Teer When the ungodly shall, shall Lord will raise up a standard agai the spirit of the him."
HIS text stands at the head of a challenging article in a church paper received from Home last week. The article opens: "It is as a flood—hungry, angry, relentless—that the enemy of all peaceful and merciful things has overwhelmed little countries and helpless folk. Fighting under the banner of the cross perverted (the swastika), he employs every method and machinery that the devil or man' can devise to dominate or to destroy the world."
"But," it continues, "against the flood of darkness, lust and terror, is upraised a standard which neither the devil nor man can overthrow—the Cross of Christ—thie spirit of sacrifice.
Here is the sign of victory won through defeat, of strength springing out of weakness, of light shining in darkness—unconquered and unconquerable."
These are perhaps the most critical days in the world's history. After all the centuries of progress and enlightenment, we have returned to conditions that prevailed 2,000 years ago. Whole nations have been given over to battle and murder and sudden death. We know the terror that flieth by night and by day. The evil flood has submerged most of Europe and threatens the world. The whole resources of the Empire are being mobilized to stay its course, and it is deeply significant that the banner under which we fight is a threefold cross, as if by a threefold emphasis it would teach that there is no gain without loss and all true service is sacrificial and redemptive. Again the Cross is in the field. In this sign we front the forces of evil. By the pa way of the Cross we shall come to victory. We do well to pray in the words of the hymn for St. George's Day:—
"Lord, our Motherland empower, That ensued with strength divine, She may evermore with courage Bear the standard tnat is thine.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.