THE present condition of things in the world at large, in the professed Christian church, and in our own denomination, moves us to make an earnest effort to arouse our people to an appreciation of the solemn significance of our position, and to call upon them to wait earnestly upon the Lord for a quickening of our faith and zeal in this message.
There are troublous times in the world. There is a manifest spirit of unrest among the people of many countries. They do not realize that they are being stirred by a power from beneath in preparation for the final conflict. Recent disclosures in the financial and political world indicate such a disregard of moral standards and such a weakening of moral character as cause surprise and alarm in the minds of those who do not know that we have come to the perilous times which are to characterize the last days. It seems that men's hearts are already beginning to fail them for fear of the things that are coming.
In the professed Christian church there has been such a spirit of compromise with the world, and such a departure from the fundamental truths of a Biblical Christianity, as show plainly that the prophecies concerning the complete fall of Babylon are now being fulfilled, and that the call should now be sounded forth to come out of her.
At the same time we are conscious of the lack of that spiritual life and power which ought to be revealed in our own churches, and which ought to accompany the proclamation of the third angel's message as the hope of deliverance from these evil times. We therefore feel impelled to make this appeal to our brethren in official positions, to our brethren in the ministry, and to our brethren and sisters in the churches, to take these things to heart, and to seek for a real revival of primitive religion among this people. We need it for the glory of God and His truth. We need it for the sake of those millions to whom this message is to be proclaimed. We need it for the sake of our own souls. We need it in view of the experiences which are just before us. We shall earnestly pray that God will stir the hearts of His people to wait upon Him for it.
