scene, impressing the mind with the greatness of God and the
insignificance of man, while "the voice of many waters" proclaimed to
erring reason "there is a God:" also, here, under the shade of a noble
oak, in full view of the great Cataract, sat a small group of ladies; in
their midst, a gentle girl reading aloud from one of the many works that
"charm the greedy reader on, till done, he tries to recollect his
thoughts and nothing finds--but dreamy emptiness." I lingered, and
learned this was the tale of a young authoress, whose writings are now
winning golden opinions from a portion of our religious press. Yet how
unsuitable the place for delighting in the extravagant and improbable
blending of truth and fiction, though it may have a _moral_ and
_religious_ under-current. At the side of that young reader sat her
_mother_. The favorable moments for impressing that immortal mind
committed to her guardianship, with right views of the Infinite Supreme,
were swiftly passing away, the opportunity of awakening in her young
heart while beholding His wonderful work emotions of humility and
reverence was alike forgotten; with the daughter just entering upon
womanhood she gave all thought and feeling, alone to the ideal. Could I
have aroused that parent to a sense of her obligations, of her neglected
opportunities, of the priceless value of her child's soul, stranger
though I was, I would have earnestly besought her, to take away that
romance, to step with her to the point but just before them--open the
"Book of books," and let her read of Him "who hath measured the waters
in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with a span; who hath
compassed the waters with bounds until the day and night come to an end;
whose way is in the sea, and his path in the great waters. The Lord,
whose name alone is excellent, his glory above the earth and heaven."
THETA.
* * * * *
Original.
TO MY FATHER,
AFTER A WRECK OF FORTUNE, AND IN A FOREIGN LAND.
All gone--yet 'mid this heavy loss
A ray of light behold;
If thou art parted with the dross,
There's left for thee the gold.
A name unsullied--conscience clear,
From aught that man can prove;
And, what must be to thee most dear,
Thy children's changeless love.
The visions of the world so fair
Are fading from our sight;
Yet hope sinks not in vain despair,
But points to one more bright.
Oh, may misfortune's chilling blight,
But bind us closer here,
Till we behold the dawning light
Of yonder blessed sphere.
And O, my father, linger not,
In exile, from our hearth;
Ah, this has been a cherished spot,
To make us cling to earth.
'Tis where the youngest of the seven
First drew his fleeting breath,
Sweet cherished flower, the gift of heaven,
To fill our blooming wreath.
And saddened memories linger not
Around each faded year;
Oh, let it never be forgot
Death hath not entered here.
The shrine of many a fervent prayer,
More loved than words can tell,
Is passing to another's care,
And we must say, Farewell.
But O, my father, hasten home,
'Tis in each loved one's heart;
Thy wife, thy children, bid thee come,
And ne'er again depart.
For me, my love shall ever twine
Around thy future years;
And my most fervent prayers be thine
Amid this vale of tears,
That when life's busy cares shall cease--
Its feeble ties be riven;
Thine honored head may rest in peace,
Thy soul ascend to heaven.
* * * * *
Original.
FAMILY GOVERNMENT
It is generally admitted that there has been a lamentable declension in
family government within a few years. I propose to show some of the
causes of this growing evil, and to point out the remedy.
1. _Inattention and blindness to the faults of children._--As a matter
of course we cannot expect parents will restrain their children without
observing their faults. They must see an error before they can correct
it.
It would not be strange if affection or love for our children should
sometimes hide their faults, or that others should sometimes notice them
before we do. They are often, too, looked upon as trivial, as of small
importance. The mother of pirate Gibbs might have thought it very
trivial that her little son should kill flies, and catch and torture
domestic animals. But it had its influence in forming the character of
the pirate. The man who finishes his days in state-prison as a notorious
thief began his career in the nursery by stealing pins, or in the pantry
by stealing sugar and cake, and as soon as old enough to look abroad, to
take a little choice fruit from a neighbor's garden or orchard. The
finished gambler began his career by the side of his mother, by taking
pins stealthily from her cushion. Children cannot do great things when
young. They have not the power. Their powers and views are too limited
to perform what may be called great deeds of wickedness. Yet the grossly
immoral usually begin their downward course in youth. The germ of
wickedness is then planted. Time only matures what is thus begun. Those
trivial things which you suffer to pass without a rebuke, constitute the
germ of all their future depravity. The wickedness of youth differs from
that of mature age rather in degree than in kind. The character of the
man may often be read in the conduct of the child. Thus bad government
originates in overlooking the faults of children, or in wrong views of
their conduct. The deeds of childhood are considered of small moment.
Childhood with them has no connection with manhood. The child may be
anything, and make a giant in intellect, or a professor in morals. But
it should be remembered that the very essence of good government lies in
watching the connection of one act with another, in tracing the relation
between the conduct of mature age and the little developments of
childhood and youth. Good government respects not only the present good
of its subjects but their future. It takes in eternity as well as time.
A great many parents are totally blind to the faults of their children.
They see none when they are even gross. Everybody else can see them, and
is talking about them, and they know not that they exist. Like Eli, of
ancient days, the first that they know of the wickedness of their
children they hear it from all the people. It is a sad thing when others
have to tell us of the depravity of our children. And it is then
generally too late to correct them. The public do not know the first
aberrations of childhood and youth. They can only be learnt in the
nursery. If parents are blind to them, and they are suffered to become
habits, it is generally too late to correct them. It is in the form of
habits that neighbors become acquainted with them. Woe to that child
then, whose faults are rebuked by every one else, but not by his
parents! His faults are in every one's mouth, but not in theirs.
2. _The interference of one parent while the other is endeavoring to
enforce rightful discipline._--Nothing has a more injurious influence
upon family government than such a course. It presents the two, in whom
the children should place the most implicit confidence, at variance. As
a matter of course, the disobedient child will throw himself into the
hands of the one interfering, as a kind of shield from the rod. In such
a case it is almost utterly impossible to maintain government and
support discipline. The child justifies himself, and stoutly persists in
his rebellion while he receives countenance from one of his parents.
This, if I mistake not, is often done. Many a family has been ruined in
this way for time and eternity. Government was entirely disobeyed in the
outset. The father undertook the correction of the child, but the
mother threw her arms over him--she pleads that he is a little
child--that he knew not what correction means, as for _what_ he is
corrected--or the rod is applied too severely. The child cried most
unmercifully, when perhaps he only cried because he was rebellious and
stubborn. This repeated a few times, and the one who is determined to
maintain discipline becomes discouraged, and silently the management, or
rather the mismanagement of the family passes into the hands of the
other parent, and for peace sake.
The above is a fruitful cause of bad management. In truth no one is
prepared to govern others unless he governs himself. A fretful spirit
and an impatient manner can do but little else than awaken opposition in
the breast of the child. Such a course can never secure confidence and
love. Every parent is here exposed to err. We are never prepared to
administer discipline without possessing the spirit of Christ. It would
probably be a good rule to adopt never to correct a child until we have
been upon our knees before God in prayer. It would be a great preventive
to a spirit of impatience.
3. _A want of decision._--One reason why some find so much difficulty in
the management of their families, is owing to the manner in which they
address their children. They never speak with any degree of decision.
The child judges it doubtful whether the parent means what he requires.
He therefore hesitates and hesitates before he obeys. He foresees this
habit, and hence he neglects obedience altogether. For the want of
decision, he is under the necessity of repeating his commands again and
again. What a wretched practice! No one should think he governs his
children without they obey him _at once_. He should never expect to
repeat his commands, and he should speak in such a manner as to lead the
child to infer the parent _expected him to obey._ Manner has great
influence. _Expression_ is more than half.
Where submission takes place under such circumstances, it is generally
of the genuine kind. There is no spuriousness about it. And there is not
often any more trouble about discipline after that. The question is
decisively settled. It is not every child that manifests its rebellion
so much all at once. They manifest it little by little, daily, as
opportunity offers, and then they will appear more easily to yield. It
is to be feared, there is but little genuine submission in many such
instances. At least there is but one course for the parent--to keep up
the discipline so long as he manifests the least particle of rebellion.
If he shows rebellion in any particular way, you should not try to avoid
it, but meet it, and effect the work of entire submission.
4. _Correcting with an improper spirit and in an improper manner is
another cause of bad government._--Some never chastise except in a rage,
and then no one is prepared to do it. They must get very much excited
before they undertake to correct the child, and then perhaps when the
child is not in the least to blame. He lets a pitcher fall, or breaks a
plate, the parent flies into a passion, and begins to beat the unlucky
boy or girl. Perhaps no positive correction was deserved. Such a spirit
can never benefit a child. Some never think of reproving a real fault.
It is only when an accident occurs, or some unintentional mishap is
done, that the rod is ever used. To be sure there might be blame, but
nothing compared with some acts of deliberate and willful transgression,
when no correction is given.
Parents, your children cannot purchase at any price what you can give
them; I mean a subdued will. To effect this it is necessary to begin
when a child is very young. The earlier the better, if you can make
yourself understood. You need not fix upon any particular age when to
begin; let this depend on circumstances, and different children will
show their rebellion upon different points.
5. _Coming short of attaining the object when you make the
attempt--leaving discipline half completed._--When a child is corrected,
every reasonable object should be attained. No point should be evaded.
The parent should not stop until perfect and entire submission is
effected on every point of dispute. And first I would invite your
attention to instances by no means rare, where the child shows rebellion
on some particular point. At such a point he stops; you cannot move him.
He will do anything else but just the thing required. He may never have
showed a stubborn will before. You have now found a point where you
differ; there is a struggle between will and will; the stakes are set,
and one or the other must yield. There is no avoiding it; you cannot
turn to the right nor to the left; there is but one course for you. You
must go forward, or the ruin of your child is sealed. You have come to
an important crisis in the history of your child, and if you need motive
to influence you to act, you may delineate as upon a map his temporal
and eternal destiny--these mainly depend upon the issue of the present
struggle. If you succeed, your child is saved; if you fail, he is lost.
You may think perhaps your child will die before he will yield. We had
almost said he might as well die as not to yield. I have known several
parents who found themselves thus situated. Perhaps they possessed a
feeble hand, their strength began to fail, but it was no time to parley.
They summoned all their energy to another mighty struggle. Victory was
theirs--a lost child was saved. Some are contented with anything that
looks like obedience in such instances. The occasion passes. It soon,
however, recurs with no better nor as good prospects. Thus the struggle
is kept up while the child remains under the parental roof.
A father one day gave his little son some books, his knife, and last of
all his watch to amuse him. He was right under his eye. At length he
told him to bring them all to him. He brought the books and knife to him
cheerfully; the watch he wanted to keep--that was his idol. The father
told him to bring that; he refused. The father used the rod. He took up
the watch and brought it part way, and laid it down. The father told him
to put it in his hand, but he would not. He corrected him again. He
brought it a little farther and laid it down. Again he whipped him. At
length he brought it and held it right over his father's hand, but would
not put it in. The father, wearied by the struggle, struck the son's
hand with the stick, and the watch fell into his hand. It was not given
up. There was no submission. That son has been known to be several times
under conviction, but he would never submit to God.
* * * * *
Original.
THE MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE
RIZPAH.
In order fully to understand the subject of our present study, we must
return upon the track, to the days of Joshua, before Israel had wholly
entered upon the possession of the promised land. The tribes were
encamped at Gilgal to keep the passover, and from there, by the
direction of Jehovah, they made incursions upon the surrounding
inhabitants. Jericho and Ai had been taken, and the fear of these
formidable Hebrews and their mighty God had fallen upon the hearts of
the nations and stricken them almost to hopelessness. Feeling that a
last effort to save themselves and their homes must be made, they banded
together and resolved to defend their rights, and to put to proof the
combined power of their deities. One clan, however, despairing of
success by any such means, having heard that the utter extirpation of
the Canaanites was determined upon, resorted to stratagem, and thus
secured their safety in the midst of the general ruin. "They did work
wilily," says the sacred record, "and made as if they had been
ambassadors, and took old sacks upon their asses, and wine bottles old,
and rent, and bound up; and old shoes and clouted upon their feet, and
old garments upon them; and all the bread of their provision was dry and
mouldy. And they went to Joshua unto the camp at Gilgal, and said unto
him, and to the men of Israel, We be come from a far country, now
therefore make ye a league with us." At first the Israelites seem to
have suspected trickery, but when the supposed ambassadors produced
their mouldy bread, and declared that it was taken hot from the oven on
the morning of their departure from their own country, and that their
wine bottles were new, now so shrunk and torn, and pointed to their
shoes and garments quite worn out by the length of the journey; and
told their pitiful story, and in their humility stooped to any terms if
they might only be permitted to make a covenant, Joshua and his elders
were completely deceived, and without stopping to ask counsel of the
Lord, "they made peace with them, and made a league with them to let
them live."
The Lord abhors treachery, and although his people had greatly erred in
this act, and although these Hivites were among the nations whom he had
commanded them to destroy, yet since a covenant had been made with them,
it must be kept on peril of his stern displeasure and severe judgments.
Only three days elapsed before the Israelites discovered that the crafty
ambassadors were their near neighbors, and were called upon to come to
their defense against the other inhabitants of the land, who having
heard of the transaction at Gilgal, had gathered together to smite their
principal city, Gibeon, and destroy them because they had made peace
with Joshua. Before the walls of that mighty city, and in behalf of
these idolaters, because Jehovah would have his people keep faith with
those to whom they had vowed, was fought that memorable battle, the like
of which was never known before or since, when to aid the cause, the
laws of Nature were suspended upon human intercession--when Joshua said,
"Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon, and thou, moon, in the valley of
Ajalon." "So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not
to go down about a whole day."
The tribes gained their inheritance, and their enemies were mostly
driven out of the land, but in their midst ever dwelt the Gibeonites,
safe from molestation, though the menial services of the tabernacle were
performed by them, because of the deceit by which they purchased their
lives, and they were contented to be thus reduced to perpetual bondage
so they might escape the doom of their neighbors.
Years passed on, and vicissitudes came to the Israelites of one kind and
another. Sometimes they were victorious in their battles and peaceful
among themselves; and again they fled before enemies or were embroiled
in civil dissensions. Ever, above, caring for them, and bringing them
safely on through all; instructing, guiding and disciplining, sat on
his throne, their mighty invisible King. They demanded an earthly
monarch, and in judgment he granted their desire. _In judgment_, and
miserable in many ways were the results of his reign. Among his other
evil acts not recorded, but alluded to in the history, was one of cruel
treachery to the Gibeonites. "It would seem that Saul viewed their
possessions with a covetous eye, as affording him the means of rewarding
his adherents, and of enriching his family, and hence, on some pretense
or other, or without any pretense, he slew large numbers of them, and
doubtless seized their possessions." In this wicked deed we gather that
many of the Israelites, and the members of Saul's family in particular,
had an active share, and were benefited by the spoils. The Almighty
beheld and took cognisance, but no immediate retribution followed.
Towards the close of David's reign, however, for some unknown reason,
the whole land was visited with a famine. Month after month it stalked
abroad, and year after year, until three years of want had afflicted the
chosen people. At the end of that time David, having resorted to all
possible means of providing food in vain, began to reflect that there
was meaning in the visitation, and "sought the face of the Lord," to
inquire why he was displeased with his people. The answer was explicit
and terrible. "It is for Saul and his bloody house, because he slew the
Gibeonites." Though men forget, the Lord does not. He will plead the
cause of the oppressed sooner or later, and though his vengeance sleep
long, yet will he reward to those that deal treachery sevenfold sorrow.
Driven by famine and by the expressed will of Jehovah, David sent to ask
of the injured people what should be done to satisfy their sense of
justice. "And the Gibeonites said unto him, We will have no silver nor
gold of Saul nor of his house, neither for us shalt thou kill any man in
Israel.
"The man that consumed us, and that devised against us that we should be
destroyed from remaining in any of the coasts of Israel,
"Let seven men of his sons be delivered unto us, and we will hang them
up unto the Lord in Gibeon of Saul. And the king said, I will give
them."
Dreadful days of blood! Fearful fiat! which though needful and just, yet
invaded the sanctuary of home so gloomily. Sad world! in which the
innocent so often bear the sins of the guilty,--when will thy groans,
ever ascending into the ears of Almighty love, be heard and bring
release?
The sentence was executed. Two sons of Saul by Rizpah, his inferior
wife, and five of Merab his eldest daughter, whom Michal had, for some
reason, educated, were delivered up and hung by the Gibeonites.
Who can imagine, much less portray, the mother's anguish when her noble
sons were torn from her for such a doom! We do not know whether Merab
was living to see that day of horror, but Rizpah felt the full force of
the blow which blasted all her hopes. Her husband, the father of her
sons, had been suddenly slain in battle; her days of happiness and
security had departed with his life, and now, all that remained of
comfort, her precious children, must be put to a cruel death to satisfy
the vengeance due to crimes not hers nor theirs. Wretched mother! a
bitter lot indeed was thine! But the Lord had spoken, and there was no
reprieve. To the very town where they had all dwelt under their father's
roof, were these hapless ones dragged and their bodies ignominiously
exposed upon the wall until they should waste away--a custom utterly
abhorrent to all humanity, and especially to the Hebrews, whose
strongest desire might be expressed in the words of the aged Barzillai,
"Let me die in mine own city, and be buried by the grave of my father
and mother."
Behold now that lone and heart-broken mother, on the spot where day and
night, week after week, and month after month, she may be found. Neither
heat nor cold--distressing days nor fearful nights--the entreaties of
friends, nor the weariness of watching, nor the horrifying exhibition of
decaying humanity, could drive her from her post. Upon the sackcloth
which she had spread for herself upon the rock she remained "from the
beginning of the harvest until the rain dropped upon them out of
heaven," and suffered neither the birds of the air by day, nor the
beasts of the field by night to molest those precious remains. O
mother's heart! of what heroism art thou capable! Before a scene like
this the bravest exploits of earth's proudest heroes fade into dim
insignificance. At this picture we can only gaze. Words wholly fail when
we would comment on it. Of the agonies it reveals we cannot speak. There
are lessons to be learned from it, and upon them we can ponder.
The value which the Lord our God sets upon truth is here displayed. He
will have no swerving from the straight path of perfect fidelity to all
engagements and covenants. Severe and awful appears his character as
thus presented to us, and yet it is upon this very attribute that all
our hopes rely. "He is not a man that he should lie, nor the son of man
that he should repent." If he thus defends those who love him not, how
safe and happy may his children rest.
The days in which Rizpah lived were dark and gloomy days. The words of
Samuel to Agag may stand as their memorial, "As thy sword hath made
women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women." Let us
be thankful that we see no such direful scenes, and let us act worthy of
our higher lot. Let us remember also that there is a destruction of life
more terrible even than that which Rizpah witnessed--the destruction of
the soul. If the mother's love within us prompts us to half the care of
the spiritual life of our children, which she bestowed on the decaying
forms of her loved ones, He who rewards faithfulness will not suffer us
to labor in vain.
* * * * *
Each day is a new life; regard it therefore, as an epitome of the world.
Frugality is a fair fortune, and industry a good estate. Small faults
indulged, are little thieves to let in greater.
* * * * *
Original.
FEMALE EDUCATION--INTELLECTUAL TRAINING.
BY REV. S. W. FISHER.