Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-11-04
HOME STUDY DEBATED
Topic Considered by Sunday
School Delegates.
THE SESSION TODAY
PRESIDED OVER BY PRESIDENT
HOME DEPARTMENT UNION.
Addresses by Rev. John II. Gill and
MI. Marion Lawrence-Addi-
tional Delegates.

What is regarded as very important
branch of the local Sunday school work,
the department Of home study, was under
discussion at the session this morning of
the tenth annual convention of the Sun
day School Association of the District of
Columbia. being held in the First Congre-
gational Church, corner of 10th and G
streets northwest. The meeting was in real
ity the session of the District Home De-
partment Union, branch of the larger
association.
The president of the union, Miss Kate
s. White, presided. She made brief re-
port on the work of the organization, stat
ing that there were forty-eight depart
ments, go visitors and $3.50 members. The
work of the home department is carried
on by the ladies of the various churches,
who make calls on the adult members OF
the congregations, not attendants at Sun
day school, and distribute Home Depart
ment Quarterly This lesson paper Is to
be studied each week, the lessons being
the same as those studied in the schools,
and at the end of each quarter or month,
as the case may be, the visitors call again
to get the report of the work done, gather
up the money supposed to be deposited in
an envelope each week by the student, ana
leave another quarterly. In TINS way MANY
persons are induced to study the sunday
school lessons who will not or cannot come
to the morning meetings at the churches.
Rev. J. H. ellis Address.
After short devotional service Rev John
NJ Gill, pastor of the Rhode Island Meth
odist Protestant Church, delivered an ad-
dress on The Bible and the Home" He
said in part:
s'This is a great land We live In great
times. This civilization of which we are
so proud is made by great men. Great men
are made by the home. The true nome Is
made by the Bible. I know that some peo-
pie will disagree with me on that last state
ment, but I maintain that the only
true home is that in which the teachings or
the Bible are the guiding principles OF he.
Compare our Christian homes with the
the marriage ties are so loose that they
hardly exist at all, and where the love OF
parent and child, father and mother,
brother and sister, is not known.
THE reason the Bible is such factor in
human life is that it is the only book in the
world that gives man satisfactory expla-
nation of himself l do not know who l
am or whence 1 came without the Bible. L
turn to all the scientists and philosophers
in vain, and at last return to the word of
God for an explanation. l would not want
to live If could not look forward to life
to come. Man wants to know why he is
here, whence he came and whittier he goes,
and God has told him.
Humanity looks all about 1t and sees
the harmony in nature The sun, moon
and stars, and the entire system of the
universe, move without jar. Man, who
is an important part of this universe, should
know the explanation of all this, and more
particularly, of himself, for he is as great
a machine God has created. When he
knows this he can live as he should live.
II am just old fogy enough to believe the
Bible from cover to cover. - The word of
God is the key that unlocks the door to
the true riches of the SOUL
'FOr all these reasons the Bible ought
to be in our homes. 1t gives us a purpose
in living. If every man who governs, every
man who legislates, every man who deals
out justice, would act according to it's in
structions, how much good would be done
in the world.
'"This book should be in our homes be-
cause first impressions are the most last
ing. If you will take 1000 of our best and
most representative great men Of today.
l venture to say that you will find 900 of
them were educated in homes where the
Bible was taught. They have an anchor
to which to pin their faith, throughout
their whole life. and they seldom get away
from it. We should learn from the Bible
while the mind is young and the heart is
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