MOCKING FOLKS—FOLKS THAT MOCK.
By D. F. Newton
The feast of the impious Belshazzar, during which he saw the fingers of a man's hand writing upon the plaster of the wall, and his knees smote one against the other. See Dan. v, 1-6 Was this wicked, idolatrous Belshazzar the only mocker, think you, reader? We tell you, Nay; the world is full of them. Ministers mock God on a thoughtless tongue—parents mock God—little children mock God. Look at those children who mocked Elijah, saying, “Go up, thou bald-head.” And what became of them? God sent “two she-bears out of the woods, and tear forty and two of them.” 2 Kings ii, 24. Ministers mock God when they confer with flesh and blood, keep back part of the price, bow to the popular ear. Parents mock God when they solicit prayers for their unconverted children, meanwhile permitting these same ungodly sons and daughters of theirs to continue in the service of Satan, to live as they “list.” What is it but mockery, or playing the hypocrite, to solicit the prayers of God's people while clinging to an idol, any known sin, while we have no fixed purpose of coming out from the world and “presenting our bodies, a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is our reasonable service.” Beware, friends, lest your “bands be made strong.” David says, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.” Again he says, “I will wash my hands in innocency, so will I compass thine altar, O Lord, that I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works.” Psalm xxvi, 6, 7. How many useless prayers! How much prayer, called prayer, that is not prayer! “The lips may utter holy words,
And tremble with the form of prayer;
May charm the ear like singing birds,
And seem an angel's praise to share. “And yet, unless a life of love,
Which fain would bless the world, be ours,
In vain we lift our hearts above,
Though worshiping in Eden bowers! “Our life, our love, give soul to prayer,
Faith wings it to the mercy-seat,
Wins it divine acceptance there,
And pours Heaven's treasures at our feet.”