The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1877-06-07
Home Correspondence
HiehIand e. S, S. Union.


boro, Tuesday, May %, ls77.
The forenoon was occupied in hearing verbal re
ports from the various townships, and the addres
Of the President Five toFnahips reported.
In the afternoon the meeting was addressed B.
a. L. Frazer, of Cincinnati, President of the Stat
Sunday School Union. Mr. Frazer explainer
somewhat in details the object and work Of tn
Union, and urged the Importance Of Sundo
School missions work.
After this, the discussion Of the topic, "The du
ties of Churches with sefeEsDce TO Bible in
structions within their own Congregations" wa
introduced by Rev. Bowen, followed by Rev. Nc
Surely and Rev, WeAtherhs.
The topic, GLOW Sabbath School should b,
conducted" was discussed BY Rev. Bowen, Rev
Clark and President Frazer
On motion, Rev. Mr.. Weatrsfby was requeEtet
to permit the publication OF his address, given il
the forenoon.
ADDRESS BY REV. J. W. wEATHgRBY, PRESIDENT,
Before the Convention Of the Highland Count!
Sunday School Union, Nay %, 1917.
subject-The Ever-Increasing Demand for Re
/ ligious knowledge.
"Grow in the knowledge Of cur Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ" is an imperative law of inspira-
tion. The penalty for the violation of this law is
too severe for our thought Of endurance. This
however, Is not the poins of present discussion.
No mans stock of reHgioas knowledge is 50
great, but that its increase is both desirable and
possible. A more intimate acquaintance with
the truth as It is Ia Jesus" is needed, that may
the better know our relations to God and our fel-
| lOw-beings; and knowing them, that we may joy
fully aspire to the full discharge of the duties en-
braced in them. As we increase in the knowledge
Of these, our religious character will become es-
taBlished, and our efficiency for usefulness aug
mented.
The everything prayer Of inspiration is, that the
"Love of the Christian brotherhood, abound in
knowledge, more and NoRE.u Not that we edu-
cate our minds in Literature Science and Art less;
but educate our hearts vastly more in the great
things of Gods law. True education is vastly i'm
portant, and necessary to conduct well the inter
ests of this world; but what shall we say Of the
absolute indispensableness of heart-education in
regard to the undying interests of the world to
come?
Christians are responsible TO their fellow-men,
as well as to God, for tie filing of this world,
"with the knowledge of Tho Lord" in the least
possible time-''pressing tpward the mark
preaching the gospel in the regions beyond"-'fn
season and out of seasou"-''hasting the coming
of the day Of God" Being "debtors both to the
wise and unwise," we must address ourselves
earnestly to our diyiney appointed responsible
ties.
One-haH Of the time spent to secure to ourselves
the needed knowledge of Politics, Agriculture,
Fashion, &C, would thoroughly qualify us for
duty in each of these earthly departments aud if
the other half were heartily devoted to the cause
Of Christ-quaifying ourselves under divine
guidance, to win souls to the Lord, in our respect
I've home felds-nnd also 10 devise liberal thigs
70 spread the news Of redemption through CA
from pole to pole, what an accumulation of fOrces
there would be in the ranks nf Christian workers.
to carry and send the glad tdngs Of eternal saliva
tion to every tribe and people and language IN
der heaven!
Every Christian should be most intensely, as
such, l7orkeT. Hence, to work Understandings,
he needs to have correct knowledge Of the worlds
demand for the gospel; needs to know what has
already been accomplished, AID by what means;
needs to know what the home aud foreign fields
require, and how their wants are to be supplied.
To be efficient workers in the harvest-ilelds
Of Churches and Sunday Schools, we need to have
our knOwledgeof "pure and undeiled religion be-
fore God" greatly increased must know much
more Of the working ways Of righteousness; must
have q deeper, clearer, diyiner insight into the
mysteries Of Gods saving grace; must have
larger and better acquaintance with the precepts,
doctrines and practices Of the precious cold Bible
that lays on the stand" First know the Lord cur
selves, and the revelation of His will, as well
then ''teach all nations to observe all things He
has commanded u.s." knowing that, "in pro-
portion to the clear and full knowledge men have
of divine truth, is the likelihood OF their CONVEX
sion to God, and of the largeness and power Of
their faith, when thus converted"
If men are to be saved by Christ they must be
impressed and aroused to q Just sense of their
condition and needs. Their emotions must be
reached-reached through their understanding
and judgment. Those whohuow ighy their emo
tiOns are stirred within them, rather than those
whose feelings are more boisterous, will be apt to
feel the longest, and with the best results Intel
lirent Christians will make intelligent churches,
and as they have a clear "Thus saith the Lord, in
all their work with and before men, they will be-
come the most efficient "Epistes Of Christ"-fOr
10, the 81 am with thee" is with them-the basis
both of their JOY and hope.
Such foundation for usefulness we need in our
Sunday School work in Highland county. Our
generals-in-cbief-the Pastors Of the churches ]
the captains of our working forces-the Superin- |
tendents Of the Sunday Schools, together with all
the officers and teachers, should SO combine and /
utilize every available means as to give this home
field wholly to the "Lord Of the harvest" for his |
possession. Giving all due credit for all the pre-
cious results of the years of hard and patient,
good and effective work, alreedy accomplished on
this field, one years experience in official work
and observation, has so opened our eyes as to en-
able Us to see the vastness of the labor required
to "serve this generation by the will Of God, so
that we may render our account to the Master, not
in grief, but in great joy. Seek then to attain the
needed religions knowledge.
The Executive Board Of this Convention has
made it part of my present duty to speak few .
words in regard to the training of the scholars, i'll
the Sunday Schools in our bounds, IN
PRACTICAL BENEFICENcE,
especially that part of benefcence, which applies |
to the giving Of money to sustain our County and |
State sunday School Unions.
In the matter Of direct teaching, we have come /
10 point in Sunday Schsesy= where the prac-
ical side of Christianity, this subject, should
have more earnest atteHtion. The Bihle-Our !
Text t-Book-aboundS in direct preccpts and beau
.iful Illustrations Of sef-denial and helpfulness
both for the sake Of humaFity aud for the help Of
the Master in his supreme work of Benefcence. |
We are in duty bound to teach our pupils the ma
ture of Christian benehcence- is, giving for
the cause Of Christ, and for the sake Of Christ.
For not all giving of money, or its equivalent, is
Christian benefcence. The materials in providing
for our families, and for the entertaining Of
may be the same, yet practically there
is marked difference between them, at least in
our preparations and appropriations.
The real effective period for the training of our
Sunday School pupils, in this service, is before
they reach the age Of fifteen years, and the last
five Of these years may be regarded as pre-emi-
ncutly the formative period Of their liyes-the
tcachable age-the seed-ine for the coming harvest
In those years, they change physically and visbly
from childhood to man and wOmanhOOd, more
than at any other period Of their lives Tbis then,
is our time to teach them Christian benefcence, in
order to secure a generation of intelligently and
respOnsively benevolent Christian men and wO-
men. Begin with them at the very beginning
While the moral, as well as the physical nature Is
tender and impressible plant the good seed of the
kingdom in their hearts; one of which is that Of
alms-giving When we, as workers. do our du-
ties by precept and example, then the 5. S. Treas
ury will be well supplied and pressing out with
means to enrich the world with the gift of 'knOw-
;,,,. ~ ,,J llama Christ which il ararno1