The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-07-25
By WILLIAM T.. ELLIS.)

VI ~
world was struck with the unanl-
mity of their conclusions IN two re-
spects; the supremacy Of Siberia 5 re
sources over all the other great lanos
Australia, Argentine anu
Americas West-and its primary need
Of education. 1t is getting people,
for the Government is pouring in pea
SAINTS by the myriad; but they are
people without education. There are
no books in the rolls of luggage that
they carry with them. Give Siberia
an open Bible, and the education
which always follows in the wake OF
the Bible. and you will have an en-
pire hat will WELD an i~ncalculable
influence in the WOrld-atfairS Of a few
generations hence.
At a railway station in the center
of Siberia there was a man SelllnS
Bibles, and in him | seemed to see
the great power of the land tomOr
row. The long-haired and unkempt
priests whom | noticed travelling
with the Immigrants did not make
the impression on me that was made
by this mar with the Book that
makes nations. Religion is neither
nor transforming except
as it is a religion based upon an in
telligent knowledge of the Book by
the plain people. Sometimes Chris
tan missions have failed and been
blotted out. Christianity being sue
ceeded by heathenism; but never has
this been the case where the people
nave been given the Bible. This is
a startling fact in the history of mis-
SiOnS.
The Mosicm Lament.
The great ncatiOns Of the earth to-
day are the Bible nations-hose
whose people read and honor the
Book. That is d big fact about con-
temporaneous history which should
be used in the study of this present
lesson upon the place Of the Book
in the life of Judah. The greatest
of the world powers is Britain. a ma
ton who's king and leaders joined,
a few weeks 3 in celebrating the
tercentenary of the translation of the
King James Version. More infiu-
entail than Great Britain in the life
of other nations, yet commonly rated
after her as a world power is the
United States. which has been de-
clared by its highest judiciary to be
a Christian nation, and whose people
buy more Bibles than they do pop
Hlar novels. Great and growing
greater is Germany, the land Of Mar
tin Luther.
Failing rapidly from her ancient po-
sition anon the nations is France
and there are those other than stu
dents of religious conditions who will
attribute this to the decline Of Chris
tlanity among the people. Russia plays
no part in the world at all commensur-
ate with her magnitude and geograph-
ical position, because her people have
not the Book, and because her official
dom has not the Righteousness which
eXalteth a nation. Japan has suddenly
sprung to a prominent place in the
world, but those who know most about
the nation understand how religious
conditions at home imperil the nations
standing abroad. Then there are the
Ht"e nations. like Sweden. Norway,
and Denmark. which are great in
world Influence because their people
are men and women of tfte Book.
A scotsman in the East was railing
at e4igion not long since. declaring
that christianity had caused most of
the wars Of history, that it had begot-
ter a race of hypOcriteS, and making
a number of the other vague and fool
ssh. statements of the same trend that
are much in vogue among persons who
are more prone to repeat the latest
tning they have heard than they are
TO do any solid thinking for them
selves. Naturally l pointed him to his
IVA and of Scotland. whose people
may be found in all the remote places
OF the earth. That nation is a product
OF Christianity, or it is nothing. In a
moment my friend had retreated from
his vague congratulations as he CON
tempiated the influence of the Bible
upon Scotch character.
This big national look at the sub
Ject is illuminating. When one talks
with MoSiemS about wOrld-affairs. he
f.nds a curious lament, and source Of
bitterness. With all his pride and pre-
tentions the Moslem is bound to admit
that the world today is ruled bv the
Christian nations. The lands of the
Book are the lands of power. TIE sin
guar greatness of the Hebrews arose
from their being c~ustodians of a spe-
,cial revelation from Jehovah.
a Young Kings Great Find.
The reason we look at the nations
In respect to the Bible is because our
lesson deals with the omanti discov-
cry .f the Book of the Law by King
Josiah ia his repairs upo the Temple