592 THE KI NG' S BUS I NES S Spiritualism fis even ta u g h t in some churches (Rev. 2:13). T here are o th ers who hold the W ord of T ru th w ith accuracy, b u t see no fru it. M any are very earn est, b u t fruitless. Viewed from the outside, th e preaching is as an idle tale (though it be tru th ). M en hear th e W ord, b u t fear not (Rom. 3:18). W hat, are called m en’s “B ible-classes” are often dom inated by a com pany of unbe lievers who receive greedily the erro rs of R usselism , &c. T his I say from a considerable experi ence. Few of these have fru it unto conversions. T hank God th ere are a^few w hich are no t like th is 1 M ay o u r God bless and m ultiply them . Then the training of the m inistry is largely in the hands of unbelievers or hig h er critics or those who are m erely “ scholars.” A stu d en t told me th a t (at th e tim e of speaking) they had no t considerd a Scripture a t his college for two years! A nother (now a clergym an) told in a m eeting th a t th ere w as no t one teacher _he had in college who believed th e S crip tu res to be the W ord of God. No w onder som e of th e m in isters find th em selves serv in g in politics in stead of the Spirit of God, o th ers preaching o th er m en’s serm ons, &c., &c. B u t enough. A re we prepared to acknow ledge th ese th in g s to be so—even as God sees them ? D aniel fo u n d 'fav o u r w ith God as he prayed and confessed his own sins and the sins of his people (D an. 9:20-23). These plcures of th e a ttitu d e of th e people in general tow ard th e church are not fancies, h u t cold facts from faith fu l w itnesses, and m ust be looked upon as some of th e “ signs of th e tim es.” There has been a m arked change in th e home life of Christian people. The new era for women has developed a new type of mother. Children see h u t little of th e ir parents. F ath e rs are absorbed in business, politics, lodges and pleasure. Mothers have th e ir clubs, th e ir social functions, and th e re is very little fam ily life or prayer. There is a scarcity of old-fashioned home life fo r little children. Not many m others have th e knack of gath ering th e ir children around th e ir knee, and telling them Bible stories. Few even tuck th e ir children in bed and kneel to pray w ith them , and many C hristian homes are no t much more th a n family boarding houses. In no departm en t of th e world’s life are th e signs more significant th an those which confront us in th e social life of our country and of th e world. The d rift from th e moorings of th e Word of God in th e schools and homes, is evidenced in th e life of th e young people, and th e statistics concerning crime are startling . A large percentage of th e crimes for th eft, burglary, bandittry, arson, and sometimes m urder, are found to have been comm itted by th e boys and girls, th e young men and women. F rom twelve to tw enty years m arks the average age of crim inals. Even if we were w ithou t a Bible, we would be compelled to believe in a personal devil; some m alignant enemy of God and man, plying his devilish trad e everywhere. Go to th e Juvenile Courts and Detention Homes; ta lk w ith th e Moral Efficiency leaders; h ear the stories of almost unbelievable crime comm itted by those we used to call children; ask th e white slave experts; go to the dance halls; visit the movies; listen to th e conversation; consult physicians; ask our judges; confer w ith newspaper reporters. The policeman can tell you; so can th e detectives in th e reta il stores. Read the newspapers. No m a tte r where you go for inform ation, you will have your eyes open to a picture w ith a background as black as hell itself. We have veiled our eyes; we have slumbered over th e volcano, u n til it has broken ou t and is now belching fo rth its fire. We have been so busy w ith little things, so occupied w ith th e cares and pleasures of life, so engrossed w ith tu rn in g wheels which bring no grist, th a t we have been blind to conditions, and T h e s o c i a l Sign T H E C H A N G E in Home Life:
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