Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1878-10-17
Sf1uralitp aud &eligiuu.
SUNDAY.SCHOOL ADDRESS.

SUNDAY.SCHOOL ADDRESS.
The necessity for mora 5hd religious in con:
nection with intdlaetual training. An
address delivered at tEentre, York county,
S. c., before an annual gathering of Sun
day-schools, by W. T. R. BELL, Principal
of Kings Mountain High School, N. c.,
OH the 9th of August, 1873.
Ladies and Gentlemen One of the sweet
est of English poets has said, that Heaven
lies about US in our infancy" We feel the
truth of the remark when we see its sunlight
still sleeping in childhood's tresses, its glory
still cleaning in their eyes. The philosophic
Richter, in language which does credit alike
to his head and heart, declared that "he loved
God and little children" Sometimes when
we listen to the ripping music of the artless
laugh when we witness the unsuspecting out.
burst of infant hopes when we mediate upon
the purity and ipn2cence that warm and
vivify their wildly throbbing bosoms, we can
. understand, somewhat, why Saviour should
design to bless them, and liksn His kingdom
to child. From my very soul, I pity the
man who nurses not an affection for children
who delights not in associating himself with
their innocent sports, and mingling with their
unstudied mirth. .
There is about childhood divine-lile
charm, and after-life has little to repay us for
the loss of childhood's trust and confidence.
1t may be imagination merely that paints its
skies in resplendent hues that peoples its
paths with fairy congenial forms; that fringes
with never-to.be-forgotten beauty the foliage
of its every familiar grove If 80, we have a
quarrel with Reason. She is heartless dis
enchanter. With the art of malignant ma.
gician, she mingles the ingredients of doubt
with our hopes, distrust with confidence, and
often substitutes in place of sunny halos, sad,
somber scenes
1t is saying, not more trite than true, and
deserves to be remembered, that earliest i'm
pressions are most lasting. Life is, indeed, a
circle and he who describes it with bis
"threescore years and ten" lays him down,
eventually, in "second ctildishness." :" In
more senses than one, is the cradle near the
grave; for in that sad, final hour, when the
weary eye is closing upon all earthly scenes,
the last picture upon which memory gazes,
will be childhood groups ; the last tones to
rouse the failing sense, will be the soft sweet
strains of the lullaby, that fell long ago from
mothers lips, as she soothed to slumber our
infant cares.
But I meet you this morning, my friends,
to mingle no cypress nor sad-colored yew with
the blooming fancy wreath these tender hands
would weave. 1 have no disposition to touch
with unhallowed brush, the bright pictures
which their sunny imaginations paint Let
them Gull from childhood's rosy walks its
beautiful flowers to garland and festoon the
future. Upon US binds the duty of striving,
by all proper means. to make these childrAn
good and happy. Recollections of chldhood's
home and the holy, blessed influence of
mothers love- they will carry with them
through all the long years of after life, to
cheer to soothe, to strengthen, it may be-to
saue. "And when life's long day is closing"
thoughts of that home and that mother will
come back, as CLEANS Of sunshine, to illumne
the fearful twilight which precedes the night
of death
But turn to address myself, on this occa-
sion, to those who, as parents and Sunday
school teachers, are clothed with the RESPONSE
bility of nurturing and training these young
minds; who have the God-given charge of
guiding their impulses governing their pro-
pensities, and developing their affections l
approach with dffiIence the task to which
your committee has been pleased to call me.
The numbers Of your schools, the earnestness
exhibited, and this overwhelming manifesto.
ton of interest on the part Of the public,
evince, most clearly, that you are scarcely in
need of advice, were suitable one to impart
it. You are evidently alive to your duties
and, under the eye of faithful pastors, are
leading these little lambs into the fold Of the
Great Shepherd.
The Sunday school u.s. perhaps, the most
important of moral and religious agents. In
its behalf, then, I offer you as basis of brief
remark 1.-THE necessity Of religious training
as the foundation Of q perfect system Of educa
tion"
Man is not merely thinking being, but
worshipping creature and the great end Of
all education should be the harmonious growth
and development of the spiritual nature
An All-Wise Creator has made at least two
great revelations to man, the one His Works,
the other His Word The first addresses it.
self more particularly to the intellect, and
challenges the investigations of the perceptive
and reasoning faculties; the second, through
the medium of consciousness, and the exercise
of intelligence, enters the sacred temple Of
the affections, and demands the worship of the
heart The one, Nature, through the opera
tions of her unchanging laws, and the display
of combination of harmonious effects, in
yites us to search out our relation to external
things; the other Gods blessed Word, by
spiritual agency, turns the eyes of mind in
upon itself, awakens meditation and reflection,
and asks the startling questions in the ear of
the soul, "Who are we? Whose image do
we bear9 TO whom shall we pay tribute"
We are naturally thinking beings. Our
senses are avenues through which outward
objects convey impressions to the mind. Gu
riosity, or desire to know, is an original pro-
pensity; and the mind of the infant expands
as readily for the reception of knowledge as
the flower unfolds its beautiful leaves to catch