The Present Crisis

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 70, 12 August 1914, Page 6

The Present Crisis

1 THE MESSAGE OF TIIE EIGHTH , CENTUKY PROPHETS, B.C.

A Sermon preached by the Rev. T. H. Koseveare in St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church on Sunday, Aug. 9. AH our minds this morning are occupied with the present dreadful war. We cannot but be interestei now that our nation has at last, for the sake of honor, been compelled to become involved. And we are a part of the British Empire, so that we feel that the cause of Britain is our causw. We find it, happily, to be an easy matter to be loyal, because we are ' proud.-of our nation and her honor. We believe our Empire is the best under the sun because her ideals are higher than any other. As a nation, too, we have a mission in the world, and we will fight for our existence until our work is done. But at the present time our national and Christian zeal is stirred because we cannot stand idly by and see Germany ruthlessly oppress and overrjn Belgium, Holland, France and perhaps others of the smaller countries: Whatever aid we can render to our Empire in a battle for justice and righteousness l , I am sure 1 do not need to urge you to render, with ail heartiness and zeal. Let us to-day, however, consider the present events from a religious as well as a patriotic point of view. Need I remind you that we ought to become acquainted not merelv with the facts •of history, but also with the philosophy of history, i.e., the laws and causes that have operated and are operating to bring about the facts of history? There is a considerable amount of truth in the old saying, "History repeats itself," for many of the laws and causes of the past history apply with equal force to the present. Let your minds run back to t'he eighth century 8.C., to that period of Jewish history which is recorded, from the religious point of view, in some of the minjr prophets, viz., Amos, Hosea, cchariah, Isaiah 1-39, and Micah. For although this is re ligious history, it is none the less accurate history. Prof. W. M. Ramsay, 'in "St. Paul the Traveller aud Roman Citizen," says: "True historical genius lies in selecting the great crises, the great agents, and the great movements, in making these clear to the reader in 'their real nature." That is what these minor prophets have sought to do bv 11 writing historv with a view to man's || relationship to God. ONE NATION" AGAINST- MANY. At -lie close of the eighth century. 8.C.. Israel was carried into Babylonian captivity. It was just »rior to that event .hat the above prophets spoke. For 40 years and more both Israel and Judith had enjoyed a perior of peace a:ul prosperity. But in the time of Jeroboam 11. (7HI!-74(i 8.C.), the Assyrians arise as disturbers of the peace. Already they have overthrown neighboring territory; already they are threatening Israel and .ludah. Now the prophets speak, and point out that Israel's safety'lies not so much in the nnmlieT of men they can put in the field as in their fear of God. M'ojht was not necessarily right, but right '.vas | certainly might. DENUNCIATION OF NATIONAL SINS. Faithfully and plainly did these prophets point out and denounce the national sins which were the. cause of their weakness. Ainos declares that God "will smite the winter house with the summer house; and the house of ivory shall perish.'" And. again; "Ye oppress the poor and crush the needy: ye lie upon beds of ivory . . . nnd «rink wine in bowls and anoint yourselves with the chief ointments." 'Such utterances give us glimpses of a prosperous people given up to luxury and selfishness, caring not for the cause jof the poor artid needy. Hosea again gives us a glinmsc of the customary drunken orgies. "The kings and princes have,, made them sick with bottles of wine." '•'lmmorality is commonly practised among ihem." "A man and his father will go in unto the same maid. ' "Your daughters commit whoredom, and your spouses commit adultery." And so the description runs on of a people ■given over to corruption, forsaking God and onlv going through religious ceremonies as a matter of form. GOD'S BLESSING; ARK WF. UNWORTHY? We are to-day all throughout our empire praying that God mir bless our nation and prosper our army and navv. But let us paute at the outset and ask ourselves whether we are worthy of the blessing of God, anil' whether our preservation will be for the carrying on t of the Divine purposes in the world. Has not the Continental Sunday made inroads upon Britain? God's dav is not reserved for worship, but is I icing utilised for games and concerts and all mannei; of pleasures. The blessing of God is promised to those who observe that day a.s sacred, but to others surely God's displeasure will be shown. Again, see how our people are given over to drunkenness. Over four million pounds worth of .strong drink consumed in our Dominion alone every year. The amount, of waste money and human life by this vice is appalling. And who can estimate the extent to which rmmor. ality is practised? We are shocked at times by the revelations of what is being tarried on by the White Slave tTaffic. I fear, too, that in one direction at least the liner sensibilities have given place to a love of the brutal, and that is in connection with prize-fighting. Men, and even women, will Hock to such exhibitions, and will cheer to the echo when one of the victims is knocked down. Is it humane, not ;o »ay Christian. for a crowd' in tense excitement to watch one man hatter another to unconsciousness. and the news of the result to be heralded over the world, ai though some great event had transpired? We have, as a nation, also to answer for the opium traffic. General Chang has .issued an appeal to Britain begging that the opium merchants may not he allowed to demand exorbitant prices, thus becoming rich at the cost of the poor opium slaves; and asking thai we may join willi China's own eft'ort to kill the trade. We ought honestly to face <nii national sins at this tim ■, and con less them. and. forsaking them, return lo <!od that lie may bless and prosper

I IK--r:AS MK.SSACK. | ( lliKni li:iiU ii- further than Ann:-;. Hi' I I'll- it- Ii" slnrv of his family lift-. Ili- wifl'. < i nliliT. |il <)\cci ti) h,' ullfait Mill mill fur tliis eau-e whs put juviiy. AftervvanN, luiwi'M'i'. 111 mm rit'i-ivinl her hack ii ml iurromiili'il lu'r with J»is lo\ iir/ l>ri>i i'i (ion. So. lie say-s, (!0.l will love liis neople with an everlasiing love, even in s|>iti' of their sin. unci fimil'v they wiil lie won luck te complete devotion Ici | llim. We limy leei assured that Clod' Is: ill loves u-. anil though He may permit us to pass through the trying experiences of war. we shall surely emerge j oil the other side lint only conqueror-. •but refined and purified in our national I life. J MK'AH'S M.KSSAOE. 1 have only 10 mention further that Micah's contribution to the eighth century, 8.0., was a picture of the coming

kingdom of righteousness and peacw. j Read Micah 4:13. A more lengthy iii>- j seription is given in Amos 9:11:15. L was faith in God that enabled the prophet to speak thus hopefully and to inspire the people to hope. So, too, wc urge upon you> not <to lose faith in God at this time. We must grasp the idea expressed as a new fact by Amos that God guides the movements of the (heathen as well as Christian people fo" good. We muat remember trat as God overruled the movement of the Assyrians for Israel's good, so He will - overrule the movements of the Germans , for the good of Britain and even of the whole European woTld. Can wfe not al- - ready see that the world will soon pass into better things than have yet been known? Let us earnestly pray that we may not miss the good to which He would lead us.