Smokeless Powder.
One of the notable inventions in the grim series that was supposed to be making war so terrible that it would be impossible was smokeless powder. The old-fashioned powder was in one way a merciful device. It raised a tremendous cloud, so that each set of combatants was speedily prevented from seeing the other set through a thick veil of its own making. A blessed halt was necessary ever and anon, till the wind bore the clouds away.
But smokeless powder prevented all that. It kept the air clear, so that our side (for instance), having located the enemy, could fire away at them quite indefinitely without obscuring their own vision. And the enemy would have no smoke whereby to discover our batteries.
Now, however, comes the discovery that the flash of smokeless powder may be discerned easily through red glass, while the other features of the landscape are dimmed thereby. The commanding officers have now merely to arm their field-glasses with red screens, and they can point out the sharpshooters before they have done much damage. Thus are inventions balanced by inventions.
I am not much interested in the literal question of smokeless powder. Some day, I hope, the world will relegate all such matters to the dark ages of which they are the unworthy survivals. What I find of interest is the application of all this to the spiritual life.
For how often we think to use smokeless powder in our dealings with our fellow men! We shoot out against our neighbors thoughts of envy, of covetousness, of malice, and we think that no one sees; there is no smoke from that fire. We pass along a bit of gossip or a piece of slander; but it is smokeless powder we are using, and we are safe. No one will discover us. The ball will speed on its deadly way. Happiness will be slain, fortunes will be battered down, reputations will be torn to pieces by a bursting shell. But no one will suspect us. No one will spy us out.
Ah, there is One to whose vision smokeless powder is as plainly marked as powder that comes out and declares itself openly! There is a Captain on the field that knows all secrets, pierces all disguises, perceives all ambushes. There is no smokeless powder in the world of clear seeing where He dwells!