The Patient Must Surely Be Very Sick
By T.
ALL the papers and magazines of the country are telling us of the social ills of this time. Some of these papers are dwelling on one class of ills, and other papers are telling of a different class, and so on. But all are agreed that something is very wrong. Murders and suicides are on the increase; insanity is on the increase, some affirming that it is increasing five times as fast as the population; the consumption of wines, beers, and liquors is on the increase; the white slave traffic is assuming appalling proportions; corrupt officials in many of the large cities have formed an alliance with the criminal and the prostitute, and have so commercialized vice and crime that the honest officer who would do his duty is borne down by the host of other officers who are affiliated with the base and lawless ones; the wealth of the world has been gathered into the hands of a few men, while the rest of humanity are facing the problem of the “high cost of living,” to say nothing of the actual starvation that is staring millions of people in the face. And the list might be greatly increased if necessary. Now there is no denying the fact that the whole press of the world is given up to the discussion of the problems that are confronting us to-day. Bitter denunciations are hurled in every direction. Each one has his peculiar theory as to the cause of all the trouble, and he is also sure that he has a remedy that would cure the whole thing if he could only get men to listen to him and apply his cure-all. Old established papers are discussing the situation, and old societies and organizations are working to check the tide of evil. And new societies are organized, and new papers are launched, each one with the specific purpose in mind of combating some one or more of the ills and dangers that threaten to disrupt society. Some are sounding quite a cheery note, in spite of the conditions that all recognize to be appalling. They think that somehow things will suddenly become better. There will be a revolution, or something of the kind, that will cure the social malady. But in view of the fact that the disease has become so deep-seated and so thoroly chronic, where is the revolution to come from that will relieve it? Is it not far wiser for sane men to acknowledge that God knew what He was talking about when He declared centuries ago that “evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived”? And again we have the statement “that in the last days perilous times shall come.” And still again we have this word — that there shall be “upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.” Are not the perils of the last days even now upon us? Are we not in the time when men’s hearts are failing them for fear as they look after those things that are coming upon the earth? God’s Word does not descend to project theories; it assumes to speak with authority, and proclaims fact. To stand with that Word is to stand on the foundations of security, and safety, and power; to do otherwise is to plunge into the conflicting mass of theories that mere men have invented, flounder for a while in the despair of uncertainty, and finally go down to utter ruin.