Over-indulgence of fond and foolish parents!
(John Angell James, "The Duties of Parents" 1838)
LISTEN to audio! Download audio
"I am going to carry out all my threats against
Eli and his family. I have warned him continually
that judgment is coming for his family, because
his sons are blaspheming GOD and he hasn't
disciplined them." 1 Samuel 3:12-13
There is, in some households,
no family government,
no order,
no subordination,
no discipline.
The children are kept under no restraint,
but are allowed to do what they like.
Their faults are intentionally unnoticed and
unpunished, and their corruptions allowed
to grow wild and headstrong; until, in fact,
the whole family becomes utterly lawless,
rebellious against parental authority--
and grievous to all around them!
How many have had to curse the over-
indulgence of fond and foolish parents!
How many, as they have ruminated amid
the desolations of poverty, or the walls of a
prison, have exclaimed, "O, my cruelly fond
parents, had you exercised that authority with
which GOD entrusted you, over your children,
and had you checked my childish corruptions,
and punished my boyish disobedience;
had you subjected me to the beneficial
restraint of wholesome discipline,
I would not have brought you with
a broken heart to your grave, nor
myself with a ruined life to the jail!"
Overindulgence of children is awfully common,
and continually making shocking ravages
in human character. It is a system of
great cruelty to the children, to
the parents themselves, and to society.
This practice proceeds from various causes;
in some instances, from a perverted and
intentional sentimentalism; in others,
from absolute indolence, and a regard
to present ease, which leads the silly
mother to adopt any means of
coaxing, and yielding, and bribing--
to keep the "young rebels" quiet
for the time!
It is not uncommon for parents to treat
the first acts of infantile rebellion rather
as accidents to be smiled at, than as sins
to be disciplined. "O," says the mother,
"it is only play, he will know better soon.
He does not mean any harm. I cannot
discipline him."
Lack of parental discipline, from whatever
cause it proceeds, it is in the highest degree
injurious to the character of the children!
"Discipline your son, and he will give you peace;
he will bring delight to your soul." Proverbs 29:17
"Discipline your son, for in that there is hope;
do not be a willing party to his death." Proverbs 19:18
"Children are better whipt, than damned!"
Cotton Mather, Puritan
No comments:
Post a Comment