Forebodings by Editor

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 20, 1865

Forebodings.

By Editor

"MEN'S hearts failing them for fear," is laid down upon the Christian's chart as one of the signs of the last days; and another one, seemingly just the opposite of this, is, a cry of "peace and safety." How can these two exist together?

The prophecy says that they shall say, "Peace and safety." Now men sometimes say things from a variety of motives. It is not always from a calm and settled conviction of the truth of what they utter. They sometimes vociferate lustily, in order to work themselves up into a belief of what they are asserting, having a semi-consciousness that there exists for them no other source of comfort. They sometimes zealously assert the truthfulness of those things, the only evidence of the truthfulness of which is, their desire to have them true. And they will also assert, long and loud, the infallibility of their preconceived opinions and existing institutions, hoping thereby to prevent further inquiry, lest some facts should come to light to dispel their delusion, and lay bare their folly. A crowd of persons of this class, many years ago, in hopes of thus silencing all opposing arguments, very foolishly strained their lungs in shouting for about the space of two hours together, "Great is Diana of the Ephesians! great is Diana of the Ephesians!"

And it may be with those who now cry, Peace and safety, some as it was with the boy in the fable, who in passing in the dusk of evening the guide-board with its outstretched arms, imagined it a specter, and loudly whistled to keep his courage up. One thing is certain; the hearts of the observant and thinking are ill at ease. They may cry, Peace and safety, to shut out from their hearts anticipation of coming evil; but they cannot disguise the fact that fears and dark forebodings of confusion and trouble do often harass and perplex them.

For our own part, we could not well picture a scene more dark, than to have our hopes confined to a world like this in its present condition, and be obliged to lay plans for any moderate number of years to come. If the Christian can think of no other cause for gratitude and thanksgiving to God, he should find an exhaustless source of such emotions, in the fact that he is permitted to transfer his citizenship from this world to a world of eternal life and glory, that he can build his hopes in a land over which the Prince of Peace shall reign in righteousness, where his people shall flourish as the tree of life, and long enjoy the work of their hands. It is no wonder that John should exclaim, "Let him that heareth," of such a hope as this, "say, Come."

In reference to the present unsettled state of the nations, the Sun and Advertiser published at Halifax, Novia Scotia, says:

"Although actual war has not begun among the great powers of Europe, yet no one acquainted with affairs as they now stand, can fail to see the hair suspended sword, which the slightest touch might precipitate upon the whole continent. The only difficulty is to guess what kind of combination of the inflammable elements will culminate in an explosion which is to set Europe in a blaze.

"Although we will not say that France is the greatest power in the world, (our patriotism gives that distinction to England, because she is the best as well as the bravest;) but we do say that every kingdom is looking toward her with anxiety, to know by the decision of her Emperor, not whether there will be war, for that we fear is inevitable, but when and where havoc is to be let loose. By degrees, in the extension of his power, Napoleon has drawn the cords tightly around his yielding and complacent subjects, till at length they are beginning to feel their bonds, and begin to give an occasional tug at them with a grimace of dissatisfaction. They do not lack for advisers and secret agitators, who are ever at hand to pour the doctrine of revolt into ears equally ready to hear; and all the spies which diplomacy may employ, cannot prevent the circulation of inflammatory documents

among the people, to conjure up the sanguinary genius of revolution, which in France means blood-thirsty infidelity and insatiate cruelty.

"There is no human mind better able to estimate how far it is safe to go than the sagacious Napoleon; yet even the most subtle have been mistaken in venturing 'a step further still,' which, breaking through the thin crust over the seething volcano, plunges the rash venturer into the heaving lava beneath."