The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1897-02-06

The slow Process of Education IN the
Realm of Conduct and Religion


Realm OF Conduct and Religion
A boy who intends TO enter some
learned profession spends Mt least 10
years learning how to learn. Seven
years In elementary schools, four years
in high school or academy, and four
years In college are given up to training
boys and girls how TO think for them
selves A considerable amount of in
formation is of course acquired during
The process, but the main purpose Of all
these years of discipline Is to make the
mind master of itself, that the profess
sional studies.which may occupy three,
four or five years more, may be grasped
10y an intellect able TO assimilate them
and transform knowledge into activity
with the minimum waste of energy.
Thus full third of lifcis given 10 prep
cration.
No less true is II in the realm of con-
duct and religion that education is
slow process. The young Christian
often wonders that he seems TO make
SO little progress from month TO month
in understanding the ways of God, the
weakness OF his own heart, the mys-
teries of salvation. He grows impatient
because he finds himself falling into
the same sins, lingering in the old UNI
belief, and wandering constantly from
the light. But II for a natural life OF
three-score and ten we must spend .
years in merely getting ready
whether in school or outflow much
more must the endless life which opens
before the soul require a training long,
thorough and sometimes irksome. The
further one goes in that training, the
more clearly does he see this truth. n
recent story of Pope Leo relates that
among the Americans recently pre-
scented TO him at an audience were three
who spoke OF the beauties of Rome.
allow long have you been in Rome? p
| he inquired OF one. 1.-Two weeks" was
the reply. "Ah, then you have seen
Rome" said the pope. "And your
| The second had been there six months.
'Then you have begun to sec Rome"
But TO the third, who had lived in the
city ten years, the pope said: "You
have not yet begun TO see Rome" 1t is
so with the student OF the Bible, with
the learner in the school of Christ, IL
must bo so with the saints and angels OF
| Heaven. Paul at his conversion doubt
less had conception of God loftier and
more profound than that of his fell
lows; but il took 30 years OF strenuous
experience, suffering, endurance and
communion with the Lord to bring
forth those words he wrote 10 the
Romans: "Oh, the depth of the riches
both of the wisdom and the knowledge
of Godl how unsearchable are His
judgments, and His ways past tracing
Quit For who hath known the mind OF
the Lord? or who hath been His coun-
selor? or who hath first given TO Him
and II shall be recompensed unto him
again? For of Him, and through Him.
and unto Him. are all things"
Let not the believer forget the bound
less future for which life's brief years
are all too short to prepare him. With
the Lord thousand years are as yester-
day when it is past. IL ones earthly
work is nearly done and ones hair is
white before the lessons of simple
trust and denial of self and charity to-
wards mankind are learned, there Is no
cause for encouragement. IL those
lessons arc learned at all, the cost has
not been too great; and there remains
eternity for the higher education OF the
soul--Chicago Standard.