The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1915-07-22

Grafton quickly forgets the exper-
fences, the tragedies, the sentiments
OF an earlier generation. One OF
the puzzles OF life is that we al
most never will learn from others
experience. The teaching OF history
is clear about the luxury, the
weakening of moral sentiment, the
final decline Of the splendid Roman
Empire, but many nations since then
have gone or are going the same way.
No, there is nothing in history that
will controvert the assumption that
war is Gods way OF bringing ma
tions and races TO a proper under
standing OF the fact that this is His
world and IL kings, princes, rulers
and peoples will not live in IL in
accordance with His laws but in
sist upon infringing those laws, by
the very nature OF the case retri-
button must follow. The more Sc
we're the punishment the shorter II
may be. The horror Of the present
war has never been equalled. But
the sins of the nations have never
been so great because in the light
Of Gods revelation Of His will and
His law made so plain by the Christ
that a man can read His meaning
even while he runs and the mean
ing may be clear even TO a half-wit;
in the bright light Of this revela-
tion, say, brighter and brighter as
the years roll by, what do we find
to be the conditions prevailing thru
out the nations? Drunken ness
everywhere; vice, commercialized
or otherwise, rampant in city, town,
village, even in the home; lust Of
gold and lust of power consuming
the hearts and filling the minds Of
the name of the lawful supreme in
difference to the agony and suffer-
ing OF the poor; envy, jealousy,
hatred, common as the air we
breathe. This is but the beginning
of the list of crimes and follies OF
the present day: a condition which
has long existed and which has
caused an agony so great that the
cry has long been ascending to the
very gates Of heaven. How long o
Lord, how long?" The answer to
that cry is being seen in the pres
ent war.
The query often arises-Is this the
last great war? There is no reason
for thinking so unless mankind has
reached that stage Of development,
of evolution il you like, where COM
mon sense at last prevails over
stupid perversity. II that wonderful
day is dawning when at last the
Ruler Of the universe is recognized
as God that Furnishes as well as a
Father that loves and saves, then
there is hope Of permanent peace and
not till then.
II may be suggested that accord.
ing TO this theory America is spot.
less, since she has not yet at least
been drawn into the vortex OF this
whirlwind of madness; and we know
that such is far from being the
turth. No, our fair land is smirched
and soiled with the same vileness
and criminal folly. But America is
still a young nation: God is still
patient with her; there is ample
time for her to I'LL to the brim her
cup OF iniquity and TO so weary the
patience OF the Almighty that al
last she, too, will feel the lightning
and the fury OF His wrath. At times
we can almost hear the warning
and can almost see the flash Of the
distant storm.
Listen: Not long ago very early
one morning. before the darkness
had left the sky, before the bird:
began TO sing, I heard a rumble o.
distant thunder. In the stiffness o.
the night it sounded ominous, start
ling, and suddenly | seemed to SCI
a vision of the future, the ultimate
America, caught at last in the con
sequence of her sin and groanint
under the agony Of punishment Di'
vine.
In the dawning OF the morning
] Came the thunder OF the Lord,
The day OF wrath was breaking
In accordance with His word.
| Malachi Al
i I do verify believe that unles
there is some radical change in on
treatment Of these grave issues tina
there is no escape from the wratl
Of an outraged God.
Regarding the terms Of peace 70
the present war. Is il possible l.
discuss the terms on an entirely new
basis, in a manner different iron
any hitherto employed. a basis con
sonant with our original proposition
love for our neighbor? Let us Sc