Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-04-16
SHOWS OPPORTUNITIES
AND SPIRITUAL DANGERS
Dr. Bowie breaches Strong Sermon at ST. Paus Epsco-
pal Church america in State of War"
Must Learn Lesson of Unselfshness

. toward taxation. The President has
urged in his message that tho cost of
| the war should be borne by this living
| generation. Upon whose shoulders.
then. shall this cost rest? Shall II fall
upon the poor man. struggling peril
ously even now TO keep himself md his
family above the margin OF subsis.
tcncc. Shall il come home TO aim in
that increase III the cost Of every daily
necessity before which he is helpless?
Or shall this taxation be laid frankly
upon those who are best able to bca"
It, since the great sacrifices they may
be called upon TO make will still be
sacrifices hat ,ouch their luXu-;ce
only" 1t is possible for the power Of
tn" strong TO fight that arrangement
humanity Is just. There viii he those
who Will seek TO pat every obstacle
in the way Of The legislation which
would tax very heavily the excess in
comes OF the rich. They who cry The
loudcst in regard TO the duty Of the
United states to fight for democracy
abroad may do the most to seek to
intrench autocracy of privilege at
hcm". But they who understand what
patriotism is will see 4 different vision.
They will understand that their greater
privilege lays upon them the high
honor of their greater sacrifice. They
will know that they can realize their
life not IN seeking TO fence about it's
soft exemptions. but will cooperate
grandiy with the nations need There
is an opcn door to spiritual salvation
here for many whose lives have been
cnfccblci with sclf-indulgcncc and
idle privilege. There are thousands os
men and women in America to-day
whose hearts are eaten out by Il rest
less sense of disquict in the midst
Of all their luNurics. and the reason is
because they know that they are con-
suming much and giving little. For
such the chance now to give much. and
to sacrifice greatly. will be their God
given opportunity to find their high
est and hottest self-rcspcct.
NATION C0NSECRATES ITSELF
To HOPE FOR ORDERED WORLD
Now. at the last. we come TO the
climax of all our thinking. Our paths
have reached to where before us We
sec the mighty suggestion OF that
which. above all. we would realize
and remember. out of the looming
shapes Of our considerations something
larger dawnS II is a hope, a dream,
and Yet il may be most true reality.
II is such Il dream as that which the
intrepid seer on Patmos beheld in his
ancient century. and il is in his words.
in the twenty first chapter of the Book
OF Revelation. that would lift up
the goal Of all our thoughts to- day:
And | saw Il new heaven and new
earth saw the Holy City. the
new Jerusalem. coming down from God
out of heaven and He that sat
upon the throne said: Behold. make
all things new"
Long ago. Al the end of a century
nlled with darkness. persecution. blood
shed and despair. the Beloved Disciple.
or one who wrote in his spirit. drew
for discouraged Christian hearts his
mighty picture of the Holy City COM
ing down out OF heaven from Coda
new society. created in holiness and
beauty. where the glory of God should
Tighten il, and where by the river and
tree of life the nations of them which
are saved shall walk. Thus to bring
heaven down 10 earth. thus to make IL
true at the last that unrightcousncss
and passion and War shall come to
their end in an ordered world. has
been tho hope for which the saints
have sacrificed and the martyrs have
died and for no lesser hope than that
must this nation consecrate Itself TO
its own high task to-day.
MUST RELIEVE THAT THIS WAR
WILL HE MADE END or WAR
oh. that into our own souls. and
into the soul of America through this
momcntouS time, the glory and the
challenge OF those ideals might SUI
prcmely enter. Much there has been
in the old world that has been dark
and full of shame. Much there has
been in ourselves of sin. OF stubborn
blindness Of worldly wrong. Hu, the
old things pass away for AN end ls
yet unrerealed. The things that we
imagined most stable in the earth are
broken up for the recasting into some
miShtier mold in those furnaces which
the fire of these tragic days has
lighted. 1t dercnds upon tho courage
and the faithfulness Of our ideals
what the world in the coming years
shall he.
Greatly we arc called upon To keep
the faith. We must believe that this
war must he made the end Of war
We must believe that it shall he car
RED through to an end that is not TO
iced the pride nor crafty the revenge
Of any people. but to shape on earth
conditions under which all may live
in honor. in happiness and in self-re-
Spcct. Out of the chaos OF tho old
| things which vanish in their smoke
and flame. the world must come in
The mystic Hastings of a faircr dawn.
And through one reliance and only
one. can this mighty faith come in
truth--"lIe that sat upon the throne
said BEHOLD, I make all things new"
Not our human contrivances. not our
human and selfish ambitions. can make
the world iii for the souls Of men 10
live in. IT can become such only il
the power which stitch upon tho
throne of our thoughts. OF our desires
! and OF our choices. shall be the living
| God.