The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1916-09-15

=. cleanse me from secret faults"
For some years many Of the greatest
teachers Of the word of God have in
sisted that the race Of mankind is now
In the apostasy referred to in Paul's
second letter to the Thessaonians in
the use Of the term "a time of full
Ing away" With very many observ-
ers this falling away has been along
the line of impurity in religious teach
ing.
But 1t is not to any such apostasy
that we now wish to refer and we ask
very earnestly, Is there present apos-
tasy in morals? We are not going to
dogmatize and insist that there is, but
we wish to think of q few things with
reference to the present state of NOR
ais.
How can we check up ON morals?
Christians might start with the law
Of the Christian life-the law of grace
which in itself is the law that pro-
duces the best results or the Sermon
on the Mount might be in view, which
is below that of the Christian law, and
above that of the decalogue. The mo-
ment we begin to estimate man from
the Sermon on the Mount we are over
whelmed, for obedience to that law
has very scanty illustration with the
race of mankind as whole, and all
are guilty with respect To the supreme
love to God demanded But we de
scend at once TO the ten command
ments which are not abrogated rs far
rs general standard of morals is
concerned.
The first two commandments deal
with the worship of God. Are not the
words of the text true that men do not
like to "retain God in their knowl-
edgeT Do they not worship practi-
cally everything else but God? The
third commandment deals with profan-
ity, and while we cannot check up
comparatively, we know that today
the name of God Is most profanely
used by men, and quite sad to say
by large numbers Of women. The idea
of day set apart for the worship OF
the holy God, and separation from the
world, is now ridiculed, and such
day is practically gone.
Coming to the sixth commandment,
which says Thou shalt not KILL" let
us pause. Popularity speaking muir
der is put at the head of the list OF
human crimes, and that is usually de-
scribcd as the taking of the life Of
another unlawfully. Three years ago
it was common saying that the
brotherhood Of man was so far adj
vanced, that the federation of the
world was so nearly realized, that any
thing like bodies of men making war
on each other was utterly unthinkable.
What Is the situation today? A dozen
nations are In the most bloody grip
of war that the race has ever known;
the soil Of Europe, Asia and Africa
is stained with the blood Of thousands
and tens of thousands of men, and
while some of the forms of barbarism
which characterized ancient times are
absent other things have taken their
places, their object being to destroy
foes by death or main for life.
1t was with reference to the breach
of the seventh commandment that the
made. Evidences Of low morals as
to this commandment are somewhat
difficult to obtain with accuracy, but
| the annals of the divorce courts; the
large portions of various cities set
apart for the satisfaction of lust; the
steady demand of the habitues of the
theaters for plays that accentuate
4 fol Int 40 nd -
the persons Of women; the advertise
ments of theaters; and other adver-
tisements In many popular pictorial
| publications, furnish some evidence
and, probably at the present time as
never before, the style OF dress of a
very large number of women concern
ing which delicacy forblds further re-
mark, reaches climax.
If the breach of the eighth, ninth
| and tenth commandments are not com
| paratively as conspicuous rs those Of
the sixth and seventh, yet dishonesty,
| lying and covetousness still carry
down their victims and no man es-
capes their touch.
| Reformatory movements OF various
kinds; good laws on morals well en-
forced; the rise VI public sentiment
against impurlty and murderous cru
city of the day, will do much to re-
lieve the situation, but the only ade-
quate and lasting method Of public
reform Is the power Of God given In
The new birth.