The Washington herald., 1922-06-10

see. II the temple of Solomon were
only there in all its beauty and
magnificence. the lovers of art
would wend their way to It from
every land.
The Only stable Foundation.
Christ made impressive use of
the difference between the house
built upon the rock and the house
built upon the sand. Solomon's Tenn
pie was a religious structure; 1t
rested on belief in God, 1t was
built upon faith and obedience.
When, faith and obedience were
gone, the temple fell; its treasures
were stripped from II and the work
OF itse artists became a shapeless
mass.
A heather nation became the
avenger of an angry God. He ad-
ministered punishment through the
hands of an irreverent host that
cared nothing for the sentiments OF
the Jews. All that the Chaldeans
saw in the costly ornaments Of
Gods house was the metal value OF
the brass. the silver and the gold.
And so today 1t Is profitable for
us to learn that all the boasted
wealth of civilization Is unstabie
unless 1t Is built upon a moral foun-
dation. The priceless treasures that
are stored in the civilized states
art may please and music may
charm; literature may delight and
learning may enrich; wealth may be
piled up in fabulous sums and ora
tory may weave a spell around ILL
gotten gains, but the value of all
is measured by the value of the
foundation upon which they may
rest
Judah fell because it forgot God.
The kings relied upon the military
strength of which they boasted and
which their allies could supply.
They felt themselves secure and
obedience to God was spurned. When
the test came they were helpless,
and all the glories that had crowned
their days when they found favor
in the sight of the Lord and walked
in His path vanished when they
forsook God.
Gods Laws Unchanged.
God is not changed; His laws
have not been repealed. Disobedi-
ence carries the same penalties now
that it did when Hebrew kings were
unfaithful to Him. None OF the re-
fnements that have come with civil
:zation can protect a nation from
the wrath of God IL the rulers ana
the people disregard the only sure
foundation of enduring prosperity.
viz, obedience to God Even a tenn
pie. built for worship. becomes q
mockery when worship ceases.
The schoolrom may be a mighty
auxiliary to the church, because the
brain can be made into a great ma
chine treme ndously valuable when
under proper control and rightly di-
rected: But the mind is no more
fitted than the puIse to occupy the
throne. Brain and money are both
good servants, but they have nos
the qualities that are needed In a
master. A consecrated heart can
make splendid use of money
honestly acquired, but money, even
when legit'mately secured. can
wreck any life or any nation of
which it takes command.
A trained mind can add largely
to the usefulness ofNlife when it is
under the control OF the spiritual
in man, but 1t can wreck any hu-
man being. even civilization itself,
IL it is allowed to exercise au-
thority.
For he that soweth, to his flesh
shall of the flesh reap corruption;
but he that soweth to the Spirit
shall OF the Spirit reap life ever
lasting"
Every nation of the present day
must stand. IL 1t stands at all. upon
the same foundation that Judah
stood. 1t Will fall as Judah fell il
the foundation gives way.
righteousness exalteth a nation,
but sin is a reproach to any people"
Copyright, is32.)