Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1907-10-03

to better their condition, so he con- ceived the idea of a Sunday school and hired four women at one shil- ling per day to teach them in read ing and the catechism. Such was the Raines system of Sunday schools. From this has grown our Sunday school of today-in which are en- gagged thousands of teachers with many millions of scholars who are all taught the lesosns from the same scripture, so splendidly arranged by our international committee, with splendid books of help and are ably assisted by our religious and secu- lar papers. This teaching is not confined oTthe Christian lands, but are in all nations and the islands of the seas.
 The problem of raising a people in morals and virtue and making their institutions successful and per- manent has never been successfully do it by legislation, or Greece, once the light of the world in learning, would not have died. The strong cannot accomplish it by power, or Rome, once the ruler of the world would not have fallen. We have proof that the we'll being and hap piness of a people or of an individ- ual is not secured by intellectual culture alone. They are found in an intelligent discharge of the duties to God, to neighbor and to self.
 ''The great objects of the Sunday schools of today are to educate the children, and the older people as well. in morals, and to train them virtue, to teach them of the wis dom, love and power of our God and that they can only be saved through the mediatorial faith in his Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. To accomplish this, God has led his people step by step to the present system of Sunday schools. This training, my friends cannot be commenced at too early a day or discontinued too long. 1t should commence at the cradle and continue through life. Don't wait until they are arriving at the age of maturity, but bring them up to that age with the love of Christ in their hearts. Some say wait until they can reason for themselves and then let them be taught. Must we wait until then to teach them hon. esty and truthfulness, for fear that when they arrive at mature years they may choose otherwise?
 It is the duty of every parent to train their children not only for usefulness here, but for happiness in the life to cone.
 The Sunday school is an auxil- iary to the parents and is intended not to superceed but to aid paren- tai training. Its object is to take hold of children while their minds are easily impressed and to influence them to grow up God fearing and God loving men and women. Its object is to fill the church with trained soldiers ready for the con- f1ict with sin and Satan. It's object is to make the world better, to make the people -ove more and hate less, to diminish crime tnd increase virtue. If these objects are not overdrawn, what Christian man or | woman can but feel it their duty to aid in this grand work. Here is a large field open for Christian work, no one is excused, no laying on of hands required. / 1 Christ, when he said go preacn, said also, go teach. Here you can | work either as teacher or scholar or attendant, lending your presence and influence as an example to the young, insulting Tn them the lllA portance of the Sunday school work.
 There is not man or woman in our country who has acquired too much knowledge of both sacred and profane affairs that they can not profit by the lessons today taught in our Sunday school lltera- ture. It has been said that wise men can always learn something from fools, but fools already know enough. There is room and need