Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1918-07-17
The WAR AND THE BIBLE.
Interesting Paper Read at Pomona
Grange Meeting.
BY Mrs. Mildred Vessel of North Brooks
viIle.l

There is no subject quite so vital and in
teresting to as ali to-day as the world war
that Is on In ALL its fury. As topic IL has
many phases, bot want to speak OF u q
little in its relation to bible prophecy.
We all know there IL an acute crisis In
the affairs OF the world, for never before
In its history have such vast srmies OPP
posed each other on the baths iieid, never
mas wNfare been SO deadly and never
such loss in dead aud wounded, to say
nothing OF the vast expenditure OF money
and equipment.
Let US take, Tor instance, the casualty
list OF dead, wounded and prisoners from
August /, 1914, TO August /, 1915, as esti-
mated by those who study the copse-
quenees OF war. Prussia leads 10 greatest
ioss, $4,000; Germany second. with a
loss OF 4,SoI, rs; France third, 3s7y, 600;
Austria fourth, ASS, 80: England1iftn,
SCI ,2io; and other countries with losses
in the thousands. And this for two years
only. What the loss has been SINCE we
scarcely dare to estimate, but we know
there is still no end.
Sow, all OF this, with other almost in-
Vulnerable events, causes men and women
to &c very thoughtful ana grave, and in
tins hour OF terrible stress, we turn to the
word of the living God; from the uncer-
tsinty OF the times, to the surs word of
prophecy. Through all the ages past
Gods word has been light which all
men could follow with confidence and
hope, and IL is Just as sure and true to-day
as then.
W. w. stetson said: ''opinions have
value, convictions mold the world"
There is growing conviction with people
to-day that we are living 10 the last days
OF this age. As one writer has said:
This war has separated the past from the
present by a heavy curtain. Whenever
and however 1t may come to an end, II IL
clear we are through with the old order OF
things and new one will have TO take its
place"
Another says: ave are faced by a catas-
trophe involving the whole OF the human
race, we have before our eyes the declining
twilight Of one world, preceding the dawn
of another and a new, that Is, kingdom
VI AUG tNNEAh%AAhk
dom Of our Lord ana Savior is about to
come upon the earth.
Why are men convinced these things
are sol Because so many things that we
see about Us to-day coincide exactly nth
what God said would happen Ia the last
days. Take the increase OF knowledge
spoken OF in Dan. l2-ii. Consider isw
of these-the telephone, telegraph, cable
lines, wireless steamships OF enormous
size, railroads lot these IL IL said we have
nearly 100000 miles, enough TO belt the
gloor forty timesl, automobiles, Rirships,
and many other inventions. Then the
disasters that have come to our world the
Last tew years. read the other dag that
In the year 1917 there were twcnsy eight
calamities, these including earthquakes,
tornadoes, foods, explosions, with great
loss OF lite and money. These are fore,oid
in Matthew, Marx and Luke. Then
Chris, said: This gospel OF the Kingdom
shall be preached in all the world tor
witness unto all nations, and then shall
the end come" Matt. 24-la.
This is the first time in the history of
man when the whole world, with Its many
peoples, has become universally known.
The missionary movement rs world wide.
and the demand for bibles greater than at
any previous time in its existence. can
only touch upon these aspects among the
many apparent opes.
In closing, Is II too much to hope or
believe that the new kingdom that IL
coming will be glorious one, when sin
and misery will be removed, all things
be made new. and the earth III, n ~.