The Fayette falcon. (Somerville, Tenn.) 190?-current, 1919-06-20

- here of man,
human lives! The winds of fortune
as the saying Is, have been too muci
for them, and they are simply drift
ing. The vast majority do not seen
TO care whether the drift ends disas.
trously or not.
Possibly the majority do not think
OF the power of the influence about
them that causes tie drift. 1t Is not
fair to God to charge him with be-
Ing so arbitrary in his sovereign con-
troll that man is without responsible
lily. Whatever may be the destiny
that shapes our ends man is In true
sense master of his own fate.
Seeking after pleasure is a strong
wind that is blowing and carrying null
titudes before II. The great theaters,
as a rule, are packed for practically
every performance. In the saloons.
men are standing two or three deep
before the bars, Where Ices and
sweet-meats are served, the tables will
all be taken. Go to the great athletic
fields, and thousands will be found.
The spirit with reference to pleasure
seems to be, LET us eat, drink, and
be merry, for tomorrow we die"
Is the church caught In any drift?
A way to the world is the movement In
many churches, and not only congre-
cations but entire denominations are
diligently using the methods of the
world in order to successfully "put
over" certain great UNCONVENTIONAL
lchemes. Sad Is the condition of the
day!
What about the drift of Christian
teaching? Twenty-Five years ago men
were asking with some concern If the
teaching Of the great German theolo-
glans might not be ultimately dam
gerous. Quickly came the reply
"These men have truth and are the
heraids of day of religious and
spiritual enlightenment for which the
world has been hungerlng." The same
question was asked In later years, but
the power of false teaching continued,
and the church Of God caught In the |
drift, went on until the great world |
war was like searching light making |
everything plain. That drift has not |
stopped, and many days, yes, possibly |
years, may pass, before the church
reaches some Isle OF Mellta, where 1t
may possibly go to pieces on the rocks,
but Gods people In II be saved.
What Is the great lesson from such
drift? First, keep where the wind of
doubt and criticism may not catch
you. 1t Is simply not true that the
day In which we find ourselves, as to
Christian teaching and living, is bet
ter than a former day. Spiritual val
ues cannot be calculated in terms of
dollars and cents, nor in steam and
air pressure, dead weight or voltage.
How foolish II Is to think that the
scientific attachments of men can solve
spiritual problems. Germany's science
was said to have been given by God.
IN order that she might rule the world.
The blast of the Lord came to Ger
many, as it came to the hosts Of
II possible, do not get into the
1rlft. There are plenty of godly men
Ind women today who fully escaped
he skeptical drift of the last quar-.
er Of a century. Keep close to the
ruth of the Word of God, and not
,nly yourself but your cause will be
'aved.
How easy II is to get into the drift
II immortality. The gross sins are
lot committed at the first. The eating
Il the forbidden fruit by Adam and
Eve was not gross sin at all; indeed,
/ was not sinful In itself. but 1t was
IN act of dlstrust and ultimately OF
and thus became sin.
But there is something more impor.
ant than high morality. There is a
rifting away from the personal GCd.
he only return to God is by per
Onal surrender to Jesus Christ.