Wallowa chieftain. [volume] (Joseph, Union County, Or.) 1884-1909, 1902-07-10
OUR NEED AND SOME REnEDIES
By Mrs. J. NJ. GalIy.

The following was read at tn,
Sunday School Association held al
Lostine, June 1926:
When we are brought to a close
consideration OF this subject, difficult.
les arise that seem to be insurmount.
able, and feel entirely incapable oI
even beginning to discuss it.
A very great barrier to success be.
gins outside, and reaches within the
sabbath School One of the greatest
difficulties in the way, is the tendency
OF the youth, and even older people .pi
our times, to an incorporate desire
for diversion, and to follow fashion.
This desire Is stimulated. cultivated
and INDUCED. Many columns weekly
and daily newspapers and magazines.
also advertisements and inventions
Tor mere amusement, lead the minds.
occupy the time, and "Beguile the
penny" and these lead on to all kinds
OF devices, to obtain the money that
1t takes to keen up all these imagin-
larry needs, resulting very often in
cheating, theft, forgery, or embezAling
OF intrusted funds, and instead OF the
eXpected pleasure, woe and suicide
often results.
Nothing short of the almighty
power of God can check this "deaden-
ing influence" In the baccalaureate
sermon at Vassar College, President
Taylor spoke Of the "Deadening Effect
OF Pleasure-seeking in all the Higher
Activities Of Life, and expressed the
Eopinion that all that is good in our
lives, is threathened by the pleasure
seeking spirit Of the present age.
Many students, he said feel that the
best thing to be gotten from college
is the chance to have a good time.
This spirit undermines the physical
vigor and dulls the mental power,
and "We feel sure that it almost OBJ
literates spirituality"
Ii people, who have proiessed Christ
and claim to he Christians, could be
made to see the danger signal, and
would marshal all their forces to tight
under His banner, following His ex-
ample and obeying His commands,
then this foe that threatens the
Christian Sabbath, with its means Of
worship, could be held in check. and
the Sunday schools and other societies
organized in His name would teem
with children and youths eager to
learn and observe the ways of right
BUSINESS.
Where are the workers? Have the
majority OF protesting Christians in
this part OF the land renowned
Christ? Are they not weakening the
influence, we might say killing the
soldcrs, in every battle to save sinners,
by the help they give the Christians 5
foe? In time OF war could nation
be saved ii the great mass of strong,
able-bodied men were to give no heed
to the call to arms\ and leave their
cause to It struggling though faithful
majority? Have yon deserted? Com
pare the church-going, worshipful
habits, 1f the Pilgrim Fathers, with
those of this generation, especially in
this Western country Those staunch
God-fearing men laid the foundation
of this mighty nation, as a Christian
nation. Are we going to let prosper
ity cause us to forget the only true
and living God, setting heart, soul, |
mind and strength on flceting things?
The extreme strictness OF the Puritans
though often ridiculed, when compar-
ed with the lenient discipline prevail
ent today, has results in its favor.
TO be continued newt week.