The Washington herald., 1922-03-18
lz7fSl iTl Sermrrs in the Qhrrfes u 1Dsa8lliigtm F
66eaaA1 WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN's BIBLE TALK e
BryanLauds Sunday School
in Review of Bible Lessons
Refers to Prophets Elijah, Elisha, Jonah and
Amos and What Their Lives Teach
To All Mankind.

therefore the contact between
the teacher and the student more
intimate.
In multitude OF ways the
Sunday School strengthens the
church-it Is the nursery of the
church.
soaEs That Mold Thought.
And we must not overlook the
songs of the Sunday School.
Every Christian virtue has been
embodied in Sunday School
songs; the nobIest sentiments
are thus carried into the heart
by familiar melodies. Echoed
along the streets, they become a
valuable part Of the child's pos
sessions. The Sunday School
song. much more easily than the
church song. fits into the vo-
cabulary Of the child and helps
to mold its thoughts and pur-
poses.
The Sunday School gives US
quite an accurate measure OF
the spiritual life Of the church.
When 1t Is strong and vigorous.
the church Is at work; q dead
Sunday School means q dying
church. The Sunday School Is
hot perfect, but It underYoes
constant, improvement; resort Is
sometimes had to prizes to insure
attendance and to stimulate the
study of the Word. In some
schools the day school system
is copied and children pass from
class to class with graduating
exercises to excite interest.
Care should be taken, however,
to cultivate the idea that attend
ance upon Sunday school ought
to be a permanent thing. II is
well for parents to take their
children when possible. instead OF
sending them. Mems classes and
classes for old people should be
encouraged. The Bible is unlike
any other book: no matter how
often IT Is read. IL Is ever new
and one can scarcely reread a
familiar passage without finding
in II some lesson not discovered
before. II anyone has been ben
efited during the past quarter by
reading these Bible Talks. let IL
be remembered that the Sunday
School is responsible for them.
The lessons have Interpreted the
passages which are being studied
the world around.
Courageous Men of Prayer.
And now a word as to the
Bible Characters about whom We
have been reading since the FIRST
OF the year. They have been
prophets-Elijah and Elisha, Jo-
nah and Amos.
The prophet occupies an ex-
allied place in the Old Testament:
his once was higher than that
of the king. and few of the kings
ever left such an impression gs
that made ny the men Of God
who were called forth from time
20 time to admoniyh and advise.
Their power was spiritual: they
talked with God and cnnlr1unIcat-
ed with the children OF Israel
the will Of Jehovah. they ccm-
mended when the rulers acted
wisely and the people regarded
righteousness; they Numbered
did evil in the sight OF the Lord
UT MS peopic W4noere0 away
into idolatry.
They were men Of prayer. They
laid their petitions before God.
asked guidance Of Him, and they
were conscious Of their weakness
when they relied upon their own
strength
They were courageous: We have
no better examples of the brav-
cry that faith In God inspires
than are furnished by the
prophets.
They were not born into proph-
ecy: they were called. Their au-
thority did not pass from father
to son: it came direct from Je-
hovah and terminated when their
work was done.
Mistakes Can he Corrected.
They were not all cast in the
same mold; each had his per-
sonality and each seemed spec
fally designed for the work that
fell to his lot. Just such a man
as Elijah was needed to deal
with Ahab, IsraeIs wicked king:
just such a man as Elisha was
needed for the work he had to
do: and who better than Amos,
the herdsmsn, could have casti-