The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1911-12-07

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The wall was finished In 80 days In Au-
gust and September
PLACE-Jerusa.em and vicinity
There we're enemies within the Jew.
ish church. Some OF the mobiles and
richer men had been depressing ,their
poorer brethren who were working at
great sacrifice in rebuilding the walls.
No wages were paid for this work, so
that many were thus reduced TO the
direst straits TO support themselves
and their families, and pay the taxes
exacted by the Persian government.
Their msiortunes we're brought 10 q
climax by the condition OF hostilities,
which put an end to trade. and threat
ened town and country with ruin. IL
was impossible to obtain regular EN-.
ployment, and prices had gone up.
Those who had little property mort.
gagged their homes; and In this way
considerable portion of the property
OF the poorer classes, their grain.
helds vineyards, and dwellings, passed
into the hands Of wealthy money.
lenders, who demanded high usuvy.
Some. having no means to pay their
creditors, sold their children as slaves.
The hungry ones were threatening. II
the grain was not given to keep them
fro mstaryation. they would take II by
violence, or surrender the city to its
enemies. The taxes for the Persian
government were very heavy and ex.
acting. The chief officers farmei out
the collection Of the taxes. both in
money and In the fruits of the land
These under officers were the same as
those called publicans in the New
Testament. They were required TO
pay over to their superiors the exorbl.
tant sum fixed by law. and depended
for their profit on what they could
make by fraud and extortion. They
overcbarged, brought false charges OF
smuggling to eXtort hush.money,
seized upon property In case of dis
pute and held It until their levy was
paid, forbade the farmer TO reap his
standing crops until they had wrung
from him all that his penury cou.d
produce. They were universally fear.
ed, hated, and despised. No money
known to have come from them was
received for religious uses.
Now these, who professed religion
and lived heathenism we're the great
est Injury to the Cause for which
Nehemiah had come. II was against
such as these that Jesus launched the
sharpest lightning of his "Woeunto
you, hypocrites." They are traitors to
their country, their church and their
God. The church stands for the high
est expression of mans life. A church
represents the permanent spiritual
Ideals. II embodies the loftiest human
aspirations; nations hest express
sion of its religious sentiment repre-
sents that nation at its hest. Now
whosoever in the name of the church,
as member of it, does actions con-
trary to its whole spirit, Is the great
est enemy of the kingdom of God.
Nehemiah overcame these enemies.
He changed them from enemies to
friends. He rebuked them with burn.
ing indignation. He told them to their
face the wrong they were doing lie
persuaded them to repent and undo
the wrongs they had done: 81 pray
you, let us leave off this usury. Re-
store, pray you, to them, even this
day, their lands, their vineyards, their
and their houses. also the
hundredth part of the money, and OF
the corn, the wine, and the oil, that
ye exact Of them" Then said they,
I'VE will restore them and will re
quire nothing of them; so will We dp
rs thou sayest." He set them a good
example, He refused to take the usual
salary OF the governor He bore all
the expenses of his retinue. His noble
conduct made the names of these op-
pressors show black as the smoke OF
the pit
One of the greatest powers for re-
forming abuses Is publicity. Let eve-y
mans name be on his deed, on tho
work he does, on everything he says,
on all that he owns. Let the saloon
keepers name be on the drunkard he
made. On all the aduterated food,
the dishonest work, the sweat.shop
ruins of health, the unhealthy tene-
ments-let the name of the doers OF
these evils be written In blazing let.
ters. like the fiery letters that famed
from the barrels of rum on which tho
demons had written the evils It would
cost, and few would dare face this
publicity cure. Nehemiah, shamed
these false hearted leaders into re-
pentance and virtue
There is continual temptation to-
day for Christian workers to give Up
their time and strength TO discussing
the many theories and unsettled ques.
tlons which are continually confront.
Ing them All sorts of men say all |
sorts of things till II seems as If these
clouds we're obscurng the whole CON
tinent of Truth. This is true of many
other things besides religion, Now
the way to escape from these snares |
is 20 attend to our duties, to 60 TO
work for the Cause of Christ with all
our hearts, to give ourselves to help
ing save our fellow men, both body
and soul. For then we will use the
essential things by which our work is
accomplished. We thus test the work.
ing theories by using them. Those