CHRISTIAN AND SOLDIER.

Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14547, 26 December 1912, Page 3

CHRISTIAN AND SOLDIER.

MUST HAVE SIMILAR QUALITIES

Yesterday, at the Tournament Camp at the Show Grounds, Chaplain Captain Waltrr Bean conducted a * special Christmas service. In addition to about 400 Territorials, there were present General Godley and the officers and non-commissioned officers of thedistrict.

The chaplain took as his text ii Timothy, ii, 3: "Therefore endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. ,- Ho said that much as war was at variance with the spirit of Christianity, there were few things to which the Scriptures more frequently alluded when treating of tho spiritual life. Tiie reason was that notwithstanding all that was objectionable in the soldier a occupation, there wero many things in the personal qualities of tlie man that pertained to the noblest type of character. What made him a good soldier would, combined with other qualities, make him a good man. He proceeded to sketch the qualities which constituted a good soldier, pointing out that they were required m thd vJhristian, too. His service, must bo iiearty; to that'quality, as much as to superiority of arms and leadership, had many victories been owed. Tho question each man should put to himself should be not how little but how much lie could do. The second quality was implicit obedience to his commander's orders. It was not for, tho .soldier to enquire into the rcasonab.enoys of the command or its probable result. The third quality essential was faith in his leader, for without it he would light with but little courage. So the Christian must have faith to do work and to endure hardships of which he cannot see the purpose. "Without Mich trust one- might be tempted to di.seit his post and betray the cause lie had espoused. A fourth quality was careful training—the best trained and the most intelligent men proved the best fighters. Armies were composed of picked men, and so should Christ's army be built up of men well trained, and rejoicing in the vigorous use of all their powers. The last quality was that set out in the text: '"Therefore endure hardness." No man would enter an army in time of war, hoping thereby to gain ease and comfort; itwas understood that difficulty and hardship must bo submitted to while it lasted. If there was any significance in the term '"soldier" as applied to the servant of Christ, it did not imply that the Chrstian's was to he- a life of ease and self-indulgence. Those who enlist d in Christ's army were expected to do difficult work and to bear paintul trials for His sake. But always thero was the great Captain of their iSal-

vation ready to cjeiho them in his armour. For tho Christian, as for tho soldier, it was in tho-se and such, other qualities that the way to victory lav.

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