Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1918-09-27

and whereby it must continue to live
and without which it will utterly per-
ISL. The bravery of our men on the
field of battle rests in both their
picty and patriotism; and if their
piety decays, their patriotism will
wither. Moreover, if the religion by
which they have been made strong
Is allowed to decline while they are
ut the front fighting for our civiliza-
ton, then the best things for which
they are giving their lives will be
lost. Christianity must be kept
strong in the homeland, or we shall
lose the war in a worse sense than if
Prussianism triumphed over us. Be
trayal of our Christian civilization
by the people at home would be worse
than even defeat of our boys at the
front.
Nevertheless, some ar pleading u
time OF war as q reason for relaxing
our moral and religious principles.
Amy sane man must know that relig-
ION cannot survive in the absence
of day of worship; and if we throw
away our American Sabbath for tn.
continental Sabbath, we do the very
thing which lies at the root of much
of the irreligion and infidelity of
Germany. That nation forgot God
when it ceased to maintain a proper
observance of the Sabbath and turn
cd the holy day into a holiday. The
same results will follow in our coun-
try if we pursue the same course,
and the Scriptures teach us that the
wicked shall be turned into hell, and
all the nations that forget God"
"God is love-" but he is also a
CONSUMING fire" In matters moral
and spiritual God is no pacfist or
neutral. lie takes the side of right
against wrong and never fails to put
down the wrong, though it be de
Tended with the heaviest artillery
and the most powerful armies.
In this time of the worlds greatest
crisis for more than Il thousand years
our people should draw nigh to God
and not drift away from him. Ahead
of many of them are great griefs
and bitter trials. They will need the
consultations of grace and the sus-
tanning power of the Holy Spirit in
their souls. Men and women who have
been chasing pleasure and diversion
to the neglect of religion will not be
able to endure the bitter distrcsses
which are 1T hand for many, for
nothing is more pitiably lacking in
fortltudc than n pleasurc-loving spir-
1T when trial and sorrow befalls il.
Cromwell's army went to battle
chanting the Psalm which says: "The
Lord of hosts is with us; the God of
Jacob is our refuge" In the same
spirit of faith and confidence should
our people now live in tins hour of
crisis and stress.
We should betakc ourselves tc
prayer to the God of battles that h.
assist our armies with the mighty
power which he holds in his hands to
the end that speedy and righteous and
lasting peace be brought to pass. We
want no peace made in Germany"
FOR that would he no more than a
truce preceding a worse war. If
Germany can get Il cessation of hos
tililies for few years and control of
l'uSsia's resources, her militarisLs
Will try aga.n the conquest of man
kind. 1t is not religion to wish for
German-made peace, for it would
mean more war. What we need and
what the world needs is Il God-madt
peace that shall end war forever and
extend over all nations the "truce of
God" never TO be broken again. We
need the pace which the Prince of
Peace only can give. For that peace
he will help us To fight if we are
faithful to him and loyal to the king
dom of heaven