The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-08-01

I man ; II
necessary 20 se~lf-cleansing. We mus
know cur own day ere we can pct c:
ii. That s why the need IS great ano
ever greater for more prophets VIZ
patriot eyes. We need a new race II
poets. filed with national spirit. Ine
lack or poems. paintings and sc1lE-
trrcs. and of music also, truly en-
Eudyin- the spirit of this new western
democracy. n its ~prOyidentia! place
In tie economy Of nations. is really
remarkable. Where are our cheerful
J~erennabS?
\ Good Mans Enemies.
The present lesson IS a story Of
plots and enemies. The Prophets
foes were athirst for his life. They
die not like his tidings, and SO they
thought to silence his voice. That is
an old fashion which has not yet gone
out of vOgue. To crush the man
y hose message make you squir!n-
TO drive him from his pulpit If he :
a preacher, to buy out his paper or
T.. magazine if he is All editor. to .i"feat
him at election if he holds public o.
ficc-this is q modern method "hich
is as old as Jeremiah's time. Only
the rare person can refrain from
regarding as an enemy the man who
sreaks a truth which touches him IN
comfortably.
one TRANCE fact about enem.as
which every reformer needs 10 bear
always in mind is that good men nay
oppose the good. Sometimes a right
eous mans foes will be they of his
own household of faith. Noble men
Will, from motives which appear in
scrutable, spouse the side which is
opposed to light and progress. The
priests were among Jeremiah's enc
mics. To be progressive and uncon-
ventional is to be misunderstood. Not
nniyr fh0 nhi11rnn IF 40 rIynacc but n1co
the dwellers in the twilight, will OPP
pose the heralds Of the better day.
No lesson of history is older or
palmer than this, yet every day some
new servant of the public veal will
persist in being surprised OF grieved
because estimable persons do not un-
derstand or approve of him. To work
III any way that counts for the better
ment Of the present order is to win
enemies. That fact should be written
early and often in the reformer'S plat
form; none the less it should not make
him bitter or lnartyr-like; it is merely
a part OF the days work, as bugs are
part Of pOtatO-raising. The active
worker in neighborhood politics, in
church affairs. or in any other depart
ment Of human welfare. must expect
MISUNDERSTANDING, misrepresentation
and even active enmity.
How the Fire Was Lighted.
The sense that God has spoken to
him is the prime characteristic Of ev-
cry great prophet, whatever the vehi-
Gle of expression of his message. Jer-
emlah describes himself sufficiently as
one Ito whom the word of Jehovah
came There is no need for other
biographical details; God spoke to him;
that was his call and his equipment
and his credentials. The story of Jer-
emiah's call, his overwhelming sense
OF unWorthineSs, and his exaltation to
the place of the prophet, which is
above that of kings, is nowhere more
adequately told than in this quotation:
Il have appointed thee a prophet
unto the nations
Then said l, .Ah, Lord Jehovah.
behold, l know not how to speak: for
| am a child
But Jehovah said unto me. Say
not. L am a child" for to whomso-
ever | shall send thee thou shalt so,
and whatsoever l shall command thee
thou shalt speak Be not afraid be-
cause Of them; for l am with thee to
deliver thee saith Jehovah.
Then Jehovah put forth his hand,
and touched my mouth, and Jehovah
said unto me, Behold, L have put my
words in thy mouth; see, l have this
day set thee over the nations and oce
the Kingdoms to pluck UP and to
break down and to destroy and to
overthrow, to build and to plant"
Well may the teacher Of his fellows
cry, with Miss Havergal,
Lord. speak to me that / may
speak,
In living echoes Of Thy tone
Quite understandable and praise
worthy is the recent action of a sue
ccSSful minister over a large church.,
who resigned his charge in order to
spend a year apart from men. not for
rest or recreation or intellectual study
but simply in order that he might
ear more closely the voice Of God,
and cultivate his own inner life. Each
IN his own way muSt-yeS, simply
must,-seCur this detachment from
the t~hronging world. in order to get