420 / Christianity and War

which work for them, "a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory: while they look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen." 2 Cor. 4:17, 18. They look with the spiritual eye-with the eye of faith, to those things which are invisible to the bodily eye-they lay up "treasures in heaven;"-and as Christ the captain of their salvation, who is rich, yet for their sake became poor, so that he had not a place where to lay his head; even so must his followers not trust in the uncertain riches of this world,-yea, shall they not rather suffer the spoiling of their goods, "knowing in themselves that they have in heaven a better and an enduring. substance." Heb. 10:34.

Therefore let Christians look to Jesus for comfort, who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame.-Let them consider him, who, without taking revenge, endured such contradictions of sinners against himself, herein also "leaving us an example that we should follow his steps." He was despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, he even suffered his enemies to spit on his holy and innocent face; he was scourged:-"the plowers plowed upon his back and made long their furrows." Ps. 129:3.-they smote him in his face with the palms of their hands -they crowned him with thorns-they mocked him as a king, putting a reed in his hand, which signified a scepter, and kneeled before him, saying: "Hail, King of the Jews."-They took the reed and smote him upon his head-they led him forth as a lamb to the slaughter, and nailed him to the cross, where he suffered the most ignominious death; although he had power, that he might have prayed to his heavenly Father and he would, presently have given him "more than twelve legions of angels." Matt. 26:53. Yet in all his painful agony and suffering he threatened not, but even prayed saying: "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do;" thus, "leaving us an example that we should follow his steps."

All who would live Godly in Christ Jesus, must suffer persecution, as Paul says; "being reviled we bless, being persecuted we suffer it, being defamed, we entreat; we are made as the filth of the world and are the offscouring of all things." 1 Cor. 4:12, 13. Such were the sufferings of the Christians in the days of the apostles, and in this they imitated their master. Paul says: "Be ye followers of me as I am of Christ." The terms of Christianity, since then have not been changed,-the same words still hold true: "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." Never once in the whole New Testament, do we find that the followers of Christ took up arms to slay their enemies, but many thousand Christians since the days of the apostles have suffered martyrdom from their cruel persecutors, and for no other reason, than simply, because they differed from them in their religious sentiments, one point of difference among others, being this, viz.: That they denied that it was lawful for a Christian, according to the doctrine of Christ and his apostles, to take up arms and destroy the lives of his enemies.

But what shall we think of those who profess to be Christians, and who belong to the same denominations, and churches, some of whom are living in the North and some in the South, who are now engaged in seeking to destroy each other with the instruments of death, by thousands on the battle field?