A Message for the Present Time from Calvin.
In his Institutes Calvin has a striking passage, worthy of the attention of God’s people in these days of trouble. “Neither yet,” he writes, “is there any other-where a ground of confidence. So Christ Himself teacheth, who, to deliver us from all evil and to make us invincible among so many dangers, ambushes, and mortal conflicts, promiseth that whatsoever He hath received of His Father to keep shall be safe. Wherefore we gather that they that know not themselves to be the proper possession of God shall be miserable through continual dread, and that they do very ill provide for themselves and for all the faithful, who, being blind to these advantages which we have touched, would wish the whole foundation of our salvation to be subverted.”
The Death of Lord Roberts.
The death of Field-Marshal Lord Roberts has evoked universal sorrow throughout the Empire. He had gone to France to inspect Indian troops in which he was much interested, and had caught a chill which developed into pneumonia, causing his death on the 14th November, after a short illness. Lord Roberts, who was 82 years of age, is described by those who knew him as “a humble, sincere Christian.” He was a man of decided nobility of character, and his removal is a loss to the nation.
Soldiers and Strong Drink.
One of the most saddening sights one can look upon in these times of sore stress is to see the defenders of our country staggering under the influence of drink, or the wounded so intoxicated that they cannot conduct themselves like the heroes we picture them to be when we read of their noble deeds on the battlefield. Those in authority have made appeals time and again to the public to refrain from treating soldiers, but their advice seems to have fallen on deaf ears. It should be made a criminal offence to treat soldiers, wounded or engaged in training in our country at the present time. The extraordinary step taken by Russia, of giving up her immense revenue of millions by prohibiting or stopping the sale of vodka, ought to be a lesson to this country. We naturally look for moral as well as physical discipline in the defenders of our country.
Solemn Impressions on the Battlefield.
The daily press does not, as a general rule, supply us with news as to the solemn impressions made on many in the face of death. One would infer sometimes—and no doubt there is too much truth in it—that our soldiers spend most of their time, when out of danger, singing songs and having a rather merry time, but there are many sources from which one may gather that, when men are face to face with death, their accountability to God becomes a reality. A surgeon writing to the Times describing a religious service, says:—”The men sang heartily, but when prayer for dear ones at home was being offered there were very few dry eyes among these brave men who faced death daily.” The prayers of God’s people ought to ascend daily to a throne of grace for our soldiers and sailors. God may, and can at the last hour, when time and all its interests are slipping away, snatch brands from the burning.
A Well-Timed Protest.
The following extract from the Standard, one of the leading London dailies, is of interest as one of the most outspoken utterances that has yet appeared from the secular press against German rationalism:—”For many years German criticism has been permitted to exercise in this country an immense influence over theological speculation. We have been overwhelmed by a welter of theories in the sphere of both Old and New Testament criticism—both ‘lower’ and ‘higher’—of Eschatology, of Christology, of Christian origins, of primitive Christian institutions, and the like, all ‘made in Germany.’ Many of our English divinity professors, university lecturers, and writers of religious literature have been busy expounding these Teutonic notions as though they constituted a fresh revelation of truth. From the universities they have spread to the schools, to societies for religious study, to Church reading unions, and even to the systems of religious instruction framed for children. Every effort has been made to popularise them far and wide. Recently, however, there have been observable the beginnings of a reaction; accepted assumptions are called in question under the pressure of hostile facts. English and American scholars are growing restive under German domination, and critics who certainly could not be described as conservative are in revolt against the extremes and extravagancies of Teutonic dogmatism. The disillusion was bound to come; the only cause for wonder has been the long run enjoyed by so gigantic an imposture. The latter term is not too strong to be applied to a systematic attempt to palm off, as embodying the results of ‘scholarship,’ a number of speculative theories really dictated by unbelief in the Christian Revelation, and a determination to eliminate the miraculous from human history.”
A Sword Sharpened to make a Sore Slaughter.
The Glasgow Herald of 10th October gives a brief report of a speech by Mr. H. Verbrugghen, a Belgian, made at a concert promoted by the Glasgow and West of Scotland Infant Mistresses’ Association in aid of the War Relief Fund, in which he advocates the holding of concerts for such purposes. He informed his audience that in Switzerland the theatres and picture houses were closed, and that France, face to face with the dread horrors of war, was not so inclined to gaiety as formerly. The Swiss are showing a commendable spirit, and we are very certain if we also had a taste of war at our own doors, those who listened to Mr. Verbrugghen’s speech would not thank him for its advice. Of old it was proclaimed to a heaven-defying race—”A sword, a sword is sharpened, and also furbished; it is sharpened to make a sore slaughter; it is furbished that it may glitter; should we then make mirth?” The gaiety and mirth of the music hall and concert room are sadly out of keeping with the present troublous times.
Saved by a Testament.
The Glasgow Herald of 30th September contains an article by Mr. David Perry, descriptive of a visit which he paid to hospitals for wounded soldiers in Paris. In the course of the article he tells of an interview with one of the wounded soldiers. “He had a very interesting little story to tell me. He handed me a small book which I found to be a Pocket Testament published by the National Bible Society. There was a scar torn right across the cover. This book was in his left breast pocket. A bullet struck it and glanced off, striking him on the neck. Here again he had luck, because instead of entering the neck it had merely cut a track about three inches long which was already healing. He said he would never part with that little book as long as he lived.”
A Bad Way of Raising Money for the Relief Fund.
We cull the following cutting from the Glasgow Herald (10th October):—”The General Finance Committee of Glasgow Corporation yesterday granted an application by the Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts in connection with their proposal to open their annual exhibition of pictures and sculpture in the M’Lellan Galleries, Sauchiehall Street, on Sunday afternoon, from 2.30 till 5 o’clock. No charge of admission will be made, but a collection in silver in aid of the Relief Funds will be taken. The arrangement will come into operation to-morrow.”
The late Pope.
It would appear that the boasted unity of the Church of Rome does not exist in the high counsels of the Vatican, wherever else it exists. A note last month throws some light on the plans and schemings that take place in the election of a Pope, and the following extract from the same article speaks for itself:—”Another who had been an influential elector of Pius X., was heard in his last days moaning in a pitiable voice: ‘And to think that I have been instrumental in bringing upon the Church such a curse.’ Cardinal Vives Y Tuto himself who, although a really holy man, for whom I had a full respect, had been driven into the ‘trio’ with Merry del Val and De Lai, did not cease from crying in his last illness: ‘We have indeed destroyed the Church.’ In order to neutralise the impression of this solemn disavowal, the charitable Auria, by a genial device, spread the report that he had become mad, and put him under practical sequestration.” There is something supremely ludicrous in hearing Cardinals lamenting that through their vote they had been the means of electing a Pope whose policy was a curse and destroying the Church. To crown it all, we are told that “the attitude of most Cardinals was one of impatient expectation that ‘God should please in His mercy to recall to Himself’ the deleterious Pope, in order that they could sweep away the hated Merry del Val and his clique, in the most drastic way.”