THE TRAINING OF THE YOUNG.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1180, 20 May 1884, Page 2

THE TRAINING OF THE YOUNG.

Last Sunday the Rev. T. Hamilton, Incumbent of St Saviour’s Church, Temuka, preached a sermon on the above subject. Taking his text from Proverbs xxii, 6 —‘ Train up a child in the way he should go, and when ha is old ho will not depart from it,’ he proceeded ns fol-lows-—lt is impossible to read the extract from the leading Christchurch paper, reprinted by the local paper of this town, Without feeling a sense of shame and degradation, that the youth of this community should be branded (throughout the length and breadth of the colony) with the stigma of ruffianism, lawlessness and recklessness. Through the folly of certain youths the reputation of the whole community has suffered, and the Press and Pulpit, ns the guardians of (he social wellbeing and morality, are justified in lifting up the voice of warning a id protest in the matter. It concerns us all, both individually and collectively, and we should not rest until the cause i« ascertained and the remedy applied, I will endeavor then, briefly, to deal with the matter practically and suggest a remedy. Now it will appear strange if I say that my sympathies are with these young men. Why? Because I fear that they are not wholly to blame. The burden of responsibility for their conduct rests almost entirely with thoir parents, or guardians and teachers ; and their wild and ungoverned conduct is wholly the result of defective training. The natural aim of a boy is to become a man, and he draws his ideal of manhood from the talk of his elders, his observation of the ways of society, and scenes in which he mixes. I would sisk, then : What are the impressions which these young men have received in youth, and by which their habits have been formed ? What influences have been brought to bear ? In a word, have they been trained alight? Have parents and teachers (in o bedience to philosophy, to Solomon, to Paul), attempted ‘ tc train|up the child in the way ho should go,’ in the persuasion that ‘ when he is old he will not depart from it?” That the pliable period of childhood is the proper time for forming the mind and moulding the character

none will deny. It is a law of nature that * Just as the twig is bent the tree’s inclined,’ and no man has a right to rear a young savage in his house and let him .loose, when full-bodied, to prey upon a civilised community. The Nation re cognises this, and steps in with an elaborate educational system, so that parents have no excuse that their children transgress the laws of the country through ignorance; But the mere training of the intellect will not suffice. There must also ge hand in hand, moral training and physical training. Mental endowments in themselves are no guarantee that the possessor is able to govern and restrain his animal passions and propensities, and hold them in the bonds of reason and good sense. Crichton was surnamed the ‘ Admirable, and excited the wonder of the age in which he lived ; before he was 20 years of age he spoke 10 different languages, was master of sciences and music, but in spit* of his intellectual superiority ha perished miserably in a brawl in the streets of Mantua, because he lacked moral virtue. What is the use of intellectual power undirected by moral power ? Contrast the lives and influence on society of such men as Voltaire, Hume, and Paine, with Newton, Butler, Penn and Wilberforce. The former flooding society with profanity, impiety, debau chery, sensuality, fraud and injustice, and the latter bestowing science, religion and morality on millions. Whilst there is ample provision for the training of the intellectual in the present system of education there is no daily moral and religious training with a view to taoulding youth into right principles and habits of action. Sunday school instructions (although good as far a» it goes) does not supply adequate moral education to the rising generation. The six days’ training at home and in the day school, if it be evil, overbalance the one day’s teaching i the Sabbath school, however good in may be. Solomon tells ns to ‘Train up a chi'd in the way h# should go. ? Friends, we are going the wrong way. If we are tacitly consenting to exclude the Bible from our daily training, if we do not train them, or see that they are trained, in *he way of truth and righteousness, can we doubt but that disaster will come ? As Christians, we ask the way in which the ild should go. Christ gives us the answer, ‘lam the Way, the Truth and the Life.’ Christ is the Truth and the Scriptures the standard by which Truth may bo known. Training without an acknowledged standard is useless. But here in the Bible we have (1) a rule to show the way to the ignorant, and (2) an authority to keep the wayward on it. It is a complete compendium of rules for the conduct of all towards, self, neighbours and God. It is religion that suggests the motives and impulses to morality. It is the belief of the *SeP-Existent, the Eternal Majesty, (Whose omniscient eye pierces night and day. Whose ear hears every sound, eveiy whisper, and W hose memory records every thought, word and action for a day of trial) ; that prompts and impels the heart, the tongue, the hand aud (he foot in the paths of virtue and morality. Let the simple facts, let the belief of God, of Christ, of immortality, of eternal life, (without any partisan theory); let temperance, righteousness, benevolence, be inculcat din our public schools and we may have, nay, we s7> ill have, another and better slate of things. Let the Bible in schools be your watchword. With intellectual training~we must have moral training, and that daily. Lastly, as regards the physical training of our young men. Becreation of some sort is an absolute necessity ot our moral nature. Sir John Herschel says. ‘ There is a want too much lost sight of, though it is one of the most incessant cravings s of all our wants, and is actually the impelling power which, in a vast majority of ca es, urges men into vice ajd crime. It is the want of amusement.’ The religious young man will put from him all forms of amusement which he finds tempt him to ain. He will avoid all that expose him to the contaminating influence of evil companionship. In summer time he can join in manly games which promote health of body and purity of life cricket, tennis and other games, But there is greater difficulty in finding amusement in the winter evenings. Happy they who have in their home music and song, and bright companions. But many are only sojourners, or their homes r~e comfortless or uncongenial. Then there is a fear lest they be drawn by their natural desire for fellowship, for adventure, and by the restless activity of boyhood, into ph ces and scenes which are vicious. It must be remembered that the key-note of a manly life is energy, and therefore the youth with his buoyant spirit, life beating high in the breast, and the hot blood pulsing through his veins, ought to have his mind full of enterprise. What shall we say then if he r eks it ‘in the way in which he has 1 trained ?’ Who can blame him 1 It seems desirable to me that a ‘ Young Men’s Club’ r’aould be formed, self supporting, self working, comprising all denominations. It is most desirable th; t there should be some place where lads can meet to find a companion, have a game, and read a book. The existing Institute does not meet the case, for men who go to read the newspapers there would be disturbed by that noise which seems to be an indispensable accompaniment of the enjoyment of youth. They might in a club of their own plan cricket matches, chess, tennis, football, etc, I trust they®ung men will tak’ this idea up and act upon it, for I believe that God helps those who help themselves, and He, who has caught us to pray ‘ lead us not into temptation,’ is pleased with every effort we make to keep ourselves out of temptation. Jesus Hmself, the revealer of the Pure and Holy Godhead, alone can redeem and bless. 0, young men, turn to Him, accept the guidance of His Holy Spirit, and walk in the way in which He walked on eaith and in which He bade us follow. He aids us in our weakness ; He gives to all who believe in Him power to become more holy, pure, and just and good, and more separated from all the evil from which He died to redeem us. ‘My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.’ ‘ Keep innocency and do the thing which is right, for that sha'l bring a man peace at the last.’ ‘Be ye therefore sober and and watch unto prayer.’ Thus may yen be truly godly, and truly manly hi alfthat is pore, hooest, and of a good report, growing ever more like Him who alona united in His own Self the perfection of godliness and the perfection of rnan- . hood, even the God-Man, the Lord Jesus Chriet,