Proper Education of the Young
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colleges unite heart and soul and purpose in the work of saving our
youth from ruin.
Many have felt, “Well, it doesn’t matter if we are not so particular
to become thoroughly educated,” and a lower standard of knowledge
has been accepted. And now when suitable men are wanted to fill
various positions of trust, they are rare; when women are wanted with
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well-balanced minds, with not a cheap style of education, but with
an education fitting them for any position of trust, they are not easily
found. What is worth doing at all, is worth doing well. While religion
should be the pervading element in every school, it will not lead to a
cheapening of the literary attainments. While a religious atmosphere
should pervade the school, diffusing its influence, it will make all who
are truly Christians feel more deeply their need of thorough knowledge,
that they may make the best use of the faculties that God has bestowed
upon them. While growing in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord
Jesus Christ, they will groan under a sense of their imperfections, and
will seek constantly to put to the stretch their powers of mind, that
they may become intelligent Christians.
The Lord Jesus is dishonored by low ideas or designs on our part.
He who does not feel the binding claims of God’s law, and neglects
to keep every requirement, violates the whole law. He who is content
to partially meet the standard of righteousness, and who does not
triumph over every spiritual foe, will not meet the designs of Christ. He
cheapens the whole plan of his religious life, and weakens his religious
character, and under the force of temptation his defects of character
gain the supremacy, and evil triumphs. We need to be persevering
and determined, to meet the highest standard possible. Pre-established
habits and ideas must be overcome in many cases, before we can make
advancement in religious life. The faithful Christian will bear much
fruit; he is a worker; he will not lazily drift, but will put on the whole
armor to fight the battles of the Lord. The essential work is to conform
the tastes, the appetite, the passions, the motives, the desires, to the
great moral standard of righteousness. The work must begin at the
heart. That must be pure, wholly conformed to Christ’s will, else
some master passion, or some habit or defect, will become a power to
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destroy. God will accept of nothing short of the whole heart.
God wants the teachers in our schools to be efficient. If they are
advanced in spiritual understanding, they will feel that it is important