Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1916-03-23

tude."
Lesson Text: Rev. z: 9-17.
Golden Text: "They shall hunger no
more, neither thirst any more; neith
err shall the sun strike upon them,
nor any heat: for the Lamb that is
in the midst of the throne shall be
their shepherd, and shall guide them
unto fountains of waters of life; and
God shall wipe away every tear from
their eyes.-Rev. 6: 1911
/. Some Great Beginnings.
Three months of study in the books
of Acts impress one with the value
of all beginnings. We have here
considered the beginning of the
christian church, an agency which,
with all its faults, we cannot afford
to leave out of our national life. We
have seen the coming of new power,
the Spirit of God, into the lives of
men, making them better and Drawer,
We have heard the bold sermons of
apostolic preachers, read the writing
of pioneer christian thinkers, and
seen men who were once lame physi-
cally and morally do great things for
God. We have seen how men ex-
alted Jesus Christ and gave the world
new and enduring ideals of brother
hood. We have seen the growing
church specialize in its work, long
before the term Constitutional church,
was coined. And finally we have
stood in admiring awe when the first
martyr gave up his life and intro
duced the consenting witness, Saul of
Tarsus, soon to be converted and to
become the leader of the primitive
church.
Today the handful of followers has
become millions. Their national and
international federations are pow
erful agency for human betterment.
Great oaks from little acrons grow"
The leaven of Christ is working.
Faith is conquering the world. Never
was any war so criticised, denounc-
ed. examined, denied, and depreciat-
ed, as that awful struggle in Europe,
in which some see a reversal of
christianity. 1t is not so.
ii. The Coming Civilization.
When we see what progress the
world has made, there is much en-
couragement. When we look at the
future civilization, as pictured in the
book of Revelation, there is likewise
help and hope. 1t will be an ideal
time when people ''hunger no more,
neither thirst any more" Sorrow
of every sort will be done away, for
"God shall wipe away every tear
from their eyes."-Rev. Z: 16, II.
What God expects US to do is to
work for this ideal social order here
and now. We are to give expression
to it in our own lives. We are to
make this a better, happier, safer
world to live in. We are to fight
poverty as we'll as vice. The report
of the Illinois Legislative Commission
shows that poverty is strong factor
in leading girls astray. Low wages
have marked influence in helping
to keep up the supply of victims OF
the organized commercialized vice
system.
The coming civilization will protect
the weak and helpless. 1t will not
permit child labor because it is profit.
able. The greed of the mill, of the
parent, of the public, will not be
strong enough to keep children out
of school. Women are often exploit
ed by our Industrial system just as
children have been. Even the farmer
buys improved machinery, and builds
big barns, yet leaves his wife to slave
in wretched conditions, with insuffic'
lent help and equipment. Rura
America cannot be redeemed till we
change these conditions.
Ill. Rural Life.
About one-half the school children
in the United States are in rural com
munities. Only about twenty-five
per cent of them complete course
equal to our "grade schools" Fully
ninety per cent never go to any
other school. If the nation is to move
upward these rural schools mus
move upward. The tides of life which
move from the country to our cities
must be well directed. They mus
know the vital things in history, phil
osophy and life.
, Above all they must be adequate
ly instructed and strengthened NOR
ally. "There were at least sever
hundred churches abandoned in Ohio
during the past twenty five years,
says a competent authority. Was il
4 &. A..