Many feel that upon the outcome of this Baptist Minister’s work, to a great ex tent, lies the future hope of the Protest ant work in Spain.” Come Ye Apart and Rest Awhile B IBLE readers will remember that during the days of the ministry of our Lord, He was many times besieged almost to the point of distraction by those who wanted His healing touch or who sought favors of one kind or an other, along with earnest seekers for divine solace. On one occasion the Lord and His disciples completely withdrew from the multitudes in order that they might rest and fellowship only with one another. It is trite indeed to remark that we live in a very busy world. America was recently diagnosed as the most nervous nation in history. It is true that we are a great nation and a stupendous pro ducer, but we are also a race that burns the proverbial candle at both ends. This tendency grips not only the average citizen of our land but Christian people as well, and so it is necessary that God’s children turn aside from the business tasks which fall to their hands during the year and occasionally retire into a secluded place where the body may be rested, the mind refreshed and best of all, the spirit enriched. Such a place is a summer Bible Con ference. During the last several decades this splendid movement has grown to excellent proportions. Scattered over our land there are scores and scores of beau tiful, restful spots where Christian peo ple may gather far removed from pro fanity, liquor, tobacco and the blare of amusements. The Bible Institute of Los Angeles sponsors a number of Bible Con ferences. In the current season a confer ence is to be held at Jennings Lodge July 20 to 27. This delightful spot, just outside the south city limits of Portland, Oregon, has excellent accommodations and an auditorium seating well over a thousand. Another beautiful spot is the Glen- dawn Baptist Bible Grounds on Five Mile Lake just off the highway between Seattle and Tacoma. Along with other conferences, Biola will sponsor a week there, August 3 to 10. For folks in California there will be a week of conference at the Mount Her- mon Grounds near Santa Cruz, August 17 to 24. In all of these conferences a fine program of Bible teaching has been outlined. All sorts of accommodations are available and costs are exceedingly rea sonable. Those who are interested should write, care of Extension Department, Bible Institute of Los Angeles, 558 S. Hope St., Los Angeles 17. The President’s Source Of Wisdom M ANY Americans have been deeply grieved over the actions of men elected to high office. In what certainly seems to be a sad abuse of high power, these officials have demonstrated again JULY. 1952
a well-known fact that their wisdom is quite ordinary, that they are just men after all and that they 'are ruled by the same low passions which afflict the lives of all. Why do we expect a man who is elected to high office to be elementally any different from others? No one upon the face of the earth has wisdom enough to govern a million people, to say noth ing of governing a complex nation of 150 millions. Yet there is a deep feeling that rulers ought to have more wisdom to rule and ought to be fundamentally honest enough to rule righteously. There is a tendency on the part of many to forget that even the President of our United States is just simply a man governed by the same characteristics that are to be found universally. But there is a basis for the expecta tion that a ruler should exercise more than average wisdom. The foundation of this belief is undoubtedly taken from the pages of Scripture. Since the time of the flood it has been a principle in human life that God delegated into human hands the authority to rule. From that day to this God has held human government accountable for the exercise of righteous authority and for the punishment of evil doers. In a number of instances, par ticularly that of King Solomon, it was demonstrated that there was special wis dom available for those who, under God’s permissive will, were elected to the office of ruler. It is easily remembered that King Solomon had such wisdom and such extraordinary power of judgment and discernment that people came from neighboring kingdoms just to sit at his feet. All of this was a gift from God. God’s principles have not changed to day. We believe there is to be had special insight, extraordinary w i s d o m and strength of character for rulers who de sire the same. The only requisite, how ever, must be that the ruler be humble enough to recognize God as the Giver of all good gifts, and with patient humility consistently to seek such wisdom. There must also be a corresponding course of righteous action for it cannot be con ceived that God would continually be stow wisdom upon a ruler who held office through tyranny or ruled unright eously. What then is to be the lot of a people with rulers who are too proud or too wicked to seek God’s favor? Even here there is an answer. Those who know God and those who name the name of Christ are invited to pray for rulers and those who are in authority and the promise is made (1 Tim. 2:1-3) that a quiet and peaceful life in all godliness and honesty will result. It seems to be a difficult thing to pray for unrighteous leaders. Yet, this is one of God’s ways to bring these leaders into a place where they will not only act in wisdom for themselves but where God will turn the doings of their life into actions which will result in beneficial legislation and honest government. The application is not hard to find. America would most certainly have bet ter leaders, more helpful legislation and
improved national conditions if only those who know how to pray would deeply and earnestly lay before God the needs of their leaders. On the other hand, the responsibility for poor govern ment, ill-advised laws and laxity in high circles is traceable not only to the human instruments themselves but to those Christians who could have prayed and failed to do so. Smoking Women C AN’T somebody please tell our lovely American women and girls that when they put the cigarette in their mouths they change their entire appearance? Is there no one to lift up his voice in this day and cry out against this vile and odoriferous habit which is enslaving our girls and young women, mothers and even grandmothers? We look in vain through the pages of magazines and through the columns of newspapers to find anyone who will stand up and de clare that tobacco is one of the grossest, silliest, filthiest and most degrading hab its ever to force itself upon a nation, especially upon the women of a nation. It is one of life’s deepest mysteries to find that our American women who are so deeply concerned about their appear ance and personal daintiness that they spend several billions of dollars upon preparations to beautify their bodies, to avoid offensive odors, and bad breath, and to keep their skin in a youthful condition, can abide the ravages of this despicable cigarette habit. Everyone knows that smoking blackens the teeth, soils the fingers, spreads the ashes all around, defiles the air and robs a woman of her sweetness and femininity, giving in exchange a look of blasé brazenness and hardness almost comparable to a skid row character. The matter of the physical harm of cigarette smoking has been discussed many, many times. Once in a while you will find a courageous physician who will stand up and tell the absolute truth. But how in the world can anyone seri ously doubt the harm that is done to the delicate tissues of the lungs by the constant inhalation of smoke, even any smoke. The alarming rise of lung cancer is pitiful testimony to this disgraceful habit. Yet people do go on living even though they are heavy smokers. This, however, is due, not to the lack of irri tants in tobacco smoke but, rather, to the amazing recuperative powers of the human body. We do not expect this editorial to greatly change the habits of the Ameri can women. But we wish there was some organization with power and prestige that would call this vile cigarette menace by its right name. We wish there were groups of high-thinking, right-living American women who would go on record as opposed to this greedy malodorous monster and would pledge themselves not only to abstain in their own lives but to urge upon our lovely growing girls the added charm and attractiveness that can be their’s by abstinence. Page Five
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