Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-08-31

are not to be found within the pages
of present-day philosophers, but in
an old, old book. One almost jumps
as he reads such a message, unknown
to the general reader, as this chapter
form a book written tVe hundreo
years before the beginning of the
Christian era, and now made the sub
ject of study of the Sunday schools
OF the world. All observers or the
trend of the times have been longing
for some great and pertinent utter
ance that will call the leaders OF the
people to a sense of their responsible
ity. 1t has almost seemed as IL this
war is to develop great soldiers and
economists and administrators, but
j no great prophets.
Now we find that the word has
been spoken, and spoken blisterngly.
in pictorial and unsparing language.
There is enough terrific truth, thrust
home to the present minute, in this
chapter to send every teacher and
writer and preacher into grave exec
utive session with himself; and to
call for special conferences for self
examination and confession on the
part of all the religious leaders on
the continent. Here is the great
truth for this very day, spoken by
one whose motives will not be mis-
trusted, and who will not be set aside
as sensationalist and q radical.
Ezekiafs position is too well estab-
lished to be shaken by the man who
would escape the application of the
message by attempting to discredit
the messenger
The Failure of Shepherds
Most of the present failures of our
Christian civilization are due to fall-
ures of our moral and religious lead
ers. Let us not mince words here.
Shallowness, materialism, sensuality
pleasure-lust, ruthless self1shness in
economic relations, political perfldy,
and the plight of the poor, may not
be evaded as responsibility of those
who set moral and social standards
Our generation has lacked supremely
in faithful shepherds, who are now
adays called preachers and teachers
and authors and editors, and pub
" licists. The high, stern, challenging
note has been missing from the
spoken and written word, generally
speaking.
Suppose we press the point fur
ther, before quoting an extract from
Ezekial. In conversation among
themselves, religious leaders freely
admit that the ministry has never
before been so manifestly treated as
Job" a means of livelihood, as to-
day. So also with the teaching pro-
fession we etaosihnrdlaloet etaohiri
fession. We are busy with schemes
of pensions and minimum salaries
to make the positions as lucrative
and attractive as possible. Even be-
ing a missionary may become a mere
profession. Clergymen. like actors
are graded by the salaries they can
command. Ecclesiasticism concerns
itself more with the business end of
the church and her employed officers
than with the living issues that touch
the welfare of the spirits and bodies
of the people. OF course there are
a multitude of noble exceptions; but
what honest and informed person
will deny that professionalism is the
blight of moral and religious leader
ship to-day? When a real prophet
is found in the ministry he likely to
be made a bishop or a board secre-
tary, where he will indeed have des-
perate times saving his own soul.
A newspaper would scarcely dare
print what follows, lest it seem to be
criticising the preachers, save that
the words are taken from the Bible
itself Note the recurrence of the
charge that the shepherds feed them
selves, while the sheep go hungry.
Hear now what said the faithful
prophet of God twenty-five hundred
years ago:
Thus saith the Lord Jehovah:
Woe unto the shepherds of Israel
that do feed themselves! Should not
the shepherds feed the sheep? Ye eat
the fat, ye clothe you with the wool,
we kill the fattlings; but ye feed not
the sheep. The diseased have ye not
strengthened, neither have ye healed
that which was sick, neither have ye
bound up that which was broken,
neither have ye brought back that
which was driven away, neither have
ye sought that which was lost; but
with force and rigor have ye ruled
over them. And they were scattered
because there was no shepherd; and
they became food to all the beasts
of the field, and were scattered. My
sheep wandered through all the
mountains, and upon every high hill;
yea, my sheep were scattered upon
all the face of the earth; and there
was none that did search or seek
after them.
Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the
word of Jehovah: AS 1 live, saith
the Lord Jehovah, surely forasmuch
as my sheep became a prey, and my
sheep became food to all the beasts
of the field, because there was no
shepherd, neither did my shepherds
search for my sheep, but the shep-
herds fed themselves, and fed not
my sheep; therefore, ye shepherds,
heard the word of Jehovah: Thus
saith the Lord Jehovah, Behold, 1
am against the shepherds; and will
require my sheep at their hands, and
cause them to cease from feeding
the sheep; neither shall the shep-
herds feed themselves any more;
and l will deliver my sheep from
their mouth, that they may not be
food for them"
I am writing these words in the
city of Peking, China, which for ten
days has been in the throes of an
attempt to restore the Manchu mon
archy. The period has been one of
the saddest of my life, for it is
heart-breaking thing to see an an
cient nation, with four hundred mill
lions of people, facing the greatest
crisis of its history. the one that may
national entity, without a single
thought on the part of anybody, so
lar as apparent, for the welfare
of the nation and the people. 1t is
all self-interest gone to seed. Force
and leadership are totally lacking
not man having lifted his head
above the horizon, simply because
the shepherd instinct is lacking
among public men. Official position
Is deemed by everybody merely an
opportunity for personal wealth ana
ACKNOWLEDGMENT. Politics and graft
have run their full curse. until
there seems to be no conviction in
high places, no sense of national re-
sponsibility, no passion of patriotism.