Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1914-06-27

les-1 e2-.e9.saaa 49, honor and the
progress OF his
truth in the earth are so affected by
human governments that he is not only
weak citizen but q weak Christian
who, making one in a republic, allows
himself to become Indifferent to its
administration.
There have been those who have be
lieved this nation to be peculiar ia
vOrite OF God. They have felt that
he led thiJher those who laid its fOun-
dalton upon Plymouth Rock That
he nerved the hearts of their success
Ors who cemented its masonry with
the blood Of Bunker Hill and York
town. They have felt, to change the
seed in this field. but while men slept,
while We have all been engrOssed in
our schemes for wealth. an enemy
hath sowed tares. The situation to-
day is not the harvest our forefathers
would have wished. 1t is not the legit'
Independence.
!. One Of our political tares is the
peculiar tide Of immigration to our
shores, the character of which has
changed radically within a few years.
Our first settlers had an Unborn spirit
of freedom and past history Of con-
quest and success, and their immedi-
ate successors, though sometimes in
feriOr in other respects, were Of kin
dred blood, and came from lands
where the spirit of liberty and the po-
litical duties of the individual have
been cherished. They have thus been
easily assimilated and have helped to
build up the prosperity of the country.
But 1t is not so with reference to the
present immigrants, many Of whom
have been down-trodden politically,
and have no ideal of citizenship. We
should rejoice. indeed. at an oppor'
tunity to be a blessing to them, but
we should not swallow more of them
than we are able TO digest. We should
compel them to obey our laws; we
should not permit them to be natural
lied until they have become Ameri-
canized; and all the while as Chris
tians we should feel it our first duty
that they be evangelical.
n. Another of these "tares" is the
liquor traffic, lying as it does at the
center of all political and social mis-
chief, and paralyzing energies in
every direction. The responsibility
Of Christian citizens lies in their will
! ingness to permit it to exist, and worse
still to permit it to exist for a con-
sideration 1t is impossible to de,
stroy the appetite, but 1t is not i'm
possible to deny the opportunity to
crafty the appetite by law. Has not
the time come for Christians who
! know the meaning of the Declaration
of independence. to say nothing OF
/ the Decalogue, to break the shackies
which bind them to a social custom,
! to a blind prejudice, or even to po-
| litical party, in order to serve their
homes, their God and their native
! land in driving this rum demon from
! our shores?
III. Another of these "tares" Is the
secuIarlzation of the Sabbath day
a growing tendency to change that
| day from a holy day into holiday, to
convert 1t from a day of rest into a
day of labor, to neglect the public
worship Of God. the sacred observance
of his laws for the sake OF social
pleasures and business gains.
Who is responsible for these things?
Could secular enterprises prosper on
the Lords day if Christians frowned
upon them? And has not God con-
troversy with us for these things
Will he not avenge himself on such
nation as this? How can we have re-
ligion without worship? And how can
we have worship without Sabbath?
What can we do about these things?
On We can throw the weight OF our
example on the right side. we can
certainly do this so far as the Keep
ing of the Sabbath is concerned, and
so far as the liquor traffic is con-
cerned God would have saved Sodom
had there been ten righteous men in
that Mace. Little do We know how
his hand of judgment may even now
! no WltnnelQ lIOul LlAC ChAeCN DNNNND
because OF the God-fearing lives OF
small remnant.
(2O We may throw ballot on the
right side. AS Joseph Cook once said;
THE managing politicians care for
nothing but arithmetic and, therefore
one of our supreme duties is to stand
nm. and stand together, and be count
ed" The powers that be are ordained
Of God. and as Gods servants we are
to see that his will. and not the will OF
Satan. is carried out in the selection
OF them.
go There is a third thing we can
do. and that is pray The enectual
fervent prayer of a righteous man
ayaileth much. Remember Abra
hams intercession for Sodom and Ne
hen.iah's Tor Jerusalem. PIT alas. no"
little do we pray for these things
Alas for our patriotism when We are
besieging the throne of grace! May