Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-11-04


churches who had influenza in their
homes.
Presbyterian Church.
Yesterday morning the people OF the
Presbyterian church gathered for the
first services since the ban Of the
health department was laid on the
churches Permission had been grant
ed for two services, but in harmony
with the other downtown churches
we felt that due consideration for the
welfare OF the community demanded
that there should be minimum of
public gatherings in the present condi-
tion of the epidemic.
The pastor, Rev j. F. Vonckx,
preached on Divine Faithfulness and
Human Distresses," or Gods relation
! to the world under the curse of Kais-
erism and the "fiu'
The pastor showed the faithfulness
Of God to Daniel. even though it led
him into captivity, into one of the
greatest testings to which a man has
! been subjected, and even into the
lions den; then he passed on to these
/ considerations:
First, God faithfully co-operates
with man in behalf of the spiritual
/ interests. The spiritual and not the
material is the treasure to be guard.
/ ed. Purity, truth and love are the
most important in life. For the peo-
/ pie to be uncOrrupted to speak truth
and to live according to the golden
rule is more important than the most
efficient, scientific system of govern
ment that has ever been polluted by
kaiserism, than the German empire
/ itself than the junker class, than the
! Hohenzollern and the Hapsburg fam
HES these are as a house of cards to
be knocked down if thereby the spir-
itual possibilities of the people can
be more largely realized. System is
nothing to God, it is the spiritual, the
spirits, i. e., the people, not wealth,
or body, but the real man that dwells
within the body that is of supreme
consideration to God. God works
faithfully in behalf of this spiritual
man. If the spiritual and the material
interest can both be promoted at the
same time God is glad to do it, fol-
God wants us to be prosperous and
, happy; but il the material prosperity
whether of wealth or Of body, would
, hinder the prosperity of the spiritual
man then the material interests mus
! give way.
Second, human distress is not a di
vine but a human product AS MAJ
left the hands of God he was perfect
ideal, the spiritual interests were su
preme, and therefore he was in pei
feet harmony with God, but In the
test, whereby God would strengthen
man and open the way to develor
ment such as we cannot understand
man faileE, selflshness became par
a OF his nature, In fact took the thron
a OF the life where it resides today il
all unregenerated people, and tn
whole nature Of man was corrupted
and thus unhappness in every forr
found its way in TO the race and be
came the heritage of all succeedin
generations.
o Third, God Is with man in his di
q tress. AS God was with Daniel s
& God is with man today, not only tn
race as whole, but every individut
n Of the race. God is not only with tn
n great chain of world events but wit
e. every link in that chain As Go
" was with Daniel, Moses, David tn
le prophets and our Lord, so God WI
es in control of Darius who sentence
ie Daniel to the lions den, with Pha
a. oah who opposed God and Moses, wi,
Saul who plotted against the life
David, with all who opposed the pr
v phets, with Plate who surrender,
Is our Lord to be crucifed by the Jew
God was with all of these opponen