The Life of Duty Part 10

SERMON LXIII.

G.o.d'S JEWELS.

(Schools.)

MALACHI III. 17.

"They shall be Mine, saith the Lord of Hosts, in that day when I make up My jewels."

There is a legend of old time which tells us how a certain Jewish Rabbi returned to his home after a long absence. His first question was--"Where are my boys?" for his wife had greeted him alone. Then, instead of answering her husband's question, the wife asked his advice.

She told him that some years before someone had lent her something very precious, and she would know whether after fourteen years the loan became hers. The Rabbi gently reproved his wife, and a.s.sured her that the treasure thus lent could not become her own. Then the wife told him that on that very day He who had lent the treasure had returned and claimed it. "Ought I to have kept it back, or repined at restoring the loan?" she asked. The Rabbi was astonished that she could ask such a question, and again enquired anxiously for his two boys. Then the wife took him by the hand, and turning back the sheet upon the bed, showed him the two boys lying dead. "The Lord who gave hath taken. They are dead."

My brethren, we who are parents should learn to look upon our children as a precious loan from the Lord. They are G.o.d's treasures, His jewels, and He lends them to us for a little while. Now, to-day, I have to speak to you about schools, and the duty of supporting a _Christian_, as opposed to a mere _secular_ education. But, first, I want to speak about another kind of education, the teaching of home. I would speak most earnestly to you mothers, because as you are the earliest, so are you the most powerful teachers of your children. It is a tremendous responsibility which G.o.d has laid upon you. He has lent you a precious jewel, an immortal soul, which will be saved or lost mainly through your influence. Well says a writer of the day, "Sometimes mothers think it hard to be shut up at home with the care of little children. But she who takes care of little children takes care of great eternities. She who takes care of a little child, takes care of an empire that knows no bounds and no dimensions. The parent who stays at home and takes care of children is doing a work boundless as G.o.d's heart." O mothers! never grow weary in well-doing, never think the children a trouble and a weariness, but a precious loan which G.o.d will ask one day to have restored. May none of you ever have to say--

"I wonder so that mothers ever fret At little children clinging to their gown, Or that the foot-prints, when the days are wet, Are ever black enough to make them frown.

If I could find a little muddy boot, Or cap, or jacket, on my chamber floor; If I could kiss a rosy, restless foot, And hear it patter in my house once more; If I could mend a broken cart to-day, To-morrow make a kite to reach the sky, There is no woman in G.o.d's world could say She was more blissfully content than I.

But ah! the dainty pillow next my own Is never rumpled by a shining head; My singing birdling from its nest is flown; The little boy I used to kiss is dead."

My sisters, G.o.d would have you who are mothers to be nursing mothers for Heaven, your nursery, your home, the school of Christ. Let every mother here take to heart the story of Monica and Augustine. You know that the future Bishop and famous preacher was as a young man given up to all kinds of vicious courses, and refused to embrace the faith of his mother, a devoted Christian. His dissipation and impiety were a constant source of sorrow to the gentle Monica, who never ceased to pray for him. When Augustine was a student at Carthage, drinking deeply of the beautiful poisoned chalice of heathen literature, the mother's letters to her son were full of the sweet lessons of Christianity. Still Augustine persevered in the old evil way, and when he gained fame as a teacher he still disregarded the words of Monica She prayed on, but almost in despair. One night she dreamed than an angel appeared to her, and promised that where she was there her beloved Augustine should be. She told the vision to her son, who made light of it, saying, that if it meant anything, it was that she should adopt his faith. "Nay," said his mother, "it was not said to me, 'Where he is you shall be,' but, 'Where _you_ are he shall be.'" Still the years went on, and there was no change in Augustine. Monica consulted a great Christian Bishop, who bade her persevere, since it was impossible that the child of so many tears and prayers should perish. After a while Augustine journeyed to Rome, his mother's prayers going with him. There he heard S. Ambrose preach, and his heart was touched. There was a hard struggle between the old life and the new for a time, and Monica was with Augustine in his conflict. At last she saw of the travail of her soul, and was satisfied. O mothers, pray as Monica prayed for Augustine, if you would have your children grow up as G.o.d's children set them a strong example, and pray without ceasing.

There is, in a certain country Churchyard, a grave-stone with this epitaph--"He loved little children." Few of us could wish for a better. Sometimes a whole life is written in one sentence, it was so, no doubt, in this case. There is not, to my mind, among all the epitaphs in S. Paul's Cathedral, or Westminster Abbey, telling the praises of soldiers, heroes, statesmen, anyone to compare with the simple sentence--"He loved little children." Now, brethren, if we love little children, we can best show our love by having them brought up as Christian children; by having them taught to love the Church of their Baptism, and to know and reverence the Bible. The question of the day is education with G.o.d or without G.o.d, a creedless School where the young may believe anything, or nothing, or a Church School where they are brought up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, and grounded in the faith of their fathers. Perhaps there was never a time when England was in so critical a state as now, and its future depends on our children. Outside enemies are clamouring at the doors of the Church, crying, "down with it, down with it, even to the ground." The Franchise will be practically in the hands of everyone; and what will the future of the Church and the State be, when this new power is placed in the hands of those who have been brought up without any definite religious faith? The policy of the day is to shut G.o.d out of our Schools, as we have tried to shut Him out of our legislature and our commerce. We find our boys at the Public Schools, and our young men at the Universities, frequently taught by men who openly profess unbelief, and talk of the Incarnation and kindred doctrines as "beautiful myths." We find the children of our parishes brought up in creedless Schools, where all dogmatic teaching is excluded, and we may well fear lest England should drift into the utter unbelief of France.

My brethren, you may take care of your children's intellects, you may give them what is called a "good education," but I tell you no education can be _good_ which is not based upon the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. You may educate a child to pa.s.s one of the endless examinations of the day, but we must remember that there is a great and final examination to be pa.s.sed, when all earthly compet.i.tions are ended. Remember your child's soul, and educate him for Heaven.

SERMON LXIV.

MUTUAL HELP.

(Female Friendly Society.)

S. MARK iii. 35.

"Whosoever shall do the Will of G.o.d, the same is My brother, and My sister, and My mother."

There are just two points which I want to put before you to-day.

First, what you as Christian women ought to be. Secondly, how you can help each other to be so. On the first point I would ask you to remember the glory and dignity of womanhood. You get this dignity from Jesus Christ, who was born of a woman, and who said, "Whosoever shall do the Will of G.o.d, the same is My brother, and My sister, and My mother." Before Christ came into the world the condition of women was most miserable. They were degraded, despised, treated as slaves, and beasts of burden, as they are in heathen lands to this day. Since Christ came every good woman is loved, honoured, and respected. Jesus Christ set us the example. It was on a woman's breast that the Son of G.o.d found earthly refuge. It was to a woman who had been probably a great sinner, and out of whom He had cast seven devils, that Jesus gave the first news of His Resurrection. He told Mary Magdalene to announce the Gospel of the risen Jesus to His disciples. This, my sisters, is the true work of every Christian woman, to teach those around you, the children, the household, the busy men, the Gospel of the higher life, the Gospel of the Resurrection. And this is not to be done with the preacher's voice from the pulpit, but with the still, small voice of love and gentleness, and sweet temper, and purity; by that most powerful of all sermons--a good example.

Next, I want you to remember the wonderful power which G.o.d has given you, and which you can use either for good or evil. G.o.d has, in one way, made men stronger than women. But every woman has influence, the power of leading others right or wrong. Do you know that from the time of Eve women have mainly made the history of the world? Men may have done the deeds, but women have led the men. "The hope of France is in our mothers," said a famous French Bishop, and every good man owes the best part of himself to his earliest and best teacher and guide--his mother. The origin of most sins also can be traced to the influence of a bad woman. Samson, the giant, becomes the blinded, helpless slave, by trusting to false Delilah. Ahab loses honour and life by making Jezebel his counsellor. Mark Antony, the conqueror, sits helpless at the feet of Cleopatra. Never forget the power of leading others which you have as mothers, wives, or sisters, and take good heed that you lead them in the right way.

Secondly, let me give you a few homely words of advice about the special temptations and dangers which surround you, and the best means of helping each other to resist them. Many of you pa.s.sed from home life into domestic service, where you have very frequently to stand alone, without the help of parent or teacher. Every position in life has its special trials and temptations. I have temptations which do not come to you; you have trials from which I am free. I have heard many life-stories like yours when I have been holding a Mission, and therefore I know far more of your special temptations than you imagine.

One of these special dangers is _bad company_. You all have your holidays, and your "days out," and you naturally look forward to them very eagerly. But, my sisters, stay, and ask yourselves the question--How do I spend my holidays? If the day be Sunday, do you keep G.o.d's Commandment, and observe the Sabbath Day to keep it holy?

If not, how can you expect to be kept from evil? You promised in your Baptism and your Confirmation to keep all G.o.d's Will and Commandments, and one of these is, "Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath Day."

Take care what company you keep. If you cannot say, "I am a companion of all such as love the Lord," be sure your company is of the wrong sort. I have known many a one who has lost name, fame, character, all that a woman holds most dear, and who has brought an honest name to disgrace, and broken a mother's heart, by mixing with bad company. The proverb says that a person is known by his friends, by the company he keeps. You cannot touch fire and escape burning, and you cannot keep company with those who laugh at religion, who make a mock at sin, who never pray, who talk immodestly, and are disobedient to the wishes of parent or employer, without falling into sin yourselves.

If any of you who hear me are entangled with such company, make up your mind now, and give it up. Be brave enough to do what is right. Ask G.o.d to make you brave. And one word more, _help each other_ to do what is right. I say to you who want to go in the right way, keep each other company. None of us can stand alone, we need help. You have probably heard the story of the blind man and the lame man who were called to journey to a distant place. What was to be done? The blind man could not see, the lame man could not walk; so they helped each other: the blind man carried the lame man, who directed him in the right way. Some of you have stronger wills and characters than others, let the strong help the weak. But _how_ can you best help each other?

Soldiers in battle a.s.sist each other by closing their ranks, and keeping together. There is the secret of strength, _keep together_.

Let all the members of your society march together. Try to set each a good example, a _strong_ example, by prayer, by reading your Bible daily, by attending the services of the Church as frequently as possible, by coming to the Altar of the Blessed Sacrament, whenever it is possible. Above all, pray, intercede, for each other.

THE END.