The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-11-21
IN THE RELIGIOUS WORLD

Zion, the home of every true Jews
heart, might be lying in ruins, but II
meant more to Nehemiah than all the
splendid palaces of Shushan.
Reform That Hurt Business.
Thirteen years had elapsed since
Ezra's return. His drastic reforms,
while for the ultimate good of the re-
turned Jews, had created an assert
ment of bitter enemies. He had
compelled the men to put away their
heather wives, and each wife had re-
turned to her home and to her tribe
to fonent d feud. Reform does in
terfere with business, especially with
bad business. Yet he has scant de-
yotion to principle who will counte-
nance wrong for the sake of tenn
porary and temporal benefit. No
more shameful defense Of the liquor
traffic for instance, has been offered
than the one that it brings IN q reVe-
nue. to the State; the implication be-
ing that the Jingle of this gold in the
public Golfers browns all sound of
widows weeping, and childrehs sui
fering, and strong mems dellTlum and
prisoners reproaches.
Conditions in Jerusalem called
urgently for the help OF a strong and
practical man. The city needed
walls. but most of all it needed the
walls such as Sparta possessed when
the king said to q stranger, pointing
to his soldiers, Behold the walls Of
~Sparta-and every man a brick.
The need of our western communities
today is the need for SpartaI- men
or better, let Us say, for true Chris
tan men, who put public welfare
above private profit. China's need
in this turbulent hour is for men.
Turkeys crisis finds her unable to
true men for the Sultan's cabinet.
The prayer for the day is, God give
US men,
The Praying Conrtier.
Overwhelmed by the new from
home, Nehemiah, who seems to have
s~traightway asked himself, What
can [ do about it," His practical
bent appeared at once. AS Kipling
says Of the American.
"He turns a keen. untroubled face
Home to the instant need OF things
Sore beset by the dire conditions
which had come to his knowledge,
and SO to his sense Of responsibility,
Nehemiah found that his influence
and position and statecraft were not
coin, he was compelled to turn to
God for help by the conviction that
ne had else to go. The
glorious paradox is forever true, that
the shortest route to anywhere is by
way OF the throne Of heaven. Con-
cerned for loved ones beyond our
reach, concerned for grave national
ills, concerned for poor. distraught
China and for the imperilled Chris
tlans of Turkey, WE can out follow
NeheTliah's s~tatesmanlike example
and carry their case to the King Of
kings.
A Model Prayer.
The Iaroor no ~ Of the GrCt cbopfoa
or the book Of Nehemiah is taken up
with the prayer of the c~up-bearer Of
the king. It contains all the model
elements OF a model prayer. First,
there was the hunbI mind Of the
supplicant. He wept and mourned and
tasted. Arrogance cannot pray. It
is with reason that men pray from
thei: knees. 1t is more important to
recognize that God is ON the throne
than to know hat we are in a posi-
ton Of need. Nehemiah's prayer ex-
eited Jehovah that keepeth cove
nant." The old-fashioned prayers
OF our forefathers. which recognized
the FL atness and sovereignty OF
G't, have gone somewhat out OF
f%Ls:,ion, but the fippant familiarity,
which has in some cases succeeded
them is no Improvement. There
n.:.>f be a true spirit of e pe-
re, Il ere can be any real D.a,eI.
IT, s man prayed a big .,'"vcr.
' hill 1t is true that nothing I'll It Is
greI- enough to coaCern one CT {: Us
chi dren is too small to be ta S,n to
hr' III praye yet it is also tr' tn !,
no worthy ray may be le up
wholly of small and selfish -.
II Nelemiah's case we see fu..lrd
tie Psalmist's words. Pray to" III.
peace of Jerusalem" He carried q
nation on his heart. The religious
and physical condition of his coun-
fryrnan DrOIohf taar2 tn HE nvaC and
anguish to his soul. That is the
kind OF prayer that God delights to
answer.
Frank, quare. open dealing with
God characterized Nehemiah's petit
ton He confessed his sin and the
sin of his people. He pleaded no
merit OF his own. All that he asked
was OF grace. and not of right.
knowledge Of the word of God
enable one to praY in accord With