Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-12-12

was to thwart God, to defy him. to |
tell him TO his face that If he sent |
another food they we're prepared for
him. They did not realize his re
sources; they had yet to learn how
easily he could Illustrate their plans.
He has infinite resources still, and
they who resist him will surely fail.
oh, ye men OF Shinar, beware how
you sin against God! Oh, ye builders
of Babel towers, know you not that
your sins are so far reaching they are
seen over the length and the breadth
Of the land? 1t does not make very
much difference when poor, ignorant,
drunken private soldier tries to do
wrong. But when great military gen
ius like Benedict Arnold becomes a
traitor 1t may mean the betrayal OF
West Point the loss of the strategic
fortress and the utter collapse of the
American cause. 1t may not mean
much when an ordinary social outcast,
who for years has been tramping the
country begging for food, lands In
jail But when man OF genius defies
all the laws of domestic purity and
right and starts forth to establish
social colony of licensed llbertinlsm 1t
may mean the moral spiritual and
physical destruction Of thousands and
! tens OF thousands. oh, ye merchants
with many clerks in your employ; oh,
We 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 scrmonic theme. Nox populi must
never be mistaken for Nox Del. Some
suppose that the voice of the people is
always the voice OF God. Sometimes
it pays in 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 textf
and the whole earth was of one
language and ono speech" "Unanimi-
ty Is nothing considered strictly in
itself" say. the author already quoted.
"AIen may do wrong things unanimous
ly as well as things that are right
Twelve directors may be of one Ian
guagc 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 in all
things put the moral question: What is
the unanmity ahOutt Is ii moving in
the wrong directiouF People may say
Peace when there is no peace. People
may say that a church is unanimous
tation would be that It was the una
nimity of the grave, the peace of dc@;A
SO here put In word of caution and
explanation. The whole earth was of
one language and of one spcech Here
is a point Of unanimity, yet there is
a unanimous movement In wrong di
rection. The voice of the people is not
always the voice of Cod"
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 "towr
meeting halls Of New England before
2 the Revolutionary war And one mar
would rise and say: IL wonder wha
we should do If we had another food
T. You remember how, when the last one
l came. It drowned all the people, The
! horses, the cattle and the sheep. Las
4 t., 7 I1.rh
i another food was on and we were al
l. going to be drowned as the people
i were n hundred years ago" And while
i this speaker was talking the assem-
0 blage would become so wrought NJ
c that it would he decided then anC
9 there to build n great tower that woult
t defy any future flood.
+ While the debate was going on Their
!: would be small minority ready t
o protest as that right" think
y can hear them say Does God wan
i us to do that? Did he not send us tn
Y rainbow as a divine sign that the cart
T. would never be flooded again? M
t going to vote against that proposition,
Z seem to hear them say. Then tn
( leaders of this movement would he
s come frightened, and some of thes
II men would come to the obstinate m
n norty and say: "This movement mus
y go through with n unanimous vote
k II you cannot vote for It. then jus
u keep quiet" And the whole cart
1t was Of one language and one spcec
a And they said, Go to, let u
is build a city and tower whose to
d may reach unto heaven" Is not thl
e the way the majority in sin try to dci
oil with the minority OF the human rae
who are trying to live for God?
IL "What is the good of being so stri'
n upon the liquor question:" says on
1t "You know the saloons have come
stay. If you put the thumbscrews u
n on your church members on this que
X, ton, you are going to drive some
IS the wcalthiest members out of yol
l. church. What is the good of preac
e. Ing against tainted money? You ca
n not mix business and religion. VIII
"a Is the good of talking against progress
. i've euchre parties as gambling? II
IL age of purltanic laws is past Mo
N people of our churches are grown
~ liberal If you cannot agree with q
Up ma jority, at least do not drive the III
y, jority." Nay, nay, my friend. That
not Gods way Man should star