The Tupelo journal., 1903-07-10

II can get away from God. Any at.
tempt to do so, any failure to fecog-
nize His leading and guiding hand, is
attended with disaster. Not only
does the eternal word of God declare
that, blessed is the nation whose
God is the Lord" and that righteous.
ness exhlteth a nation" but its plain
commahd is that prayers should be
offered for kings and all who are in
authority, because there is no power
but of God: the powers that be are
ordained of God" Our fundamental
| proposition then is the inseparable
connection which God always has
with the affairs of nations, and the
medium through which He operates
is that of human instrumentalities
This being true, the worship and
service of God cannot be confined to
the Westinghouse or the closet, but
must extend to political utilization
the administration of public affairs
and every relation which the citizen
is called upon 10 sustain to the com.
munity, city, state or nation. The
Christian must be and ought to be
the most loyal, faithful and obedient
citizen. His religion must not weak
en- his hand in its grasp Of public af'
fairs. 1t should not lessen his sense
of responsibility to help carry the
burdens of state. It is q false note
in religion which makes a man feel
out of tune and out of place at the
political gathering and at the polls
The Christian, if he follows God and
walks as a disciple of the light, is
no led away from active and earnest
participation in public affairs and
the solving of political questions,
but is inevitably placed in close con-
tact with them. and filled with God
given zeal and enthusiasm in the
working out of the problems which
confront him. That preacher in In
diana who recently gave up his pulpit
in order that he might fill the posi-
ton of town policeman and main
tain the order of the community, a
thing which no one else seemed will
ing or able to do, was actuated by a
Divine impulse, and had a clear con
ception of the relation which the
Christian sustains to the state. The
Christian who is willing to enjoy the
security, and prosperity, and liberty
which his nation affords him, and
yet escape the duties and RESPONSE
bilities of citizenship, is dishonoring
God, putting reproach upon the re-
ligion which he processes and living
a narrow and mean existence.
7 INDEPENDENCE Day or Fourth OF
L July which this nation celebrates
every year in memory of the signing OF
the declaration of independence and
the proclaiming of liberty to the peo-
pie of the thirteen colonies, is not a re-
ligious anniversary day, and has not,
therefore, on hat grounds any claim
upon the Christian for its observation.
But upon the Christian citizens it i'm
poses its solemn obligations which in
their place and relationship to prac-
teal daily life are as important as
Christmas or Easter. To think of the
Fourth of July in a careless and light
vein, to deplore its celebration be-
cause it brings with it SO much OF
noise and merry making, is to selfishly
disregard the responsibilities and OPP
portunities of the day and to overlook
or forget the real purpose of the day
and the reason for its appointment,
Young America wants to make a
noise, of course. and he should be af-
forded ample and safe opportunity for
so doing. Blu it should not be noise
lust for the bare sake of noise. II
should not be merry making just be
cause you delight in a jolly time. Fire
cracker and torpedo. cannon and shot
gun, ~skyrocket. Roman candle and pin
wheel ought to be made to sound forth
their message of liberty, and the God
fearing patriotism which moved in the
hearts of the revolutionary fathers
and steeled them to act for God and
home and native land. 1t is unfortun-
ate that so little of the true patriotic
spirit which marked the celebration
of the day years ago prevails to-day;
yea, 1t is even alarming. 1t should be,
it must be revived. Here is where the
Christian citizen has his obligation
and his opportunity. He should be-
come a missionary for hat truer, bet
ter patriotism which is essential to
the perpetuation and strength of the
nation. If every Christian who recog-
nizes the command of our text would
give thoughtful and ~prayerful consid-
GRAFTON to all that is implied in the
following of God and walking as chill
dren of light we believe they would
come to see that their pathway led
through a better celebration of the
Fourth of July and not around or e
it. And they would know that the day
need not and ought not to pass away
without the impress of their lives be-
ing placed upon it. Here then is the
patriotic aspect of the Heavenly call
ing and the earthly walk.
THE truest patriot which the Jewish
l nation ever had was Daniel serv-
ing faithfully and loyalty in the court
of the Babylonian king. Following God
and walking as a child of light did not
lead him to develop such a religious
bias as to put him out of touch with
the world about him. Rather did it
make him a deep student of the polit-
ical situation which surrounded him.
And his masterful grasp of the affairs
of state in time gave him the oppor-
tunity to preach the true God and true
religion not only to the king, but the
nation as well. One man following God
49, ol1> - mt tho ipnro.e -, L..