CARNIVALS by Milton Charles Wilcox

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Sep 5, 1895

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 21, No. 35.

CARNIVALS

By Milton Charles Wilcox

CARNIVALS are among the fads of the day, even as they were in the days of Rome’s dissolution. Nations, cities, and associations have their carnivals of pleasure. Many things occur at these great and gay gatherings not set down in the program. Satan has his carnivals, full of startling and unexpected surprises. Among those on the program at present is the carnival of crime, stretched out into mad and weary months and years. Religious journals and secular newspapers notice the continually increasing criminality everywhere manifest. Cities are filled with great dens of crime. Some of them seem to be at the mercy of the footpad and garroter. Wife-beating is common, wife-killing is commoner. Horrible murders of every description are becoming more and more frequent. Defalcations by men bearing important private and public responsibilities, men thought to be above reproach, are of everyday occurrence. “Criminal lawyers,” yes, criminal in themselves, labor for days and weeks to “prove” innocent a man whom they know to be guilty. Jurors can not be depended upon, for they are generally the most ignorant, the very ones who can be manipulated by the wily lawyer. And even in the most sacred place—the church—and in the highest earthly positions—the councils of states and nations—crime and wickedness of almost every sort are condoned or whitewashed.

There is no sadder evidence of all this than the vast number of youthful criminals, and those in training for criminals, which our cities are furnishing. Such refined cruelty to birds, brutes, insects, to each other, such ripe wickedness, such mature viciousness, the world never saw when compared with the light on moral questions now shining on the world. Worse than all else, many of these youthful profligates are sons and daughters of religious parents. Men and women will weep profusely over a bit of wretched sentiment in tale or on stage, sympathy will sometimes stir up a community over some praiseworthy or penalty-worthy deed, but conscience and moral conviction and steady faithfulness are sadly wanting.

This is not a picture. It is not a play. It is the devil’s carnival now going on. But it is too sad to be expressed in words. Shall we say, Christians, “Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die?” or shall we by living faith grasp the power of God in Jesus Christ, and save every soul we can, by his means, in his way? Truly it is a time for weeping, and fasting, and pleading with God for his power. There is nothing but discouragement in the world. There is all encouragement in Christ Jesus. Lift Him up. Point the sin-maddened world and the pleasure-loving self-loving church to Him. M. C. W.