ASTRONOMY will be a study in Christian schools everywhere, and one of the texts used will be, “Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades?” With that as a text, all the astronomy of the Pleiades will be the study-book. And when the student has covered the field of the Pleiades, and knows what are the sweet influences of the Pleiades, he will know, in his own life, the sweet influences of the Spirit of Him who gave sweet influences to the Pleiades; and this will make him in his place in the order of God what the Pleiades are in their place in the order of God.PTUK November 23, 1899, page 748.1

More than this, it is written, in Psalm 147:3, 4: “He telleth the number of the stars; He calleth them all by their names.” “He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.” When one has taken for his text, “Cast thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades?” and has studied thoroughly the book of the Pleiades, and knows Him who can bind their sweet influences, he will know the sweet influences of Him who binds up the broken heart and heals the wounded spirit.PTUK November 23, 1899, page 748.2

Now read Isaiah 40., the last three verses. First the 26th verse: “Life up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: He calleth them all by names by the greatness of His might, for that He is strong in power; not one faileth.” Why study these things?—“He calleth them all by names by the greatness of His might, for that He is strong in power; not one faileth.” Not one of them escapes His notice. And then the next verse: “Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the Lord, and my judgment is passed over from my God?” When the student, with this as his text, looks into that study-book, and knows something of the infinite number of the starry host, and knows that God calls these all by their names, he can easily understand that the Lord will never forget his name, nor shall he ever escape the Lord’s notice. This is the Bible as a text-book.PTUK November 23, 1899, page 748.3

Meteorology will be a study in all Christian schools; that is the study of the winds and the waves, the atmosphere, the rain, the dew, the ocean tides, the ocean itself. And one of the texts may be: “The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits.” With that as the text, the teacher will lead the students into the study-book of the course of the winds as they come out of the north, as they go to the south, as they whirl about continually, and as they return again according to their circuits. He will lead the students into the books that give the science of the winds, and so will conduct the students along the whole course of the circuit of the winds. Then the students will know that the wind has a circuit as certainly as the sun a course, and that the gentlest breeze that fans the check on a summer’s day is wafted by the hand of the Lord, who “causeth His wind to blow.” And that will be no small study-book.PTUK November 23, 1899, page 748.4

Another text will be: “All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.” Ecclesiastes 1:7. The teacher will take that text, and will have his class get it well in mind. Then he will lead the class through the whole course of the philosophy, and the science, as it is given in the literature of the true science, of the return of the rivers from where they flow into the sea, to the place whence they came in the first place.PTUK November 23, 1899, page 748.5

Another text on that same subject will be: God “calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth.” That will be the text; the study-book will be all the literature that can be had that contains the science and the philosophy that will give to the student the actual facts, the procedure, and the means by which God picks up the water from the sea, and transports it over the—two hundred and fifty-five cable miles of water every twenty-four hours.PTUK November 23, 1899, page 749.1

And, by the way, by the time that the student has gone through that, he will be no tyro in arithmetic. You can see, from what I have cited, how arithmetic will come in, not as an abstract thing, but as an actual experience in the daily life of the students as he studies the taking up of the waters from the sea, the transporting of them through the air, the pouring out of them in the form of the rain or the snow. As the student actually practices arithmetical calculations as a material part of his studies, arithmetic will be found a most practical thing, and will be far more beneficial than when it is studied abstractly and merely for practice.PTUK November 23, 1899, page 749.2

But the greatest benefit is that in all the study and work the student is studying the works of God. And it will be found that such study will have such a hold upon the student, such a charm indeed, that there will be no need of urging, driving, threatening, etc., to have the students get their lessons. They will be so wrapped up in it that they will be studying their lessons, and will have them well learned because they are interested at every step, and wish to know.PTUK November 23, 1899, page 749.3

The child who, in his first steps in figures, has all his problems in the use of figures drawn from the Bible, and is acquainted with them in the Bible, has far better influences surrounding him, and meets something of far more benefit to his character and character development, than if all his problems are concerned with hogs, and horses, and “per cent.,” and “how much did he make?” “how much did he lose?” “did he gain or lose?”—all taken from the world, and in the world’s own way; simply teaching him selfishness—how to make money. The associations that fix themselves in the child’s mind, and inevitably mould his character,—that is the philosophy of the Bible in the beginning of number work, with little children; and it is all expressed in that saying that, “first impressions are most lasting.” The first impressions upon the mind of a child are always most lasting, and these will associate with his thoughts in spite of himself with everything that ever comes to him. The only question is as to whether it is preferable to have these first impressions from the Word of God, or from the things of the world. And surely nobody whose heart is with God can have any difficulty in answering the question.PTUK November 23, 1899, page 749.4

The Bible is the beginning and the end; the all in all; the basis of all true education, and the text-book in every line of study that is taken up in Christian education. Make the study of this one Book the study of your life; study it until it becomes your very life. Is not that the very best preparation that a teacher can make?PTUK November 23, 1899, page 749.5

A. T. JONES.

November 16, 1899