Future Articles by Editor

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Jun 17, 1908

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 34, No. 25.

Future Articles

By Editor

Future Articles.—We have two series of articles now on hand which we will present before our readers soon in addition to those which are now running. One of these is entitled "The Great Day of the Lord," a subject of infinite and thrilling interest. Perhaps no subject of the Bible is spoken of with more stirring language than that of this great period, described as being one of the most interesting and terrible the world shall ever know. There are two classes of views regarding this period, one is that during that time the world will be converted; swords beaten into plow-shares, and spears into pruning-hooks; that the whole world shall learn peace. Another is that during that time the world shall be desolate. These articles written by Elder M. H. Brown, five in number, will present just what the Bible has to say in regard to the character of that day, length of the day, the evidence at the beginning of the day, and the evidence at its close. These are very definitely set forth in the Scriptures, and we are sure that those who follow the articles in the SIGNS OF THE TIMES will be well repaid for the reading upon this great subject. Another series is from an old and devoted minister of God, one who has spent all his lifetime in saving souls. His articles will be upon "The Great Work of Conversion;" "Man's Condition and Need;" "Faith and Conviction;" "Turning from Sin; and the Power of the Will;" "Born Again;" "Baptism;" "Saved to Serve;" and "The Test of the Renewed Life." Surely these articles should be of interest to every soul, not only to those who desire salvation but to those who are Christians.

World Plagues.—The Independent of May 28 has an article on World Plagues. It notes from several recent instances how suspicious people are; that when a new disease breaks out, or some old disease takes new phases, how quickly it is reported. It also informs people that plagues still constitute serious danger for the world. We have heard much of how epidemic diseases, called plagues, devastated the civilized world every few hundred years, during the last twenty-five centuries. Ordinarily it might be presumed there would be very little danger of such a thing as the bubonic plague spreading in these days, but those who think so have no proper idea of the present situation. Fifteen years ago when the bubonic plague appeared in India, its victims were counted by the thousands. Since then, in spite of all that the British government has tried to do, the disease has continued to rage among the teeming populations of India, and has carried away literally millions of inhabitants. The article goes on to note that when it was supposedly conquered in various places, it would break out with renewed vehemence somewhere else, and over and over again it has gone back over its own tracks and claimed new victims where it had once been eradicated. There is even now no serious hope of eradicating the disease in the near future. It follows usually the track of commerce. It reached Hongkong, found its way into portions of China, then went to Manila and claimed its victims there, reached many ports of South Africa, then Alexandria in Egypt; next it was found in Lisbon, and Lisbon does not yet feel herself free from the danger. Two cases got as far as quarantine in New York some years ago, several in various places in South America, and then came San Francisco. The disease is carried by rats, and it is difficult to exterminate rats. The only hope of the world, The Independent says, is "there must be no break in its quarantine regulations; and the price of safety is eternal vigilance." Prof. Koch declares there are three places where bubonic plague is endemic: one of these is the hill country of India, another is in Arabia, probably not far from Mecca; and the third is German South Africa. In these centers the infectious material is kept constantly burning and every now and then the conflagration spreads. Science has done much in sanitary regulations for seaports, large cities, and nations in general, but unwholesome living, impoverished diet as well as too generous diet and gormandizing, makes a fertile field in which the disease germs grow. There is no doubt at all, looking at it from the world view-point, but what the earth is preparing for the plague mentioned in Revelation 16.

The Temperance number of the "Watchman" as published by the Southern Publishing Assn., Nashville, Tenn., has come to our table filled with excellent matter and decorated in blue. The first page has a blue ribbon, the old temperance badge, illuminated by waterfall, underneath which is the text, "I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely." Some of the principal articles are, "Christianity against the Liquor Traffic," by Elder A. G. Daniells; "Is It Right?" by Mrs. L. M. N. Stevens, National President W. C. T. U.; "Beer Drinking," by Dr. D. H. Kress; "The W. C. T. U. and the Temperance Movement," by Mrs. Silena M. Holman, President Tennessee W. C. T. U.; "A Plea for Prohibition," by Mrs. E. G. White; "Bible Temperance," Geo. I. Butler; "Woman's Part in the Cause of Temperance," by Eva Miller Hankins; and other articles. There are illustrations, excellent poetry, and other decorations. The price is five cents a copy; in larger numbers at lesser prices. Address the Southern Publishing Assn., Nashville, Tenn. We hope it may have a good circulation.

A despatch from Des Moines, Iowa, in the San Francisco Bulletin states that our church in that city was partially destroyed by fire at an early hour in the morning of June 3. No injuries to persons or loss of life is reported in the church or in the sanitarium adjoining. Patients in the sanitarium, to the number of sixty, were removed; but it seems the sanitarium did not burn. The fire chief and his assistant were injured by a collision on their way to the fire. Our brethren have our sympathy in this calamity.

The Canadian-Australia liner "Manuka," which arrived at Victoria, B. C., June 3, brought news of the destruction of a pearling fleet of forty luggers in a typhoon off the coast of West Australia. Two hundred seventy lives were lost, the beach near Broome being strewn with wreckage and bodies. About twenty of the victims were white Australians, the others, Malays, Manila men, Japanese, and Kanakas.

"The Woman's Home Companion" for June publishes a two-page reproduction of one of the most remarkable photographs ever taken. It is a photograph of 500 photographs of President Roosevelt, taken in almost every state and territory of the Union, and showing him as cowboy, rough rider, governor, lecturing, on horse-back, etc., etc. The remarkable picture is well printed in the Companion.

Destructive floods in Montana, unequaled in the history of railroading in the Northwest, were reported June 2 to 4. Many cities on the eastern slope of the Rockies suffered severely, the light plants of Butte and other cities being flooded. Six lives were lost and much property destroyed, the railroads probably suffering the most.