Observance of the Sabbath
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appreciated, because the mind is confused by an improper diet. By
overeating on the Sabbath, many have done more than they think to
dishonor God.
While cooking upon the Sabbath should be avoided, it is not nec-
essary to eat cold food. In cold weather let the food prepared the
day before be heated. And let the meals, though simple, be palatable
and attractive. Provide something that will be regarded as a treat,
something the family do not have every day.
At family worship let the children take a part. Let all bring their
Bibles and each read a verse or two. Then let some familiar hymn
be sung, followed by prayer. For this, Christ has given a model. The
Lord’s Prayer was not intended to be repeated merely as a form, but
it is an illustration of what our prayers should be—simple, earnest,
and comprehensive. In a simple petition tell the Lord your needs
and express gratitude for His mercies. Thus you invite Jesus as a
welcome guest into your home and heart. In the family long prayers
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concerning remote objects are not in place. They make the hour of
prayer a weariness, when it should be regarded as a privilege and
blessing. Make the season one of interest and joy.
The Sabbath school and the meeting for worship occupy only a
part of the Sabbath. The portion remaining to the family may be made
the most sacred and precious season of all the Sabbath hours. Much of
this time parents should spend with their children. In many families
the younger children are left to themselves to find entertainment as
best they can. Left alone, the children soon become restless and begin
to play or engage in some kind of mischief. Thus the Sabbath has to
them no sacred significance.
In pleasant weather let parents walk with their children in the fields
and groves. Amid the beautiful things of nature tell them the reason
for the institution of the Sabbath. Describe to them God’s great work
of creation. Tell them that when the earth came from His hand, it was
holy and beautiful. Every flower, every shrub, every tree, answered
the purpose of its Creator. Everything upon which the eye rested was
lovely and filled the mind with thoughts of the love of God. Every
sound was music in harmony with the voice of God. Show that it
was sin which marred God’s perfect work; that thorns and thistles,
sorrow and pain and death, are all the result of disobedience to God.
Bid them see how the earth, though marred with the curse of sin, still