THERE has recently been issued a song entitled the "Anthem of the Free," and the cut in the center of page 8 is a reproduction of the picture on the front of this new piece of sheet music. Both the words and music have received high commendation from various sources, and it makes a strong characteristic of these times. War is manifestly the prevailing spirit of this age, but many persons have been teaching that "our great civilization of this nineteenth century" was making the barbarities of the battle-field to be forever a thing of the past. Yet the truly beautiful theory does not agree with the actual facts in the case. The feverish spirit of war is threatening every portion of our world, and there is no disguising it. And to try to have it appear that the spirit of war is changed "when our hosts march chanting," is only to change one form of a delusion into another. The Word of God very plainly tells us that the "hosts" of earth will march to the battle of Armageddon at the close of time. And they are even now being marshaled under the controlling spirit of the evil one to march to that great and final and awful contest.
Do not be deceived. God, who is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, is not the author of this terrible spirit of war that is so manifest in these our days. And, no matter how much "our hosts march chanting," it can not alter this fact. Neither should we allow sentiment to blind us so that we can not see the truth for these times. We are in the midst of the perils of the last days, and we should be sure that all our wisdom comes from God, lest we be deceived. The Word of God makes it plain what the spirit of war in these times means. And that Word should be our constant companion and trusted guide.