Morris tribune., 1883-02-01
The following Ia M extract from the

last Sunday morning. Subject: "S:n-
day schools; Their relation to our
Children, and Country"
One hundred years have passed since
Robert Raiks began his Sunday School
work In England. The National
church had long existed. Other
churches had sprung up among dis
senters, and spread over the Kingdom.
The movement of the Wesleys,
which eliminated in the final estab-
lishment of Wesleyan Methodist
church, had been in operation for 40
years, and yet little or nothing had
been done for children.
In the very shadow of Oxford, per-
haps the greatest educational institu-
ton of that day, where lawyers, states
men and clergymen were educated
and graduated, the children were
overlooked, and left in ignorance to
run into vice and degradation.
What caused Robert Raiks to com.
mence the work of Sunday instruc.
ton, in the Word of God? No doubt
God called him to 1t, as he calls Others
to different spheres in life.
AS he passed through the streets OF
his own town on Sabbath days, he
saw many children playing at rude
games, in a rude and boisterous man.
ner, thus breaking the command to
Remember the Sabbath day and keep
it holy" God put it into his
heart to call them together for the
purpose Of teaching them. He could
not at first teach them the Bible, for
they could not Feadi they must be
taught their letters.
At first few came, but their num-
bers steadily increased. At first too,
he was alone in the work: afterwards
others were engaged, but they must be
paid, for they had no faith in, or SYM
pathy with the object OF the work.
Now there are tens of thousands OF
Sunday SCHOOLS. and hundreds OF
thousands of Sunday School Teachers
throughout the world. All oyer this
land, England, Ireland, Scotland,
France, Germany, Italy, China. Jap
pan, the Islands of the Sea; Among
the Whites, Blacks, and Copper Col
ored people, songs of gladness, joy and
praise ascend to God from millions of
hearts saved through this means. A
grain OF mustard seed cast into the
soil of youthful hearts, has brought
forth 80, 60 and 100 fold to the glory of
God and the benefit Of the countries
where Sunday Schools have been in
operation.
Do you ask. What can the Sunday
School do to benefit our country ?
Amy thing is benefit and blessing to
our county, that helps to save sinners;
and the Sunday School is benefit
and blessing because it teaches Gods
word, and helps to save sinners.
Every sinner cons ecrated, is step
towards law and order; toward peace
and joy. The Christian is taught to
obey the law of his country as we'll as
the law of God; to respect the rights
of his fellow man, as we'll as the claims
of God.
What can the Sunday School do to
benefit our country? TO answer in a
more formal manner, we present three
points for consideration:
|. What is our Country? 1t is not
merely our territoryi oqr population,
or our history. 1t is all Of These and
more. 1t is an idea, great fact; and
that idea or fact is Liberty. Liberty
under the law, made by the Sovereign
people. What then is this liberty
1t is not license. License is always
anarchy to the state, and bondage to
the inhabitants of the state. License
to do evil brings individuals into
bondage to Satan. A bondman OF
Satan is q danger to the state, in just
so far as he has influence by his con-
duct extended. To license an evil is
to consent to it, and encourage it, and
St the same time, to aid in the destruc-
ton Of the fqFndation upon which
every free state rests:
Liberty is the freedom to use eur
powers In the best manner, to meet
and carry out the great object Of our
being, viz: to benefit our fellow man,
and glorify God. Therecannot be any
true liberty in, or for, Nation where
there is no influence put forth to in
duce the individual to live and act in
accordance with Gods word, and the
influence should commence with the
children. "As the twig is bent thhee
tree is inclined"
2. How is this precious boon, liber-
ty, put into peril in our country? LIST,
By Ignorance. A people must be in
tc!ligent in order to express an intelli-
gent judgment. How can an ignorant
man determine what is right or wrong?
The freedmen q ths saHth, the imnli-
grant from other countries where igr
norance rcigns; the poor and neglect
ed classes around us, and our own
children, that are coming up to take
our places, must he taught and enlight-
encd if we would avoid the perils that
threaten ihs downfall of our freedom.
Teach all the children figfteH9gsness,
and you not only produce an order
loving, law-abiding people but you les
sep all crime, and the final result will
le, must be, good government, and .
Paradise, where theft, murder, intern
perance, and kindred vices shall be
Unknown.
I'll. Our liberty is imperiled by SUI
perstition. Superstition denies the
right of private judgment and makes
appeal to class whose aims have no
relation to our national prosperity.
s.nsrstition would drive the Bible
oft of our schools, taks It out of our