It is an acknowledged truth that the greater the light the greater the sin in rejecting it. This is applicable alike to individuals, to nations and to the world. The course of man since the fall has been a downward course. As the world has grown old, so has evil increased. The dominion of the Prince of the powers of the air has become more universal and more strong. But man may not plead as an excuse for their sin, the increase of evil; for as a redeeming feature in their history, and a means by which they might have escaped if they would, light has been proportioned to the evil by which they have been surrounded. Yet from generation to generation, as by descending steps have the race gone down into the depths of iniquity and guilt. The generation of Noah reached a degree of corruption, previous to that time unknown, and they were swept away by the flood. The aggravated sins of the cities of the plain brought down on them the vengeance of burning fire. Yet mark the language of Christ to the people of the generation in which he was revealed. He pronounces woes upon them; for if Tyre and Sidon and Sodom and Gomorrah had had the light which they had, they would have remained unto that day; yet it shall be more tolerable for Sodom in the day of judgment than for them. They who in their self-righteousness protested that they would not have slain the prophets were to finish their transgression by slaying the Son of God the Lord of the prophets. Upon them was to come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, son of Barachias whom they slew between the temple and the altar. Thus stood that generation the guiltiest of any that earth had then beheld—guiltiest because rejecting the greatest light. But how will that very race whom Christ denounces as serpents and a generation of vipers, rise up in judgment with the people of the present day and condemn them. The downward tendency of man since the days of Christ has been no less rapid than it was before; and though all prophecy and the experience of all past ages shed their joint light upon the present time, yet darkness covers the earth and grosser darkness than ever, still covers the people. And not only have the wicked world in general sunk to so low a point of moral degradation, but worst of all and most heinous in the sight of Heaven, those who profess to be the followers of Christ are joined with them hand in hand. The leaven of the mystery of iniquity which had begun to be manifest in the days of Paul, has accomplished a fearful work. Especially has the church felt its deadly influence and departed from its original purity. As the Prophet says, they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.
Suppose one of the disciples who lived in the days of Christ, when by all true Christians God's law was reverenced and obeyed, and the teachings of the gospel heeded, suppose he could now come forth and behold the condition of the world. With what emotions would he contemplate those who claim to be followers of Christ, and profess to obey the teachings of the gospel. How would he exclaim when he saw them breaking the everlasting covenant, despising and trampling under foot the holy Sabbath; when he saw that they had become a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the Lord; when he saw them corrupting the ordinances of the Lord's house; when he saw them joining with the spirit of the world, and cherishing all those evil principles which reign in the children of disobedience, and giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils—how then would he join his voice with the blood of martyrs and cry, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not take vengeance on them that dwell on the earth! How long may the world go on insulting God, and trampling upon the majesty of his holy law! Not long may they thus continue. Their judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.
In this great Babylon, is to be filled up the iniquity of earth. Her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. In her is to be found not only the blood of prophets of which the Jewish church was found guilty, but also the blood of saints and of all that were slain upon the earth.
And as in her is filled up the cup of guilt and iniquity, so in her punishment will be filled up the wrath of God. So the third angel announces her doom; a threatening of vengeance more dreadful is not to be found. So will her plagues, death, mourning and famine, come in one day; for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her. U. S.