p. 11 | THE DAY BREAKS by E. E. A.

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Jan 4, 1916

THE DAY BREAKS

By E. E. A.

The World's Dark Night Is Almost Spent — Signs That Show the Morning — Get Ready for Its Joys

“THE night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.” Rom. 13: 12.

In a recent article, it was shown that this is nighttime, and that the day is before us. Let us now consider the particular time in which our lot is cast. This question seems to be settled by the apostle Paul when he says, “The night is far spent, the day is at hand.” It appears that the apostle saw our times, and wrote of them.

Jesus came once to suffer and die for sinners, to provide a full and free pardon for those who were under sentence of death, and who would accept Him as their personal Saviour. He arose from the dead, and ascended to heaven, a mighty conqueror over man’s last enemy, death; and “He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them.” Heb. 7: 25.

BUT ONE THING YET TO DO

All has been done that could be done for a lost race, save one thing only — the finishing of the work of proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom to all the world

for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” Matt. 24: 14.

THE MIRACLE OF MODERN MISSIONS

One of the prominent signs of the second advent of Christ was to be the preaching of the gospel to all nations. In his “Hundred Years of Missions,” Dr. D. L. Leonard says:

“The closing years of the eighteenth century constitute in the history of Protestant missions an epoch indeed, since they witnessed nothing less than a revolution, a renaissance, an effectual and manifold ending of the old, a substantial inauguration of the new. It was then that for the first time since the apostolic period, occurred an outburst of general missionary zeal and activity. Beginning in Great Britain, it soon spread to the continent and across the Atlantic. It was no mere push of fervor, but a mighty tide set in, which from that day to this has been steadily rising and spreading.”

After this mighty movement was fairly begun from Basel, Switzerland, German believers sent the following message to England:

“It is like the dawn promising the beautiful day after the dark night. It is the beginning of a new epoch for the kingdom of God on earth. Your undertaking and its success fill our hearts with joy and our eyes with tears. . . . You call on the wise and good of every nation to take interest in the work and bear a part. Such a call was never heard of before. It was reserved for the close of the eighteenth century to be distinguished by it.”—“Hundred Years of Missions,” page 91.

This wonderful miracle of modern missions, begun in 1792 with the organization of the Baptist Missionary Society by William Carey, has continued to spread, till to-day doors once securely barred in nearly all non-Christian lands are wide open for the entrance of the gospel. Surely this “is like the dawn promising the beautiful day after the dark night.” “The night is far spent, the day is at hand.”

PERILOUS TIMES

Another herald of the coming dawn is seen in the spiritual declension that is becoming more and more manifest. The love of money and the love of pleasure, with their attendant evils, seem to be making terrible inroads among God’s professed people. Sad though it be, this condition is one of the signs of the approaching end.

“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” 2 Tim. 3: 1-5.

The reason for the existence of this sad condition among those who have “a form of godliness” but deny “the power thereof” is evidently stated in the succeeding chapter thus:

“The time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” 2 Tim. 4: 3, 4.

FALLING AWAY

That these conditions now quite largely prevail in the professed Christian world seems apparent. The Rev. P. Gavan Duffy, in an article that appeared in the January, 1915, number of the Century Magazine, entitled “The Bondage of Modern Religion,” says:

“If one permitted one’s self to catalogue the signs of bondage to the mammon spirit in our modern ecclesiastical life, from the dollar appraisement of spiritual values to the six-thousand-dollar-a-year apartments which deck the splendor and success of some who preach the gospel of the penniless Christ — well, where would one stop? Yet, leaving the extremes, and coming down to what represents the norm of corporate religious attitude and conduct, there is much that tells, free from sensationalism, of an atmosphere in which it is evident that conception of spiritual potentiality is stifled in an exaggerated world-dependency that holds in bondage.”

Left to right: J. P. Casey, secretary South African Union Conference; W. A. S. Hyatt, vice president; W. B. White, president; and W. B. Commin, treasurer.

Further the writer of the article says:

“We must be courageous to face the truth, and realize that too large a part of its [Christianity’s] time has been consumed in seeking to save its own life by an appeal to the patronage of the powerful to guarantee its existence.”

Frequently of late years such articles as the above have appeared in the magazines, and especially since the great war in Europe began. The question has repeatedly been asked, “Has Christianity broken down?” To see the great nations of Europe, professedly Christian, and yet ruthlessly violating every principle of Christianity so beautifully exemplified in the life of its Author, and so clearly set forth in the New Testament Scriptures, surely demonstrates that a great change, but not for the better, has come over the professed Christian world.

TRUE CHRISTIANITY LIVING AND ACTIVE

Real Christianity has not failed nor broken down. Only the counterfeit article has failed, while the prophecies that spoke of the falling away in the last days are accurately fulfilled, thus clearly demonstrating that God still lives, and that He is ruling in the affairs of men. True Christianity is making its conquests to-day as verily as in the days of the apostles. While “evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived” (2 Tim. 3: 13), some, even amid the perils of the last days, will be true to God. Of such the Lord says, “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” Rev. 14: 12. And again we read, “Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” Luke 12: 32.

When the Saviour was born in Bethlehem, the multitudes were unprepared to receive Him, although Moses and all the prophets had written concerning His coming; yet a few “just and devout” souls, who were “waiting for the consolation of Israel,” and upon whom the Holy Ghost rested, were ready to welcome His advent with joy.

So at His second appearing, while the multitudes, including the great majority of those who bear His name, will be wholly unprepared to meet Him, yet from every nation will come forth a loyal band of believers, who, with faces lighted up and shining with holy consecration, and with glad voices, join in the mighty shout of triumph: “Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for Him, we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.”

And from the lips of their glorious Redeemer they hear the words of perpetual bliss, “Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” Isa. 25: 9; Matt. 25: 34.

INCREASE OF RICHES

The apostle James speaks of another sign that points unerringly to the fact that we are now living in the last hour of the night, and that the day is dawning. He first speaks of

the miseries that are to come upon the rich who have laid up “treasure in the last days,” and then of the fraudulent methods employed in the accumulation of such vast fortunes, and of the wantonness of these unfortunate victims of covetousness. The righteous are exhorted to patience under oppression and injustice, knowing that “the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.” James 5: 1-8.

Speaking of the things that would “come to pass in the last days,” Isaiah says: “Their land also is full of silver and gold, neither is there any end of their treasures; their land is also full of horses, neither is there any end of their chariots.” Isa. 2: 2, 7.

According to statistics from the year 1492 to 1850, a period of three hundred fifty-nine years, the world’s production of gold was $3,051,477,000; while from 1851 to 1899, a period of forty-nine years, it was $6,498,990,225. In other words, in the fifty years preceding 1900, it was more than twice as much as for the preceding three hundred fifty years.

An abnormal amount of the world’s vast wealth has in recent years found its way into the hands of a few astute manipulators of civilization’s rapidly developing industries. A few years ago, the world’s finances were controlled by the millionaires; to-day this monopoly is reserved for the multimillionaire.

The statement of the prophet, “Neither is there any end of their chariots,” is certainly literally fulfilled to-day. First came the railway carriage, then the street car, followed later by the automobile. Surely we are not mistaken in the conclusion that the morning comes, the day breaks.

A WORLD-EMBRACING CONFLICT

Another sign that we are far along in the last watch of the night, and that we have nothing to expect now but the sunrise and the morning, is seen in the marvelous fulfillment of the words of the Saviour Himself concerning the signs of His coming and of the end of the world. “Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.” Matt. 24: 3, 7, 8.

To-day the most sanguinary conflict in the history of the world, involving twelve of the great nations of earth, and more than half its population, is being waged in three continents, Europe, Asia, and Africa. Since it began sixteen months ago, the destruction in both life and property has been absolutely beyond computation. With millions of the very flower of the nations that are involved slain, and other millions maimed or afflicted for life, with unnumbered newly made widows and fatherless children, with practically entire nations decimated, who can measure the sorrows that have already come to this dark world as a direct result of this awful war?

“All these,” says Jesus, “are the beginning of sorrows.” Soon, however, the cloud will be lifted, never more to cast its dark shadow upon this now stricken, sin-cursed, but then newborn, beautified, glorified earth. Redeemed completely, perpetually, from the curse of sin, populated by the nations of the saved, ruled by the King of righteousness, King of peace, the earth will then have entered upon its day eternal, with its joys unspeakable, ineffable. “In Thy presence is fullness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore.” Ps. 16: 11.

“PUT ON THY BEAUTIFUL GARMENTS”

Obviously we ought to prepare for the breaking of the day. As says the apostle, “Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.” It is high time that the church of God should awake out of sleep, and with oil in her vessel and her lamp trimmed and brightly burning, go forth to meet the Bridegroom. It is surely time that the sinner should, by repentance and confession, quickly put away his sins, and by daily consecration to the Lord and prayerful study of His word, prepare to meet his God. At such a time as this, why should any delay? “The night is far spent, the day is at hand.”

Whatever your state, dear reader, do not fail to make every preparation to be ushered into the presence of the holy God. Let not this thought discourage you, for the Saviour of sinners died that you might live eternally in His presence. He wills that you should be with Him, and waits not to condemn, but to wash you from every spot and stain of sin, and cover you with His own robe of righteousness. Give your heart, your affections, your life, your all, to Jesus, this very hour. None are so sinful that they cannot find strength, purity, and righteousness in Jesus, who died for them.

One has truly said: “If you give yourself to Him, and accept Him as your Saviour, then, sinful as your life may have been, for His sake you are accounted righteous. Christ’s character stands in place of your character, and you are accepted before God just as if you had not sinned.”

Thus prepared, you will be ready to hail the new day, and with the redeemed of the Lord, “come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away.” Isa. 51: 11. E. E. A.