8

1

8

download/literature/watchtower/1915-23.pdf

/../literature/watchtower/1915/23/1915-23-1.html

NovemsBer 15, 1915 one tell us what we should do, or should not do. However, emergencies might arise in which we would have the right to allow mercenary considerations to have their weight—if, for instance, because an employee should fail to contribute it would bring him into disfavor with his employer, so that he might lose his situation, or if a business firm found that they might be boycotted unless they contributed liberally, we believe that they would have a right to treat this matter from a commercial THE WATCH TOWER (347-355) basis. The giving to the Red Cross Society would certainly not interfere with anybody’s conscientious scruples. An examination of the Canadian Militia Act shows that certain persons are exempt from military obligations; viz., Judges, Government clerks, Telegraph clerks, Revenue clerks, Wardens of Prisons and Asylums, Policemen, Firemen, College professors, the Clergy, the son of a widow and persons averse to military service on religious grounds. AMOS THE FEARLESS PROPHET [This article was a reprint of an article entitled “Seek the Lord and Ye shall Live,” published in issue of September 1, 1904, which please see.} VoL. XXXVI BROOKLYN, N. Y., DECEMBER 1, 1915 No. 23 VIEWS FROM THE WATCH TOWER WAR MAY END IN EXHAUSTION The renowned German Socialist paper Vorwaerts calls on warring nations to announce their aims and makes the following stirring appeal: “Premier Asquith’s exposition of the objects of the war last Fall was lacking in clearness and full of phrases, but at any rate, it was more specific than his assurance now that England is determined to continue the war to a successful end and to exhaust all her resources to attain the common highest goal. Less hazy is France’s new man, Briand, in stating the object of driving the enemy out of the occupied provinces, including Alsace-Lorraine; but Briand, too, soon loses himself in clouds of rhetoric when he says that France will not make peace till justice is reéstablished by victory and all the guarantees of a lasting peace obtained. “One would think that after fifteen months of the world’s most terrible war, statesmen would be able to give a more specific answer to the question, and make it clearer to the peoples for what purpose they are shedding their blood—what goal has been set, and for what prize they are struggling. ‘Che defense of the Fatherland, freedom, justice, kultur—all that no longer suffices today. These are words which each may interpret as he likes, and it is really high time to speak more intelligently and to the point. “Tt seems almost as though both parties to the war feared to betray their plans to each other, for it is not only France and England that shroud their war goal and peace conditions in fog; the German Government is no less reticent; and still more, whenever expressing itself as to the purposes of the war, confines itself to generalities which may be in place in firing soldiers with courage before a charge, but which do not serve to disseminate the necessary clarity as to Germany’s final intentions, either at home or abroad. “Stories about peace wishes and peace efforts of the German Government are being officially branded as false. Von Biilow is in Switzerland for rest and recreation, and Solf {the Colonial Secretary] only wants to visit his dear friends in Holland and once again eat good white bread. It isn’t true, either, that the imperial] Chancellor, in presence of Tom, Dick, or Harry, named the acquisition of Belgium to the Meuse line, the annexation of Courland, and 30,000,000,000 marks indemnity as peace conditions. Well, for the past twelve months we have heard what isn’t true; can they take it badly of us if we would like for once to hear what is true, what the German Government really does consider its object in the war game? “It cannot be the case forever that battle after battle is fought, that great armies are led against one another in new theatres of war, without the people learning what has been attained, and what still must be achieved in order that the peace bells may ring. “The others, they tell us, must sue for peace, for we are the victors; but unfortunately the others don’t consider themselves the vanquished, and no result is reached. The war continues indefinitely because both parties fear to place limita to their demands and speak them out for fear that the announcement of the object: for which they are fighting will be interpreted as a sign of weakness. It may go so far that this war will end with the complete exhaustion of all parties, because no one cared to say under what specific conditions it was prepared to end it. If this is to be prevented, then all the Governments must at least leave the realm of rhetorical generalities, and confess their concrete programs, and if, confused by the changing fortunes of war, they are not able any longer to picture to themselves clearly the objects of the war, let them open up the floodgates of public discussion, Then we shall soon have clarity and, we hope, peace.” * * * Too much courage, too much pride, is surely leading those in control of the world’s affairs—in harmony with the divine prediction—on to exhaustion. We behold the ripe manhood, the flower of Europe, going down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat—to the Valley of Death—the cemetery valley of Jerusalem, (Joel 3:2, 12) And while we see the wealth of the world being wasted, our hearts would be so very, very sick if we did not have the assurance of God’s Word respecting the grand outcome of universal blessing through Messiah’s kingdom, which is to follow the great turmoil of Armageddon! Well did Jesus predict that men’s hearts would be failing them for fear and for looking after the things approaching! Well did he say to us as his followers, ‘When ye see these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your deliverance draweth nigh!” (Luke 21:25-28) We rejoice not in the trouble, which surely saddens every tender heart. But we do rejoice that, since the world will be prepared for the grand change of government in no other way than through “a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation” (Daniel 12:1; Matthew 24:21), Messiah is about to stand forth, clothed with divine power, to take to himself his great power and reign for the blessing of all the families of the earth. PROPER MORTIFICATION OF THE BODY “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die; but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.”— Romans 8:13. Many times have the children of the Lord read these words of the Apostle. Many times have his true saints pondered over their solemn import. Many times, too, have those less saintly read them, and instead of taking the lesson to themselves, have applied them to their worldly neighbors and allowed the lesson to lose its force upon themselves. But the most saintly of God’s people need, as the Prophet declared of Israe] of old, “precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little and there a little.” (Isaiah 28:10, 13) Our poor earthen vessels are very leaky and fragile, and need constant replenishment from the great fountain of truth and life. So let us again ponder over these gracious words of the Lord’s mouthpiece and have their lesson impressed more deeply upon our minds. St. Paul is here addressing the VI—68 Church of Christ only. He is not addressing the world. The church have entered into a solemn covenant with the Lord to lay down in sacrifice earthly things, the earthly nature. The Apostle assures us that if we succeed in faithfully laying down our earthly life with all its hopes and prospects, we shall live. It is not merely that we shall covenant at the beginning of our Christian course to do this, but we must carry out to its completion this mortification of our body—the deeds of the body. The body with its deeds represents all the human interests— not merely the weaknesses and infirmities of our fallen condition, and our sinful tendencies. Those, of course, we are to mortify. We are to deaden these at once, as far as is possible. But we are also to sacrifice the earthly interests which are not [5805]