192 GENERAL SIK CHARLE8 WARREN^ G.C.M.G.;, F.R.S.^ ON 



the individual to serve society, or is society to serve the 

 individual ? " Under the civilization of the ancients (Babylo- 

 nians, Assyrians, and Egyptians), society was everything and 

 man was nothing. But under the Hebrew dispensation society 

 was made for man. We find, then, at Sinai, a rival system was 

 set up in the world, w^hich if carried out in accordance with the 

 will of God, was to control civilization, and secure the freedom of 

 man mentally and physically, throuL^h the example of the Chosen 

 People. 



But from their actions the world learnt that even under the 

 most favourable circumstances " man is not able of his own 

 natural strength to do works pleasant and acceptable to God," 

 and they failed utterly. But yet for fifteen centuries the 

 sceptre did not depart from Judah until Shiloh came, and com- 

 pleted the freedom of mankind. 



During all these centuries Israel kept the flag flying, and can 

 never have been wholly unrepentant, and put a brave face on it 

 up till the last. During those fifteen centuries, and on to the 

 present day, the Hebrews have been a sign to the Gentiles of the 

 Covenant made on Sinai. 



This Covenant has yet to be fulfilled, and we have still to 

 learn the effect which the physical features of Palestine will 

 have in the important part that country is to play in the near 

 future. 



Discussion. 



The Chairiman : We have listened this evening to a very graphic 

 lecture. Sir Charles Warren has brought home to us the reality of 

 the conditions through which the Israelites passed, and we have 

 learnt to understand something of the necessity for the training 

 which they underwent. One little phrase that is often applied in 

 the Scriptures to the Israelites shows, I think, the kind of change 

 that took place when they were being developed from the slaves 

 that they had been in Egypt to the free men that they became 

 in the desert and in Palestine. They are spoken of as "stiff- 

 necked." That is just the characteristic of a race which has been 

 given freedom, but has not attained to the character which would 

 enable them to use it aright. God desires men to be free, but He 

 also desires that they should exercise their freedom in willing 

 obedience. Yet although the nation as a whole was stiff-necked and 

 rebellious, there was always a faithful remnant, and through them 

 the Lord gave us the inestimable gift of the Holy Scriptures. 



