Sabbath Observance by Mrs. H. S. Maxson, M.D.

Pacific Press Publishing Company · OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA · Sep 6, 1899

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 25, No. 36.

Sabbath Observance

By Mrs. H. S. Maxson, M.D.

CHRISTIAN NURTURE. No. 2.

Family Worship.

MAINTAIN family worship; let nothing interfere with it. When this is neglected, the reason usually given is that there is not time for it. In other words, you tacitly say to your child that God's Word is of less importance than your work. Every one has all the time there is, and he presumably spends it in things he thinks of most importance. Your child understands this as well as you do, and even better; for you have succeeded in deceiving yourself in the matter. There can be no excuse for a Christian family neglecting this important duty. And in families where worship is maintained, respect for the Bible is unconsciously taught. If, day by day, the household is gathered around the opened Bible, and its members hear it read by lips they love, impressions are made upon their hearts which it will be very hard for the storms of life to erase. This exercise may be made very attractive by varying it from time to time and from day to day. This may be done in various ways. A favorite custom in many homes is to have all the members of the family read in turn, a verse or two each. Very small children may take part in this, and they are usually most happy to be accorded this privilege. It is astonishing to see how quickly the chubby fingers will learn to follow the verses as they are read; and before the little ones can read, they take the greatest delight in repeating a verse, line after line, after a parent's prompting. Again, some of the most familiar promises of the Scriptures, like the twenty-third psalm, or the fifth chapter of Matthew, may be read in concert; or the stories of the Bible may be read by one of the parents or by an older brother or sister, with explanations to make them plain to the little ones. It would be well to read a book through by course, thus avoiding the habit of disconnected reading, which is not always desirable.

Let the prayer be simple and suited to the needs of the family. Pray for Johnny, that at school and on the playground he may do only as the boy Jesus would have done. Pray for mama, that the Lord may direct her in all the duties of the day, while she makes the home for the little ones that God has given her.

Stated times for the study of God's Word are quite as important as the reading in family worship, and let this study be thorough, as thorough as you would expect your boy to get his lesson in arithmetic or geography. And why not? Is it not much more important? Make the Bible profitable to your children by carefully and lovingly applying it to their needs, helping them to see their weak points, and to fortify them.

Sabbath Observance.

How to train our children to a proper regard of the Sabbath is another question that perplexes the Christian mother's heart. First of all, we are to regard the day as "a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable." Teach your child to look forward to it, and to hail its coming with genuine pleasure. Again, we see that love must be the basis of observance. The child can not thus regard the day unless he has learned to love it; but, surely, Christian parents in this enlightened age should desire to have the Sabbath thus observed by their children. Now comes the question, "How shall I lead my child thus to observe the day?" First, by preparing for the day. Mend and lay out all the clothes to be worn, and let the preparation of the body also receive attention. A mighty lodestone of Christian development and sanctification lies in the custom of entering upon the Sabbath neat and clean. Second, the habit of preparing for the Sabbath-school during the week, or on Sabbath eve, and, attending with our children, can not fail to make it attractive to them. Children love to be with their parents. Nothing pleases a child better than to share his parents' real toils and pleasures, and we shall find that this rule works just as well when it comes to attending Sabbath-school and church, as during the week at the baking-board or the wash-tub.

There must be a change of occupation on that day, yet occupation the child must have. > "Rest is not quitting life's busy career, > Rest is the fitting of self to one's sphere."

Action the child must have, and so we must direct it. How can we secure this end for very young children? for this nurture must begin with the very tenderest age. Let the baby have a different rattle on the Sabbath day, something he does not have on any other day in the week. He will soon connect the new toy with the occupation of the Sabbath, and this will have its influence. When the child is a little older, say from three to ten years, let him have toys on that day, purchased for that day and preserved for it,—toys that he never has on other days, and that are suitable for Sabbath entertainment. Let him have a chest or box containing only those to be used on that day. It may contain blocks for building the temple, or the tabernacle, or a model of the ark, with all its belongings, highly-colored plates of Bible scenes, dissected passages of Scripture, dissected maps of Bible lands, etc. Let the older children amuse the younger ones by telling stories about these things or by reading to them.

Take pains to teach God in nature on that day more than on any other day. Let the father take the little ones out for a walk, teaching them the love of God and the beauty of His works with which we are surrounded. This is particularly the privilege of those who live in the country, where they are surrounded by everything that would direct their minds to the Creator of all things. A double good will often be gained. While the children are entertained or instructed, the weary mother may have an hour of rest, and perhaps a needed

nap. When the children grow older, no less is demanded of the parents, but rather more, that they may still direct the rapidly-unfolding minds, which reach out for more entertainment and more knowledge. For these, as well as for the little ones, the hour for family worship may have special attraction on that day. Sweeter songs may be sung, and time spent in learning new songs.

Sacredly reserve to your children the hour for Bible study. Have a shelf in your library devoted to Sabbath reading, and strictly reserve it for that purpose. Let it be filled with books that will be a delight to the hearts of the youth, not some dry, prosaic work that you would find it hard to be interested in yourself. Make the spirit of the entire day one of reverence.

Finally, dear parents, you will see that success in bringing up children in "the nurture and admonition of the Lord" will cost study—prayerful, earnest study. It will take time to prepare for this work. It will require self-denial, self-control, unwavering faith, and determination, as well as a thorough conviction that the importance of the work, and the glorious results that are sought, are such as to warrant their best efforts and greatest sacrifices. MRS. H. S. MAXSON, M.D.