The Discipline of War

ipline o

SUNDAY

tions

ulation, and have washed their robes, and

lect, the perplexity which has torn the heart of mankind from the dawn of conscious life-"I believe that Jesus Christ

rmony of illumination which, though it does

the existence of suffering with the goodness of Almighty God. If there be no hereafter, then indeed suffering must be t

great purpose of progress towards ultimate perfection, which will guarantee not only an existence

ose of God the Father, formed in the eternity of

he power of God the Holy Ghost, through the life of

, promises, visions, warnings, all pointing to a continuously progressive

principle, and in its light we catch some r

rer, even in some mysterious sense was "ma

lete sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction for

Service, as if to remind us that our true spiritual and commemorative sacrifice draws all its

the world reckons these things. Oh, no! It was one of absolute self-surrender, involving untold angu

entire yielding up of the will. Thus it represents for us t

, is always more or less painful. In the early times it meant per

ationally, or individually, have been wrought out by suffering;

, to whom the lines have fallen in pleasant places, to whom success has come without effort! No! You turn to the one who has fought his way through the doubt, the difficulty, the troubl

an unerring instinct, but tenderness itself to the really distressed. He knew what it was as a lad to do field labour in poor clothes and with insuf

countless cases of bed-ridden invalids, often in intense pain, who develop an intens

y in middle life-lays the foundations of conversion. Ay, and lays them strong and deep. The soul in trouble feels

tly sufferings the War is bringing in its train, nay, in a sense, because of them, it has linked together the Empire in the closest bonds, allayed p

eon's knife is inconsistent with the tenderness of his heart. "Whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth," "God dealeth with you as with sons" (Heb. xii., 6, etc.). Our great mistake is to look upon trouble as punishment, inflicted by an angry God, and to rebel under the chastening hand. When

at suffering in its pow

rd made flesh, our Saviour born as a babe, that He might enter into all the exper

sympathy-alike it means feeling with. And in the wondrous mystery of the Church,

smuch as ye have ministered to one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me." And yet it is the Christ Who helps and sustains us

S. Paul, was yet so intimately present in and with His infant Church tha

a definitely Christian character. But may we not go a step further and try to see Christ, in a measure, in all suffering, even that of the animals?

ose time, means, gifts have gone in the shallow channel of self, now know something at least of the joy of launching out on to the broad stream of living, lo

opening out of ourselves to Him, that we may take in the full measure of His priceless sympathy. Le

d, let us be all the more diligent, ten

nt, whose lot you can brighten in very simple yet very real ways; perhaps institutions, such as Red Cross Homes, Hospitals, Belgian Hostels, to which you can render practic

be in all that is highest and purest in its life, were there

ation; suffering does discipline character, therefore, judging by results, it is not incompatible with the love of God, even though its exis

an with the thought of

hame for His name." So it has been all down the long story of the ages. And the saints are those "who have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb"; their sufferings sanctified by, and

m while they were on earth, is still enfolding them, while they, with us

l be permanent; not a mere spasm of passing enthusiasm, but a real growth into the chara

tations during the