20 THE AGRICULTURAL CLUB. 



The great element of uncertainty in this vision of reconstruction, 

 as in all others is man his very self, whether rich or poor, 

 educated or not, endowed with Free Will, inherently great and 

 sinful. 



Cain slew his brother Abel. " Wherefore slew he him ? " 

 " Because his own works were evil and his brother's good." 

 What a reason ! 



Man is the same to-day, and therefore unreliable and danger- 

 ous, more or less, until he submits his will to the Divine, and 

 even then, as our own hearts tell us, it is a poor service. 



Speaking of the League of Nations, the present Ambassador 

 of the United States, Mr. J. W. Davis, spoke as follows, at a 

 banquet recently given in his honour in London : 



" This we may know certainly this we may hold confidently 

 ' that which is right can harm no man ; that which is wrong 

 can profit no man.' Though all other lights swing and circle, 

 this is the Pole Star by which we steer. 



" Since eternal vigilance is the price both of justice and liberty, 

 we purpose to set up due safeguards for their maintenance. 

 The armed doctrine of irresponsible power must give place in 

 international, as it has in private affairs, to the rule of common 

 right. 



" Law must rise superior to brute force. The moral code 

 must govern States as it governs men and the nations of the 

 world must pledge this each to each in mutual League and 

 Covenant." 



This is an inspiring and gladdening vision of the great ideals 

 of the promoters of the League. That remarkable Statesman, 

 President Wilson, and our own great and good men are in co-opera- 

 tion to make a living, practical reality of this vision, and the 

 progress made is most remarkable and encouraging. This 

 is a marvellous step in the reconstruction of the World. It 

 is the inauguration of a higher standard of Government for 

 all. A standard of Right instead of the standard of Might. 

 Organised Help instead of organised Hate, in short, a real 

 attempt to establish Christ's standard instead of the World's. 



He came, to bring Peace on earth and Goodwill to men. 



He gave His life to do it. 



He reconstructs through sacrifice ; 



He conquers sinners by His Love. 



Rarely was the Club invited to approach the questions 

 brought before it from so high a level as this, but now and 

 again the religious instinct which is so deeply rooted in the 

 rural mind even although it may often find little outward 



