envy or impatience. The purest of meditations must be entertained. We and they must be strictly disciplined by the sacred Scriptures, “Watch and pray.” Spiritual prayer unfolds the life into the beautiful life of God as the bud unfolds into the blooming rose.
A Christian Home.
Nowhere is Christianity more effectual and more beautiful than in the home life. Nowhere is the power of divine love so truly manifested as in a sincere Christian home. We will set a picture before you. A father and mother with their children are grouped together for the evening worship. The father out of the deep affections of his soul, in spiritual tones, speaks of God and his holy commandment. A tear of gratitude and joy is glistening in the mother's affectionate eye. The children's faces are beaming with admiration as they hear extolled the character of Christ. They kneel in prayer; a holy awe and sacredness rests upon the scene; their prayers arise as sweet incense into the nostrils of God and delight his great heart.
Such a scene as we have pictured only fitly represents a true Christian home. The father is all tenderness and love to his wife and children. He is kind and sympathetic. He regards his wife as the weaker vessel and is mindful of her happiness. The wife deeply reverences her husband. Affection and appreciation sparkle in her eye. To attend to the husband's wishes is her delight. They love their children and in gentleness are bringing them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. The children love each other and are kind and self-denying. They obey their parents through love. Alas! such a family is rarely found upon this sin-cursed earth. But such is taught and commanded in the Bible, and it is possible.
If a father and mother and children lived toward each other just as the Bible says they should live, we would have a scene that would fitly represent heaven. It is our privilege to have just such a home. “Ask, and it shall be given you.” A happy home life is the most blessed life on earth. “Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table.” Psa. 128:3.
Duty Of Children To Parents.
It was the original design of God that children should be a blessing to their parents. “My son, be wise, and make my heart glad.” Prov. 27:11. “The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him. Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall rejoice.” Prov. 23:24, 25. “A wise son maketh a glad father.” Prov. 15:20.
You will observe, children, in each of the above texts that it is wisdom in a child that makes parents rejoice. Then you should “seek wisdom, seek understanding.” “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom.” Prov. 4:7. What is wisdom? “The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.” The highest honor a child can pay to a true parent is to honor and obey God: “And shalt return unto the Lord thy God, and shalt obey his voice according to all I command thee this day, thou and thy children, with all thine heart and with all thy soul.” Deut. 30:2. [pg 283] “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not.” Eccl. 12:1.
The duty of children is to fear their parents: “Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father.” Lev. 19:3. To honor them: “Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.” Ex. 20:12. This, it is true, is an old-time commandment, but the spirit or principle of it is carried into the dispensation of the gospel. “Honor thy father and mother.” Eph. 6:2.