What has made Scotland!

A country poor and sterile by [unclear: Nat] not only materially wealthy, but [unclear: for] very nursery of men and [unclear: wo] eminent in every walk of life, [unclear: Ho] training in homely virtues, and [unclear: the] sound education of its [unclear: paro] schools, founded on the Bible by [unclear: the] direction of that " man amongst [unclear: man]—the fearless reformer, John [unclear: kect] As previous speakers have so [unclear: fal] and ably expressed the urgent [unclear: reason] for the change in our system, [unclear: and] combated the trifling objection [unclear: that] are raised, it is unnecessary for [unclear: a] to traverse the same ground, and content myself with endorsing [unclear: the] greater, if not the whole, of what [unclear: the] have advanced.

But there are one or two [unclear: pain] upon which I would desire to say [unclear: a] few words. One of my chief [unclear: reas] for demanding Bible-reading in [unclear: our]national schools is : That so long [unclear: and] the Word of God is excluded [unclear: fro] them, so long do we, as a nation [unclear: be] to our seal that no [unclear: recognit], required or needed from our [unclear: children] of the existence of a Supreme [unclear: being] and of the revelation of His [unclear: gra] purposes towards the world. [unclear: ua] therefore, we as the units of nation, rise up, protest and [unclear: dad] the excision of that part of the [unclear: ub] cation Act which virtual [unclear: are] practically prevents such a [unclear: recog] tion, we are morally responsible [unclear: ar] guilty of casting " away the [unclear: iaj] the Lord of Hosts, and despising [unclear: te]Word of the Holy One of [unclear: Isra] We know from Scriptural and [unclear: ses] lar history alike the woes that [unclear: ha] come upon God's own chosen [unclear: pe] for thier persistent violation of commands that they should [unclear: diligj] learn and obey His statutes. Know that the Israelites are [unclear: so] where in the world being [unclear: "sif,] wheat among the nations,'! that the Jews are " scattered [unclear: be]peeled" in every country under [unclear: of]sun despised and persecuted, [unclear: a] word and a reproach amongst people. We, in New Zealands, in some measure a people [unclear: pew] page 3 favored In this land we have a goodly heritage. Its climate is bright and invigorating; its soil is fruitfull beyond comparison; it has gold and minerals in unknown quantities and freedom to govern ourselves as best we can; having, in short the corn, wine and oil, and cattle and sheep upon a thousand hills Let us then be true to ourselves, and recognise with thankful huminity the Great Giver of all good, and beware of tempting God to withdraw or blast all these material blessing by provoking " the eyes of his glory by lightly esteeming His word "Hear ye, and give ear; be not proud; for the Lord hath spoken give glory to the Lord your God, before he cause darkness, and while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death; and make it gross darkness.