is God's great instrument for governing men and
nations. "There is but one alternative," said Mr. Sawtell, "God will
have men and nations governed; and they must be governed by one of the
two instruments, an open Bible with its hallowed influences, or a
standing army with bristling bayonets. One is the product of God's
wisdom; the other, of man's folly; and that nation that discards or will
not yield to the moral power of the one, must submit to the brute force
of the other. The open Bible, in our schools, is the secret of our
ability to govern ourselves. Take from us the open Bible and, like
Samson shorn of his locks, we would become as weak as any other people.
Take away the Bible, and like Italy, Austria and Russia, we would need a
despot on a throne, and a standing army of a half-million to keep the
populace in subjection."

JESUS, THE GREAT TEACHER

It was our Lord Jesus himself, who said, "Suffer little children to come
unto me, and forbid them not." He did not suggest, that they be sent for
moral instruction to the schools of the Pharisees, or the unbelieving
Sadducees, but that they should come to him, and receive his word and
blessing. He saw no sectarianism in the message of love, life and
forgiveness, he brought from the Father; for he described it, as,
"living water," "living bread which came down from heaven," "the light
of the world," and its object, "that they might have life more
abundantly." He knew, it was a matter of utmost importance to every
individual, to receive that message in childhood and youth.

THE BIBLE, THE STANDARD OF MORALITY

The Word of God is supreme in all matters of conscience or morality. The
man, whose conscience is in harmony with the Word of God, must be
recognized as on the side of God and right. Elijah on Mount Carmel,
having only the Word of God, prevails over four hundred misguided
prophets of Baal. When those, who were prejudiced against the gospel in
the days of Peter, imprisoned and undertook to silence him and others,
he gave the right answer, when he said, "We ought to obey God rather
than men." Peter and Elijah, teaching the Word of God, were progressive
up-builders of the Kingdom of God, while their suppressors were merely
blind opposers and destructionists. The enlightened consciences of Peter
and Elijah were of more value and more to be respected, than those of
the hosts of souls, in the darkness of unbelief, arrayed against them.
Whilst the work of Peter an