THE KING’ S BUSINESS 869 invalid sister). I managed to get leave from the front but they would not give Cameron leave. I think Pat’s death was a serious blow to father though in the face of the world he ,steeled his heart and ‘carried on.’ That was a sad blow to me. *1 was so proud of him and I should have liked to bring him home safe to his mother. He won earthly glory though he never lived to know it, for he was ‘mentioned in despatches’ the other day. But proud as, we are of that, we glory more in the fact that his men saw in him a true follower of Jesus Christ. Father sends his love, he is too weak to write.” Fifteen days later came the letter announcing the death of the father. He had had trouble with-his heart for years and the sudden killing of his beloved youngest son proved too much to bear and killed him. Thus war brings death not only to the brave lads in the trenches but to the fathers and mothers and sisters at home. Is war of God? No! O f “ him that hath the power of death that is the d'evil” (Heb. 2:14). And the proud#rulers who instigate war, and the great generals on the side that is responsible for the war, are ambassadors of the devil. When a war is ended it is only just begun. Its wounds The Aftermath and scare last for years or even centuries. Many of of War. the wounds of the Civil War in the United States are still bleeding. But who can measure the lasting evils of the present war that will blight and curse almost every nation in Europe for many years to come. The very flower of the young manhood of England, Scot land, France and Germany, and other lands- withered and buried. Millions of women doomed to the sorrow of being perpetually childless; many thousands of women doomed to the most awful infamy and agony that can overtake women—prostitution. That followed the Franco-Prussian War and will fol low this. Countless thousands of men are blinded, crippled, hideously maimed for life, and many thousands more insane. A staggering burden of debt and taxation that will spell practical pauperism for the mass of the people in Eng land, Scotland, France, Austria and Germany for half a century. Universal mutual suspicion and hate among nations during the life-time of the present generation, if the Lord tarries. The paralysis of educational and philanthropic and missionary enterprises for years. Surely war is the devil’s masterpiece, next to unbelief in God’s Word, which lies at the foundation of all war.
The doctrine is being widely taught in England, even in circles supposed to be evangelical, that the man who lays down his life for his country will be saved by so doing, and not only gain earthly glory but eternal
The Only Way of Salvation.
glory. No soul-destroying lie was ever taught that was more clearly and cer tainly a lie than that. Men are not saved by laying down their lives for their country, nor by anything else that they can do (Romans 3:20; Gal. 3.T1-13). Men are saved on only one ground, the atoning death of Christ (Romans 3:20-- 26), and on only one condition, viz., that they believe on Him who shed His blood for them (Romans 3 :26), and prove their faith by confessing Him before the world (Romans 10:9, 10), A man can die the bravest death on the battle field and go straight to eternal perdition (2 Thess. 1 :7-10). Let us save men by telling them truth, no matter how unpopular, not deceive them and damn them by telling them lies no matter how popular.
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