p. 15 | Signs of the Times, Vol. 43, No. 37. (9/19/1916)

Be a Foreign

Missionary

AT HOME

America, the most cosmopolitan country in the world, offers abundant opportunities for foreign missionary effort. Every large city has its Italian, Chinese, Spanish, French, Japanese, Portuguese, or other quarters. Our neighbors in the country districts represent nearly all the nations of earth.

Let your money and prayers follow the missionaries to foreign lands, but don't forget those who have come to our very doors. You can lead them to Christ.

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ITALIAN — Is the End Near? Second Coming of Christ. Day After Death. Sabbath of the Bible. Salvation Through Christ. And about ten others.

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GREEK — Is the End Near? The Way to Christ. Waymarks to the Holy City. And about ten others.

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Books, periodicals, and tracts in practically every language. Send to your tract society or the publishers for a complete list with prices.

PACIFIC PRESS PUBLISHING ASSN. MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA

Fig-leaf

By Editor

Garments

Milwaukee Roman Catholics, in a warning letter from Archbishop Sebastian Messemer, were told that "holy communion" will be refused to indecently attired women and girls. The Lutheran and the Wesleyan Methodist also are awake to the danger that threatens morality, as indicated by vigorous editorials in expressive English, which appeared recently.

Mrs. Robert J. Burdette, in an address before the General Federation of Women's Clubs, said that the deep V cuts of the new stylish waists, the transparent sleeves, and the short skirts of modern fashion, are among the chief elements in "luring young men to their moral, or rather immoral, doom."

They are quoted at greater length in John N. Quinn's contribution to the October Signs of the Times Magazine — the one entitled

Dress and Demoralization

Of the dozen or more other noteworthy articles, your attention is particularly directed to

Lawlessness, Anarchy, Murder

The Harvest of Evolution

Our London Letter

(Some of Britain's troubles set forth)

Do you wish to know the meaning of unusual happenings as they occur? Are you aware that God's infallible word accurately describes present world conditions, and shows them to be evidences of our Lord's soon return to earth? Read the Signs Magazine regularly. Have it come to your home. It will prove of far greater value than its yearly cost of but $1.00.

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Bathing Suit Parades

ONE of the advertised attractions in a certain city for Labor Day was, "Fifty Beauties Parade in Bathing Suits." The report says that the leader of the "bathing girls" "was followed by a procession of three-score bathing girls, in suits of all descriptions, from the long-neck cape suits to the nifty one-piece affairs called 'racing suits.'"

In other cities of this nation, one of the questions that is perplexing the authorities is as to what they shall do with the "bathing girls and women" who insist on parading the streets of these fashionable summer resorts in their bathing costumes.

Such things as are in evidence on every hand and in every part of the world show the increasing sensuality and the lowering morals of the age. Libertines who, to use the Bible expression, are "laden with divers lusts," will pooh-pooh the idea that these vaunted displays of sensuality are anything other than "fine art."

Without question, such manifestations are the highest expressions of a certain kind of fine art, but they are the art of him who invented the wickedness and sensuality of Sodom, which Christ so graphically foretold would characterize the last days, and would be one of the forerunners of the great judgments of God that would be visited upon wickedness.

Sensible men and women will not close their eyes to the meaning of such things. The striking utterances of the old prophets, upon almost every page of their vivid narratives, contain warnings against the vaunted wickedness that plunges men through sensual lusts into the pit of sure destruction. Be not deceived by the insane talk of men who would try to hide the worst and most debasing corruptions under the cloak of "civilization," "art," and the "refinements of modern society."

"Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." This world, with a mad intensity, is sowing the winds of wickedness. It is preparing itself soon to reap the whirlwinds of destruction.

A Succession of Problems

THOMAS A. EDISON, in a recent newspaper interview, said: "The times are too serious to talk or think in terms of Republicanism or Democracy. Real Americans must drop parties, and get down to big fundamental principles." And, speaking of the last two or three years, he says the nation "has been faced with a succession of tremendous problems." Another sentence from his interview, speaking of recent years, says, "I have never known so many dangerous questions brought up for decision."

Mr. Edison recognizes what any serious-minded person in these times sees all too clearly, and that is that these times are very much out of joint. The ordinary course of world events has given place to events and conditions of extraordinary and calamitous portent. These conditions that are all about us in such alarming proportions are just what the students of prophecy have been looking for and warning the world against for the last fifty or sixty years.

Men using the philosophy of history, which is another way of speaking of the precedents afforded by former times, are endeavoring to tell us what we may expect in the near future. But the conditions of the world to-day have no precedent whatever. The last hundred years, through scientific achievement and mechanical invention, has made another world out of this altogether, so far as its material developments are concerned; and the problems of to-day cannot be judged by any precedent from former times.

We are, so far as the people of the world are concerned, sailing to-day on unknown and uncharted seas. The only charts that give us any clue to what the future has in store for us are the great charts of prophecy. The only light that is to-day shining into the future is that illumination of prophecy which the scripture tells us is as "a light that shineth in a dark place."

The great mass of humanity is doomed to be deceived and destroyed, not because such must necessarily be the case, but because men will insist upon blindly following their own impulses and their own iniquitous career.

God has a way of escape from the evils and dangers of this time, and every individual may avail himself of it who will. These times are too serious, and freighted with too important issues, for us to take any chances. Men should seek to the old Book to-day as never before. They should stand under its clear light, that the pitfalls of the time may be seen and avoided.

The Peace-War Paradox

By LeRoy Edwin Froom

ACCORDING to press dispatches, Secretary of the Navy Daniels recently made this statement:

"When this war ends, I hope that this republic can invite all the secretaries of war and navy and state, and other officials of the big navy nations, to a conference to try to find some plan by which all will agree to stop this competitive navy building."

Such pacific sentiments are indeed attractive and commendable; but, though the statesmen may have such conferences, the nations will not disarm, nor will they stop the competitive manufacture of slaughter weapons. We rest not upon appearances nor human authority for this statement, but upon the word of the living God. It is impossible for Him to be mistaken, and He has declared that these last days would witness a unique peace-talk-war-preparation paradox.

In proof of this assertion, we submit two scriptures. The first is this: "And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And He shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more." Micah 4: 2, 3.

Here we are specifically told what the nations will be talking, or saying. They will propose to call a halt to this insane competitive armament of the nations. They will say, Let us turn this energy into agricultural and commercial activities. And now on every hand, we hear this peace talk ringing. The word of our God, penned twenty-five centuries ago, is verified to-day.

Next read God's statement of what the nations will be doing at the same time they are talking peace. This is what will be going on "among the nations": "Prepare war; stir up the mighty men; let all the men of war draw near, let them come up. Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong." See Joel 3: 9-14, A. R. V.

Talking peace, yet piling up their implements of warfare for Armageddon, and earth's climactic crisis—such is God's forestatement. And such is and will be the actual condition of the nations to-day. L. E. F.

Tending to Business

By L. E. F.

A CERTAIN well-known clergyman, who recently returned from the Ford Peace Expedition, declares he has learned "that the business of a preacher of the gospel is—to preach the gospel." This is truly encouraging—if it is only put into practice.

We would that all ministers everywhere might heed the commission of the Master Preacher, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." Also the charge of the apostle Paul: "I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom; Preach the Word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry." 2 Tim. 4: 1-5.

Not politics, nor civic reform, nor ethics, nor socialism, nor any of the thousand and one other attractions that have usurped the place of the old-fashioned gospel in many modern pulpits, but the preaching of the gospel of the Word—that is the business of the minister of Jesus Christ. Let us attend to our business. L. E. F.

Don't fail to read — SIXTY MILES OF SIN by Dr. Paulson THE WORLD'S GREATEST DOCTOR by Dr. Magan THE CALL FOR LIFE-SAVERS by Dr. Evans In Our Next Issue