THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES.
By Ethan Lanphear
An unrest seems to prevail all over the land, both politically and religiously. The politicians and statesmen are worried lest they or their party shall be overthrown, and many are doing everything to win or keep in power. Deception is played upon the common people to make them believe a lie; profession is kept in front as a covering to fraud and dishonesty in politics. The nation seems to be waxing worse and worse. Politics greatly affect the ministry and church of our land; and the ministry are lobbying in legislative halls. The rum power seems to control Church and State. The drink traffic seems to be increasing, and from certain standpoints it looks as if the nation must lose its independence and the people their self-control. Men have yielded to the temptations of money and desire for place and power. Obedience is rendered to the gods of this world rather than obedience to the one only and true God. Religiously, the various denominations are disputing about questions of theology and the authority of the Bible, and are substituting their own theories for God's word, attempting to change times and laws, and to unite Church and State, that they may enact laws to compel obedience to man rather than God. The question of the open World's Fair on Sunday is creating much stir with many professed Christian people. The heathen Sunday is put in the place of God's Sabbath, the seventh day. While the majority of the nations and people regard the Sunday (if at all) only as a holiday, these zealous men need to be enlightened, that their zeal may be spent for the cause of God and for the good of their fellow-men. The religion, or irreligion, of others for their creed's sake has taken up the weapon of persecution to compel men by fines and imprisonment to obey man rather than God, as in the cases of Sabbath keepers in Tennessee and Maryland. Men are thus compelled to suffer persecution at the hands of men that are still hanging onto heathen institutions instead of the law of God. It will be well for all of God's children to purpose in their hearts, like Daniel of old, and the three worthies, that they will trust in the true God, that they will not defile themselves with the king's meat, or drink his wine. It seems to me that now is just the time for godly men to hold up the banner of God's law,—the Sabbath, temperance reform, and the religion of Jesus Christ,—as never before. If persecution shall come, let us stand by Daniel's God. Let every Seventh-day Adventist, Seventh-day Baptist, Jew, or Gentile that believes in the true God hold up his law by preaching, teaching, and example, in accordance with the letter and spirit of the same, and God will take care of the results. Let every man work over against his own house, that the walls of Zion may be built up, that the world may be enlightened and brought back to the true God.