H SERMON FOR THE TIMES;|
-((5~ iPREACHED TO THE
i)st ViL#ilrtId m11U <ietl il UitfOir), VOi1l;.,  i
APRIL 24th, 1853.
BY ISAAC JENNINGS.                X
X( ^1^~~PUBLISHED BY RKEQUEST.'it)'NEW YORK:1 i
in (MS. W. BENEDICT, PRINTER, 16 SPRUCE STREET.
1853.
Cw                                            L.  C I 








A
SERMON FOR THE TIMES;
PREACHED TO THE
4firit tlirct  ai1 %Ireti ft ia  lnfallb  ~011nr.,
APRIL 24th, 1853.
BY   ISAAC JENN          ING S.
PUBLISHED BY REQUEST.
NEW YORK:
S. WV. BENEDICT, PRINTER, 16 SPRUCE STREET.
1S53.








SERMON.
TRAIN UP A CHILD IN THE WAY HE SHOULD GO: AND WHEN HE IS OLD HE WILL
NOT DEPART FROM IT.-PrOV. 22: 6.
" WHAT shall be done with the Slaves? and, what shall be
done with the Young?  "These," said an eminent servant of
God, in my hearing recently, " are the two great problems of
this day." Weighty sentences, and worth repeating abroad.
But, in order to a due solution of the former problem, must we
not, first, attain to a due solution of the latter? " Suffer the
little children to come unto me, and forbid them not; for of such
is the kingdom of God." To draw from this oft-quoted, yet everbeautiful saying of our Lord, that heaven is chiefly filled with
those who die in early childhood, is not the most masterly interpretation of it.  Rather, with those who come to Jesus in
early childhood. But little children do not come to Jesus except
they are brought.  Indeed there would be no need of their
coming to Jesus at all, if they could begin aright of themselves.
The germs of sin, comparatively tender in infancy, grow if not
duly attacked. They grow in youth; they grow in manhood.




4
Whlen the body falters under the infirmities of old age, sin still
lords it over the wasting powers, as desolation sits monarch upon
old ruins. The vice of lying, for example. They are privileyed parents, in whose children are never discovered the germs of
this vice. So soon as it is seen, deal with it forthwith-resolve
upon its destruction. The gardener, finding a worm at the root
of a choice young tree, is not content to deal a few blows at the
place, and thus leave it. His business is to jill the worm-to
extirpate the evil. If the choice young tree has become crooked,
he is not content to give it a few pulls in the right direction; he
carefully and perseveringly trains it into an erect posture. As
the earth-wild is under the curse, so is human-kind; and if redeemed, to be so with the Divine blessing, by a faithful following
of the rules laid down in God's word. There is then a radical
difference between manufacturing a locomotive and training a
mind-a soul. There is to be in the latter work, Divine help,
in a sense in which such help is not necessary for manufacturing
purposes.
I do not propose to furnish you with a system of rules, by
which you can train your children, as the tailor has a set of rules
by which to cut clothes for them. It is only by an exhibition of
some very general considerations that I can hope to assist you
in this work.
A supreme place must be given to the religious education of
the child, Dr. South pithily remarks, that the people are'' not
to be harangued but catechised into principles."  The Bible is
allowed as a reading bool1 in most common schools. But if
arithmetics were used only as reading books, how much would
the people know of the science of numbers, and of the art of
computing by them? It is true, to insist upon the teaching of
religion in our common schools, might result in the teaching, to
some extent, of a false religion, possibly in the destruction of our
common school system. But what a confession! The common




5
school, so far as patronized, is virtually the principal place for
the business of educating in childhood and early youth. Let its
history lessons and its instruction in natural and moral science
be given by persons who shall make these studies to subserve
the religious training of the child, or else let the common school
descend to a humbler sphere, in the great business of educating
the young! Confine it to the department of teaching children
to write, and cipher, and spell, and give it one day, or at the
most two days, in the week for the purpose.  Or else-it were
not desirable tchat common schools soutld be very common. The
Church of Rome is nearer right in one of her premises on this
subject than are some American Protestants. She assumes that
all the mental education of the child should be made subsidiary
to its religious education. In this she is right. She would prevent the free study of the word of God. In this she is wrong.
In this too-blessed be God-the solid Christian sentiment and
feeling of this land is opposed to her. But in order to maintain
this latter position against the Romish Church-what other
policy so suicidal as to abandon the first, i.e., the duty of
making all studies subservient to religious education?
If it is true of the common schools, as at present constituted,
that the Bible, if allowed at all, is allowed otny as a reading
book, thei the same will be true of the households generally,
that send to such schools. In the household, religion will be
confined chiefly to the use of the Bible as a reading book, and
to a very meagre use. And the public exercises of religion must
be made to conform. The sermon, instead of being a faithful
exposition, defence, and application of God's word, mlust be a
handsome attempt to say something interesting, and at the same
time zot to weary the qmind orq offed the feelings with any positive religious ideas. The people are not to be harangzued, but
catechised, into pri2nciples. And the time for this catechising
process is in childhood. " And thou'shalt teach them," i.e., the
commandments of God in His Word, " diligently unto thy chil



6
dren; and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thy house,
and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down,
and when thou risest up."  It is remarkable, that in some Bibles
the marginal reading for our text gives " catechise," instead of
"train;" catechise a " child up in the way he should go, and
when he is old he will not depart from  it."  In order that
arithmetic may be studied to good purpose, how much arduous
labor of the mind is necessary? and to the whole circle of secular studies, how much time do our popular systems of education
propose to devote? At least six good solid hours a day, for five
days in the week-with the help of skilled and hired teachers.
For the study of the word of God, on the contrary, one hour,
once in a week. This, to some extent, is a true statement of the
case of Christian households-and multitudes of children have
not the one hour a week for their religious education. How
long will it take by such a process to reach a state of the public
mind when the Bible shall not be allowed as a reading book in
our common schools? Even now, in Rhode Island, which for
two years past has been held up as a model state on this subject,
the commissioners of public schools have, it appears, decided
that prayer cannot be made a part of the regular school exercises, if any persons sending their children to the school object!
In a very much admired address recently delivered in New
York city, as reported, the speaker says: "The pious man's
argument, that all should be taught to read, that they may read
the Bible and inherit eternal life, is the very best of arguments
for us as Christians; but for us as statesmen, it has no force
whatever." Indeed! this is quite a phase of the modern refinements on this subject. How children shall be trained, so as to
inherit eternal life, is a question " of no interest whatsoever " to
us as statesmen. What are we living here on earth for? How
are we prepared for the duties of time, except as we are mainly
concerned to prepare for the retributions of eternity?  And
have we no interest, as statesmen, in seeing to it, that the




7
children of this land are trained to please Him who is King of
kcings, as well as King in Zion? If so, let us first prove that a
certain trite, but terse text, has no proper place in the word of
God, viz. " Righteousness exalteth a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people." If we desire a well-built state, " we
must build religion into the foundations of it," by training the
children to be religious. I mean, of course, to be religious according to the word of God. If this cannot be done-if this is
not done, either because we cannot agree what true religion is,
or because we hate all religion, then may your hopes as a statesman, and your hopes as a Christian, for the ultimate prosperity
of this nation, be given to the winds. Mere knowledge cannot
save a people,-it must be knowledge of the truth. " The fear of
the Lord, this is wisdom, and to depart from evil, this is understanding." It was not learning alone that gave being and power
to the Reformation, but learned men, armed with the doctrines
of God's word. It was the ninety-nine theses of Martin Luther.
In other words, the positive statement of distinctive doctrines,
in short sentences, which is so much scouted in these days. It
was the vigorous enforcement in controversy of the great " abstractions," as some are pleased to call them, which lie at the
basis of revealed truth. The cause of true religious freedom
against the mighty power of Rome, is to be saved by the same
means by which Luther and Calvin won it. It is true, the short
method in a practical age, of overthrowing a corrupt religion, is
to show its corruptions. But how shall the excellences of true
religion be made to win votaries for herself, if the youth and
the people are not thoroughly indoctrinated into her truths?
Moreover, Infidelity is worse than Popery itself. The Church of
Rome maintains public order, and that is more than Infidelity
can do. The Church of Rome gave forth-unwillingly, indeed
-a WTicklfe and a _Martin Luther, and that is more than Infidelity can do. But before Infidelity reigns in this land, there is
reason to fear the Church of Rome will. Most assuredly she
will, if we have nothing better to array against her than com



8
mon schools where religion is excluded. Our hope is in Christian denominations (who agree that the word of God shall not be
bound,) giving themselves to the catechising of children, and to
the inculcating, in other ways, of Bible truths. And if we
cannot agree among ourselves what these truths fundamentally
are, it were better to have controversy until we can.  Controversy is better than a sacrifice of religion, under the stigma
of " sectarianism," for the sake of peace. Strange that any
should think to save the freedom of the word of God, by ignoring, for the sake of peace, the duty of inculcating, in all schools
and elsewhere, positive religious doctrine. This is the most fatal,
as it is the most insidious device of the adversary, to bind the
word of God by the process which is professedly adopted to
guard its freedom.
Children should be trained to due reverence and submission.
The temper of the times is for superiors in age and station to show
especial deference to children.'" Thou shalt rise up before the
hoary head and honor the face of the old man." In how few instances do we behold children manifesting an inbred reverence for
age! Success in life is made to depend much upon popularity;
and popularity depends much upon art and tact; and one master
resource of this art and tact, is to flatter parents by taking undue
notice of their children. As wealth increases, the temptation to
indulge children increases also, as does every temptation to
effeminacy.  The wishes of children are consulted and their
caprice. When the school teacher is severe and the child complains, the complaint, perhaps, is listened to, and as a consequence the child is withdrawn and placed elsewhere. If the
child or the youth does not fancy the preacher, the over fond
parent concludes that the preacher is not suited to the place he
holds.  It comes to pass that the children rule first their
mothers and fathers, then the teacher and minister, and also, to
a considerable extent, public affairs generally. That which was
enumerated among certain grave calamities coming upon Judah,




9
is being partially reproduced amongst us-" I will give children
to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them." To open
the house of God to any cause, occasion or speaker, under a
specious plea of philanthropy, tends to destroy due reverence for
the house of God. Much more, when for the sake of popular
effect, institutions, precedents, and dignities are flippantly assailed. What is to be gained for any sound reform, if the basis
of all order-a due reverence for law and government-is broken
down in the public mind? By some speakers and lecturers it is
assumed that the people of this land are better than their laws.
Never was there a more erroneous or a more hurtful assumption.
The people are not better than the laws-THE LAWS ARE BETTER
THAN THE PEOPLE. There is no need of extreme and revolutionary assaults  p on our institutions in order to secure desirable
progress. We are not in Italy, nor are we under the vexatious
despotism of a Charles the First. Reverence for institutions is
not a master passion of this age and country. The broad bases
and lofty monuments of our fathers' patriotism are not so numerous or extenlsive, that they must be 2ulled down to make room
for necessary works of modern construction. Under the cruel
despotism of Nero, Christians were commanded to reverence
the laws of the emperor as to them the laws of God. "For
they are God's ministers "-" the powers that be"-" attending
continually upon this very thing."  " Render to all their due;
tribute to whom tribute is due, custom to whom custom, fear to
whom fear, honor to whom honor." If communities could rely
upon every station and superior relation in life, being so filled as
that the personal taglets,  igftuenee and wisdom of the person
therein could secure all needed harmony and life-the case
were different. Take an example for illustration-the qmnisnters
of the Gospel. If there be in the congregation due reverence
for the word of God and for the house of God, and for the Lord's
day, and for the office of the ministry as of divine appointment,
a man without brilliant genius, if he be honest and faithful, will




10
so expound the word of God, and uphold the stated ordinances
of public worship, as to be strong in the internal virtue of his
office and work. But if it be otherwise-if the respect of which
I speak be wanting, the whole reliance of such a congregation is
upon the commanding personal talents, genius and charm of the
preacher. God has not authorised such a dependence. He has
not furnished the men necessary for such an emergency. Where
one man could succeed with such a congregation, one hundred
would fail. In the long run, true unity, thought and power for
good to any point upon such a policy is impossible. The same
reasoning will hold good as applied to the school teacher, and to
officers in town and state.
It has been well said, that in these United States, " Freedom
is our inheritance, but Intelligent Obedience our peculiar want."
May God preserve us from the spirit of slavish submission. But
men who are not taught dute reverence and submission in childhood, are the very men to submit when they ought not to:-the
very men to yield to temptation when they ought to resist, and
to come into bondage to their fellows when they ought to be
free:-the very men to be made into tools and vassals for the
Pope. The only kind of submission which God can accept-as
exercised towards Himself directly, or, under Him, towards
others, is a cordial submission-intelligent and free.  It is
then a grand attainment, when a child is trained to a habit of
sincerely and gracefully submitting, in all cases when submission is incumbent according to the dictates of a conscience unfettered by passion and enlightened by God's word. This will
make law-abiding citizens, and citizens that are capable of imnproving the laws. This will make minorities patient and satisfied, and majorities tolerant and condescending. This will fit
for the harmony of Heaven, where one Supreme Will reigns
over all created wills, and guides all with freedom and beauty,
as the sun reigns with centripetal power over its attendant lesser
orbs.




11
Let Parents insist upon due submission in due time. To the
infant child how nearly does the parent stand in the stead of
God! Hence perhaps it is that we find the command, " Honor
thy father and mother," placed among the first five commands
of the decalogue-in that great table of the law which has especial reference to the claims of God. Ience perhaps in Paul's
epistle to Timothy reverence of parents is termed "piety." If a
cordial submission then to parental authority can be secured in
the child, that child's piety towards God-its everlasting salvation, I had almost said-is secured.
"' Children are early to be taught the first great lesson of God's
moral government-'Not my will but thine be done.'    The
parent that loveth his child with the love that God requires,
does not wait until the child has become a rebel of long standing, and by fixed habits of treason against lawful authority
become obdurate.   I-e takes him  while young and tender,
before he has learned the tactics of war, or acquired by practice
the arts of self-defence. In no pitched battle does he allow him
to conquer, or to come off doubtful as to the result, both claiming the victory and both provoking each other to wrath and
future contests."  "The parent has the power, and his is the
right, and his is the responsibility."
Children should be trained to self-denial. On worldly accounts this is necessary. Few children who are born rich die
so. Children must be taught to earn their bread, else they will
not know how to preserve riches, much less how to live respectably and usefully without them. Nor should children be allowed
to despise useful manual labor. If Cincinnatus were living in
this day, and as of old, accustomed to dig in his little garden
with his coat off, beardless boys amongst us would regard him,
on that account, as quite beneath their respect. This notwithstanding the beautiful lectures we have upon the dignity of
labor, aid the fine compliments that are paid to the working



12
classes.  When the doctrines of Epicurus were announced to
Fabricius, that old Roman patriot and sage replied, "I can wish
nothing worse for the enemies of my country, than that such
doctrines should prevail among them." Alas! Epicurianism itself
proved Rome's worst enemy. Luxury mrtined what Carthaginian
valor was unable to subdue. The work of Missions, too, is not
prosecuted as it should be, because our customs require the
expenditurle of so much money upon ourselves, and unfit us for
the more arduous service, to which we must be subjected, if
laboring for Christ in other lands and climes. There grows up
in such an age as this, a dependence upon large incomes, or
rather bondage to them. AMen must have thousands a year in
order to sustain a " high social position "-to use a phrase,
whose recent appearance amongst us is itself a'sign' of the times.
Men come to feel, in a sense, obliged " to make gold their hope,
and to say unto the fine gold, Thou art my confidence." Under
the stimulus of such a necessity, it is impossible but that success
in money-making should be the standard of respectability, and
the key to power. Under such a stimulus, how can that injunction of Christ be obeyed, " Take no thought saying, What shall
we eat, and what shall we drink, and wherewithal shall we be
clothed"? Under such a stimulus how can men duly heed the
warning of the wise man, " IHe that maketh haste to be rich shall
not be innocent "? hIence it comes to pass that the standard of
honesty amongo "driving business-men" is accommodated indeed. Hence those deep public corruptions, which patriotic
men are seeking to expose and to punish, at the capital of this
country, and in the city of New York. Hence is so comparatively unknown amongst us that severe idea of the Christian life,
which Christ expressed when he said, " Whosoever denieth not
himself, and taketh not up his cross and followeth after me, cannot be my disciple."
In the case of young men, who Aave no other honest income
but a slender salary,-without moral courage to be singular,



13
required by the fashion of the times, to board in style, and dress
in style, and ride in style, and to attend expensive places of
amusement: how prodigious the temptation to steal from employers, or to contract debts they are unable to pay! Train up
children to be independent by training them to be content with
the daily earnings of their own faculties, powers and skill. When
the Samnites came to Curius, on his Sabine farm, with their
bribe of gold, they received for a reply, " I count it my glory not
to possess gold, but to have power over those who do." He was
seated by the fireside, with a wooden platter before him, roasting
turnips in the ashes. Train each child to some particular useful
avocation. Nor is Lord Bacon's rule upon this point unworthy
of consideration-" Let parents choose betimes the vocation and
courses they mean their children should take, for then they are
most flexible, and let them not too much apply themselves to
the dispositions of their children, as thinking they will take but
to that which they have most mind to.
It is true, that if the aptness, or affection of the children be
extraordinary, then it is not good to cross it, but generally the
precept is good, " Optimum elige, suave et facile, illud faciet
consuetudo," (Choose the best employment, and habit shall in
due time make it pleasant, and easy to be pursued.) Assume that
valuable studies cannot be " made easy" except to diligent selfapplication, and to a resolute will. Assume that mind cannot
be fed on novels, magazines and newspapers, but on treatises, on
history,-on " books that are books." Trained to a relish for
the popular literature of this day, mind loses its self-respectdeparts from the true end of intellectual culture; in other words,
is no longer quick-sighted, and far-sighted in the discernment of
the truth-is no longer hardy to war a good warfare for the
truth-weeps momentarily over wrongs that others are alleged to
perpetrate-laughs at the follies of others, but at the same time
has little inclination to contribute to the general progress, by any
olid attainment in self-culture or self-control. Train children




to the desire of possessing real worth, by training them to
respect real worth in others, whether in a humble or handsome
garb, whether born in a hovel or in a palace.
The child should grow up in the exercise of a submitted and intelligent love, supreme towards God, and impartial towards man.
We hear much about love in this day; benevolence-philanthropy
-influencing men by love to love. This is all just, and most
timely, if the terms be understood in a sense true to the teachings of the word of God,-and if the end be sought for by
means that will succeed. Christ had a mission of good to men.
Each child should be made to feel that he is on a mission of
good-that his life is to be a life of doing good; the love that
grasps the true welfare of others, as a motive to live and to toil
for. Think of an angel's holy love. Think of a love that makes
the soul forgetful of itself, through sympathetic and interested
contrivings, to do others good. Think of one who is made
earnest by love-diligent, active, laborious. Some are made
earnest by covetousness; some by lust; some by jealousy. and
hate; some by fear. Think of one made earnest by none of
these, but by love; and therefore forgiving towards an enemy,therefore joyful in adversity,-therefore laborious when labors
are unrequited by reward and praise: because forgetful of self,
mindful of others' happiness, or sorrowing (if sorrowing at all)
over another's woe. Think of a love that casteth out fear; a
love that will not despair, because conscious that love must still
reign, must yet subjugate selfishness, and give to truth a throne
yet upon the ruins of error throughout the world. Jesus Christ
is our perfect model for this, and he alone. But after this divine
model should the child be trained. Here is a growing disposition, into which, with the help of Divine grace, the child is to be
moulded. For such a moulding process is middle age, or old age,
as good a time as early childhood? You will notice the absence
of striking vices is not up to the standard. It is not enough that
the tree be fair to look upon. There must be a purpose that it




15
shall bear good fruit. The object is to be the setting out of a
young missionary,-perhaps not to go to the heathen, —perhaps
not even to be a preacher, but still to go forth and onward, upon
a mission of active, effective and self-denying good-will:-onward and out into this world, where there yet remains so much
work for love to perform.