Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1910-12-27

much longer time than the majority
have been in the habit of listening to
| discourse. Deep eagerness was also
manifested to receive from the ushers
at the close free copies of Pastor Rus
sells Booklet on what Say the Scrip
lures About He'll" The speaker said
Eighteen centuries and more have
passed since Israel's greatest Prophet,
Jesus, sent forth his message of recon
Citation to God At the time of his
birth angel visitors, announcing him,
declared that his birth signified good
tidings of great joy which shall be to
all people" and that this would mean
peace on earth and good will amongst
men" duke ii, 10, III. Yet after
eighteen centuries these prophecies are
still unfulfilled We find the world in
more warlike condition at present than
ever before Europe has standing
| army of over a million of the picked
| men of its several nations. And even
our own country has deemed 1t neces-
sary to considerably increase its stand
| ing army. On every sea are great
| battleships requiring thousands Of
men and millions of dollars for their
up-keep not to mention the millions
Of dollars which they originally cost.
| And still more war vessels are plan
ned with greater guns, some of which
| expend thousands Of dollars for pow
| der and shells for even one days tar
get practice. 1t is safe to say, too,
| that the chief interest in and chief
backing of recent experiments in
aerial navigation come from the War
Departments of Christendom, which
see in such devices a new method Of
warfare. And the latest information
is that new torpedo has recently
| been invented more powerful, more
destructive, more terrible, than any
previous device
What means this great battle array,
| this preparation for a great struggle
| between the nations? Why do not the
nations disband their armies and dis
| mantle their navies and turn these vast
| ed energies to human profit, to making
| the earth to blossom as the rose? The
| answer is-Sin. Sin married the orig
| inal God-likeness of love in the human
heart and instead, implanted the OPP
posite disposition of selfishness. BY
heredity sin and selfishness have per-
meated our race. As we read, BE
hold. l was shapen in iniquity; in sin
| did my mother conceive me" psalm
| Ii, 81. This is true of the entire human
family We gloss the surface. We
make show of giving a little money
| for the education of the heather. We
make a little show of religious activ-
| ity in Christendom, but the great sur
| plus of wealth is spent in self-gratifica-
| tion-alcoholic beverages alone consum-
| ing MANIFOLD the amount doled out to
benevolent enterprises of all kinds.
Peace, Peace; but No Peace.
| For centuries the world has been cry
| ing out, peace, Peace; yet there is no
peace" but still greater preparation for
| war. Why? Because, despite our gloss
| of civilization, the world well knows
its own sel6shness, its own greed, it's
own thirst for power and it wisely
reasons that in others selishress and
greed similarly rule. Hence, with all
| their protestations of friendship all the
| governments of the world distrust, dis
| believe one another. And now we have
| reached a place where the disbanding
of the armies of the world would be a
| dangerous matter. Another million Of
| men thrown ON the labor market, al
ready glutted, would be dangerous.
And to leave our cities unprotected
would invite anarchy in every land.
We are not endeavoring to discourage
peace conferences and declarations. We
are merely calling attention to facts
indisputable facts.
The Scriptures graphically describe
| our present condition. They give us a
| word-painting of what is now going on,
saying, BEAT your plow-shares into
swords and your pruning hooks into
spears. Let the weak boast that they
are strong" and endeavor to keep pace
with the strong. "Come, get We down
to the Valley of Jehoshophat val
ley of death-the place of the great
struggle with which the reign Of the
| Prince of Darkness shall terminate and
which win prepare the way for Mes
siahs Kingdom Joel iii. 9-13.
Thank God for the assurances of his
Word that the great thine of trouble,
such as never was since there was
nation" which is about to burst upon
the world, whose masses are better
educated than ever before and trained
to the use of all military equipments,
win be but short struggle! The init
| nation of the Scriptures is that If
those days should not be shortened,
no flesh would survive. But for the
elects sake-by virtue Of the Kingdom
| of Gods elect being established-those
days shall be shortened. Then will
come the reign OF the Prince of Peace
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