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Home-education should be religious. As the child has a religious nature,
religious wants, and a religious end to accomplish, it should receive from
its parents a religious training. Religion is educational. We are commanded
to teach religion to our children. The admonition to "train up a child in
the way he should go," and to "bring him up in the nurture and admonition
of the Lord," is a scripture sanction of religious education. Nature and
the bible are the text-books for such a training. The child should be
taught natural and revealed religion. Such education involves the
development of the child's religious nature, and the diligent use of those
means by which it may become an adopted child of God.
Education should be suited to the wants and the destination of the child.
Religion is its first want,--the one thing needful, the chief concern; and
should, therefore, be the first object of attention in home-training. The
fear and love of God should be the first lesson taught. This is the
beginning of wisdom. Teach your children to love Him above father and
mother, sister and brother. The child is capable of such ideas of God.
Children can possess the sentiment of God; and when this is instilled and
developed as a rudiment of their character, they have a preparation for the
grace of God. What is the mere secular, without such a religious education?
It is education without its essence; for piety is the essence of all
education.
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