The farmer and mechanic., 1915-03-23

TO themselves, the people Stunned in
70 neathendon. They needed revivals |
as truly as do We today. By nature |
'hey seemed TO turn away from God |
1hat characteristic is one which |
Tear, some teachers will gloss over
The doctrine of original sin is not
popular today The pendulum has
swung TO the other extreme and the |
popular teachers are crying, like the
serpent to Eve. "Ye shall be as GODS
That man is godlike, that sin is a de-
fusion, that human nature is divine,
and that its behestS are to be obeyed
above the Decalogue is the popular
creed. =
True. those who dare look all facts
in the face find suspiciously large
number of the teachers of this old
Old philosophy which nowadays mas
querades under various new labels,
themselves prone to violate the fund
anental laws which society has set
up for its own protection. But what
are the ten commandments to an
emancipated man OF woman who re-
CARDS himself or herself as divine?
The logical outcome of this popular
notion is frequently a reputation of
honor and truth and patriotism. and
the service of society
| A study Of the generations Of Jew
ish life which the Sunday schools
| have had recently in review leads us
| to accept the truth that human ma
ture left to itself, slumps from it's
highest obligations. The people east
ly forget Gods goodness and their
own high estate. They turned easily
and natu ally to sin. They had need
| to cry continually
"Thy mercy on Thy people, Lord"
Give Us a King.
The folly of following the fashions
was old Israels greatest bIunder. The
small boy who wants long trousers
and the latest thing in linen collars
and silk neckties. because "all the
fellows are wearing them; and the
girls who is sure that to be gOWned
; according to the mode of the minute
is the one chief concern Of life, are
no new phenomena. They are tread
ing the oldest trail in the world. Man
kind has been following the multi
tude to do evil since long before thu
Israelities. who had with sad fire
quency been slipping into fashionabl
idOlatry, like their neighbors, erie,
to Gods prophet for a king. so tina
they could be like the other nation
about them.
, This tendency to conform is alway
- warning with the diviner impulse t
ne transformed. God is seeking per
lsonalities: man is pursuing conven
tionajities. Jehovah wanted Israe
to be a theocratic democracy; bu
the Jews were sure they wanted
y ln.unarchy which was certain to de
generate into an autOcracy.
They would have been three thous
e ana years ahead Of the times If the
had let God have his way with then
Z Democracy j3 now seen to be til
e highest type Of human governmen
Q We never make a mistake in lettin
i God have his way with us, eve
J. though the way runs counter to tt
3 common usage. God was trying
: create peculiar people" to lead tt
world: but the Israelites did not wal
, 10 be peculiar; they preferred
l. follow the world and it's fashions.
l. they got what they wanted, and mis-
"a ed their high destiny. Alas for u
N when the Lord lets us have our ON
~ >. way.
20 Religion and Patriotism.
n The tightly-woven two strand
n cord Of religion and patriotism ru
a through these twelve lessons. r
yh ligion and patriotism are still,
n then, one and inseparable. Each i
st teracted upon the other. When t
nd fires Of religion burned low, the lig
ty of patriotism almost died out. L
a. refuge and inspiration Of the peoI
10 in all their times of crises was t
ID religion of Jehovah. one or the MAJ
aS. mOnltlOn TO manklnu from inc
ce of ancient Israel is this one that
patriotism is to flourish, and natiOr
lis life prosper, then constant heed m,
be given to religion.
th Everybody who takes time for a
real thinking today knows the per
nency Of this truth to our own la
lot and time. Everything now seems
be in the melting pot. New and v;
lot changes are impending. Some
these are perils Of the first mag
tude. This is one of the grav
will hours of our nations history. Hi
sill and hard are the duties which
conditions prescribe. Only religi
real and personal, is adequate to
na- spire and maintain life up to the II
level There are reasons inherent
les present national problems which j
t;fy the EXTREMIST efforts on II 2.
ali (NI,: 49,