The Signs of These Days.
By John Taylor
MATTHEW xxiv, 12 reads, "Iniquity shall abound." 1 Tim. vi, 10. "The love of money is the root of all evil." 2 Tim. iii, 1-5. "In the last days perilous times shall come. Men shall be covetous, . . . unholy, . . . fierce, traitors, . . . lovers of pleasures," etc. Jeremiah xxiii, 29-33. It would appear from the following that the above scriptures are being fulfilled to the very letter at the present time. Says the Portland Transcript of Jan. 23d, 1864, in a leading article on Bible Dishonesty:— "One of the dark features of the present war, is the immense amount of dishonesty . . . permeating every department of the public service, thieves in the treasury, thieves shaking hands with rebels (traitors) in the Custom House, everywhere men defrauding the government, a general grab-game, and he who gets the most is the best fellow. If by mistake a fraudulent contractor is clapped into jail, a three-thousand-dollar bribe brings a Senator to his aid, and he is soon at large again. This is a dark picture, and in contemplating it one is forced to ask, Is public virtue dead? Is there no honesty?" Dr Wayland on the times, said, "Where iniquity abounds, the love of many is apt to wax cold, and the Spirit to depart. Such evils threaten us. Prodigious sins are at work in our nation. No one can tell what course it is best things should take." "Human wisdom is vanity. It is powerless at the problem of this crisis." Says the Boston Traveler of Oct. 6th, 1863, Lord Clarence Paget, (of England,) says, "An agonized world waits to hear what this crisis portends." Says the New York Herald of Jan. 16th, 1864, "M. Thiers (of France) thinks that the present policy of France may entail upon Europe a general war; which shall last beyond the time of the present generation." And the Portland Advertiser of Jan. 25th, 1864, on the news from Europe, from the London Times, says of the German war, "It must before long sweep in its ever widening vortex every power of the European continent." Says the Herald of Jan. 30th, 1864: "The Mexican question has assumed a new phase in France, . . . and given Napoleon the opportunity to enter into the coming contest, in Europe, with the forces at his command untrammeled, as expressed through their representatives, that he may be ready for the great struggle which it is now almost impossible for Europe to escape. All the powers of Europe are assuming a most formidable aspect, when all Europe shall be convulsed with a general war." Says the New York Herald of Feb. 6th, 1864, on the news from Europe, "The new French loan of twelve millions met with an extraordinary success. The applications within a few days amounted to one hundred and sixty millions, or eight times the amount required." So it appears the treasures of gold and silver are at his command. Now what do we find in our country? Said Rev. J. E. Rankin, before the united Congregational churches at Lowell, on twelfth page of his discourse, "This war is a judgment of God for our atheism and infidelity. We have legalized it, and set to it the seal of State." Fourteenth page. "This system of oppression which has caused our war, atheism has culminated." Says O. A. Bronson, "We are drifting away from Christianity," and he expects that when we shall have parted with its doctrines we shall abandon its morality, especially in what relates to the sanctity of marriage. Hence the following in the Washington Star, D. C. of Nov. 30th, in an article on the morals of Washington,174—"A resolution was introduced, stating that houses of prostitution and gambling cannot be successfully prohibited. The joint committee suggest amendments to license and regulate such houses." One member stated that "prostitution was horribly on the increase." Another member arose and said, "The members of Congress are the best customers of such places." Says another paper, "War sadly demoralizes." And we should think so by the following advice in a piece called, "The War Cry," in Zion's Herald of Dec. 23d, "Arise! gird on your armor strong! Grasp sword and bayonet. March onward in Jehovah's strength. Your souls on victory set. Fight till your country's soil shall drink the last fell traitor's gore." Now for the effect. See Boston Journal of July 9th. Carleton, on the battle of Gettysburg, says: "It rained shot and shell, knocking over the marble slabs in the cemetery, disemboweling horses, tearing up the graves. The air was full of wild, hideous noises. The low buzz of round shot, whizzing of the elongated rifle bolts, screaming and screeching, the sharp stunning explosion of shells overhead and all around; the earth shook with the tremendous concussions of two hundred pieces of artillery, the enemy came with cheers and yells, like Indians sounding a war-whoop; they rushed upon our guns, we blew them from the muzzles, and filled the air with legs, heads, and arms. Still they came with demoniac screams. The rebels rushed up to the rifle pits, men nerved themselves for desperate efforts. It was the fury of tigers. Foes became impaled on each other's bayonets, and fell to the ground together." This was Thursday's fight. He then gives Friday's: "The lines mingled there were a confused mass of men. Swords were swinging in the air. There were pistol shots, musket shots, bursting shells, tornadoes of grape and canister; there were cuts, thrusts, explosions, flashes, clouds of smoke, yells, curses, groans, hurrahs, an infernal uproar, men falling, heads blown off, arms and legs blown into the air,—a horrid indescribable scene of confusion, carnage, death, . . . horrible to behold." Speaking of another part of the battle he says, "It begins, the infernal din and uproar, three hundred guns firing with the utmost rapidity. You see the attacking forces, solid shot flow through them,—shells make great gaps, men toss their arms wildly and fall headlong. Still on, up to the muzzles of the guns,—they are blown away, mangled torn, piled in heaps,—they melt away, you cannot burn straw in a candle flame with greater rapidity, the ground is thick with dead, they lie thick as fallen leaves of autumn." Oh! hail happy day! which ends all the gory scenes of earth, when the blood-stained garments will be changed to robes of righteousness. This tottering, reeling earth dies hard, but prophecy declares such shall be its last hours of life. When the Prince of peace comes, the will of God will be done on earth as it is done in heaven. Oh! who would not pray, "Thy kingdom comes?"—JOHN TAYLOR, in World's Crisis.