|
 In
the annals of history are recorded the infamous deeds of the
masses. A monument should he erected to mark their works. An
eternal epitaph should be chiseled to describe their deeds that
when men are inclined to garnish the tombstone the words should
warn as do the sun-bleached bones beside the poisoned waterhole.
Eight
righteous souls loved and served the Lord amongst the multitudes
whose every imagination of the thoughts of their hearts were
only evil continually. A preacher proclaimed God’s
righteousness, but to no avail. There! There beneath the mire we
see the mass of human flesh. With muddy finger inscribe for all
to see “Fallen man is lower than the beasts of the field.”
And
a righteous man’s soul was vexed daily as men burned in their
lust for men. We see a bargain made with God to spare the
cities, but sin is heaped upon sin. With the stench of burning
human flesh in our nostrils we gingerly lift a smoldering,
charred stick from amongst the ashes and ashamedly write, “There
were not even ten righteous souls here”.
A
leader temporarily departs and the mob which has murmured
and complained against God clamors for gods which shall go
before them. Submission to the masses means that a golden calf
is born. Swords flash and blood is shed. Later, 23,000 died, and
eventually only two of’ the original ones over the age of
twenty enter into the promised land of rest . Their epitaph must
be written with blood-stained sword in hand — “Rebellion,
murmuring, idolatry, fornication,
|
|
and unbelief.”
Religious
multitudes who shouted “Hosanna to the son of’ David:
Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in
the highest, “ later cried, “Crucify him, crucify him!”
Blood seeps from his wounds and an agonizing cry is wrenched
from his lips — “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say,
My God, My God why hast thou forsaken me?” Will they not spire
him? But with nail in hand we sadly write — “Murderers ! “
But
this righteous one is raised from the dead that repentance and
remission of sins might he preached in his name. Surely the
multitudes will believe and obey now, But apostles are beaten
and told not to preach in his name. And when a preacher speaks
plainly of their “uncircumcised in heart and ears”
condition, they gnash on him with their teeth and beat his
defenseless body to death. Mark it well with stone chisel —”As
your fathers did. so do ye.”
Man
thinks of following the crowd and doing because others do it ,
but Jesus said. “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is
the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and
many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate
and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be
that find it.” Here lie the masses beneath the epitaph of’
murmuring, immorality , idolatry, hate and murder which have
always characterized public opinion We must not live as they
lived; we dare not die as they died . —J. R. Everett
[Previous
Article] [Next
Article]
|
