The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1899-10-19

might sit at their feet and learn OF them.
If there could be mixing up of their better
qualities with the better qualities of the
Christians that now are-their inf1exible
principle, their strength and power of
! achievement, their self denial with our
brightness and cheerfulness and sweetness
and breadth of piety, leaving out the less de
sirable qualities on both sides-their rigid
ness and narrowness, our laXity and levity,
it would make a finer type of men than
the world has yet seen. AS it was, they
were very stern and hard. Their circum
stances made them so. They took their
eligion sadly. Their very music was
doleful. God was to them a God of in
| flexible ighteousness-of terrible justice,
rather than the God of love and mercy of
whom we hear SO much Christ was the
great Judge before whose bar we must all
stand, rather than the dear Friend who is
ever by our side, speaking words OF com
fort and of cheer. They thought of the
obligations of duty, rather than OF the
beauty of goodness-of the mantiness and
| nohleness of virtue
But poorly equipped as our early Sun
day school was i'll all its external arrange
ments, yet some good work must have
been done in it and in the homes which
were connected with it-for from among
the children that attended the school
in the old Conference ROom,' (and in
the new church in its first Year, not few
went forth who have done good and noble
work in the world. | can recall three per-
sons who rose to be among the best edu-
Gators of New England-persons the repu-
tation OF whose schools was known
throughout the C untry. aud as many
more who in the ministry have filled re
spectacle and useful places, and with
little thought | could probably ecall still
more, besides a great number OF men and
women who in the c lmm0n walks OF llTe
have illus rated whatever was best and
truest in Christian life and character.
That is good Sunday school which helps
the children to be good and noble men
and women-no matter how defective it
may be in Thousand external particulars
Just as that is good day school which
makes good scholars, though ii be kept in
ever SO poor a building and with ever SO
bad arrangements. There is many school
in the land where everything is carried on
admirably-as in garden where every
thing is laid out most scienttically-the
walks graded and gravelleG perfectly :
the only trouble being that the trees do
not live and grow and bear fruit. You
would give more for the most ordinary
ground where the vegetation is thrifty and
profitable.
l wish that the children who are on the
stage could realize how much is being
done for them-how very much greater
their advantages and privileges than those
of the generations that went before Them
and that they would also realize the great
truth that to whom much is given, of them
will much be required. | judge from
what | hear that your school is in most
| tln1ric bi HING lack.
ing in it's equipment to its utmost useful
ness and success. | trust that the results
for good will be proportionately great. |
hope that among your young people are
many who are resolved that they will not
! live selfish, Self-induigent, commonplace
lives-that they will, by Gods blessing,
make their mark for good on their day
and generation somewhere, somehow;
that they will achieve something which
they can henceforth look back upon with
Notwithstanding for the advance
ment of the best interests of humanity
and for the oncoming of the Kingdom of
our blessed Lord and Master.
LETTER FROM REV. r. T. HACK.
My Dear Mr.. Prentiss: If | could speak
confdentially to all the people of the dear
old North church | would say: Go into
the Sunday school this winter; study there
or teach there, anyway be there. 1t will
help the boys and girls, II will help the
church, encourage the pastor and put a
better spirit into all you do.
We have too many organizations these
days, but the Sunday school is not one to
be given up. The child is the most hope
full material with which we can work. If
older people want to keep young in sym
pathy, in interest and hope, let them
work for and with the young.
To you all, officers, teachers and stu
dents of the Word l send you a hearty
God speed in your work.
Sincerely your friend,
ROLLIN T. HACK.
Portland, Oct. 4, 1899.