The Penn's Grove record., 1901-12-20

aVnieVeLlenu thas Woptu u theDooIitI,
vice is ordinarily of little value. People
review thsir own successes or failures and
then tell us what is best for us to do. not
realizing hat our circumstances are differ
ent, our temperament is different. our
physical and mental and moral capacities
different. Most Of the great mistakes
that have been made have been made I'M
der human advisement.
So, also, it may be said to every nation,
rye have not passed this way before"
Our own republic is going through novel
experiences. Could wisest statesman
twenty years ago have ~prophesied present
conditions? Every President, every Con-
gress, has new crises to meet and new
questions to settle. So prophecies made
about conditions in this country fifty
years from now may turn out as far untrue
as the prophecies made fifty years ago by
the greatest of American statesmen when
he declared on yonder Capitol hill that it
was unwise to think Of civilization or pros
perity the other side of the Rocky Mount
aims, and according 60 his belief the Pa
ciie coast would be the perpetual abode of
barharians and mountain lions, aud we
must not think of annexing those forbid
ding regions.
Many prophecies in regard to our nation
failed and many prophecies concerning its
future will fail, because it is travelling a
new road. Every step it takes on that
road is a novelty. The opinion of a Mon
roe or a Jefferson in the far past is not of
as much value as the opinion of our wisest
men now. How could men know in 1928
what it would be hest for this nation to do
in 1901? II is belittliug as well 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, ~attainments in knowledge
That Nvapp luOFnsE1h1a in NV Aanala hut
our own, to depend on advice Of men who
have been dead three-quarters of a CEN
fury. In all other things the world has
advanced. Can it be that in statesman
ship it has gone back, and that this open
ing OF the twentieth century must consult
the opening of the nineteenth century:
"Ye have not passed this way before"
Yea, our entire world is on a new path.
way. 1t may he 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
avalanehed 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 viii keep
changing until the hour of its demolition.
Of this beautiful world, this l~ustrous
world, this glorious world, it may be said,
'4e have not passed this way before"
What is the practical use of this sub,
jeet? 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 acacia,
which was the symbol of the divine pres.
ence.
Nv
That three-quarters Of a mile distance
between the ark or sacred box and the
'front.' column OF Joshua's troops nightly
lmpresses me, IL was a ~forceful way of
teaching reverence for the Almighty. They
needed to learn that lesson Of reverence.
MS we all need to learn it. Irreverenee has
cursed all nations, and none more ,than
our own, lrreverence in the use of Gods
Hear you 1t not on the streets And Z
IN social groups, and is not a profane wordL;
thought necessary to point6r ee,,
lrreverence for the Scriptura. \
he phraseology of the Bible often intf'
iuGed into the most frivolous conversatieret
md made mirth provoking. Irreverenach
or the oath in courtroom or custom honse\ /.
II legislative hall by the conventional and "
mechanical mode Of its administration. Ne
for the holy Sabbath by the \
1t IS broken in pleasure excursion and {
arousal. lrreveience on the mart of chill. S
rem for their parents, insolence being G
ubstituted for obedience, Irreverenoe for G
ulers, which induces vile cartoons and as a
assination, lrreyerence in church during Il
rayer, measuring off song and sermon by y
old, artistic or literary criticism, and n b
rayer time neither bowling the head nor a
the knee nor standing as one does Il
! the presence Of earthly ruler. thus show a.
y more respect for a man than 10 he II
ing Of kings, We ask not for genuaex. v
ms OF elrcumueNions or prostrations. but a,
re head or bend the knee or let US in W
me way prove that we are not indiifer.
1t.
IN how many places have presumption
I'd ioolhardiness taken the place of rev. to
4ence! That t~hree,guarters Of a mile he s.
leen The ehest nt anania cnvared ,ritL NJ