Honor Due To ParentsIllustration.Washington And His Mother. "Honor thy father and thy mother." Ex. 20:12.1. By what is every child known?“Even a child is knownby his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.”Prov. 20:11.2. What is the duty of every child?“My son,hear the instruction of thy father, andforsake not the law of thy mother.”Prov. 1:8.3. What does the fifth commandment require of children?“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.Note.—While this precept refers directly to our earthly parents, it also includes God, our Father in heaven; for in honoring them we honor Him. To the child too young to know God, the earthly parent takes the place of God. Learning to honor, respect, and obey his earthly parents is the child's first and most important lesson in learning to honor, respect, and obey God, his Heavenly Parent. Benjamin Franklin well said:“Let a child's first lesson be obedience, and the second may be what thou wilt.”4. For how long a time should one honor his parents?“Harken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy motherwhen she is old.”Prov. 23:22.Note.—As long as parents live, they should be honored and respected by their children. The duty enjoined in the fifth commandment does not cease at maturity, nor when the child leaves the parental roof.[pg 716]Illustration.Jesus With The Doctors In The Temple. "And He went down with them [His parents], and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them." Luke 2:51.[pg 717]5. What is the character of a child who will not listen to his father's instruction?“Afooldespiseth his father's instruction: but he that regardeth reproof is prudent.”Prov. 15:5.6. What course on the part of children is well-pleasing to the Lord?“Children,obey your parents in all things: for this is well-pleasing unto the Lord.”Col. 3:20.7. In what spirit should children obey their parents?“Children, obey your parentsin the Lord: for this is right.”Eph. 6:1.8. What is one way in which a child may dishonor his parents?“He that isa companion of riotous menshameth his father.”Prov. 28:7.9. What is said of one who robs his father or his mother?“Whoso robbeth his father or his mother, and saith, It is no transgression;the same is the companion of a destroyer.”Verse 24.10. How did Jesus honor His parents?“He went down with them, and came to Nazareth, andwas subject unto them.”Luke 2:51.11. How did the Jewish leaders in the days of Christ, for the sake of gain, make void the fifth commandment?“But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother,It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; and honor not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.”Matt. 15:5, 6.Note.—The word translatedgiftin this text means a thing dedicated to God, and therefore not to be used for any other purpose. In this way the Jewish teachers, by their traditional law, taught children that by saying that their property was thus dedicated to the temple or to religious purposes, they were free from the obligation to honor and support their parents, thus making void one of the commandments of God. This Christ condemned.12. In what other way do some dishonor their father and mother?“There is a generation thatcurseth their father, anddoth not bless their mother.”Prov. 30:11.[pg 718]13. What will be the fate of the one who curseth his father or his mother?“Whoso curseth his father or his mother,his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness.”“The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother,the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it.”Prov. 20:20; 30:17.14. What will be the reward of those who honor their parents?“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.Note.—The fulness of this promise will be realized in the life to come, when the earth, restored to its Edenic beauty, will become the eternal home of all those who have truly honored their parents and kept all God's commandments.15. What comment has the apostle Paul made upon this commandment?“Honor thy father and mother;which is the first commandment with promise; that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.”Eph. 6:2, 3.16. In what age of the world is disobedience to parents to be especially manifest?“This know also, thatin the last daysperilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers,disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy.”2 Tim. 3:1, 2.Note.—Disobedience to parents is a marked characteristic of the present generation. Never before was it so common or so wide-spread. The root of the evil, however, lies not so much in the children as in the parents. Many of the latter are disobedient to God, their Father in heaven, and so have failed to bring up their children in the fear of God and in the ways of righteousness. Bible instruction, lessons of faith, and prayer must not be neglected in the home if we would see obedient, God-fearing children growing up in the world.Be kind to thy father, for when thou wert young,Who loved thee so fondly as he?He caught the first accents that fell from thy tongue,And joined in thy innocent glee.Be kind to thy mother, for lo! on her browMay traces of sorrow be seen;O well may'st thou cherish and comfort her now,For loving and kind hath she been.[pg 719]Child TrainingIllustration.His First Teacher. "Bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." Eph. 6:4.1. How should parents train their children?“Train up a childin the way he should go: and when he is old he will not depart from it.”Prov. 22:6.“And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: butbring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”Eph. 6:4.2. How diligently should parents teach children God's Word?“These words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: andthou shall teach them diligently unto thy children.”“Ye shall teach them your children,speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.”Deut. 6:6, 7. 11:19.3. What high ideal should be placed before the young?“Let no man despise thy youth; butbe thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”1 Tim. 4:12.4. What duty does God require of children?“Honor thy father and thy mother.”Ex. 20:12.[pg 720]5. What is to be one of the prominent sins of the last days?“For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers,disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy.”2 Tim. 3:2.6. Why did God reprove Eli?“In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end. For I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knoweth;because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not.”1 Sam. 3:12, 13.7. How should the youth be taught to regard the aged?“Thou shaltrise up before the hoary head, andhonor the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the Lord.”Lev. 19:32.8. What are some good fruits of proper child training?“Correct thy son, andhe shall give thee rest; yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul.”Prov. 29:17.9. What will result if correction is withheld?“The rod and reproof give wisdom: buta child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.”Verse 15. See Prov. 22:15.10. Is there danger of delaying correction too long?“Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying.”Prov. 19:18. See Prov. 23:13, 14.11. Does proper correction evidence a want of parental love?“He that spareth his rod hateth his son: buthe that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.”Prov. 13:24.Note.—One Christian mother writes thus concerning the importance of child training:“Children who are allowed to come up to manhood or womanhood with the will undisciplined and the passions uncontrolled, will generally in after-life pursue a course which God condemns. The neglect of parents to properly discipline their children has been a fruitful source of evil in many families. The youth have not been restrained as they should have been. Parents have neglected to follow the directions of the Word of God in this matter, and the children have taken the reins of government into their own hands. The consequence has been that they have generally succeeded in ruling their parents, instead of being under their authority. False ideas and a foolish, misdirected affection have nurtured traits which have made the children unlovely and unhappy, have embittered the lives of the parents, and have extended their baleful influence from generation to generation. Any child that is permitted to have his own way will dishonor God and bring his father and mother to shame.”12. Whom does the Lord chasten?[pg 721]“For whom the LordlovethHe chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth.”Heb. 12:6.Note.—From this we may learn that all child training should be done in love, and that proper child training is an evidence of true love.13. Against what evil should fathers guard?“Fathers,provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.”Col. 3:21.Note.—Correction should never be given in anger, for anger in the parent stirs up anger in the child. It is well to pray with a child before correcting him, and frequently mild but faithful instruction, admonition, and prayer are all the training necessary,—are, in fact, the best training that can be given. But in any case of perverseness, stubbornness, or wilful disobedience, the correction, whatever it may be, should be persisted in until the child yields submissively to the will and wishes of the parent. It is best, generally, that correction should be done in private, as this tends to preserve the self-respect of the child, a very important element in character building. No correction nor training should be violent or abusive, or given for the purpose of breaking the will of the child, but rather to direct the will, bring it into proper subjection, and the child to a realizing sense of what is right and duty.14. How are the present effects and future results of chastisement contrasted?“Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, butgrievous: nevertheless afterwardit yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousnessunto them which are exercised thereby.”Heb. 12:11.15. What question must every unfaithful parent meet?“Where is the flock that was given thee, thy beautiful flock?”Jer. 13:20.Note.—Happy will those parents be who can say,“Behold, here am I and the children Thou gavest me.”See Isa. 8:18.The oldest university was not on India's strand,Nor in the valley of the Nile, nor on Arabia's sand;From time's beginning it has taught and still it teaches freeIts learning mild to every child—the school of Mother's Knee.The oldest school to teach the law, and teach it deeply, too,Dividing what should not be done from what each one should do,Was not in Rome nor Ispahan nor by the Euxine Sea;But it held its sway ere history's day—the school of Mother's Knee.The oldest seminary, where theology was taught,Where love to God, and reverent prayer, and the Eternal OughtWere deep impressed on youthful hearts in pure sincerity,Came to the earth with Abel's birth—the school of Mother's Knee.The oldest, and the newest, too, it still maintains its place,And from its classes, ever full, it graduates the race.Without its teaching, where would all the best of living be?'Twas planned by heaven this earth to leaven—the school of Mother's Knee.[pg 722]Illustration.Christ And His Mother. "Blessed art thou among women." Luke 1:28, 42.[pg 723]The MotherIllustration.Manoah's Sacrifice. "How shall we order the child, and how shall we do unto him?" Judges 13:12.1. WHY did Adam call his wife's name Eve?“And Adam called his wife's name Eve:because she was the mother of all living.”Gen. 3:20.Note.—It is said that the three sweetest words in any language are mother, home, and heaven.2. What did God say to Abraham concerning his wife, Sarah?“And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, andshe shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her.”Gen. 17:16.3. What commandment guards the honor of the mother?“Honor thy father and thymother.”Ex. 20:12.4. How early did Hannah dedicate her son Samuel to God?“And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed ... give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life.”1 Sam. 1:11.5. To whom did God commit the care and early training of His only begotten Son?[pg 724]“And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child withMary His mother, and fell down, and worshiped Him.”Matt. 2:11.6. Under the influence of her tender care and faithful instruction, what is said of the child life of Jesus?“And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon Him.... And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.”Luke 2:40-52.Notes.—“The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world.”“A mother is a mother still,The holiest thing on earth.”A Christian mother, above all others, can deeply implant and faithfully cherish the seeds of truth in the young and tender heart. More even than the father, the mother molds the life, character, and destiny of man. Every stage and phase of life is touched and influenced by her. Infancy, childhood, youth, manhood, and old age alike center in her. She is both the morning and the evening star of life,—the angel spirit of the home.7. What tender, filial regard did Christ manifest for His mother in the hour of His death?“When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple standing by, whom He loved [John], He saith unto His mother,Woman, behold thy son!Then saith He to the disciple,Behold thy mother!And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.”John 19:26, 27.8. How early did Timothy know the Scriptures?“And thatfrom a childthou hast known the Holy Scriptures.”2 Tim. 3:15.9. What is said of his mother and his grandmother?“When I call to remembrancethe unfeigned faiththat is in thee,which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice.”2 Tim. 1:5.Note.—No position in life is superior to that of the mother, no influence more potent for good or evil.“All that I am or hope to be, I owe to my mother,”said Abraham Lincoln.“All that I have ever accomplished in life, I owe to my mother,”declared D. L. Moody.“A kiss from my mother,”said Benjamin West,“made me a painter.”“My mother was the making of me,”declares the noted inventor, Thomas A. Edison. And Andrew Carnegie, the millionaire, who gave his mother his earnings when a boy, adds,“I am deeply touched by the remembrance of one to whom I owe everything that a wise mother ever gave to a son who adored her.”It has been truly said that the home is the primeval school, the best, the most hallowed, and the most potential of all academies, and that the mother is the first, the most influential, and therefore the most important of all teachers. See poem on page721.[pg 725]Teaching The ChildrenIllustration.The Child Timothy. "From a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation." 2 Tim. 3:15.1. What should be the prayer of every parent?“O my Lord, ... teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born.”Judges 13:8.Note.—This is a part of the prayer of Manoah, the father of Samson.2. How should our children be taught?“All thy children shall betaught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children.”Isa. 54:13.3. What will happen if a child is not properly instructed?“A child left to himselfbringeth his mother to shame.”Prov. 29:15.4. How did Solomon's parents regard him as a child?“I was my father'sson, tender and only belovedin the sight of my mother.”Prov. 4:3.5. What does Solomon say his father did for him as a child?“Hetaught me also, and said unto me,Let thine heart retain my words; keep my commandments, and live.”Prov. 4:4.[pg 726]6. From what time does David say he himself was taught?“O God, Thou hast taught mefrom my youth.”Ps. 71:17.7. How should all Christian parents bring up their children?“Fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them upin the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”Eph. 6:4.8. How was Moses taught during the days of his early childhood?By faith, under the instruction of a devoted mother. See Heb. 11:23; Ex. 2:1-10.Note.—The hiding of Moses was at the time when Pharaoh, king of Egypt, had issued a decree that every Hebrew male child should be killed as soon as he was born, to prevent too rapid an increase of the Hebrews. The second chapter of Exodus tells the story of the finding of Moses by the king's daughter, and his being brought up by his own mother employed as a nurse. She was a woman of faith, and her teaching of Moses was such that after he had been at the Egyptian court till he“was come to years,”he chose to suffer affliction with God's people rather than to enjoy the honor of succeeding to the throne of Egypt as the adopted heir. He became the leader of God's people when they escaped from the Egyptian bondage, and after he died, he was raised to life and taken to heaven. See Heb. 11:24-26; Jude 9; Matt. 17:1-3.9. How was Joseph regarded by his father?“Israelloved Josephmore than all his children, because he was the son of his old age.”Gen. 37:3.Note.—The wonderful record of Joseph's life, found in Genesis 37-50, shows that he lived intimately with his father till he was seventeen years of age. He must have been carefully taught of God also, for in all his marvelous experience as slave, prisoner, and premier of Egypt, he remained true to his heavenly Father, not a single sin being recorded of him to the day of his death.10. How was Esther brought up?“He [Mordecai the Jew] brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle's daughter, ... when her father and mother were dead.”Esther 2:7.Note.—Mordecai was a man who feared and served God, as is shown by his wise and courageous counsel to Esther, and by his own Christian conduct when the lives of both were at stake in their efforts to save the people of God from destruction while in captivity in Medo-Persia. He undoubtedly taught Esther from childhood to fear and serve God. Otherwise she would not have met the crisis with such fearless courage and such confidence in God.11. After she became queen of Persia, how did Esther show her integrity to God?By risking her life to save her own people.[pg 727]“Then Esther bade them [the messengers] return Mordecai this answer: Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.”Esther 4:15, 16.12. How early does Paul say Timothy was instructed?“From a childthou hast known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation.”2 Tim. 3:15.13. How earnestly should parents teach their children the things of God?“Thou shalt teach themdiligentlyunto thy children.”“Ye shall teach them your children, speaking of themwhen thou sittest in thine house, andwhen thou walkest by the way,when thou liest down, andwhen thou risest up.”Deut. 6:7; 11:19.14. What reward in this life is promised the faithful mother?“Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.”Prov. 31:28.15. What beautiful picture of home life is drawn by the psalmist for the father who fears the Lord?“Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the side of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table. Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord.”Ps. 128:3, 4.16. What motive will inspire all true parents to faithfulness in teaching their children?“That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; that our daughters may be as corner-stones, polished after the similitude of a palace.”Ps. 144:12.Note.—We often hear the saying,“The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.”This is not out of keeping with the saying of the wise man,“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”Prov. 22:6. No father or mother knows the future of the little child prattling about the home circle. But God knows, as He did in the cases of Moses and Esther and Timothy. Whether it is His purpose for some of our children to rule the world, as did Joseph and Daniel virtually, as prime ministers; or for some of them to“stand before kings,”as did Moses and Esther and Daniel; or for some of them to serve and suffer for the name of Christ, as did Peter and John and Paul, it is our sacred privilege to teach the children faithfully and diligently during their tender years.[pg 728]Illustration.Christ Blessing Little Children. "Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto Me." Matt. 19:14.[pg 729]Promises For The ChildrenIllustration.Eli And Samuel. "Of such is the kingdom of heaven." Matt. 19:14.1. What is said of the fifth commandment?“Honor thy father and mother; which isthe first commandment with promise.”Eph. 6:2.2. What is promised those who honor their father and their mother?“Honor thy father and thy mother:that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.”Ex. 20:12.3. What does God desire to teach the children?“Come, ye children, harken unto Me:I will teach you the fear of the Lord.”Ps. 34:11.4. What is the fear of the Lord declared to be?“The fear of the Lord isthe beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do His commandments.”Ps. 111:10.5. What is said of the poor but wise child?“Betteris a poor and a wise childthan an old and foolish king, who will no more be admonished.”Eccl. 4:13.[pg 730]6. How did Christ show His tender regard for children?“Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto Me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.”Matt. 19:14.7. How did He show that He loved them?“And He took them up in His arms, put His hands upon them, and blessed them.”Mark 10:16.8. With what promise do the Old Testament Scriptures close?“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: andhe shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.”Mal. 4:5, 6.Note.—From this we learn that while disobedience to parents and the breaking up of home ties will characterize the last days (2 Tim. 3:1-3; Matt. 24:37-39; Gen. 6:1, 2), God's message for the last days will strengthen the cords of love and affection, and bind the hearts of parents and children together.9. What peaceful, happy conditions will prevail in the next world as compared with those of this life?“They shall not labor in vain,nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord, andtheir offspring with them.”“The sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den.They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.”Isa. 65:23; 11:8, 9.A pair of very chubby legsIncased in scarlet hose,A pair of little stubby bootsWith rather doubtful toes,A little kilt, a little coat,Cut as a mother can—And, lo! before us strides in stateThe future's“coming man.”Ah! blessings on those little hands,Whose work is yet undone,And blessings on those little feet,Whose race is yet unrun.And blessings on the little brain,That has not learned to plan.Whatever the future holds in store,God bless the“coming man.”[pg 731]
Honor Due To ParentsIllustration.Washington And His Mother. "Honor thy father and thy mother." Ex. 20:12.1. By what is every child known?“Even a child is knownby his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.”Prov. 20:11.2. What is the duty of every child?“My son,hear the instruction of thy father, andforsake not the law of thy mother.”Prov. 1:8.3. What does the fifth commandment require of children?“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.Note.—While this precept refers directly to our earthly parents, it also includes God, our Father in heaven; for in honoring them we honor Him. To the child too young to know God, the earthly parent takes the place of God. Learning to honor, respect, and obey his earthly parents is the child's first and most important lesson in learning to honor, respect, and obey God, his Heavenly Parent. Benjamin Franklin well said:“Let a child's first lesson be obedience, and the second may be what thou wilt.”4. For how long a time should one honor his parents?“Harken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy motherwhen she is old.”Prov. 23:22.Note.—As long as parents live, they should be honored and respected by their children. The duty enjoined in the fifth commandment does not cease at maturity, nor when the child leaves the parental roof.[pg 716]Illustration.Jesus With The Doctors In The Temple. "And He went down with them [His parents], and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them." Luke 2:51.[pg 717]5. What is the character of a child who will not listen to his father's instruction?“Afooldespiseth his father's instruction: but he that regardeth reproof is prudent.”Prov. 15:5.6. What course on the part of children is well-pleasing to the Lord?“Children,obey your parents in all things: for this is well-pleasing unto the Lord.”Col. 3:20.7. In what spirit should children obey their parents?“Children, obey your parentsin the Lord: for this is right.”Eph. 6:1.8. What is one way in which a child may dishonor his parents?“He that isa companion of riotous menshameth his father.”Prov. 28:7.9. What is said of one who robs his father or his mother?“Whoso robbeth his father or his mother, and saith, It is no transgression;the same is the companion of a destroyer.”Verse 24.10. How did Jesus honor His parents?“He went down with them, and came to Nazareth, andwas subject unto them.”Luke 2:51.11. How did the Jewish leaders in the days of Christ, for the sake of gain, make void the fifth commandment?“But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother,It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; and honor not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.”Matt. 15:5, 6.Note.—The word translatedgiftin this text means a thing dedicated to God, and therefore not to be used for any other purpose. In this way the Jewish teachers, by their traditional law, taught children that by saying that their property was thus dedicated to the temple or to religious purposes, they were free from the obligation to honor and support their parents, thus making void one of the commandments of God. This Christ condemned.12. In what other way do some dishonor their father and mother?“There is a generation thatcurseth their father, anddoth not bless their mother.”Prov. 30:11.[pg 718]13. What will be the fate of the one who curseth his father or his mother?“Whoso curseth his father or his mother,his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness.”“The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother,the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it.”Prov. 20:20; 30:17.14. What will be the reward of those who honor their parents?“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.Note.—The fulness of this promise will be realized in the life to come, when the earth, restored to its Edenic beauty, will become the eternal home of all those who have truly honored their parents and kept all God's commandments.15. What comment has the apostle Paul made upon this commandment?“Honor thy father and mother;which is the first commandment with promise; that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.”Eph. 6:2, 3.16. In what age of the world is disobedience to parents to be especially manifest?“This know also, thatin the last daysperilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers,disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy.”2 Tim. 3:1, 2.Note.—Disobedience to parents is a marked characteristic of the present generation. Never before was it so common or so wide-spread. The root of the evil, however, lies not so much in the children as in the parents. Many of the latter are disobedient to God, their Father in heaven, and so have failed to bring up their children in the fear of God and in the ways of righteousness. Bible instruction, lessons of faith, and prayer must not be neglected in the home if we would see obedient, God-fearing children growing up in the world.Be kind to thy father, for when thou wert young,Who loved thee so fondly as he?He caught the first accents that fell from thy tongue,And joined in thy innocent glee.Be kind to thy mother, for lo! on her browMay traces of sorrow be seen;O well may'st thou cherish and comfort her now,For loving and kind hath she been.[pg 719]Child TrainingIllustration.His First Teacher. "Bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." Eph. 6:4.1. How should parents train their children?“Train up a childin the way he should go: and when he is old he will not depart from it.”Prov. 22:6.“And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: butbring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”Eph. 6:4.2. How diligently should parents teach children God's Word?“These words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: andthou shall teach them diligently unto thy children.”“Ye shall teach them your children,speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.”Deut. 6:6, 7. 11:19.3. What high ideal should be placed before the young?“Let no man despise thy youth; butbe thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”1 Tim. 4:12.4. What duty does God require of children?“Honor thy father and thy mother.”Ex. 20:12.[pg 720]5. What is to be one of the prominent sins of the last days?“For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers,disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy.”2 Tim. 3:2.6. Why did God reprove Eli?“In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end. For I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knoweth;because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not.”1 Sam. 3:12, 13.7. How should the youth be taught to regard the aged?“Thou shaltrise up before the hoary head, andhonor the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the Lord.”Lev. 19:32.8. What are some good fruits of proper child training?“Correct thy son, andhe shall give thee rest; yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul.”Prov. 29:17.9. What will result if correction is withheld?“The rod and reproof give wisdom: buta child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.”Verse 15. See Prov. 22:15.10. Is there danger of delaying correction too long?“Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying.”Prov. 19:18. See Prov. 23:13, 14.11. Does proper correction evidence a want of parental love?“He that spareth his rod hateth his son: buthe that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.”Prov. 13:24.Note.—One Christian mother writes thus concerning the importance of child training:“Children who are allowed to come up to manhood or womanhood with the will undisciplined and the passions uncontrolled, will generally in after-life pursue a course which God condemns. The neglect of parents to properly discipline their children has been a fruitful source of evil in many families. The youth have not been restrained as they should have been. Parents have neglected to follow the directions of the Word of God in this matter, and the children have taken the reins of government into their own hands. The consequence has been that they have generally succeeded in ruling their parents, instead of being under their authority. False ideas and a foolish, misdirected affection have nurtured traits which have made the children unlovely and unhappy, have embittered the lives of the parents, and have extended their baleful influence from generation to generation. Any child that is permitted to have his own way will dishonor God and bring his father and mother to shame.”12. Whom does the Lord chasten?[pg 721]“For whom the LordlovethHe chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth.”Heb. 12:6.Note.—From this we may learn that all child training should be done in love, and that proper child training is an evidence of true love.13. Against what evil should fathers guard?“Fathers,provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.”Col. 3:21.Note.—Correction should never be given in anger, for anger in the parent stirs up anger in the child. It is well to pray with a child before correcting him, and frequently mild but faithful instruction, admonition, and prayer are all the training necessary,—are, in fact, the best training that can be given. But in any case of perverseness, stubbornness, or wilful disobedience, the correction, whatever it may be, should be persisted in until the child yields submissively to the will and wishes of the parent. It is best, generally, that correction should be done in private, as this tends to preserve the self-respect of the child, a very important element in character building. No correction nor training should be violent or abusive, or given for the purpose of breaking the will of the child, but rather to direct the will, bring it into proper subjection, and the child to a realizing sense of what is right and duty.14. How are the present effects and future results of chastisement contrasted?“Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, butgrievous: nevertheless afterwardit yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousnessunto them which are exercised thereby.”Heb. 12:11.15. What question must every unfaithful parent meet?“Where is the flock that was given thee, thy beautiful flock?”Jer. 13:20.Note.—Happy will those parents be who can say,“Behold, here am I and the children Thou gavest me.”See Isa. 8:18.The oldest university was not on India's strand,Nor in the valley of the Nile, nor on Arabia's sand;From time's beginning it has taught and still it teaches freeIts learning mild to every child—the school of Mother's Knee.The oldest school to teach the law, and teach it deeply, too,Dividing what should not be done from what each one should do,Was not in Rome nor Ispahan nor by the Euxine Sea;But it held its sway ere history's day—the school of Mother's Knee.The oldest seminary, where theology was taught,Where love to God, and reverent prayer, and the Eternal OughtWere deep impressed on youthful hearts in pure sincerity,Came to the earth with Abel's birth—the school of Mother's Knee.The oldest, and the newest, too, it still maintains its place,And from its classes, ever full, it graduates the race.Without its teaching, where would all the best of living be?'Twas planned by heaven this earth to leaven—the school of Mother's Knee.[pg 722]Illustration.Christ And His Mother. "Blessed art thou among women." Luke 1:28, 42.[pg 723]The MotherIllustration.Manoah's Sacrifice. "How shall we order the child, and how shall we do unto him?" Judges 13:12.1. WHY did Adam call his wife's name Eve?“And Adam called his wife's name Eve:because she was the mother of all living.”Gen. 3:20.Note.—It is said that the three sweetest words in any language are mother, home, and heaven.2. What did God say to Abraham concerning his wife, Sarah?“And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, andshe shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her.”Gen. 17:16.3. What commandment guards the honor of the mother?“Honor thy father and thymother.”Ex. 20:12.4. How early did Hannah dedicate her son Samuel to God?“And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed ... give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life.”1 Sam. 1:11.5. To whom did God commit the care and early training of His only begotten Son?[pg 724]“And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child withMary His mother, and fell down, and worshiped Him.”Matt. 2:11.6. Under the influence of her tender care and faithful instruction, what is said of the child life of Jesus?“And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon Him.... And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.”Luke 2:40-52.Notes.—“The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world.”“A mother is a mother still,The holiest thing on earth.”A Christian mother, above all others, can deeply implant and faithfully cherish the seeds of truth in the young and tender heart. More even than the father, the mother molds the life, character, and destiny of man. Every stage and phase of life is touched and influenced by her. Infancy, childhood, youth, manhood, and old age alike center in her. She is both the morning and the evening star of life,—the angel spirit of the home.7. What tender, filial regard did Christ manifest for His mother in the hour of His death?“When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple standing by, whom He loved [John], He saith unto His mother,Woman, behold thy son!Then saith He to the disciple,Behold thy mother!And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.”John 19:26, 27.8. How early did Timothy know the Scriptures?“And thatfrom a childthou hast known the Holy Scriptures.”2 Tim. 3:15.9. What is said of his mother and his grandmother?“When I call to remembrancethe unfeigned faiththat is in thee,which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice.”2 Tim. 1:5.Note.—No position in life is superior to that of the mother, no influence more potent for good or evil.“All that I am or hope to be, I owe to my mother,”said Abraham Lincoln.“All that I have ever accomplished in life, I owe to my mother,”declared D. L. Moody.“A kiss from my mother,”said Benjamin West,“made me a painter.”“My mother was the making of me,”declares the noted inventor, Thomas A. Edison. And Andrew Carnegie, the millionaire, who gave his mother his earnings when a boy, adds,“I am deeply touched by the remembrance of one to whom I owe everything that a wise mother ever gave to a son who adored her.”It has been truly said that the home is the primeval school, the best, the most hallowed, and the most potential of all academies, and that the mother is the first, the most influential, and therefore the most important of all teachers. See poem on page721.[pg 725]Teaching The ChildrenIllustration.The Child Timothy. "From a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation." 2 Tim. 3:15.1. What should be the prayer of every parent?“O my Lord, ... teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born.”Judges 13:8.Note.—This is a part of the prayer of Manoah, the father of Samson.2. How should our children be taught?“All thy children shall betaught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children.”Isa. 54:13.3. What will happen if a child is not properly instructed?“A child left to himselfbringeth his mother to shame.”Prov. 29:15.4. How did Solomon's parents regard him as a child?“I was my father'sson, tender and only belovedin the sight of my mother.”Prov. 4:3.5. What does Solomon say his father did for him as a child?“Hetaught me also, and said unto me,Let thine heart retain my words; keep my commandments, and live.”Prov. 4:4.[pg 726]6. From what time does David say he himself was taught?“O God, Thou hast taught mefrom my youth.”Ps. 71:17.7. How should all Christian parents bring up their children?“Fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them upin the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”Eph. 6:4.8. How was Moses taught during the days of his early childhood?By faith, under the instruction of a devoted mother. See Heb. 11:23; Ex. 2:1-10.Note.—The hiding of Moses was at the time when Pharaoh, king of Egypt, had issued a decree that every Hebrew male child should be killed as soon as he was born, to prevent too rapid an increase of the Hebrews. The second chapter of Exodus tells the story of the finding of Moses by the king's daughter, and his being brought up by his own mother employed as a nurse. She was a woman of faith, and her teaching of Moses was such that after he had been at the Egyptian court till he“was come to years,”he chose to suffer affliction with God's people rather than to enjoy the honor of succeeding to the throne of Egypt as the adopted heir. He became the leader of God's people when they escaped from the Egyptian bondage, and after he died, he was raised to life and taken to heaven. See Heb. 11:24-26; Jude 9; Matt. 17:1-3.9. How was Joseph regarded by his father?“Israelloved Josephmore than all his children, because he was the son of his old age.”Gen. 37:3.Note.—The wonderful record of Joseph's life, found in Genesis 37-50, shows that he lived intimately with his father till he was seventeen years of age. He must have been carefully taught of God also, for in all his marvelous experience as slave, prisoner, and premier of Egypt, he remained true to his heavenly Father, not a single sin being recorded of him to the day of his death.10. How was Esther brought up?“He [Mordecai the Jew] brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle's daughter, ... when her father and mother were dead.”Esther 2:7.Note.—Mordecai was a man who feared and served God, as is shown by his wise and courageous counsel to Esther, and by his own Christian conduct when the lives of both were at stake in their efforts to save the people of God from destruction while in captivity in Medo-Persia. He undoubtedly taught Esther from childhood to fear and serve God. Otherwise she would not have met the crisis with such fearless courage and such confidence in God.11. After she became queen of Persia, how did Esther show her integrity to God?By risking her life to save her own people.[pg 727]“Then Esther bade them [the messengers] return Mordecai this answer: Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.”Esther 4:15, 16.12. How early does Paul say Timothy was instructed?“From a childthou hast known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation.”2 Tim. 3:15.13. How earnestly should parents teach their children the things of God?“Thou shalt teach themdiligentlyunto thy children.”“Ye shall teach them your children, speaking of themwhen thou sittest in thine house, andwhen thou walkest by the way,when thou liest down, andwhen thou risest up.”Deut. 6:7; 11:19.14. What reward in this life is promised the faithful mother?“Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.”Prov. 31:28.15. What beautiful picture of home life is drawn by the psalmist for the father who fears the Lord?“Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the side of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table. Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord.”Ps. 128:3, 4.16. What motive will inspire all true parents to faithfulness in teaching their children?“That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; that our daughters may be as corner-stones, polished after the similitude of a palace.”Ps. 144:12.Note.—We often hear the saying,“The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.”This is not out of keeping with the saying of the wise man,“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”Prov. 22:6. No father or mother knows the future of the little child prattling about the home circle. But God knows, as He did in the cases of Moses and Esther and Timothy. Whether it is His purpose for some of our children to rule the world, as did Joseph and Daniel virtually, as prime ministers; or for some of them to“stand before kings,”as did Moses and Esther and Daniel; or for some of them to serve and suffer for the name of Christ, as did Peter and John and Paul, it is our sacred privilege to teach the children faithfully and diligently during their tender years.[pg 728]Illustration.Christ Blessing Little Children. "Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto Me." Matt. 19:14.[pg 729]Promises For The ChildrenIllustration.Eli And Samuel. "Of such is the kingdom of heaven." Matt. 19:14.1. What is said of the fifth commandment?“Honor thy father and mother; which isthe first commandment with promise.”Eph. 6:2.2. What is promised those who honor their father and their mother?“Honor thy father and thy mother:that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.”Ex. 20:12.3. What does God desire to teach the children?“Come, ye children, harken unto Me:I will teach you the fear of the Lord.”Ps. 34:11.4. What is the fear of the Lord declared to be?“The fear of the Lord isthe beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do His commandments.”Ps. 111:10.5. What is said of the poor but wise child?“Betteris a poor and a wise childthan an old and foolish king, who will no more be admonished.”Eccl. 4:13.[pg 730]6. How did Christ show His tender regard for children?“Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto Me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.”Matt. 19:14.7. How did He show that He loved them?“And He took them up in His arms, put His hands upon them, and blessed them.”Mark 10:16.8. With what promise do the Old Testament Scriptures close?“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: andhe shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.”Mal. 4:5, 6.Note.—From this we learn that while disobedience to parents and the breaking up of home ties will characterize the last days (2 Tim. 3:1-3; Matt. 24:37-39; Gen. 6:1, 2), God's message for the last days will strengthen the cords of love and affection, and bind the hearts of parents and children together.9. What peaceful, happy conditions will prevail in the next world as compared with those of this life?“They shall not labor in vain,nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord, andtheir offspring with them.”“The sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den.They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.”Isa. 65:23; 11:8, 9.A pair of very chubby legsIncased in scarlet hose,A pair of little stubby bootsWith rather doubtful toes,A little kilt, a little coat,Cut as a mother can—And, lo! before us strides in stateThe future's“coming man.”Ah! blessings on those little hands,Whose work is yet undone,And blessings on those little feet,Whose race is yet unrun.And blessings on the little brain,That has not learned to plan.Whatever the future holds in store,God bless the“coming man.”[pg 731]
Honor Due To ParentsIllustration.Washington And His Mother. "Honor thy father and thy mother." Ex. 20:12.1. By what is every child known?“Even a child is knownby his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.”Prov. 20:11.2. What is the duty of every child?“My son,hear the instruction of thy father, andforsake not the law of thy mother.”Prov. 1:8.3. What does the fifth commandment require of children?“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.Note.—While this precept refers directly to our earthly parents, it also includes God, our Father in heaven; for in honoring them we honor Him. To the child too young to know God, the earthly parent takes the place of God. Learning to honor, respect, and obey his earthly parents is the child's first and most important lesson in learning to honor, respect, and obey God, his Heavenly Parent. Benjamin Franklin well said:“Let a child's first lesson be obedience, and the second may be what thou wilt.”4. For how long a time should one honor his parents?“Harken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy motherwhen she is old.”Prov. 23:22.Note.—As long as parents live, they should be honored and respected by their children. The duty enjoined in the fifth commandment does not cease at maturity, nor when the child leaves the parental roof.[pg 716]Illustration.Jesus With The Doctors In The Temple. "And He went down with them [His parents], and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them." Luke 2:51.[pg 717]5. What is the character of a child who will not listen to his father's instruction?“Afooldespiseth his father's instruction: but he that regardeth reproof is prudent.”Prov. 15:5.6. What course on the part of children is well-pleasing to the Lord?“Children,obey your parents in all things: for this is well-pleasing unto the Lord.”Col. 3:20.7. In what spirit should children obey their parents?“Children, obey your parentsin the Lord: for this is right.”Eph. 6:1.8. What is one way in which a child may dishonor his parents?“He that isa companion of riotous menshameth his father.”Prov. 28:7.9. What is said of one who robs his father or his mother?“Whoso robbeth his father or his mother, and saith, It is no transgression;the same is the companion of a destroyer.”Verse 24.10. How did Jesus honor His parents?“He went down with them, and came to Nazareth, andwas subject unto them.”Luke 2:51.11. How did the Jewish leaders in the days of Christ, for the sake of gain, make void the fifth commandment?“But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother,It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; and honor not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.”Matt. 15:5, 6.Note.—The word translatedgiftin this text means a thing dedicated to God, and therefore not to be used for any other purpose. In this way the Jewish teachers, by their traditional law, taught children that by saying that their property was thus dedicated to the temple or to religious purposes, they were free from the obligation to honor and support their parents, thus making void one of the commandments of God. This Christ condemned.12. In what other way do some dishonor their father and mother?“There is a generation thatcurseth their father, anddoth not bless their mother.”Prov. 30:11.[pg 718]13. What will be the fate of the one who curseth his father or his mother?“Whoso curseth his father or his mother,his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness.”“The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother,the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it.”Prov. 20:20; 30:17.14. What will be the reward of those who honor their parents?“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.Note.—The fulness of this promise will be realized in the life to come, when the earth, restored to its Edenic beauty, will become the eternal home of all those who have truly honored their parents and kept all God's commandments.15. What comment has the apostle Paul made upon this commandment?“Honor thy father and mother;which is the first commandment with promise; that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.”Eph. 6:2, 3.16. In what age of the world is disobedience to parents to be especially manifest?“This know also, thatin the last daysperilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers,disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy.”2 Tim. 3:1, 2.Note.—Disobedience to parents is a marked characteristic of the present generation. Never before was it so common or so wide-spread. The root of the evil, however, lies not so much in the children as in the parents. Many of the latter are disobedient to God, their Father in heaven, and so have failed to bring up their children in the fear of God and in the ways of righteousness. Bible instruction, lessons of faith, and prayer must not be neglected in the home if we would see obedient, God-fearing children growing up in the world.Be kind to thy father, for when thou wert young,Who loved thee so fondly as he?He caught the first accents that fell from thy tongue,And joined in thy innocent glee.Be kind to thy mother, for lo! on her browMay traces of sorrow be seen;O well may'st thou cherish and comfort her now,For loving and kind hath she been.[pg 719]Child TrainingIllustration.His First Teacher. "Bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." Eph. 6:4.1. How should parents train their children?“Train up a childin the way he should go: and when he is old he will not depart from it.”Prov. 22:6.“And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: butbring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”Eph. 6:4.2. How diligently should parents teach children God's Word?“These words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: andthou shall teach them diligently unto thy children.”“Ye shall teach them your children,speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.”Deut. 6:6, 7. 11:19.3. What high ideal should be placed before the young?“Let no man despise thy youth; butbe thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”1 Tim. 4:12.4. What duty does God require of children?“Honor thy father and thy mother.”Ex. 20:12.[pg 720]5. What is to be one of the prominent sins of the last days?“For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers,disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy.”2 Tim. 3:2.6. Why did God reprove Eli?“In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end. For I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knoweth;because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not.”1 Sam. 3:12, 13.7. How should the youth be taught to regard the aged?“Thou shaltrise up before the hoary head, andhonor the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the Lord.”Lev. 19:32.8. What are some good fruits of proper child training?“Correct thy son, andhe shall give thee rest; yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul.”Prov. 29:17.9. What will result if correction is withheld?“The rod and reproof give wisdom: buta child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.”Verse 15. See Prov. 22:15.10. Is there danger of delaying correction too long?“Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying.”Prov. 19:18. See Prov. 23:13, 14.11. Does proper correction evidence a want of parental love?“He that spareth his rod hateth his son: buthe that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.”Prov. 13:24.Note.—One Christian mother writes thus concerning the importance of child training:“Children who are allowed to come up to manhood or womanhood with the will undisciplined and the passions uncontrolled, will generally in after-life pursue a course which God condemns. The neglect of parents to properly discipline their children has been a fruitful source of evil in many families. The youth have not been restrained as they should have been. Parents have neglected to follow the directions of the Word of God in this matter, and the children have taken the reins of government into their own hands. The consequence has been that they have generally succeeded in ruling their parents, instead of being under their authority. False ideas and a foolish, misdirected affection have nurtured traits which have made the children unlovely and unhappy, have embittered the lives of the parents, and have extended their baleful influence from generation to generation. Any child that is permitted to have his own way will dishonor God and bring his father and mother to shame.”12. Whom does the Lord chasten?[pg 721]“For whom the LordlovethHe chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth.”Heb. 12:6.Note.—From this we may learn that all child training should be done in love, and that proper child training is an evidence of true love.13. Against what evil should fathers guard?“Fathers,provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.”Col. 3:21.Note.—Correction should never be given in anger, for anger in the parent stirs up anger in the child. It is well to pray with a child before correcting him, and frequently mild but faithful instruction, admonition, and prayer are all the training necessary,—are, in fact, the best training that can be given. But in any case of perverseness, stubbornness, or wilful disobedience, the correction, whatever it may be, should be persisted in until the child yields submissively to the will and wishes of the parent. It is best, generally, that correction should be done in private, as this tends to preserve the self-respect of the child, a very important element in character building. No correction nor training should be violent or abusive, or given for the purpose of breaking the will of the child, but rather to direct the will, bring it into proper subjection, and the child to a realizing sense of what is right and duty.14. How are the present effects and future results of chastisement contrasted?“Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, butgrievous: nevertheless afterwardit yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousnessunto them which are exercised thereby.”Heb. 12:11.15. What question must every unfaithful parent meet?“Where is the flock that was given thee, thy beautiful flock?”Jer. 13:20.Note.—Happy will those parents be who can say,“Behold, here am I and the children Thou gavest me.”See Isa. 8:18.The oldest university was not on India's strand,Nor in the valley of the Nile, nor on Arabia's sand;From time's beginning it has taught and still it teaches freeIts learning mild to every child—the school of Mother's Knee.The oldest school to teach the law, and teach it deeply, too,Dividing what should not be done from what each one should do,Was not in Rome nor Ispahan nor by the Euxine Sea;But it held its sway ere history's day—the school of Mother's Knee.The oldest seminary, where theology was taught,Where love to God, and reverent prayer, and the Eternal OughtWere deep impressed on youthful hearts in pure sincerity,Came to the earth with Abel's birth—the school of Mother's Knee.The oldest, and the newest, too, it still maintains its place,And from its classes, ever full, it graduates the race.Without its teaching, where would all the best of living be?'Twas planned by heaven this earth to leaven—the school of Mother's Knee.[pg 722]Illustration.Christ And His Mother. "Blessed art thou among women." Luke 1:28, 42.[pg 723]The MotherIllustration.Manoah's Sacrifice. "How shall we order the child, and how shall we do unto him?" Judges 13:12.1. WHY did Adam call his wife's name Eve?“And Adam called his wife's name Eve:because she was the mother of all living.”Gen. 3:20.Note.—It is said that the three sweetest words in any language are mother, home, and heaven.2. What did God say to Abraham concerning his wife, Sarah?“And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, andshe shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her.”Gen. 17:16.3. What commandment guards the honor of the mother?“Honor thy father and thymother.”Ex. 20:12.4. How early did Hannah dedicate her son Samuel to God?“And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed ... give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life.”1 Sam. 1:11.5. To whom did God commit the care and early training of His only begotten Son?[pg 724]“And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child withMary His mother, and fell down, and worshiped Him.”Matt. 2:11.6. Under the influence of her tender care and faithful instruction, what is said of the child life of Jesus?“And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon Him.... And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.”Luke 2:40-52.Notes.—“The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world.”“A mother is a mother still,The holiest thing on earth.”A Christian mother, above all others, can deeply implant and faithfully cherish the seeds of truth in the young and tender heart. More even than the father, the mother molds the life, character, and destiny of man. Every stage and phase of life is touched and influenced by her. Infancy, childhood, youth, manhood, and old age alike center in her. She is both the morning and the evening star of life,—the angel spirit of the home.7. What tender, filial regard did Christ manifest for His mother in the hour of His death?“When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple standing by, whom He loved [John], He saith unto His mother,Woman, behold thy son!Then saith He to the disciple,Behold thy mother!And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.”John 19:26, 27.8. How early did Timothy know the Scriptures?“And thatfrom a childthou hast known the Holy Scriptures.”2 Tim. 3:15.9. What is said of his mother and his grandmother?“When I call to remembrancethe unfeigned faiththat is in thee,which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice.”2 Tim. 1:5.Note.—No position in life is superior to that of the mother, no influence more potent for good or evil.“All that I am or hope to be, I owe to my mother,”said Abraham Lincoln.“All that I have ever accomplished in life, I owe to my mother,”declared D. L. Moody.“A kiss from my mother,”said Benjamin West,“made me a painter.”“My mother was the making of me,”declares the noted inventor, Thomas A. Edison. And Andrew Carnegie, the millionaire, who gave his mother his earnings when a boy, adds,“I am deeply touched by the remembrance of one to whom I owe everything that a wise mother ever gave to a son who adored her.”It has been truly said that the home is the primeval school, the best, the most hallowed, and the most potential of all academies, and that the mother is the first, the most influential, and therefore the most important of all teachers. See poem on page721.[pg 725]Teaching The ChildrenIllustration.The Child Timothy. "From a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation." 2 Tim. 3:15.1. What should be the prayer of every parent?“O my Lord, ... teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born.”Judges 13:8.Note.—This is a part of the prayer of Manoah, the father of Samson.2. How should our children be taught?“All thy children shall betaught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children.”Isa. 54:13.3. What will happen if a child is not properly instructed?“A child left to himselfbringeth his mother to shame.”Prov. 29:15.4. How did Solomon's parents regard him as a child?“I was my father'sson, tender and only belovedin the sight of my mother.”Prov. 4:3.5. What does Solomon say his father did for him as a child?“Hetaught me also, and said unto me,Let thine heart retain my words; keep my commandments, and live.”Prov. 4:4.[pg 726]6. From what time does David say he himself was taught?“O God, Thou hast taught mefrom my youth.”Ps. 71:17.7. How should all Christian parents bring up their children?“Fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them upin the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”Eph. 6:4.8. How was Moses taught during the days of his early childhood?By faith, under the instruction of a devoted mother. See Heb. 11:23; Ex. 2:1-10.Note.—The hiding of Moses was at the time when Pharaoh, king of Egypt, had issued a decree that every Hebrew male child should be killed as soon as he was born, to prevent too rapid an increase of the Hebrews. The second chapter of Exodus tells the story of the finding of Moses by the king's daughter, and his being brought up by his own mother employed as a nurse. She was a woman of faith, and her teaching of Moses was such that after he had been at the Egyptian court till he“was come to years,”he chose to suffer affliction with God's people rather than to enjoy the honor of succeeding to the throne of Egypt as the adopted heir. He became the leader of God's people when they escaped from the Egyptian bondage, and after he died, he was raised to life and taken to heaven. See Heb. 11:24-26; Jude 9; Matt. 17:1-3.9. How was Joseph regarded by his father?“Israelloved Josephmore than all his children, because he was the son of his old age.”Gen. 37:3.Note.—The wonderful record of Joseph's life, found in Genesis 37-50, shows that he lived intimately with his father till he was seventeen years of age. He must have been carefully taught of God also, for in all his marvelous experience as slave, prisoner, and premier of Egypt, he remained true to his heavenly Father, not a single sin being recorded of him to the day of his death.10. How was Esther brought up?“He [Mordecai the Jew] brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle's daughter, ... when her father and mother were dead.”Esther 2:7.Note.—Mordecai was a man who feared and served God, as is shown by his wise and courageous counsel to Esther, and by his own Christian conduct when the lives of both were at stake in their efforts to save the people of God from destruction while in captivity in Medo-Persia. He undoubtedly taught Esther from childhood to fear and serve God. Otherwise she would not have met the crisis with such fearless courage and such confidence in God.11. After she became queen of Persia, how did Esther show her integrity to God?By risking her life to save her own people.[pg 727]“Then Esther bade them [the messengers] return Mordecai this answer: Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.”Esther 4:15, 16.12. How early does Paul say Timothy was instructed?“From a childthou hast known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation.”2 Tim. 3:15.13. How earnestly should parents teach their children the things of God?“Thou shalt teach themdiligentlyunto thy children.”“Ye shall teach them your children, speaking of themwhen thou sittest in thine house, andwhen thou walkest by the way,when thou liest down, andwhen thou risest up.”Deut. 6:7; 11:19.14. What reward in this life is promised the faithful mother?“Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.”Prov. 31:28.15. What beautiful picture of home life is drawn by the psalmist for the father who fears the Lord?“Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the side of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table. Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord.”Ps. 128:3, 4.16. What motive will inspire all true parents to faithfulness in teaching their children?“That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; that our daughters may be as corner-stones, polished after the similitude of a palace.”Ps. 144:12.Note.—We often hear the saying,“The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.”This is not out of keeping with the saying of the wise man,“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”Prov. 22:6. No father or mother knows the future of the little child prattling about the home circle. But God knows, as He did in the cases of Moses and Esther and Timothy. Whether it is His purpose for some of our children to rule the world, as did Joseph and Daniel virtually, as prime ministers; or for some of them to“stand before kings,”as did Moses and Esther and Daniel; or for some of them to serve and suffer for the name of Christ, as did Peter and John and Paul, it is our sacred privilege to teach the children faithfully and diligently during their tender years.[pg 728]Illustration.Christ Blessing Little Children. "Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto Me." Matt. 19:14.[pg 729]Promises For The ChildrenIllustration.Eli And Samuel. "Of such is the kingdom of heaven." Matt. 19:14.1. What is said of the fifth commandment?“Honor thy father and mother; which isthe first commandment with promise.”Eph. 6:2.2. What is promised those who honor their father and their mother?“Honor thy father and thy mother:that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.”Ex. 20:12.3. What does God desire to teach the children?“Come, ye children, harken unto Me:I will teach you the fear of the Lord.”Ps. 34:11.4. What is the fear of the Lord declared to be?“The fear of the Lord isthe beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do His commandments.”Ps. 111:10.5. What is said of the poor but wise child?“Betteris a poor and a wise childthan an old and foolish king, who will no more be admonished.”Eccl. 4:13.[pg 730]6. How did Christ show His tender regard for children?“Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto Me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.”Matt. 19:14.7. How did He show that He loved them?“And He took them up in His arms, put His hands upon them, and blessed them.”Mark 10:16.8. With what promise do the Old Testament Scriptures close?“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: andhe shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.”Mal. 4:5, 6.Note.—From this we learn that while disobedience to parents and the breaking up of home ties will characterize the last days (2 Tim. 3:1-3; Matt. 24:37-39; Gen. 6:1, 2), God's message for the last days will strengthen the cords of love and affection, and bind the hearts of parents and children together.9. What peaceful, happy conditions will prevail in the next world as compared with those of this life?“They shall not labor in vain,nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord, andtheir offspring with them.”“The sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den.They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.”Isa. 65:23; 11:8, 9.A pair of very chubby legsIncased in scarlet hose,A pair of little stubby bootsWith rather doubtful toes,A little kilt, a little coat,Cut as a mother can—And, lo! before us strides in stateThe future's“coming man.”Ah! blessings on those little hands,Whose work is yet undone,And blessings on those little feet,Whose race is yet unrun.And blessings on the little brain,That has not learned to plan.Whatever the future holds in store,God bless the“coming man.”[pg 731]
Honor Due To ParentsIllustration.Washington And His Mother. "Honor thy father and thy mother." Ex. 20:12.1. By what is every child known?“Even a child is knownby his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.”Prov. 20:11.2. What is the duty of every child?“My son,hear the instruction of thy father, andforsake not the law of thy mother.”Prov. 1:8.3. What does the fifth commandment require of children?“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.Note.—While this precept refers directly to our earthly parents, it also includes God, our Father in heaven; for in honoring them we honor Him. To the child too young to know God, the earthly parent takes the place of God. Learning to honor, respect, and obey his earthly parents is the child's first and most important lesson in learning to honor, respect, and obey God, his Heavenly Parent. Benjamin Franklin well said:“Let a child's first lesson be obedience, and the second may be what thou wilt.”4. For how long a time should one honor his parents?“Harken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy motherwhen she is old.”Prov. 23:22.Note.—As long as parents live, they should be honored and respected by their children. The duty enjoined in the fifth commandment does not cease at maturity, nor when the child leaves the parental roof.[pg 716]Illustration.Jesus With The Doctors In The Temple. "And He went down with them [His parents], and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them." Luke 2:51.[pg 717]5. What is the character of a child who will not listen to his father's instruction?“Afooldespiseth his father's instruction: but he that regardeth reproof is prudent.”Prov. 15:5.6. What course on the part of children is well-pleasing to the Lord?“Children,obey your parents in all things: for this is well-pleasing unto the Lord.”Col. 3:20.7. In what spirit should children obey their parents?“Children, obey your parentsin the Lord: for this is right.”Eph. 6:1.8. What is one way in which a child may dishonor his parents?“He that isa companion of riotous menshameth his father.”Prov. 28:7.9. What is said of one who robs his father or his mother?“Whoso robbeth his father or his mother, and saith, It is no transgression;the same is the companion of a destroyer.”Verse 24.10. How did Jesus honor His parents?“He went down with them, and came to Nazareth, andwas subject unto them.”Luke 2:51.11. How did the Jewish leaders in the days of Christ, for the sake of gain, make void the fifth commandment?“But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother,It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; and honor not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.”Matt. 15:5, 6.Note.—The word translatedgiftin this text means a thing dedicated to God, and therefore not to be used for any other purpose. In this way the Jewish teachers, by their traditional law, taught children that by saying that their property was thus dedicated to the temple or to religious purposes, they were free from the obligation to honor and support their parents, thus making void one of the commandments of God. This Christ condemned.12. In what other way do some dishonor their father and mother?“There is a generation thatcurseth their father, anddoth not bless their mother.”Prov. 30:11.[pg 718]13. What will be the fate of the one who curseth his father or his mother?“Whoso curseth his father or his mother,his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness.”“The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother,the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it.”Prov. 20:20; 30:17.14. What will be the reward of those who honor their parents?“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.Note.—The fulness of this promise will be realized in the life to come, when the earth, restored to its Edenic beauty, will become the eternal home of all those who have truly honored their parents and kept all God's commandments.15. What comment has the apostle Paul made upon this commandment?“Honor thy father and mother;which is the first commandment with promise; that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.”Eph. 6:2, 3.16. In what age of the world is disobedience to parents to be especially manifest?“This know also, thatin the last daysperilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers,disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy.”2 Tim. 3:1, 2.Note.—Disobedience to parents is a marked characteristic of the present generation. Never before was it so common or so wide-spread. The root of the evil, however, lies not so much in the children as in the parents. Many of the latter are disobedient to God, their Father in heaven, and so have failed to bring up their children in the fear of God and in the ways of righteousness. Bible instruction, lessons of faith, and prayer must not be neglected in the home if we would see obedient, God-fearing children growing up in the world.Be kind to thy father, for when thou wert young,Who loved thee so fondly as he?He caught the first accents that fell from thy tongue,And joined in thy innocent glee.Be kind to thy mother, for lo! on her browMay traces of sorrow be seen;O well may'st thou cherish and comfort her now,For loving and kind hath she been.
Illustration.Washington And His Mother. "Honor thy father and thy mother." Ex. 20:12.
Washington And His Mother. "Honor thy father and thy mother." Ex. 20:12.
1. By what is every child known?
“Even a child is knownby his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.”Prov. 20:11.
2. What is the duty of every child?
“My son,hear the instruction of thy father, andforsake not the law of thy mother.”Prov. 1:8.
3. What does the fifth commandment require of children?
“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.
Note.—While this precept refers directly to our earthly parents, it also includes God, our Father in heaven; for in honoring them we honor Him. To the child too young to know God, the earthly parent takes the place of God. Learning to honor, respect, and obey his earthly parents is the child's first and most important lesson in learning to honor, respect, and obey God, his Heavenly Parent. Benjamin Franklin well said:“Let a child's first lesson be obedience, and the second may be what thou wilt.”
4. For how long a time should one honor his parents?
“Harken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy motherwhen she is old.”Prov. 23:22.
Note.—As long as parents live, they should be honored and respected by their children. The duty enjoined in the fifth commandment does not cease at maturity, nor when the child leaves the parental roof.
Illustration.Jesus With The Doctors In The Temple. "And He went down with them [His parents], and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them." Luke 2:51.
Jesus With The Doctors In The Temple. "And He went down with them [His parents], and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them." Luke 2:51.
5. What is the character of a child who will not listen to his father's instruction?
“Afooldespiseth his father's instruction: but he that regardeth reproof is prudent.”Prov. 15:5.
6. What course on the part of children is well-pleasing to the Lord?
“Children,obey your parents in all things: for this is well-pleasing unto the Lord.”Col. 3:20.
7. In what spirit should children obey their parents?
“Children, obey your parentsin the Lord: for this is right.”Eph. 6:1.
8. What is one way in which a child may dishonor his parents?
“He that isa companion of riotous menshameth his father.”Prov. 28:7.
9. What is said of one who robs his father or his mother?
“Whoso robbeth his father or his mother, and saith, It is no transgression;the same is the companion of a destroyer.”Verse 24.
10. How did Jesus honor His parents?
“He went down with them, and came to Nazareth, andwas subject unto them.”Luke 2:51.
11. How did the Jewish leaders in the days of Christ, for the sake of gain, make void the fifth commandment?
“But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother,It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; and honor not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.”Matt. 15:5, 6.
Note.—The word translatedgiftin this text means a thing dedicated to God, and therefore not to be used for any other purpose. In this way the Jewish teachers, by their traditional law, taught children that by saying that their property was thus dedicated to the temple or to religious purposes, they were free from the obligation to honor and support their parents, thus making void one of the commandments of God. This Christ condemned.
12. In what other way do some dishonor their father and mother?
“There is a generation thatcurseth their father, anddoth not bless their mother.”Prov. 30:11.
13. What will be the fate of the one who curseth his father or his mother?
“Whoso curseth his father or his mother,his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness.”“The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother,the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it.”Prov. 20:20; 30:17.
14. What will be the reward of those who honor their parents?
“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.
Note.—The fulness of this promise will be realized in the life to come, when the earth, restored to its Edenic beauty, will become the eternal home of all those who have truly honored their parents and kept all God's commandments.
15. What comment has the apostle Paul made upon this commandment?
“Honor thy father and mother;which is the first commandment with promise; that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.”Eph. 6:2, 3.
16. In what age of the world is disobedience to parents to be especially manifest?
“This know also, thatin the last daysperilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers,disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy.”2 Tim. 3:1, 2.
Note.—Disobedience to parents is a marked characteristic of the present generation. Never before was it so common or so wide-spread. The root of the evil, however, lies not so much in the children as in the parents. Many of the latter are disobedient to God, their Father in heaven, and so have failed to bring up their children in the fear of God and in the ways of righteousness. Bible instruction, lessons of faith, and prayer must not be neglected in the home if we would see obedient, God-fearing children growing up in the world.
Be kind to thy father, for when thou wert young,Who loved thee so fondly as he?He caught the first accents that fell from thy tongue,And joined in thy innocent glee.Be kind to thy mother, for lo! on her browMay traces of sorrow be seen;O well may'st thou cherish and comfort her now,For loving and kind hath she been.
Be kind to thy father, for when thou wert young,Who loved thee so fondly as he?He caught the first accents that fell from thy tongue,And joined in thy innocent glee.
Be kind to thy father, for when thou wert young,
Who loved thee so fondly as he?
He caught the first accents that fell from thy tongue,
And joined in thy innocent glee.
Be kind to thy mother, for lo! on her browMay traces of sorrow be seen;O well may'st thou cherish and comfort her now,For loving and kind hath she been.
Be kind to thy mother, for lo! on her brow
May traces of sorrow be seen;
O well may'st thou cherish and comfort her now,
For loving and kind hath she been.
Child TrainingIllustration.His First Teacher. "Bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." Eph. 6:4.1. How should parents train their children?“Train up a childin the way he should go: and when he is old he will not depart from it.”Prov. 22:6.“And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: butbring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”Eph. 6:4.2. How diligently should parents teach children God's Word?“These words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: andthou shall teach them diligently unto thy children.”“Ye shall teach them your children,speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.”Deut. 6:6, 7. 11:19.3. What high ideal should be placed before the young?“Let no man despise thy youth; butbe thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”1 Tim. 4:12.4. What duty does God require of children?“Honor thy father and thy mother.”Ex. 20:12.[pg 720]5. What is to be one of the prominent sins of the last days?“For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers,disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy.”2 Tim. 3:2.6. Why did God reprove Eli?“In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end. For I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knoweth;because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not.”1 Sam. 3:12, 13.7. How should the youth be taught to regard the aged?“Thou shaltrise up before the hoary head, andhonor the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the Lord.”Lev. 19:32.8. What are some good fruits of proper child training?“Correct thy son, andhe shall give thee rest; yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul.”Prov. 29:17.9. What will result if correction is withheld?“The rod and reproof give wisdom: buta child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.”Verse 15. See Prov. 22:15.10. Is there danger of delaying correction too long?“Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying.”Prov. 19:18. See Prov. 23:13, 14.11. Does proper correction evidence a want of parental love?“He that spareth his rod hateth his son: buthe that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.”Prov. 13:24.Note.—One Christian mother writes thus concerning the importance of child training:“Children who are allowed to come up to manhood or womanhood with the will undisciplined and the passions uncontrolled, will generally in after-life pursue a course which God condemns. The neglect of parents to properly discipline their children has been a fruitful source of evil in many families. The youth have not been restrained as they should have been. Parents have neglected to follow the directions of the Word of God in this matter, and the children have taken the reins of government into their own hands. The consequence has been that they have generally succeeded in ruling their parents, instead of being under their authority. False ideas and a foolish, misdirected affection have nurtured traits which have made the children unlovely and unhappy, have embittered the lives of the parents, and have extended their baleful influence from generation to generation. Any child that is permitted to have his own way will dishonor God and bring his father and mother to shame.”12. Whom does the Lord chasten?[pg 721]“For whom the LordlovethHe chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth.”Heb. 12:6.Note.—From this we may learn that all child training should be done in love, and that proper child training is an evidence of true love.13. Against what evil should fathers guard?“Fathers,provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.”Col. 3:21.Note.—Correction should never be given in anger, for anger in the parent stirs up anger in the child. It is well to pray with a child before correcting him, and frequently mild but faithful instruction, admonition, and prayer are all the training necessary,—are, in fact, the best training that can be given. But in any case of perverseness, stubbornness, or wilful disobedience, the correction, whatever it may be, should be persisted in until the child yields submissively to the will and wishes of the parent. It is best, generally, that correction should be done in private, as this tends to preserve the self-respect of the child, a very important element in character building. No correction nor training should be violent or abusive, or given for the purpose of breaking the will of the child, but rather to direct the will, bring it into proper subjection, and the child to a realizing sense of what is right and duty.14. How are the present effects and future results of chastisement contrasted?“Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, butgrievous: nevertheless afterwardit yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousnessunto them which are exercised thereby.”Heb. 12:11.15. What question must every unfaithful parent meet?“Where is the flock that was given thee, thy beautiful flock?”Jer. 13:20.Note.—Happy will those parents be who can say,“Behold, here am I and the children Thou gavest me.”See Isa. 8:18.The oldest university was not on India's strand,Nor in the valley of the Nile, nor on Arabia's sand;From time's beginning it has taught and still it teaches freeIts learning mild to every child—the school of Mother's Knee.The oldest school to teach the law, and teach it deeply, too,Dividing what should not be done from what each one should do,Was not in Rome nor Ispahan nor by the Euxine Sea;But it held its sway ere history's day—the school of Mother's Knee.The oldest seminary, where theology was taught,Where love to God, and reverent prayer, and the Eternal OughtWere deep impressed on youthful hearts in pure sincerity,Came to the earth with Abel's birth—the school of Mother's Knee.The oldest, and the newest, too, it still maintains its place,And from its classes, ever full, it graduates the race.Without its teaching, where would all the best of living be?'Twas planned by heaven this earth to leaven—the school of Mother's Knee.[pg 722]Illustration.Christ And His Mother. "Blessed art thou among women." Luke 1:28, 42.
Illustration.His First Teacher. "Bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." Eph. 6:4.
His First Teacher. "Bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." Eph. 6:4.
1. How should parents train their children?
“Train up a childin the way he should go: and when he is old he will not depart from it.”Prov. 22:6.“And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: butbring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”Eph. 6:4.
2. How diligently should parents teach children God's Word?
“These words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: andthou shall teach them diligently unto thy children.”“Ye shall teach them your children,speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.”Deut. 6:6, 7. 11:19.
3. What high ideal should be placed before the young?
“Let no man despise thy youth; butbe thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”1 Tim. 4:12.
4. What duty does God require of children?
“Honor thy father and thy mother.”Ex. 20:12.
5. What is to be one of the prominent sins of the last days?
“For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers,disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy.”2 Tim. 3:2.
6. Why did God reprove Eli?
“In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end. For I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knoweth;because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not.”1 Sam. 3:12, 13.
7. How should the youth be taught to regard the aged?
“Thou shaltrise up before the hoary head, andhonor the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the Lord.”Lev. 19:32.
8. What are some good fruits of proper child training?
“Correct thy son, andhe shall give thee rest; yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul.”Prov. 29:17.
9. What will result if correction is withheld?
“The rod and reproof give wisdom: buta child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.”Verse 15. See Prov. 22:15.
10. Is there danger of delaying correction too long?
“Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying.”Prov. 19:18. See Prov. 23:13, 14.
11. Does proper correction evidence a want of parental love?
“He that spareth his rod hateth his son: buthe that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.”Prov. 13:24.
Note.—One Christian mother writes thus concerning the importance of child training:“Children who are allowed to come up to manhood or womanhood with the will undisciplined and the passions uncontrolled, will generally in after-life pursue a course which God condemns. The neglect of parents to properly discipline their children has been a fruitful source of evil in many families. The youth have not been restrained as they should have been. Parents have neglected to follow the directions of the Word of God in this matter, and the children have taken the reins of government into their own hands. The consequence has been that they have generally succeeded in ruling their parents, instead of being under their authority. False ideas and a foolish, misdirected affection have nurtured traits which have made the children unlovely and unhappy, have embittered the lives of the parents, and have extended their baleful influence from generation to generation. Any child that is permitted to have his own way will dishonor God and bring his father and mother to shame.”
12. Whom does the Lord chasten?
“For whom the LordlovethHe chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth.”Heb. 12:6.
Note.—From this we may learn that all child training should be done in love, and that proper child training is an evidence of true love.
13. Against what evil should fathers guard?
“Fathers,provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.”Col. 3:21.
Note.—Correction should never be given in anger, for anger in the parent stirs up anger in the child. It is well to pray with a child before correcting him, and frequently mild but faithful instruction, admonition, and prayer are all the training necessary,—are, in fact, the best training that can be given. But in any case of perverseness, stubbornness, or wilful disobedience, the correction, whatever it may be, should be persisted in until the child yields submissively to the will and wishes of the parent. It is best, generally, that correction should be done in private, as this tends to preserve the self-respect of the child, a very important element in character building. No correction nor training should be violent or abusive, or given for the purpose of breaking the will of the child, but rather to direct the will, bring it into proper subjection, and the child to a realizing sense of what is right and duty.
14. How are the present effects and future results of chastisement contrasted?
“Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, butgrievous: nevertheless afterwardit yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousnessunto them which are exercised thereby.”Heb. 12:11.
15. What question must every unfaithful parent meet?
“Where is the flock that was given thee, thy beautiful flock?”Jer. 13:20.
Note.—Happy will those parents be who can say,“Behold, here am I and the children Thou gavest me.”See Isa. 8:18.
The oldest university was not on India's strand,Nor in the valley of the Nile, nor on Arabia's sand;From time's beginning it has taught and still it teaches freeIts learning mild to every child—the school of Mother's Knee.The oldest school to teach the law, and teach it deeply, too,Dividing what should not be done from what each one should do,Was not in Rome nor Ispahan nor by the Euxine Sea;But it held its sway ere history's day—the school of Mother's Knee.The oldest seminary, where theology was taught,Where love to God, and reverent prayer, and the Eternal OughtWere deep impressed on youthful hearts in pure sincerity,Came to the earth with Abel's birth—the school of Mother's Knee.The oldest, and the newest, too, it still maintains its place,And from its classes, ever full, it graduates the race.Without its teaching, where would all the best of living be?'Twas planned by heaven this earth to leaven—the school of Mother's Knee.
The oldest university was not on India's strand,Nor in the valley of the Nile, nor on Arabia's sand;From time's beginning it has taught and still it teaches freeIts learning mild to every child—the school of Mother's Knee.
The oldest university was not on India's strand,
Nor in the valley of the Nile, nor on Arabia's sand;
From time's beginning it has taught and still it teaches free
Its learning mild to every child—the school of Mother's Knee.
The oldest school to teach the law, and teach it deeply, too,Dividing what should not be done from what each one should do,Was not in Rome nor Ispahan nor by the Euxine Sea;But it held its sway ere history's day—the school of Mother's Knee.
The oldest school to teach the law, and teach it deeply, too,
Dividing what should not be done from what each one should do,
Was not in Rome nor Ispahan nor by the Euxine Sea;
But it held its sway ere history's day—the school of Mother's Knee.
The oldest seminary, where theology was taught,Where love to God, and reverent prayer, and the Eternal OughtWere deep impressed on youthful hearts in pure sincerity,Came to the earth with Abel's birth—the school of Mother's Knee.
The oldest seminary, where theology was taught,
Where love to God, and reverent prayer, and the Eternal Ought
Were deep impressed on youthful hearts in pure sincerity,
Came to the earth with Abel's birth—the school of Mother's Knee.
The oldest, and the newest, too, it still maintains its place,And from its classes, ever full, it graduates the race.Without its teaching, where would all the best of living be?'Twas planned by heaven this earth to leaven—the school of Mother's Knee.
The oldest, and the newest, too, it still maintains its place,
And from its classes, ever full, it graduates the race.
Without its teaching, where would all the best of living be?
'Twas planned by heaven this earth to leaven—the school of Mother's Knee.
Illustration.Christ And His Mother. "Blessed art thou among women." Luke 1:28, 42.
Christ And His Mother. "Blessed art thou among women." Luke 1:28, 42.
The MotherIllustration.Manoah's Sacrifice. "How shall we order the child, and how shall we do unto him?" Judges 13:12.1. WHY did Adam call his wife's name Eve?“And Adam called his wife's name Eve:because she was the mother of all living.”Gen. 3:20.Note.—It is said that the three sweetest words in any language are mother, home, and heaven.2. What did God say to Abraham concerning his wife, Sarah?“And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, andshe shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her.”Gen. 17:16.3. What commandment guards the honor of the mother?“Honor thy father and thymother.”Ex. 20:12.4. How early did Hannah dedicate her son Samuel to God?“And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed ... give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life.”1 Sam. 1:11.5. To whom did God commit the care and early training of His only begotten Son?[pg 724]“And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child withMary His mother, and fell down, and worshiped Him.”Matt. 2:11.6. Under the influence of her tender care and faithful instruction, what is said of the child life of Jesus?“And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon Him.... And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.”Luke 2:40-52.Notes.—“The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world.”“A mother is a mother still,The holiest thing on earth.”A Christian mother, above all others, can deeply implant and faithfully cherish the seeds of truth in the young and tender heart. More even than the father, the mother molds the life, character, and destiny of man. Every stage and phase of life is touched and influenced by her. Infancy, childhood, youth, manhood, and old age alike center in her. She is both the morning and the evening star of life,—the angel spirit of the home.7. What tender, filial regard did Christ manifest for His mother in the hour of His death?“When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple standing by, whom He loved [John], He saith unto His mother,Woman, behold thy son!Then saith He to the disciple,Behold thy mother!And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.”John 19:26, 27.8. How early did Timothy know the Scriptures?“And thatfrom a childthou hast known the Holy Scriptures.”2 Tim. 3:15.9. What is said of his mother and his grandmother?“When I call to remembrancethe unfeigned faiththat is in thee,which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice.”2 Tim. 1:5.Note.—No position in life is superior to that of the mother, no influence more potent for good or evil.“All that I am or hope to be, I owe to my mother,”said Abraham Lincoln.“All that I have ever accomplished in life, I owe to my mother,”declared D. L. Moody.“A kiss from my mother,”said Benjamin West,“made me a painter.”“My mother was the making of me,”declares the noted inventor, Thomas A. Edison. And Andrew Carnegie, the millionaire, who gave his mother his earnings when a boy, adds,“I am deeply touched by the remembrance of one to whom I owe everything that a wise mother ever gave to a son who adored her.”It has been truly said that the home is the primeval school, the best, the most hallowed, and the most potential of all academies, and that the mother is the first, the most influential, and therefore the most important of all teachers. See poem on page721.
Illustration.Manoah's Sacrifice. "How shall we order the child, and how shall we do unto him?" Judges 13:12.
Manoah's Sacrifice. "How shall we order the child, and how shall we do unto him?" Judges 13:12.
1. WHY did Adam call his wife's name Eve?
“And Adam called his wife's name Eve:because she was the mother of all living.”Gen. 3:20.
Note.—It is said that the three sweetest words in any language are mother, home, and heaven.
2. What did God say to Abraham concerning his wife, Sarah?
“And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, andshe shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her.”Gen. 17:16.
3. What commandment guards the honor of the mother?
“Honor thy father and thymother.”Ex. 20:12.
4. How early did Hannah dedicate her son Samuel to God?
“And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed ... give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life.”1 Sam. 1:11.
5. To whom did God commit the care and early training of His only begotten Son?
“And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child withMary His mother, and fell down, and worshiped Him.”Matt. 2:11.
6. Under the influence of her tender care and faithful instruction, what is said of the child life of Jesus?
“And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon Him.... And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.”Luke 2:40-52.
Notes.—“The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world.”“A mother is a mother still,The holiest thing on earth.”A Christian mother, above all others, can deeply implant and faithfully cherish the seeds of truth in the young and tender heart. More even than the father, the mother molds the life, character, and destiny of man. Every stage and phase of life is touched and influenced by her. Infancy, childhood, youth, manhood, and old age alike center in her. She is both the morning and the evening star of life,—the angel spirit of the home.
Notes.—“The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world.”
“A mother is a mother still,The holiest thing on earth.”
“A mother is a mother still,
The holiest thing on earth.”
A Christian mother, above all others, can deeply implant and faithfully cherish the seeds of truth in the young and tender heart. More even than the father, the mother molds the life, character, and destiny of man. Every stage and phase of life is touched and influenced by her. Infancy, childhood, youth, manhood, and old age alike center in her. She is both the morning and the evening star of life,—the angel spirit of the home.
7. What tender, filial regard did Christ manifest for His mother in the hour of His death?
“When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple standing by, whom He loved [John], He saith unto His mother,Woman, behold thy son!Then saith He to the disciple,Behold thy mother!And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.”John 19:26, 27.
8. How early did Timothy know the Scriptures?
“And thatfrom a childthou hast known the Holy Scriptures.”2 Tim. 3:15.
9. What is said of his mother and his grandmother?
“When I call to remembrancethe unfeigned faiththat is in thee,which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice.”2 Tim. 1:5.
Note.—No position in life is superior to that of the mother, no influence more potent for good or evil.“All that I am or hope to be, I owe to my mother,”said Abraham Lincoln.“All that I have ever accomplished in life, I owe to my mother,”declared D. L. Moody.“A kiss from my mother,”said Benjamin West,“made me a painter.”“My mother was the making of me,”declares the noted inventor, Thomas A. Edison. And Andrew Carnegie, the millionaire, who gave his mother his earnings when a boy, adds,“I am deeply touched by the remembrance of one to whom I owe everything that a wise mother ever gave to a son who adored her.”It has been truly said that the home is the primeval school, the best, the most hallowed, and the most potential of all academies, and that the mother is the first, the most influential, and therefore the most important of all teachers. See poem on page721.
Teaching The ChildrenIllustration.The Child Timothy. "From a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation." 2 Tim. 3:15.1. What should be the prayer of every parent?“O my Lord, ... teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born.”Judges 13:8.Note.—This is a part of the prayer of Manoah, the father of Samson.2. How should our children be taught?“All thy children shall betaught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children.”Isa. 54:13.3. What will happen if a child is not properly instructed?“A child left to himselfbringeth his mother to shame.”Prov. 29:15.4. How did Solomon's parents regard him as a child?“I was my father'sson, tender and only belovedin the sight of my mother.”Prov. 4:3.5. What does Solomon say his father did for him as a child?“Hetaught me also, and said unto me,Let thine heart retain my words; keep my commandments, and live.”Prov. 4:4.[pg 726]6. From what time does David say he himself was taught?“O God, Thou hast taught mefrom my youth.”Ps. 71:17.7. How should all Christian parents bring up their children?“Fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them upin the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”Eph. 6:4.8. How was Moses taught during the days of his early childhood?By faith, under the instruction of a devoted mother. See Heb. 11:23; Ex. 2:1-10.Note.—The hiding of Moses was at the time when Pharaoh, king of Egypt, had issued a decree that every Hebrew male child should be killed as soon as he was born, to prevent too rapid an increase of the Hebrews. The second chapter of Exodus tells the story of the finding of Moses by the king's daughter, and his being brought up by his own mother employed as a nurse. She was a woman of faith, and her teaching of Moses was such that after he had been at the Egyptian court till he“was come to years,”he chose to suffer affliction with God's people rather than to enjoy the honor of succeeding to the throne of Egypt as the adopted heir. He became the leader of God's people when they escaped from the Egyptian bondage, and after he died, he was raised to life and taken to heaven. See Heb. 11:24-26; Jude 9; Matt. 17:1-3.9. How was Joseph regarded by his father?“Israelloved Josephmore than all his children, because he was the son of his old age.”Gen. 37:3.Note.—The wonderful record of Joseph's life, found in Genesis 37-50, shows that he lived intimately with his father till he was seventeen years of age. He must have been carefully taught of God also, for in all his marvelous experience as slave, prisoner, and premier of Egypt, he remained true to his heavenly Father, not a single sin being recorded of him to the day of his death.10. How was Esther brought up?“He [Mordecai the Jew] brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle's daughter, ... when her father and mother were dead.”Esther 2:7.Note.—Mordecai was a man who feared and served God, as is shown by his wise and courageous counsel to Esther, and by his own Christian conduct when the lives of both were at stake in their efforts to save the people of God from destruction while in captivity in Medo-Persia. He undoubtedly taught Esther from childhood to fear and serve God. Otherwise she would not have met the crisis with such fearless courage and such confidence in God.11. After she became queen of Persia, how did Esther show her integrity to God?By risking her life to save her own people.[pg 727]“Then Esther bade them [the messengers] return Mordecai this answer: Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.”Esther 4:15, 16.12. How early does Paul say Timothy was instructed?“From a childthou hast known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation.”2 Tim. 3:15.13. How earnestly should parents teach their children the things of God?“Thou shalt teach themdiligentlyunto thy children.”“Ye shall teach them your children, speaking of themwhen thou sittest in thine house, andwhen thou walkest by the way,when thou liest down, andwhen thou risest up.”Deut. 6:7; 11:19.14. What reward in this life is promised the faithful mother?“Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.”Prov. 31:28.15. What beautiful picture of home life is drawn by the psalmist for the father who fears the Lord?“Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the side of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table. Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord.”Ps. 128:3, 4.16. What motive will inspire all true parents to faithfulness in teaching their children?“That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; that our daughters may be as corner-stones, polished after the similitude of a palace.”Ps. 144:12.Note.—We often hear the saying,“The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.”This is not out of keeping with the saying of the wise man,“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”Prov. 22:6. No father or mother knows the future of the little child prattling about the home circle. But God knows, as He did in the cases of Moses and Esther and Timothy. Whether it is His purpose for some of our children to rule the world, as did Joseph and Daniel virtually, as prime ministers; or for some of them to“stand before kings,”as did Moses and Esther and Daniel; or for some of them to serve and suffer for the name of Christ, as did Peter and John and Paul, it is our sacred privilege to teach the children faithfully and diligently during their tender years.[pg 728]Illustration.Christ Blessing Little Children. "Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto Me." Matt. 19:14.
Illustration.The Child Timothy. "From a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation." 2 Tim. 3:15.
The Child Timothy. "From a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation." 2 Tim. 3:15.
1. What should be the prayer of every parent?
“O my Lord, ... teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born.”Judges 13:8.
Note.—This is a part of the prayer of Manoah, the father of Samson.
2. How should our children be taught?
“All thy children shall betaught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children.”Isa. 54:13.
3. What will happen if a child is not properly instructed?
“A child left to himselfbringeth his mother to shame.”Prov. 29:15.
4. How did Solomon's parents regard him as a child?
“I was my father'sson, tender and only belovedin the sight of my mother.”Prov. 4:3.
5. What does Solomon say his father did for him as a child?
“Hetaught me also, and said unto me,Let thine heart retain my words; keep my commandments, and live.”Prov. 4:4.
6. From what time does David say he himself was taught?
“O God, Thou hast taught mefrom my youth.”Ps. 71:17.
7. How should all Christian parents bring up their children?
“Fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them upin the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”Eph. 6:4.
8. How was Moses taught during the days of his early childhood?
By faith, under the instruction of a devoted mother. See Heb. 11:23; Ex. 2:1-10.
Note.—The hiding of Moses was at the time when Pharaoh, king of Egypt, had issued a decree that every Hebrew male child should be killed as soon as he was born, to prevent too rapid an increase of the Hebrews. The second chapter of Exodus tells the story of the finding of Moses by the king's daughter, and his being brought up by his own mother employed as a nurse. She was a woman of faith, and her teaching of Moses was such that after he had been at the Egyptian court till he“was come to years,”he chose to suffer affliction with God's people rather than to enjoy the honor of succeeding to the throne of Egypt as the adopted heir. He became the leader of God's people when they escaped from the Egyptian bondage, and after he died, he was raised to life and taken to heaven. See Heb. 11:24-26; Jude 9; Matt. 17:1-3.
9. How was Joseph regarded by his father?
“Israelloved Josephmore than all his children, because he was the son of his old age.”Gen. 37:3.
Note.—The wonderful record of Joseph's life, found in Genesis 37-50, shows that he lived intimately with his father till he was seventeen years of age. He must have been carefully taught of God also, for in all his marvelous experience as slave, prisoner, and premier of Egypt, he remained true to his heavenly Father, not a single sin being recorded of him to the day of his death.
10. How was Esther brought up?
“He [Mordecai the Jew] brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle's daughter, ... when her father and mother were dead.”Esther 2:7.
Note.—Mordecai was a man who feared and served God, as is shown by his wise and courageous counsel to Esther, and by his own Christian conduct when the lives of both were at stake in their efforts to save the people of God from destruction while in captivity in Medo-Persia. He undoubtedly taught Esther from childhood to fear and serve God. Otherwise she would not have met the crisis with such fearless courage and such confidence in God.
11. After she became queen of Persia, how did Esther show her integrity to God?
By risking her life to save her own people.[pg 727]“Then Esther bade them [the messengers] return Mordecai this answer: Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.”Esther 4:15, 16.
12. How early does Paul say Timothy was instructed?
“From a childthou hast known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation.”2 Tim. 3:15.
13. How earnestly should parents teach their children the things of God?
“Thou shalt teach themdiligentlyunto thy children.”“Ye shall teach them your children, speaking of themwhen thou sittest in thine house, andwhen thou walkest by the way,when thou liest down, andwhen thou risest up.”Deut. 6:7; 11:19.
14. What reward in this life is promised the faithful mother?
“Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.”Prov. 31:28.
15. What beautiful picture of home life is drawn by the psalmist for the father who fears the Lord?
“Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the side of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table. Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord.”Ps. 128:3, 4.
16. What motive will inspire all true parents to faithfulness in teaching their children?
“That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; that our daughters may be as corner-stones, polished after the similitude of a palace.”Ps. 144:12.
Note.—We often hear the saying,“The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.”This is not out of keeping with the saying of the wise man,“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”Prov. 22:6. No father or mother knows the future of the little child prattling about the home circle. But God knows, as He did in the cases of Moses and Esther and Timothy. Whether it is His purpose for some of our children to rule the world, as did Joseph and Daniel virtually, as prime ministers; or for some of them to“stand before kings,”as did Moses and Esther and Daniel; or for some of them to serve and suffer for the name of Christ, as did Peter and John and Paul, it is our sacred privilege to teach the children faithfully and diligently during their tender years.
Illustration.Christ Blessing Little Children. "Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto Me." Matt. 19:14.
Christ Blessing Little Children. "Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto Me." Matt. 19:14.
Promises For The ChildrenIllustration.Eli And Samuel. "Of such is the kingdom of heaven." Matt. 19:14.1. What is said of the fifth commandment?“Honor thy father and mother; which isthe first commandment with promise.”Eph. 6:2.2. What is promised those who honor their father and their mother?“Honor thy father and thy mother:that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.”Ex. 20:12.3. What does God desire to teach the children?“Come, ye children, harken unto Me:I will teach you the fear of the Lord.”Ps. 34:11.4. What is the fear of the Lord declared to be?“The fear of the Lord isthe beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do His commandments.”Ps. 111:10.5. What is said of the poor but wise child?“Betteris a poor and a wise childthan an old and foolish king, who will no more be admonished.”Eccl. 4:13.[pg 730]6. How did Christ show His tender regard for children?“Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto Me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.”Matt. 19:14.7. How did He show that He loved them?“And He took them up in His arms, put His hands upon them, and blessed them.”Mark 10:16.8. With what promise do the Old Testament Scriptures close?“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: andhe shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.”Mal. 4:5, 6.Note.—From this we learn that while disobedience to parents and the breaking up of home ties will characterize the last days (2 Tim. 3:1-3; Matt. 24:37-39; Gen. 6:1, 2), God's message for the last days will strengthen the cords of love and affection, and bind the hearts of parents and children together.9. What peaceful, happy conditions will prevail in the next world as compared with those of this life?“They shall not labor in vain,nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord, andtheir offspring with them.”“The sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den.They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.”Isa. 65:23; 11:8, 9.A pair of very chubby legsIncased in scarlet hose,A pair of little stubby bootsWith rather doubtful toes,A little kilt, a little coat,Cut as a mother can—And, lo! before us strides in stateThe future's“coming man.”Ah! blessings on those little hands,Whose work is yet undone,And blessings on those little feet,Whose race is yet unrun.And blessings on the little brain,That has not learned to plan.Whatever the future holds in store,God bless the“coming man.”
Illustration.Eli And Samuel. "Of such is the kingdom of heaven." Matt. 19:14.
Eli And Samuel. "Of such is the kingdom of heaven." Matt. 19:14.
1. What is said of the fifth commandment?
“Honor thy father and mother; which isthe first commandment with promise.”Eph. 6:2.
2. What is promised those who honor their father and their mother?
“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.
3. What does God desire to teach the children?
“Come, ye children, harken unto Me:I will teach you the fear of the Lord.”Ps. 34:11.
4. What is the fear of the Lord declared to be?
“The fear of the Lord isthe beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do His commandments.”Ps. 111:10.
5. What is said of the poor but wise child?
“Betteris a poor and a wise childthan an old and foolish king, who will no more be admonished.”Eccl. 4:13.
6. How did Christ show His tender regard for children?
“Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto Me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.”Matt. 19:14.
7. How did He show that He loved them?
“And He took them up in His arms, put His hands upon them, and blessed them.”Mark 10:16.
8. With what promise do the Old Testament Scriptures close?
“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: andhe shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.”Mal. 4:5, 6.
Note.—From this we learn that while disobedience to parents and the breaking up of home ties will characterize the last days (2 Tim. 3:1-3; Matt. 24:37-39; Gen. 6:1, 2), God's message for the last days will strengthen the cords of love and affection, and bind the hearts of parents and children together.
9. What peaceful, happy conditions will prevail in the next world as compared with those of this life?
“They shall not labor in vain,nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord, andtheir offspring with them.”“The sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den.They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.”Isa. 65:23; 11:8, 9.
A pair of very chubby legsIncased in scarlet hose,A pair of little stubby bootsWith rather doubtful toes,A little kilt, a little coat,Cut as a mother can—And, lo! before us strides in stateThe future's“coming man.”Ah! blessings on those little hands,Whose work is yet undone,And blessings on those little feet,Whose race is yet unrun.And blessings on the little brain,That has not learned to plan.Whatever the future holds in store,God bless the“coming man.”
A pair of very chubby legsIncased in scarlet hose,A pair of little stubby bootsWith rather doubtful toes,A little kilt, a little coat,Cut as a mother can—And, lo! before us strides in stateThe future's“coming man.”
A pair of very chubby legs
Incased in scarlet hose,
A pair of little stubby boots
With rather doubtful toes,
A little kilt, a little coat,
Cut as a mother can—
And, lo! before us strides in state
The future's“coming man.”
Ah! blessings on those little hands,Whose work is yet undone,And blessings on those little feet,Whose race is yet unrun.And blessings on the little brain,That has not learned to plan.Whatever the future holds in store,God bless the“coming man.”
Ah! blessings on those little hands,
Whose work is yet undone,
And blessings on those little feet,
Whose race is yet unrun.
And blessings on the little brain,
That has not learned to plan.
Whatever the future holds in store,
God bless the“coming man.”