Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-06-21

this foregleam of the power of the
| resurrection principle in life?
Making Death Glorious
In Britain and France I was over
whelmed to find that practically ev-
! erybody had suffered a personal
bereavement in the war. Countless
family lines have been cut off. En-
tire shop windows would hold only
mourning wear. One great motive
| operating against premature or
craven peace is unwillingness to let
the brave dead have died in vain.
These myriads of the fallen are a
new fact in all of our thinking. -hey
are with us as a force to inspire and
to restrain. The flower OF our life
is blooming somewhere beyond the
grave.
without controversy or discussion
or theological debate, this war has
brought an immeasurable reinforce
ment to the truth of the resurrec-
ton. In the presence of unparalleled
sorrow, we have simply waived aside
speculations and negations. and ag-
nosticism concerning the future life.
1t seems as If the world has quietly
assented to the conviction which re-
sides as a great hope in every normal
breast. and which is so clear teach
| ing of Scripture that it must be ac-
cepted unless all revealed religion be
rejected that our dead shall live
again. The risen Christ shines above
the horizon of our minds in new ma
jesty. Soldiers on the battlefield are
confident that death does not end all.
Is it to much to assert that this
war has revealed new glory in
DEATH as well as a new shame in
mere self preservation? That our no.
blest achievement of existence may
be heroic death is almost an axiom
to- day. Our former dread of death
has passed away. Soldiers are not
afraid to die that is one of wars
most interesting phenomena. I found
the feeling general among men in
action, up where the missiles of death
made incessant music, that they
gave no thought to death. Once l
walked a heavily bonn barded road
with a lad who talked of other
things entirely than the shells fall
ing about us. We are becoming in
terested in more important things
than the mere prolongation of life
such as honor and righteousness and
human service. All our old con-
ception of the aim and end of exist
ence are being revised. Our goals
are now more godlike; and we think
beyond the grave.
Breaking An Old Enemy's Power
Among the soldiers it seems as if.
almost unconsciously. sense of the
supremacy of righteousness and lib
erty and justice has effaced all petty
considerations of personal safety.
They look upon the war as God S
task for them; and as part of His
own big business in the universe. He
has gone forth to make straight for
ever some things that were crooked
in this earth. In the breaking of the
power of arrogance and might and
selfshness and injustice. he neces-
sarily pays a price. in the lives of
those who serve Him. But He re-
compenses them, now and eternally.
The battlefield creed may be called
that of the larger hope" The SOL
dier may march STUN blingly, but he
knows he is going the way of the
cross: and he is sure of the resur-
rection morning. His faith is pinned
upon the very nature of God. as he
has learned it in the character of
Jesus.
In Britain l sought out the extent
of the growth of the various phanta-
sizes. such as spiritualisrl and theoso-
ply and other forms of occultism
which has been repored as wide
spread. | found them negligible.
Britain's new sense of the life of her
dead is not based on spookish