impressions o f God’s Word, but, Will we give it? When the Word is poured into the baby it works on him, in him, and through him. In Hebrews 4:12-13 we read, “ For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.” The Word is a sword, and it can cut and pierce before the age of reason; cutting and piercing have no need to wait upon reason. How this should enlighten and encourage every parent in his faith ful labor in the Word o f God to his children. The greatest tragedy in Christendom and to the cause of Christ is the utter waste of the first four golden years of opportunity. The child in the tender, plas tic, impressionable state he is in from one day to four years is the golden opportunity for every par ent to lay the Word of God deep in his life as a firm foundation for all else that shall follow. Be a missionary of this wonderful truth to young mar ried couples and those contemplating marriage. There are very few parents who realize the impor tance o f these years. We recall a little lad of two years in Waterloo, Iowa. He had been trained as we are advocating here, “ From birth on,” around the family altar. Re sult? One day he was asked to say grace at the table. While he was praying, verse after verse of Scripture flowed from his lips. His parents had im pressed these verses at family worship during the preceding two years. They had little idea but that most of the verses had gone in one ear and out the other. But that day they found out that their little boy had heard them and retained them. Two years old and saved— full of Scripture and evidencing a real burden and desire for the salvation of his un saved relatives. Is this a miracle? It is, but not one that cannot be repeated by every other born-again parent in the lives of his children! How ? By faith ful planting o f the Word of God from the very be ginning o f the child’s life. Not only believe this, reader, but practice it and see God honor you and your child beyond your greatest expectations! The family altar is the great instrument of “ in struction” in the Word of God. Philip Henry was zealous and earnest in his practice o f family devo tion. Besides the regular plan of reading and ex pounding the scriptures morning and evening, he used strongly to recommend singing, saying that it was a way of exhibiting godliness, like Rahab’s scarlet thread, to such as pass by our windows (Josh. 2:18; Ps. 118:15). His children and servants used to take notes o f his family altar expositions; and the foundation o f Matthew Henry’s Commen tary was laid from these notes. On Thursday eve-
be filled with the Word o f God before he is able to think. -Then as the process of thinking begins to function, his thoughts will have these impressions, hearings, sights, heart-movings there to guide his thinking and to mark its tone and direction! A mother heard her little baby say a curse word before he ever had much of an idea if any what it meant! The thinking was not there, but the sense impression was! Naturally as he begins to think, his thoughts will follow these words, the sound- and sense-impressions he has heard. In other words he will draw the meaning out o f what he already has by way of sense and emotional impres sion. Most babies are full of the world from the beginning; no wonder they start thinking that way, so far away from God! We feed baby before he has the least idea what food is for. But his body is so made that it takes the food and turns it into energy which can be later turned into brain power. Why not feed him God’s Word before he has any idea what it’s all about? His impressionable little soul will take it, and that little heart somehow by God’s power holds the sights, sounds, and impressions of His Word and turns it into divine energizings that can later be turned into thoughts and ideas. The truth of the matter is this: a child may be impressed long before he has the power to express. He has the power to receive impressions long before he has the power o f thinking and understanding. From the moment of birth he is a little bundle of life that is receiving impressions, through the eye- gate, ear-gate, and heart-gate; what he hears, sees, and feels is stored up in his heart; and as he begins to think his expressions will draw up and out of his impressions. His impressions provide the mold into which his thoughts and interests will be cast. The whole point of the early training (in the pre-thinking state) is to prepare the mold, to pre pare him for thinking and understanding so that when this stage comes he will from the beginning think the thoughts of God after Him. Remember Jesus said, “ Out of the heart are the issues o f lie.” We pour God’s Word into our babies for the same reason the builder brings his tools and mate rials to the site o f a building project: so that they will be there when he is ready to begin work. Talk about impressions! Doctors tell us that a baby for nine months before he is born is being impressed and influenced for good or ill by the actions, moods, thoughts, and fe e lin g s of the mother. The life is being influenced and the mold for later thoughts, actions, and decisions is being laid by the mother even before birth! In the Word of God this is confirmed: “And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation o f Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost” (Luke 1 :41). Now the real question is not, Can he receive the
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AUGUST, 1966
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