Mexico weekly ledger., 1901-06-27
J. '. WILL1AMs.
Delivers an Address at Sunday School
Rally in LaddOnia-@What shall
We Do With the Children"

year the State has paid 5000, 246. IS. In
Audrain county there are 6,6T0 chill,
dren for whose mental training the
taxpayers Of the county have paid the
sum Of s4S, 981.68. From this enor.
nous expenditure Of money you will
see that we are educating the chill
dren mentally In u public schools
where the Bible is not allowed to be
taught. But what is the church and
Sunday School doing for their moral
and spiritual natures since 10 them
alone we can look, save what meageI
instruction and training they receive
in the home. To this vast army Of
children in the Stlte, Of school age,
we may safely add 100000 more who
are under 8 years old and out Of the
public schools but who are o ought to
be in the primary department Of the
Sunday Schools Of the State Of Mis-
souri,. what Shall We Do With the
Children9n and what are we doing
with them is my topic this morning
and the only object Of my visit among
you to-day is to talk on this para.
mount question Of the 10th century.
An educated infidel at home is more
poisonous to the youth of our country
than a nation Of heather across the
sea.
The child Of 1901 will be the man OF
woman of 1921. Are we shaping them
for the good Of our country and for
their immortal destiny?
There is still more Of the Holy
Spirit power to be acquired by us-to
be utilized by us for this great work
but no more to be offered.
1t is ready and waiting for our
ability and willingness to use 1t.
The store house OF nature has been
full from creations dawn.
Its treasures untold lie buried in
the earth as we search, dig and ex-
plore, they will be revealed. The oil
under the broad Savannahs in the
"Lone Star State" has been there
since the morning stars sang together
but it took the energy and enlight-
ment Of the twentieth century to
light this lurid fame that now en-
blazons the whole heavens Of the
Western hemisphere. God gave US
these treasures perhaps thousands OF
years ago. But we never found them
till but yesterday.
He gave you the beautiful flowers
that this glad June day blossom and
bloom around your home; and the
sweet songsters of the grove; and the
cherub baby in your home; all to
make you a better man or a better
woman-to gain your ear, your eye, and
your tongue and your heart that you
might search further for the hidden
treasurers in His word and work. Are
you using themY What are you doing
with the children The millions
children Of Missouri? Not one-third
of whom are In the Sunday Schools
of the State or have any direct relig-
lous training. / come in response to
your kind invitation with my head
and heart full OF the glad tidings and
good things which twas my pleasure
the past week to see and hear at our
great convention at Sedalia, from all
oyer the State Of Missouri, of the Sun.
day School work. Nearer to my heart
than any earthly cause is this glori-
Gus work among children. Sweeter
than a walk through flower gardens
decked with roses, jasmines, hya-
cinths and lilies of the valley is the
sweet intercourse with these happy
hearts, which shine out through their
sparkling eyes like diamonds in the
blue vault of Heaven, their limo
cence perfumes the social atmosphere
which surrounds us;and their presence
is as the company Of angel visitors
from a purer world than ours. What
man or woman is there whose heart IL
so scared with earth's sordid scenes al
tobe impenitrable to their presence ,un
moved by their sweet songs, and un
in Influenced by the prattle Of their dove
like voices. Napolon said, ssSweetel
than the voice of Josephine we're thu
first praises OF the French people,"
say, sweeter than all the praises q
crowned head princes, dearer than al
the diamonds Of Golgondia, tendefei
than all other ties that tie US to Coz
and clearer than any other vision o
Heaven Is the dear baby child of oul
hearth stone, cooling in its untranslat
ed dialect the origin of its divine
creation. The Holy Spirit in thu
shape Of a dove descended upon on
Savior as he arose from Jordonh
stream and the cherub child which II
innocence is &c for a Heavenly hom'
and a fit type Of that heavenly messen
ger comes to our abode and meets itl
mother as she comes down 70 close h
deaths dark door to give 1t being anC
with a tongue as pure as they VIII
sang the wondrous song to the walt
ing shepherds on the hills Of Gallilee
it cooes its love. How can we bu'
love them and let them lead us II
purity and in innocense TO higher an
holler lives. The Savior lived a pal
tern life for three short years on cart
and left his chosen emblem for a
coming lives In the person OF th
child and His Fathers will that al
earthly homes be blessed with thi
happy tiny-type of which he said, "El
cept ye become as such ye cannot Ell
ter Heaven" But "What are we g
ing to do with the children" is m
topic and my question, my direct il
quiry OF you dear parents, Of 20
their teachers in the Sunday Schoo
Of you the preacher, what are 70
doing? Is this all a theory with us {
are we actually reaching out afts
them and bringing them into OF
Sunday Schools and churches an
striving to keep them in the purity
their lives as they were when &c
gave them to Us? I shake hands wit
my brother OF the Presbyterial
Methodist, Congregational and Ba'
fist churches who may be here to-da,
yes, and further, with every churc
on earth in their efforts to make goo
men and women Of the children al
to make Christian citizens Of Il
generation. While l am not so co
.f.~uauf wvtth THAR wnrE az L am