By the Editor
Christ or Chaos
IN the early days of the history of the Church of Christ, at the time of the ten Roman persecutions, the following hymn, the earliest known Christian hymn, was sung by the followers of Jesus Christ. It was sung by men and women who, like those enumerated in Hebrews 11:
“Through their faith... wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire... out of weakness were made strong... they were stoned, they here sawn, asunder, were tempted, were clain with the sword, they wandered about in sheep skins and goat skins: being destitute, afflicted, tormented... they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.”
As they suffered they sang, as Paul and Silas in the innermost cell of the dungeon at Philippi.
The Christians’ Evening Hymn
“Hail! gladdening light, of His pure glory poured,
Who is th’ immortal Fattier, heavenly, blest,
Holiest of Holies-Jesus Christ our Lord.
Now are we come to the sun ‘s hour of rest,
The lights of evening round us shine,
We hymn the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit Divine!
Worthiest art Thou at all times to be sung
With undefiled tongue,
Son of our God, Giver of life, alone
Therefore in all the world Thy glories, Lord, they own.”
How our hearts thrill as the music of their singing comes to us today! Those who sang these exalted strains, suffered even as the martyrs suffered in Hebrews 11, and as those suffered whose story is told in the Acts of the Apostles. Stephen, with his heaven-lit face; James slain with the sword; Paul persecuted as none have ever been save the Christ he loved and served. And all around these blessed martyrs, as they lived and died, was the chaos of heathendom. A vast desert of unbelief stretching well-nigh over all the world, and the shadows of a night of sin resting upon it, and in the midst of the darkness the voices of the desert heard. The hollow roar of the lion as he seeks his prey; as the devil today goes about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. The “wild, half-fiendish laugh of the hyena,” sounding like the mockery of demons over the woes of earth, and great bird’s like evil spirits “rushing through the night-air,” that feed on human flesh. Just as the Psalmist tells us happened in Egypt when the plague of darkness fell upon the land; God sent evil spirits in the darkness to terrify the Egyptians. These were the days when the heathen gods were worshipped, when Apollo had his feast day, Diana her shrine, and Pan his grotto.
But amid all the chaos of the evil of those days, the Christ of God was worshipped. It was then as it is now, “the cross of Christ changed all it touched; death became victory; and the loss of all things here, eternal gain.”
The followers of Jesus, peaceful amid all the horrors of persecution, sublime in their faith amid all the faithlessness around them, could say in the face of judges who sought to make their good evil, “We are Christians, and no harm is done among us.” And so out of their very weakness they were made strong, no manner of dying could terrify them; they counted it joy to be bound up in the bundle of life with Christ; they realized their immortality; they knew that when Christ their life should appear, they would appear with Him in glory.
Those days are a picture of the days in which we live. Vast deserts of evil stretch everywhere around us. Instead of the worship of heathen gods and goddesses, we have the rule of the devil throughout Christendom. The laws of God and man set aside; men doing that which is right in their own eyes. Christ dethroned in human hearts, and chaos reigning. The cry of the world today concerning Christ is, “Away with Him.” “We won’t have this Man to reign over us.” One of the most awful signs of the times is the demand from a large section of our nation that Russia is to be let alone.” Russia! where even the very children are taught to renounce God. Where they are bribed never to utter His name, never to pray, never to go anywhere where they can hear about Him, except in blasphemy. Where children are taken from their mother’s arms to be brought up in Communistic schools, and all home life and parental rule is done away with. Russia! where the souls and bodies of young girls are ruined by law! Russia, whose bitter cry of despair is rending the heavens now! Russia, where a weekly periodical is being published called The Red Gospel, a caricature of our Gospel, and full of blasphemous attacks on the words of Scripture, and the Christ of Scripture; a land under the iron hand of the Bolsheviks, whose tenets are, “High wages, no work, no taxation, take other people’s property, no punishments.” These doctrines of devils are rapidly spreading in our own country; and at conferences of men engaged in labor we find resolutions of sympathy with the Bolshevists passed, and objections made to any interference with them.
Yet the people of God in Russia are turning longingly to England, praying for our prayers and sympathy. But it seems as if Satan was doing his utmost to keep Christ and His people out of that stricken land. Russia today seems to be a picture of what the world will be when Anti-Christ reigns. The spirit of this “man of sin” is filling the world with the corruption of unchecked and increasing sin. Christ is coming! and directly our Lord conies and takes His people out of the world, and the Holy Ghost returns to heaven―and that may be today―then the rule of the devil on earth will be universally manifest, and the world will be swept by the devastating fury of the wrath of God.
If ever we needed to pray, it is today. If ever we needed to work for Christ, it is today. We know it is Christ or chaos for individuals and for nations. Where Christ is set aside, room is made for the enemy of our souls to come in like a flood in this century as it was in the first. Christ gives completeness to the life, and salvation through faith in His finished work brings ordered living, and permanent joy, out of the chaos of sin and death.
Our duty as Christians is to bear witness for Christ day by day, and help to spread the knowledge of His Word over all the world. I have been asked for parcels of Russian Testaments for Russian seamen and soldiers. I have sent what I have and want more. India is eager for the Word of God. I have no Tamil Testaments. Colporteurs from Italy are sending for Italian Testaments and tracts. Hands all over the world are outstretched for the Scriptures. From France: we get requests every day. We are constantly sending to the Armies of Occupation. The children are seeking Christ. A boy writes to me: ―
“Would you please send me a Testament? I would like to ask you how I can get my sins forgiven and reach heaven when I die. —Your loving little friend, JACK―.”
A worker writes from Lancashire: ―
Dear Dr. Wreford,
There are many opportunities here while sitting about to testify for the Master. Any literature could be given here to thousands of Lancashire workmen and women if you could spare some. Only the peace of God in the heart can stop this wicked unrest. Surely the time is short; we must work while it is called today. ―Yours sincerely, M. L —.
A Chaplain in France writes: ―
Dear Dr. Wreford,
For all the Testaments and literature you have so kindly and generously sent I return my heartfelt thanks. The opportunities here are great. We have four military trains with troops from Calais to Cologne every day. But our workers are few, and I am hard pressed at present H. W. B―.