The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-10-30
Military thai;,ains.

we deeply SIltlElthi"e "l'i "'' ''l"7'
ambassadors Of the "Princ" Of Hcacc'
who are called upon to act as war
chaplains. The preparations and
training for eNpcrtncSs in human>
butchery that the man Of G"d, if h" hr
such, and have amy conscience, must
feel sadly out of place, amid the din OF
the camp and the strains of marital.
music, so different from the song O.
the angels at the birth Of Him who
came not to destroy mems lives, but to
save them, and so very different from
the soft, sweet music Of the redeemed
in Heaven. When he looks upon the
deep-mouthed cannon and the glitter
ing bayonet, and remembers the pur-
nose for which they arc made, ana
then remembers the words of Jesus;
"But say unto you that yc resist not
evil: but if 4 man smitc thee on one
check, turn to him the other also"
When in his morning devotion he
prays "dcliver us from cvil,' how his
faith must Ealter when nc remembers
that he has voluntarily put himself in
the way of evil. When he plays
"rhy kingdom come," lie sees very
much more evidence of the reign OF
Satan than of God. When he prays
"Thy will be done on earth, even as it
is done in heaven,n he sees much more
evidence around him that the will Of
Satan is being done OH earth than the
will of the Lord. When he prays
'forgive us our trespasses, even as we
forgive those who tlcspass against us,
he knows that he is asking God to take
vengeance on him and those with
whom he is associated, for that is what
he and they are trying to do to those
whom they call their enemies. When
an engagement is pending, and he
prays the Lord to direct their missiles
TO the hearts and heads OF their enc
mics, he Knows that lie is praying to
a God who has said thou shalt not
KILL" and in the name of y Saviour
who has said, Glove your enemies" If
he praps, Lord, be merciful to these
with whom l am associated, but help
us to inflict swift and speedy ven
reance on those who arc arrayed
against us,n and then remembers that
Jesus has taught, "Blesscd are the
merciful, for they shall obtain mercy, /"
and remembers also that the Bible, \
COPY of which is in his hand, or in his
pncket, teaches that "GOd hath made
of one blood all the nations Of tho
earth," it may awaken doubts i'll his
mind whether God will hear and an
swcr his prayer against his brothers, or
not. And then possibly the Holy
Spirit may bring to his recollection the
truth that "whatsOever is not OF Jun,
rs siU.'' If the army with which he
is associated should send out foraging
party, and he should he called upon to
pray for their success, and then re-
members that the God to whom he is
praying has said, "Thou shalt not
steal" and '"Thou shalt not covct any
thing that is thy ncighbors's," itplac-
es him in an exceedingly embarrassing
position. If his military commander
sends out squad Of men to cut Off the
enemy's supply of food and water and
he is called upon to pray for their sue,
cess, how can he do 50 in the face G.
Gods positivc command, "if thy enc
nv hunger, feed Him; if lie thirst,
rive him driuk.n Poor man; how
pitiablc is his lot.
If soldier has conscientious con-
victions about obeyinG the orders Ct
his officers which require him TO kill
and rob his fellow. men for whom
Christ died, and comes to the chaplain
for advice as to What he must do under
the circumstances the chaplain dare
not read from the Bible the advice
which John the Baptist gave the sol
diers who came to him: ''D0 pi0-
lence 10 no man, for that would be
teaching them insubordination to their
military officers, and render them per-
fectly worthless as soldiers.
If he is called upon to administer
spiritual comfort to sick, or wounded
or dying soldier, although the soldier
at the time of his enlistment and sub