Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-07-07

| Kew XIV. y.
The Council Of Defense of Virginia
has requested that we make our public
worship to-day patriotic service and
that ministers speak on patriotic
themes. To accedc TO this request Is
both our civic and Christian duty. II
is altogether right and natural that
on this Sunday, SO near the Fourth Of
July. our thoughts should go back In
grateful memory to forcfathers,
who in suffering and blood laid the
foundation Of our great country. and
also that our prayers and hopes aud
fears should center around the young
men who to-day stand ready To shed
their blood to perpetuate our country
as a land OF civil and religl ous Liberty.
We OF Grace Covenant shall he think
Ing to-day especially OF the hfy who
from our church have gone forth
obedient TO the call Of country and OF
Christ. May God bless and keep and
use them for His glory:
PRACTICAL LESSONS
OF THESE CHAPTERS
The conflicts Of earth arc the out
cropping OF the greater and spiritual
struggle between Christ ari satan.
John gives us "A spiritual view Of his
tory. The very word 'apocalyos-"
means unvciling. John removes tho
veil and lets US see behind the wars
aSe-long struggle between light aud
darkness. righteousness and wicked
ness. Christ and satan The present
wor!d-war. though the greatest in AL
history. is only small sect5r OF an
infinitely vastcr battle field. upon which
the Kingdom OF Christ il vagina n
tight TO tho finish against Satan's king
dom. President Wilson has called the
war "a war of the Spirit of Christ
against the powers OF evil" Adam
Roder' well-known German author.
Gays. The Pan-German view OF the
world is consciously aimed a, the root
ing out of the Christian religion ana
the system OF ethics derived from it"
Years ago Nictzsche taught that
Christianity is immoral and the mis-
blot ii out. Hence have every
right TO regard the young men who
have gone forth from this church and
all their comrades as soldiers In the
army OF christ They stand a,
Anna reddon and battle tor the Lord"
We shall say:
He died as few men GO, the chance
Fighting 20 save worlds morality.
He died the mobiles, death a iran may
Fighting for God. and Right, and Lib
And such a death is Immortality"
Satan may enter man or an in
s,itutjon or republic or an empire
even church and make i, his
tool.
SATAN SOMETIMES GETS
POSSESSION OF EMPIRE
We read In the Scriptures that
satan entered into Judas iscario,."
Satan got complete possession Of him.
lie became Satan's man. J, IS a terrible
thing for Satan TO enter into a man.
II Is Infinitely more terrible for Satan
to get possession Of great empire or
government and make II his tool
That's what Satan did TO the empire
OF Rome. Speaking of Rome. John
says that the dragon gave him his
power and his throne and great au
ttority. (Nlll 81 What "a change can
come over nation even in one gen
Grafton. In so a. r.. Paul could say
that the Roman empire was mighty all
10 him in the proclamation OF the Cos
pei. Only thirty-nve years later. in
% a. -, John says that Rome nd
become such an obstacle to the prog
rcss OF the Eospe! that God Win de-
stroy her.
We are persuaded that a great and
sinister change has come over tho Ger
man people in the last generation. We
had thought OF them as pcacc-lovins
and homelovinG. az we'll AS industri
Gus and efficient. The Germany of
forty years ago s no more. Many of
our finest American citizens came from
the old Germany. They are Mortified
at the dark and friGhtful change in
the Fatherland. Led astray by her
philosophers and the Prussan mill
tary leaders. the German nation is
now cruel. blood thirsty beast, bent
on crushing the weak and helpless
beneath her paw. We are speaking Of
the German nation as whole and not
OF individuals. many of whom are gen
tie and merciful and just. BY their
fruits yc shall know them" said our
savior In the unspcakable crueltics
and bloodshcd inflicted upon belgium.
in the Eassins of hospitals and Red
Cross nurses and in countless other
Infamous deeds. we see the fruits Of
the entrance OF Satan into a great
nation that might have flashed as a
diamond on the crown of Jesus Christ.
Satan entered. An. what tragedy!
What warning TO all. Satan may
enter your heart and mine. He may
enter your church and make the very
bride OF Christ his tool. He may en-
ter and possess our great American
ton and turn us away from God
and Christ. May the merciful God save
us from such fate!
CHRISTIANITY Is THE
WORLDS ONLY HOPE.
John sets forth this truth by means
OF two visions OF the ultimate vie
tory Of the Church. The first vision
Is found in t%II I0-l1), near the begin
ing OF the conflict And the second
vision is found in civ. 81. near the end
OF the conflict. | am convinced that
the apostle has a reason for putting
these comforting visions OF final vic
tory near the beginning and the end. ,
The reason is this: at the beginning
and again at the end Satan will put
forth his mightiest efforts to destroy
Christs Church. and hence at these
times the Church will he in spccial |!
need of assurance of final victory. |
These two visions were born OF Johns
sublime faith In God and the triumph
of Gods cause. Even at the darkes |
hour we have the assurance that evil !
will be dethroncd and good will tri- I
umph.
For right Is right, since God is God, |
And right the day will win;
TO doubt would be disloyalty
TO falter would be sin"
When we examine the content OF
these two glorious visions OF victory, |
Inor xlyhn