The Washington herald., 1918-06-30

Do you believe that Whatever Is
is right?" 1 do not; cannot believe
it. II right means accordance with
the will OF God surely there Is much
wrong in the world.
But. it is argued, God Is omnipotent,
and therefore has power to direct-slI
things as He wills. Granted. Never
theless both scriptural and secular
history. as also the turbulent course
OF current events combine to show
that transgression of Divine law is as
old as the race. and as persistent.
God has given TO man agency and
liberty of action. 1t is the will of
God that this birthright OF human
freedom shall be inviolate: but II is
contrary to the Divine intent that man
shall abuse his agency, and miscon-
strue his liberty as license for wrong
doing. And as with the individual. so
with communities and nations.
In the days Of Samuel the Israelites
clanored for a king. They were tired
Of the theo-democracy under which
they had prospered, and wanted TO be
like all nations" a monarchy. with
king wearing a crown, swaying a
scepter. and sitting enthroned in
state. Read / Samuel, chapter s. This
condition had been foreseen and fore
told; nevertheless the people erred in
their demand. and the Lord yielded
under protest. There is real pathos
in His words to the prophet: THEY
HAVE NOT REJECTED THEE. But
THEY HAVE REJECTED Me, THAT
SHOULD NOT REIGN OVER
THEM" They had their king, and a
long succession OF monarchs, many of
whom proved TO be veritable tyrants.
and the people groaned under the
| oppression against which they had
been forewarned.
In the course OF Israers troubled
journey from Egypt where they had
dwelt as in a house of bondage" 10
Canaan, the land of their promised
inheritance, the Lord gave them many
laws and established ordinances for
their government in both temporal
and spiritual affairs. He portrayed
for their encouragement promised
blessings OF inestimable worth. predi-
Gated upon their obedience to the laws
OF Righteousness. and their allegiance
TO Himself as God and King In con-
trast He described in narrowing de-
tail the state OF abject misfortune and
! blighting suffering into which they
would fall IL they departed from the
path OF rectitude and followed the
sinful practices OF the heather. As
the sacred record progresses. the fact
is made plain that Israel had choser
the evil alternative. forfeiting the
blessings and reaping the curses.
Was it the will OF God. think you
that Israel should sin? Can It be tho
Divine will that any man or natioT
shall come under the thrall OF iniquity'
Is it the will of God that man shall
make OF himself a drunken sot, with
reason dethroned, and naught but hi
british passions alert? Or that maj
shall oppress his fellows by unright
eous dominion. robbing them OF tn,
rights upon which God Himself refuses
to infringe, even though those right
be grossly misused? Is It the will o
God that woman's virtue shall b
bartered for gold. and that vice shal
stalk unchallenged through the world
Il To hold that these denominations &C
cord with the Divine will is to max
= God responsible for them. and there
fore the author OF sin. The yer.
thought Is blasphemous.
Gods omnipotence Is manifest d
the over-ruling by which eventua
u good results from immediate evil. Tn
crime OF the ages. consummated ol
the slopes OF Calvary. has proved q
be the means OF salvation 20 tn
world; but the awful guilt Of the be