The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-06-17

ALI thinking persons SHoulu oCe "hu
understand them Alright is a pro-
found concern of patriotism and re
Iigion. To be ignorant of u "
times is "A cardinal blunder. The pas
sion for things as they are Is an
element OF righteousness. we can Ior-
give the interruption Of the regular
course of the International SUNDAY
School lessons in order TO permit TINS
study of our present condition IN the
light of the Oldest of the ~prophetlcal
writings. The lesson committee inter
jects this as a temperance lesson. put
il is a comprehensive treatment OF the
tendency of the world today.
Amos, the rough old preacher of
Tekoa, saw his times with the pen
etrating vision of the Out-Of-doors
man. Some city folk hin that they
are the shrewdest and most sOphlstl-
Gated Judges of men and things;
whereas. often it is the countryfed
little m wearing last years bon
net and her one best dress, or the far
mer in his cheap store clothes. who
sees deepest into the life Of the peO-
pie who sneer at rural ways. This an
cient shepherd and pincher of syca-
more figs a given us the cleareSt
picture Of the luxurious tendency of
his land and time that has come down
to us: a picture which startlingly sets
forth the present trend Of our own
life. 1t is an exercise in citizenship to
read the book Of Amos.
The First Of the Writing Prophets.
Nowadays most Of the nations
prophets are members of the writing
craft. L this they e the mantle Of
the first of the Hebrew prophets,
whose message has been preserved in
the sacred canon. Amos lived about
seven hundred and fifty years before
Christ. and he is a minor prophet
only because that misleading name
has been applied to the twelve brief
est books of the prophets. We know
better than to judge sermons by their
length, and Amos Is n of the great
est. as we'll as the first, Of the re-
corded Hebrew seers.
Muck Rakers," or the current
equivalent for this term Of appro-
brium. was often applied to Amos.
He dealt fearlessly with facts. His
book is one Of the most journalistic
in the Old Testament 1t o not
soar on eagle wing like the writings
Of Isiah or Ezekiel. He wrOte the
thing as hes aw it, confident in the
corrective power Of honest diagnosis.
Nowadays the Amos principle is being
indicated in the acknowledged func-
ton Of publicity in purifying public
life. In most the world needs
but to know what is wrong in order
to set it right. Given the Amos art
of setting conditions compelling be-
fore the mind. and what is wrong in
those conditions will be remedied. II
mothers but knew the havoc that i:
wrought by the present tendency in
women's dress. the styles would bt
reformed within a week. If parent:
could but see with unobscured vision
the consequences of the moderate u.s.
OF liquors s~idebOardS would be clear
cd nVor night and shutters would h
put up on thousands of saloons an
breweries. Could the prosperous pub
lie but understand whittier the luxur.
and idleness and pleasure-Seekini
tendency OF our time is leading. Their
would be a swift and wholesome re
action.
The function of the mar who see
facts as exemplified by Amos, is thu
commented upon by George Adam
Smith:
He spent his gifts Of vision on tn
discovery and appreciation of fact.
Now this is necessary, not only i
great r~efOrmatories of religion. but a
almost every stage of her develop
ment. To see the truth and to tie
it, to be accurate and brave about tn
moral facts Of our day-tO this ex
tend h vision and the voice are pos
sible for every one of us. Never fo
us may thed oors Of heaven open a
they did for him who stood on tn
threshold of the earthly temple whe
he saw the Lord enthroned, while tn
Seraphim of the Presence sang tn
glory, yet let us remember thai I
see facts as they are and to tell tn
truth about them-this also is propt
ecy. We may nhabit a sphere whic
does not prompt the imagination. b,
is as destitute Of the historic and trs
ditiOnal as was the wilderness +,
TekOa. All the more may our VI
glamoured eyes be true to h fac
about US. Every common day lea(
forth her duties as shining as ever
night leads forth her stars. The dec
and the fortunes of men are in o,
sight, and spell. to all who will hol
estly read, the very word of IL
Lord"
What Is a Prophet?
A misused and misunderstood VOL
is this title of the Old TestameI
seers. The prophet is not so mut
foreteller as a forth-teller. He
an interpreter OF the mind Of God.