How Shall I Pardon Thee? Children Forsaken
By P. T. Magan
“HOW SHALL I PARDON THEE FOR THIS? THY CHILDREN HAVE FORSAKEN ME.”
These were the words of God through the prophet Jeremiah. They were given to Israel just before that people went down into Babylonish captivity. The sins of the chosen people in those days were many. They had grievously displeased their Lord and Master. But of all their iniquities none seemed harder for the Lord to forgive than that one of having allowed their children to forsake him. This was the crowning wrong,—the one thing for which pardon was almost impossible. All else could be forgiven and overlooked; but the great heart of God, yearning in tenderness toward the poor children, faltered at forgiveness; because the sacred charges committed to Israel’s fathers and mothers had been allowed to wander into forbidden paths. Israel had sinned by indulging in luxury, by the non-payment of tithes, by oppression of the fatherless and the widow; by a host of other evil deeds; but all of these, in the mind of God, were overshadowed by their sinful neglect of the precious children and youth. I am pained to see the careless indifference with which the children are treated to-day. God has himself spoken and appointed the means whereby they shall be saved. He has said that there should be church schools for the little ones; small industrial schools, several in the large Conferences, for the middle classes; and colleges on the order of the schools of the prophets for those who need a training for active work. And yet there are hardly a hundred and fifty church schools in all the land, and a mere handful of industrial schools, academies, and colleges; and many more could be cared for within the walls of these latter if there were only the money to support them, or the facilities to enable them to support themselves. Those in charge of the schools are flooded with letters from all over the country, asking them to take this boy or that girl, and see him or her through school without any money. Hundreds and hundreds of letters of this character come to our desks every year. But what can the schools do? None of them have large facilities with which to assist students to pay their way by work. Calls have been made many times, but the response has been feeble. In a letter just received from Elder W. C. White are these words: “Mother is much interested in the progress of your industries, and she pleads that our brethren throughout the field, who are successful farmers, mechanics, and business men, shall turn their talents of money, experience, and skill to the establishment of church schools, which shall be surrounded with industries that will enable the students to earn their tuition in part or in whole.” In another place it is said, “Do not say, ‘Go and work a year, and then go into the college.’ No; but try to help them: present them before the churches; bear a decided testimony, and say, ‘Brethren, we want you to help these individuals through college.’” Now the burden of providing money and facilities for the youth in order that they may have an education does not rightly rest upon the schools; but upon the people in the churches. The schools are all poor, and as far as I know, they are all deeply in debt. God calls upon men who have money, to help the youth to go to school. He calls upon the churches to create funds that this may be done. Now, brethren and sisters, please do not keep on asking the schools to take students and keep them for nothing, or to furnish them with work to pay all their expenses, when we are not supplied with the money to provide these facilities. “As a church, as individuals, if we would stand clear in the judgment, we must make more liberal efforts for the training of our young people, that they may be better fitted for the various branches of the great work committed to our hand. As a people who have great light, we should lay wise plans, in order that the ingenious minds of those who have talent may be strengthened and disciplined and polished after the highest order, that the work of Christ may not be hindered by the lack of skillful laborers, who will do their work with earnestness and fidelity. “The church is asleep, and does not realize the magnitude of this matter of educating the children and youth. ‘Why,’ one says, ‘what is the need of being so particular thoroughly to educate our youth? It seems to me that if you take a few who have decided to follow some literary calling, or some other calling that requires a certain discipline, and give due attention to them, that is all that is necessary. It is not required that the whole mass of our youth should be so well trained. Will not this answer every essential requirement?’—No, I answer, most decidedly not. What selection would we be able to make out of the numbers of our youth? How could we tell who would be the most promising, who would render the best service to God? In our human judgment we might do as did Samuel when he was sent to find the anointed of the Lord, and look upon the outward appearance. . . . ‘Who can determine which one of a family will prove to be efficient in the work of God? There should be general education of all its members, and all our youth should be permitted to have the blessings and privileges of an education at our schools, that they may be inspired to become laborers together with God. They all need an education that they may be fitted for usefulness in this life, qualified for places of responsibility both in private and in public life. There is great necessity of making plans that there may be a large number of competent workers; and many should fit themselves up as teachers, that others may be trained and disciplined for the great work of the future. The church should take in the situation, and by their influence and means seek to bring about this much-desired end.” P. T. MAGAN.