To souls in jeopardy.
What will the Church do with the men when the God of Battles gives the remnant back to us? We shall have to make room for them. They will want a simple and strong religion. Something to call forth and use the heroic in them. They will not stay in the Church if there is 'nothing doing,' for they are intensely practical.
To recapitulate. The war has shown the political unimportance of the Churches in Europe. The Will of God was not expressed clearly enough or sufficiently by them to prevent the war. The World was stronger than the Church and imposed its will upon the Church.
Now that we are at war, the Churches are still divided in their witness for righteousness. Even the Church, which, beyond all others, calls itself Catholic, is not catholic in the sense of unity, for it speaks with different voices in Austria, Belgium, Germany, and France. The Church which calls itself Orthodox has failed to give the people a lead in Russia. With us the lack of unity in the Christian Church has weakened its testimony in the nation and marred its work in the Army. Once more, therefore, in the history of the world, the King of Righteousness, who is also the Prince of Peace, is recalled in human life as the God of Battles.
Still, He will make the wrath of men to serve Him, and He will gird the soldier to execute His purposes, unconsciously, it may be, as He girded and used Cyrus the Persian: 'I girded thee, though thou hast not known Me' (Isa. xlv. 5). In spite of the failure of the Churches, He is setting up His kingdom of Brotherhood and righteousness in the earth.
Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord;
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored;
He hath loosed the fatal lightning of His terrible swift sword:
His truth is marching on.
He hath sounded out the trumpet that shall never call retreat;