To The Fathers

Rev. Mr. Earp in his sermón at St. Andrews church last Sunday morning from the text, "Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods," spoke of obligations to the Sunday school, like Aaron's rod consuming the obligations of home. The discourse was addressed particularly to thefathers. The Sunday school, he said, is a missionary to the poor and neglected. It can be made a great, living ligament between the living, loving heart of the church and the world. It is an educator in the cburcb, but only in a subordínate attitude to the familyV Whenever it takes the obligations from the paren ts to teach their own children and train them for God, when they are capable and able, it is no blessing. After urging the tathers to teach their children that there was a manhood side of affection as well as a womanhood, and a manlike way of looking at duty and enforciug its demands, Mr. Earp said: "You are the Sunday schoolmaster; then up at your work for the time is short. Youarebyappointmentthe Sunday housekeeper; then set your house in order. Your whole duty is not discharged in being six days sutler to HU the larder and stock the wardiooe. This is rather the servant side of vour duty. The father side must be fulfllled in the moral duties wbich the Lord's day f urnishes an occasion to perforra That dav was not given of God for mere selflsh idleness and indulgence, not for mere amusement or recreation, not for social parades or displays, but it was given that each father, realizing hs exalted rank asa prophet, priest and kingin hisfamily, should, by his rule of love, by his priestly function of prayer, and by bis personal instruction as a teacher bring his family, week by week, one step nearer to the great white throne of the common Father of all. Such fathers this land sorely needs to-day' Before God and man, we believe she has no sorer need. "Instead of this what do we find? In too many instaKces, the children are handed over to some teaeher in the Sundav school. In hundreds of instances that we have seen, some silly erirl 3 expected to fill up the breaeh, who pertiap3, knows nothingof piety and as tle of her lesson. auch are, m too many cases, pratically the godtnothers and godfathers of the children of our day. Is it any wonder that we see what we see and deplore what we deplore?" Coutinuing, Rev. Mr Earp said he would like to see a black board brought jefore every congregation on which. should be placed an object lesson, with passages f rom God's word declanng the dutiesof parents to theiroltsprings and .heu by way of contrast "to draw a jevy of children prowling about anywhere that inclination lists on the Lord's day, or reading anything upon which they can get their lands without any direction or supervisión, while the father indulges hiruself in sleep on his couch and the mother worries heiself about the Sunday ineal." lle did "not wish to be understood as detracting anything fiom the blessecl work and mission of the Sunday school, nor as complaining that its work is done and even well done, but ;hat the home work, which is of far higher oblieation, is so largely lef t undone. The Sunday scnool should neverbe a sabstitute but a help tohome training."