Newspaper Page Text
12
Track Through the Bible.
(Coninued from Page 6.)
been five times affirmed that lie hardened his own
heart.
There is a moment when God does that with
a man. I here is no Bible warrant for teaching that
a man will be able whensoever he chooses, through
out the ages, to turn back to God. Every man has
his own probation, and his own opportunity, and
the Judge of all the earth holds the balances with
infinite precision. Whosoever stubbornly refuses
to submit himself to God in the day of opportunity
and that repeatedly, finds at last that his own de
cision has become his destiny. By the outworking
of law God seals the choice of the human will.
In this whole process of judgment the patience of
God is as clearly manifest as is His power. In spite
of persistent lying and deceit by Pharaoh in the
promises made to Moses, God patiently waited. It
was not until he had had repeated opportunities
of yielding himself to the Power which was mani
festing Himself, that by the will and decision and
act of God the stubbornness he had cultivated, be
came such that he could not escape therefrom.
The final section in this division is occupied with
the account of the actual deliverance of these peo
ple, and the commencement of that wonderful
guidance which included provision for all their
need, and power for all their weakness.
Judgment is seen in its purpose as it merges into
deliverance. As they moved on toward the realiza
tion of their nationality, the very calendar was al
tered, and there dawned for them a new year, and
a new order began. Before the march to liberty
they observed the religious rite of Passover. This
rite was called an ordinance, a feast, a sacrifice.
It was wholly an ordinance to be observed. It was
essentially a feast of rejoicing or deliverance. It
was fundamentally a sacrifice perpetuating the mem
ory of vital and essential truths. The night of the
exodus was, as the historian declares, “a night to
be much observed.” The people passed from slav
ery to liberty, from the lash of oppression to the
place of power, from degradation to the realiza
tion of national life.
Immediately the nation delivered and consecrated
is seen under the direct government and guidance
of God. “God led them not by the way of the land
of the Philistines, although that was near.” “God
led the people about.”
The first march after that from Egypt was
back into a place of danger. The definite meaning
of that march was declared to Moses. The just
judgment of the sin of Pharaoh must be carried out
to its last degree, but it must also be carried out in
such away as to make evident its justice. Was
ever the madness and blindness of sin persisted in.
more manifest than in the proud preparation of
chariots and armies to overthrow and destroy a
people for whom God had so wondrously wrought?
No comment is necessary on a story so full of life
and colour and dramatic power as that of the cross
ing of the sea. In the silent hush of the march
through the solemn night, there was revealed to the
people the fact that under Divine government there
are no obstacles which con not be overcome. In fa
tuous rebellion Pharaoh and his host attempted to
walk by the pathway specially prepared for the
men of faith. With the morning watch God mani
fested Himself in some way to the Egyptians. He
“looked forth upon the hosts through the pillar of
fire and of cloud.” There then dawned upon them
the consciousness of their folly, and they attempted
flight. It was too late. Their doom was sealed,
and -with the hand of Moses outstretched by Divine
authority, the sea broke over them in rushing waves
of destruction, and the power of the mighty people
that had oppressed God’s nation, and that in spite
of every opportunity for repentance, was broken
forever. It was a great and glorious song that rose
THE DIXIE BUSINESS COLLEGE TRAINING S SCHOOU
MOST MODERNLY EQUIPPED. BEST LIGHTED AND MOST CENTRALLY LOCATED SCHOOL IN ATLANTA. FULL FACULTY OF EXPERTS.
15 Yean Experience in Business College Work. Between Four and Five Thousand Successful Graduates in Splendid Positions.
GREAT OPENING OFFER DURING JANUARY ONLY: 12 MONTHS COMBINED SCHOLARSHIP 545- H, L BRIDGES & BERNARD C. ANSTED, Proprietors.
The Golden Age for January 24, 1907.
upon the morning air on the far side of the sea.
There now commences the more direct story
of the guidance of the people by Jehovah. Alarah
afforded an opportunity for the discovery of the re
sources of God. Elim was an evidence of His ten
der care for them. As 'they passed into the wilder
ness they began to be conscious of the scarcity of
some of the things which they had possessed, even
in the midst of Egyptian slavery. Again the re
sources of their God were felt as He supplied them
with manna and with meat. Again their faith was
tried by lack of water, and notwithstanding their
murmuring against Moses, God was proved to be
the God of patience.
The march of the people brought down upon them
the army of Amalek. Perfect victory was gained
by Israel, and in the first battles the principles of
their perpetual conflict were revealed. They won
by a combination of fighting and faith, a union of
practice with prayer.
This division ends with the story of Jethro. His
advice to Moses was reverent in its recognition of
the Divine authority, “If thou shalt do this thing,
and God command thee so.” The fact that Moses
acted on his advice is almost certain evidence that
he recognized that God was speaking to him through
this man.
The Central Juvenile Protectory.
(Continued from page 2.)
paramount features of this bill is its provision for
the punishment of parents or guardians who by
any act shall encourage or contribute to the delin
quency of the child. This bill further states that
“The words ‘delinquent child’ shall include any
child under sixteen years of age who violates any
law of this state or any city or village ordinance; or
who is incorrigible; or who is a persistent truant
from school; or who associates with criminals, or
reputed criminals, or vicious or immoral persons;
or who is growing up in idleness or crime; or who
frequents, visits, or is found in any disorderly
house, or in any saloon, barroom or drinking shop
or place, or any place where spirituous liquors, or
wine, or intoxicating or malt liquors are sold at
retail, exchanged or given away; or who patronizes,
frequents, visits or is found in any gaming house,
or in any place where gaming device is or shall be
operated. The word ‘child’ or ‘children’ may mean
one or more children, and the word ‘parent’ or
‘parents’ may be held to mean one or both parents,
when consistent with the intent of this act.”
Delayed Legislation.
Unfortunately this bill has not advanced beyond
the consideration of the judiciary committee. The
measure was advocated by Air. Jackson, Mr. J. C.
Logan of the Associeted Charities and Rev. A. E.
Seddon of Atlanta, the latter being the secretary of
the Juvenile Protectory Association, which organi
zation has resulted from Air. Jackson’s efforts.
Despite the delay of legislative action Air. Jack
son is actively advocating this work, in the inter
est of which he has made ten trips to New York
and Washington and on the 15th of December, 1905,
he introduced to the president a delegation consist
ing of Judge W. R. Hammond, Joseph Hirsch and
A. E. >Seddon of Atlanta; Hon. L. 0. Patterson,
Dr. J. L. Alann of South Carolina and representa
tives of other southern states. This delegation
was cordially received by Mr. Roosevelt who in a
characteristic address of a few brief sentences
pledged his interest and co-operation in support of
this measure. In conclusion Mr. Rocsevelt said:
‘ ‘ The older man is almost impossible to reform.
Os course, there are exceptional individuals, men
who have been completely changed, not only after
they have reached years of manhood, but after
very advanced periods of life. But speaking gen
erally the chance of success lies in working with the
boy and not with the man. That applies peculiarly
to those boys who tend to drift off into courses
which mean that unless they are checked they will
be formidable additions to the criminal popula
tion when they grow older. It is eminently worth
while to try to prevent these boys becoming crim
inals, to try to prevent their being menaces to and
expenses and sores in society, while there is a
chance of reforming them.
“I think people rather often completely misap
prehend what are really the important questions.
The questions of the tariff, the currency, or even
the regulation of railroad rates, are all subordinate
to the great basic moral movements, which mean the
preservation of the individual in his or her relations
to the home, because if the homes are all straight
the state will take care of itself.”
On the return of the delegation from this trip
a board of trustees was organized on which ten
southern states are represented. It is the purpose
of this board to form or found ten industrial homes
each with a capacity for 100 wayward children, yet
to be conducted on a principle which shall provide
for both races and sexes and which shall separate
them as to suitability of age, as well as offenses, in
order that no possible evil influence will be con
tracted one from the other. This will necessitate
the care of these children in the “cottage” system
which though not generally advocated in institution
al work would be well fitted for this special branch
of reform work. The plan is to devote half a day
to mental and half to manual training, with a ju
dicious amount of play-time and Sabbath school
work. In fact, the total idea being to give these
wayward and delinquent children a chance to be
come intelligent and enlightened citizens.
Mr. Jackson in the Field.
Almost all of the past year Air. Jackson has de
voted to “field work” in the interest of the Pro
tectory Association. He visited Florida, Alabama,
Alississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee, North and South
Carolina and Kentucky, in each state he organized
juvenile courts and advocated the Protectory sys
tem as here outlined. It will require at least $500,-
000 to found the homes mentioned, but it is believed
that this amount will be forthcoming.
Plan of Procedure.
The method of work which Air. Jackson pursues
is exceedingly simple. On entering a new town he
arranges to fill the pulpit of some prominent
church and outlines his plan of work. On the ev
ening of the same day he endeavors to have a un
ion meeting at which the mayor or some prominent
citizen presides, and at which Air. Jackson himself
further elaborates his plans for the help of juve
nile delinquents. The fact that no community is
free from this class of offenders and the further
fact that most Christian hearts are filled with
pity, interest and sympathy, for these defenseless
young people, makes Air. Jackson’s task compara
tively easy. He has met a cordial reception every
where and the great work is going rapidly forward.
As yet the most progress is made in the line of
establishing juvenile courts and the probation sys
tem in line with the Denver movement by which a
boy is “given a chance to reform,” but the Cen
tral Protectory for the different sections of the
South must surely follow, for the people at large
are in sympathy with this work and what the South
decides is right and best for the protection of its
youthful citizens, we believe it will ultimately ac
complish, while this movement must prove of incal
culable value to the moral life of the future gen
eration.s.