The Penn's Grove record., 1913-04-18
new ERA APPEARS
Bible and Christian Civilization
May Be Made Dominant
in the East.

III NV -0ota
The sense of living on the verge of
a new era is widespread among
thoughtful men. Everywhere those
who are in touch with soSial and spir-
itual movements, whether at home or
abroad, feel that the situation is csiti-
cal to a supreme degree. They trem-
Bile in their joy, for as they are
amazed at the unique opportunities of
the new era, so they are bewildered
by its responsibilities and dangers.
We are living in an age when it
seems that nations are born in a day,
or at least when they are awakened
The danger is that in the hour of their
awakening they may be turned into a
wrong course and given wrong ideals.
In this new era some fear a pagan
renaissance because the great pagan
nations of the east are so rapidly COM
ing into power and influence. This is
a time then when Christianity should
recognize its opportunity, for we have
come to one of the great watersheds
of history when it seems that the
course of humanity may be turned In
either direction.
The opportunity lies before Chris
tan nations to make Christian civil
cation dominant in the east as well
as in the west. The whole Orient is
astir as it never has been before. The
long sleeping east has awakened.
Hermit nations which a few years ago
seemed to take no part in the worlds
progress have become world powers.
There is deep unrest in India; Japan
and Korea are rushing towards the
new era; the vast Chinese empire is
throbbing with new ideas.
1t is the primary duty of the Chris
tian church to enter in and occupy
for her Lord whenever and wherever
she can. Never have there been SO
many open doors as there are now,
each with its eloquent appeal for the
Gospel of a better age. The great
barrier to much development in the
east has been Mohammedanism, but
even there of late years have been
signs Of a shaking among the dry
bones. Unknown to the Christian
world, conferences have been held to
discuss the decay of Islam, and to pre-
vent its disintegration. A conference
was held on 1907 at Cairo, the subject
of the conference being, THE Causes
Of the Decay of Islam" 1t is evident
that not ever Mohammedanism, which
hoe lone hoar -ooorla1 oe 1roof;ooII,
hopeless by many Christians, can
stand against the ~pervasive influence
of the Bible and of Bible-inspired civ
illzation.
Our gracious God is never ahead Of
time nor behind time in his disposi-
tions of the affairs of men. When the
fullness Of time had come he sent his
Son, and all things in his Providence
come in the fullness of time. There
fore, If we are to know Gods will we
must observe the course of events
and be awake to the signs of his Prov
idence. Goethe regarded the universe
as the living garment of God" and
Carlyle called history a larger Bible,
which contains, for all who have an
eye and a soul to read a$ght, a clear
record of Gods dealings with men and
a clear indication Of his purposes.
Now, it is recognized, that not only
to the lands Of the east and to the
islands of the sea, but also to our own
land comes the crisis of the new era.
Let US turn our eyes to the homeland
and We find among ourselves groupings,
strivings. longings, for things not fully
defined. There is an undest among our
people, a dissatisfaction with things
as they are. There are great move
ments on foot which we regard as po-
litical or social, but which at bottom
are religious, that is, they are the
outcome of the Christian conscious
ness of righteousness and equity. The
cause Of the church is coming home
to the masses of the people, and our
thinking men are beginning to see
that the cause of Christianity is the
cause of the nation.
Perhaps we cannot further the sal
walton of the world better than by
e~vangelizing this land in which we
live. Think what a power among the
worlds peoples would be a united.
Christian America. America is known
as a Christian land, but there are
thousands of heather in it. America
bears the Christian name, but IN
righteousness, vice and crime are ram
pant among US, and often go unre-
buked. Alexander Duff knew the
abysses of vice in the east and espe-
cially in India, but after a visit to the
slums of Philadelphia he left the tes-
timony that such vileness, debase-
ment, drunkenness and shamelessness
he never saw surpassed in any heath
en- land. We comfort ourselves with
the thought that this was go years ago.,
but there are still slums in our large
cities which are a standing shame to
a Christian land, and there is much
work for this nation in the cities, in
the towns and in the country homes.
These things are not remedied by laws
nor by socialistic schemes. The only
solution lies in the principles of the
Gospel of Jesus Christ, lived and APP
piled by true and earnest men.