Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1892-02-10
The Little Upon Which Humanity Feeds
The White Slaves of Today.

The Rev. Dr. Weld, of the First In.
dependent Christ's Church, of Balti
more, Sunday, January nth, preached
on ''The Little Upon Which Humanity
Feeds" The text was Isaiah, xxxiii,
II: ''Thine eyes shall see the King in
his beauty, and they shall behold the
land that is. very far off,"
After DR.. Weld had referred to the
historic setting of the text he said
when King Hezekiah had gone in
humiliation to his grave, while Israel
was falling an easy prey to the hosts OF
Sennacherib, and the people called for
their great prophet and preacher,
Isaiah spoke these words, which have
been the puzzle and inspiration of the
centuries. How are we to interpret the
King in beauty not in sackcloth.
Does it refer to Hezekiah or some other
king? The former lay in his grave,
and no other king came to stem the
tide of Assyrian conquest. Does the
writer refer to Christ, who lived 700
years later, or to a fuller comprehen-
fsion, q larger conception of Jehovah,
Pthe Creator and ruler of the world?
Whatever view we may take of this,
there is another meaning we can see in
the words, in which they prove true in
this 10Th century
who is king? Is it not the man
who can? the synonym of all that is reg
nant in every human soul2 Humanity
in perfection, beauty and freedom. To
day, when most of the world is under
the rule of absolute kings, Il need only
mention the millions of China, Persia,
Turkey and Russia mon do not hest
tate to say that empires are doomed to
become republics, because they see the
coming realization of humanity's faith
in the 'kingly idea, when every man
can walk erect in perfect freedom, king
OF. the world because master of himself.
'Think of humanity the world over
through these long ages, and you will
be overwhelmed by sense of its pa
tience and long suffering, by the little
upon which it feeds. Recall how the
1sraelites in Egypt bore their burdens
for 400 years when they might, almost
at any time, have risen in rebellion and
conquered their oppressors. See the
centuries of suffering that preceded the
revolution in France. Realize that
there are thousands in Russia to-day
starving, though in its two capitals are
stored bushels of diamonds, emeEalds
and pearls enough to buy wheat for
every peasant in the land. Recall how
the black slaves in the late war staid
at home on the plantations and took
care of the women and children while
the men, their masters, were away
fighting to forge their fetters firmer.
Think of the white slaves in Europe
and America to-day, of the long hours
of their labor-and of the little pay
yet the banks and treasures and
bakeries in their midst are safe and un-
touched. 1t is, indeed, touching, this
dumb, patient endurance of humanity,
and it is well to ask, what is its key?
"Old as the world itself is the belief
in some Hesperides, Atlantis, Utopias.
No land has ever been discovered that
was not seen long before in the dreams
and visions of man. Belief in the bal
ance of continents caused the discovery
of America, so there is belief that there
must be a land to balance earthly mis-
cry, where wrongs are righted, where
peace follows present strife and perfec-
ton crowns the efforts of the now. 1t
is this belief, deep-seated and univer-
sal, that plays so tremendous a part in
human history. The hope to reach this
land very far off is the key to the en-
durance of mankind, and a part of the
unuttered creed of each man, each wo-
man, is that if the now be only looked
after and its duties done the future
will take care of itself. The power of
this belief we see illustrated in the
Maccabees, the early Christians, the
Waldenses, HuguenOts and Pilgrim
Fathers, but plainest in that life, of all
lives fullest, completest and divinest,
promise has been fulfilled, and men are
daily gaining larger sense of God,
who is tenderness, justice and mercy,
who holds in His hand the balance of
the universe and in whose'presence all
wrongs are righted.N