FAMILY TIES BREAKING UP.
By T.
The apostle Paul gives a long list of evils that are to make the “last days” “perilous.” His words are these: “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, highminded, 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. It will be observed that one of the evils mentioned in the foregoing list is that of being “without natural affection.” In other words, the ties of kindred, “natural affection,” will be broken up; they will be disregarded by such a large class that the “last days” will have added peril because of it. The Lord plainly foretells this; and when the “last days” are reached, if we have our eyes open and our minds awake, we shall have no difficulty in seeing the thing the Lord predicts. The papers are full of the stories of wife murder and husband murder, of fathers and mothers murdering their children, of children murdering their parents, and of brothers and sisters murdering each other. These things are significant facts, and show how greatly “natural affection” is lacking in order for such unnatural crimes to be committed. All murder is unnatural, but it would seem that the ties of “natural affection” ought to protect us against having the dagger of death driven into us by our own kindred. Even the brute will protect its own offspring to the extent of dying for it. One of the basic ingredients in this destruction of “natural affection” that is going on is the widespread decay of the lifelong affection that should exist between husband and wife. It used to be considered a disgrace for a man and his wife to quarrel, and finally separate; but it has come to be very fashionable, and by large numbers of people it is no longer looked upon as so very disgraceful. Upon this point the New York World has a short editorial under the title “Whither Are We Drifting?” It is full of significant facts and is as follows:— “Justice Giegerich’s record-breaking score of 119 divorce cases disposed of in twenty hours is suggestive. So also is the fact that the Newport (R.I.) divorce calendar for the current term is the longest ever known in that city. “Whatever the cause may be, the fact is well established that divorce is on the increase in this country as a whole, and that New York is pre-eminent in this respect among Eastern States. Rhode Island has the largest number of divorces of any Northern State, but New York leads both New Jersey and Pennsylvania. “The returns of 1890, the latest we have, showed that in that year two in every 2,072 of our population were divorced persons; that 3,402 persons were divorced in the State of Massachusetts alone, and that the total number of persons divorced in the United States annually was 60,484. Taking into account our increase of population since 1890, it must be approximately true that 75,000 persons will be divorced during the current year in this country. “The increase of American divorces has been remarkably rapid. No longer ago than 1870 only 3½ per cent. of marriages were dissolved by the courts. In 1900 the percentage was 8, and if the same rate of increase is kept up the closing year of the twentieth century will find 58.8 per cent. of all American marriages dissolved by the courts. In other words, the year 2000, if we go on as we are going, will find more divorced than married persons living in the country. “The divorces granted in all other civilized countries put together do not equal the number granted in the United States. And while our population is growing at the rate of 23 per cent. per annum, the number of divorced persons is increasing at the rate of nearly 70 per cent. per annum. All of which may well make sober-minded citizens, who understand that the strength of a nation is its marriage altars rather than its divorce courts, ask themselves, Whither are we drifting?” The relation that should exist between husband and wife is the closest tie that binds. And the Master speaks very plainly upon this question of divorce. The record says:— “The Pharisees also came unto Him, tempting Him, and saying unto Him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? And He answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that He which made them at the beginning made them male and female, and said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let no man put asunder. They say unto Him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away? He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives; but from the beginning it was not so. And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery; and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.” Matt. 19:3-9. The foregoing principles are not recognized as they were once. This fact is perfectly evident. And with the tie being broken that binds husband and wife together, what will be the end of the evils of the unnatural affections that are growing out of it? T.