THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST.
By Francis M. Wilcox
Signs in the Physical World.
NOT alone in the heavens above has the Lord hung out signs as precursors of His soon coming, but also in the earth beneath has He given evidences of the same great event. By some it is contended that this earth is yet in its period of infancy; but the rapid changes which have been taking place in its condition during the last few centuries indicate only too clearly to the student of prophecy that it is nearing its final dissolution. The psalmist states (and this statement is quoted in the first chapter of Hebrews) that this earth shall wax old as doth a garment, "As a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed." The evidences of this waxing old are all-apparent. The manifestation is seen in various ways, prominently in the failure of vegetation, caused by the loss of the producing power of the soil. We who are living in the last days probably can form no adequate conception of the great fertility of the earth when it first came from the hands of the Creator. History records but little of the extent of its productiveness. In the works of Herodotus we have a brief record of the great fertility of the province of Babylonia, situated on the Euphrates. Herodotus states that the cereals produced to the extent of five-hundred-fold. It hardly seems possible that there ever was a time in the history of the world when there could be sown one bushel of wheat, and five hundred bushels reaped as the harvest. And yet Herodotus vouches for the truthfulness of his statement, and it undoubtedly was a fact. But if the province of Babylonia produced five-hundred-fold in the days of Herodotus, after the double curse of God had rested upon the soil, what must have been its wonderful fertility in the days of Adam? In the time of Christ we have good evidence to believe that the producing power of the soil was much greater than it is at the present time, tho not so great as in the periods previously mentioned. In the parable of the sower, as recorded in the thirteenth chapter of Matthew, it is said that the seed sown brought forth "some an hundred-fold, some sixty-fold, some thirty-fold." Is it not reasonable to suppose that even in the use of an illustration Christ would not go outside of the probable and reasonable? Hence it would be natural to presume that He took an illustration from every-day, ordinary occurrences. This being true, we must conclude that the seed sown in the land of Palestine produced in this ratio; a hundred-fold would be considered excellent yield; sixty-fold, fair; and thirty-fold, poor. When we come to compare the producing power of the soil in our own time with even this ratio of productiveness, we can see how far this earth has degenerated in point of fertility. In our Western States, in virgin soil, it is possible4to-day to receive thirty-fold yield, but this is considered exceptionally good; while in the Eastern States, where the soil has been worked for years, a yield of ten to fifteen-fold is considered in many localities an excellent harvest. And it is only by the constant use of fertilizing agencies that the soil can be held up to this standard of productiveness. Adding to this growing degeneracy of the productiveness of the earth, our crops are placed under a new embargo in the various pests, which annually destroy thousands of acres of our food products. There is hardly a vegetable planted, or a cereal sown, but what there is some insect or animal that will prey upon that particular grain or vegetable; and every year witnesses an increase of these scourges, and every year witnesses their advent into regions where hitherto they have been unknown. Our Saviour, in the Gospel of Luke, says that as a sign of the approaching day of the Lord there should be great commotion in the sea; that earthquake should follow earthquake; and that in consequence of these things the hearts of men would fail them for fear for looking after these things which are coming on the earth. Upon the increase of earthquakes the following facts, gathered by Mr. Mallett, show how rapid it has been:— Previous to the first advent of Christ, the earthquakes of the world averaged only one in twenty-nine years. From A.D. 1 to the end of the ninth century there occurred one in every four years. From the end of the ninth century to the end of the fifteenth century, one per year. From the end of the fifteenth century to the end of the eighteenth century, nine every year. From the end of the eighteenth century to 1850, sixty-four every year; while from 1850 to 1868 (the last period for which we have figures), two hundred and seventy-seven per year. Every reader of the daily news must admit the wonderful increase which has taken place in the tidal disturbances, and disasters by land and sea during the last few years. The tidal waves which have swept in from the ocean, inundating large tracts of territory, sweeping away villages and cities, and destroying thousands of lives and millions of dollars' worth of property, have been fearful and horrible sights to witness. We have such a description of a tidal wave off the coast of South America some years ago, as given in Harper's Magazine: "That most horrible phenomenon, the tidal wave, how many struggling mortals has it swept back into the deep! What countless ships has it crushed against the shores! What mighty cities has it plundered of life and wealth, strewing their streets with the ocean sand, and peopling their palaces with sea monsters! I saw the whole surface of the sea rise as if a mountain-side, actually standing up. Another shock, with a fearful roar, took place. I called to my companions to run for their lives onto the pampa. I lost my companions, and in an instant was fighting with the dark waters. The mighty waves surged, and roared, and leaped. The cries of human beings and animals were frightful." The question will naturally arise in the mind if these disturbances do not seem more frequent of late years on account of our increased facilities of connection with all parts of the world, and the fact that through these we have fuller reports than formerly. Regarding this the following extract from the New York Mercantile Journal is to the point: "Old mother earth has been indulging in some old caprices within the last ten years, the variety and frequency of her antics having especially increased during her last three revolutions. Tornadoes, waterspouts by land as well as by sea, freshets, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes have become of almost daily occurrence and of continually augmenting intensity. Moreover, they embrace a larger and larger area of territory at each recurrence. The last shock, which so fearfully devastated South America, was felt over one-third of the earth's surface. These portentous phenomena are seriously engaging the attention of the scientific world. The remark that they only seem to us more frequent because our means of communication are more complete and rapid, and that we now hear from all parts of the globe simultaneously, will not explain the matter, since the late commotions have been attended by disturbances of both land and sea in parts of the earth which have been constantly accessible for centuries, that were totally unparalleled in previous history. The change of the Gulf Stream from its course, and the alteration of climates, have been some of these increased marvels." The earth to-day, in almost every phase of its physical existence, is presenting continuously strange and remarkable phenomena. To the careless multitude these do not appeal. If for the brief moment of their occurrence they awakened any fear or amazement, they are soon passed by and regarded as in the ordinary course of events. But to the student of prophecy there may be seen in them a fulfilment of the words of inspiration given centuries in the past, predicting just such things as evidence of the soon coming of the Lord. By these things may we be admonished in time so we shall be able to make that preparation to meet the Lord of the whole earth in peace when He comes.