The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1890-09-18
SUNDAY MEDITATION.
Sept 20 Is Review Sunday. In the absence of
any specific lesson we have chosen to discuss the
Bible as the valuable textbook Of the ChuTch.)

Star OF Eternityt the only star
ny which the bark OF man can navigate
The sea OF life, and gain the coast of bliss
securely; only star which rose on Time,
| And on its dark and troubled bows still
| As generation drifting swiftly by,
| Succeeded generation, threw ray
VI heavens own light, and to the hills Of God
| The everlasting hills-pointed the sinners eye.
Cardinal Newman, after speaking of "the
| uncommon beauty and marvellous English Of
the Protestant Bible" adds:
1t lives on tho ear like a music that can never
be forgotten; like the sound of church bells. which
the convert hardly knows how he can fOTego. It's
feioities often seem to be almost things rather than
mere words. IL IL part Of tho national mind, and
| the anchor of national seriousness. The memory
OF the dead passes into IL. The potent traditions
| OF childhood are stereotyped in its verses. The
power OF all the gries and trials of man Is hidden
beneath Its words. IL Is tho representative OF his
| best moments, and all that there has been about
| him of soft and gentle, and pure and penitent,
ana good speaks to him forever out Of his English
Bible. IL Is his sacred thing, which doubt
has never dimmed and controversy never sOiled In
the length and breadth of the land there is not
Protestant with spark of righteousness about
him whose spiritual biography Is not in his Saxon
Bible"
U. S. Grant thus exhorted:
Hold fast to the Bible as the anchor OF your lib.
eftics; write its precepts on your hearts, and
practice them in your lives. To the influence of
this book we are indebted for the progress made
in true civilization, and to this we must look
our guide In the future.
tell tho truth and touch the heart:
This ere old Bble-why it's Just like yer mother
-ye rove and ramble, aud cut up round tho world
without her spell, aud mebbe think the old
woman amt 30 fashionable some; but when
sickness aud sorrow como, why there amt nothing
else to 10 back 10. Is there, now?
Our fathers OF the Revolution comprohended
the Importance of the Sacred Scriptures. The
Congress of 1871 represented the sentiments of
those braves who through their daring gave US
our Country, our Flag, our Union. That body
recommended the Bible to the people OF the
United States, adopting the following:
Resoipcd That the United States in Congress
assembled highly approve the piOus and laudable
Undertaking of Mr. Aiken rs subservicut to tho
interests OF religion as well az an instance Of the
progress OF the arts in this couutry and being salts
he'd from tine above report of his and accuracy
In the execution of the work, they recommend tlis
edition of the Bible To the inhabitants OF the United
States. and hereby authorize him to publish this
recommendation In the manner he shall think
proper.
On taking India. England established Gov
eminent schools. Curiously, those having
charge of such educational institutions ex-
cludod the Bible. Either they did not care to
have 1t taught, or they apprehended local
prejudice, or thoy were led by intidel iGfu-
encos, newspaper, tho Soijona Rajana, pub
lished at Bengal had, in an article urging the
use of the Bible in such schools, the following
Hindoo panegyric on Gods Word:
The best and most ezccle OF all English books,
and there Is not it's like in the EngIish language
AZ every joint OF the sugar cane, from the root TO
the top. Is full Of sweetness every page Of the
Bible Is freught with the most precious instruU-
lions. portion of that book would yield To you
more OF sound morality than a thousand other
treatises tho subject. In short. IL any
person studies the English language with Il view
10 gain wisdom, there Is not auNher book more
worthy OF being read than the Bible.
One of the Hindoos became Christian. He
was first presented with Bible and then with
q clock lie said:
Tho clook will tell me how time goes, and the
Bible will teach mo how to spend ii.
2. The Billie The Church Text. Book.
Almost every institution, profession, trade.
etc, has book or books which set forth its
principles, requirements rules, regulations, and
the like. 1t is'known as a textbook.
What Is textbook Il is q handy volume,
imparting briefly the more needed instructions
necessary for the pursuit Of any stated vocation
1t Is generally "a manual. BY manual We
mean n something in book FORM not ponderous
but easily carried about in ones hand. Some
times we call it q hand book-R book for ready
reference.
The Bible Is all this. II Is not system of
theology. IL is for constant use. It's contents
ara readily grasped. 1t should always be az
hands always handy-and It can DO handled
without difficulty. II deals only with the
most essential principles Of religion, and It ls
easily understood. BY the fact it is a hand
book wo have suggestions "a to the need of fire.
quent reference to it, In that it is a manual,
we can have 1t at hand always for ready con-
sultatiOn.
BY saying the Bible is a textbook we do not
mean il is The volume from which clergymen
are 30 get their texts. Ii is for that purpose
and texts should, rs a rule, always be chosen
from Gods Word. But when we say the Bible
ia the Church teyt- hoax want 70 he
stood as meaning the Bible Is the manual for
instruction in religion, morals ethics ecclesi-
astic ordinances, etc.
While the Bible Is tho textbook of the
Church, nearly every religious body has GER
tain subtext. books-as the McthOdists their
Discipline; tho Prcsbyterans, the Confession
Of Faith; the EpscoPaliRns, their Prayer Book
Christian bodies have also their respective
Hymnals. The main study, however, OF oyery
organization of tho followers of Christ must
make most of all Of the Bible.
We notice all forms of religion furnish toxt-
books 10 their adhereuts as, r. g., the Mahom-
etans, the Koran the Chinese. tho works of
Confucius; the Mormons, the Book of Mormon
the Persians, the teachings of Zoroastcr; etc.
Each profession has Is respective toxl books,
as, e. o., law with Blackstone, Story etc; the
ology with certain systems OF divinity medi-
elmo with weighty works or therapeutics by
eminent authors OF tho respective schools of
thorapy.
All our colleges, public schools, etc., have
their peculiar text books on subjects treated
and the student is directed in the various cur
ricua.
Nearly every trade has authoritative works
which the apprentice aud youthful workman
could with great profit study. Generally the
difference between the emplOyo who is pro-
noted and the one who remains fixed in his
status in the factory shop lies in the fact the
one makes his vocation study, IA philosophy
masters it's rudimeuts, is not content till no
understands all its details, is always on tho
alert TO find out the knacl of doing each branch
of work.
Let US illustrate A young man went into
cotton factory near Utica, n. Y. In spare
time no read up works on the manufacture OF
fabrics from cotton; secured aud read histories
relating to weaving; studied into various meth
DDS; learned the tests ~ TO quality Of goods in
material and also when finished; found out tho
different kinds of machinery and their re-
spoctive histories; got hints ~ to the repairing
OF machines and tools and goods; made study
OF tho applications of various kinds of power
lie is now in full charge of the MILL with am
plo salary and some interest In dividends.
There is profound interest III the case of au-
other young man, John A. Roche who became
II millionaire and the famous Mayor of Chicago
He said once in speech
&" ! carried my dinner pail TO and from my
work for II years, While working at my trade
in New York, attended tho night school at
tho Cooper Institute. For two years, while
working and studying, | did not sleep more
than six hours any night. | mastered tho prac-