The Discipline of War: Nine Addresses on the Lessons of the War in Connection with LentPotter, John Hasloch
Religion
The Discipline of War: Nine Addresses on the Lessons of the War in Connection with Lent
Potter, John Hasloch
World War, 1914-1918 -- Sermons
But when the Allies triumph, what then?--the discipline of victory.
Think for one moment of what the victory of Christ meant, as the
ratification of the treaty signed upon the Cross, in the very hour of
apparent defeat. It meant for you and me all that is included in the
words "the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; the means
of grace and the hope of glory." The resurrection puts the seal to the
great charter, commenced at Bethlehem, indited page by page through the
wondrous life of three and thirty years, closed, as to its earthly side,
on Calvary, sealed, signed and delivered on Easter morning. In the power
of that treaty of peace you and I live, day by day; secure except for
our own carelessness; beyond all possibility of hurt from spiritual
enemies, unless by our own traitorous dealings with them. The victory
was complete! "He hath put all enemies under His feet"; the victory is
permanent, for, "death hath no more dominion over Him."
In these Addresses we have said much about those large results which God
is allowing us already to see as obviously coming out of the war; on our
Day of "Humble Prayer to Almighty God" we solemnly thanked Him:
For the laying aside of controversies at home, and for the unity of
the Nation and Empire;
For the loyal and loving response of our fellow-subjects beyond the
seas;
For the full harmony between our Allies and ourselves, and for the
success which has already been granted to our common efforts;
For the devotion of those who have laid down their lives for their
country;
For the revelation in danger, in suffering, and in death, of the power
of the Cross and the benefits of the Lord's Passion.
Now remains the question, Are the results to be permanent? That entirely
depends upon our attitude towards the discipline of victory; or how we
are going to behave ourselves in the hour of success. It is written
concerning Israel, "The Lord saved them from the hand of them that hated
them: and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy. Then believed they
His words, they sang His praise. They soon forgat His works: they waited
not for His counsel." God willing we shall ere long be singing our Te
Deum; oh! yes, we shall do it with all our heart and soul; but how are
we to fix the emotions, to render permanent that thankfulness which we
shall really feel. The Israelites "waited not for His counsel." They
failed, that is, under the discipline of success. Victory is given that
it may be used for good, just as much as failure is sent that we may
rise on "stepping-stones of our dead-selves" to fresh endeavour.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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