The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1918-09-13

cerned on having the Lord on his
side than about being on the LORDS
side.
The natural tendency of man is tc
seek his own or the things of human
1ty, rather than the things of the Lord
and man is simply asking what some
particular course will bring to him, OF
what it will bring to his time. The
chief end of man in these days is not
to glOrify God. In this, grievOus wrong
is done. When q course Of action is
before one, the chief question should
not be, How will it affect me?" nor.
indeed, "HOw will it affect my neigh
bor?' but How will 1t affect God?"
The great need of the day Is q new
sensing of God-God at the beginning
God in the middle, God at the ending.
The right thing for man is to ask
where God is, and to go where he is.
If man would do that many of his
great theological questions would be
settled. God manifests himself
through his Word, and if men would
go to the Word of God with these
"
TALLY correct on all of them.
The text suggests the question, "Whc
Is on the Lords side?" or rather,
what man or woman has a right to
say that he is on the Lords side?"
In the particular case before us, the
people had made a golden calf and
were worshiping it. To do that was
to break the first two commandments
Of the Decalogue, and it became open
idOlatry. 1t is inevitable that q man
worship. If he does not worship God
he will worship some thing, or some
one else. Nor can man be on the
Lords side if he does those things that
the Lord hates.
If a man would know his duty to the
Lord he should seek to know what the
Lord thinks of certain things, and here
again he must take the Lords judg.
ment through his Word, for he cannot
know what the Lord thinks unless he
knows his Word. AS to particular nc.
tons, q man may be left to his Own
judgment, but as to the great prinCi
pies that lie at the root Of things, the
Lord makes clear declaration in his
Word. Does the Lord love liar, bru
tally, deception? The remnant Of
Gods image in man says at once, "Nol
mol" Does the Lord favor truth, lib
erty, kindness? That same remnant
of Gods image says, Yes Yes!" And
consequently, the duty Is clear, and he
should stand for these things. We
might sum up everything by saying,
"Ye cannot serve God and mammon."
The scene connected with our text
was probably this: There was
golden calf and people were
dancing about it. Moses stood aloof
and made the cry, "Whoso is on the
Lords side, let him come to me-" Ac-
cording to the constitution and nature
of man we m,4e appeals to him as to
his conscience, to his sense of duty or
privilege, and he must make choice.
What is it to be on the Lords sfdeF
1t is q natural inheritance from our
SHINING first parents that we will either
be Indifferent to Gods commands or
we will positively refuse to obey
them. Fundamentally, the issue is the
same. In the case before US, the wor.
shipper of the golden calf either con-
tinued his dancing and worship, or
just endeavorod to be neutral. A man
must come across" he must take
positive stand. The position of neu'
trail is the position of the enemy OF
God. There are no neutrals In our
country now as to Germany. Political
ly we were neutral until the president
said that a State of war existed, but
now the neutral is pro-German. We
must be out and out for the United
States of America. A mans religious
obligations could be illustrated by tax
ing the two sides of an imaginary hner
and to an imaginary line there can be
only two sides. 1t Is one thing or 1T is
the other. We must be positively,
clearly, professionally on Gods SIDE
or we are against him. In the day In
which we are living the ideals and mo-
tiyes are to be more sharply defined
than In former days.
An eloquent man said very recently
that heretofore men were living to
make money, and now they are dying
TO preserve righteousness, q tremen'
dous reversal of form. Precisely so
of a mans actions; if their character
IS to be determined by whether they
are right in the sight Of God rather
than whether they have been person
ally or socially beneficial, man will Or
rive ot the realization of the purpose
of God and at the realization OF MS
own greatest happiness.