Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1907-12-13


with many clerks I'm your employ: oh.
ye leaders of the bar, the pulpit and
the medical profession; oh, We men OF
wealth, social position and political
prestige, beware how you rear your
tower of Babel Great men when they
sin destroy thousands by their open
sins. Myriads of feet follow their feet
wherever they go
Not Always Voice of God.
But there is another lesson taught by
this sermonic theme. Yox populi must
never be mistaken for Vox Del. Some
suppose that the voice of the people Is
always the voice OF God Sometimes
Ii pays I'm life to be with the minority.
That minority may be trying to carry
out Gods will. Could any picture in
all the Bible prove this better than the
one OF my text?
And the whole earth was OF one
language and one speech" "Unanimi-
ty Is nothing considered strictly In
ITSELF, says the author already quoted.
Men may do wrong things unanimous
| ly as well as things that are right
Twelve directors may be of one lam
guage and one speech, but the meaning
OF this unity may be self seeking at
the expense OF unsuspecting men who
have put their little all into their keep
Ing and direction. We must I'm all
things put the moral question: What is
the unanimity about? Is it moving in
the wrong direction7 People may say
Peace when there is no peace. People
may say that church is unanimous
and ut peace when n correct interpre-
| - -orl1 h., hot
nimity of the grave, the peace of death
So here put i'm word of caution and
explanation. The whole earth was OF
one language and of one speech! Here
is point of unanimity, yet there is
a unanimous movement in Il wrong d.
rection. The voice of the people is not
always the voice OF God"
Let US enter for little while one OF
these assemblages OF the people of the
land OF Shinar. They had perhaps met
In popular assemblage as the Ameri-
can patriots gathered In the old "town
meeting halls" OF New England before
the Revolutionary war. And one man
would rise and say: al wonder what
we should do II we bad another flood.
You remember how, when the last one
came, it drowned all the people, the
horses, the cattle and the sheep Last
night In that thunderstorm l thought
another food was on and we were all
going to be drowned as the people
were hundred years ago" And while
this speaker was talking the assem-
blage would become so wrought IN
that Ii would be decided then and
there to build n great tower that would
defy any future food.
While the debate was going on there
would be a small minority ready to
protest. "Is that rightf" | think I
| can hear them say. Does God want
us to do that? Did he not send us the
rainbow rs divine sign that the earth
would never be flooded again? am
going to vote against that proposition"
| seem to hear them say. Then the
leaders OF this movement would be-
come frightened. and some OF these
men would come to the obstinate mi
nority and say: This movement must
go through with Il unanimous vote.
IL you cannot vote for II. then iust
keep quiet" "And the whole earth
was OF one language and one speech
And they said, Go to. let us
build 4 city and tower whose top
may reach unto heaven" Is not this
the way the majority in sin try TO deal
with the minority OF the human race
who are trying 10 live for God?
what is the good OF being so strict
upon the liquor question:" SAYS one.
You know the saloons have come to
stay. II you put the thumbscrews up
on your church members on this cues.
ton, you are going to drive some of
the wealthiest members out OF your
church. What is the good Of preach
Ing against tainted money? You can
not mix business and religion. What
IS the good OF talking against progress
I've euchre parties az gambling? The
age or puritanic laws Is past. Most
people or our churches are growing
liberal. TX you cannot agree with the
majority. at least do not drive the ma
)ority." Nay. nay, my friend. That ia
not Gods way. Man should stand
with God, though he has to defy his
church and all his friends. There must
have been some people In that land of
Shinar who did not believe the people
were doing right when they started to
build the tower OF Babel IL there had
1 $500 ceN OhC tuul man SHOULD
have protested. though he stood against
the whole human race. And that IS the
duty, my friends, that sometimes Won
have to perform.
| But there Is still another fact to bear
IN mind about this tower OF Babel.
Comparatively speaking, the confusion
OF tongues took place just few years
after the earth had been cleansed of
It's leprous sin and the protecting pow
er or divine love had been manifested
In the voyage OF the ark which safely
landed Its passengers on Ararat. IfI
GOD ever demonstrated his power to
save, 1t was at that time. And vet
strange to say, just after this mani
festation OF Gods power the men OF
Shinar started In to build their tower
or Babel and prove themselves indie
pendent or Gods care So our greatest
sins are often committed after God
mas given to US our greatest spiritual
blessings.
They Had Forgotten.
oh. how often our spiritual lives are
ike that OF King Davidl One moment
we seem to be standing as a target for
the 1avelin OF King Saul and God res |
cues US; the next we are playing the
TOOL down in King Achish's court |
How much our spiritual lives seem TO |
De ike that OF Peterl We seem to be |