Jeremiah classified godless families with the heathen: "Pour out thy
fury upon the heathen that know thee not, and upon the families that
call not on thy name: for they have eaten up Jacob, devoured him, and
consumed him, and have made his habitation desolate."
Many mothers have written to me at one time or another to know what to
do to entertain their children on the sabbath. The boys say, "I do
wish 'twas Night," or, "I do hate the sabbath," or, "I do wish the
sabbath was over." It ought to be the happiest day in the week to
them, one to be looked forward to with pleasure. In order to this end,
many suggestions might be followed. Make family prayers especially
attractive by having the children learn some verse or story from the
Bible. Give more time to your children than you can give on week days,
reading to them and perhaps taking them to walk in the afternoon or
evening. Show by your conduct that the sabbath is a delight, and they
will soon catch your spirit. Set aside some time for religious
instruction, without making this a task. You can make it interesting
for the children by telling Bible stories and asking them to guess the
names of the characters. Have Sunday games for the younger children.
Picture books, puzzle maps of Palestine, etc., can be easily obtained.
Sunday albums and Sunday clocks are other devices. Set aside
attractive books for the sabbath, not letting the children have these
during the week. By doing this, the children can be brought to look
forward to the day with eagerness and pleasure.