Tidbit #3: Inspiration from Yesteryear
Posted by: homenews <homenews@...>
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"Words for Mother: Maternal Responsibility" from the Dew-Drop in 1877
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"The Need of the Hour" by Ella Wheeler Wilcox (1850-1919)
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Excerpt from "Parental Duties Illustrated" by Samual Worcester, D.D., in 1811
The following is taken from a bound annual volume of The Dew-Drop, A Monthly Magazine for the Young, Volume XV, which was published in Glasgow, Scotland. The flyleaf of my copy is inscribed in beautiful penmanship: "To Thomas H. Walker, a New Years Gift from His affectionate Grandpa, 1st Jany. 1878." Most of the book is filled with poetry, stories and admonishments for children, but the editors also included encouragement for mothers which is perhaps even more relevant to us home schooling mothers today than it was 125 years ago. Read and heed! (Thank you to my daughter Rachel for typing this for me.)
Words for Mother: Maternal Responsibility
Dear friends, are we sensible of striving with and for our children, that they may be brought into the family of God; can we say of them as the apostle said in relation to the object of his solicitude, of whom we travail in birth again till Christ be formed in their hearts the hope of glory? We know that they are soon going forth into a world beset with dangers, shall they not be forewarned and forearmed? We know the natural worldliness of the human mind, and shall we, by inviting them to sip of worldly pleasures, stimulate their appetite for that which is forbidden? We know how difficult it is in our own hearts to overcome the suggestions of vanity and pride, to exterminate the bitter root of selfishness within, and shall we, in their case, water and cherish it?
O let us beware of dealing deceitfully with God, and unfaithfully with the souls of our children. It is but a little while before they pass into other hands. Other voices will address them--other forces will bear upon them. Childhood is our golden opportunity; now they are, as it were, shut up to domestic influence, and in a great measure to the quiet operation of maternal love. May we have grace wisely to employ the sacred interval, and may God so smile upon our supplications and endeavours, that in this day there may spring up a noble band of Christian heroes, willing not only to subscribe with their hands to the Lord, but, if needs be, with their blood. Let us believe, dear friends, that God is with us in our work, and, relying on Him, we shall not be disappointed.
In conclusion, allow me to recommend the following remarks for your careful consideration. 1st. Be satisfied with nothing in the education of your children, but the renewal of their hearts by the Holy Spirit. 2nd. Bring them up in sound doctrine -- be sure they are well versed in Scripture truth , especially in the great matter of a sinners acceptance with God. 3rd. Accustom them to act upon their personal convictions, and see that conscience is always enlightened by the divine testimony. This will give them a noble bearing, a real independence and moral courage, which are peculiarly needed in these perilous days. 4th. Let them see, throughout your dealings with them, that you regard supremely God, the soul, and eternity; that his will is the daily rule of your conduct, and that his approbation weighs with you against every discouraging or inferior consideration. I believe it is this impression of truthfulness on our part, thoroughly lodged in the minds of our children, that does more to pre-possess them in favour of religion than aught besides; but in order to this, we must be really and uniformly what we profess to be, full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, not satisfied by the form of godliness, but always exemplifying its power.
5th. Beware of forcing the mind, and, in so doing, of weakening its powers. Impatience in the training of our children occasions serious evils, for it is with the mind, as with the body, we must only give food as there is power to digest it: but in how many cases are children crammed with all the varieties of knowledge, even to the risk of nauseating them by the experiment. We are placed by Providence in a beautiful world, and children are naturally full of inquiry, and prompt to imitate; it is our business, then, to co-operate with nature, and not to supersede her. Lastly. Forbear threatening, and endeavour to bring the spirit of the New Testament into all the discipline of your little household. An excellent divine, in treating of this subject from the pulpit remarked, that "ours should be a system of faith and love , not of bondage and coercion."
If each mother who reads this little paper, will begin at home, and seek diligently her own personal improvement, another year will not pass, without obvious change in our families and congregations.
I found this poem in the most recent issue of the wonderful Homeschooling Today magazine (http://www.homeschoolingtoday.com/). I did a web search on the author, and found that I can't exactly agree with all her philosophies in life. However, I do like this wonderful poem!
The Need of the Hour
by Ella Wheeler Wilcox (1850-1919)
What does our country need? Not armies standing
With sabers gleaming ready for the fight;
Not increased navies, skillful and commanding;
To bound the waters with an iron might;
Not haughty men with glutted purses trying
To purchase souls, and keep the power of the place;
Not jeweled dolls with one another vying
For palms of beauty, elegance, and grace.
But we want women, strong of soul, yet lowly
With that rare meekness, born of gentleness;
Women whose lives are pure and clean and holy,
The women whom all little children bless;
Brave, earnest women, helpful to each other,
With finest scorn for all things low and mean;
Women who hold the names of wife and mother
Far nobler than the title of a queen.
Oh! These are they who mould the men of story,
These mothers, oftime shorn of grace and youth,
Who, worn and weary, ask no greater glory
Than making some young soul the home of truth;
Who sow in hearts all fallow for the sowing
The seeds of virtue and of scorn for sin,
And, patient, watch the beauteous harvest growing
And weed out tares which crafty hands cast in.
Women who do not hold the gift of beauty
As some rare treasure to be bought and sold,
But guard it as a precious aid to duty
The outer framing of the inner gold;
Women who, low above their cradles bending,
Let flattery's voice go by, and give no heed,
While their pure prayers like incense are ascending
These are our country's pride, our country's need. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Excerpt from "Parental Duties Illustrated" by Samual Worcester, D.D., October 1811 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Children should be taught early the important truths of Gods Word.
They should early be taught that there is a God; that He is a being of infinite power and wisdom,
knowledge
and goodness, justice, mercy, and truth, one God in three persons;that He is to be
loved with all the heart, and obeyed in all things with the most dutiful respect,that
His law is holy, just and good; that all mankind are by nature sinners,and are exposed to
everlasting destruction;that God has freely given His own Son to die for sinners,
and to bring in everlasting righteousness for their justification;
that everyone ought immediately to repent and embrace the Savior;
that all the unconverted reject it to their eternal ruin;
and that all who are thus renewed and made alive to God
will be pardoned and sanctified, and finally received to honor, glory, and immortality.
These and other gospel truths connected with these
should be taught to our children with diligence and faithfulness.
They are truths which concern their eternal salvation.
Nor are we to say that children cannot understand them;
for it has been found by pleasing experience that, if proper means are used,
children will very early get so much knowledge of divine truth
as to be of greatest benefit to them in all their future lives.
Samual Worcester, D.D., October 1811
from his sermon "Parental Duties Illustrated"