It used to be seriously affirmed that the great tornadoes that have done so much damage to life and property in the Western States would never visit the old, stable East. But such storms as the one that visited Little Falls, N. J., on September 24, are rapidly showing the prediction to be false. That storm of September 24 is by no means the first one that has visited that part of the country this year. And it will be seen as the months go by that no part of the world is immune from storm and hurricane and earthquake. The prophet of God has declared: "I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light. I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly. I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled. I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the Lord, and by His fierce anger. For thus hath the Lord said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end. For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be black; because I have spoken it, I have purposed it, and will not repent, neither will I turn back from it." Jer. 4:23-28. The foregoing9text tells very plainly how extensive will be the storms and general physical disturbances in these last days. The mountains will tremble, and "all the hills" will move lightly. "All the cities" are to be broken down, "and the whole land shall be desolate." This whole earth will become a great "storm belt," and there will be no place of shelter except for those who have learned to trust in the arm of the Lord. EVERY hotel in New York City was filled to overflowing at the time of the recent reception of Admiral Dewey at that place. It is estimated that there were about two million visitors to the great metropolis to greet the admiral on his return. The Prince of Peace is about to return to this earth again, to receive all that are ready for Him. He will give a reception—it will be the marriage supper of the Lamb—when He takes the redeemed home to the New Jerusalem. All are invited guests to that great supper, and every one who accepts the invitation and gets ready will be permitted to attend the greatest reception that all the universe of God in all the ages of eternity has ever witnessed. What great possibilities there are before us now! It would be well for us to turn aside from the glittering shadows of this time to the enduring substance of the eternal reward that will be given so soon. On September 20 there was convened in St. Louis, Mo., a meeting of governors of States and State attorney-generals to consider the question of what can be done with the trusts. A few days before that a notable meeting was also convened in Chicago to consider the same subject. There was much discussion in both meetings, and all seemed agreed that something must be done with the trust if national prosperity is maintained, and a national calamity is averted. Paul tells us that the last days shall be made perilous because of covetousness and self-love. See 2 Tim. 3:1-5. James tells us that men will heap treasure together in the last days, and that the cry of the laborer will be heard in the land. See James 5:1-8. Study both of these scriptures closely and mark how literally they are being fulfilled. It is currently reported that a new combination has just been formed that will own over a billion dollars' worth of property. And this new combine will not have very many men in it. It will merely combine two of the large family fortunes of the present time. If treasure is not being heaped together in these days, then what could be called the heaping together of treasure? And if this grasping of wealth does not show a gross spirit of covetousness and self-love, then pray tell where you could ever look to find such things. RUMSELLING AND SABBATH DESECRATION.
In a recent speech in Rochester, N. Y., Mr. Clinton C. Howard said:— "I stand here to say that the laws against immorality, against sabbath desecration, against Sunday rumselling, ought to be enforced by the small army of men who draw their salaries for doing that sort of work, and the Christian voters of this city have it in their power in the coming election to place a man at the head of this municipal government of Rochester, who will see that it is done." No State, city, or town has any right to either make or enforce a law against "Sabbath desecration." The observance of the Sabbath is a duty that we owe to God and not to our fellow-men. And the Lord is the proper one to call men to account for Sabbath desecration. And when the great Judge of heaven and earth calls men to account, He will judge them according to the Sabbath law that He has made, and not according to the one that is made by the men of this generation. God's Sabbath law reads that the "seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God." But these modern human laws say that Sunday, or the first day of the week, is the Sabbath. There will be a great deal of work done to get people to observe Sunday. Laws will become more and more stringent to compel those to rest on that day who otherwise would not. This is a matter of prophecy, and the SIGNS OF THE TIMES has again and again pointed it out. But when we come to stand before the great white throne, God will judge us according to His law, just as He made it, and unless we want to meet with confusion and eternal loss in that time, we should regard God's law now rather than these human laws that are talked so much about, and that we are told should be enforced, so that all will keep Sunday. ST. JOSEPH, Mich., is a neat, beautiful little town on the southeastern shore of Lake Michigan, and about four or five hours' ride by boat from Chicago. During the summer season thousands of people, especially on Sundays, take advantage of numerous excursions to visit the place and spend a day or so there enjoying a recreation. But during the past summer the town has been made famous by the large number of people who have gone over there from Chicago to get married. Young couples who have started out in the morning with no other thought than a ride across the lake, have made a match on the way, and as soon as they reached shore, hastened to a justice of the peace or a minister to get married. It is reported that the county clerk, and some of the justices of the peace, and one or two so-called ministers of the Gospel, have conspired and combined to make it exceedingly easy for these parties to get married as soon as they reach St. Joseph. The sacred responsibilities that center in the marriage contract are being grossly lost sight of in many places and in many minds. And these hasty marriages open the way for just as hasty work in the divorce courts. There is nothing that marks the lowering of the moral standard more fully than the sentiments and practices that prevail in regard to the marriage institution. The Lord has told us in His Word that a reproduction of the sins of Sodom would be one of Satan's master strokes, and that when it is seen, it will be a sure sign that we are in the last days. What think you of the conditions of to-day? What do they portend? In these days when England is talking of going to war with the Boers in the Transvaal there is much said of secret alliances between various governments and Great Britain. There is also much talk of other alliances that are being proposed. Be this as it may, and let these alliances come out as they will, it all shows that war is in the very air, and that none of the nations feel safe, and are consequently doing all they can to strengthen themselves for what they look upon as the inevitable. Let no one be confused or deceived by the false cry that is being raised of "peace and safety." The Lord tells us distinctly that "when they shall say, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them; . . . and they shall not escape." What else but "sudden destruction" could come upon those who insist upon saying, "Peace, peace," when the very atmosphere that we breathe is surcharged with war? Every one should know that the world stands just before the great battle of Armageddon. The thing for us to do is to see the situation and get ready for the issue. And the one preparation that is needed is the "Gospel of peace." Do you possess it? Do you know the Saviour, who is the Author of it? ON March 10, 1899, Delaware passed a law that is very favorable to the organization of trusts. Under this new Delaware law, trusts can be organized there and operate anywhere they please, and no questions are asked them in regard to the manner of conducting their business. It is considered the most favorable law to the big money combines of any in existence. The object that the little State had in passing such a law was to collect the fees from the organizers of these trusts to assist her in meeting her State expenses. And her success in drawing trusts to that State is shown in the fact that during the first six months after the passage of the law, big monopolies were organized there, which combined and consolidated capital to the amount of about $235,000,000, or nearly a quarter of a billion. This represents the trusts that were formed in Delaware alone during that time. And the activity in this little State has not stopped the same work in other places. These facts are very significant. Have you ever studied into the meaning of them? A CABLE despatch to the New York Sun states that the Hamburger Nachrichten, a German paper, while concurring in the general view that Germany will not interfere in the dispute between Great Britain and the Transvaal, says: "What Germany must do is to watch whether a possible British reverse there will be a signal for an outbreak in British possessions elsewhere. That would be Germany's opportunity, which she must not let escape. France, too, will seek revenge for Fashoda, and Russia will undoubtedly increase her pressure in the East." Thus do we see how the affairs of the nations are complicated. All the powers of the world are watching England, and that which seems very small on the surface may result in complications that will embroil the whole world in war before it is over with. This is not a time to be proclaiming "peace and safety," when there are so many different things that possess all the possibilities of starting an international war. He who is looking to this old world for any more permanent peace is leaning upon a vain hope. THE Anglo-Venezuelan arbitration tribunal has completed its sittings in Paris. The result of the arbitrament of the contentions between England and Venezuela, over the boundary between the latter country and British Guiana, is what might be termed a compromise decision. The territory in dispute, amounting to 60,000 square miles, has been divided equally, and while Venezuela retains control of the mouth of the Orinoco River, England is to have the privilege of free navigation. It will be remembered that before this tribunal the former president, Benjamin Harrison, argued the cause of Venezuela, and a Russian diplomat, M. Martens, presided as judge of the court. It was over this boundary issue that considerable animosity was stirred up between the two English-speaking nations while England was pressing her claims against Venezuela and before she agreed to submit the matter to arbitration. REPORTS from Washington, D. C., state that the troops considered necessary to prosecute the war in the Philippines are about all recruited. The insurgents in the Philippines are seeking to take advantage of the removal of the United States troops that have just returned from there, and are doing all they can to stir up a revolt in Malabon, a city of about 30,000, some five miles distant from Manila. THE reports from the Philippine Islands for the last two weeks have begun again to savor of active hostilities, such as small battles and lively skirmishes. The American troops are preparing to begin operations again within a short time, and are pushing out from their bases to "feel" the opposing forces. At each advance they find the Filipinos, and a skirmish ensues, with more or less loss on both sides, the natives usually retreating and keeping up their fleet-footed mode of warfare. The reports do not indicate any appreciable lessening of the "independence" spirit among the native population, and how long the scourge of war will continue to afflict the two peoples none can tell. WE have already made mention of the severe earthquakes that have recently visited Asia Minor. The latest despatches state that whole villages have been destroyed, and that it is estimated that 1,500 persons lost their lives. One consequence of the earthquake is the subsidence of the level of the Aidin district by two yards. Sulphurous springs burst out in the valley of Noander, and the country between Aidin and Denizli became full of crevices, out of which rushed black, muddy water with sufficient volume to wash away a flock of 1,000 sheep. CAPT. OBERLIN M. CARTER, who was convicted of misappropriating $1,750,000 of government funds, has been sentenced to five years' imprisonment at hard labor, and a fine of $7,000 in addition. The extent of his punishment, to say the least, is not very great in proportion to the enormity of his crime. THIRTY thousand well-armed troops have gathered on the Natal border, and hostilities between the British and the people of the Transvaal are liable to break out any day. Let us pray that such a crisis may be averted. CHRISTIANIA, Norway, is undergoing a financial panic. Several of the oldest and what have been considered the strongest firms in the place have had to suspend payment of their obligations. AN exploring party is reported to have found rich deposits of gold, silver, copper, iron, anthracite, lignite, gypsum, and cinnabar on the east shores of Hudson Bay. THE plague is still spreading in Portugal. The authorities are doing all they can to keep it quiet, but it is impossible for them to keep the news from getting out. JAMES HARLAN, the last surviving member of Mr. Lincoln's cabinet, is lying at the point of death at Mount Pleasant, Iowa. JAPAN has decided that no religion shall be taught in her public schools.