The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1896-06-17
RELIGIOUS THOUGHTS.

BY REV. J. O. COUGH, MANNING, $. C.
WE BELIEVE
The journal and Messenger" has
few words OF great importance to
say about those who are Ignorant Of
the bible"
"Boys and girls, young men and
young women of to-day are amazing
ly ignorant of the bible. And yet
we are in an age of such Sunday
school work as was never known be-
fore. We have given more attention
to Sunday-school work d-ring The
past twenty-five years than during
the preceding fifty years. We have
conventions, institutes, societies,
rings, schemes, and plans, all clalm-
ing to teach the bible to the young
And yet with it all they tell Us that
the young are growing up without a
knowledge OF the bible. ]Look at the
'helps" turned out weekly and
monthly, pictures, diagrams, papers,
quarterlies, books, illustrious ser
mons, all claiming to teach tie
young. And yet with all these new
schemes and organizations and sys-
TENS, unknown to our fathers, there
is falling off, or an immense cloud
of ignorance hanging over our young.
If these new plans and schemes do
not succeed in teaching the young,
then let US return to the old way,
the bible and church.
No plan or scheme has ever yet
put thrust into the bosom of any
young man for the study Of Gods
word; and where any one reads tie
bible because his society enjoins 1t
upon him aud not because his own
heart longs for the "Bread OF Life,
he fails to receive tie blessings God
blesses those who lead from a pure
motive to know more of God and his
will TO men.
The "Rams Horn" says that cone
of the most ominous signs of tue
times is the great lack of scriptural
knowledge in our land. There is a
greater lack of biblical knowledge III
our land than in any other Christian
country. In the land Of Luther the
Bible is known far better than here.
In England the common people know
the Holy Book, while in Scotland the
peasant is as familiar with the Bible
as tue preacher But here in Amer
lea the masses are fatally uuacquaint-
ed with the sacred scriptures, and
the evil is growing worse every day.
Sunday-school singing is d very
important item. Good singing IS
one of the essentials in successful
school. Where the singing never
drass is where the soul is stirred by
the music. Every school should pay
the utmost attention to the music Of
the school. Bring in the instruments
and breathe the breath Of life into
your school.
The largest Sunday. school in the
United States is the Bethany school
in Philadelphia, with John Wana-
maker as superintendent. The at
tendance on recent Sunday was
three thousand eight hundred. Wan
amaker himself has class of about
one thousand two hundred, and vel
he keeps in the closest touch of each
one. Over each ten he has titheman
appointed to look after them,a ,and over
every ten tithemen is one to
whom the tithemen shall report;
these hand in their reports to differ
ent superintendauts who bring every
thing before the eyes of Wanamaker.
By this plan he learns about all sick
ness, death, afiiction and poverty,
and to all he sends immediately his
aid and sympathy.
When The Sunday school teacher
becomes so charged with the treth
and spirit of the lesson, there will be
few Indifferent pupils, and when The
Bible is given the right-of-way in our
schools and colleges there will be less
cranks in doctrine.
Give the Bible fair chance in any
community and "the wilderness will
blossom as the rose"
When the word OF God gets into
the pulpit and into the preacher the
congregation will sing the song of
victory.
The Southern Baptist Convention
passed resolutions recommending
Baptist churches to exclude from
their membership all who were whis-
key dealers. That is, all who sold it
aud all who drank it and all who
manufactured it and who allowed
whiskey sold in building owned by
a member OF the church. These res
olutions are strong and if carried out
by the churches would play havoc
with the churches and denomina-
ton. Yet we see the great need OF
churches raising higher standard
of Christian living.
We hope to see large congrega-
ton at the Baptist church next Sun
day. A very important meeting will
be held.
The Baptist preacher will preach a