The Coming of the Lord Draweth Nigh.
By Ellet Joseph Waggoner
THE elite of San Francisco is just now deeply engaged in the enjoyment of a carnival, the "paper carnival" it is called. Webster's Unabridged gives us the definition of carnival, thus: "A festival celebrated with merriment and revelry in Roman Catholic countries during the week before Lent." As Lent is the forty days before Easter, this carnival is considerably before the time, but in all other points, as best we can make out from the reports, the definition is quite fully met, for this is now virtually a Roman Catholic country, although this is not, in name at least, a Catholic carnival. The tamest definition that we can find of revelry is "noisy festivity" and the reports show that this definition exactly describes the proceedings. We read of the "grand march," "dancing," yes even of a certain minuet being "beautifully danced by people from St. Paul's Church, who have a reputation in this direction." We read of costumes "ranging from the primordial ape to the finest court costume of the queen of the English." We read that "next to the grand march" "the booths are the great feature of the carnival." One of these is "devoted to refreshments;" another is the "Mermaids' Grotto" and "the army of young ladies who take part in the tableaux of Neptune and the Mermaids, are attached to this booth." We read of "St. Luke's booth," devoted to ice-cream and cake and arranged with a "sole view for revenue." We read that "St. John's Church has an ice-cream booth" and does a "rushing business." We read that "many of the younger men found their way to the gypsy camp to have the dusky maidens reveal the future to them through the medium of the cards." All this and a great deal more we read, and that the revelers "generally gave themselves up to the full enjoyment of the occasion." By close attention to the long report of the first night's revelry, we find that it is altogether a church affair. We find that "the authors" are "the Reverend and Mrs. John Gray;" that the carnival is given in the interest of the Rev. Mr. Gray's church, that of the Advent; that "the Rev. Mr. Gray appeared upon the stage and announced that the carnival pavilion was now open," and that after about a week's run the Rev. Mr. Gray "was overjoyed with the sustained interest." The object of the carnival is said to be "to raise enough money to cancel a debt of $15,000 on the property of the Church of the Advent." In the same paragraph we read that "at a low estimate" "the dresses, costumes, etc.," made specially for the carnival and good for nothing else, as they are made of paper and flowers, "represent a cost of about $10,000;" that "the carnival has been three months in preparation;" and that "over 800 persons take part in it." These items are worthy of a little consideration. Let us make a brief calculation, and put everything at a low estimate. The time of the persons engaged we will count at twenty-five cents a day. Eight hundred persons at 25 cents per day is $200 a day. Counting but 75 working days in the three months engaged—75 days at $200 a day, is $15,000. To this add the $10,000 for costumes, etc., which gives at a low estimate $25,000. That is to say, these people have made an investment of $25,000 in order to get a return of $15,000. In other words, $10,000 is paid for revelry alone. Then what, but revelry, was the real object of the carnival? And all this no doubt is called helping the cause of God! Could anything better illustrate the scripture, "Lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof"? In such a connection the title "Church of the Advent" is exceedingly and fearfully suggestive, for it is just such practices as these that the Saviour declares will be the characteristic of the times which immediately precede his second advent to this world. The word of God declares abundantly that thus it will be in the last days; that those who have a form of godliness will be "lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof; from such turn away." 2 Tim. 3:4, 5. It is time to turn away, for "revelings and such like" God classes with adultery, idolatry, murder, drunkenness, and the like, and declares "that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God." Gal. 5:19-21. "Babylon is fallen" indeed; "come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues." Rev. 18:4. J.