Sabbath—The Day of Delight
409
children to wander about and suffer them to play upon the Sabbath,
God looks upon you as Sabbathbreakers
Out-of-doors With the Children—The parents may take their
children outdoors to view God in nature. They can be pointed to the
blooming flowers and the opening buds, the lofty trees and beautiful
spires of grass, and taught that God made all these in six days and
rested on the seventh day and hallowed it. Thus the parents may bind
up their lessons of instruction to their children, so that when these
children look upon the things of nature, they will call to mind the
great Creator of them all. Their thoughts will be carried up to nature’s
God—back to the creation of our world, when the foundation of the
Sabbath was laid, and all the sons of God shouted for joy. Such are
the lessons to be impressed on the minds of our children.
We are not to teach our children that they must not be happy on
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the Sabbath, that it is wrong to walk out-of-doors. Oh, no. Christ led
His disciples out by the lakeside on the Sabbath day and taught them.
His sermons on the Sabbath were not always preached within enclosed
walls
Other Lessons From Nature—Object Lessons—Teach the chil-
dren to see Christ in nature. Take them out into the open air, under the
noble trees, into the garden; and in all the wonderful works of creation
teach them to see an expression of His love. Teach them that He made
the laws which govern all living things, that He has made laws for us,
and that these laws are for our happiness and joy. Do not weary them
with long prayers and tedious exhortations, but through nature’s object
lessons teach them obedience to the law of God
Give True Concept of God’s Character—How can children re-
ceive a more correct knowledge of God, and their minds be better
impressed, than in spending a portion of their time out-of-doors, not
in play, but in company with their parents? Let their young minds
be associated with God in the beautiful scenery of nature; let their
attention be called to the tokens of His love to man in His created
works, and they will be attracted and interested. They will not be in
danger of associating the character of God with everything that is stern
and severe; but as they view the beautiful things which He has created
20
The Review and Herald, September 19, 1854
.
21
Manuscript 3, 1879
.
22
The Desire of Ages, 516, 517
.