The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1946-08-23

=
MEMORY sELECTIoN-keep thy heart
with all diligence; for out of 1t are the Is
sues OF llfe.-Proverbs 1928.
Moral corruption has been the
ruin of the great nations of the earth,
and if history is not to be repeated
by the fail of our own nation, we
must do something-yes, something
prompt and drastic. The breakdown
of morals in our land is so evident
and so widespread as to give grave
concern to social and national lead
ers. What then, is the Church
doing about it?
We do not like to talk about adul-
terry and related sins. We must
speak with care and tact, but per-
haps the time has come for some
straightforward dealing with an I'M
pleasant situation.
I. Keep Your Home Pure (Exod.
20;14).
AS the divinely appointed center
of mans life, the home holds a
place of such importance that it is
the special target of Satan's often
sive. That has always been true,
but it seems that in recent years
the onslaught against the home has
been intensified.
Any violation Of the divine plan
for the marriage of one man and one
woman in loving communion for the
founding and maintenance of the
home, is direct violation of the
law of God.
1t is als) violation of the law of
man. 1t brings serious results in
the destruction of the home, and in
the ruin OF individual Metaphysical,
moral anil spiritual.
This awful sin (and do not let a
wicked W>rld convince you that it
is anything else) is back of much Of
the discord and divorce in our
American homes.
When we realize that in the City
of Chicago there is now one divorce
for every three marriages, and that
the ratio is rapidly becoming low
er, there can be no question that
divorce is major evil in our day.
Statistics are positively shocking,
but they IRE cold and quickly forgot
ten. But who can fail to see,
and who can forget, the awful woe
brought into American home life by
divorce.
Bad as it is, the awful effect on
| parents is nothing compared to
the nervous, moral and spiritual
shock which comes to children in
broken homes. Statistics reveal that
now Q946) more than 10 per cent
OF the juvenile delinquents and
young people committed to prison
come from homes where divorce
has entered to break down and de-
stroy family life.
III. Keep Your Heart Pure prov,
4:14-23; Matt. 5:8).
Out of the heart are the issues of
life (Prov. 4:23); hence it is of the
utmost Importance that it be kept in
purity and devotion to God.
The heart in Scripture does not
refer to the physical organ which
circulates the blood, but even as that
heart is the center of the physical
life, so there is a spiritual heart
which is the very center of mans
inner being.
Evil thoughts, umholy desires and
ambitions hidden in the heart will
ultimately be revealed in overt acts
of ungodliness, unless God is permit
tod fn 70 tEo&
make it clean.
The solution for the problem Of
impurity is found in our lesson
verses. First of all one must avoid
the way 6f the wicked prov. Ala
ID. They are so evil that they can
not sleep until they have misled
some poot: souls and brought them
down to their own level ". 16).
They make sin and immortality look
mysterious and attractive. Don't be
led into sin by the enticement of
curiosity.
Shun the evil way, which goes
down with increasing darkness, by
seeking the good way which "shin-
eth more and more unto the perfect
day" prov. Alb, 1917. The way of
life is bright and shining way.
Don't let Satan fool you, young peo-
pie, into thinking the opposite. It's
great to be a Christian!
III. Keep Your Head Pure (Phil.
4:8).
The mind of man is quick and
active (that is, if he is really alive
and awake), and it wants to be oc-
cupied with something of interest.
The world, the flesh and the devil
are keenly aware of that fact and
come to fill his mind with allure
ments to sin and destruction.
Thank God that no one need lack
for things that are good, honorable,
true and noble to fill and satisfy ev-
ry mental as well as spiritual in
terest. Gods provision is not linn
tied either in scope or variety. He
provides the best, the most delight
full, the loveliest and most noble.
Observe that it is for I,s u,ho lxnou,