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PARENTAL INSTRUCTION

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Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 20, 1878

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 51, No. 25.

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PARENTAL INSTRUCTION.

By A. C. Spicer

As indicated in the previous paper, the needed instruction of our children in the Bible should commence primarily in the family circle by the parent. And it should commence at an early age of the child. Just as soon as the child can in any measure understand anything about the beautiful, the true, and the good, and the distinction between right and wrong, then may be commenced the primary instruction in regard to a knowledge of God and of his word. From that time such instructions should be pursued with unwearying patience and unvarying application, not with wearying and disheartening lessons, but with such timely and cheering suggestions and entertaining lessons as shall please and exhilarate.
It is one of the strangest phenomena of our observation that so many parents who of all persons in the world ought to be the most interested in the welfare and salvation of their own children, though they may profess religion and gospel faith, and may be free to talk of the same to others, yet seldom mention the subject to their children. To talk to our children of God and of Christ, of the law of holiness, of sin, and of grace, of the Christian's faith and hope, and of salvation, if not the first duty to them in time, yet comes in but second and is of the highest importance. And the primary Bible lessons should be taught by the parent, who, if the tender, affectionate, and familiar parent every child ought to have, will be so much the best adapted to impress and inspire accepting confidence.
Nor should parental interest and careful instruction cease, or be even abated, when the child shall have been taken into the Sabbath-school. But every child should receive every possible encouragement and every needed aid from the parent to get ready for and get to the Sabbath-school, and to learn understandingly all the lessons and Sabbath-school exercises, and that, too, in such a way that all his part shall be executed as a cheering, delightful pleasure, instead of as a task. Also, the parent should usually be present with the child in the Sabbath-school to encourage, and inspire with interest and enthusiasm. A. C. SPICER.