Milford chronicle., 1901-12-20

as wei as unwise for our statesmen. who
are quite equal to the statesmen of the
past and who have. in addition to the
natural talents of their predecessors. at
tainments in knowledge that were impos-
sible in any decade but our own. to de-
pend ON advice Of men who have been
dead three-quarters of a century. In all
other things the world mas advanced.
Can il be that in craftsmanship it has
gone back and that this opening of the
twentieth century must consult the open
ms Of the nineteenth century? "Ye have
not passed this way before"
Yea, our entire world is on a new path.
way. 1t may be swinging in the same old
orbit as when by the hand Of the Al
mighty immensely was sprinkled with
worlds, but it has been rocked with earth
quakes and scorched with volcanic fires
and whelmed with tidal waves and
wrought upon by climatic changes-cities
sunk, and islands lifted, and mountains
avalanched into valleys. So it is another
world than that which was first started
in the solar system. Yet it is all the time
changing and will keep changing until the
hour of its demolition. OF this beautiful
world, this lustrous world, this glorious
world, it may be said, eye have not
passed this way before"
What is the practical use Of this sub
ject? Instead of putting so much stress
upon human advice and instead of asking
Of the past what we ought to do, follow
the divine leading as the men of Joshua
followed the golden lidded chest of aca-
cia, which was the symbol of the divine
presence. Not human, but divine, leader
ship, Joshua not consulting with his colo
nels and lieutenants, but consulting with
God-the God of individuals, the God Of
nations. the God of worlds.
The Lesson of Reverence.
That three-quarters of a mile distance
between the ark or sacred box and the
front column Of Joshuas troops nightly
impresses me. 1t was a forceful way Of
teaching reverence for the Almighty.
They needed to learn that lesson of rev.
erence, as we all need to learn it. Irrev-
erence has cursed all nations, and none
more than our own. Irreverence in the
use of Gods name. Hear you it not on
the streets and in social groups, and is
not profane word sometimes thought
necessary to point jocOsity? lrreverence
for the Scriptures, the phraseology Of the
Bible often introduced into the most friv-
olOus conversation and made mirth pro-
voking. Irreverence for the oath in court
room or custom house or legislative hall
by the conventional and mechanical mode
of its administration Irreverence for the
holy Sabbath by the way it is broken in
pleasurable excursion and carousal IT.
reverence on the part Of children for their
parents. insolence being substituted for
obedience. Irreverence for rulers, which
induces vile cartoons and assassination.
Irreverence in church during prayer,
measuring off song and sermon by cold
artistic or literary criticism, and in pray
er time neither bowling the head nor
bending the knee nor standing as one
does in the presence of earthly ruler. thus
showing more respect for a man than to
the King of kings. We ask not for genu.
feXions or circumhexions or prostrations
but when prayer is offered let us either
bow the head or bend the knee or let us
in some way prove that we are not indif-
ferent. In how many places have pre-
sumption and foolhardiness taken the
place of reverence That three-quarters
of a mile between the chest of acacia