kground as being a non-missionary work, and hence to be left to
the natives themselves to conduct, after their evangelization by the
simple and pure preaching of the gospel. The Syria Mission have been
led, by the experience of long and laborious years of labor in this
peculiar field, to regard education as one of the most important
auxiliaries in bringing the Gospel in contact with the people. Society
and sects are so organized and constituted, that while the people of a
given village would not receive a missionary as simply a preacher of the
Gospel, they will gladly accept a school from his hands, and welcome him
on every visit to the school as a benefactor. They will not only receive
the daily lessons and instructions of the school-teacher in religious
things, but even ask the missionary to preach to them the Word of life.
Schools in Syria are entering wedges for Gospel truth.

Our schools are of two classes, the High schools or Seminaries for
young men and young women, and the common schools for children of both
sexes. In the former, Biblical instruction is the great thing, the chief
design of the High schools being to train the young to a correct and
thorough acquaintance with Divine truth. The course of Bible instruction
conducted by Mr. Calhoun in Abeih Seminary, is, I doubt not, more
thorough and constant, than in any College or High School in the United
States. While the sciences are taught systematically, the Bible is made
the principal text-book, and several hours each day are given to its
study. In our common schools, likewise, Bible reading and instruction
hold a prominent place. Owing to the paucity of books in the Arabic
language proper to be used as reading books, a reading book was prepared
by the Mission, consisting almost exclusively of extracts from the
Scriptures. In addition to this book, the Psalms of David and the New
Testament are used as regular reading books in all the schools. There
are daily exercises in reading the Bible and reciting the Catechism. It
will be observed from what I have stated, that the amount of spiritual
knowledge acquired by the children, in the very process of learning to
read, is not small. Being obliged to commit to memory texts, paragraphs,
and whole chapters, from year to year, their minds become stored with
the precious words of the Sacred Book. Very much depends upon the
teacher. When we can obtain pious, praying teachers, the Scripture
lessons can be given with much