THE WHOLE WORLD IN PERPLEXITY.
The agents concerned in the fulfillment of the various prophecies of the Bible, are the best commentators on those prophecies which they respectively accomplish. The utterances of distracted statesmen and politicians, furnish the best comment on the predicted “distress of nations with perplexity,” which was to characterize the last days. The scoffers of these days furnish a better comment than we can give on 2 Pet. iii, 3, 4, and a multitude of other scriptures; spiritualists, or 2 Tim. iii, 6–8; members of the popular churches, or 2 Tim. iv, 3, 4; iii, 1–5, and so on, almost without number. In accordance with this view, mark how vividly, in the following paragraph, a secular writer in giving the present condition of the world, has described that state of things which the prophecy has told us would exist just before the end. We have italicized a few words as worthy of special notice: “The whole world,” says a leading London (Eng.) journal, “seems now to be in a state of disquietude. Whether we turn our faces east, west, north or south, we see governments and populations in a slow ferment of uncertainty and dread.” A London correspondent writes that “The Chamber of Commerce of Rouen, in France, in view of the crisis which has struck down some of the great financial institutions, and the paralysis of manufactures in that country, has written to the Chamber of Commerce of Liverpool, asking for an explanation of the causes of the pervading panic. This letter is dated Sept. 18. Taking time to consider, the Liverpool Chamber replied, on the 10th inst., that as far as it could see, the trouble was caused by the American war, and the cotton famine, the high duties levied in America on imports, the continued disorganization of industry in the Southern States, the unsettled state of Europe, military preparations and apprehension of war. In England, also, there have been rash speculations and consequent heavy failures. Destruction of property, disorganization of industry, interruption of production and trade, and a dread of similar or greater disturbances, may be reasons enough for the depression of trade in Europe. The one reason, however, is want of confidence in the future. This gorges the banks with unused capital, and makes it impossible to sell stock in the most promising speculations.”—Toledo Blade.