Rensselaer Union, Volume 8, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 January 1876 — The Gospel of “ Don’t.” [ARTICLE]

The Gospel of “ Don’t.”

“Don’t do that!” is almost the only exclamation which you hear falling from the lips of parents in some homes. In apologizing for their children and themselves such parents will frequently say: “Ican’t see why my boys are so bad. I’m sure I constantly check them for their badness, but it does no good.” Certain teachers are very much like these parents, and ought to be called “ don’t teachers,” because the sum and substance of their effects is prohibitory and not productive. All such jiersons need to learn that “ the gospel of don’t,” which is about all they teach, will not produce any of the good fruits which are so needful in every life. Destroy weeds ever so thoroughly, and, if you stop there and fail to plant good seed of Some kind, they will soon spring up with renewed vigor. A boy or girl must do something, The restless activities of his or her nature will push in some direction. It is the part of the wise parent and teacher to guide this impulse in the right direction, rather than to leave it to push as It pleases and then repress it. There is a place and an important use for “ don’t” in training the young. We find it in the law of God, who says “ Thou shalt not" very often. This is the rod by which until there are higher motives the child must be restrained from wrong-doing. “ Don’t” is well enough as a present check to some evil doing, but after such check from wrong there should be an immediate impulse to what is praiseworthy. It is strange that so many professing Christians seem to have no higher gospel than the “gospel of don’t.” It is not strange that such persons invariably make such an utter failure m securing anything good or noble by their efforts. Encouragement is no less important than restraint; and, if one or the other of these is to bo cast aside, we would rather risk the abandonment of the latter. There are but two ways, right-doing and wrong-aoing. There 'is no third way of doing nothing. If such course could be taken, it would ruii alongside of wrongdoing. Satan soon picks upthe idler, and leads him off in the road of the “wrongdoer.” The life of God’s law is summed up in positive precepts: “ Thoushalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and thy neighboras thyself.” All prohibitory enactments, “don’t steal, don’t kill, don’t lie,” etc., are but as hedges to shut us up to the direct way of love. The life of religion is oftentimes well-nigh killed out in young hearts by the unwise and improper use cf “ don’t.” You would never put a high-strung and spirited young horse into the hands of one to train "who would use the whip from morning to night upon him, especially if he would make the use of the whip a substitute for good food and kindly care. The child must have his moral nature ted and strengthened, as well as restrained. “ Don’t” is good as a rod and a restraint, but it will not do as a substitute for food. If you are determined to press your child into the service of God, gently, resolutely and irresistibly say: “Come this way!” The “ Don’t go that way any farther!” is included id this. Backbone is a good thing. I admit that backbone is essential to a man! but nobody wants a man who is all backbone and nothing else. There must be flesh —soft and warm and sympathizing—on the bones, or else they will be of but little use. The “gospel of don’t” is the mere skeleton of the Gospel of Christ, and people want the living man and the living Gospel, not the mere skeleton. Don’t make your teachings of the Gospel consist of “ don’t,” or the results, both to yourself and to others, will bring bitter disappointment.— IK. T. Wylie, in the Sunday Teachers’ Treasury.