Best Education and Its Purpose
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ability at the shrine of idols, and have given themselves as a sacrifice
to the prince of evil. O that the youth in our schools, one and all, might
yield to the precious strivings of the Spirit of the Lord, that they might
know the indications of His providence, and wait upon God, that they
might know and do His will! In this way they would open the door of
the heart to Jesus.
In surrendering ourselves to God, we reap great advantages; for if
we have weaknesses of character, as we all have, we unite ourselves to
One who is mighty to save. Our ignorance will be united to infinite
wisdom, our frailty to enduring might, and, like Jacob, we may each
become a prince with God. Connected with the Lord God of Israel, we
shall have power from above which will enable us to be overcomers;
and by the impartation of divine love, we shall find access to the hearts
of men. We shall have fastened our trembling grasp upon the throne
of the Infinite, and shall say, “I will not let Thee go, except Thou
bless me.” The assurance is given that He will bless us and make us a
blessing; and this is our light, our joy, our triumph. When the youth
understand what it is to have the favor and love of God in the heart, they
will begin to realize the value of their blood-bought privileges, and
will consecrate their ability to God, and strive with all their God-given
powers to increase their talents to use in the Master’s service.
The only safety for our youth in this age of sin and crime is to have
a living connection with God. They must learn how to seek God, that
they may be filled with His Holy Spirit, and act as though they realized
that the whole host of heaven was looking upon them with interested
solicitude, ready to minister unto them in danger and in time of need.
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The youth should be barricaded by warning and instruction against
temptation. They should be taught what are the encouragements held
out to them in the word of God. They should have delineated before
them the peril of taking a step into the by-paths of evil. They should
be educated to revere the counsels of God in His sacred oracles. They
should be so instructed that they will set their resolution against evil,
and determine that they will not enter into any path where they could
not expect Jesus to accompany them, and His blessing to abide upon
them. They should be taught practical, daily religion that will sanctify
them in every relation of life, in their homes, in business, in the church,
in society. They must be so educated that they will realize that it is a
perilous thing to trifle with their privileges, but that God expects them