The Washington herald., 1922-05-07

one with God or to one who Is out
of sympathy with those about
him; IT comes with love Of God and
fellowship with other Christians
an atmosphere in which Incidence
is impossible.
The Promise of Reward.
Hezekiah holds out the promise
OF reward II the children OF Israel
will do their part: Serve the
Lord your God. that the ferceness
OF His wrath may turn away from
you" Even the heart of their op-
pressors will be softened; IL the
people show their fidelity to God
they shall find compassion before
their captors and be permitted to
return to their own land. Heze-
kiah gives US a conception of God
that history has justified. God is
gracious and merciful and will not
turn away His face from those
who return to Him.
We are told that there were as
sembled at Jerusalem much people
"a very great assembly-to keep
the feast OF unleavened bread.
Hezekiah did not accomplish all
that he had hoped for. Some
scoffed at him and ridiculed his ef-
forts, but many found in the pass
over an opportunity for reconcilia-
tion.
The world has to meet today the
problem that confronted the chill
dren of Israel. and Hezekiah's plan
commends itself to those who are
interested in uniting the religious
fnrNaQ ~
materialistic influences that would
rob life of its spiritual element. All
the metals fuse at some heat: moth
ing but heat can unite them. To-
day the religious world is divided
into many factions. and antagon-
ism between various factions pre-
vents cooperation even in matters
about which they agree. Christian
and Jew, Protestant and Catholic
unite on a number of fundamen-
tails. but they too often emphasize
the differences instead of the points
upon which they agree.
The Duty of All Creeds.
To illustrate. All believe in
God-this is the basis of their re-
ligious faith. One cannot claim a
greater devotion than the other to
the Heavenly Father whom they
worship as all-loving. all-wise and
all-powerful. They equally revere
Him as the source of religious
sentiment and as the object of
alteration. All acknowledge a sense
Of responsibility to God for
thought and word and deed. Thi.
sense of responsibility is the most
nOtRnt inhnenra a1te
life.
All believe in prayer: no group
will concede that any other is more
sincere or constant in expressions
of gratitude to God or in petitions
for Gods guidance.
All believe in a future life where
we will render an account of the
deeds done in the flesh.
All believe in the coming of uni
versal brotherhood. which Is the
manward expression of faith in the
Fatherhood of God.
Here are four vital elements in
the life that rests upon a belief in
God-which the others rest.
Back to God!
Just now the world is suffering
from the ignoring of Gods law of
rewards. Every human being must
draw every day from the sum OF
human toll. Many are not only
ignorant of, but indifferent to, the
basis OF rewards. Instead OF ask
ing. How much can riEhtfully
draw from society? they inquire.
now much they can secure and by
what means they can secure il.
Their thought is not centered upon
earning power. but upon power to
absorb without regard to ethics or
equity.
The first step toward the estab-
lishment on earth Of Gods law of
rewards is to restore faith in God
as a real personslity-as lifting
God whose love purposes all things
whose wisdom plans all things. and
whose power is able to enforce His
purposes and take away a belief in
nou and you destroy consciousness
or responsibility, prayer. belief in
immortality. and the tie OF kinship
thst binds each to every other. All
oehevers in God who believe in
moral responsibility to God. petit
'ions TO Jehovah, hope Of heaven.
and brotherhood. must be equally
interested in guarding from attack
oelief in God as the one foundation
upon plans. II religion had a
SPOKESMAN who stood before the
ulVlded and estranEed worshippers
or God as Hezekiah stood before
his own divided race. his call wouId
be framed in the same spirit and
In much the same LANGUAGE a.
Hezekiah employed Back to God,
Is still the plea that is necessary
BACK to God. who is Just in His
Judgment and immeasurable in His
love and mercy.
Back to Whole-hearted Belief.
Those who differ in their annIf.
cations of religion to life can he
brought together only by so inten-
slfying faith in God and reverence
Tor Him as to dissolve their differ
ences in a unity of purpose and o<
faith. BY. their fruits ye shall
know them" that form of religion
that Interpretation of Gods
nearest to the truth which brings
man most humbly and completely
into subsection to Gods will and
makes him most earnest and most
constant in seeking guidance each
day.
A return to whole
whole-souled, whole-minded belief
IN COO must now, as in the past,
De the hope OF those who would be
true To the baayao1. ,.;zt.-