Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1903-04-18


Rome persisted because they did not grasp
the divine philosophy OF life: the truth
hat righteousness exalteth nation, bur
SIN Is a reproach to any people. The SUI
9rcme motive of their existence was car.
aal. not spiritual. and so. being built upo1
he sands OF time they perished with time.
\ pc!ytheistlc paganlsn; not too much OF
God but too many Gods, that was their
lndoing.
And so we might parsicu.arize. What Is
true OF nations Is true OF men, Tor 1t Is
the man that makes the nation. Any mo.
tive. ether than the highest. Is fatal 10 per.
manence and power. 10 adopt any other
motto OF life than that which our Lord de.
clares in the text-to do the will OF God
is TO court destruction. We need this
warming to-day. We pride ourselves or the
fact that We are a peaccable and peaceful
people. We enter upon war only as der.
nier resort. We are seeking to develop the
industrial side OF our life. We boast OF
our achievements Ill commercial conpetl'
ton: that the balance OF trade Is largely
in our favor. We point TO the enormous
accumulation OF capital; to our ever IN
creasing exchequer. We are the wealtmest
nation on the face OF the earth. Our re.
sources are ineXhaustiblc, our possibilities
Of increment unlimited. But herein hes
our very peril. 1t needs no figures 10 de-
clare that the spirit of materlalism Is l1ie
as never before III our land. The DONNA
ton oil wealth becomes daily more cruel.
The quest OF riches Is more and moro
strenuous.
Miiiionares are not numbered by the
scores, but by the thousands. Materia,lsm
is rampant. Its interests are supreme. IL
has been said that market Is beginning to
dominate literature and art, instead OF
classic models and superior excellence. To-
day men no less than things have. their
price. and the money value Is made the
standard OF the worth of an object. 1t Is
true that in some quarters there Is revui-
sion of spirit on this question. The pen
dulum is beginning to swing the other way.
We take hope from the thought that many
are studying with insight the gross mate
rialsm OF the age. The prophetic voices
against it are on the increase IN the pulpit.
Ignorant, vulgar and brutal wealth receives
severer Establishments than few decades
since. Empty show, extravagant display
and selfish luxury are seen by increasing
numbers. according TO their hoilowness
and iniquity. There is 4 growing demand
for simplicity of life. for solidity. for ear
nest realities. for ethics, for spirituality,
for better ideals, for deeper thinking and
for the inner as well as the outer develop
ment OF society. The leaven Is working,
but as yet the lump remains practically I'M
leavened.
What. then. is the duty OF the church
and the Christian i'll this matter: DO we
not need to stand where Christ stood, TO
make the motive OF His life the supreme
motive OF ours? Let us remember our
apostlcship. We are ambassadors for
Christ as truly as was Paul. Through us,
through our lives, our thoughts. our ac-
tions, God is seeking TO speak to the world.
And what message would lie have MS
bring: Is ii 4 message OF worhliness, OF
selishness. OF carnal desires, message OF
skillful temporizing with His commands
and skiiiful attempts TO make Ills claims
upon us consistent with luxury and pleas
ure and worldly conformity: There Is no
doubt that many in our churches are seek
ing to apply this soporitic to their con-
sciences: to be in this world and OF this
world. and yet belong to God. Let us re-
member the words OF the great apostle:
BE not fashioned according 10 this world,
but be We transformed by the renewing of
your mind, that We may prove what Is the
good and acceptable and perfect vii! OF
God"
What was needed in Rome is not less
needed with us here to-day. Should there
come such Il transformation, should there
be in every life the proving OF the will of
God. the whitcned harvest would wait no
longer for reapers: the desire OF our Lord,
which with aching heart lie expressed that
day of His conversation with the woman OF
Samaria. would be fulfilled.
Elizabeth Fry was 4 thoughtless girl OF
seventeen years, used to all the rehnements
OF luxury and life of case. wholly selfish
and wholly useless, when God came to her
through the voice OF a Quaker preacher.
She consecrated her lie to God. Her meat
and her drink were the doing OF the Mas
ter's will and work at the age OF sixty
five she wrote: Since my heart was
touched Mt the age of seventeen, | believe
l have never awakened from sleep. III sick
ness or in health. by day or by night, with
out my first waking thought being how
best pight serve my Lord. There could
he but one result from such conservation.
God sent her among the outcast. and her
life became a constant benediction. The
work she began i'll Great Britain among
female convicts spread all over the conti-
nent OF Europe Letters from crowned
heads, as well as from phlanthropic peo-
pie in the common walks OF life began 10
pour in. inviting her to visit the prisons
of other lands, and subsequently she visited
Scotland. France, Germany and other coun-
tries. upon this errand OF mercy. every
where hailed as an angel OF peace and
good viii to men. The prisons of Europe
were reformed through her labors, and the
laws to punish criminals were greatly
modified in nearly all European countries.
Indeed the reformation spread throughout
the world. This was the work accom-
plished by one woman. who had submitted
her life wholly to the will OF God. She was
changed from thouchtless. fr volous girl
into a woman OF great usefulness and pow
er. But the power came because the pur-
pose came She gave full place to God.
and to His plans; she pat them first, and
so God used and honored he-. And what
was true of Elizabeth Fry may be true of
each one of us. We may not be called to
so nigh task. We may find our horizon
circumscrbed. and our opportunities linn
tied but if orr meat and our drink are TO
do the will OF God, the opportunities will
be many and the results will be precious
and permanent.