JUST NOW IS THE OPPORTUNE TIME.
By G.
THE reason that the pagan population of the Soudan country are so easily drawn into Mohammedanism is, that there is little or no influence to oppose the transition. The adversary of truth would impose all sorts of obstacles in the way of a heathen's accepting Christianity, while no hindrance at all would confront his becoming a Mohammedan. In fact, the experience of missionaries proves that the latter condition is worse than the former so far as access to them with the truth is concerned. Hence there is every reason for energetic effort on the part of Christian missionaries to forestall the Mohammedan emissaries in that country. The same principle holds good with reference to the recent revivals of Buddhistic energy in various other countries. A wave of great deception is sweeping over the world, because the devil "knoweth that he hath but a short time." Rev. 12:12. Therefore he is stirring up interest in all the anti-Christian religions of the past, in addition to all the new fads of political religion, and "science falsely so-called" by which the Scriptures are discredited; and even the Christian religion is perverted by false doctrine. Yes, the enemy of souls is using every possible means to strew the earth with obstacles to the proclamation of Gospel truth in these perilous times. All the lethargy and conflicting effort and other causes of delay that are allowed to retard the work of giving the "commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus" to those in darkness, only serve to make the labor more difficult, by causing their hearts to become clogged against the truth because of the increasing accumulations of error. The more the heathen are imbued with the traditions of men, even in the name of Christianity, the more difficult it will be to cause them to understand the true doctrine of Christ and of His soon coming to judge the world by His immutable law. To those who, by the Spirit through the Word, have been enlightened concerning the Gospel of the kingdom now due to the world, the Lord is saying: "Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people; but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and His glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. Lift up thine eyes round about, and see; all they gather themselves together, they come to thee; thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side. Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee." Isa. 60:1-5. What a golden opportunity is just now before those whom God has enlightened with "present truth"—the message especially due to the world in these last days! Shall we truly embrace the opportunity? G.