Foreword

"A word in due season, how good is it! " (Proverbs 15. 23.) The article " Is there not a cause? " possesses the character indicated in the scripture quoted: it is a "word in due season," in our judgement, and although it first appeared full twenty years ago, it is equally in season to-day--indeed, more so, for certain conditions with which it deals are more pronounced to-day, and its voice is therefore more urgent than ever. Take the following extracts and say whether the conditions referred to are not more manifest and more alarming than at any time within the memory of living man

"Alas! what must in truth be said concerning the trend of things during the last generation! It seems fitting to quote the words, "There arose another generation which knew not the Lord." The Bible has been discounted .... The first day of the week has necessarily become secularised, and has been sacrificed to business, though more generally to pleasure, and so the first day has been more debased than the others which follow, and the weary round of life here below is unbroken by any reversion to better things ... materialism has become in large measure the religion of this people. The present instead of the future : the temporal and not the eternal : the seen and not the unseen : the carnal and not the spiritual the world and not heaven : the Devil and not God. Men's lives have become increasingly self-centred, whether among the rich or poor : the desire for money howsoever obtained, the preference for gambling instead of modest honest gain : the love of pleasure, finding expression not only in the higher and richer classes, but permeating every stratum of Society . ... Now the nation which puts God away is doomed for the Scripture says, "The wicked shall be turned into Sheol," together with "The nations that forget God" (Psalm 9. 17). Is it too much to say that this nation has been heading in this direction for some time past? It is no excuse to say that the same is true of other nations .... though it should be borne in mind that the large measure of light known here proves how much more quickly the darkness has set in and consequently how much more blameworthy we are. Heathen nations have their gods .... but it is possible for them to turn from the worse to the better : but if Britain turns away from the God of the Bible, the Saviour of sinners, the Bible itself as God's revelation, to what shall she turn?

The war came, afflicting high and low, rich and poor, entering the palace and the hovel, taking toll of all. What did the rulers do? Did they say, "Why has the Lord smitten us?" Did they call for a solemn humiliation? Did they overthrow the dens of iniquity? Did they even in a minor degree imitate the king of Nineveh in view of impending judgement? "And the tidings reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and laid his robe from him and covered him with sackcloth.

"Let them cry mightily unto God : yea, let them turn every one from his evil way" (Jonah 3.). The spiritual leaders, did they lead the nation in this way? Instead of saying "We have sinned," the enemy alone was ever in view-it was he that received all the condemnation - again we ask, what of the rulers, what of the nation as such?"

It may be asked, how should the knowledge of these things affect the minds and hearts of the people of God ? It should affect them as Abraham was affected by his knowledge of the sin of Sodom--it should move them to bow before God in intercession. Prayer with confession and supplication should ascend from every heart-if we are not concerned, who should be? Things are at stake that touch the honour of God, the eternal prospects of men, and the destiny of Britain, not to speak of other momentous things; and withal the dread possibility of the scourge of an unspeakable war falling on all. We may well say (as applying the principle) in the words of Mordecai to Esther, " Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape ... For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time thou and thy father's house shall perish: and who knoweth whether thou art not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"

In a letter from the author giving us his kind permission to reprint " Is there not a cause ? " he says-" The object in view is to point out that the evils pointed out at that time are no less apparent now, and if repentance is not shewn a more awful visitation may come."

We pray that such solemn and searching words may have full weight with every reader, and that we may betake ourselves to God in humble supplication, remembering that the fervent inwrought prayer of the righteous availeth much (as witness Elijah, James 5.).

In perusing the article the reader will bear in mind that it was written in view of the great war (it appeared early in 1916), and we think it best to reprint the article just as it was written when the war was in progress. May it please God to greatly bless the message of " Is there not a cause?

unknown | Sept 1936
Is There Not A Cause?