THE FULFILLMENT OF SCRIPTURE.
By S. H. Carnahan
THE low standard of Christian living to be witnessed at the present time on every side, and the intermingling of the church and the world, furnish a marked fulfillment of the word of God relative to the last days. Says the apostle: "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce-breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof; from such turn away." 2 Tim. 3:1-5. We see this very fully exemplified, now, in the popular churches. One can hardly take up a paper without seeing notices of some worldly pleasures participated in by some of the churches. I chanced to pick up a St. Paul and Minneapolis Pioneer Press a few days ago. It chronicled "A Delightful Dance" given by the Ladies' Aid Society of the Universalist Church; "A Pleasant and Successful Week's Fair," under the auspices of a Lutheran Church; "The First of a Series of Socials," by Helping-hand Society of St. Andrews Church; "A Bean-bag Social," by the Ladies' Guild of Grace Church, and "A Donkey Party," at — for the young people of Christ's(?) Church. Within the last fifty years much new truth has been developed in regard to the Scriptures. And the churches had either to press forward in the reformation or retrograde. So they clung to their inconsistencies and have fallen; they have stepped down into worldliness in order to receive the approbation of the world and to increase in worldly riches. The St. Louis Christian Advocate well states the case of "the pernicious evil" in these words:— "Among the many signs of an increasing worldliness among us is the tendency to classify churches according to the salary they pay. A first-class church will demand the best preacher it can buy in the market; no longer will they be a set of God-enthused men whose51highest ambition is to labor and suffer, but they will degenerate into popularity seekers." It is too true! Since the people would not leave the world and come into the church, the church has left Christ and compromised with the power of evil, and introduced within her boundaries all manner of worldly sins to entice the world inside. Rev. Jonathan Edwards, in a lecture at Spokane Falls, Washington Territory, in answer to the question, "In your judgment, what reforms are most needed to-day?" said: "The answers naturally classify themselves under the head of political, moral, and religious reforms." He dwelt mostly upon that part of the question, "religious reforms." He said: "The churches need to get out of their ruts and have more latitude in their operations." As reported by the Spokane Falls Review, Vol. 8, No. 114, "He only regretted that a lack of money prevented the churches from branching out fully as they should. He believed in a church that should be open seven days in the week, made instructive by lectures, concerts, dramas, etc. He advocated side branches that should foster reading-rooms, night schools, harmless games, and other diversions that would attract young and old." The churches have indeed opened their doors to all schemes of money making. The latest is "placarding the inside walls of a church with the names of business men in the town who seek patronage and are willing to pay for this exhibition of their names and for a public commendation by the pastor." The popular churches have almost entirely, it seems, lost sight of the true signification of the gospel of Christ, and their ministers, instead of preaching the God-given truths contained in the holy Scriptures, have given themselves over to "teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." These are they "who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not for filthy lucre' sake." Surely, the time has come when the people will not endure sound doctrine, and, having itching ears, they heap to themselves false teachers. Dear readers, these are solemn fulfillments of prophecy. Let us make these themes a subject of thought and study, that we may be prepared for those things which are coming upon the earth, and, forgetting the things of this world, may we live, "looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ."