THE: KING’S BUSINESS 293 As we write these words (February 15th) the dark- ness, that overshadows the earth is rapidly becoming deeper. A month ago there seemed to be a rift in the clouds, but today the clouds are thicker and blacker
The Increasing Darkness.
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than ever. There seems to be no possibility of America’s being kept out of this most appalling war in all the world’s history.. The course being pursued by Germany has no shadow ’of excuse in international law or humanity. In their desperation that nation and its rulers seem to have gone mad. It looks as if there was nothing left to be done but to utterly crush the nation, to bring it to its sense's. But however indignant we may be at the utterly inhuman methods now pursued by Germany, no thoughtful Christian can contemplate the humiliation and suffering that awaits them, and the burden of debt that they will have to carry for years to come, without deepest pain. Many of the Germans are among the most enlightened people of the earth, and some of the finest Christians in the world are found among the Germans, and to think of the sorrows that must overtake them in common with the rest of the people, must fill the heart of any true Christian with heavy grief. • But that is not all, there is a great peril for all Europe from Russia, and Germany has been the bulwark that stood between Russia and the countries lying to the west, and when this bulwark is thrown down, as now seems almost certain, there will most likely be in coming years awful experiences for the whole of Europe. Dark indeed is the future of Europe and the world. One cannot look into the next ten years of world history without the deepest apprehension and fore boding. In such an hour as that in which we livei what shall the Christian do ? Christ Himself answers the question; He tells us that when men’s hearts are “fainting for fear, and for expectation of the things which are coming on the world” we should “look up, and lift up our heads; because our redemption draweth nigh” (Luke 21:26-28). He also tells us that at such a time as this we should watch at every season and give ourselves to earnest prayer that we “may prevail to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.”
• Out of the many increasing evils of our time there is at least one good coming, and that is that many Chris- tians are being shaken out of their false conception of the Christian life as an easy-going life. We are
Enduring Hardness.
beginning to appreciate the fact that the one who would work effectively for Christ must beready to suffer. A new meaning is coming for many of us, into the words of our Lord, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” The Christian worker who wishes an easy place is not a Christian worker after God’s pattern. The Chris tian worker who shrinks from hard knocks better go out of the business. Paul -wrote to Timothy (and the words apply to all who would be Christian workers after God’s pattern), “Suffer hardship with me as a good soldier of Jesus Christ” (2 Tim. 2:3, R.V.). The kind of hardship that is meant that we must suffer is the kind of hardship that Paul himself suffered, it is interpreted by 2 Cor. 11:24-27, “Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one, thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night
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