To know the great truth of the Lord's second coming really and fully, and to have the bright picture of the glorious advent become a soul-satisfying reality, lightens every dark cloud, and dissipates every terrorizing danger of this turbulent world. These dark clouds and threatening dangers will then appear as mere atoms, that cannot mar even the horizon of our divinely bequeathed haven of security and power. What a consolation it is to know that we have such a faithful Friend! What an indescribable peace and rest floods the soul as we cast our anchor in the secure harbor of Him who is the Almighty!
The Divorce Evil
It is said that three and one half per cent of our married population is composed of divorcees — 341,277 in all. But America is not alone in suffering the ravages of the divorce evil. Word comes that Russia is in the grip of this mighty social plague. The dispatch states: "The number of couples who have presented themselves for a severance of the marriage ties has been much greater than prior to the war. Indeed, so great is the demand, that the officers of the divorce court have been compelled to keep the court open on Sundays in order to get through with the examination of the various witnesses." Scarred lives, tarnished characters, ruined homes, blasted reputations, are everywhere.
HOME WRECKERS ADVANCE
Thoughtful persons everywhere are alarmed over the unmistakable trend of the times; for that which saps the foundation of the home undermines the very pillars of the nation. This home-devouring cancer is relentless in its ravages. It has become a world-wide phenomenon. Yet it was all foretold centuries ago; and to the reverent student of the Word, it is but another striking evidence that the human family is on its last lap in the race with sin. The Saviour of men declared that these last days would witness a flitting from one marital alliance to another, willing slavery to an ever changing caprice. "But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the Flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and knew not until the Flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." Matt. 24: 37-39. And of the days of Noah we read: "The sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. And the Lord said, My Spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years." Gen. 6: 2, 3. Viewed in the light of Scripture, this undeniable characteristic of the social world constitutes an unmistakable herald of the approaching end. The days of Noah are in process of repetition. Soon will come the return of the Son of man.
UNTIL DIVORCE DO US PART
The trivial complaints which are made to serve as the basis for these legal separations would at times be laughable were not the entire question so serious. The ease with which divorces may be obtained has made but a frivolous farce of the solemn words of the marriage pledge. For the time-honored phrase, "until death do us part," the modern version might well be thought to read, "until divorce do us part." In the mind of many, the step is in reality but a doubtful experiment, a trial marriage. If all goes congenially, well and good; and if not, then the address of the divorce court is found, and the rest is easy. But the testimony of the Scriptures is unequivocal on this question. Said Jesus: "But I say unto you, that whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery." Matt. 5: 32. Paul adds, "So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress." Rom. 7: 3. Also in 1 Cor. 7: 10, 11, He states: "And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband: but and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband."
HIGH TIME TO DRAW THE LINE
By L. E. F.
Dare the Christian church of the twentieth century assume the position that the attitude of her divine Founder was needlessly strict and severe? Let us beware of that "liberality" which is but a cloak for license. It is enough for the disciple that he be as narrow as his Lord. It is high time for the Christian ministry to come in line with the Biblical principle governing divorce. Let them refuse to become a party to this iniquitous and unscriptural business. Let them decline to officiate at the remarriage ceremony of divorced persons who secure their papers on other than Scriptural grounds. Those who decry this antibiblical practice, and cling to the New Testament standard, will doubtless be called narrow, fanatical, old-fashioned. So let it be. We take our position deliberately. In no other way could we be true to our convictions, and faithful to our charge. We register our protest against the daring freedom of the twentieth century that has debased marriage into a temporary contract, to be broken at the whim, or passion, or will, of either of the contracting parties.
L. E. F.
"Drinking Smoke and Eating Fire"
By D. H. Kress
SMOKING, it seems, had its origin in devil worship. The North American savages brought tobacco to their gods as the most acceptable offering they could make. The burning fumes ascending before the gods were supposed to appease their anger, or as stated by one of the seventeenth century writers, "They thought the angry gods were marvelously delighted therewith." When America was discovered, the Spanish sailors who saw the natives smoke, in describing it to their companions, said, "They drank smoke, and puffed it from their nostrils like devils."
Before tobacco was much known in Germany, some soldiers, it is said, belonging to a British cavalry regiment, were quartered in a German village. One of them, a trumpeter, happened to be a Negro. A peasant, who happened to be a black man, watched the trumpeter at a safe distance groom and feed his horse. After the Negro was through, he filled his pipe and began to smoke. As the peasant saw the smoke come out of his mouth and nostrils, he became much alarmed. The Negro, seeing his look of fear, offered the pipe to him. "No, no!" cried the peasant, in great alarm. "No, no, Mr. Devil, I do not eat fire."
It is evident that Mr. Devil has met with better success since, for fully eighty per cent of American men are fire eaters. Sixty per cent of our boys over eleven years of age drink, smoke, and "puff it from their nostrils like devils." We have become accustomed to witness this strange savage custom, which made so profound an impression upon the sailors of Columbus and the German peasant.
Illus. London News
Mr. Devil seems to be having things his way, even among some of the pastors and teachers. Cigarette smoking is one of his most successful agencies in destroying the human race physically, mentally, and morally. "Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time." His most destructive weapons are not the big guns, but the little cigarettes, and the host of other narcotic drugs that are employed in civilized lands.
D. H. KRESS.
Warning!
By E. Hilliard
No other message of warning that has been given to the world has embraced such terrible results, if disregarded, and such a glorious victory, if obeyed, as that penned by the apocalyptic prophet on the Isle of Patmos. Listen to God's last solemn warning to a rebellious world:
"If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation." Rev. 14: 9, 10.
This is a warning to every individual; for it reads, "If any man worship the beast," whether he be a papist, a Baptist, a Methodist, or a Seventh-day Adventist, he will surely receive the wrath of God unmingled with mercy. Is it possible that those who profess to believe God's holy word, can set aside with incredulity such a solemn prophetic warning?
Suppose that one does not understand what the "beast," his "image," or his "mark" is. Is any way provided by which such a one may escape the impending wrath of God? — Yes; for a blessing is pronounced upon all who hear, read, and keep the things contained in the Revelation of Jesus Christ. Rev. 1: 1-3.
All who will give prayerful heed to the solemn warning will surely gain the victory in the coming contest. A refuge is pointed out in the twelfth verse of Revelation 14: "Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus."
No saint will worship the "beast" or his "image," or "receive his mark," whatever they may be. But what are the saints doing that shields them from this false worship? There is but one answer; that is, they are keeping the commandments of God by faith in Jesus. Whoever centers his faith in Christ, and thereby keeps the commandments of God just as they were written by the divine finger on the tables of stone, will never bow to the beast or his image, or receive his mark. But all who refuse to regulate their lives by this great moral standard will reject the warning, worship the beast, and eternally perish.
It is evident that no violator of God's law will have his name written in the book of life. He who offends in one point of the law is a guilty man. James 2: 10-12. And the Scriptures teach us that all whose names are not written in the book of life will worship the beast. Rev. 13: 4-8.
May God grant that the reader and the writer may both be found on the loyal side in the coming conflict, and at last stand with the eternal victors revealed to the apostle John in holy vision: "And I saw . . . them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, . . . stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God." Rev. 15: 2. E. HILLIARD.
