FROM

THE

MILLENNIAL HARBINGER,

NEW SERIES.

VOLUME IV.-----NUMBER VIII.

B E T H A N Y, VA. AUGUST, 1840.

      "THE man Elkanah, and all his house, went up to offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice, and his vow. But Hannah went not up; for she said to her husband, I will not go up till the child be weaned, and then I will bring him, that he may appear before the Lord, and there abide forever.--So the woman abode, and gave her son suck until she weaned him. And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her--and brought him to the house of the Lord in Shiloh; and the child was young.--And the child did minister to the Lord before Eli the priest.--And the child Samuel grew before the Lord." 1 Sam. i. 21-24, and 1 Sam. ii. 21.--"To Timothy, dearly beloved son;--without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day; greatly desiring to see thee,--when I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in my grand-mother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.--And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise to salvation, through faith which is in Christ Jesus;--thoroughly furnished to all good works." 2 Tim. i. 2-5. and iii. 15, 17. See also Ephesians vi. 4.

      Though the pages of the Harbinger have furnished its readers with many useful suggestions upon the all-important subject of family education, in the conversations of the Carleton family; yet the particular duties of the primary department--that of the nursery, do not appear to have been distinctly considered. Now it is in the plastic subjects of this department, that the formative impressions of human character are inlaid. The infant sees, feels, and retains the impressions thus made upon its perception, long before it can think for itself; yea, indeed, these constitute the very elements of its thoughts and desires; or of its aversions. It should then be handled and treated; dressed, fed, and amused, with all that propriety and sobriety of treatment, which is naturally calculated to make just impressions of what is comely, decent, and proper, in the elementary contour of [340] human character; being entirely unaccustomed to any thing foolish, whimsical, or ridiculous, but to the very contrary. And why should not this be universally the case? Is not every mother's son naturally the same with Samuel and Timothy, and equally near and dear to its mother?--a sensitive, rational creature, destined for eternity?--capable of being trained up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord?--of being thus prepared for the high destiny of eternally glorifying and enjoying its almighty Creator? Why, then, not receive and treat this high privileged creature, as Hannah and Eunice did their sons? who, as far as mother's interest and agency could go, devoted them to the Lord; always considering and treating them accordingly;--and thus training them up for God.

      In the course of some twelve or sixteen month, the beloved little creatures not only understand looks and gestures, but begin also to understand words. The endearing epithets of father and mother soon convey to the infant mind the most pleasing impressions and recollections. It also gets early acquainted with the common literal acceptation of the terms good and bad, pretty and ugly, love and hate, sweet and bitter, make, break, &c. &c.; and thus soon becomes the capable subject of oral instructions. Now as soon as this capability becomes sufficiently evident by being exercised for some time upon common sensible objects, its attention should be interestingly and incessantly called to a realizing grateful acknowledgement of its Creator. This, we presume, may be successfully attempted in the following manner:--

      Mother.--My dear child, where is your father?--He is ploughing the corn to make cakes for you.--Do you not love father for that? Who bought you this pretty coat, my dear?--Do you not know it was father? Do you not love father for buying you this pretty coat to keep you warm? Do you know who made it, my dear? It was mother made it. Do you not love me for making you this pretty coat? Give me a kiss, if you love me;--my sweet son.--Do you know who made you, my dear?--It was heavenly Father.--Do you not know, my dear son, that you have a heavenly Father, who lives away up in heaven, above the sun, moon, and stars; who made you, and me, and your father; and gave you to us, to be our son. Do you not love heavenly Father, my dear, for making you, and me, and your father; and for giving you to us to be our son? 'Tis heavenly Father that keeps us alive, and takes care of us;--that makes all the good things grow in the fields in the garden, in the orchard;--all the good berries, and apples, and fruits of every kind, that we eat; and all the beautiful buds, and blossoms and flowers, that smell so sweet. Do you not love heavenly Father, my dear, for making you all these good things? &c. &c. &c. [341]

      Thus most infants, from twelve to eighteen months old, are capable of being instructed; so that at the age of two years, they would mostly be able to connect the idea of the heavenly Father, with every object of delight and enjoyment; and, thus, not only become duly acquainted with the divine existence, but also with the delightful attributes of his nature,--his power, wisdom, goodness, and love.

      To accomplish this blissful attainment would, however, in the mean time, require the incessant attention of the parents; especially of the mother, whose special province it is to form the infant mind. It would have to be the constant business of every day, as far as opportunity would permit. Yes, indeed, suitable opportunities should be sought for presenting to the child's consideration the various objects, both terrestrial and celestial, with which Heaven has graciously favored us, for the blissful purpose of acquiring and communicating the knowledge of our bountiful Creator.--Thus, by the time the child had completed its third year, it would have become a practical deist or theist: it would recognize God in every thing; and every thing in its relation to God, as his creature; and so be prepared, in due time, for the enjoyment of our holy religion; which is founded upon a realizing persuasion of the being and perfections of our heavenly Father.

      Moreover, while the child is thus training, in the arms, and under the tender care of its maternal guardian, it should be kept out of the way of corrupting examples, as much as possible. Its associates, if it have any, should be pupils of the same school, that have received the same maternal training. "For evil communications corrupt good manners:" especially in infancy and early youth; for, at this period, "custom becomes, indeed, a second nature." Nor will it unfrequently happen, that, after all the care that can be taken to train the infant mind, and to preserve it from the contagion of bad example, there will still be need for coercive measures; for--"Folly is bound up in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction will drive it far from him." Prov. xxii. 15. "Withhold not correction from thy child; for if thou beatest him with the rod he shall not die. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell." Prov. xxiii. 13, 14. Hence it necessarily follows, that--"He that spareth his rod, hateth his son; but he that loveth him, chasteneth him betimes." Prov. xiii. 24. However, we should not correct to gratify passion; nor should we ever threaten or inflict chastisement, till it appear indispensably necessary; and then it should be done, not in wrath, lest we provoke our children to wrathful resentment, and they be discouraged; but in the name of the Lord; that is, upon principle of obedience. See Eph. vi. 4. and Col. iii. 17-21.--"Whatever ye do in word or deed, do [342] all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God, even the Father, by him." And--"Whether you eat, or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." 1 Cor. x. 31 . Wherefore, upon the whole, it should be done with prayers; if it be done to "save a soul from hell--to the glory of God:" "For salvation is of the Lord." And this way of administering correction is divinely calculated to have the proper effect, both upon the parent and upon the child.--Upon the latter, as expressive, of the heinous nature, ruinous effects, and terrible consequences of sin; for a child ought not to be seriously corrected, till it can be made sensible of the evil of disobedience; which, for the most part, it may be, if duly instructed, by the time it is three years old; for, by that time, it might be made equally acquainted with its obligations both to its heavenly and earthly father; for it has its parents' word alike for both; and, beyond that, for the first five or six years, it can know nothing of either. This solemn prayerful way of correcting is also equally calculated to have the proper effect upon the mind of the parent, by filling it with deep impressions of its sacred responsibilities both to God and the child, and also with the blissful assurance that the chastisement, thus administered, shall not be in vain in the Lord; for it is written--"Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it." Prov. xxii. 6. But the training here intended is not confined to correction for incidental faults; it covers the whole area of a Christian education, both with respect to sentiment, speech, and behaviour--to food, raiment, and exercise. Hence the necessity of first commencing with the mind, in the nursery; next, of adverting to the use made of speech, when the child has acquired it; and lastly to its actions, when it understands right, and wrong.

      Also, its food and raiment should be plain, simple, and suitable; to answer the natural and necessary purposes of health and convenience;--not for pampering appetite, luxury, and pride. All its promised rewards--gratifications and indulgences for good behaviour--should be of a pious and virtuous character and tendency; such as visiting and relieving the poor--the sick; and contributing to the instruction of the ignorant, by supplying them with books and teachers, &c.; and that by so doing, they might have the gratification of pleasing their heavenly Father, and of doing good to their fellow-creatures; and thus become pious, sympathizing, and fruitful in good works. And, would all this be any thing more than training them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord; by thus teaching them, from early infancy, his gracious character, as their heavenly Father; and thus inducing them to make it their continual and delightful study--in all things to please him [343] who made them; and all things for their gratification and delight?--And can any thing, short of this, rationally and scripturally answer this high and blissful purpose? Let parents consider this.--But, alas! How seldom do we see children thus treated--thus educated?--Rather, do we not generally see them treated as puppets--toys--mere play things? As dolls and dandies--epicures and gluttons--mere sensualists--without any principle superior to other animals. Yes, indeed, many parents, (I had almost said most) take more care in training the inferior animals--such as favorite birds, dogs, horses and oxen, than they do in the moral and religious culture of their children; at least, for the first three, four, or five years: by which time, for the most part, not only the radical principles, but even the prominent outline of their character is formed: for, by this time, all their faculties, sensitive and intellectual, are wholly occupied with sensible customs and objects; which, of course, must occupy their whole attention, having no conception of any thing else. And who knows not? that moral and religious ideas, (which are sometimes called spiritual) are the most difficult both to ob-tain, and re-tain. Wherefore they should be exhibited as early as possible to the plastic mind; and impressed upon it, while disengaged;--whilst of all impressions it is alike susceptible. A tailor's child of eighteen months old, being duly taught as above, would acknowledge, with the same easy confidence, that its heavenly Father made it; as it would that its earthly father made its coat; and express, with the same apparent gratitude, its love to both: the reality of which, if any one should doubt it, could be very easily tested. Upon the whole;--these things being evidently so, there must be pious spiritually-minded Christian parents, before there can be pious obedient children;--pious families. The old saying,--"Can any good thing come out of Nazareth:" is full of meaning. Man, especially during his childhood, is a creature of circumstances. He must necessarily receive his impressions from what be daily sees and hears. If these be altogether, or for the most part, about what we shall eat, and what we shall drink, and wherewithal we shall be clothed:--if the conversation and objects constantly presented to the infant mind, be addressed to our sensual appetites--to the gratification of "the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life's;" what can a creature of such circumstances be, but a mere sensualist, absorbed in the desire and pursuit of such things? Hence appears most demonstrably the indispensable necessity of family reformation towards God; in order to family education for God. "Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? Not one." It required a Hannah to train a Samuel:--a Eunice to train a Timothy. [344]

      May the good Lord hasten family reformation! For till that take place, "Zion must remain a wilderness; Jerusalem a desolation."

[Millennial Harbinger (August 1835): 340-345.]

      Thomas Campbell's "Family Education: The Nursery" was first published in The Millennial Harbinger, Vol. 4 (New Series), No. 8, August 1840, pp. 340-345. It first appeared as a contribution to a book in Alexander Campbell's Family Culture; or, Conversations in the Domestic Circle at the Carlton House (London: Hall and Co., 1850).

      Variants from the first serial publication to the first book publication are as follows:

 Page       Millennial Harbinger [ Family Culture
 -----------------------------------------------------------------------
 p. 340     forever.-- [ for ever.
            she had weaned [ she weaned
            young.-- [ young.
            priest.-- [ priest.
            2 xi. 21.-- [ 2 Sam. xi. 21.
            in thee, [ in thee,--
            grand-mother [ grandmother
            also.-- [ also.
            holy scriptures, [ Holy Scriptures,
            and iii. 15, 17. [ and 2 Tim. iii. 15, 17.
            Ephesians vi. 4. [ Eph. vi. 4.
            Though [ THOUGH
            pages of the Harbinger [ foregoing pages
            its readers [ the readers
            conversations [ Conversations
            Carleton family; [ Carlton Family,
            contour [ contour 
 p. 341:    its mother?-- [ his mother?--
            who, as far [ who as far
            accordingly;-- [ accordingly;
            soon becomes [ soon become
            capability becomes sufficiently evident [ capability
            father?-- [ father?
            for you.-- [ for you.
            my dear?-- [ my dear?
            love me;-- [ love me;
            sweet son.-- [ sweet son.
            my dear?-- [ my dear?
            Father.-- [ Father.
            father; and gave [ father, and gave
            son. Do [ son? So
            Father, my dear, [ father, my dear,
            of us;-- of us;
            fields [ fields,
            orchard;-- [ orchard;
            blossoms [ blossoms,
            &c. &c. &c. [ &c. &c. 
 p. 342:    favored [ favoured
            Creator.-- [ Creator.
            manners:" [ manners;"
            custom becomes, [ custom becomes
            Eph. vi. 4. [ Eph. vi. 4,
            17-21.-- [ 17.21.
 p. 343:    God:" [ God;"
            child.-- [ child.
            written-- [ written,
 p. 344:    delight?-- [ delight?
            this.-- [ this.
            educated?-- [ educated?
            favorite [ favourite
            horses [ horses,
            disengaged;-- [ disengaged;
            whole;-- [ whole;
            children;-- [ children;
            clothed:-- [ clothed:
            life's;" [ life"
            Samuel:-- [ Samuel:
 

      In the electronic version, pagination has been represented by placing the page number in brackets following the last complete word on the printed page. I have let stand variations and inconsistencies in the author's (or editor's) use of italics, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling in the essay. The Scripture reference in the epigraph (p. 340) has been corrected from "2 xi. 21" to "1 Sam. ii. 21."

      Addenda and corrigenda are earnestly solicited.

Ernie Stefanik
Derry, PA

Created 30 December 1997.
Updated 9 July 2003.