PERILS IMMINENT AND OMINOUS.
By T.
There is no thinking man or woman who does not recognize the fact that there are perils about us at the present time; but most of these express the opinion that the perils we see have reached their worst stage and that conditions will improve as time passes. In this they are mistaken. The worst has not been reached by any means. What we see to-day is as nothing when compared with that which lies just before. What we see about us now is but the gathering of the storm-clouds; the lashing furies of the great social, and political, and atmospheric tornado is yet to burst. We speak positively upon the subject because we know. And we are sure of our knowledge, because the source from which we have derived it has never failed, and, furthermore, it can not fail. The infallible Book of God says: “But know this, that in ‘the last days grievous times shall come. For men ‘shall be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, ‘haughty, railers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, implacable, ‘slanderers, without self-control, fierce, no lovers ‘of good, traitors, headstrong, puffed up, lovers of ‘pleasure rather than lovers of God; holding a form ‘of godliness, but having denied the power thereof; ‘from these also turn away.” 2 Tim. 3: 1–5, R. V. Observe that this text says that we are to “know” these things because God reveals them. When the Lord knows anything to be true, and tells us to “know” it, we may stand securely upon such knowledge; for it is not human speculation, but divine certainty. Then we “know” “that in the last days grievous (‘perilous,’ Common Version) times shall come.”7We “know” also that the grievousness or the perils of these self-same times will be occasioned by the evil traits that shall be manifesting themselves among the children of men. “For men shall be ‘lovers of self, lovers of money,’ ‘without natural affection,’ ‘without self-control,’ ‘traitors, headstrong,’ ‘lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,’” and all the rest of the list that the text gives. We “know” that the seeds for all these evils are being sown. And every one else may know the same appalling facts if he will but open his eyes. And just as surely as these seeds of evil-doing are being sown, just so surely will the awful harvest of “grievous times” soon bear down upon the world with all its weight of terror. Look carefully at what this text from Timothy says we are to “know.” “In the last days,” “men shall be lovers of self” and “lovers of money.” These are the first things mentioned among the sins that shall make the “grievous times” of the “last days.” When men give themselves over to self-love, they have no care for others, except as those others may serve the selfish desires that they are following. With hearts thus calloused by self-love, the possessors care nothing for the crushing burdens that may be grinding others into the dust. The insufferable toil and even the misery of another fails to awaken a chord of sympathy in the breast of the one who cares only for self and who thinks only of self. Unregenerate mankind is naturally selfish, but there is a self-love coming into these last days that is unprecedented in its maddening determination to seize everything that will conduce to personal gratification. And we “know” this. We are not weaving a theory; we are stating the facts of an actual condition. The text says not only that men shall be lovers of self, but they shall also be “lovers of money.” One of the most prominent characteristics of this age is the feverish love for money that is fairly consuming men. In New York City, where the money-god of this country has his chief shrine, the strong men who are breaking down in the forenoon of life are forming a rapidly increasing army. The danger-signal has been sounded by leading physicians, and it is earnestly urged that men stop their wild rush for millions of money, so that they may retain their nerve-power, and avoid the mad-house and prolong their days. This insane love for money is bringing in upon the world some of the greatest perils of our time. Men are not content with the possession of millions, but a few of them are driving furiously in the chase for billions. We may even now say that the billionaire is in sight. It seems incredible, but such are the facts. These men who have secured such vast wealth are not any greater lovers of money than their less successful fellows. By every conceivable turn, whether it be fair or unfair, honest or dishonest, it matters not, the chase for money is being driven. And those who are being left behind without any of the coveted dollars, are forming a great and angry army. Who, aside from the Omniscient One, can venture to picture the scenes when the crashing explosion comes! Another one of the things that are to make these times perilous is the lack of “natural affection.” Nature is thrown overboard, and the tenderness of mother for child, the love of the father, the affection of brother for sister, and the blending endearment of husband for wife will be swept away, as before a deluge, in this age of self-love and money-love. Added to this condition of things is the statement that these persons will be “implacable, slanderers, ‘without self-control, fierce, no lovers of good.’” These are not the words of the writer of this article; they are not words presenting a human theory: they are the infallible words of Him with whom it is impossible for a mistake to be made. And we know that these words vividly describe the growing conditions of to-day. If we have any controversy in the matter, it must be with the Infinite; for it is He who is responsible for this prediction that so accurately describes present conditions. A further striking statement in this wonderful description of the present days is that the people are “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God; ‘holding a form of godliness, but having denied the power thereof.’” The rush for money to-day is only equaled by the race for pleasure. Men and women who have the money with which to do it spend their days in seeking excitement and pleasures of every form and in every land. And those who do not have the money to gratify their desire for pleasure are bending every energy to get it, and are fairly wild with exasperation when they do not succeed. The duties of life from the standpoint of living to do others good are pushed aside. It is self, self, and more and still more pleasure. And with all this medley of sentiments and characteristics that are so absolutely and strikingly the exact opposite of the life of the Christ, these self-same persons hold to “a form of godliness.” It is unnecessary to go into details to show you that the conditions so strikingly described in these verses quoted from Paul’s letter to Timothy are plainly seen all about us to-day. We know that there is no lack of “a form of godliness.” Our cities and the country places are full of Christian churches. But where is the Christ-power of the Christ-life? The gnawing pangs of hunger, and the blasting degradations of squalor, as seen in the packed tenements of the back-alley poor districts of every city, go unrelieved, notwithstanding the fact that the professed representative of Christ passes and repasses these scenes every day. If the real power of the real Christ-love was in the life of a tithe of those who profess to follow Him who “went ‘about doing good,’” every bit of this misery that is due to poverty and neglect would be swept away. But each one is so intent on loving himself, he is so absorbed in his quest for money and pleasure, that he has neither time nor strength left to do the work for which his Christian profession calls. Now we “know” that these conditions, taken as a whole and in parts, are preparing the world for an indescribable harvest of peril and distress. And the reason why we “know” it is because God has told us to know it. And when He tells us to know a thing, we may know it for an absolute certainty. The Lord does not reveal these coming conditions of the world in order to terrify us. He tells us these things so that we may seek refuge from the muttering storm. Let us learn to understand the significance of the things the Lord has bidden us to “know,” and let us commit ourselves to His keeping. He both can and will bring us through safely, no matter how threatening the perils. T.