Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1919-01-03
GODS WILL
OR MANS
BY cyRUS TOWNSEND BRADY
OF Tho TigI0nfes

II God be perfection IN wisdom and
love. and all powerful, why does He
not stop this war? He must know OF
the suffering, He must feel for the sur
ferers, II He can why does He not
end It? Grave questions, Indeed, and
wrung from hearts unaccustomed 10
doubt, by sorrow and shame and de-
spair. God is wisdom, love and power;
COD knows and feels, yet the war goes
on. He does not act. There Is no Divine
Intervention What then? Shall we.
Ike Jobs wife, curse God and die?
BY no means.
Let us ask ourselves the exact
meaning Of that clause In the world
wide prayer "Thy viii be done on
earth as 1t Is in Heaven" Is that
statement Of inyariable ever-present
fact, or is is a necessary petition? Is
Gods will always and everywhere and
at all times being done upon earth, or
is 1t not?
I think that statement Is a petition
and that it is properly included In the
Lords prayer. l am sure that Gods
will is not always being done, but that
often and for long periods the evil will
of man is being done under the In
SEPARATION of the devil. Incidently, after
the experiences of the past few years
/ don't see how any one can doubt the
existence of the devil and legions of
attendant spirits of evil. He is incar-
mated at Potsdam, and his fallen
Angels in the ravagers of the strick-
en- lands Of Europe and Asia Have
you seen that terrible cartoon tn
which the devil shakes his finger at
the kaiser and says IF you don't quit
calling me Cod you will get into
trouble?"
We Must Continue Free.
VIII any one say to the MANNED
children. the outraged women, the
starved men, that these sufferings are
inflicted upon them by the viii OF
God? Were Reims and Ypres and
Louvain destroyed by the will of Godf
Does he pollute wells, and devastate
fields and destroy villages? Is He re-
sponsible for Poland, Serbia and Ar
menia? Is the torpedo launched
against the merchant ship in accord
ance with His viii? Is He using liquid
fire and poison gas? Is God accessory
after the fact to murder rape, outrage,
devastation, destruction? The thing rs
the claim monstrous, inn
possible, incredible.
But If God be not responsible and
If men are, still why does He not pre-
vent them? A restatement of the ques-
tfon. The answer? Is MOI We are en-
doyred by God with free viii, power
to choose. That is and must be real
power else we are victims of a ghast-
" Jest. hideous delusion. If God has
limited Himself by giving US this pow
er we can, If we WILL choose evil I'M
stead of good Men have chosen evil
and the world is suffering because OF
the choice. Once more you ask, why
1oes not God withdraw from rs our
freedom of viii, since 1t is abused? Be
cause the privilege is so great, so in
,stimabIe; so necessary, that it is bet
.er even to suffer all the ills that fol-
ow upon its abuse, than that it should
,e Withdrawn or abrogated, and we as
END to the position of automata, ir-
beings, moved about arbi-
rarily by an omnipotent hand. We
must work out our own salvation by
he help of God. We are not children
# the bond woman but of the free
md we mast so continue.
What Is You- Answer?
How, then; is Gods will to be donea
low is the war to De won? In what
way is stop to be put to all these
trocitiesf When men, by whatever
means and searching. do discover the
will of God, and AFTER the discovery
evelop sufficient conservation and de-
otion to do the wiz of God. then. and
ot until then, will it be done.
1.-THE Son Of Sod goes forth to
var" Yes, always and at all times,
ut He nsver comes back victor I'M
sss the Sons of Men go with Him.
When we find out the will Of God
nd do, It, we shall end the war. and
very other evil that results from the
liability or unwillingness OF men to,
ee and do that win.
Arc your hearts set upon righteous
ess,. upon doing the will of God, oh
e people Of America? SO the question
!, not of Gods duty but of your own.
no .~z>x,