The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1902-01-16


est statesmen 20 years ago have
prophesied present conditions? Every
president, every congress, has new
crises to meet and new questions to
settle. So prophecies made about con-
ditions in this country so years from
now may turn out as far untrue as the
prophecies made so years ago by the
greatest of American statesmen when
he declared on yonder Capitol hill
that it was unwise to think of civiliza-
ton or prosperity the other side of the
Rocky mountains, and according to his
belief the Pacific coast would be the
perpetual abode of barbarians and
mountain lions, and we must not think
of annexing those rorbidding regions.
Many prophecies in regard to our
nation failed and many prophecies
concerning it's future will fail be-
cause 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 1923 what it would be
best for this nation to do in 1901 Z?
1t is belittling 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, attain
ments in knowledge that were i'm
possible in any decade but our own,
to depend on advice of men who
have been dead three-quarters of a
century. In all other things the
world has advanced. Can it be that
in craftsmanship it has gone back
and that this opening of the twen-
tieth century must consult the open
ing of the nineteenth century? Eye
have not passed this way before
Yea, our entire world is on a new
pathway. 1t may be swinging in the
same old orbit as when by the hand
OF the Almighty immensity was
sprinkled with worlds, but it has
been rocked with earthquakes 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 chang
ing and will keep changing until the
hour of its demolition. Of this beau
tiful 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
subject? Instead of putting so much
stress upon human advice and in
stead of asking of the past what we
ing as the men of Joshua followed
the golden lidded chest of acacia,
which was the symbol of the divine
presence. Not human, but divine,
leadership, Joshua not consulting
with his colonels and lieutenants,
but consulting with God-the God OF
individuals, the God of nations, the
God of worlds.
That three-quarters of mile dis
tance between the ark or sacred box
and the front column of Joshua's
troops nightly impresses me. 1t
was forceful way of teaching rever-
ence for the Almighty. They needed
to learn that lesson of reverence, as
we all need to learn it. Irreverence
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 a profane word
sometimes thought necessary to
point jocosity? Irreverence for the
Scriptures, the phraseology of the
Bible often introduced into the most
frivolous conversation and made
mirth provoking. Irreverence for
the oath in courtroom or custom
house or legislative hall by the con-
ventional and mechanical mode Of its
administration. Irreverence for the
holy Sabbath by the way it is broken
in pleasurable excursion and ca.
rousal. Irreverence on the part o1
M ioA t1iSiA PdI Shtos lioolChSS
being substituted for obedience. Ir.
reverence for rulers, which induces
vile cartoons and assassination. Ir.
reverence in church during prayer
measuring off song and sermon by
cold, artistic or literary criticism
and in prayer 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 man than to the King
of Kings. We ask not for genufiex.
ions or circumfexions or prostra.
tions, but when prayer is offered lei
us either bow the head or bend the
knee or let us in some way prove
that we are not Indifferent. In how
many places have presumption ant
foolhardiness taken the place of rev
erence. That three-quarters of mile
between the chest of acacia covered
with gold and mounted with wings
a symbol of the divine presence
and the marching regiments of Josh
| ua suggests reverence that i!
woefully lacking in social life, il
| legislative hall and religious assem-
hIape farmer went to the wheat