The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1906-11-29

labor against 1tSell Will pe IolSeu ~
| combat with evil men among those
whom he wishes to uplift. But while
| a man may with less timidity advance
new thought in the scientific world,
| in no place will he find, many times,
| 2 more unconlpromisfng resistance
than in the church. Be it for good
| or i'll the simple fact is this, that no.
| where has new light harder fight
| than among many who are the fol-
! lowers of Him who was the essence
OF all truth and who prayed the gift
Of the Spirit for them that they might
have a sure guide into the fullness
of eternal wisdom. The fight OF the
church of God against truth is the
amazing spectacle of the ages.
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
ccnquer in the age long struggle with
the adversary.
Two things are necessary that
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 to
the voice of Jehovah as He speaks to
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 and
now long they may claim the distinc-
ton of divine inspiration. All truth
may 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 a mes
sage to men must first be sure of his
ground.
Not less important is it that a man
be loyal to the truth revealed to him
through the workings of Gods Holy
Spirit. Truth may negative most Of
his own ideas and cherished pre-
conceptions. 1t may even subordi-
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 a church and the Smith
field martyrs suffered agony that
truth might be supreme. The long
list of heretics and excommunicated.
the host of those who have lost life
and friends, the army Of those cru
saders who, under God, have battled
hard with sin-all 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 it to the rattle. Sin hates
the light and would overcome it.
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
infested recesses in which no light
has ever shone." But to that man
who, filled with power by the Spirit
CT 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 the truth is more precious than
much fine gold; men whose integrity
is indivisible; 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 revealers,
interpreters and dtorch-bearers Of Gods
illuminating truth will balk at no
sacrifice; and be overawed by no op-
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; a prophet
with a message and with the power
to express it tersely, intelligently.
forcefully, fearlessly. May God give
us a Micaiah who shall tell America
the truth. concerning the conditions
of to-day. The people, in the church
and out of it, are weary and undesir-
Gus of platitudes and of unaimed- ver-
biage. Mankind awaits prophet of
God. And when he, comes in the
Dlenitude of wisdom and Of power;
furnished with divine commission;
endued with a mission and a 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 I speak"
May this be the motto of every man
who loves the truth. May it be also
our inspiration to fidelity and to
glorius ministry unto men in the
name and to the honor Of the living