The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1902-10-17
STANDING WITH GOD.
Capital and Labor in the Light OF
the Divine Will.
Sermon by the "Highway and By
way" Preacher on Some of the
Aspects of the Great Coal
Strike.
copyright, 1902, by a. N. Kellogg News
paper Col

copyright, 1902, by a. N. Kellogg News
paper Col
Chicago, 1902.
Text: "Our Father, Which art in Heaven
Thy will be done in earth, as it is II
Heaven. Matt. 6:9-10
The Universal Prayer.-The word:
of our text are Immediately recognized
as part of the Lords prayer which
Christ taught His disciples, and which
has come to be universally used. The
rich and poor, the great and small, the
cultured and the unlettered, the church
attendant and the one who seldom OF
never goes into the house of God, al
unite in the prayer and plead the words
of our text: Thy will be done in
earth, as it is in Heaven" And unless
their desires belle their words they all
ask for and want the same glorious
condition of affairs. They all stand to-
gether on high ground, seeking from
an impartial and all-wise God a com
mon good.
That is, theoretically they want God S
will to be done, while self-will, ejudiCe e
and selfishness prevent the practical
realization of such desires. Without
being consciOi;s of it, personal inter
ests are allowed to so enter into the
consideration q questions and condi-
tions as to meRe ones own will seem
to be the will Of God. y case in point
is the present great coal strike. The
men on both sides of the contest, as
far as l know, believe in and worship
God, and undoubtedly frequently re
peat the Lords prayer and pray that
Gods will may "be done in earth, as
it is in Heaven" All are probably sin
cere in their utterances and believe
that they honestly want to see Gods
will wrought out in the world, but
each believes that Gods will lies along
the line Of his individual desires and
purposes and plans. They are to-
gether when it comes to the petition
which they offer to God, but immeG j.
ately part company with each 9th .r
and possibly with God when it com ss
to their ideas as to how the prayer
should be answered.
But we know that with God there
is no "variableness, neither shadow
of turning" We know that He is
1.-THE same yesterday, and to-day, and
forever" We know that the Divine
that there are not two different an
swers to the same prayer; that
when the rich man prays: Thy will
be DONE" and the poor man prays:
"Thy will be DONE" that when the
capitalist and mine operator pravs:
"Thy will be DONE" and the labor
leader prays: "Thy will be done;"
that when the cultured product of
the university prays: ''Thy will be
DONE" and the humble plodder in
the workshop prays: Thy will be
done," they all strike the same
mark, and if the conduct and life of
the rich man and the poor man, the
capitalist and the labor leader, the
college graduate and the artisan
were such as to permit the perfect
working out of the will of God il
would cut Il clean and straight path
in the affairs of men and the events
of the world. The will of God would
not be found to break into a thou
sand divergent streams like the delta
of the Amazon, but like the benefi-
cent gulf stream it would flow with
n clearly defined course through the
midst of the sea of the earth's teem-
ing millions, eXerting its wholesome
influences on every hand. God has
no favOrites in the sense of showing
partiality to one individual over an
other, for 'He is no respecter of
persons" The poor man does not
believe that the rich man has
corner on Heaven, or that the Ruler
of the Universe can be subsidized
and bought up. The labor leader
does not believe that the capitalist
is able by his wealth and his influ-
ence to gain the ear of God. while
he must stand out in the cold and
talk to n blank wall. They all know
that whatsoever will may come"
and that ''him that cometh unto Me
1 will in no wise cast out" They
may all alike have access to Him.
When Christ taught His disciples
to pray this prayer He did not mean
that God was to be brought around
to mans will, but that man was to
be led to know and do Gods will.
And we know that to-day this is the
true purpose of the prayer; that
wherever in the earth the will of
God is not being done, the condi-
ClOnS may so De changed as TO DrlnS
man and events into harmony with
Gods will. And we know, further
more, that one who goes to God
with this petition and tarries long
enough in the Divine presence to
learn something of what Gods will
for the earth is, returns witt a
Divine commission to help D,Ing
that will to pass.
Standing With God.-To offer the !
prayer of our text, which is done |
by nearly everyone who believes in
and worships God, makes one
partisan of God, places him upon a
platform which declares fora pol. |
icy for earth similar to that prevail |
ng in Heaven, and makes him |
party henchman obligated to work !
for the success of that policy. To /
stand with God means submission. |
That is an attitude of mind and |
heart towards God which is willing |
TO yield personal desires and am
oitions that Gods will may have |
perfect opportunity to operate !
through US. Self-will will not allow |
one to stand with God. It rises as
IN insurmountab bic wall between the |
and God, and must be |
broken down before Gods presence |
,an be gained. Jesus condemned /