The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1859-05-18
From the South Caros,nian.
Methodist Sunday School Convention,
Re""arkS Of Coz. ". II. CAST, on 7hursdav
afternoon Jl1y g.

dlstruSt oi my abilities to DISCHARGE the
duties OF presiding officer in a satisac,o
ry manner, that have accepted the DO.
siaon your kI"dness has assigned me
Had | consulted my incIinatious alone. |
should have promptly declined the prof
tered honor. and insisted that the task
should be assigned to one Of maturer
years, more enlarged understanding. and
one who has greater claims upon the
Christian community. But, believing that
we should all work while il is dav. fo,
the night comeih when no man can
work" and feeling it TO be the duty of \
soldier to take whatever place is assigned
h,n by his companions in arms, whether
IN command or in ranks, enter upon the
discharge of my duties with the conf
dent expectation that YOU will look with
ienlency upon my inexperience, and AS.
siNt me 10y your counsel aud advice. We
are engaged in a great and good cause,
and can, therefore, with confidence in the
purity OF our motives, invoke the bless
ingS OF Heaven upon our deliberations.
delightful task to rear the tender thought,
=
More delightful still, to call their youth
IuI thoughts from the grovelng things Of
time ana sense, and point them to that
Star OF bethlehem, which arose more
than eighteen hundred years ago, and
Sui' shines with undimlnlshed lustre; to
hold up AS an example for their imitation
that perfect man, who was without pride
or os,entatron, who could forgive his en-.
emles. do good for evil, revels not when
he WAS revlled, and although he could
have commanded legions Of angels to re-
sent the slightest insult offered to him,
preferred to suffer an iguomIuous death
aud display the crownlng glory o! his
resurrection that we NAV, ia the dis.
charge OF duty. fear not to follow him.
even into the dark, unfathomed "va!lev
OF The shadow Of DEATH" The blank
pag" oi youth Is open To lasting impress.
H'"ms for good or evil and how impor-
tanl, then, that proper direction should
be gwen to their thOught, and impulses.
Sunday Schools have accomplished much
III this direction, aud yet much remains
to be done. Let US, therefore, unite in
sowing broadcast through The length and
breadth OF the land, in the minds OF our
youth, the seeds OF morality and pietv.
that they might germinate and brIng
forth rich harvest TO reward our efforts.
AS the twig is bent the trees inchned, "
aud although tie storms Of life NAV III
vert IT from is early direction, and its
proud branches be Frustrated to earth,
Yet The genial summer sun will again re
store Its perpendicular, and point it up
wards, by nature, to natures God. So
IN the moral world; the early Impressions
OF our youth frequently remain or return
after the sedentlve Influences Of sin have
led us astray from the rugged pa;h of
duty, and made us more degraded than
the beasts thai perish. The gentle wins.
pe'Ing Of the mother in the ear Jf her
darling son, like the soft melody Of IIea
ven, has, after long career Of vice and
folly, recalled him To usefulness and hon
or, made hun An ornament to society, and
saved bun from the terrible doom of tue
finally impenltent.
These. then, are sufficient inducements
to cheer uN on IN preparing the youth of
the country to act well their part when
they arrive Ht mature age, enter the vast
arena Of society and mingle in It's busy
and conflicting scenes. 1t will be- a con.
ISOLATION to us all, IN our declining years,
10 teel that we have been Instrumental in
rescuiug from the haunts Of vice and dis
SlPation many bnghueyed youth, and
drying the tears Of many heart stricken
parent. The earnest prayers Of many a
mother, ascending from the privacy Of
her closet to the Majesty on High, will
plead elOquentIy for us il we faIter not
IN the good work and we will erect in
the hearts OF the wise and the good eve
rywhere monument more lasting than
marble. The youngest amongst us will,
10 the course OF nature, soon leave the
stage Of action. 10 be succeeded by an
other generation and, without induginp
IN vain regrets upon the folhes Of the past
and present, we should endeavor TO i'm
press those who are to succeed us the i'm
portance Of a high state OF moral Ms well
as mental culture as essential to the we'll
being OF society and the common good
OF mankind. Teach them that ito be
truly great. they must be truly good =
and remind them that the Father Of his
Country, before whom all o.her names
pale and sink into comparative insignif
canoe, considered prayer more potent than
the sword. 1t is no longer the case in
battle that mere brute force prevails, and
hence the secret success Of citizer sol
diery. They do not feel that they hold
their possessions and enjoy their privileges
10y the uncertain tenure of monarch 8
favor, but that they are "the bountifuI
gifts OF the author OF nature : and when
their rights are invaded, they are ready
to battle for them, relying upon the jus
tice Of their cause and the approving
smiles Of Heaven. So that 10 all the AT
fairs Of life, whsther in peace or war,
morality aud religion stand forth in bold
relief, and are essential elements of sue.
cess. | might 90 on and enumerate ex-
ample after example, 10 Bible history TO
show that whenever self.reliauce was sub
ofl Il N l.. 4