The Washington herald., 1918-02-17


REV. }. =. =. CARRUTHERs.
would all shut up" wishing all Of his
class would do the same.
Now, that II Just exactly what Bah
akkuk did. and that is precisely the
thing that puts him In the second
class, that Is, those who will wait in
faith for the vision of God to be real
lied some way, even In a war-worn
world like hours. Curiously enough.
Habakkuk was by nature Just the
kind Of q man who would not have
waited for vision unless he had
discovered that that was the best way
to learn Gods will. He was a musi-
clan whom God called to be preach
er because Of the corruption of the
nation. As a musician he was full Of
ideals, which on not being realized,
plunged him into despair and expos
tulation against God. He lived in q
religious fog. because Of a certain
vagueness that his esthetic nature
developed, when It encountered ugly
facts Of mans wickedness and the
hopeless corruptness of his nation.
He was compelled to face two prob
lens, as you and are. How is 1t
that the wicked man prospers and the
righteous man suffers7 He looked
about him and said that Judgment
never goes forth any more and cor
ruption and law-breaking gains more
for a man than uprightness. How
long shall cry unto Thee and wilt
not hear! Even cry unto Thee Of vio-
lence and Thou wilt not saver" There
was here no spirit Of waiting for any
vision.
The second problem he faced was
the impending doom of his nation.
THE Assyrians had come down like
wolves on the fold" were destroying
the national integrity Of Israel. Hab-
akkuk cried out against II In blasphe-
nous expostulations to God. He was
somewhat comforted when the Lord
said he would punish the Assyrians:
81 will raise up that bitter and hasty
nation"-the Babylonians. But that
did not satisfy Habakkuk, for Israel
would be ground out between the up
per and the neither millstones Of As
syrian and Babylonian power. Baby
Ions crushing of Assyria meant, in
the process, the extinction Of Israel
Habakkuk's nation.
These two questions: what Is to
become of me?" and What Is to be-
come of my nation?" wore down Hab-
akkuk's expostulating attitude and
subdued his violent spirit. They drove
him to the tower of prayer. He pre-
pared to wait for a vision.
We are passing through Habakkuk's .
experience and our situation Is in es-
sence his. Two problems face US.
what is to become OF me?' What
IL to become OF the America lover"
We are at the brink-each one Of us
OF future where we must confront
two problems. What Is to become
of me7 What Is to become OF my
nationT In other words we stand at
the entrance of q tower. Shall we
shall you and I-ascend or not? The
answers to our questions will be plain
when We reach the top.
We say we will start. At the first
step (for We ascend on our knees, one
step at a time) we are turned aside by
q voice that allures US and bids US
stop on q comfortable landing. saying.
there is no sin In the worId-there Is
no '.the world, the flesh and the
devil" Then as We falter, a voice
cries. "Whosoever saith he has no sin
is a liar and the truth is not in him. I"
1t is the mild voice Of John. We go on!
Perhaps we say that We shall climb
the steps by our own self power. We
are brave and self-suffcient, needing
not to pray.
It may that we shall refuse obedi-
ence to all such voices. Some voice
may keep singing to US:
BE strong"
We are not here 10 play, 10 dream, TO din.
We hars hard work to do, the loads to lift.
shun not the struggle; face it; tbs Gods gift
In such strength, which is the
strength Of ten, we shall reach the top,
where the Interpreters house is. The
door may open and the place be flood
ed with the vision of the presence of
Christ, bidding US Come, ye Blessed
of my Father" TRANSPORTATION of
place and TRANSPORTATION of life in
such an experience will send us down
out Of the tower with a song. This
was the essence of Habakkuk's ex-
perience in the tower of prayer-as
assurance Of faith In God through
prayer in individual and national cri-
sis. This you and I can have in like
manner today. This should be the
message Of the tower Of Habakkuk, of
the towers Of the cathedrals Of
France. Of all church towers through
out the world in which you and I
must live.
Where there is no vision the people
perish" :,
IF the vision tarry. wait for It."
Are we not all prepared now, follow
ing the words of Paul, to say:
Wherefore. o Christ, my King,
shall wait-I shall not be disobedient
to Thy heavenly vision? I shall in
Thee be just to all men and by faith
In Thee shall walk with Thee all the
daYS of INV life Amen