The log cabin Democrat., 1916-05-09
MUST CHOOSE SIDE
No Christian Can Afford to Re- main Neutral in the War
 Waged Against Sin.

the LOrQ, curse ye bitterly the lnhaDl- tants thereof; because they came not to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty Judges V. 23
 These words breathe the spirit of Old Testament religion; the spirit of many of the Psalms; the spirit of an intense hatred of evil; the spirit which made a devout Israelite think of Gods enemies as his own, and call down upon them the same fate that in violent and vengeful days men were accustomed to wreak or to invoke up- on their personal foes. Do not I hate them that hate thee? Yes, I hate them right sore, even as though they were mine enemies" It is not the spirit of Christianity which breathes in such passages; and there are many people (and I confess that I am one of them) who would gladly see the use of such Psalms in Christian wor- ship discontinued for we cannot rightly make that spirit our own. Yet such utterances have also their noble side; if they are vindictive, it is be- cause men were eager for Gods cause; if they show hatred of the sinner, it is because those who ut tered them had burning indignation against the sin; whereas in modern times, if we are apt to be very gentle with sinners, it is partly, I fear, be- cause we have no real horror of sin, and are no longer consumed with zeal for righteousness or for the service of God.
 Neutrality Sometimes Sin.
 We know nothing at all of Meroz and it's people. They are known to us only by this simple denunciation, just as in the New Testament Cho- tion of woe; but Deborah's wrath was stirred against people who had re- fused to join in a great cause, the cause of the Lord and her burning words kindled for all time a noble protest against unworthy refusals. Meroz apparently was not an active opponent-it stood aloof; it main tained a judicious neutrality in the face of danger from a powerful foe; and when the struggle is between right and wrong, between Gods cause and the cause which is opposed to it, then neutrality becomes a sin, and he that Is not with God is against him
 That, I think, Is the meaning of the curse of Meroz, and there are perhaps some elements in our recent and present experiences which may lead us to feel the truth of these words more keenly. We have been stirred by the spectacle of hundreds of thousands of men going voluntar- fly to serve their country, to oppose a mighty enemy, to incur the utmost danger to face death with cheerful ness. And then, while we have been were ready to go, we have sometimes felt shame for the far smaller num- Der who held back. Why did they hold back? we ask.
 A recruiting officer told me early in the war of two answers he had received in one day from men who refused to go. One said, q didn't make the war" and the other. q don't want to be mixed up in it on either side" Those were the an- swers not, probably, of towards, but of men whose minds moved very slow ly and whose hearts were not easily stirred, who had no moral sensitive ness, no eager chivalry for the right, no keenness to find out what is God 8 cause and to go to help 1t. They wanted, in effect, to remain neutral when neutrality was impossible.
 Always a Holy War.
 What I have said so far has been rather by way of illustration There Is another and deeper application of the words. This war we hope, will come to an end But always and ev- erywhere there is going on a great war, an endless war, a holy war, be- tween the cause of God and the mighty forces of evil What are we doing? Are we openly on the side of evil. or secretly in league or sympathy with 1t? l trust and believe not. But are we taking any real part on the side of God-undertaking any aggressive work? Or are we practically neutral? |? l am afraid that great many pro- fessing Christians-a considerable pro- portion of nominal churchmen-are practically neutral, or something very like it. They are not doing their bit, they have not offered for active serv- ice. We ask, Why is it?
 A Christian cannot really discharge his duty by giving little money, buy ing himself out, and then leaving it to the clergy, as if it was their busi- ness, and theirs alone. It is personal service that is wanted, the universal personal service of all Christian men and women-nothing less than that. What is each of us doing in the spirit ual fight? Upon all shirkers and all neutrals in that fight there will come the curse of Meroz, if only in the feel ing of remorse for their neglected duty and lost opportunities. And upon all who take their part there will come