A friend recently sent us a cutting from The Globe (Toronto) of 26th April containing a striking leading article commenting on a notable utterance of Senator J. J. Hughes of Prince Edward Island. The Globe makes the following comment which, we are sure, our readers will agree with when they read the Senator’s speech—at least as much of it as is given in the paper: “For more than three years we have had many ‘explanations’ of the depression. Statesmen, statisticians, economists, technocrats, all have had their say. Most of these explanations have brought forward natural causes as the reason for the trouble. Few interpreters in the world at large, perhaps none, have dared to go to the heart of the matter in a reverent recognition of God, and sin, and righteousness, and the condition of men’s own hearts. A remarkable speech was made in the Senate a few weeks ago by the Hon. J. J. Hughes of Prince Edward Island, which dealt frankly and fearlessly with causes of the depression and which, with courage and reverence, did not hesitate to turn back to the Scriptures and biblical history in an attempted diagnosis of the world-wide economic disease of to-day. Such matters as sin in the Scriptural sense, man’s sinful pride, God’s necessary judgment upon sin, and the way of escape as revealed in God’s Word, are not often presented in the Parliaments or other halls of legislation, even in the leading Christian nations of to-day. Senator Hughes did an unusual thing in presenting his facts and conclusions, and Christian people, not only in the Dominion but in the United States and throughout the Empire, should welcome this and support it in prayer.”
IN speaking to a notice he had given Mr. Hughes said: “Honourable members, man in the course of his sojourn on this earth has experienced many afflictions, but the present depression is probably more widespread than any of those afflictions, with the exception of the Deluge, and differs from them in other respects. The Deluge, the destruction of Sodom, the plagues of Egypt appear to have been caused by the direct
intervention of the Almighty; this world-wide depression seems to be more the work of man himself. And if he has not wilfully closed his eyes and hardened his heart he will surely get useful lessons from it. Perhaps these lessons had to be impressed upon him for his own good.
Of one thing we may be certain: God knows all about it. ‘Not a sparrow falls to the ground without your Heavenly Father’s knowledge and permission.’ The peculiar thing about this affliction or depression is that, while the earth has produced and is producing more food than man can gather into his barns, while the manufacturing establishments are able to turn out more clothing than the people need, while the transportation facilities of the world are atrophying for lack of work, tens of millions of men, women and children are naked and hungry. In fact many say it is super-abundance that is causing the scarcity. If an intelligent being on another planet were to look down at this world and observe its troubles, he would surely conclude that if man ever had been endowed with reason he had lost it. We have a World Court and a League of Nations; we are holding National Conferences and Empire Conferences and World Conferences, and while in some cases we honour God by mentioning His Name in a conventional manner during the preliminary remarks on the opening day of such conferences, it never enters our minds that we could not get along without Him. Yet, if Christianity be true, ‘Without God we can do nothing’—and the nations of Europe and America, with the possible exception of two, are supposed to be Christian.
Pride was the first sin to enter the world. I think it is the sin that is destroying the world, though, no doubt, the other sins also are getting in their work.”
After quoting utterances from prominent public men and financiers as to general world conditions, Senator Hughes proceeded: “Are the real underlying causes of this world depression moral and spiritual, rather than material?” He sketched the story of the creation and Old Testament history
and New Testament chronicle of the birth, life, death and resurrection of the Redeemer, and proceeded:
“If the Bible is to be taken as the written Word of God, I do not see how these things can be disbelieved. Again, if the Bible is the written Word of God, or is taken simply as authentic history, there is in this world an evil spirit far more powerful and intelligent than man. That spirit is continually trying to thwart God’s plan in regard to man. That spirit had the power—or was permitted—to take Jesus up into a high mountain, show Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory, and say: ‘All these will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me’.
That is, I think, the particular temptation to which multitudes of men and all nations, some more, some less, have succumbed. Riches, glory, honour, dominion—these make a strong appeal to individual pride, and a still stronger appeal to national pride. It is probably the subtlest and most dangerous of all temptations. It can be presented to the individual as a reward for his personal merits, and to the nation as duty and patriotism. It leads to every effort on the part of the individual to overreach, outwit and exploit his neighbour in all worldly transactions; it leads to jealousies, hatreds, wars, physical and commercial, and to all manner of intrigues on the part of nations. In fact, it substitutes the law of the jungle for the law of God, and would completely destroy the world if the evil spirit had sufficient power to compass its destruction.
Disbelief in the divinity of Jesus, even in the existence of God, is far more widespread than many persons imagine. Before the war it was well known that atheism was openly taught in the universities of Germany. The German scientists and higher critics had gotten away beyond the ‘superstition of Christianity,’ and the idea of a Supreme Being was repugnant to such men. There was no being superior to these men themselves, and their Culture was almost worshipped by the rest of mankind. Many rich families in every part of the world sent their sons to Germany to finish their education.
That was only a few years ago, and where is Germany to-day? There is none so poor as to do her reverence now.”
Senator Hughes, proceeding, directed attention to the spread of skepticism in modern college training and the increase in divorce, particularly in the United States, and concluded: “Destitution follows spiritual infidelity and moral decadence. In all these respects the United States is but an intensified replica of all other Christian nations. What will be the outcome? Anybody who will read Paul’s Second Epistle to Timothy and Matthew’s Gospel will see all the signs that were to precede the end of the world. They may not mean the end of the physical world as we know it, and, if not, will not mean the end of any institution established by Christ, but they may well mean the end of the institutions established by man to oppose God’s plan and to make it appear that Christ was not omniscient, but was an impracticable law-giver whose legislation could not be observed.
We are told that Sodom would not have been destroyed if ten just men had been found within the city. There is doubtless a far greater proportion of just persons in the world to-day than ten would have been to the population of Sodom, and the mercy of God is as great now as it was then, or as it ever was. Humility, the virtue opposed to pride, would probably save the world at any time. But how many individuals will get down on their knees and humbly and sincerely ask God for guidance? There is no means of knowing. Certainly few statesmen will officially do it, and it is not likely any nation will officially do it. They will rely upon other means, upon what they can do themselves, notwithstanding the mess they have made of things. Worldly means are all right in their place. But I do not think God can be left out of the reckoning, and it seems to be the duty of every one who thinks in this way to do his bit, publicly and privately.”
Discretion without zeal is slow paced; zeal without discretion is heady.—George Swinnoek.
Searmon.
le C. H. SPURGEON.
(Continued from page 30.)
“Mar sin thug Daibhidh buaidh air an Philisteach le crann-tàbhail agus le cloich; agus bhuaile e am Philisteach, agus mharbh se e; ach cha robh claidheamh ann an laimh Dhaibhidh” (I. Sam. xvii. 50).
“Tha mise teachd a d’ionnsuidh-sa ann an ainm Tighearna nan sluagh.” Dh’ fhaodadh na briathran sin a bhi mar shuaicheantas dhaibhsan uile tha air an cur le Criosd, agus air a shon-san a tha seasamh anns a’ bhatail uamhasach airson anaman prìseil. B’ e so briathar gnàthaichte Chriosd air ar sgàth-ne agus air ar son-ne. Thaìnig e ghleac ri peacadh, a ghiulain fearg Dhé agus dhubhadh as bàs agus ifrinn! Thaìnig e ann an ainm Dhé. Gabh thusa sàr-bheachd air gu’n do bhuaile Daibhidh Goliath, agus bhuaile e gu h-eifeachdach e—cha b’ann na leasraibh, no air a làmh no air a chas—ach an ionad marbhtach thug e dhà a’ bluille a leag ìosal e. Bhuaile air mala ladarnais, air clàr aodainn uamhar. Saolaidh mi gu’n do thog e a chlogad chum agus gu’n tugadh e suil air a nämlich shuarach. ’Nuair a thuit a’ chlaich a stigh a leig a mach gu bràth tuilleadh anam bòsdail. Mar sin, an uair a sheas ar Tighearna gu gleachd ri peacadh, chuir e air leth iobairt-réitich mar chlaich a bhuaile am peacadh agus a chumhachd gu h-iomlan, ann an clàr an aodainn. Mar so, glòir a bhi do Dhia, tha am peacadh air a sgrìos. Chan ann mar gu’m biodh e air a lot ach air a “mharbhadh” le cumhachd Iosa Criosd.
Agus cuimhneich air a so gu’n do gheàrr Daibhidh a cheann de Goliath le chlaidheimh féin. Tha Augustine, ann a bhi a’ toirt a bheachd air an earainn so, a’ toirt a mach a’ smuain a tha an so, gu robh a’ bhuaile a thug ar Slànuighear Iosa Criosda air a comharrachadh a mach ann an eachdraidh Dhaibhidh. “Esan, tre’n bhàs thug e bnaidh airs an aig an robh cumhachd a’ bhàis, ’s e sin an diabhul.” “Le a’ bhàs sgrìos e am bàs—gheàrr e ceann an fhamhair dheth le chlaidheamh féin. B’ e an crann-ceusaidh a bha ciallachadh bàs do’n t-Slanuighear, a bha ’na bhàs do’n pheacadh. B’ e ceusadh
Chriosd a bha air a shaoltinn gu bhi na bhuaidh do’n t-Shàtan, a bha ‘na làn-choimhlionadh air a ‘bhuaidh san thairis air Sàtan. Feuch, an diugh, tha mi faicinn ann an làmh bhuaadhach ar gaisgeach, claigeann greannach an uile-bhéist am peacadh, agus e sileadh sìos le fuil a’ bhàis. Amhaircibh air, sibhse a bha uaireigin o ain-tighearnas. Seallaibh air closnach oillteil an fhamhair fhuileachdach. Chuir ar Tighearna as dha ar nàmhaid. Tha ar peacaidhean marbh; sgrios esan iad. Rinn a’ ghairdean féin, gun neach ‘g a chuideachadh ach ‘na aonar, cur as do’n fhamhair mhór ar nàmhaid. “Is e gath a’ pheacaidh am bàs agus is e neart a’ pheacaidh an lagh; ach buidheachas do Dhia, tha toirt dhunne na buaidh tré ar Tighearna Iosa Criosd.” Glòir agus urram gu robh dha ainm naomha. Agus ‘n uair a thug Daibhidh mu’n cuairt bàs Gholiath, bha e air a choinneachadh le maighdeanannan Israeil, a thàinig a mach ‘na chòmhdhail a’ seinn am fonn freagarrach agus air a leantuinn le luchd-ciùil a’ cliuch air tiompan gu h-aobhneach anns an dannsa, “mharbh Saul a mhlitean ach Daibhidh a dheich mhlitean,” agus mar sin bha bhuaidh aige-san. Aig an àm so, bha armait Israeil ‘n uair a chunnaic iad gu robh fàmhair nam Philisteach marbh, ghabh iad misneachd agus leum iad air an nàimhdean. Ghabh na Philistich an t-eagal agus theich iad, agus thàinig a h-uile Israelach gu bhi ‘na fhear buaidh air an latha sin tre’ n bhuaidh a thug Daibhidh. Bha iad ‘nan tuille agus luchd-buaidh tre-san a ghràdhaich iad agus a chosainn a bhuaidh air an son. Mar sin smuaineachamaid oirnn fhéin mar luchd-buaidh. Oir thug ar Tighearna a’ bhuaidh anns a’ chath. Tha esan an déidh dhòl a dh’ ionnsuidh a’ ghloir. Choinnich na h-ainglean e air an t-slighe agus thuirte iad, “Togaibh suas ar cinn o gheataichean, seadh togaibh suas iad, a dhorsan siorruidh; gus an tig Righ na Gloir a steach.” Agus iadsan a bha maille ris thuirte iad ann am freagairt nan ceisd, “có e so Righ na Gloir?” agus thuirte iadsan, “An Tighearna laidir agus treun, an Tighearna treun anns a’ chath. Tighearna nan sluagh, ‘s esan Righ na Gloir.” Agus air an latha ‘n diugh, tha an creidmheach as
anmhuinne toirt buaidh tre Chriosd. Ged blitheamaid air an eath a chall, gun dòchas ‘sam bith ris a’ bhuaidh a thoirt, gidheadh a nis tre Iosa Criosd ar Tighearna, cuiridh sinn an ruaig air ar nàimhdean; agus cuiridh sinn am peacadh fo ar casan agus théid sinn o neart gu neart, tre’n bhuaidh iomlan a thug esan. Tha àite farsuinn an so dhuibhse airson beachdachaidh air. An amhaire sibh thairis air an ni so air ar son féin? Tha e na’s fheàrr dhòmhsa gu’n smuaineachadh air na h-uile ni air bhur son-se agus gheibh sibh gu bheil na samhlaichaidhean tha an so comasach air móran de mhìneachadh a thoirt uapa. Cha tug mi direach dhuibh ach mar gu’m b’ eadh stroichan dorchà air an tarruing le teàrr-ghuail—an t-iomall a mach. Deanaibh dealbh dheth so ann bhur n’ inntean féin air ar socair agus faodaidh e bhi ‘na ni math agus buanachdail dhuibh a bhi beachd-smuaineachadh air.
II. Ann an rathaid aithghearr tionndaidh sinn a nis a dh’ionnsuidh Dhaibhidh mar eisimpleir do na h-uile creidmheach ann an Criosd. Os eionn nan uile nithean tha e iomchuidh dhuinne a bhràithrean agus a pheathraichean gràdhaich, ma ni sinn gu bràth ni ‘sam bith airson Dhé agus eaglais, feumaidh sinn a bhi air ar ‘n ungadh leis an ola naomha. O! gu dé cho diomhain agus a bhiodh e dhuinn fàs eudmhor le scòrsa de chràbhadh aineolach feòlmhor a’ chreutair, agus feuchainn ri nithean móra a dheanadh, ann an cleachdaidhean peacadh dànadais a dh’ fheumas a mhàin eriochnachadh ann an call iomlan.
Mar bi Spiorad an Tighearna oirnn ean ‘eil neart againn o’n taobh a stigh, agus ean ‘eil meadhoin ‘sam bith o’n taobh a mach air an urrainn dhuinn soerachadh. Feithibh air an Tighearna, mo luchd-gràidh, agus iarraibh neart uaithean a’ mhàin. Ach ean urrainn tighinn a mach asaibh-se ni nach deach a steach annaibh. Feumaidh sibh faotainn agus an déidh sin toirt uaibh. Cuimhnicibh mar tha an Tighearna Iosa ‘g a clur an céill, “an t-uigse bheir mise dha, bi e ‘na thobar uisg’ ann, a’ sruthadh suas chum na beatha maireannaich.” Agus a ris, ann an àite eile, “An tì a chreideas annamsa, mar
tha an Sgriòbtur ràdh, sruthaidh as a bhroinn aibhnichean de dh’uisge beò.”
Chan urrainn dhuibh obair Dhaibhidh a dheanamh mur bi ungdadh Dhaibhidh oirbh. ‘Nuair a chuimhnicheas sibh air mar a dh’fheith ar Maighstir neamhaidh airson an ungaidd neamhaidh, cha’n urrainn sibhse dùil a bhi agaibh gu’n dean sibh an gnothaich as eugmhais. Na bithibh eò amaideach. Cha deach Criosd a mach a dh’ionnsuidh a’ mhinistrealachd fhollaiseach gus an d’ thàinig Spiorad Dhé gu bhi soerachadh airsan. Dh’fhuirich na h-abstoil ann an Jerusalem ‘s eò deach iad a mach a’ shearmonachadh, gus an robh cumhachd air a thoirt dhaibh o’n àirde. ‘Se a’ phuing a tha do-sheachainte agus a ‘ni nach urrainn dhuiinn deanamh as eugmhais an cumhachd so a bhi againn. O! gu searmonachadh anns a’ chumhachd—gu urnuigh anns a’ chumhachd—agus gu bhi sealtainn as déidh anaman seachranach anns a’ chumhachd! Feumaidh an sgoil shàbaid, feumaidh an obair anns an dùthaich, feumaidh na h-uile seirbhis a ni sibh do Chrìosda, a bhi air a dheanamh anns a’ chumhachd ud. Rachaibh a dh’ionnsuidh bhur ghlùinean. Rachaibh a dh’ionnsuidh a’ chrùinneachaidh. Rachaibh a dh’ionnsuidh stol-chas bhur Maighstir. Féithibh ann an creidimh agus dòchas, gus an toir e dhuibh neart a ni freagarrach sibh airson seirbhis ur Maighstir, ann an slighe ur Maighstir, chum cliù ur Maighstir.
Ri leantuinm.