Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1855-07-28

love and help each other, when God SO loved
us all that He gave His only Son to die for
US ? Thus you see, as we learn of God and
His goodness, we are taught lessons of love
and duty toward our fellow men,
To know God fully, would be to have all
knowledge of things in Heaven and upon the
earth. This can never be, because there is no
limit to His power and wisdom-no bounds to
His goodness and mercy The angels cannot
understand all His works They know much
more of Him than we do, and therefore are
much wiser than we Wisdom is the knowledge
of God. AS we know Him we are wise-as
we know Him not, we are without true know
ledge. All that we learn from the cradle to
the grave-from the primary school to the
highest college in the land is chiefly valuable
as it teaches US more and more of God-as it
enables US better to understand His character,
to comprehend His works, and to observe His
dealings with men. The study of science is
but study into the works of God Astrono-
my teaches of His works in the Heayens-of
the countless worlds He has created, and which
shine forth as stars in the armament of night.
The other sciences teach of His works here on
earth. His most wonderful work on earth and
that which we should study more than all 9TH
ers, is ourselves not our bodies, but our hearts
and minds. History is the record or story of
what has been done by those who lived before
US and in the study of this, we learn of Gods
dealings with men and nations how He hum
bles the proud, aud raises up the lowly-how
lie overturns the strength of mighty nations,
and gives the victory to the weak-how He
breaks asunder the chains Of slavery, and sets
the bondman free. All these things are clear
ly seen in the history of Joseph and his breth-
ren, in the destruction of the hosts of Phareo
and the deliverence of the people of Israel from
the cruel bondage Of the Egyptians. So the
finger of God is plain to be seen in all history,
and especially in the history of our own ma
ton
| wish you clearly to understand how it is
that We learn of God through His works and
ways. | hope it may fill your hearts with a
strong desire to learn about everything you see
around you. Suppose You were travelling, and
should see a splendid mansion, surrounded with
beautiful gardens filled with rare flowers and
delicious fruits and the owner should invite
you to walk through these gardens, breathe the
perfume of its flowers and eat of its fruits
Suppose when you went in, you found many
others there, strangers like yourselves and
learned that the owner extended to every one
who passed, the same invitation he had given
you, Now suppose once more, that this man
sion and these beautiful gardens were the work
of the owners own hands. Do you not under
stand that you would learn much of that mans
character by seeing his works and knowing
the kind manner in which he entertained all
who passed that way? BY making all things
beautiful around him, you would know that he
had a heart to love beautiful things by invit-
ing all to enjoy them, you would know that he
was generous and good His beautiful home
and kind hospitality, would, as it were, speak
of him and tell of his tasteful aud generous ma
ture. Thus it is, that we learn of God by His
works and ways. The universe is Gods noble
mansion this earth, with its lakes and rivers,
and mighty oceans, its hills and valleys and
mountains, its trees aud plants aud flowers, to-
gether with every living thing, is Gods gar
den in which we are permitted to live. He
made it ALT is His handi-work, and in it we
can learn every day new and beautiful and
wonderous knowledge and all we learn shall
teach us of the great Creator. The humblest
plant that grows is Gods work He made the
meanest insect, and if we study them Alright,
both shall tell us something of Him who made
them. If we but seek knowledge wisely, every
living thing, every tree and plant and flower,
the dust We tread upon the air we breathe,
the rocks and mountains and rivers, light aud
darkness, cold and heat-all things shall speak
to us of God, and tell us more and more of His
wisdom, power and goodness. But most of all
shall we learn of Him in His holy word Here
God has spoken of himself-here He has dis
closed His exalted character and infinite per-
fections and told us of His most wonderous
love for man., Here, too, we learn of ourselves
our creation, disobedience and sin-our weak
ness and dependence, and of the great redemp-
tion God has provided in His Son. our Savior,
through whom we can be restored to holiness
and bliss The Bible is the book of books
more to be studied than all Others, for in it
alone is wisdom and truth. All that is good
and lovely in this life, whatever of justice, TRUTH
mercy and goodness there is among men, come
from the Bible In it we learn our duty, and
the way of our happiness. Children, be dill
gent in the study of Gods word. To learn of
Him is knowledge The fear of the Lord is
the beginning of wisdom" ..-. .. -. .,...-.,
Sunday schools are established expressly for
the purpose of instructing you in Gods holy
word These schools are among he most beau
tiful and blessed of the instltutlons'of a chris
tiau land. The good and pious men who cross
ed the ocean more than two hundred years ago
to settle in this then wilderness and savage
country, brought with them as their greatest
treasure, the Bible and they early established
Sunday schools for the instruction of the youth
i'm its sacred truths. Ever since that time,
christian men and women have preserved these
schools among us, devoting their time and ef
forts to the work of instructing children in
Gods holy word You should be very loving
and thankful to your teachers, and attentive to
all their instructions. With them it is labor
of love-to you it is the riches of knowledge,
more to be desired than gold, and more hecess
sary to your wants than food and clothing
Better that you should die young, than grow