The Use and Need of the Life of Carrie A. Nation [79]
of thee, even
all that were behind thee when thou wast faint and weary; and he
feared not God. Therefore it shall be when the Lord thy God hath
given thee rest from thine enemies, thou shalt blot out the remembrance
of Amalek from under heaven." God waited four hundred years from
this time. They still were murderers. Then he told Saul to utterly
destroy this cruel nation. The state kills a man now. This is not a
cruelty but a mercy, "And those which remain shall hear and fear and
shall henceforth commit no more any such evil." " 'Tis a righteous
retribution to recompense tribulation to those who trouble you."
Persons often argue that the books of the Bible are written by man
and cannot be said to be written by God. I illustrate the way God wrote
the Bible by this: You have a package of letters from your mother.
Some are written with red ink, some with black, some with a stub pen,
some with a fine point, some with a pencil, etc. You do not say, the pen
wrote me this letter and the pencil wrote me that. No, this is not spoken
of or considered. You say: "My mother wrote these letters to me."
Just so, Moses is God's pen, with which he wrote the five books of the
Pentateuch. Joshua was also a pen, and Ezra, Job, David, Solomon, and so
with the writers of the New Testament. God guided them as we do
our pen. The Bible carries within itself its own evidence of divinity. It
requires no proof. It but weakens its own evidence, to appeal to human
aid. The fulfilled prophesy, its inimitable poetry, is proof to the natural
man to KNOW it to be above the human mind, and to a child of God it
speaks with life, and love more potent than an earthly parent to their
child. The Holy Spirit only can interpret his own words: " 'Tis foolishness
to those who perish, but unto us who are saved it is the power of
God."
I have a great benediction on my work. Wherever I go the dear
mothers shake my hand and kiss my face, saying: "God bless you. I
want to help you. You did what I wanted to do." It is the heart of
motherhood running over with love. "The gentle are the brave, the loving
are the daring."
I got a telegram from a man saying: "Your article in Physical
Culture on the use of tobacco has cured me of the vice." One man from
Omaha, Nebraska, wrote: "Three years ago I was a drunkard. I had a
drug store. I was losing business and going to ruin generally. When
I heard of what you did, I said: 'If that woman can do that to save
others, I ought to do something for myself.' So now I am a changed
man. My wife is a changed woman. I have to thank you and Almighty
God. My business is growing every day."
Upon several occasions I have had people to put five dollars in my
hand. While I was lecturing in Pasadena, California, for the Y. M. C.
A. one young man put in my hand what I thought was a silver dollar,
but on looking it was a twenty dollar gold piece. I said: "I will lay
that up in heaven for you." And so I have. I never learned his name
but he will certainly find that twenty dollars in the bank of heaven with
interest.
When I first started out in this crusade I was called crazy and a
"freak" by my enemies, but now they say: "No, Carry Nation, you are
not crazy, but you are sharp. You started out to accomplish something
and you did. You are a grafter. It is the money you are after." Jesus
said: "John came neither eating or drinking and ye say, Behold a wine
bibber and a glutton." So it is the world never did understand an
unselfish life. It is a small thing to be judged by a man that withers
as grass. "If I yet please man, I should not be the servant of Christ."
CHAPTER XV.
SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY FOR MY CHRISTIAN WORK.
There have been from the first time I started out persons who understood
that God moved me. These were students of the Old Scriptures.
Jesus told the people before the New Testament was written to "search
the Scriptures--these are they that testify of me. ALL Scripture is given
by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for correction, for
instruction
all that were behind thee when thou wast faint and weary; and he
feared not God. Therefore it shall be when the Lord thy God hath
given thee rest from thine enemies, thou shalt blot out the remembrance
of Amalek from under heaven." God waited four hundred years from
this time. They still were murderers. Then he told Saul to utterly
destroy this cruel nation. The state kills a man now. This is not a
cruelty but a mercy, "And those which remain shall hear and fear and
shall henceforth commit no more any such evil." " 'Tis a righteous
retribution to recompense tribulation to those who trouble you."
Persons often argue that the books of the Bible are written by man
and cannot be said to be written by God. I illustrate the way God wrote
the Bible by this: You have a package of letters from your mother.
Some are written with red ink, some with black, some with a stub pen,
some with a fine point, some with a pencil, etc. You do not say, the pen
wrote me this letter and the pencil wrote me that. No, this is not spoken
of or considered. You say: "My mother wrote these letters to me."
Just so, Moses is God's pen, with which he wrote the five books of the
Pentateuch. Joshua was also a pen, and Ezra, Job, David, Solomon, and so
with the writers of the New Testament. God guided them as we do
our pen. The Bible carries within itself its own evidence of divinity. It
requires no proof. It but weakens its own evidence, to appeal to human
aid. The fulfilled prophesy, its inimitable poetry, is proof to the natural
man to KNOW it to be above the human mind, and to a child of God it
speaks with life, and love more potent than an earthly parent to their
child. The Holy Spirit only can interpret his own words: " 'Tis foolishness
to those who perish, but unto us who are saved it is the power of
God."
I have a great benediction on my work. Wherever I go the dear
mothers shake my hand and kiss my face, saying: "God bless you. I
want to help you. You did what I wanted to do." It is the heart of
motherhood running over with love. "The gentle are the brave, the loving
are the daring."
I got a telegram from a man saying: "Your article in Physical
Culture on the use of tobacco has cured me of the vice." One man from
Omaha, Nebraska, wrote: "Three years ago I was a drunkard. I had a
drug store. I was losing business and going to ruin generally. When
I heard of what you did, I said: 'If that woman can do that to save
others, I ought to do something for myself.' So now I am a changed
man. My wife is a changed woman. I have to thank you and Almighty
God. My business is growing every day."
Upon several occasions I have had people to put five dollars in my
hand. While I was lecturing in Pasadena, California, for the Y. M. C.
A. one young man put in my hand what I thought was a silver dollar,
but on looking it was a twenty dollar gold piece. I said: "I will lay
that up in heaven for you." And so I have. I never learned his name
but he will certainly find that twenty dollars in the bank of heaven with
interest.
When I first started out in this crusade I was called crazy and a
"freak" by my enemies, but now they say: "No, Carry Nation, you are
not crazy, but you are sharp. You started out to accomplish something
and you did. You are a grafter. It is the money you are after." Jesus
said: "John came neither eating or drinking and ye say, Behold a wine
bibber and a glutton." So it is the world never did understand an
unselfish life. It is a small thing to be judged by a man that withers
as grass. "If I yet please man, I should not be the servant of Christ."
CHAPTER XV.
SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY FOR MY CHRISTIAN WORK.
There have been from the first time I started out persons who understood
that God moved me. These were students of the Old Scriptures.
Jesus told the people before the New Testament was written to "search
the Scriptures--these are they that testify of me. ALL Scripture is given
by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for correction, for
instruction