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The Commoner
MAY, 1922
.9
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Many a drinking man,.whenwasked why he voted
nUinst the saloon, has answered: "I have a
son " and the answer is sufficient. The child
educates the parent while the parent instructs
the child.
THE BLESSINGS OF PEACE
Isaiah puts the Messiah upon a world throne.
"He shall jude among the nations -and shall
rebuke many people." Then follows the oft
quoted picture of peace universal and per-
"And they shall beat- their swords Into plow
shares, and their spears into pruhinghooks; na
tions shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war any more."
Dr. Jowett calls attention to the fact that re
form does not cause a diminution of energy,
but rather a diversion of energy from de3truc
tion to construction. The metal in the swords
is valuable; it is not to be consigned to the
waste pile, but to bo employed for the benefit
of mankind. The plowshare is the symbol of
the labor of the agriculturist just as the prun
ninghook represents the tools of the orchard:
There will be more food when there is less war
the blessings of peace will bo more satisfy
ing than the triumphs o.f the battlefield.
We are often asked what substitute will be
found for war; what will stir man to heroic.
deeds. There are some who go so far as to
argue that man is so slothful and indolent that
nothing less than fear of immediate death will
bring forth a maximum effort, as if man would
degenerate without an occasioinal opportunity to
shed his brother's blood!
RIVALRIES IN HELPFUL SERVICE
No warrant for such a base philosophy can
be found in history, sacred or profane. If kill
ing were necessary for man's highest develop
ment, governments would make provision for
it. We would have commissions empowered to
examine men and permit a return to savagery
whenever it was necessary to insure civilization.
But instead of that we have a law against mur
der among all people and under- all governments.
When the hatred that leads to war is ban
ished, love will lead to rivalries in helpful serv
ice to mankind.
In passing, it may be proper to notice that
there is a school or group of learned men who
argue that war is necessary to prevent over
crowding. Beginning with Malthus, these so
called philosophers have calculated on the aw
ful consequences that will follow if the world
is not depopulated from time to time by the
slaughter of the battlefield.
Generally speaking, economists can be di
vided in two classes: those who try to increase
the supply of food to meet human needs, and
those who try to restrict the population to fit
the food. Fortunately the first group is in the
majority of civilized society, while the mem
bers of the second group find fpw who are will
ing to adopt their brutish plan or even listen to
their senseless predictions.
"THE PRINCE OF PEACE"
It is to Isaiah that we are indebted for one
01 the most striking descriptive names be
stowed upon the Saviour He shall be called
Uhis is but one of His titles) "the Prince of
reace." The next verse of Chapter IX is not
Quoted as frequently as verse C, but it contains
a prophecy that explains and justifies the title
Given to Christ: "Of the increase of his govern
ment and peace there shall be no end."
Few verses in the Old Testament contain so
much of hope for the world.
There is a gloomy philosophy that teaches
xuat all governments must necessarily did. We
are told that a government, like an individual,
nas its birth, its youth, its maturity, and then,
"Ke an individual, must decline and die.
t comparisons are only valuable when they are
iruthfui; they may be very deceptive when they
e false. This is one of the many false com-
wim8 that have found 'currency.
winie the government is, each day, in control
pL 1)eoplG then Uving, it is in a much larger
?nv ;,composed of generations rather than of
muiyiduals. Its life is continuous: as one gen
la V,011 passes off the stage another comes on.
thp is no break in tUG chain of generations
aero is no necessary reason why a future gov
J;l"ment should be weaker or worse than the
whvfi unless there is some necessary reason
!!. uJJure generations should be weaker or
ttorso than the present.
CHRIST ALONE CAN BRING PEACE
rm!,lalah encurages the optimist when he an
cr2etnat the government and peace of the
ming Messiah, our Christ, will increase with
uul end, Isaiah also gives the reason in the
same verse: It will be established "with 1udr
ment( and with justice from hencefortlTevent?:
If one will but examine the fabric of civilia-
and1' bPiflTtoi find1 that aU HS 8troUgest l"
of ri,Pi!f wl n1?? ca,me from the teachings
nL f ' HI? Golden Rule ,s the only oe that
can make business honest: His doctrine of for
giveness is the only rule than can save man
from the corroding influence of the spirit of
revenge; the love that He taught is the only
weapon for which there is no shield.
Christ's philosophy fits into every human
need: His moral code, and it alone, can solve
the problems that vex the heart and perplex the
world.
BACK TO GOD
By WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN
BIBLE TEXT LESSON FOR MAY 14
, (II Chronicles xxx: 1-9, 13)
And Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judali, and
wrote letters also to Ephralm and Manasseli, that
they should come to the house of the Lord at Jeru
salem, to keep tho passover unto the Lord God of
Israel.
For the king had taken counsel, and his princes,
and all the congregations In Jerusalem, to keep tho
passover in the second month.
For they could not keep it at that time, because
the priests had not sanctified themselves sufflcienU
ly, neither had tho people gathered themselves to
gether to Jerusalem.
And the thing pleased the king and all the con
gregation. So they established a decree to make proclama
tion throughout all Israel, from Beer-sheba even to
Dan, that they should come to keep the passover
unto the Lord God of Israel at Jerusalem: for they
had not done it of a long time in such sort as it
was written.
So tho posts went with the letters from the king
and his princes throughout all Israel and Judah,
and according to tho commandment of the king,
saying, Ye children of Israel, turn again unto the
Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, and he will
return to the remnant of you, that are escaped out
of the. hand of the kings Assyria.
And be not like your fathers and like your breth
ren, which trespassed against the Lord God of their
fathers, who therefore gave them up to desolation,
as ye see.
Now be ye not stiffnecked, as your fathers were
but yield yourselves unto the Lord, and enter into
his sanctuary, which he hath sanctified for ever:
and serve the Lord your God, that the fierceness of
his wrath may turn away from you.
For if ye turn again unto the Lord, your brethren
and your children shall find compassion before
them that lead them captive, so that they shall
come again into this land: for the Lord your God
Is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away
his face from you, if yo return unto him.
And there assembled at Jerusalem much people
to keep the feast of unleavened bread In the sec
ond month, a very great congregation.
A very pleasing picture and a much needed
lesson for today. That is what you will find
if you will turn with me for a few moments
to the 13th chapter of Second Chronicles.
King Hezekiah the Good of Judah, about
whom the Old Testament historian writes, de
serves to be counted among the idealists, and
there is a fascination about his vision of a re
united race, as set forth by the chronicler.
He longed to see the kingdoms of Israel and
Judah one they had been separated for 250
years and he chese the only way of bringing
them together, namely, a revival of their inter
est in the one God whom the two factions wor
shipped. He sent to all Israel and Judah and
wrote letters to the half tribes of Ephraim and
Manassah inviting them to come to the house of
God at Jerusalem and keep the Passover unto
the Lord God of Israel.
The Passover, the great feast of the Jews, had
not been observed in latter years as it had been
earlier and, with disregard for the things held
?n common? came increasing enmity between the
"n Kofrments of the Hebrew people.
tWFrom "San to Beersheba," or from "Beer
cTiPim to Dan," a phrase used to include the
enUre land from north to south the proclama
tion was carried by runners and great prepara
tions were made for the feast.
THE SIMPLE REMEDY
Hezekiah not only admitted the sfns of the
HezeKian uut j tQ Btimulate a
fatherflniHt of faith and worship. While he
T,? with the people to return to the God of
&lStSled attention to the pun
foment vlsfted upon those guilty of apostasy:
"God gave them up to deeolaUoi i as ye Bee
SfSi' $? loST "HS Sr'hito
Suary? whichhe hath sanctified for ever:
and servo tho Lord your God"" Horo are tho
three steps necessary.
Surrender of solf comes first. Their fathers
had boon "stiff-necked' a term used to d'oacribo
habitual resistance to God's appeal. No uso
for them to enter tho sanctuary until tho spirit
of rebellion gave way to the spirit of rovorenco.
Is there anything unreasonable in such a re
quirement? Tho Commandments begin with,
"Thou slialt havo no other gods boforo mo,"
This implies surrender to tho Heavenly Fathor.
God must havo the first place; even solf, tho
false god that 1ms tho largest number of wor
shippers, must bo put aside that Jehovah may
havo tho supreme place.
Christ reiterated this-requirement when Ho
condensed into ono tho commandments that
relate to man's duty to God and proclaimed aa
the first and great commandment, "Thou shalt
love tha Lord thy God with all thy heart, and
with all thy sofil, and with all thy mind."
RESULT OF LOVE OF GOD
The entering of the sanctuary naturally fol
lowed surrender to God.
As long as ono Is insurgent against his
Creator, he does not feel at homo among tho
obedient. Just as soon as tho proper relation
ship is established between man and his Maker,
ho finds it easy to be a co-worker with worship
pers' like himself. Love of neighbor follows
closely after love of God. That is the natural
order, and because it is tho natural order tho
brotherhood of man is not to bo expected until
the Fatherhood of God is acknowledged.
When one surrenders himself to God and
unites with his brethren, service is not only
natural but necessary. Tho thought of sorvico
does not come to one who is not ono with God
or to one who is out of sympathy with those
about him; it comes with love of God and fellow
ship with other Christians an atmosphere in
which indolence is impossible.
Hezekiah holds out tho promise of reward if
the Children of Israel will do their part: "Servo
the Lord your God, that the fierceness of His
wrath may turn away from you." Even the heart
of their oppressors will bo aoftencd; if the peo
ple show their fidelity to God, they shall find
compassion before their captors and bo permitted
to return to their own land. Hezekiah gives
us a conception of God that history has justi
fied. God is gracious and merciful, and will not
turn away His face from those who return to
Him.
We are told that there wore assembled at
Jerusalem much people a very great assembly
to keep tho feast of unleavened broad.
Hezekiah did not accomplish all that he had
hoped for. Some scoffed at him and ridiculed his
efforts, but many found in the Passover an op
portunity for reconciliation.
The world has to meet today the problem that
confronted tho Children of Israel, and Hozekiah's
plan commends itself to those who are inter
ested in uniting the religious forces of the world
to combat the materialistic influences that
would rob life of its spiritual element. All tho
metals fuse at some heat; nothing but heat can
unite them. Today the religious world Is di
vided into many factions, and antagonism be
tween various factions prevents coroperation
oven in ma'tters about which they agree. Chris
tian and Jew, Protestant and Catholic unite on
a number of fundamentals, but they too often
emphasize the differences instead of the points
upon which they agroe.
THE DUTY OF ALL CREEDS
To illustrate. All believe in God this is the
basis of their religious faith. One cannot claim
a greater devotion than the other to the Heaven
ly 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 adoration. All acknowledge a
sense of responsibility to God for thought and
word and deed. This sense of responsibility Is
tho most potent influence that acts upon a 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
God's 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 universal broth
erhood, 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 Ignor
ing of God's law of rewards. Every human being,
must draw every day from the sum of human
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