The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1886-04-15

camp ana Sdlu w no Is OH Gne LOIu
side PIX. 1926.
That there is strength in union is fact
as indisputable as that there is light be-
meath the sun. But this fact does not
embrace legitimate strength alone. There
is of course intensity in concentration of
effort, and there must be strength of
vice in an aggregation of ideas. There is
such a thing as being too strong. A body of
men, filled with the conceit of their own
strength, soon drifts into a careless man.
ner of living which develops into posi-
tive sin. That old-fashioned idea that
men should avoid congregating in large
cities or centers. was not bad one, al
though by nature of the vastly increasing
population of the world, quite impractic-
able. There is striking similarity be-
tween the mental and physical manhood
in their bearing upon the ills that come
to trouble the world Collect a great
number of men together, as. for instance
in the case of a great army, and the most
rigid sanitary discipline is necessary to
prevent the spread of disease in various
forms; so in the mental and spiritual
world, the close association of various
characters will give rise to evil Influences,
and culminate in great harm, unless the
strictest watchfulness be observed.
The Israelites at the time Moses made
this call to them, were not of that con-
centration of noble aims, or stability of
character necessary to a perfect commu-
nifty. They were following their great
leader, and making show of allegiance
to him, and faith in him. Yet no sooner
had he gone away to the mountain, to
talk with God, than the evil influences of
the camp began to assert themselves, and
Moses-direct from the interview with
the King of Kings-came back to find the
people in his camp holding high carnival
in the worship of an idol. 1t is not sur
prising that the great leader was shocked
upon beholding the spectacle. The Lord
had kept and cared for his people, they
had been led safely through much danger
and trial, yet there were those who did
not hesitate to go back to idolatry with
out a thought of duty. 1t became neces-
sary to draw the line; the time had come
when there was no longer any need of
permitting the faithful and unfaithful to
mingle together in proftless way.
Moses was angered at sight of their fool
ishness, and solemnly called to such as
were on the Lords side to come over to
him.
Now came test which was to try the
1o Of &hoca xr,Io ohoco 70 nr1'c
side-a test which reached out beyond
the powers of humanity, it seemed. In
the name Of the Lord Moses commanded
each man to take his sword and go slay
his unfaithful fellow. But this was done,
and many thousands thus perished. 1t
became necessary, in carrying on the
work of the Lord, to sacrifice some near
and dear friends. These friends had been
fully warned; they had been given abun-
dant evidence of the faithfulness of the
Lord to His children, but had met faith
fulness with unfaithfulness; almost in
the presence of the Lord as considered
from the standpoint of physical pres
ence, these people showed disregard of
His law which partook of the nature of
contempt. 1t was terrible account to
which they were called. Those who per-
sisted in remaining upon the opposite
side were destroyed. That is the impress
sive and startling lesson.
To redress the wrongs of mankind re-
quires great amount of self-sacrifice on
the part of some, and this has been dem
onstrated with startling force, from time
to time, in this world of ours. Moses was
the chosen instrument of the Lord, to
lead His people out of bondage. Yet, af-
ter the immediate dangers had been put
aside, many of these same people gave ev-
idence of disposition to ignore the mer-
cy of the Father and the work of the
leader. This has had companion pic
ture in our time. There sprang into eX-
istence political party, to meet the de-
mands of the times. Men were to be lib
Grated from bondage, a nobler sentiment
was to be built up in the political world,
and in fact there was great mission for
the new power. Its first advocates la
bored with all the zeal and energy which
usually characterizes pioneers. Their
work was never permitted to relax until
every man was free, and had the rights of
man before the law of earth, as he had
ever had before the law of God. These
great leaders guided the fortunes of their
followers until the forces had gained such
strength as to consider themselves irwin
chile. Though, naturally, this great
strength should have prepared them for
grand work, it had practically serious
back-set in the fact that the forces be-
came too strong. The great strength
bred discomfort, and discord. The Israel
ties thought they knew more about the
kind of God to worship than Moses did
so some of the forces that had been led
through much tribulatiop to victory, con-
ceived the idea that they knew more than
the leaders. Even those who knew moth
ing of the trials and dangers through
which the pioneers of the party were
compelled to pass, demanded the right to
step to the front and assume control of
affairs. Age and experience, glorious
record, the prestige of victories won, had
no bearing or weight; the old fellows
must 60 Not only did the young men
| attempt, like those in Moses camp, to ig-
more their leaders, but to supplant them
drive them out. "Why,' said one, 81 have
belonged to this party for four years
Another for six years." And so on. This
should of course give them abundant ex-
perience in the management Of public af-
fairs. Those they were crying down had
been in the same line for thirty years
many even longer than that. And these
latter received their inspiration from g
sense of righteousness and duty-the for
mer from hope of reward for services
never performed. The youth boldly sci
up a craven image-of course it was Of
brass-and strove to compel all the ole
experienced leaders to worship it. This
image was in the form of a serpent-th'
serpent that is found behind the bar o.