Talks on Education by W. E. H.

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Aug 7, 1913

Talks on Education

By W. E. H.

If the Lord by his word could transform Simon the fisherman, Simon the "sinful man" as he called himself, Simon who openly denied his Lord three times in one night,—if such a man could be transformed into Peter the preacher of Pentecost, into Peter whose very shadow the people sought for healing, into Peter the restorer of Tabitha to life, into Peter the Bible writer, what limitation shall we place upon that word of power in this our day if we only say as Simon did, "At thy word I will"? If a grown man, with his habits settled, with serious faults uncorrected from babyhood, with an impulsive, unstable nature, could be renewed in heart and be remolded into the firmness of a rock by the word of divine grace in three years of instruction and example under the Great Teacher, what may we not expect to be done for our boys and girls in their impressible years if placed under the daily influence of the same word taught and lived by the faithful teacher?

"So Send I You"

We may not leave the direct presence of the Master among us as of old, but he said that it was expedient for him to go away that the Spirit of truth might come and teach us all things that the Father has for us and all things that the Son has received of the Father to show to his children. He also said that as the Father sent him, so he sends them that the Father has given him—the believers. And further: "He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father." According to these words, the Lord would have even greater works appear among his followers than he himself did when upon earth. This may not necessarily mean more people raised from the dead, more paralytics healed, more stormy seas stilled, more fig-trees blighted, more water turned into wine, but it surely does mean more miracles of grace done upon the hearts of men, women, and children; for there is no greater work than the transformation of the unregenerated heart.

A Special Work to Do

The day of such miracles is not past. There are modern Simons to be denatured and molded into loyal, stable Peters, crying out in their souls, "We ought to obey God rather than men," and saying by their practise, "at thy word we will." That word comes to us through the Spirit today in this form:—

"The church has a special work to do in educating and training its children that they may not, in attending school or in any other association, be influenced by those of corrupt habits. The world is full of iniquity and disregard of the requirements of God. The cities have become as Sodom, and our children are exposed to many evils. Those who attend the public schools often associate with others more neglected than they, those who, aside from the time spent in the schoolroom, are left to obtain a street education. The heart of the young are easily impressed, and unless their surroundings are of the right character, Satan will use these neglected children to influence those who are more carefully trained. Thus, before Sabbath-keeping parents know what is being done, the lessons of depravity are learned, and the souls of the little ones are corrupted."—"Counsels to Teachers," page 173.

If these words reveal to us, especially us parents, any conditions we do not know about from experience or observation, may we not, like Simon the fisherman, who saw every reason why he should not cast his net that noisy morning on Galilee, at least take the Lord at his word and launch out into what may be the deep unknown to us? The reason that finally prevailed with Simon over every reason experience in fishing had taught him, was the simple and plain bidding of the Master. The result was so astonishing that Simon deeply repented of the objections he had made, and saw himself as never before—a sinful man. In that very experience was laid the basis of that courage which later in life enabled Peter to stand up and say to the rulers of the land, "We ought to obey God rather than men."

Notice in the language quoted above, this expression: "Before Sabbath-keeping parents know what is being done, the lessons of depravity are learned, and the souls of their little ones are corrupted." If it were suitable to go into public print, I could tell of numerous instances where innocent children of tender years and boys and girls in their teens have been thus corrupted at school, a corruption whose blight has scarcely seemed removable in after-life, in fact, is incurable except by the healing grace of God. And the grievous part is that parents often do not know what is being done, and the youth themselves do not know its meaning. Moral taint is itself of so hidden and subtle a nature, and the enemy of souls employs so crafty, insidious means of spreading it, that parents need to look twice, to think three times, and to pray seven times before flattering themselves that their children, though in daily contact with conditions pointed out in the quotation above, are yet without contamination. The germ of impurity may incubate for months or years before its presence is manifest or its symptoms easily detected. Do our utmost to shield our children from the contagion by keeping them under the most favorable conditions, and the peril is still great enough.

The greatest antidote to evil is unalloyed truth, with its antiseptic, disinfecting power. The school where the Word of Truth is honored, where it is taught directly, where it is made the foundation and try-square of all the teaching, where its spirit is breathed in song and prayer, and, above all, where it is lived daily in the work and influence of the consecrated teacher and the devoted lives of fellow pupils and students,—such a gospel net will catch a whole school of boys and girls, of infinitely greater value than the school of Galilean fish caught in the miraculous draft by Peter and the Master. And it will do this, too, while the commercial net of the secular school catches one.

The word of the Lord to Simon was, "Launch out into the deep," and after that first experience we see Peter launching out all through his life,—launching out at the word "come" to meet his Lord on the surface of Galilee; launching out in the interpretation of prophecy, accompanied by the gift of tongues, on the day of Pentecost; launched into prison, but launching out through the great iron doors at the heels of the angel; launching out among the Gentiles to teach them the new and living way. Truly God's remnant people need to acquire the habit of launching out at the word of the Lord, especially in matters of educating our children.