CULTIVATION AND DIVINATION, or

Planting by Signs

For many years, farmers and household gardeners have adopted the "almanac" as the Bible by which to plant. Perhaps you have seen the poor lad with all his "innards" exposed, and which are supposed to correlate with the various signs of the Zodiac. In it farmers are cautioned not to plant on a day the moon changes that all plants which yield above ground should be planted during the increase of the moon, while all root crops should be planted when the moon is waning. It portends the "signs" indicate the best time this year to plant is April 6th or 7th. In fact, the Almanac advises the best time to take out tonsils or to pull teeth is "when the sign is in the knees." (Personally, I think the best time to remove them is when they are diseased.)

The belief that if yea plant at a certain time you will have a good crop is pure divination, God is sovereign, and He, not the stars, will bring increase, or send "blasting, mildew, and the palmerworm." The examination of the intestines and the observation of the stars to determine what we should do are prohibited by God: "Thou shall not be an observer of times ...for all that do these things are an abomination

unto the Lord." it is utterly pagan in origin and was practiced by the Philistines; and "because of these abominations, the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before Me." On account of such practices, God threw them out of their land and gave it to Israel. (See: Deuteronomy 18:9-14) "Thus saith the Lord, learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.’" (Jeremiah 10: 2}

Sometimes such divination will take on a "Christian" flavor. For instance, many people plant on Good Friday because of the mistaken notion that since Christ rose from the dead after three days, there are beneficial results given to seeds planted on that day. It is divination nonetheless, and is to be shunned.

While certain seeds require cool and others warm soil, plant when you want. YOU can plant squash in January as I have done. Just make sure you cover the hills with clear plastic!

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THE MARRIAGE RING by John Angell James IS HERE!

"It is an unquestionable truth, that if a man be not happy at home, he cannot be happy anywhere; and he who is happy there need be miserable nowhere."

"It is obvious that no decision of our whole earthly existence requires more of the exercise of a calm judgment than this: and yet observation proves how rarely the judgment is allowed to give counsel, and how generally the imagination and the passions settle the business."

"In the ardor of passion, few are disposed to listen to the counsels of prudence; and perhaps there is no advice, generally speaking, more thrown away, than that which is offered on the subject of marriage.... Upon such individuals, reasoning is wasted, and they must be left to gain wisdom in the only way by which some will acquire it --painful experience."

Excellent as a young people’s study.

A must for the conscientious counselor $2.50. Postage will be paid.

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THE CULTIVATION OF CHRISTIAN FAMILIES

The sorest neglect of our lives is often the general disregard for the souls of our children. The 1720 edition of the Philadelphia Confession of Faith addressed this reality and asked,

Verily there is one spring and cause of the decay of religion in our day which we cannot but touch upon and earnestly urge a redress of: and that is the neglect of the worship of God in families.... May not the gross ignorance and instability of many with the profaneness of others be justly charged upon their parents...who have not trained them up in the way wherein they ought to walk when they were young; ... and also by their own omission of prayer and other duties of religion... together with the ill example of their loose conversation have inured them first to a neglect and then contempt of all piety and religion? ...Will not their blood be required of those under whose care they were who yet permitted them to go on without warning...?

And the Preface to the 1851 edition of the Westminster Confession of Faith contains a letter written by Thomas Manton, chaplain to Oliver Cromwell. Mr. Manton wrote,

He continues declaring that Christian parents dedicate their children to God and promise to rear them in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, but that they easily promise and easily break it and educate them instead for the world, the flesh and the Devil. This covenant-breaking with God lies heavy upon them here and hereafter.

The home is the seedbed of both the church and state. It is the nursery for the olive plants that will flourish after us. The condition of the state, like the condition of the church is the condition of the home. The home feeds both, and it is not possible to have degeneracy pervade the life of our families and to have noble and virtuous men at the helm of church and state. In order to destroy the Godly influence in society it is unnecessary to corrupt everyone. If the youth of one generation can be corrupted or "captured," so can the church and state!

God has ordained parents to be the moral and spiritual guide of their children. This responsibility cannot be relegated to Sunday school teachers or to pastors: God holds parents responsible to teach their children the way they should go because children receive from their parents their natural corruption and guiltiness. God requires parents therefore to teach and to restrain their children, and they are to do it when they sit in their house, when they walk by the way, when they lie down, and when they rise up. They are to do it continually, diligently, and, that it may serve as a preventative to evil, they are to do it early.

In ancient times before the institution of the Levitical priesthood, the father served as the family priest. We have such an example in Job who was both the political as well as the ecclesiastical head of the family. And Joshua admonished Israel, "If it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for

me and my house, we will serve the Lord." (Joshua 24:15)

Children are born in ignorance. If they are to know their need for Christ, the worth of Christ and how to come to Christ, they must be taught doctrine. The principles of God’s Word must be taught. Bible stories are not sufficient.

A second hindrance to the cultivation of Godliness in our children is the innate evil of their nature. They are children of sinful parents, and on account of this evil nature, they must be taught discipline. Where discipline is lacking, there can be no proper reverence for God in the family. Christians are the light of the world, and the salt of the earth. They promise before God to rear their children for Christ and His kingdom; yet how easily do they neglect, how quickly they forget the cultivation of the souls of their children!

But the greatest hindrance to Godliness that children face is the mistaken indulgence of their own parents, who, instead of curtailing their rebellion in its first stages, often laugh and make sport of it until it has grown to such a proportion as to bring heartache to their parents as well as to themselves.

The Children born in our families are horn unto God. As stewards, parents will be called upon to answer how they have reared them for the Lord. The three Hebrew words, "ben" -a son, bath" -a daughter; and "beth" -a house all derive from the same root word "bana" -to build, because not a house only, but a son and daughter as well must be "built."

The responsibility of training up families was recognized by the founding fathers of this nation. In 1642 Massachusetts passed a law requiring masters of families to teach their children and apprentices to read that they might be able to study the Word of God. The law was amplified in 1648 and exhorted masters of families to catechize their children and servants at least 0nce a week that they might be able to learn the grounds and principles of Christianity. They were to be able to answer questions propounded them without their books. It was not uncommon for a father to be fined 20 shillings by the court for neglecting to teach such things to his children. While we certainly do not want to return to a church-state government since throughout history such "marriages" have always resulted in the persecution of saints, yet every child of God must appreciate the zeal for godliness underlying such laws.

Churches in our land once took the time to catechize their young. Cotton Mather urged school teachers to catechize their pupils. And, the selectmen of every town were expected occasionally to go house to house to test the neighborhood children in the knowledge of their catechisms.

If we have any compassion for our children we should labor they may know the Lord Jesus Christ. Since they received their corruption from us, how reckless would be our neglect if we failed to introduce them to the Saviour! What enormity would it be if we should be more concerned they be popular, or that they be well-educated, than that they have a knowledge of Jesus Christ! Reading writing and arithmetic are desirable skills, but they may go to Heaven without them; but without the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ our children will be miserable throughout eternity.

Our children must have doctrine, and they must have discipline. Eli was old, and his sons made themselves vile by lying with the women who assembled at the door of the Tabernacle. He reproved them but they did not hearken to him because the Lord God had already determined to destroy them. Yet God cursed Eli and said He would judge his house forever because when Eli knew the iniquity of his sons he did not restrain them. "Therefore," God said. "I have sworn unto the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering forever." Thomas Hooker wrote, "Let us bring our children as near to Heaven as we can. It is in our power to restrain them and that we ought to do." (I Samuel 2:25; 3:14)

The responsibility of cultivating our children does not cease with their generation, for God spoke commendingly of Abraham when He said, "I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him...." We have no greater earthly treasure than our children. To some God gives houses and lands, silver and gold and an empty womb; but the poor, while not blessed with the former may have abiding treasure in the latter. We should therefore, show them how they are to behave. We should lead them because discipline without example is hypocrisy. Let us beg God incessantly for them because our work will not be done until we or they are gone to Heaven. "Speak to them lovingly, "wrote Adam Clarke, "instruct them affectionately, and encourage them powerfully. Parental affection without discipline will result in love without respect. Obedience will be deemed unnecessary. Parental authority without affection will result in dread without affection, and will degenerate into rebellion.

There is a degree of affectionate respect which is owing to parents and to which no other person has claim. Rebellion against their lawful command constitutes rebellion against God. Therefore, all irreverence and back-talking are forbidden. Kindness and prompt obedience are to be engrained.

Shortly before his death, Cotton Mather entered into his Diary:

BEAUTY AIDS

In every society there are people who attempt to improve their appearance because they are not content with the way God has made them. In some societies people wear a bone in their nose, while in others, they may wear it about their neck. While some paint their faces in streaks or with some signs, others paint only their lips. In some societies an initiation involving an identifying mark or mutilation inducts one into the "in" group, and in others peers pressure initiates to accept a tattoo. In some, women stretch their lips, and in others they pierce their ears. God, however, has forbidden such printing of marks upon our bodies as tattoos, as well as such cuttings in our flesh to enhance our beauty. (Leviticus 19:28; 21:5)

The person who argues "If the barn needs painting, paint it" is making a tacit admission he is not satisfied with the way God has made him. He may resort to the use of jewelry, clothes or even an automobile to "set him off", but instead of saying his appearance requires some sort of embellishments, he would do well to rejoice that in His goodness and wisdom, God has made him unique. Let him not fault the features God has made him, but think: his chemistry is different from anyone else. So are his fingerprints. His abilities are such that no one is capable of assuming his place in society. God has made one of him, and he has a place to fill in God’s plan for the ages. The very fact he is argues he has a place no one else can fill.

But "The Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart." Therefore women should adorn themselves in "modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broidered hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array: but, which becometh women professing godliness with good works." "Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel, but let it be the hidden man of the heart in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price." (I Samuel 16:7b; I Timothy 2:9, 10; I Peter 3:3, 4)

Meekness and quietness, coupled with good works constitute true beauty, and as they are highly esteemed by God, so are they precious to all who are Godly.

HEALING BALM for TROUBLED HOMES--

WHOLESOME COUNSEL for all

Contemplating marriage:

"THE MARRIAGE RING" John Angell James