The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1922-11-27
Worlds Plight Due TO Breakdown In Morals
Declares ". c. Pearce, Sunday School Leader

var a,,e- tho great fish AssyTia had
q SCorCti him. bu, the experience had
'iaurht HIM ar lsrean nothing: sill.
{; vas not understood that God had Il
wider interest ;han IN the Inhabitants
OF Palestine alone.
Jonah propheslcd against N!revah
aad wished In his heart hat they would
not heed his warning; he did not wish
then, a. repent ana b" saved But they
d,d rrrr": and ;urH "a God. And
jonah was so b!ct"- tina: ne wished 10
die.
He ea' down outside -" city waiting
ana hoping for the destruction that
never came Ard God caused Sourd 70
rrog VI and shelter him for day
ONLY. ard then made Il worm gDaT its
root 50 that II withered and died the
orsr d1v. Again Jonah cursed God and
wished to die. ana God replied that
Jonah was far more concerned about
the loss Of the gourd that had given
.icmrorar% shelter than he was over the
salvation OF n whole city wherein were
SIX score thousa nd people.
Typical Of Church Today.
Jonah was typical Of the Christian
church today. IL had been swallowed
M by the grca; war II had been far
more concerned about the maintenance
o. It's miserable sects than about the
KINGDOM Of God.
The Christian churches IN all the
hrllIgereni countries could have avcEted
the great war had they been really
christian and not renegades and Sec
tarsans: tie blood Of all the COUNTLESS
millions who had fallen lay as much at
The door Of the Christian church as any
where else.
And nov today the church has been
cast out O! tho nav ot the great war
as Jonah mad been cast out OF the belly
1T As,yria. The Christian churches to-
aav STOOD a; the parting OF the ways:
upon their action in the immediate fu-
lure dcn-rdcd their N2rS existence as
An organized body.
The churches were AZ half-hcarted
n their attempt 70 convert the world 20
the Ideals OF ,ro kingdom a 5 was Jonah
20 convert Nincveh; /, might even be
aid that in their innermost hearts the
churches did not want tho world 10 be
ronyericI to tho ethics a the sermon
on me mount.
TO enter such a new wor'd was TO
I've : li:c Of love and service that was
not 8, all acceptable 10 the mass OF
professional CHRISTIANS Who trequented
The Churches. Tao Christian churches
,oday were - btgo,ed. as PharaSa!c. as
!ntol.rsn, a. any OF the people against
~'ho:n Jesus Numbered.
They were sitting under the!r l!tte
ror,i = . sect and thinking little O.!
urra,nr Il The great world: never tor 4
moment did they think that the sole
reason for their existence was that they
Nigh: save the word.
Was J., to he wondered At that God
vas today sending worm that was
cnaw'ng upon one institution Tor upon
one body Of aler for the tulfiilnent CT
HIS srea; purpose; II one group failed
i.m then he would work through
others
He could see that II might be II
Gods purpose that the CHRISTIAN
churches m!.ht die utterly and be re-
a,ac-d 5y other agencies u.at would tu!-
N Gods purpose better. God works In
mysterious way HIS wonders 10 per-
form and /. Nigh, well be that He was
n-rsco,,v to cause some other move
rnent 70 spring up that would begin 10
90 the work that the church had failed
70 perform.
Churches Like Nero. -.
THIS might shock some coed people
but /, was tine tina; they were checked
little. The churches were Ike Nero
Of old they were .iddltns while Rome
uas burning. The sole reason for the
formation OF the Christian church was
that /; might usher IN the Kingdom OF
God.
1T had failed m!serably to DO this,
and today Il Is q h!ndTance and not
help ~ that direction. Cod was no re-
sr@Cter o. persons q churches; when
a-ar nan or an institution failed 70
perror-n h!s or It's function Ia ife then
4; speedily happened tina; something Or
someone eisa was raised Up 70 do ire
wr-r.
Z, IS time that the churches realized
ne worn, was even now gnaN!nG at
:he!r ROOFS ard that the time IS short
for thew 10 save their souls and begin
TO perform the!r work OF world :sdemp-
ton.