The "Slime Pits" of New York.
Mr. Talmage of the Brooklyn Tabernacle has taken an unusual method of gaining and imparting knowledge of the sins and dangers of New York. With two of his elders and a police escort he descended to the lowest haunts of vice for observation. He gives the result, preaching from the text, "And the vale of Siddim was full of slime pits." The description which he gives of some of these dens of pollution is simply horrible; it is not our intention to re-produce the picture; but some of his remarks, and his conclusion, are worthy of general consideration. In those places where dancing and dissipation are carried on through all the night, he saw none of the laboring classes. "Hard work," he said, "is the friend of good morals." The young men whose parents are able to keep them without work and furnish them money to spend, are almost certain to go to ruin in the cities. Said Mr. T.: "Give a young man plenty of wine, and plenty of cigars, and plenty of fine horses, and Satan has no anxiety about that man's coming out at his place. He ceases to watch him, only giving direction about his reception when he shall arrive at the end of his journey." And yet many parents make slaves of themselves, and deny their children the privileges and education which they need to become useful in the world, for the sole purpose of laying up money for their children to spend after they are dead. Mr. Talmage confidently denies the assertion, constantly made, that the authorities cannot break up these haunts of vice. They have 2,500 policemen in New York city; he says, "Swear me in special policemen, and give me 200 police for two nights, and I will break up all the leading haunts of iniquity in New York. These abominations are to be charged either to police cowardice or police complicity." That both cowardice and complicity have much to do with the toleration or even shielding of crime in our large cities, there can be no doubt; but that such haunts could be so broken up as not to be revived in some quarters, we fear is not true. Satan's emissaries are too devoted and too persistent to be easily foiled. Again, Mr. Talmage says that vice is on the increase. "Decent people," he remarks, "have no idea of what is going on. The foundations of New York and Brooklyn are struck through with rottenness. If iniquity advances in the next hundred years, as in the past, there will not be a vestige of moral and religious influence left." It is of some interest to notice how these statements and warnings are received. It is generally understood, even by those who cannot give a well defined reason for the belief, that such is the real condition of things in these cities. But ministers in their pulpits, and some of the editors of religious papers, are denouncing Mr. Talmage for arraying these things before the public. They seem to choose to be blinded to the real condition of the world, and continue to tell their hearers and readers that "the world is growing better." True, they do not look so confidently for the millennium to come soon as they did a few years ago, but they are not willing entirely to yield their delusive hope of a "good time coming." The reader who wishes to know what the Lord has revealed of the future, even of the last days, will find it briefly expressed in the following Scriptures :— Answering a question concerning the time of his coming, Jesus said, "Because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold." And unfaithful servants shall join with the world in folly, and say, "My Lord delayeth his coming." Matt. 24 : 13, 48-51. Paul said, "In the last days perilous times shall come." Of men he speaks, "Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof." "Evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived." 2 Tim. 3 : 1, 5, 13. Again, speaking of the time of the coming of the Lord, he said, "The day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape." 1 Thess. 2 : 2, 3. Peter says, "There shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of his coming." 2 Peter 3 : 3, 4.357There is no need that any be blinded in regard to these things. Paul says, "But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief"; and, "Unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation." 1 Thess. 5 : 4; Heb. 9 : 28. Jesus said at that day it will be as it was in the time of Noah; they "knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so also shall the coming of the Son of man be." Matt. 24 : 39. But Noah knew; and they might have known, but they would not heed the warning sent to them. "Even so shall it be." May the Lord help us to "discern the signs of the times;" to heed the warning, and "escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man." Luke 21 : 36.