DID HE ASSURE US IN VAIN?
THE Christian Advocate has the following editorial in a recent issue:— Dark Enough, but Not Midnight.
The nineteenth century goes out in war all around the world. The Hague Conference led some to sing “Hosanna!” and to cry, “The age of peace dawns!” We sat among the doubters, for human nature unregenerated is the same all over the world. The Christians are still cutting each other’s throats in South Africa. The Christians are not done cutting each other’s throats in the Philippine Islands. The Christians and the pagans are but pausing for breath in China. Clouds are rising over various parts of Northern Africa, and the shadow of revolution is upon a score of nations in South and Central America, and on the continent of Europe. An epidemic of lynching pervades this country. Prize-fighting is a great, popular amusement. New York loves it, and also can breed a race riot. Society at Newport defies conventionalities, social and religious. One of the worst phases of the situation is the development of shamelessness. “First families” rush into the courts with their matrimonial troubles, and appear not able to blush when scenes which would disgrace those born in and to vulgarity, are portrayed by the sensational papers. Those premillenarians who think that the world must get worse before Christ can come, are solemnly pointing to these things as portents; but they forget that their predecessors, who forgot that “of that day and hour knoweth no man,” ever since Christ ascended, have been declaring that it was just at hand. It is all true, all except the inference in the last sentence. We do remember that Christ told us that “of that day and hour knoweth no man,” and we believe it with all our heart. But we also remember that Christ also gave us signs of His second coming, and told us, “When ye shall see all these things, know that it [“He,” margin] is near, even at the doors.” Are His words meaningless? Is His assurance that His coming is near when certain events take place, of no worth? Do the more than twelve lines of prophecy, and the multitude of signs, which assure us of the same thing, amount to nothing? It is not from the premillenarians that the idea comes that the world must grow worse? It is the Word that declares, “Evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.” And testimony of the same import may be greatly multiplied. Men have made mistakes in setting the time of Christ’s coming, because they did not remember His words; is there not as great danger if we ignore them altogether?