The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-08-01
The
Religious World.
AN ANCIENT "MUCk-RAkER.'
f1fe international Sunday SchOO Les
son for August 6 is Jeremiah Tried
and Acquitted" Jer. 20.
(By William 7. Ellis.)

So MS enemies might nave
jeremiah. the weeping Prophet, with
whom the Sunday chools OF the
world are to spend the present month.
IT is a sorroW-seamed ace that We
behold when we lOOk upon JeremIap,
his tears were not for himself, put
for his nation. a weak man WeepS
for himself; but ever the
man is honored by the tears he sheds
for his native land. Let nODody look
with contempt upon this
prophet, for he was not one OF those
ineffective persons who, IN the pres
ence of a calamity, merely weep ana
wiring their hands.
The red blood of the brave coursed
through Jeremiah's veins. He dared
all dangers for his country's sake.
Personal suffering, the public whip
ping post, the stocks, imprisonment,
the enmity of the rich and powerful,
the %ridicule of the populace-Jere-
miah endured all this, and more, with
the heroism of a patriot. He counted
not his life a prize to be retained II
he might by any means serve his peo-
PIE. All the OblOquy and
that ever oVertakes ar Teformer fell
to his lot. but, like many mother OF
his calling since, he has been vindi-
Gated by history. One has need OF
tong patience who would be a real
reformer.
All the scorn that has been heaped
upon the head Of the modern muck
Taker." as some have chosen to call
the men and women W tell the hard
and unlovely truth about their own
times, was first endured by this an
cient prophet. Like all who merit
classification with him., he had a pas
sion for telling the truth-and the
truth for the present hour at that.
No vague and stupid concentrations
for him. His message had a mark;
thar it found Judgment was proved
by the number of vigorous enemies
de made. There is no clearer testi-
nOny to the searching truthfUlneSS OF
the Indian writings Of Rudyard Kip
ling than the fact that he is heartily
hated by a large proportion Of the
British society in India, who cannot
find adjectiVes sufficiently severe with
which to characterize him. The way
to win a peet-laureateship and decor
atoms is not to tell the wholesome
truth for the present hour, but to eS-
.pouse the cause and party in power,
and to be "discreet,' at whatever cost
to truth. Since the first bard Smote
ais Tyre, the Jeremiahs Of history have
received more stones than decorations,
more beatings than laurel crowns.
But who would not rather be a Kip
ting than an Austin, a Jeremiah than
one of the now nameless court proph-
cts Of Baal?
When the Pendulum Swings.
The pendulum or udah's history
had swung the other way after the
death of the godly King Josiah. He,
himself had been guilty of a grave
political biunder in espousing the
cause of Assyria, in the conflict be-
tween that power and Egypt. In the
rlpeness Of his powers. Josiah was
slain in battle. The result was that
an Egyptian puppet was placed upon
tho hrnnn gin IahninE in Nybn
naturally turned to the fashions Of
the powerful neighbor to whom he
owed his position. Thus the old, old
curse of idolatry came back into the
land, and the reforms Of Josiah were
largely undOne.
B~ewildered by the rapid succession
of good and bad kings in Jewish his
tory. and the swift Feversals OF re-
tIgtOus policy, one is empted to ask
whether the same fickleness is possible
in our own time. Which brings US to
a significant difference etwee this
day and the times Of old. At present,
the greatest determining factor in a
nations life is the mind of the people.
Nothing can hold sway for long
against the popular will. 1t is neces-
sary for the national conscience to be
scared, or the national heart to be
corrupt. for the nation to go altogeth-
er astray in morals or religion. Not
go in Olden time. Then the king was
the state. DynaStieS rose and fell with
amazing swiftness. because the king
was all and the people were naught.
Modern history moves more steadily
and nationally because the spirit of
democracy controls.
The Patriot Eyes.
Even in the creation of public opin-
ion in those days the one man had
greater corresponding power han to-
Gay; for now We have hundreds Of
men in the prophets office where Ju-
Cah had one. Consider the editors,
teachers. preachers, and publicists
who are as watchmen upon the walls
Of the commonwealth. The reason
That the sanest Of these are not weep
E,g is that there is no suf-
ftcient reason to be so. 1t would be
well to pause in the teaching of this
lesson to SOeak a word Of AEatit.a>