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OUR TIMES

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The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 30, 1868

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 32, No. 2.

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OUR TIMES.

By John Taylor

Popular theology teaches us that the conversion of the world is the next event in the order of God's providence. But stubborn facts indicate to us that there is not the least sign of it, even if the Scriptures were silent on the subject, which they are not; for evil and perilous times are to close earth's history; and the last dispensational truth is the coming of the “very same Jesus the Jews crucified.”
In 1866, in looking over a new commentary of the Scriptures, published the same year by the Congregational society, my attention was drawn to Rev. xx, 4–7—the 1000 years. It was there stated that as soon as the temporal power was taken away, which would be done in 1866, being 1260 years from 606, its rise, the millennium would take place. In this connection the Presbyterian churches throughout the land set apart the 1st day of last January for prayer for the conversion of the world.
Now if such prayers are in accordance with the will of God, they would be answered; but what are the facts in the case? We find by statistics that crimes of all kinds are deluging the land; as the Police News of March 7 says: “There is still no abatement to the commission of crime. From every quarter we receive information of some new deed of horror—shooting down in cold blood, rapes upon old women and young girls, and a thousand crimes besides, each worse than the other.”
In one Boston paper, of April 9, I counted twenty-one murders, rapes, and suicides. Think of that number in one paper! Another paper states in an article on “Diabolicalism”: “The cool daring with which the most diabolical crimes are committed is fearfully astonishing.” The Herald says in an article on “Breakers Ahead”: “In these days of excitement the world appears to revolve four or five times each twenty-four hours.” And again: “Maine is running a race on divorces with some of the Western States. The applications in the court dockets last fall numbered more than 500 cases; and they are increased every term.”
At a recent meeting of the Medical Association of Androscoggin Co., Me., Dr. OAKS stated, that according to the best estimate he could make, there were 400 murders produced by abortion in that county annually.
The N. Y. Tribune, on “Conspiracy Against Marriage,” says: “The illegitimate births outnumber the legitimate. The figures are too terrible to put down. * The present age ought to excel the past ages in virtue. If it does not, its immoralities are of deeper dye.”
“But is it any wonder that such a state of things should exist when Spiritualism is so rampant, with other influences, to abrogate marriage? The Boston Journal, April 17, says: HORACE GREELEY sums up as the result of a number of years' investigations and observations of Spiritualism, that men and women have not been made better by it; on the contrary they have grown lax in their notions of marriage, and divine and moral purity; that the aggregate of insanity and suicide has been increased by Spiritualism.” A good many others will agree with him.
Our world to-day is in a bad state; but is fast fulfilling prophecy. The Advocate, on the present crisis, states “The beginning is seen; but the end, which must inevitably be terrible, is not far off.” A New Orleans correspondent concludes an article as follows: “These are sad times; and the only consolation we can have is, that they cannot be any worse. * This is a sorrowful picture, and which we may suppose in no way aggravated. We are apparently on the eve of a revolution that may prove more bloody than the late civil war. What the end may be, God only knows.”
This perplexity would seem to fulfill the prophecy in Luke xxi. Harper's, on the state of the elements, says: “For three or four months past, there have been signs of violent physical agitations both of a geological and meteorological character. These unusual manifestations have attracted attention by their simultaneous occurrence in various parts of the world, and by their signal violence.” And again: “Earthquakes are of every-day occurrence. * It has been predicted that many strange things were to happen this year, 1868.”
Thus we perceive that Heaven and earth, and every thing is witnessing for the truth of God. Another great sign is the looseness in which the churches are living. The Herald of March 26, quoting from an Indianapolis paper says: “At a rehearsal of certain Tableaux Vivants, gotten up for the benefit of Christ's church, they were playing some infernal nonsense, when an exhausted maiden, all dressed in white, is kissed out of a hundred years' sleep, by a good looking young man with a silken moustache, &c., which gave offense to a lover, and a serious fight occurred.”
The Portland Press of Feb. 12 has the following notice: The New Jerusalem church on Feb. 17 will present the beautiful pantomime of Red Ridinghood.”
The Boston Herald of April 30 advertises, that “Warren-street chapel will hold a May-day Festival. Dancing to commence at 2 P. M. Fancy dancing from 4 o'clock to 5:30. Dancing to commence at 8 in the evening.”
The Methodist, the well-known paper of that denomination, published in New York, offers H. W. Beecher's novel, Norwood, as a premium for subscribers. We doubt if novels are beneficial to the cause of religion. May the Lord speedily deliver us from this into a better world, where peace, happiness, and righteousness shall eternally remain.—John Taylor in Voice of the West.