The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-01-24
IN THE RELIGIOUS WORLD
What Church Folk Are Think.
inq Abont and Doing
MAKING A SUCCESSFUL NATION.
The International Sunday School Lesson
for January 20 il "Jehoshaphat . 200"
Reign in Judah" III Chronicles 80
(Bv William T. Eliis)

: (Bv william L. I1IllS-t
National problems are getting aH
usual share of attention all afcuno
v,orId these DAYS. The question OF what
constitutes success for q nation Is i 'eiS
living one. The past is the teacher OF tne
prespDt and as the real essentials OF ny
- never change we may learn from the ll''4I
old nation OF the Jews something aoo"'
national problems for present Use
The big question with the Jews vas
the question Of king. The southern Mn
dom had been blessed with good ieaie,
in Asa: now we find his son .iehoShlpha'
on the throne to carry on and strehgthea
the noble way of his father Good lead
era-are q first essential OF success IN Or
oanized society No scheme or govern
nept has vet been devised that can worn
without strong men at its head. Even
weak and ignorant people may prosper Il
the leaders great. IraFellns oseA
Mount Carmel I came to the little IFuse
village of Dallyet on the summit 1t was
the cleanest and most prosperous village
/ had seen in all Turkey. Upon inquirlng
the reason | was shown the house OF MT
and Mrs Laurence Oljphant, the writers,
who had lived here many years ana had
shown their native neighbors better way
Of living. That is the way many MISSION
aries are transforming their neighborhoods
1t Is the personal element that counts for
nved by it's strong personalities The Je-
hnS~harhatS make the strong nations;
therefore the Importance of choosing lead
wisely.
Religion and Politics.
Some stupid persons. who know little OF
history. past or contempofaneous, say that
religion has nothing to do with politics.
If political creeds are not an outcome or
religious faith. then the nation Is on Il
very shallow foundation indeed. In the
Turkish empire today, as III the time OF
Israel, politics is but another name Tor
ligion The highest and deepest aspects
of Turkeys problems, as I have investl-
gated them. are wholly religious. The Sc
cret Of the unrest in the Moslem world
WAS given to last night by a distin-
guished Syrian publ!cist: 'The Moslems
are jealous Of Christians. whom they see
to have all the mower in the world while
everywhere the Moslens are backward.
SO it is not merely IL matter Of ancient
history that prosperity in the long run,
attends the nations that Worship Jehovah.
There is nothing accidental in the fact
that the earth's surface is almost wholly
divided up amongst the Christian nations.
The God who gave prosperity to judah
when it was true to him is still ordering
the Affairs OF mankind. Godliness IS gain
for this present world. Instead OF petty
to cry, in true contrition Of heart.
s'rhe tumu1t and the shouting dies:
The captains and the kings denart;
Still stands Thine ancient sacrifice
An humble and contrte heart.
Lord God of Hosts he with us vet,
Lest we fOrget-lest we forget"
Glimpse Of Heathenism.
Big political problems Jehoshaphat had
in plenty: but his chief difficulty was re-
ligous. The Jews had not advanced very
far beyond the tribal convention of Cod
Sometimes, chiefly from base motives they
were temnted to change the fashions In
gods, and follow the one most in vogue
among their neighhors-which. come to
thing Of it. is to this dav the most preva
lent form Of idolatrv. The name for god
among the neiChhoring nations was haal :
this is not n distinctive name. brit rather
q general title. like ''lord." There were
many baals in and about the borders of
Judah. They were in constant comneti-
ton with Jehovah: thev were the chief
obstacle to the reforms Of Jahoshaphat and
the other pions leaders.
The ashcroft were another form OF idola
try. They were sacred trees. or sacred
poles nlanted alongside the affairs Tree
worship and stone Worship exist in the
East to this day: the former esreriaIlv in
Korea. On the road between Jericho and
Jerusalem there is Il boulder which is be-
Heved to have magical powers and it is
heaned IN with small votive stones
The high places Of the Old Testament
are inc"mprehensible TO many readers Of
the Bible. The first I saw was a suuare
structure OF huge stones: on the crest OF
hill in the uD1ands OF Moab Later NJ
the mvSterions city of Petra in Edom
saw them GROWING almost every tumult
There they are cut ont of the solid rock
END still survive as SQUARED platforms or
affairs. with channels for the blood Of the
sacrih"Ial victims The pillars that stood
by them hove como: the very names Of The
70 whom they were erected ore ~,
known. : n" hos vinI'cntod TehoSha nba
and the other friends Of Jehovah who had
such sore struggles against the high places
the ashcroft and the haalim
The C"pHuercr With a Book.
Inc shrewdness OF Jehoshaphat armed
his goodness. He had the rare pift =,