May 1929
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men ruling them in power and solving the problems of hu manity. And they regard us as “unspiritual” because we would rather see Christ upon the throne of His glory than to see all the human rulers that ever lived passing in parade. Why is it ? These same men will expend fortunes and travel around the world to hold a conference in the city where our Lord once lived and suffered. And we find no fault with them for this; we, too, would find joy in beholding the land where He once walked. But some of us would find a far greater fascination in Jerusalem if He were there once more. Yet we are told that this desire of ours is crass and materialistic. If one can be “spiritual” while desiring to see the hill on which He died, why should we be thought materialistic when we long to see Him? Why is it? The “Raft” of Human Notions I N all the history of human gropings for some hope con cerning life after death, there is no more pathetic ex pression than that of Simmias in his argument with Socrates about the immortality of the soul. “I dare say,” he says, “that you, Socrates, feel as I do how hard and almost impossible is the attainment of any certainty about questions such as these in the present life. And yet I should deem him a coward who did not prove what is said about them to the uttermost, or whose heart failed him before he had examined them on every side. For he should persevere until he has attained one of two things; either he should discover or learn the truth about them; or if this is impossible I would have him take the best and most irrefragable of human notions, and let this be the raft upon which he sails through life—not without some risk, as I admit—if he cannot find some word of God which will more surely and safely carry him.” Our heart goes out in pity for this pagan Greek who lived before Christ had brought “life and immortality to light.” Longing for some sure “word of God” in this mat ter, but having none, Simmias turns to the rickety “raft” of human notions; and yet. he feels keenly the “risk” of such a course. What shall we say then of those men today, to whom has been spoken the sure Word of God, and who choose rather to set sail upon the raft of human opinion? It will be more tolerable for Simmias in the Day of Judgment. “God hath spoken to u s ” How, then, shall we escape if we neglect? (Heb. 1:2; 2:3.) Mexico and th e “Mass” ANOTHER serious rebellion has broken out in that ■ i x unfortunate country. In all the reports from there no legitimate reason has appeared which would justify armed revolution against the present government. One recurring item in the news, however, is inter esting. In various places where the revolution has suc ceeded, the Roman Catholic Church has begun once more to conduct religious services. This church has maintained an attitude of bitter hostility against the present Mexican government, going so far as to stop its religious services in protest against the governmental ruling against foreign priests. In stopping the celebration of the Mass, the Roman hierarchy struck a terrific blow at the Mexican govern ment. In the mind of the Roman Catholic worshiper his
very life and relation to God hangs on the “sacrifice” of the Mass. To be deprived of its benefits,, to him, is an appalling thing. The Rorhan Catholic organization could not have taken a more effective way to foment unrest among the Roman Catholic population of Mexico than to stop the celebration of the Mass, and then lay the blame for this deprivation upon the civil government. Tech-: nically, of course, the Roman Catholic Church has nothing' to do with the present revolution. In the matter of political cleverness, modern govern ments are scarcely a match for the Great Harlot which; “sitteth upon many waters.” Her political wisdom is the accumulation of centuries. A Pathetic Admission T HOMAS ALVA EDISON, questioned about! his formula for a happy life, answers, “I am not ac quainted with anyone who is happy.” There is unspeakable pathos in these words. They! mean, of course, that Mr. Edison, with all his great dis coveries, has not found happiness for himself. Many peo ple will think this strange, imagining that if they could have only a small part of what Edison has they would be perfectly happy. Many years of useful life, wealth, fame,! noted friends, the gratitude of millions for the physical comforts he has given them—what more could one ask of life ? But to a man of eighty-two years, what, after all, are a few millions of money more or less? What is fame?: What is anything else the world has to offer? Only a few' more very brief days and that marvelously fertile and busy; brain will go down to the dust and be no more, according to Mr. Edison’s philosophy. When that last summons comes, he will doubtless meet it with courage. But there will be no joy, unless^— The Christian will hope, and pray, that the great inventor will make one more discovery before he goes— the discovery of the “Light of the Knowledge of the Glory o f God in the Face o f Jesus Christ.” In His presence there is “fulness of joy.” At His right hand there are “pleasures forevermore.” Segregating the Incorrigibles A WRITER with imagination, predicts that the time is coming when we shall be able to communicate and travel between the other planets and stars. And he sug gests that perhaps in that day we shall select some far away unoccupied planet and deport our incorrigible crim inals to that place. What an awful place it would b e ! Of course all this is human fancy, but the writer has hit upon an idea that is not so far wrong. The “incor rigibles” shall be deported and segregated some day. But God will do the segregating, not man. Somewhere in the “outer darkness” a place will be “prepared,” and there the incorrigibles will be sent. “Then the King said to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and cast him into the outer darkness; there shall be the weeping and the gnashing o f teeth” (Matt. 22:13). It is not pleasant to contemplate, but neither are human prisons. Yet they are necessary in a world of re bellious sinners. But don’t forget that no soul will ever be sent out into that awful prison-house of the lost who did not de liberately choose to reject the mercy of G°d-
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