The Prevailing Spirit of the Times.
By James Sawyer
“The prevailing spirit of the times is one of infidelity and apostasy, one of the most superficial and haughty, a spirit of contradiction against the word of God, a spirit which of itself would know and decide what is good and evil—a presumptuous spirit of reason—idolatry which, in a most unbecoming manner, places little account in the revealed will of God. In the great hopes of mankind, not only among the educated, but also the uneducated, has it long ago been their decision that the doctrine of man’s depravity is only a dark imagination, and the story about the cross and Christ an old fable. It is commonly received as something indisputable, that the doctrine of eternal righteousness or the atonement—sprung from vulgar egotism and low private interest—is necessary to appease God, and that, for attaining salvation, a mediator is as little needed as the fifth wheel to a wagon. Mankind long ago agreed that what was once said by a few bigoted philosophers, deserved much greater confidence than what the Holy One of Nazareth or any of his apostles have said, and that the faith of a Paul, a Peter, or a John, as something overstrained, mysterious, and to educate men, improper, and it not only should be rejected, but also opposed, persecuted, and, if possible, altogether exterminated. Such is the prevailing spirit of the times throughout Christendom—a spirit which, although it attempts to exhibit Christian manners with a coarse, impudent sincerity in all places, yet station and character expose that spirit’s mischief when enough of his mother’s milk has been imbibed. Millions who are baptized in the name of Christ, bow themselves unto this spirit of falsehood. If you enter upon a journey, in every tavern you will be able to see this spirit sneaking about. If you enter the social circles, in almost every society you will hear that spirit’s voice. Take a view of the churches in foreign lands, and in the most of them is this spirit both preacher and interpreter. Cast a look into most of our modern text books and, instead of the Lord’s Spirit, this spirit of darkness in the form of religion will meet you. Even in our schools, this Moloch counsels, and upon his altar our children are sacrificed. Yes, my brother! look over the entire Christianity of our times, and we find it chilled through by a sad, shivering disease. It is in fact mournful to relate. The spirit of Antichrist rules in the world as it never did before; and the time is come when one can in reason agree with that lamentation of David: ‘Help, Lord, for the godly man ceaseth, and the faithful fail from among the children of men.’” The above was translated from the Swedish. It came this week from an aged man in Sweden. It was sent to his son, who is a printer in Chicago, desiring that it might be republished in a Swedish journal. We conclude that the times are as ominous of the last days in Sweden as in our own land. JAMES SAWYER.