Arkansas intelligencer., 1843-10-28

in considerable degree, the advance and expan-
sion of the christian religion.
Like the ocean, its depths can never be faith
omed, nor can its Ultimate limits ever be deter
mined.
Like the sun which gives light to the NATURAL
so does it illuminate the moral word:-for as tha.
illustrious luminary dspells the gloom of natural
darkness from the earth, and pours amam his
thrilling, enlightening, andIviyifyng rays so does
The light of sanctfed education dissipae the clouds
Of error and ignorance, which darken the moral
world, spreading in every direction its spir.stir.
ring, enlightening and animatng radence. We
now begin to see the excellence and importance
of sanctified learning. Pluck it from the moral
world, and you take away IL beacon necessary
to it as the sun is to the natural world. Shut up
the avenues of religious literature, and you, in a
measure, close the pages of history, draw a cur.
tain over tho past, wrap the present in gloom and
saccloth, and veil the future in mystery. The
floods of knowledge which continually pour in
upon the present from the past. must roll in si-
lence back the fountains of wisdom which arise
from the bosom of the present, must be forever
dried up, and the lively and beautiful perspective
Of the future, will be changed into dark and
slckenlng picture.
Suffer me to come to this bod conclusion here ::
that with sound learning and genuine christian
principles. man is fitted for tho journey Of life,
and a nation is qualified to govern itself, and is
capacated for appness-butl learning unsanc,if-
ed by religion only increases the means and af-
fords greater facilities for accomplishing the final
ruin of both individuals and nations. No where
in all the history of man do We find account of
a single happy being, who has denied the God Of
the Bible. No where in the history of nations,
however learned or powerful, have we an account
of happy or we'll governed people, who have
been destitute of the principles Of the religion of
the Bible-Egypt, Greece, Rome, and France not
excepted Then i, is not untrue that " blessed is
the nation whose God is the Lord.'
In dltluslng learning amongst mankind, from,
first to last, christians have been most useful; time
would fail US in reciting the names of those chris
tan literary giants, from the renowned orig
down along the whole rank of learned men, to
the late celebrated DR.. Chalmers of Edinburgh,
who have been the chief promoters of learning
and science. If we take our list of learned
men, whether they havo boen statesmen,
philosophers, warriors. physicians, lawyers, or
ministers of religion-and whether they have
been found in Europe, Asin, or America, we will
find tho most learned and tho most useful Of them
to have been professcd christians. For mental
qualification, let us look for moment through the
telescope of history, and take glance al one Of
tho most brilliant consultations Cf The moral hea-
vens and we have the names Of Archbishop Ush.
CIR, doctor Of universal learning, DR.. Thomrs Lv-
denham, father Of modern medicine. Sir Matthew
Hale, the ornament of legal profession, Sir sanc
Newton, the prince Of philosophers, VIM. Pitt, the
ieavenborn minister and profound Statesman iIo-
ratio Nelson, tho unrivaled Naval commanCer
and last of all, though not leas, of all, George
Washington, the greatest general the worii ever
saw. These men were all proesscd christians.
and it ought not to be forgotten that it was their
christianity which sanctLcd their learning, and
rendered them mere than ordinarily useful
Seeing then, tina. goodness is always connected
with true greatness,can any object ,a, ins,i-
tuition which contempates both the improvement of
the heart and the cultivation Of the mind. The
Sabbath School is that institution. Tho Sabbath
School instructor lays hold of the human mind
in its tender stage of being, ami mouds it after
the pattern of divine morals contained in the Bi.
BILE; imbues it with correct notions of the great
God, the infinite projections of his nature, the ex-
tent of his providence and the spirituality Of his
worship, inspires it with Just conceptions of its
own accountability to God, and clearly sets before
it the mutual obligations which exist between man
and man. In Short he clearly exhibits truth and err.
and m1an;s in the mind by the grace of God the
truo principles of moral action. love to God, and
love TO man. Thus he prepares the rising gene
ration for the reciprocal exercise of all kind and
social affections, which is the balm Of life. Un.
der the guidance of the Sabbath School, many a
youth, like the +" stripping of Isreal,' or tho de-
voted Samuel, has waxed strong in fight, and put
to flight the unstable doctrines of infideIity and
and by their zeal and energy, have as
sisted in pushing forward, the ark of the Lord.
The Bible in the hand Of tho Sabbath School
teacher, has been the instrument Of dsarming man
of lis raging passion, and deadly hatred towards
his fellow beings-it has snatched tho instrument
of death from the hand Of the murderer--has
stripped the robbor of his avarice--has queled
the foul aspersons of the slanderer and has taught
man to respect the feelings and interests of his
fellow man.
An elderly gentleman, superintendent Of n
Sabbath School, once observed, 81 have never
known Sabbath School scholar to become mur-
derer a thief, or noted gambler, but out of the
great number who have grown up under my no.
tice. nearly all are settled in life, are doing WELL
and are ornaments in society" Bat | must hast
en- to a conclusion, by addressing u few words to
parents, and alike few remarks to the different
departments Of tho school.
And in what language shall address parents
Heaven has given you plsdges of love and affection
and has laid you under obligations, to provide for
their main,ainance, their education and morals,
and surely YOU do not consider these obligations
burdensome; they nave been laid by divine hand
and should be performed with cheorfulness and