Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-02-26
REVEALS ARE OLD AS
HISTORY OF RELIGION
They Far Antedate Christianity !;
One Was Held a Thousand
Years Before Christ
FLAG AND BIBLE co TOGETHER
International S. S. Lesson Is Sam
uel. the Victorious Leader"
| Sam, 1917
(By William T. Ellis)

Informed folk are amused when
they hear persons talking of the
BILLY" Sunday meetings in Philadel-
phia as il they were quite new
thing. In truth, revivals are as old
as the history of religion. They far
antedate Christianity. The present
Sunday School lesson deals with
notable one experienced a thousand
years before Christ While the ma
ton often slumped afterwards, it
was nevertheless more thoroughly
nation, because fused in these hot
fires of spiritual emotion.
Revolutions never go backward
History advances by series of con-
vulsions. Where the flames of ardor
burned yesterday, the cruise of con-
ventionality represses to-day. Fire is
followed by Journalism. This is broken
up by the inevitable revival which
creates q fresh self-realiZation, and a
new and personal apprehension of
God.
Samuel led the nation in a spiritual
revival at MiZpah, and consecrated
Israel to Jehovah's service. This
makes timely reading in day when
the newspapers of America are giving
more space to religion than ever be-
fore in the history of the world.
Prying That Was Punished
From the cities of the Philistines
the Ark was carried to Beth-shemish
in Israel, where the people suffered for
their irreverent treatment of it. The
careful reader is struck by the high
Importance which both the Old and
the New Testaments attach to rever-
ence. Sins of irreverence, small and
trivial in themselves, were repeatedly
smitten with punishments apparently
n 10 In 1ffA
The reason for this appears upon de-
liberation. Reverence is fundamental.
The first of all commandments is
Thou shalt have no other gods before
Me-" In the summary of the law
given by Christ the prominence of
| God is made basic.
Our day needs to q peculiar degree
! this lesson of reverence. There are
subjects and objects too sacred to
| touch with light and careless hand.
Even preachers are prone to irrever-
ence and sacrilege. The common
speech of some persons who count
themselves cultivated is lightly sprin-
killed. with the name of the Diety. Re-
ligion is treated flippantly, and made
a subject for jest. The supposedly hui
morous papers deem a touch of irrev-
erence sufficient point to make a joke.
To all such the episode at Beth
shemish remains a reminder. "Holy
and reverenced in His name"
RaIlying to the Standard
That troublesome Ark of the
Covenant-troublesom as truth is
troublesome-was at length removed
to the house of Abinidab in Kiriath-
jearim. Apparently there was a Le-
Vite there, and assuring the safety
and prosperity of the family of the
Ark was cared for reverently for
twenty years.
That was a dry spell spiritually in
the life of Israel. 1t seems to have
been a sort of between seasons.
Samuel was in seclusion, ministering,
of course, but ripening for his greater
work. He had to achieve maturity
of life before he could be ready for
the tasks that awaited him. Our bust
ling day is impatient of these quiet
times of preparation which come to
men and to nations. Apparently the
prosperous recent years of our ma
tional life have been a making ready
for the great crisis which we seem
to be facing.
When the hour struck, Samuel
called the assembly of all the people
to Mizpah. 1t was summons to rally
to the standard of Jehovah. He
evoked their national consciousness
as well as their dormant religious
sentiments. The occasion revealed
the patriotism of religion and the re-
| ligion of patriotism; each virtue sup
plements the other. The convocation
at MiZpah was a national assembly as
well as religious revival. The flag
and the Bible always go together.
Every battlefront in the present war
reports religious quickening. The
two great thoughts Of God and coun-
| try are Siamese twins.
When the Preacher Rebukes Hearers
fAIly - ,4.N,,
the BILLY" Sunday revival in Phila-