p. 154 | A Morning Lesson by Jos. Clarke

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Apr 30, 1872

A Morning Lesson.

By Jos. Clarke

SOMETIMES parents and guardians have a strong desire to instruct the young daily in the principles of Christianity, yet they are at a loss to find time to attend to this matter properly. Suppose a case: Bro Slack attends meeting pretty regularly, but sometimes is quite late; and although he loves the Bible-class, he seldom has the lesson well studied. He begins to reflect, and finds himself far on the back ground; and when he fails to give correct and full replies to questions in the class, he feels self-condemned. He has been for years a professor of religion in the Advent ranks, yet he can hardly tell what were the seven different forms of the Roman government, or what were the ten kingdoms; at least, he cannot give them in their order, much less teach his children.

He determines on a reform. He hunts up old tracts, all dusty and neglected. His old love for the truth partially revives as he reads the stirring language of prophecy, and he soon polishes up his memory. The points of truth are soon committed to memory; for once, they were more familiar to his mind. At breakfast time, and as he gathers his family around the family altar, he teaches these things to his little ones. But little more time is occupied in this work than is usually occupied in desultory or useless talk. The whole family are edified and strengthened, and cheerfulness and life illuminate each mind and countenance, and work is accomplished quite as effectually, and more pleasantly, than usual.

But Bro. Slack finds more to do; for, of further observation and reflection, he discovers that the rules of propriety are daily violated at the table by his children. Here is a work. He now discontinues the practice of allowing each child to help himself, and to select the choicest of the viands, or to find fault with the coarsest. Seating himself at the head of the table, and acting as master of ceremonies and without anything like meanness or coarseness, he distributes to each with liberality, equality, and moderation, and then, with kind advice and wise instruction, he vetoes opposition, rebukes gluttony, forbids murmuring, and brings the dainty and whimsical child to sober, rational conclusions.

Sometimes the morning lesson is necessarily enforced “by Solomon’s last resort.” But if such a thing does occur, it is seldom, for Bro. Slack has a wonderful prejudice against this means of discipline; but when he does use it, he is not slack in its application.

In fact, if our brother continues his course of morning lessons, he will need to have his name changed to Bro. Thorough; for his business, and his family, and his character, are undergoing a great change for the better; his morning lessons incorporate their spirit into his daily round of business, and he is ever ready with a word in season to his family and associates, and his children are growing in grace and favor with God and man.

JOS. CLARKE.