Confronting with Perplexing Problems.
Ex-President Cleveland in his article in the New York World in regard to the “Presidency and the Twentieth Century,” says, “The new century finds us confronted with perplexing problems growing out of a startling expansion of our domain and an unprecedented creation of obligation-bearing relationships with millions of strange and incompatible people.” Mr. Cleveland takes a hopeful view of the situation, and thinks that all will come out right in the end. There will be, indeed, an end to these perplexing problems very soon. But it will not be the end that most men are looking for. So far as the perplexities of this world are concerned, God’s Word has spoken, and its language is, “There shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth; for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.” Luke 21:25, 26. You may say, This is a very dark picture to present. Why not present something with more hope and cheer in it? The reply is, We should present facts. Closing our eyes to dangers about us does not destroy the danger, it only makes it all the more certain that we will stumble into the ruin. While the foregoing is a dark picture, and nothing can make it otherwise, yet there is a gloriously bright picture to place by the side of it. Immediately following the scripture quoted above are the words: “Then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” Verses 27, 28. From the standpoint of him who is looking to this world for comfort and hope, things are indeed gloomy. But that is not the place to look. Read the prophecies of the Word of God, compare them with the events of the present, and know that the coming of the Saviour is even at the doors. And His coming is the one glorious hope of the centuries. A glorious age is dawning, even the kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. This is a theme calculated to lift every gloom and dispel every fear. Let us look to the real and blessed hope, that will bring us into all the blessings of eternity, and not the delusive hope, that will soon dash to ruin all who cling to it. In 1800 there were but twelve cities in the United States that had a population of over 5,000, and these twelve cities contained one twenty-third of the population of the country at that time. The combined population of these twelve cities in 1800 was 217,680. The same cities have a combined population of 6,428,027 in 1900, and contain one-twelfth of the entire population of the United States. This is but an item showing how the people are rapidly gathering into the cities, and consequently deserting the more wholesome life of the country. The attendant evil of this herding together in the cities is the general demoralization of so many of the people. Every city has its alleys and streets of vice and crime. Children are born and reared here, and the only teaching they get is that of vice and criminality. True ideas of morality never have an opportunity to cross their pathway, and, as might be expected, the vicious and criminal element of the land is increasing faster than the better class. What these evil tendencies will lead to in a few years from now can be but faintly realized to-day. Would that some of the wonderful ability that is being given to the selfish work of amassing wealth for personal or family aggrandizement and pleasure could be turned in the direction of making attractive homes for these people in the country, and leading them out there to teach them how to enjoy the blessings of a natural life. If this could be done, a great deal of misery and trouble would be saved. Perhaps only a few, comparatively, of these unfortunate and degraded people would respond to such a plan, but every one that could be reached and helped in this way would make things so much the better.