The World's Crisis Imminent
By WM. PENNIMAN
ADVENTISTS are not the only ones who take the position that the world is not growing better or ripening for the millennium. General Nelson A. Miles says: “There never was a time in the history of the world when so much ingenuity and wealth were devoted to war purposes, and what I have seen does not indicate that the millennium is at hand, when swords will be beaten into plowshares.” Even Talmage, who was a noted optimist, said, a few years ago, that “for the past twenty-five years there had been two conversions, and four backsliders.” There are many accessions to the churches, but how many of them are truly converted? Profession is cheap, possession is dear. Many in the different churches, including preachers and learned writers, are compelled to admit the truthfulness of the Word of God that the wicked “shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.” We read of “epidemics of murder” not only in the United States, but in other parts of the world. The following we copy from the Peoria, Ill., Star, with the heading, “Murders Common in Chicago:” “Chicago, February 21.—States Attorney Deneen last night told a committee of prominent citizens that murders have become so common in Chicago that the public regards them as little more important than fist fights. There is now on an average about one murder for every week day and two or three for Sunday.” Mr. Deneen says further, “So common have they become that the public conscience is becoming dulled, and murders are coming to be regarded with little more importance than fist fights.” It seems that theater going and pleasure seeking are increasing not only in the world, but also in the churches. In a recent issue of a Chicago daily paper (reported from New York, April 4) is a notice of a prize fight at an early hour, not known to officials, in a church altar, witnessed by one hundred and fifty sports who sat in the pews, and when the contest increased in interest, they stood upon the backs of the pews and cheered the fighters on, who “sprang at each other like bulldogs.” The spirit of lawlessness and of lynching is not dead yet, and more especially when the colored man is concerned; and so great is the antipathy in the minds of some toward this race, that they will burn or lynch a negro, and let a white man (?) go scot-free who has committed the same crime. Only a few days ago a negro was lynched, notwithstanding all the earnest protestations of the officials against it, in Joplin, Mo., and the lynchers vented their spite on the whole colored population of the city, burning their houses and driving them from the city. A recent issue of The Tribune, of Oakland, Cal., in an editorial entitled “A Carnival of Crime,” says (we quote briefly): “A madness of greed seems to be upon the country. A passion for display and extravagance has flamed up and created a lust for quickly gained wealth. This passion is corrupting womanhood and manhood. . . . We are living too fast, living too loud and luxuriously, and the murders in pursuit of robbery are but incident to sexual demoralization, and other vices peculiar to an age given over to license and materiality.” It is no wonder this is called “the age of murder,” when “carnivals of crime” and “epidemics of murder” have been so numerous all over the world. The “public conscience” of both the church and the world are becoming dulled or callous, not only to crime, but also to great and shocking calamities and loss of life. This is one of the most alarming signs of the times. When the murders and calamities are near at home, they have a little more effect, but in either case they are soon forgotten. “A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished.” The Scriptures also say: “When thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.” But alas! few give heed to God’s warnings. It is said that one reason for the increase of crime is that the population is increasing. But according to a writer in the Central Christian Advocate, of St. Louis, crime is far in excess of the population,—that is, the per cent of increase is far greater,—and one with his eyes half open can see it. Again, it is said we have greater facilities of conveyance and of bringing crime to light than in the past. This is true, yet no doubt very much criminality never comes to light, except to the all-seeing Eye. The same objection is brought up in regard to cyclones,—that now we have the telegraph, which reports these things. The truth of the matter is, twenty-five years ago there were no such calamities as we are now having. But we must not omit to notice that the cities of our land, and of the world, are becoming more and more like Sodom and Gomorrah. This is doubtless due in a great measure to the flood of intemperance. In the United States there are 140,000 saloons, 150,000 drunkards, 128,000 schools, and 54,000 churches. Intemperance, or the use of whisky, etc., costs the nation $1,500,000,000 annually. In a November, 1902, issue of the St. Paul Globe, we find the following statements: “Only a little more than ten months of the twelve are gone, and yet close to a million persons have been swept across the Styx by epidemics, floods, and volcanoes. Early in May a series of eruptions in Martinique and neighboring islands in the Caribbean Sea snuffed out countless thousands of lives. Somewhat later the Yellow River of China overflowed its banks, and tens of thousands of Celestials were drowned like rats in a trap.” It is reported that from Jan. 1-7, 1903, the loss by disease, including the Philippine Archipelago, amounts to 600,000 persons. The editor of the Christian Standard alluded to the “Burden of Martinique.” What will he say now if he knows that there were earthquakes more or less every month in 1902, excepting March? Eighteen of them were destructive of life and property, many thousands of lives being destroyed besides the thirty thousand at Martinique. But such is the wealth of the world, that if a great city is destroyed, some one of the many millionaires could alleviate the suffering and build it up again better than it was, and not feel the loss. Again: when we look at the increase of the war spirit, the gigantic guns and other war implements, preparations for war, which are preliminary to the great and final Armageddon battle, is it any wonder that we can look for almost anything to happen in the near future, for volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tidal waves, storms, floods, fires, famines, pestilences, railroad and mine disasters, and numberless calamities to sweep away the lives and property of the people? This gospel of the kingdom must be preached in all the world. “It must be done in this generation.” “There must be delay no longer.” God’s people must heed the spirit of prophecy, seek for a true conversion, and when they obtain it, they will have the “indwelling presence,” and will then watch and pray, work and give, as never before. We can not better close this article than to quote the following words of Mrs. E. G. White:— “We shall see troubles on all sides. Thousands of ships will be hurled into the depths of the sea. Navies will go down, and human lives will be sacrificed by millions. Fires will break out unexpectedly, and no human effort will be able to quench them. The palaces of the earth will be swept away in the flames. Disasters by rail will become more and more frequent. Confusion, collision, and death without a moment’s warning will occur on the great lines of travel. The end is near, probation is closing. Let us seek God while he may be found, call upon him while he is near! The prophet says: ‘Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgments; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord’s anger.’”