A GENERAL MALADY by G.

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Dec 17, 1902

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 28, No. 51.

A GENERAL MALADY.

By G.

LADY HENRY SOMERSET, president of the World's W. C. T. U., as quoted by the Union Signal, says that the United Kingdom (Great Britain and Ireland) has become a nation of drunkards, and that the liquor evil is increasing among English women, the number of women drunkards to-day outnumbering the men three to one. Every one of the great so-called civilized nations is going the same road. History tells of great nations going down when overcome by drunkenness; for instance, Babylon, the golden head of nations. But then there were abstemious peoples to overcome the drunken ones. Now, however, the nations are so nearly on equality in this respect that they are evidently all going down together. And this is what we have reason to expect; for “as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of Man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the Flood came and destroyed them all.” Luke 17:26, 27. In the days before the Flood the corrupt degeneracy was universal, the same condition prevailed all over; and so it appears to be to-day.

In all the great world-powers, those that domineer the world, the rum habit and the rum traffic prevail. Over against these there is no power in sight of sufficient virtue and sobriety to become a great conqueror. The only prospective power, the only

power indicated in the prophetic Word as the successor of all this corruption, is the coming kingdom of Christ. James foretells the great conflict between capital and labor, now so prominent on all sides, and in connection therewith he gives the brethren this comforting assurance: “Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts; for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.” And Daniel shows that the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall destroy all others, and fill the whole earth, and shall never be destroyed. So there is no hope of any permanent moral bolstering of present worldly governments.

The only hope that has any basis is the salvation of individuals. The only good influence that can come to society must come through the reformation of individuals. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the only reformatory principle in the world, and that is a message, an appeal, to individual sinners. No society can be virtuous whose individuals are corrupt. The basis of all society is the individual, and if the foundation be unsound the structure can not stand.