The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1914-10-13

those things that are coming on the
earth" duke q :25. 26) He said in
part:
Never was there such a war as there
Is at the present time Peculiar con-
dit1ons have arisen. more so than has
ever been known before In the history
OF the world. With the utter destruc-
lion of civilization impending, pres
emit conditions seem to take on a Pc
culiar force as we think of what rela-
tionship God has to all these matters.
On every hand prayers for peace are
ascending to God. Some are praying
for the success of the allied armies
which means the slaughter Of the Ger
mans, Austrians and Hungarians; 9th
ers are praying for just the reverse;
still others are praying that the war
shall not go on. All this shows great
confusion Of thought. How could all
these prayers be heard? The Master
has told US that we are to pray In ac-
cord with the Word Of God There
fore, before praying on the subject, it
would be well to determine what are
Gods purposes In regard to this war.
In order to pray In harmony with His
arrangements. Instead OF telling the
Almighty what to do, we should all
hearken to His Word, and take note of
what He says about this war and the
terrible Armageddon which will follow
1.-THE Time of Trouble such as was
not since there was a nation"
AS read my Bible with clearer eyes
than once l read it, l see so many
things different from what once
thought that | have great sympathy
with people who are confused on this
matter. AS / read the Bible, God has
foretold this very war and has indi-
Gated just what is happening today.
Through the Prophet Joel He has said
to all nations, Let the weak say,
am strong. Let the nations be
wakened, and come up to the Valley
OF Jehoshaphat''-to the Battle of the
great Day Of God Almighty. If God
prophesied this war of nations. then
we need not pray that He stop a war
which He has foretold would take place.
Surely, so far as the present war has
gone, 1t has brought greater number
to the grave than has any previous
war. Many, doubtless, will be shock
ed at the declaration that this war and
the still greater calamity to follow are
or Divine arrangement. Nevertheless,
the gathering of the nations to the
present struggle is referred to In the
Prophets words. where the weak ma
lions are called upon to assert their
strength and to go down, all of them,
to the Valley of Observation-Disclosures
wise the Valley of Graves.
In harmony with this prophecy, the
nations have for years been beating
their plowshares into swords, and
their pruning hooks into spears" In the
sense that money has been spent for
military purposes which should prop
erly have been spent in agricultural
implements and developments. APP
parently all the nations of the world
win yet be involved Happy would it
be If our own land should escape! We
are very glad to note that our Presi-
dent and our Secretary of State are
men of peace, and will surely do all In
their power to avoid complications and
war itself. Nevertheless, 1t is reason
able to expect that the great nations of
Europe. realizing how much they viii
be weakened by the war, will do all
in their power to ensnare these United
States. lest at the conclusion of the
war we should tower too much above
the other nations in financial strength
and in every other way.
Seen In Gods Plan.
But to the majority 1t is very con
fusing to think that God would bring
about any great war; There is surely
something wrong or there would not
be such perplexity; for the Lord tells
His people that they will not be in
darkness. Speaking about this Time of
Trouble, St Paul says. But We. breth-
rem, are not in darkness. that that Day
should overtake you as thief Ye are
all the children of the light, and the
children of the Day" Il Thessalonians
b1-6) Gods people should have gen.
eral information regarding His plans,
purposes and arrangements.
Only as we look at the Divine Plan
as a whole can we understand Gods
with this bloody war-and
with all war. Many have seen only
small portions of the Divine Plan, and
30 have failed to grasp the great
lengths, breadths, heights and depths
Of Gods great Purpose. But whoever
has an understanding of the great
Plan of God will ever after be able
rightly to appreciate and to locate not
only the events of today, but also ey-
that is coming; for the Bible
outlines the history of man.
The Scriptures clearly teach that our
earth is the only rebellious province in
all Gods fair creation. In this little
planet God has permitted sin to take
Is course-to bud, to blossom, to bring
'orth its fruitage-that both men and
position to the Divine Government
The Bible tells us how this world be-
,ame rebellious. 1t tells us that God |
lid not create mankind imperfect, as
We are today. Man was created per
'ect, an earthly being-in the image |
II his Heavenly Creator. in the sense |
4 having a moral character, but limit. |
ID to earthly conditions. This perfect |
nan was placed in a perfect home. in
very way adapted TO his needs. This
rdou waS aSnaoiaIlx, praDoro1 e.. a..
md he was to enjoy it. But he was |
he king of the whole earth; and there |
ore his Creator instructed him that, |
s his family increased, he was to sub |
ue the earth and develop 1t. Had |
remained in harmony with |
iod. the whole world would have be
ONE as Eden.
God foreknew just what would &C. |
ur, however. He foreknew Adams |
In and fall, as well as the mental, |
moral and physical degeneracy which
7ould result from the disobedience of |
ur first parents. He foreknew our
weakness and imperfection, our at
empts at moral, religious and mental
eform and at mental and physical
ealth- Yet He permitted all this to
ONE to pass.
Sin entered the world, and has con-
lnued to rest upon the human family
or six thousand years. This curse of
In and death is upon mankind. Gods
enalty for sin is death, and whether
comes through pestilence, famine,
var or by slower processes. matters