101 Sermon Illustrations on Discipline

Punctuality and exactness are always taken in a good sense: they designate an attention to that which cannot be dispensed with; they form a part of one's duty. Early habits of method and regularity will make a man very exact in the performance of all his duties, and particularly punctual in his payments. Exactness has respect to our conduct or what we do; punctuality, to the time and season of doing it. In our accounts, we should have exactness; in observing the hour or the day fixed upon, or the promise given, we should show punctuality. G. Crabb.

A singular mischance has occurred to some of our friends. At the instant when God ushered them on existence, he gave them a work to do, and he also gave them a competency of time; so much time, that if they began at the right moment, and wrought with sufficient vigor, their time and their work would end together. But, a good many years ago, a strange misfortune befell them. A fragment of their allotted time was lost. They cannot tell what became of it; but sure enough it has dropped out of existence: for just like two measuring lines laid alongside, the one an inch shorter than the other, their work and their time run parallel; but the work is always ten minutes in advance of the time. They are not irregular. They are never too soon. Their letters are posted the very minute after the mail is shut. They arrive at the wharf just in time to see the steamboat off. They come in sight of the terminus precisely as the station-gates are closing. They do not break any engagement nor neglect any duty; but they systematically go about it too late, and usually too late by about the same fatal interval. Dr. J. Hamilton.

F. W. Robertson says that it will take him six months to read a small octavo on chemistry. Miss Martineau often read only a page in an hour. Comte read but few books, but thoroughly digested what he did read.

A man has learned to read of a very poor master. He makes up his mind that he will take lessons of a rhetorical teacher. He takes his books, and reads, and, as he reads, drawls his words, and runs them together, and makes bad work of it generally; and the teacher says, "Stop! stop! stop! What sort of reading is that? That will never do in the world. You are no reader at all." And the man says, "Then I suppose I must go back, and read my A B C's again." He has already learned them: he simply reads poorly, without proper emphasis, without any appreciation of the sense, and without indicating the pauses; and what has he to do but to start where he is, and do the right and best thing? Beecher.

Like as if two children should fight, and a man passing by should part them, and afterwards beat the one, and let the other go free, every one that seeth this will say that that child which he beat is his own son: even so when God chastiseth us, if we submit. Cavedray.

Every prudent husbandman observes his fittest season to sow seeds: and therefore some he sows in the autumn and fall of the leaf, and some in the spring and renewing of the year; some he sows in dry season, and some he sows in wet; some he sows in moist clay, and some he sows in a sandy, dry ground. And so all spiritual husbandmen must wisely observe their fittest seasons for the sowing of the immortal seed which God has put into their hands. Brooks.

Louis IX. of France punished any one who was convicted of swearing, by searing their lips with a hot iron; and, when some complained that the punishment was too severe, he replied, "I would to God, that, by searing my own lips, I could banish out of my realm all abuse of oaths!" Bowes.

A wren built her nest in a box, so situated, that a family had an opportunity of observing the mother-bird instructing the young ones in the art of singing peculiar to the species. She fixed herself on one side of the opening in the box, directly before her young, and began by singing over her whole song very distinctly. One of the young then attempted to imitate her. After proceeding through a few notes, its voice broke, and it lost the tune. The mother immediately recommenced where the young one had failed, and went very distinctly through with the remainder. The young bird made a second attempt, commencing where it had ceased before, and continuing the song as long as it was able; and, when the note was again lost, the mother began anew where it stopped, and completed it. Then the young one resumed the tune, and finished it. This done, the mother sang over the whole series of notes a second time, with great precision; and a second of the young attempted to follow her. The wren pursued the same course with this as with the first; and so with the third and fourth. It sometimes happened that the young one would lose the tune three, four, or more times in the same attempt; in which case, the mother uniformly began where they ceased, and sung the remaining notes: and, when each had completed the trial, she repeated the whole strain. Sometimes two of the young commenced together. The mother observed the same conduct towards them as when one sang alone. This was repeated day after day, and several times in a day. Percy.

The amount of time wasted in some men's lives is fearfully large. Not to mention the time which is wasted in sleep, dress, and gossip; look at the time wasted in reveries, absence of mind, air-balloon imaginations, and wild-goose chases, searching for new inventions without finding them; making schemes, and never executing them; writing manuscripts with a view to publish, and never publishing them; brooding over imaginary fears, and never realizing them; indulging in sanguine hopes which never ripen into fruit; battling with expected spectral appearances which never were seen; crossing bridges and streams and forests which never came in the way; meeting objections of opponents which were never raised; preparing defences of character upon points which were never assailed; quaking, shaking, moaning, groaning, grumbling, over aches, pains, losses, woes, and death, which only existed in the dreams of a diseased brain. Bate.

Two rode a race for a silver cup: he who won it outran the post many paces; indeed, he could not stop his horse in his full career, and therefore ran beyond the post, or else he would not have come soon enough to it. But, after he had won the wager, he reined his horse back again, and returned to the post, where, from the judges of the match, he received the cup, the reward of his victory. Can we not think of many who have designed a good mark to themselves, and prepounded pious ends and aims in their intentions? But query whether, in pursuance thereof, they were not forced to outrun the mark, so impossible is it to stop a soul in the full career thereof, and whether they did not overdo and exceed what they intended. If so, it is honorable and profitable for such persons to go back to the post which they have outrun.

In conversation with Dr. Stonehouse, David Saunders, who is well known as the subject of Mrs. Hannah More's beautiful tract, "The Shepherd of Salisbury Plain," gave the following narrative of facts concerning himself:—Blessed by God! through his mercy I learned to read when I was a boy. I believe there is no day, for the last thirty years, the I have not peeped at my Bible. If we can't find time to read a chapter, I defy any man to say he can't find time to read a verse; and a single text, well followed and put in practice every day, would make no bad figure at the year's end; 300 texts, without the loss of a moment's time, would make a pretty stock, a little golden treasury, as one may say, from new year's day to new year's day; and if children were brought up to it, they would come to look for their text as naturally as they do for their breakfast. I can say the greatest part of the Bible by heart.

Hon. Samuel Hubbard, of Boston, says the American Messenger, had a remarkable acquaintance with the Bible. He had a large Bible class of young men; and in the conversation and discussions which arose, would quote a verse from memory, and add, "I think you will find it in —," naming the chapter and verse; and the reference would be found invariably correct. Such a knowledge of the Scriptures could have been obtained only by long and faithful study.

When any member of Mr. Kilpin's church at Exeter, came with details of real or supposed injuries, received from a fellow-member, after listening to the reporter, Mr. K. would inquire if they had mentioned these grievances to their offending brother or sister. If the reply was in the negative, and usually it was so, he would then calmly order a messenger to fetch them, remarking, that it would be ungenerous to decide, and unscriptural to act, merely from hearing the statement of one party. This determination always produced alarm, and the request that nothing might be mentioned to the parties implicated. This plan had a peaceful influence, and often produced humility and self-accusation. Assertions and proofs are very different grounds for the exercise of judgment, and are more distinct than angry persons imagine.

### LINE, FAMILY.

went to the place where the apple was, picked up a chip that was near it, returned, threw it into her mother's lap, and was going to her play. Her father here took hold of her, brought her near him, expostulated, warned, and then reordered her. Her sullenness deepened into silence and malignity—my will be done, was her deliberate position. Her father took down the provided birch, and very dispassionately applied it to the obstinate offender. Electra screamed, and begged, and called for her mother, who first interfered, and then, not succeeding, in a flood of tears left the room. Her father forbore, and tried her again. She walked pouting and sobbing to the apple, stood still near it, and said—she could not pick it up. Her father understood the nature of her inability, and its true relation to account ability. He paused for some minutes Electra looked alternately at the apple and at him, pouted, rubbed her eyes, and said again that she could not pick up the apple. Another whipping was the consequence. Electra screamed louder than ever, begged and promised. On this her father tried her again. She went to the apple, stood still, held her eyes to the floor said and did nothing. Here some sympathetic spectators—friends of the family visiting—began to plead and apologize for the sufferer, and insinuated that it was useless and tyrannous to persist. Her father, with a look, gave them their answer, and his sentiments. He again applied the birch, and let not his soul spare for her crying. As soon as he ceased, while his steady carriage had awed the circle into silence, Electra showed another creature: she ran to the apple, took it up, and brought it to her father. Her actions spoke her obstinacy gone, her pride subdued, her temper humbled, tender, penitent. Her mother was called. As soon as she entered the apartment, "Electra," said her father, "put this apple where it was on the carpet;" she obeyed. Again, said he, "Take it up and carry it to your mother." She obeyed with alacrity and tears. "Come here, my daughter." She came. To the questions, "Are you sorry?" and others like it, she assented; constantly opening her arms and raising her lips for the caresses of her father.

Her mother then began her confession, asked pardon for the improper strength of her feelings, and acknowledged that her love for the child was spurious in comparison with that of her husband. The others united in the acknowledgment.

A father called to account a little boy, an offender about five years of age. After conversing with him and telling him the guilt and consequences of disobedience, he knelt down and prayed for him, and when he arose, repeated to him a few texts of Scripture, such as,—“He that spareth the rod, hateth his son; but he that loveth him, chasteneth him betimes.” “Chasten thy son while there is yet hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying.” “The rod and reproof, give wisdom, but a child left to himself, bringeth his parents to shame.” After briefly explaining these passages, the father continued: “You see, my son, what God says; now what is my duty?” “Why, Pa,” said the little boy, “it is your duty to punish me: I have done wrong and deserve it.” After receiving the chastisement, he embraced and kissed his father with evident thankfulness, and promised never again to disobey him.

A gentleman's son, says the Berlin Evangelical Journal, was brought to Mr. Flattich, an aged clergyman, of Wirtemburg, Germany, who was famous as an instructor of youth, with the request that he would place him under his discipline and instruction. "I must give you to understand," said the gentleman, when alone with the minister, "that my son is a desperate lad, upon whom, hitherto, all instructions, all corrections, have been lost. I have admonished him, I have whipped him, I have shamed him before company, but he still remains a desperate boy; praise and blame are equally unavailing." The minister asked whether he had sought for no other remedies. "Yes," said the father, "I confined the boy once to bread and water for two days together." The minister still asked him if he had tried nothing else. "Yes," he replied, "I have exposed him to the cold." Upon being further questioned, he mentioned other measures he had resorted to, without any good effect. He had in vain sought mild methods to bring him to reason; he had, for example, let him go into the company of well-behaved children; but the boy would escape as soon as possible into the society of boys in the street, or else would exhibit rude behavior before the orderly children. Upon this the old clergyman said that all these were not the right remedy; he knew a better remedy for such desperate cases, and that was prayer. He asked him whether he had deliberately and earnestly prayed with his son, and for him. The gentleman said, he must confess he had not done it. Then, observed the clergyman, it need not seem strange that all your pains applied have been in vain. Flattich now tried his remedy upon the boy, and it succeeded so well, that, as the writer of this communication knows, from a desperate youth he became an excellent and efficient man.

# 137. Religious Tendency of Discipline.

A child, who had been trained in the ways of religion, by a parent who was kind, but judiciously firm, as she sunk to rest in peaceful reliance on her Savior's love, affectionately thanked her beloved mother for all her tender care and kindness; but added, "I thank you most of all, for having subdued my self-will." And why so much gratitude for the mother's faithful discipline? Doubtless because the child regarded it as preparatory to the submission of her will to God, and thus instrumental of her salvation.

An only son of pious and respectable parents, says a writer in the Christian Watchman, was sent to school in a neighboring village. He gave early intimations of the truth of Solomon's remark, in Prov. 29: 15. Reports of his improper conduct reached the ears, and pierced the hearts of his fond parents, and called forth repeated expostulations.

I was present one day, when he received a letter from them, written in the bitterness of parental grief. They told him of their anxiety, their sleepless nights, their tears and prayers in his behalf. They warned him of his danger; they implored him to listen to the counsel of an affectionate father, a kind, but heart-broken mother. The son read the letter soberly; sat for a moment as if in deep thought, and the muscles of his face betrayed the working of a troubled conscience. Suddenly springing upon his feet, and with a look of ineffable contempt, he dashed the letter into the fire, exclaiming, "There, now, let the old man and woman warn, write letters, pray and whine: it is of no use: a good whipping, well laid on, ten years ago, would have done more to save me!"

While on a journey, in September 1834, I met this same only son, on the public road. He was reeling with intoxication, and pouring forth a torrent of profane and obscene language. Memory instantly reverted to his early days, and to his pious, though misjudging parents, who have since entered their rest. He was the only son; a false tenderness led to indulgence; indulgence fostered the corruptions of his heart, and these led him on to ruin. The whole face of society is marked with examples of the same kind.

### 139. Miscellaneous.

Some females, says the St. Louis Observer, met at the house of a friend, in this city, for an evening visit, when the following scene and conversation occurred:—

The child of one of the females, about five years old, was guilty of rude, noisy conduct, very improper on all occasions, and particularly so at a stranger's house. The mother kindly reproved her: "Sarah, you must not do so." The child soon forgot the reproof and became as noisy as ever. The mother firmly said,

"Sarah, if you do so again I will punish you."

But not long after, Sarah "did so again." When the company were about to separate, the mother stepped into a neighbor's house, intending to return for the child. During her absence the thought of going home recalled to the mind of Sarah the punishment, which her mother told her she might expect. The recollection turned her rudeness and thoughtlessness to sorrow. A young lady present, observing it, and learning the cause, in order to pacify her said,

"Never mind, I will ask your mother not to whip you."

"Oh," said Sarah, "that will do no good. My mother never tells lies."

Said my informant, who is also a parent, "I learned a lesson from the reply of that child, which I shall never forget. It is worth every thing in the training of a child, to make it feel, that its Mother never tells lies."

The following account is given by Milner, in his "Church History," of the family order observed by Eleazer, Count of Arian, in the fourteenth century:—I cannot, said the count, allow blasphemy in my house, nor any thing in word or deed which offends the laws of decorum. Dice, and all games of hazard are to be prohibited. Let all persons in my house divert themselves at proper times, but not in a sinful manner. In the morning, reading and prayer must be attended to. Let there be constant peace in my family; otherwise two armies are found under my roof, and the master is devoured by them both. If any difference arise, let not the sun go down upon your wrath. We must bear with something if we have to live among mankind. Every evening, all the family shall be assembled at a godly conference, in which they shall hear something of God and salvation. Let none be absent on pretence of attending to my affairs. I have no affairs so interesting to me as the salvation of my domestics. I seriously forbid all injustice which may cloak itself under color of serving me.

# NE, CHURCH.

pline. I thought that my great and almost only work was to pray and preach. I saw your souls to be so precious, and the time so short, that I devoted all my time, and care, and strength, to labor in word and doctrine. When cases of discipline were brought before me and the elders. I regarded them with something like abhorrence. It was a duty I shrank from; and I may truly say it nearly drove me from the work of the ministry among you altogether. But it pleased God, who teaches his servants in another way than man teaches, to bless some of the cases of discipline to be manifest and undeniable conversion of the souls of those under our care; and from that hour a new light broke in upon my mind, and I saw that if preaching be an ordinance of Christ, so is church discipline. I now feel very deeply persuaded that both are of God, that two keys are committed to us by Christ, the one the key of doctrine, by means of which we unlock the treasures of the Bible, the other the key of disci-

### 141. DISHONESTY.

A merchant in one of our seaports, on fitting out a ship for India, told the captain, at the time of making the contract for the voyage, that there must be no swearing among the crew; that he (the captain) must engage not to swear himself, nor permit others to be profane; that he must do as he pleased, with respect to taking command of the ship on these terms; but if he accepted the employment, it would be expected, that he should rigidly adhere to the stipulation, and that it should be known, as the law of the ship, that no profaneness should be indulged. The captain seemed to have no objection to reforming, but inquired, "How can I suddenly break off an inveterate habit?" "I will take care that you be reminded of your duty," said the owner. "Wear the ring that I will give you, and let the law of the vessel be explicitly known." Accordingly he procured a ring for the captain, with this motto engraved upon it, "SWEAR NOT AT ALL." The vessel soon sailed, and after performing the voyage returned to the seaport from whence he sailed. On being inquired of respecting the subject, the supercargo declared, that there had been no profaneness on board excepting a little within the first twenty days after sailing. At the close of this short period, the old habit was entirely destroyed; and during the remainder of the voyage, both in sea and in port, the success of the experiment was complete.

This single fact is of inestimable value, and it shows how groundless are the palliations of profaneness, and how easy it is to do good, when a person is seriously engaged in it, is influenced by principle, and acts with decision.

Chrysostom proposes a singular method to facilitate the leaving off this practice of customary swearing. "Would'st thou know," says the father, "by what means thou may'st be rid of this wicked custom of swearing. I'll tell ther a way, which if thou'lt take, will certainly prove successful. Every time, whenever thou shalt find thyself to have let slip an oath, punish thyself for it by missing the next meal. Such a course as this, though troublesome to the flesh, will be profitable to the spirit; and cause a quick amendment; for the tongue will need no other monitor to make it take heed of swearing another time, if it has been thus punished with hunger and thirst for its former transgression, and knows it shall be so punished again, if ever it commits the like crime hereafter."

### 310. Profanity, Punishment of.

Few men have been more distinguished for vigorous exertions of various kinds, than the worthy and well known William Penn. If we consider the number of books which he wrote and published, the number and difficult active engagements in which he was children to me." It so happened, that God, at whose government he had so impiously murmured, sent him those riches he longed for. But as he sent him the wished-for wealth, he deprived him of the children he had complained of. He saw them one by one go to the grave before him; and in advanced life, and great affluence, when he endured the stroke of having his last beloved daughter taken from his eyes, he bitterly remembered (it is hoped with saluary bitterness) his former rebellious murmurings against God.

# PUNCTUALITY.

occupied, and the almost incessant troubles and interruptions to which he was subject, we shall wonder how it was possible for him to accomplish what he did. He who reads attentively the life of this eminent man, written by Mr. Clarkson, will find that the secret of his extraordinary despatch in study, writing and business, was his punctuality.

The residence of the Rev. David Brown in Calcutta, was at a considerable distance from the Mission Church, where he preached; but no weather ever deterred him from meeting the people at the stated periods of Divine service. And when on any occasion, and even in cases of indisposition he was urged to postpone the service, he would not consent; for, he would observe, "If the hearers once find a minister to be irregular in his attendance on them, they will become irregular in attending him; but when my congregation sees that no inconvenience whatever makes me neglect them, they will be ashamed to keep away on any frivolous pretext."

The Rev. S. Brewer was distinguished for punctuality. When a youth in college, he was never known to be a minute behind time in attending lectures of the tutors, or the family prayers, at which the young men who boarded in private families were expected to assemble. One morning the students were collected; the clock struck seven, and all rose up for prayer; but the tutor observing that Mr. Brewer was not present, paused awhile. Seeing him enter the room, he thus addressed him; "Sir, the clock has struck, and we are ready to begin; but as you were absent, we supposed the clock was too fast, and therefore waited."—The clock was actually too fast by some minutes.

The seeing of Comedies ought to be forbidden to young people; until age and discipline have made them proof against debauchery.