The farmer and mechanic., 1915-10-19

Can see the helpers God has sent,
And how Life's rugged mountain side |
Is white with many an angel tent.
Whittier.
Blinded by the dazzling light of |
heaven, the Syrian host was captured |
by Elisha, and led to Samaria, where, |
instead of Staying them, as was the
usage Of the time. the prophet re-
stored their sight. fed them. and sent
magnanimity.
The Preacher as Prophet.
What Elisha did for his fatherland
is what a legion Of preachers and
priests are doing on the battlefields
of Europe today. He gave his best
to his country. He served his own
time. No cloistered recluse was he.
Whatever touched the welfare of his
people concerned him. The King on
the throne of Israel was not a man
according to Elisha's taste, but he
was King, and so the prophet upheld
him, even at the risk Of his own
head.
Out of this, and the other Old
Testament stories which we are now
studying there should come afresh
the message of the high and holy
character of patriotism. There never
was a better time than now for in
culcating into youth the truth that
| loyalty to country is the second high
| est obligation of mortal, only loyalty
| to God Himself taking precedence of
| it. In every Sunday school class, and
in every church and school, there
| should be a cult of patriotism, that
our people may rightly understand
and support the nation. We need
patriotic prophets even more than we
need patriotic soldiers.
| Do thy part
Here In the living day, as did the
| great
Who made old days immortal!
Serving the state anew by virtuous
lives;
Guarding the countrys honor as their
own,
And their own as their countrys and
| their sons;
Defying leagued fraud with single
Not fearing loss; and daring to be
pure.
Richard Watson Glider.
This is a time for patriotism, and
for praying patriotism at that. Like
Elisha, we should be driven to ou1
knees by the great emergency of oul
time. If the present world situation
does not set Christians to praying
what conceivable conditions can dc
, so? A sense of our divine allies i.
our greatest need. Simple reliance
upon God is our only recourse. mo
by might nor by power, but by nj,
:, Spirit, saith the Lord of Hosts
= The Vaster Strategy.
Pertinent as powerful comes thi
message from ancient Israel's his
:, tory, of the help that the hosts O
heaven extend to the needs Of earth
= Our present danger is that we shall
1 lose God out Of our world. TIL
y crushing and incomprehensible con
! ditions abroad, which are breaking
9 our hearts, are fairly robbing som
e souls of their faith in God. Yet W
a cannot forget that now, as ever i
n the past. Gods strategy is vaster tina:
. earth's. His purposes are larger tha
our perceptions. What I do no,
a thou knowest not, but thou shalt kno,
- | hereafter"
A large world Of love, of brother
II hood, OF a new social order, will sure
: ly emerge from the earth's preser
u social chaos. Myriads of disciples {
l. the Cross in the land we call hol
s. believe that Christianity is being e,
y terminated: for the hosts of unbelie
seem invincible, and they have a
n ready slain approximately half a mi
d, lion Christian women and childrel
is Surely there is some inconceivab,
IN great purpose of God to be worke
t: out, if this is the cost Of it. Let |
re pray for open eyes and remember tt
he heavenly hosts.
hit
ms Thrice blest is he to whom is give
I'D The instinct which can tell,
ID That God is on the field,
When He is most invisible''
Sc. THE CROSS AND THE BALLOT.
at
n IeFSe Comments on the UnifOr
nd Prayer Meeting Topic Of the Youl
We Peoples Christian e
es deavOr, etc.-fOf October "a: ''Ca
nd turing Politics for God'' Ps. 33:
fill p.
ds,
lte by William T. Ellis.)
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