A Warning Due the World.
By L. McCoy
OURS is the most important age in the world's history. No other is equal to it. Many events of the past are grand to contemplate, and will be remembered in time and eternity—but no single event or series of events occurring in any age is worthy to be compared with those soon to transpire. All other themes now claiming the attention of the human intellect, sink into insignificance when placed beside the present truth of our time,—the second advent of our Lord to this earth. It takes precedence of all other questions. God has had a present truth for every generation of people. Noah had a special message, so had Jonah. John Baptist had a special message, so had Christ. Martin Luther had a special work for his time, so had Wesley and Miller each for his time. The messages these men proclaimed in their day were of vital importance to the world, and came just at the right time. The world is now ready to grant that these men were the servants of God, and had the approval of Heaven in their work. God never makes a mistake by sending a message or warning at the wrong time, that is, too soon, or too late to meet the required end, but has his work performed at the required time. When he has a work to go forward no other can take its place. Noah was informed that the Spirit of God would “not always strive with man;” yet his days should be one hundred and twenty years. Noah was authorized as “a preacher of righteousness,” to say to the world that “a flood of waters” would destroy every living substance from off the earth. And the flood came. Jonah said, “Yet forty days and Nineveh shall be overthrown.” This message was timely, the people heard, and repented at the preaching of Jonah, and were saved; but for this warning they would have perished. So with Lot and the inhabitants of the cities of the plain; they had a warning and a chance to escape. John the Baptist said, “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord as said the prophet Esaias.” Christ said, “The time is fulfilled.” The very year in which he should make his appearance and enter upon his ministry was pointed out by the prophet Daniel, and when the time was fulfilled he came. The people of God heeded the warning uttered by Christ to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and Judea, and they all escaped safely. These events noticed are of small importance to the present generation of people, only for the lesson to be learned of the certainty of God's threatened judgments on the disobedient; and yet they were of vital consequence to the people to whom they were given. And we are ready to say, “They were without excuse.” Why without excuse? Because they had notice of the coming judgments and heeded it not. God has given us no room to say that the judgments were unjust because no warning was given. And now we are on the eve of grand and sublime events, compared with which the events already mentioned sink into insignificance. The scenes and events occurring just before and after the close of probation, are the plagues of God's wrath, the coming of the Son of man in the clouds of heaven, the smiting of the wicked nations of the earth, the resurrection of the righteous dead, the changing of the righteous living from mortality to immortality “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye,” to be caught up together with the saints who have been raised to life, to meet the Lord in the air, and so to be ever with the Lord. “The heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also, and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” While God has been so faithful to warn the world, nations, and even cities, of the dangers coming upon them, shall we conclude that all these mighty events will come to pass without a single note of warning? I cannot believe that they will. “Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.” The Saviour when asked, “What shall be the sign of thy coming and of the end of the world?” answered, that certain signs should be given, and adds, “When ye shall see all these things, know that he is near, even at the doors.” Paul says: “But ye, brethren, are not in darkness that that day should overtake you as a thief.” Has God ever permitted Satan to give counterfeit warnings and signs before the genuine were given? If so, how are his people to know when the true signs and warnings are given? Such an instance cannot be found in the history of God's dealings with his people. If this be correct reasoning, shall we not therefore justly conclude that the warning of the present generation and the signs already in the past, which are a complete fulfillment of the predictions of Christ and the prophets touching his second advent into the world, are genuine, and the work of the Lord? And if the work of the Lord, does it not come at the right time? and will it not be given to the generation that shall live just preceding the events spoken of in the message? And will not the generation which bears the message of warning, and fails to heed it, be as justly deserving the tribulations predicted as were those who were disobedient in former generations? May the Lord help us to take heed how we hear. L. McCoy.