The Nation Behind Prison Bars Part 4

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.--Acts 16:31.

In speaking of moral leaders.h.i.+p the all-inclusive qualification is inspiration. He did not mean the exceptional inspiration that applies to the Bible prophets. He meant that inspiration which kindles the powers we already have into life. When he spoke of inspiration he meant the enlivening, the stirring up of the powers we already have as opposed to the shallow indifference of one who draws about him the robes of his silken selfishness and says, "Let well enough alone"--a man whose inspiration glows and glows intensely. The inspired man feels the degradation of his country as a personal infliction. Those who dishonor her are his own foes, and insults flung in the face of political liberty are felt by him as an affront to himself. Our prophets must be men who feel the woes that they oppose, men who feel the humiliation before they can strike with the right arm clothed with power. Indifference to the public weal on the part of the average political leader is one of the most distressing features of our political situation. These people do not seem capable of feeling righteous indignation in the presence of the moral infamy by which they are confronted, and hence their words do not come forth as thunderbolts, but as spent b.a.l.l.s. Beware of the man whose heart has not been pierced by the woes of his country. The sting is the needed spur to effort. The sleeping lion is not dangerous; but let him be wounded and his roar shall ring as the trumpet of doom in the ears of his enemies. We must seek our leaders among those who can feel the woes of humanity--men of profound feeling--as those are the best prophets.

-------- Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy;

And gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and from the west, from the north and from the south.--Psalm 107:2, 3.

He believed that we must strike at the evil of social indifferentism.

Who does not feel profound shame that the law against carrying concealed and deadly weapons is not strictly enforced, which made possible tragedies such as that at Frankfort, which has disgraced the fair name and fame of our State. The leaders' voices should ring throughout our land until we are bowed to the earth in shame in view of the infamies which disgrace us.

-------- Lord, save us; we perish.--Matt. 8:25.

There shall not a hair of your head perish.--Lu. 21:18.

Another element required for leaders.h.i.+p was the power of vision. There must be a clear recognition of evils. The idealist is not a mere dreamer, but acquainted with the actual wants of the people. In fact our leaders must see something better. The man who is working in the slums must keep his eyes fixed on the stars. There can be no change for the better until the better is made to s.h.i.+ne with the brightness of a beckoning angel.

-------- I delight to do thy will, O my G.o.d: yea, thy law is within my heart.

I am a companion of them that keep thy precepts.--Psalm 119:63.

Here is the opportunity and duty of newspapers. James Russell Lowell says: "What a pulpit the editor mounts daily, sometimes with a congregation of fifty thousand within reach of his voice, and never so much as a nodder, even, among them! and from what a Bible can he choose his text--a Bible that needs no translation, and which no priestcraft can shut and clasp from the laity--the open volume of the world, upon which with a pen of suns.h.i.+ne or destroying fire the inspired Present is even now writing the annals of G.o.d!"

[Ill.u.s.tration: PROMINENT IN THE RELIGIOUS LIFE OF LOUISVILLE]

[Ill.u.s.tration: PRESBYTERIAN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY]

But has the editor no mission other than to tell us of partisan political measures? To be a simple annalist who shall bring before us the events of the day, but who creates no perspective along which we may tread to better customs, better men and better times? He never leaves us in doubt--"Let us do the best we can, and leave the rest alone." In G.o.d's name, is there not something better? "Let us go up and possess the land." Standing on the mountain height up there we shall all see fairer lands below. The inspired editor not only sees the battle from afar, but also the coming of the imperial guard of righteousness with victory.

There is that in the heart of every man that responds to the ideal. No leader has ever succeeded in having an evil reformed who wanted an ideal. Napoleon, when he said, "Beyond the Alps lies Italy," was appealing to that sentiment--to something beyond--to something in the future. When Cortez drew an imaginary line before his men, who had become mutinous, and said "On this side lies danger, death, duty and glory; on that, safety, shame and infamy. Choose ye whether you will step this side of the line or remain where you are," he was appealing to something in their hearts--put there by the Almighty himself. Editors should not think it their only mission to mirror forth things as they occur, but say to their 50,000 readers, "Let us go up and possess the land" of truth, purity and righteousness. This is not weakness on their part but evidence of the profoundest philosophy. Fifty years ago we had senatorial utterances that would reach across the continent. The secret power of those utterances was that they were ideal. In the days when boys spoke pieces in school we declaimed them, and we feel their influence today.

-------- Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.

When wilt thou comfort me?--Ps. 119:82.

Love worketh no ill to his neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.--Rom. 13:10.

Another element of leaders.h.i.+p is moral enthusiasm. The idealist in art is so for the love of art. He enters into the discussion of art subjects with enthusiasm. So with the moral enthusiast. Sin is hateful to him, and he seeks to crush it as he would a viper, and instinctively and spontaneously his denunciations come forth. Truth is his pole-star, and he will tell his best friend, "I will do anything but lie for you." Try to bribe him, and you will think that the central fires of the earth have been concentrated into his blistering rebuke. Suggest a compromise involving dishonor, and if you escape a blow you will be fortunate. Like Luther he says: "Here I stand. I can do no other. G.o.d help me." He would not go with the crowd to moral destruction. Moral enthusiasm has been the virtue of all epoch-making men. Men do not die for fancies; they do not die for offices. They die for what they believe is right. Give them something that appeals to their moral nature and they will die for it.

The grand martyrs were men who laid down their lives for what they believed to be right. There came to them those lines of James Russell Lowell:

"Once to every man and Nation Comes the moment to decide, In the strife of truth and falsehood For the good or evil side; Love's great cause, G.o.d's new Messiah, Offering each the bloom or blight, Parts the goats upon the left hand And the sheep upon the right, And the choice goes by forever 'Twixt the darkness and the light."

-------- As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you.--Is.

66:13.

He who loveth G.o.d loveth his brother also.--1 John 4:21.

We must have leaders who possess the elements of leaders.h.i.+p for the great task of making the world better--who possess the elementary virtues of honesty and truth. He had indicated some of the elements of moral leaders.h.i.+p that these times demand. He did not mean to say that the political stage had not such leaders. Certainly there were a few; but we can make it possible to have a thousand. When we can see one we are surprised. In the past, thank G.o.d, we have had such leaders, and in the future we shall have such leaders again.

It is slumbering in the hearts of men and women all around us. It needs only some one to sweep the harp strings. The trouble is with ourselves.

How can we be leaders with sensual and selfish appet.i.tes and desires?

Does G.o.d no longer speak to man? Burns there no fire upon the altar? He did not believe G.o.d had exhausted himself. G.o.d had not exhausted himself by casting out a few bright stars from his own luminous presence. There is power for him to bring to the front the men we are longing and praying for.

-------- He shall deliver thee in six troubles; yea in seven there shall no evil touch thee.--Job 5:19.

In conclusion, he wished to say only these few words--that every leader is a man that must bring to us the message of hope. The prophets through all those weary years carried the torch of hope and handed it to their successors. Abraham believed with all his soul that he should have a posterity as numerous as the stars. He died leaving only one heir.

Moses, the great law-giver, had a vision that a community of slaves should be made into a great nation. He went up into Pisgah and died, leaving them still slaves. Long ago a prophet looked over the sea at a vision of a new heaven and a new earth. Two thousand years have pa.s.sed away and no new heaven or new earth has come--but as sure as truth is stronger than falsehood it will come--just so sure we shall one day see a new heaven and a new earth, where dwelleth no political corruption, but righteousness. Not in our time, perhaps, not in our children's time, shall the thing be; but it will come. Let us pray, then, that we may answer in the language of the great poet.

"Oh, well I know that to him who works, and knows he works, This same glad year is ever at the door."

The Lord bless thee, and keep thee:

The Lord make his face s.h.i.+ne upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:

The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.

CHAPTER FOUR

CHRIST THE INTERPRETER OF THE PICTURE

A Sermon preached by Rev. T. M. Hawes in the Slums

"I have somewhat to say unto thee."--Luke 7:40.

The scene presented in this narration is worthy of the painter's brush.

We have a beautiful and striking presentation of the gospel--not set forth in theological terms as abstract truth--but presented in the form of a concrete example--a picture with Christ himself as the interpreter.

And now as we look at this picture with Christ to explain and interpret it to us, let us see what he will teach us concerning the gospel.

First, we can learn here for whom the gospel is not intended.

-------- Beloved, if G.o.d so loved us, we ought also to love one another.--1 John 4:11.

Evidently it is not intended for those who find fault with it. Christ is among a people who seem determined not to be pleased. He has just wondered to whom he could liken them, and observing a number of children at play he likens them to children playing in the market place. "We have piped unto you and ye have not danced; we have mourned to you and ye have not wept." They found fault with John the Baptist because he was too severe--they found fault with Jesus because he was too liberal. And here Simon is finding fault with him because he is allowing this sinful woman to wash his feet. Am I saying too much when I say that there is that same trait in human nature today, and that it keeps people out of the kingdom? Yea, more than that, it often keeps those who are in the kingdom from receiving the blessings which otherwise might be theirs.

There are those on the outside who remain out because they are constantly finding fault. There are those on the inside who are always unhappy for the same reason. If the preacher hews to the line they say he is a scold--if he doesn't they say he is afraid to stand up for what he believes, and so it goes.

[Ill.u.s.tration: REV. T. M. HAWES, D.D.