Semi-weekly herald., 1909-11-29

and falling away until the Babylonian
captivity and the subjugation of that
once favored race to an alien rule.
Why, If this were Gods chosen peo-
pie, did God permit such gradual dis
Indignation? The answer is not far
to find Whether we turn TO the pages
OF Amos. the first. and in some re.
spects the greatest OF Israels modern
the bleeding heart. or of Isaiah, the
special harbinger of Messiah's coming
glory-the answer is invariably the
same. Mine ear is not heavy that /
can not hear nor mine arm shortened
that | cannot save, but your idolatries
your forgetfulness of God to Whom
you owe all that you are, and your
cons squent iniquities have SEP rated
between you and My saving pc xer"
-"Repent ye, repent ye, for why will
ye die" and then there Invariably fol
not fulfilled because the conditi.n was
never met, return unto Me and I
will return unto you. saith your God 4"
AS matter of fact We too easily
accept such statements as that Israel
was Gods chosen people without ex.
amining closely enough into the under
lying cause of such choice. Do you
mean to say that He Who is no re.
specter of persons has arbitrarily chos.
en- certain race to be His special
pets? Nay. nay, He is no more a re-
specter of races than of persons. 1t
is true that he did choose Abraham
and did carefully watch over the well
fare of his ancestry for a thousand
years, but why? Because He saw In
him the characteristics pleasing to His
heart. They We're: % reverence
t2) appreciation: 90 faith: (4) teach.
ableness. With this raft any man or
nation can ride the wbite-capped bill.
lows of life safe in the assurance of
Gods Providential leadership.
Such a raft is our blessed heritage
America has been called the child of
/ Providence. Charles Edward Locke
has written a mastery chapter in
which he presents many strong argu-
ments to prove its truth. His cloth.
ing argument is a comprehensive view
i of the year 1920. He says that prior
to that year there had been started
three colonies in the eastern part of
our country; The Dutch were strength
ening themselves on Manhattan is
! land; flourishing English colony
had been established at jamestown
Va, and the Spaniards had founded st
Augustine in the southland of the
flowers. If the Spaniards had succeed
ed III America, the civilization of an
! effete monarchical government would
have crushed the new country; If the
settlers at jamestown had succeeded
+, a medieval civilization would have
, blighted this land If the industrial
Dutch had prevailed. this country
would have been great only as com
ih'i NiaA 'thtNls iShA ilbllE VI liitbt Dl Z
vailed Not because God arbitrarily
decreed that they should disinteerate
before the onward progress OF another
colony, but because the Plgri-' fathers
possessed qualities which solicited His
special care and watchful encourage
ment. They were: Reverence, appre-
citation, faith and teachableness 1t
was these characteristics in the Pil
grim fathers and not any arbitrary
choice on the part of God which led
Him to so wonderfully bless their
early years. The same was true of
the early statesmen of our country. No
one will accuse benjamin Franklin of
being sentimental in his religious be.
lief, yet listen to his words On the