This is a consideration for every Christian mother and father. As among the children of Israel every maiden3 held in her heart the secret hope that she might be the mother of the promised seed of David, so now, however 79 humble4 and far away from every center of influence your home may be, however meager5 its furnishing, however much you may seem to lack incentive6 to noble effort, there should be inspiration in the thought that the little child playing about your feet, whose life and habits you are molding, may be one who shall be called to bear the vessel7 of the Lord, which is his Word, filled with the holy oil of his Spirit, before some council of earth’s great men, and to answer for the principles by which the world is to receive its final test.
By this I do not mean that he may be called to suffer martyrdom,—although that is possible—but I refer to the fact that he may have the yet grander ministry8 of standing9 up to be quizzed and catechized by those learned in the wisdom of the world concerning all that he has been taught of Christian principle, health, disease, and life in the Holy Ghost.
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Unquestionably, this work is waiting for some select few of our young people in the not far distant future. Some great council of physicians will wish to know all about what the medical missionary10 physicians teach, and why; the chemists of the world will wish to know the philosophy of the system of dietetics11 which will keep the temple of God in repair; and, as is almost always the case among the people of the world, there will be eating and drinking on a large scale connected with all these investigations12; and your boy or girl may have to accept the place as guest of honor at some such feast, and carry himself elegantly, for Christ’s sake and the truth’s; for the banquet, the dinner, the lunch, play an important part in all social affairs to-day, and will until the end of probation13.
If a man of means and social standing becomes interested enough in what you know of Christ to hear you out on it, he will make 81 you a dinner, invite a few friends, and give you a chance to talk and tell all you know. And if you know how to take advantage of the opportunity—how to avoid giving offense14 by your manner of speech and habits of conduct; if you know how to charm and win by your personality, you have placed at the command of truth an instrument that can be made effective where, otherwise, no entrance could be gained.
Nowhere is the observance of good form more necessary to one who has work to do in the social world than at the table; for here bad habits may be given such disgusting publicity15 as to render them a cause of reproach to any good cause; and the obligation is upon every Christian home to see that its children are so instructed that they shall be ready to quickly fill any place to which the work may call, and to stand with dignity for the truth in any place that can be opened to its consideration.
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A home of wealth and elaborate appliances is not necessary for such training. A child who is instructed in the proper use of the few simple things that constitute the furnishing of the most humble home, and in those rules of good form that ought to be the natural order in any place, will not be left to carry with him into some important convocation careless table habits, which, under the pressure of a sense of responsibility, would certainly come to the front, in place of the few better ways that he might have picked up and stored away for occasional and special use.
In “acting out just what is in him,” he will not bring himself and that which he represents into ridicule16; the opportunity of giving the truth a chance to shine will not be lost, while honest souls are left in the dark; the breath of personal contempt will not obscure the character of Christ, which he is supposed to represent. He will be accepted, first, because it is agreeable to look at him; he will be heard because no good reason 83 appears why he should not be; and after that, everything will depend on what he really is and has down under the surface, in the place where he lives alone with God.
“But,” you say, “the Lord, who calls a man to stand in any place, will prevent any disaster to the cause, provided his servant is honest.”
Yes, God will be able to use even his servants’ infirmities after he has “helped” them (Rom. 8:26); i. e., added to them his strength and wisdom. And this which we are considering is all in the nature of helps to infirmity and ignorance. It is in the direct line of legitimate17 education for the very best Christian service.
The honest-hearted laborer18 for God, who, with his heart full of love, starts out in his ignorance and awkwardness to “do something” for God and souls, will find “something” to do; but we are now considering a work which every man could not do, and yet which some one must do.
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1
refinement
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| n.文雅；高尚；精美；精制；精炼 | |
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2
Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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3
maiden
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| n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的 | |
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4
humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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5
meager
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| adj.缺乏的，不足的，瘦的 | |
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6
incentive
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| n.刺激；动力；鼓励；诱因；动机 | |
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7
vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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8
ministry
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| n.(政府的)部；牧师 | |
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9
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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10
missionary
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| adj.教会的，传教(士)的；n.传教士 | |
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11
dietetics
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| n.营养学 | |
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12
investigations
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| （正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究 | |
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13
probation
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| n.缓刑(期)，(以观后效的)察看；试用(期) | |
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14
offense
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| n.犯规，违法行为；冒犯，得罪 | |
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15
publicity
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| n.众所周知，闻名；宣传，广告 | |
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16
ridicule
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| v.讥讽，挖苦；n.嘲弄 | |
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17
legitimate
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| adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法 | |
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18
laborer
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| n.劳动者，劳工 | |
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