A MARVEL OF THIS MARVELOUS AGE.
By T.
THIS is a most marvelous age. Wonderful things have been accomplished. It never occurred to those living at the beginning of this century that the year nineteen hundred would find us in communication with all parts of the world by railroads and telegraphs. Our electric lights and our machines for doing almost every kind of work, may be mentioned as wonders of a wonderful age. But of all the remarkable achievements of this time there is nothing that outranks the battle-ship. Hardly four decades ago it was considered impracticable to float an iron-clad with armor thick enough to be of any practical defense. But the civil war in this country afforded an opportunity for the iron-clad to be tested. And naval men were quick to catch the idea of what might be done in the way of covering their men-of-war with an iron coat of mail. To-day the great battle-ship wears steel armor of from twelve to eighteen inches. No longer ago than 1860 it would have been considered an impossibility for any gun to be built that could pierce such a coat of steel plate. A man would have considered himself perfectly secure behind such powerful fortifications. But, along with the marvelous increase in the armor of modern fighting ships, has been the equally marvelous advancement in the building of high-power guns. At a distance of only a mile or so, the 16-inch cannon, shown in our engraving a few weeks since, would easily throw its ponderous projectile clear through the battle-ship, despite her heavy steel armor. It is hard to realize what amazing things have been done during the last three decades in the direction of producing implements of5war. Our whole world is rushing so furiously along, and men have become so intent in looking only at what they are actually doing to-day, that they have but little sense of how far they have been driven away from the conditions of thirty and forty years ago. Stop awhile to consider; make some comparisons. Ask yourself seriously, What does this all mean? Why such awfully superhuman efforts and achievements in producing the machinery of war and death? And why is it all sprung upon us so suddenly, as if a beast of prey from a hidden lair? Peace societies have been formed and are working to do away with wars—and may God speed them in every true endeavor to promote peace—but still the spirit of war never was stronger than it is to-day. Many have claimed that these terrible war machines for killing people are become so fearful in their destructive powers that nations will not go to war because of the dreadful carnage that will be wrought. But there is nothing to indicate it. Men show themselves to be even more ready to fight to-day than at any period of the past. All this means something. Have you thought about it? The God of heaven can not be stirring it up; for He presents Himself to us as the Prince of Peace. He who bids us “put up thy sword,” and “love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you,” is not inspiring men to devise these instruments for wholesale slaughter. But there is one that the Word of God tells us “was a murderer from the beginning.” And we should know that this unprecedented spirit of war is coming from him, and not from the God of love and mercy. Every line of prophecy, and all of the signs of our times, show that the second coming of Christ is very near. And in this time it should be remembered that the “spirits of devils” are “working miracles,” to deceive the whole world, so that all will plunge into the “battle of that great day.” It is indeed awe-inspiring to be living in such a time as this. And we should heed the warnings of God, and appropriate His promises, so as to stand with Him and for Him in these thrilling days, and thus be kept from the disposition to fight, that Satan has seemed to breathe into the very air. It is only by the power of God that we may be kept. And we will praise His name forever that He keeps every one who commits his case to the divine care. T.