SUNDAY COLUMN.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVI, Issue 16, 24 May 1913, Page 7

SUNDAY COLUMN.

CHRISTIANITY" IX THE HOME. (Contributed.) “Home Night,” was the title of the ! meeting on Thursday night in St. j Andrew’s Hall. The leading idea I carried through, the whole service was true religion in the home. Napolj eon was once asked, said the speaker what was the great need of the I French nation. After a moment’s consideration he answered, “Mothers.” That testimony was true. And that is the | great need of France today with her diminishing population. If asked what was the great need of New Zealand he would say, homes, Christian homes. Greater than the need for a citizen army, a local navy, or new legislation was the need of homes, where parents set an example worthy the emulation of their children, where the brought up their families in the paths of virtue and piety. The dearest, sweetest, most sacred place on earth was a home where unselfishness reigned; and love dwelt, and the Master was the welcome guest as in Bethcncy. The home was at once one of the oldest and most important institutions. In its modern' and best sense, it was the creation of Jesus Christ. There was not ideal home life until He came to set it up. Outside of Christianity the best elements of home life are wanting.

THE PERILS OF HOME. A careful study of present day facts show that the homes of our land and church are in danger. Of the perils to home life mention may he made of (1). The spirit of contention, Many , homes in our Dominion which might have been like a bit of the Garden of Eden, have been turned through querellousneSs into tracts of Paradise Lost. (2). The spirit of intemperance. Thousands of the youth of this land appear every year before the Courts for drunkenness as first offenders. Not long ago some youths of our town were arraigned on a charge of this kind.o While the Government legalised the sale' of intoxicants, our homes were in peril. (3). Recent '

revelations made by,the Hon. Dr Findlay on this subject showed that numbers of innocent people, including women and : children were suffering from diseases resulting from the vices of the guilty. In present social conditions, the frfebdbm given to the young people, the presence finf society of men of vicious habits, parents mqy well ask the question: “1« the young' man safe?” “Is the young woman safe?” (4.) The secular spirit.—Theatmosphere of many homes to-day-is-not merely non-religious, it is''antireligious. There is no 1 regard for sacred things, no-'-reverence* fmk the sanctuary, no regard l for the Sabbath, no fear of Cod'. /Thebe is no'time'-'or thought given' to tlUC'consideifillhru Of religion,,or the' cultyfe of piet|‘. - ’ j! '• H (■.iOlJjt* ;(c U ■. f SAFEGUARDS OF THE'HOME. 1. Of these the first was parental authority. It was said of the illustrious father.pf,the faithful: “I knpjy, him that he will command his household after him.” One, of the characteristics of \our times , was laxity of parental Control. Not only ministers of religion, hut reformers,'ancl 1 magistrates had warned us aganVsfi ! 'this defect. . ft was imperative npt only in our own interest^.' as parents, but in the interests of pur children that that they s lion lid learn, obedience. Lovingly hut firmly the parents should hold the reigns in their household?. . 2. The next safeguard was parental example. Professor Mills had pertinently asked whether children , should honour some parents. Unless, they were worthy of the respect and confidence of their families how could they, honour them? Unless they set an example worthy of their children, how could they follow in their steps? It was important for parents to teach their children by precept, hut far more important to teach them by setting an example which it would be safe for them to copy. 3. Family religion.—The Christian ideal was a home where the father was a priest and the mother a saint in their househnld where the Bible was honoured, the Sabbath kept sacred, where love dwelt and Christ was the over-welcome gnost. There was' need to return to the practice of family worship so beautifully described in Burn’s “Collar’s Saturday Night;”. An ideal home was one where the family altar was set up where the family began and ended the day with, God.'