Signs of the Times.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 349, 10 September 1889, Page 3

Signs of the Times.

There was a large gathering at the Theatre on Sunday night, when Mr Hare lectured on the Signs of the Times. In referring to Luke 21 : 25, where Christ presents the signs of the end, the speaker claimed that we are past the signs in the heavens, which had their fulfilment in the dark day of May 19, 1780, and the great meteoric shower of stars in November 1833, and that we are now to look for the signs on the earth—- “ distress and perplexity of nations.” Here he took a retrospect of the past months of this year. There was the famine in China, the cholera in India, and the yellow fever in Rio Janeiro, carrying off their thousands of victims. Then we had the volcanic eruption in Japan with its 170 destroyed, the Armagh disaster with its 150 slain, and the great tragedy of Johnstown with its 25,000 dead. Besides these calamities the fire had. done its part in the distress of nations, while the sea had gathered an unknown number of ships and mariners in its cold embrace. These few with the many other disasters made the history of this year unparalleled as a time of national distress. The speaker then referred to the perplexity existing over the European situation, and how all the nations were making

preparations for battle. China had ordered arms to the value of JJ75.000, Japan was securing a fleet of 30 war ships, while America had spent 1,614.000 dollars on her last war cruiser, and England had voted £20,000,000 to be spent in the next four years on the improvement and increase of her navy. All the nations were armed, a!ld if necessary could bring 26,000,000. of men into the field. These were as evident signs of perplexity as the others had been of distress. Reference was then made to James 5:1-5, where the laborers are said to be defrauded of their wages by the rich who have heaped their treasures together for the “ last days.” This was evidently the condition of affairs at present. The world was never so rich, and yet there was never so much poverty because the money was kept in the hands of the few. The labor strikes Of America, Austria, Bohemia, and England

were spoken of as evidences of a great struggle between labor and oapital, as pointed out by Hab. 2: 6j 7, where the laborers are represented as rising up to bite the oppressor, and their riches become booties unto them. Mr Hare next took up the religious aspect of affairs as pointed out by Paul in 2 Tim. 3: 1.5 where the last days are said to be characterised by a i “ form of Godliness,” and the progressors are to be “ lovers of pleasure more than lovers of

God.” That this time had come was. the speaker said, seen in the exertions put forth by the religi’-us bodies, of this and other lands, to tickle the fancy of the world by their dramatic representations and entertainments, so as to secure aid for the gospel work, end also in pandering to the appetite of an unconverted world by coffee suppers, ring cakes, and tea parties. The lecturer did not condemn ths world for having its pleasure, but said It was a shame that the garments of Christianity should be toilefl by such unsanotified commerce with the world, In conclusion it was Held that distress and perplexity of the political world, with the religious laxity and privatism of the present day, were the evidences set forth by the prophets that the curtain is already lifting for the last act in the tragedy of human history, and that the next will be the revelatlon of the “Son Of Man ” in the clouds of Heaven. The “Witch of Endor " WSB ana nouuoed for next Sunday eight,