Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-03-28

bring before our eyes so vividly the
starvation Of tens of thousands of our
fellowmen at the very gateway of this
home Of Sele oppressed and the land OF
| the free, that we shall believe that If
peace is not able to bring them cessa-
ton OF their agony, then war alone is
the herald Of the coming of Jesus Christ
to that little island Of these western
seas.
VIII not today's rumors of war and
preparations for 1t, at any rate have
| thrown a light on Christ's prophecies
about his coming in cloud with power
and great glory that we never saw be-
fore? Do we not understand better why
the coming of his reign Of righteousness
must be prepared for by war SO long as
this earth is what 1T is now? War
against tyranny and inhumanity is a
messager and forerunner which Christ
| himself says he iS not ashamed Of One
needs to have travelled in Spain and to
| have seen the Spanish national sport
| before he can fully realize that that
country's idea Of humanity is a different
thing from the Anglo-Saxon's. The pres
ent trial Is not so much to see Which
nation is stronger in it's navy as to de-
eide which kind of humanity shall have
| dominion in the western hemisphere.
| believe the events OF the last five years
have been teaching the nations lesson
that they thought they knew, but did
not--a lesson as old as that day when,
beyond the borders of the garden OF
Eden and beside the body Of righteous
Abel, Gains question, "Am I my bro
thers keeper" was answered by Gods
announcement that he heard the blood
of his brother crying from the ground.
Man is responsible for man, and
where one can help his brother and re-
fuses to, God once again hears the bro
theirs blood crying with hundred
mouths from the ground where 1T was
shed. And to answer ''I am not his
keeper because he is Of another tongue
and race is no excuse with God. If we
believe that the nations of Europe
wrongly thought they knew better than
God, when they refused to Interfere to
save Armenia for fear OF consequences,
let US not commit the same fault. When
God commands man or a nation to do
something, He takes care of the conse-
quences. Christ has died in vain II he
has not shown men that one on the
same side with God Is stronger than the
whole world on the other.
What then shall we do as we watch
the trees shoot forth and know that
summer is at hand, and as we learn from
the parable the meaning of the signs
of the times and all the confusion and
excitement about us? First, we shall dis
crin1inate between war and war;
knowing that If there is no other
way to end the suffeTings of the men and
women so near US and If the pretended
peace is On reality shameful apathy to
the cries Of the dying, then Christ will
not refuse to be brought nearer the
world by war; and In the meantime we
can rejoice in the opportunity to con-
tribute something to relieve the bodily
sufferings of those who need our help as
a man choking to death needs air, as
q. man dying Of thirst needs water-they
need it quickly.
Today Is a part of Lent and this Is
fenten appeal. Today is Passion sun
day, and while we mediate on Christ's
own suffering we will also try to 90
something for the least Of those for
whom he endured his cross and pas
sion Before our opportunity has been
borne away forever on the wings of
these quickly flying days, we will hold
a cup Of cold water, if we may, to the
parched lips of few. at any rate, of
those who have hardly enough strength
left in their bodies after what they
have endured, to utter cry for help
or to tell US what those who are now
working among them say they must
have IL they are not to die tomorrow.
have not tried to picture the sufrerlngs
that ought so to appeal to us. To those
who have seen the ghastly pictures IN
say that recent visitors to the island
whose word can be relied on, assert
that the worst pictures have not ex-
aggerated the terrible realities they
have seen with their own eyes.
l shall not. I am sure, obscure the
meaning of what have already said If
/ suggest in addition. a sense in which
Christ's parable applies to our own IN
ner life. I should be disappointed to
nave any one go away from church
thinking: I'm the consideration of the
signs and needs Of the times, my owr
aeeds were forgotten. heard no word
1f encouragement for my own strug
gles.'
''Behold the fig tree and all the trees
when they now shoot forth, ye see ane
xnow of your own selves that summer
now nigh at hand" Is this day o
early spring a parable to your owf
spiritual life? When you see the bud
IN the sap-hlled branches over you
lead are you encouraged by tn
hought that new hopes and longing
or the love of God have shown them
elves in your heart during this seaso
If Lent? Or does the promise of th
oming glory Of the summer leave yO
ad that your inner life Is no stronge
Or more hopeful than before? If yor