Monument To Masses
In the annals of history are recorded the infamous deeds of the masses. A monument should he erected to mark their works. An eternal epitaph should be chiseled to describe their deeds that when men are inclined to garnish the tombstone the words should warn as do the sun-bleached bones beside the poisoned waterhole.
Eight righteous souls loved and served the Lord amongst the multitudes whose every imagination of the thoughts of their hearts were only evil continually. A preacher proclaimed Gods righteousness, but to no avail. There! There beneath the mire we see the mass of human flesh. With muddy finger inscribe for all to see Fallen man is lower than the beasts of the field.
And a righteous mans soul was vexed daily as men burned in their lust for men. We see a bargain made with God to spare the cities, but sin is heaped upon sin. With the stench of burning human flesh in our nostrils we gingerly lift a smoldering, charred stick from amongst the ashes and ashamedly write, There were not even ten righteous souls here.
A leader temporarily departs and the mob which has murmured and complained against God clamors for gods which shall go before them. Submission to the masses means that a golden calf is born. Swords flash and blood is shed. Later, 23,000 died, and eventually only two of the original ones over the age of twenty enter into the promised land of rest . Their epitaph must be written with blood-stained sword in hand — Rebellion, murmuring, idolatry, fornication, and unbelief.
Religious multitudes who shouted Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest, later cried, Crucify him, crucify him! Blood seeps from his wounds and an agonizing cry is wrenched from his lips — Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, My God why hast thou forsaken me? Will they not spire him? But with nail in hand we sadly write — Murderers !
But this righteous one is raised from the dead that repentance and remission of sins might he preached in his name. Surely the multitudes will believe and obey now, But apostles are beaten and told not to preach in his name. And when a preacher speaks plainly of their uncircumcised in heart and ears condition, they gnash on him with their teeth and beat his defenseless body to death. Mark it well with stone chisel —As your fathers did. so do ye.
Man thinks of following the crowd and doing because others do it , but Jesus said. Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Here lie the masses beneath the epitaph of murmuring, immorality , idolatry, hate and murder which have always characterized public opinion We must not live as they lived; we dare not die as they died . —J. R. Everett