Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1906-11-29
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THEEAMOUS DIVINE

The odds against truth to-day are
tremendous; but even as Ahab never
returned to the city Of his rule, SO
surely shall eternal and refining truth
conuuer in the age long struggle witp
the adversary.
Two things are necessary thaI
truth may win and be accredited
First, we must be sure that our in.
sight Is correct, our truth born OF
God. And then we must be loyal tc
the voice of Jehovah as He speaks tc
us.
There is nothing more detrimental
to the dignity and standing OF the
truth than irrational and Unbalanced
thought. Every bit of truth Is the
word of God, but some statements
which are caricatures of truth are not
God-given, no matter how loudly ana
how long they may claim the distinc'
| ton of divine inspiration. All truth
| NAV we'll be labeled, thus saith the
Lord" but all statements that bear
| the motto, "thus saith the Lord are
| not truth. There are false prophets
to-day no less than in the reign OF
Ahab. He who will declare mes
sage to men must first be sure of his
ground.
Not less important is it that man
be loyal to the truth revealed to him
through the workings of Gods Holy
Spirit Truth may negative most oil
his own ideas and cherished pre-.
| conventions. 1t may even subOrdl'
nate his noblest ideals. But by it he
must stand. Micaiah went to prison
for the truth and Jesus OF Nazareth
to the cross. Stephen was stoned by
his enemies, as was Zechariah. the
son of Jehoiada, the priest. because
he was faithful to the truth. John
the Baptist lost his head for declar.
ing that Herod had lost his. Luther
withstood church and the Smith
field martyrs suffered agony that
truth might be supreme. The long
list of heretics and communicated,
the host of those who have lost life
and friends, the army of. those cru
saders who, under God, Lave battled
hard with small testify to the need,
the glory of loyalty to divine truth.
1t Is no easy thing to lead in the
march of progress or to fight the
forces of evil Conservatism would
clutch progress by the throat and
throttle 1t to the rattle Sin hates
the light and you'd overcome 1t.
But whether Or no the opposition
be fierce we need and must have men
who will be firm for the truth and
not finch in the hot fight There
is" we are told, mo more hazardous
enterprise than that OF bearing the
| torch of truth into those dark and
! In, x,,ht ~,
has ever shone" But to that man
who. filled with power by the Spirit
of the Lord, will speak what the
Lord saith unto him there will be
not only the hard warfare on the
| FIRST line of the skirmish here. but the
the crown of victory in the life eter-
nal
More and more the need is for
men of the mold of Micaiah; men to
whom tho truth is more precious than
much fine gold; men whose integrity
| is indvisible: men whose opinions
are the judgments of minds that
have been moved upon by the blessed
Spirit of the living God, who cannot
be bought, and who, filled with a
high and a holy devotion to their
divine commission as the revealcrs,
Interpreters and torch-bearers of Gods
Illuminating truth will balk at no
sacrifice; and be overawed by no OPP
position; and be diverted by no power
from the declaration and the promul.
cation OF that truth.
Oh, that there might arise through
out this land men of the vision and
the fidelity of the prophets of ancient
Israel. Would that there might arise
among the ministers of the Lord to.
day prophet of Jahwe, Jehovah the
Lord of hosts and of truth; prophet
with a message and with the power
to express it tersely, intelligently,
forcefully, fearlessiy May God give
us a Micaiah who shall tell America
tho truth concerning the conditions
Of to-day. The people, in the church
and out Of 1t, are weary and undesir-
Gus of platitudes and of unaimed YER
biage. Mankind awaits prophet OF
God. And when he comes in the
p,enitude of wisdom and of power:
furnished with a divine commission;
endued with a mission and mes
sage for a world in sin, may the
church have the insight and the grace
to see the marks of Gods calling in
him and in his message and not per-
secute him as did the fathers the
prophets of God aforetime.
LAS the Lord liveth, what the Lord
saith unto me, that will speak "
May this be the motto of every man
who loves the truth. May it be also
our inspiration to fidelity and to a
glorius ministry unto men in the
name and to the honor of the living
God. And may we live so near to
God that we may be able to hear His
message and to speak with immedi.
ate authority to men.