Wearied Because of Murderers
By T.
It is truly marvelous how strikingly graphic is the Bible in giving expression to the conditions that exist in this very time. As an illustration of this, read the following words: "For I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail, and the anguish as of her that bringeth forth her first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion, that bewaileth herself, that spreadeth her hands, saying, Wo is me now! for my soul is wearied because of murderers." Jer. 4:31. A time is here brought to view when the "soul is wearied because of murderers." It is perfectly apparent, from the reading of the latter part of this fourth chapter of Jeremiah, that the prophet is viewing scenes that are to occur in the closing days of time. In the nineteenth verse he tells of the awful scenes of war that pain his heart and cause it to make a noise in him. Then he passes on to describe the scenes of destruction that are on every hand. He beheld the mountains trembling, and all the hills in commotion. He sees the fruitful place turned into a wilderness, and all the cities of earth broken down, and all this because men have become "wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge." These conditions of "wisdom in sin" call for the presence of the Lord and His fierce anger, as recorded in the twenty-sixth verse; and all these statements lead up to the exclamation, "Wo is me now! for my soul is wearied because of murderers." One can not scan the daily papers in these times without being impressed with the frightful prevalence of murder. Just now the Rosenthal case of New York is before the country, together with the recent confessions that involve the police force of that great city. Police Lieutenant Charles A. Becker has been placed under arrest, charged with murder. He did not commit the murder himself, but as a police officer he had demanded that the murder be committed by other men. He had assured the men who directed the murder plot, that he was in a position to protect them, and that they would not be found out or arrested. And for a number of days they went about feeling secure in this promised protection. But finally the men who actually did the killing, as well as those who directed it under the police lieutenant, were arrested, and after a time broke down and confessed the whole thing. Following this, Becker was arrested, and charged with murder in the first degree, on the ground that he was really responsible. Rosenthal, who was murdered, was a part of the clan of gamblers and thieves who were operating in New York under the direct protection of the police force. He got a grievance at Becker, the police lieutenant, and threatened to inform on him, whereupon Becker decreed at once among his associates in crime that Rosenthal should be killed. It seems incredible that in this civilized land, in this "Christian nation," it would be possible for our great cities to be thus under the power of thieves and murderers. To be sure, there are some honest officials, otherwise we would have the social chaos of anarchy. But where we have such conditions as those that are revealed in New York City, it is always the case that not only the police force but many of the police judges are a part of the criminal organization. Hence it places the safety of the citizens in the hands of robbers, gamblers, and murderers, who are masquerading as officers. If this were the first time that New York City had passed through this experience, it might not seem so bad. But when we reflect that she has had one experience after another of this kind, it shows that her condition is becoming desperate. It has been but a few years since the New York legislature appointed a committee, with Mr. Lexow at its head, to investigate the things that were reported to exist in New York City. That committee made exhaustive investigations, and gave an elaborate report. It exposed the facts that the police force and the police judges were in league with the gamblers, the thieves, the prostitutes, and all the rest of the vile and criminal class. It showed that scores of innocent persons were oppressed and defrauded as well as robbed. The account set forth such base, such vile, such wickedly criminal conditions, that the late William T. Stead was moved upon to tell the story of it in his well-known book "Satan's Invisible World Displayed." And if the city of New York were the only place infected with this moral defilement, it still would not be so bad. But every well-informed person knows that practically all the cities of this whole world are in much the same condition. The criminality takes on different forms in different nations, and this country has its peculiar type. For one while it is the exposure of municipal corruption in San Francisco; then the scene shifts to Los Angeles; then later we have it in Seattle; then St. Louis comes in for some of the same kind of infamous advertising; and then Chicago, and Pittsburg, and so on to the end of the list. There is no avoiding the disagreeable fact that the nation is very rapidly developing a class of officials that are in league with the basest element of society. If such were not the case, it would be impossible for us to have our "white slave traffic" and kindred evils. There would be no difficulty in ridding the earth of such things if we did not have large numbers of officials who are financially interested in stealing young girls for the brothel, and who are willing to protect the thief for a share of the spoils. It is not necessary to offer proof of these statements, for every well-informed person knows that they are true. The press of the world is teeming with the evidence all the time. Following on from the text quoted at the head of this article we read further: "Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth; and I will pardon it. And tho they say, The Lord liveth; surely they sware falsely. O Lord, are not Thine eyes upon the truth? Thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved; Thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction: they have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return. Therefore I said, Surely these are poor; they are foolish: for they know not the way of the Lord, nor the judgment of their God. I will get me unto the great men, and will speak unto them; for they have known the way of the Lord, and the judgment of their God: but these have altogether broken the yoke, and burst the bonds. Wherefore a lion out of the forest shall slay them, and a wolf of the evenings shall spoil them, a leopard shall watch over their cities: every one that goeth out thence shall be torn in pieces: because their transgressions are many, and their backslidings are increased." "How shall I pardon thee for this? thy children have forsaken Me, and sworn by them that are no gods: when I had fed them to the full, they then committed adultery, and assembled themselves by troops in the harlots' houses. They were as fed horses in the morning: every one neighed after his neighbor's wife. Shall I not visit for these things? saith the Lord: and shall not My soul be avenged on such a nation as this?" "Go ye up upon her walls, and destroy; but make not a full end: take away her battlements; for they are not the Lord's. For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt very treacherously against Me, saith the Lord. They have belied the Lord, and said, It is not He; neither shall evil come upon us; neither shall we see sword nor famine: and the prophets shall become wind, and the word is not in them: thus shall it be done unto them. Wherefore thus saith the Lord God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make My words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them." Jer. 5:1-14. Possibly you are ready to say that the foregoing scripture is describing scenes that occurred in the times of ancient Israel. But is the text not also most graphically describing scenes that are before us now? Is there not now the lack of executing judgment and of seeking after truth? If men were not assembling themselves in troops at the harlots' houses, just as the text says, there would not be the demand for the "white slave trade" that is cursing this time. And if there were justice in the land, criminals could not be under the protection of the officers of the law. In reading these texts that many superficial readers think refer to ancient Israel alone, there is a failure to recognize the import of the following: "Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and did all eat the same spiritual meat; and did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them ['went with them,' margin]: and that Rock was Christ. But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." 1 Cor. 10:1-12. Many of the sins pointed out in the texts before quoted from Jeremiah are here enumerated by the apostle Paul; and he distinctly states, in two different places in the quotation, that these things are for our admonition and example. "All these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come." And not only do we have for our guidance this Scripture statement of a Scripture principle, but the foregoing texts from Jeremiah are taken from the midst of a scripture that is speaking distinctly and specifically11of the breaking down of the earth at the presence of the Lord as He arises to destroy the intolerable injustice and wickedness that are sinking the world. If we are not now in the time when the text applies, "Wo is me now! for my soul is wearied because of murderers," what will it be when the time is fully reached!