“AND THE EARTH WAS FILLED WITH VIOLENCE.”
By T.
The Master says, “As the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” Matt. 24:37. In the “days of Noe” “the earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.” Gen. 6:11. The foregoing statements are simply the plain words of Scripture. It is the Bible itself, expressing some great facts. And from these scriptures we learn that in Noah’s day “the earth was filled with violence,” and, further, so shall it also be at the coming of the Son of man. The old world that existed in the days of Noah grew to be so corrupt that it became necessary for God to destroy it. The violence, the vices, and crimes of every sort became so great that destruction was the only thing, either from the standpoint of justice or mercy, that could be visited upon the people of Noah’s time. But the fearful sinfulness of the Old World is to be reproduced again just before “the coming of the Son of man.” Satan has been laying his plans. He has prepared cunning devices to lure men into sin. And in these last days the arch-deceiver is again to fill the earth with violence. No one needs to be led into these sins. No one need be deceived. God is faithful in pointing out the satanic deceptions of these times. But there are multitudes who will not regard the warnings of the heavenly Father, and so they plunge headlong into the ruin. Perhaps one of the most subtle snares of Satan is to get us so absorbed in pleasure or business that we seldom take time for serious reflection. We read of the killing of the president of France, but are too busy to think about it. A Spanish prime minister is murdered, but we are so absorbed that we give it only a passing thought. The empress of Austria is killed; the attempt is made to take the life of the czar, the emperor of Germany, and one after another of the rulers of the world, but we only stop to say, “That is a subject for kings, emperors, and presidents to worry over; it does not concern me.” We read of the foul murders every day, but we are madly and hotly rushing to our business or intoxicating pleasures, so we drop it out of mind at once. In the conflict between capital and labor mobs are stirred up and the most violent deeds are committed. Only a few days ago a lot of men who were frenzied in a strike set upon a fellow-man, shot at him, clubbed him, chased him, kicked and stoned him, until he fell senseless. He was stretched upon the grass for dead, but he moved his head a little, and a bystander, perceiving that life was still in him, jumped upon the helpless creature and stamped and kicked him with all the cruelty of savage revenge and furious hate. All this violence is going on in the world continually. It is breaking out somewhere every day. And yet men are so stupid as to try to make themselves believe that this wicked old world is getting better. Why, they would have us think that the gray dawn of an era of peace and brotherly love is already lighting up the social horizon. But where are our senses? Are they so blunted that we can no longer see facts, even tho their grim visage break in upon us and stare us right in the face? Do not be deceived. We are indeed in the last days. Yes, the very last of the last days are here. Time is hastening to its close. God can not much longer suffer this intensifying violence that is filling our world. His Son must soon come and destroy it. This world’s measure of iniquity is fast filling up. And the same violence that made it necessary for the old world to be drowned in a flood is fast bringing about the necessity of sweeping away the sins of this time in a deluge of fire. If your hopes and prospects and pleasures center in this old sin-besotted earth, break up the ties that bind you here just as soon as possible. Give yourself without delay to the world’s Redeemer, that He may snatch you away from the impending destruction, and place you in the ark of His safety and power.