The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-04-01
THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES
Subj. ct Of a Sermon Delivered Ia Butte
Yesterday. I.
DOCTRINE OF ADVENTISTS
MAY the Lord Help Us to study
His Word, That We May Be
Enabled to See These
Things"

W. DAOHe Vi iltttud Nllb CNtliihE
preached powerful sermon at the Con-
eregational church on Tine Signs of the
Times" and the second coming of Christ,
taking his text from the third verse of the
18th chapter of Matthew:
aye can discern the face of the sky. but
can ye not discern the signs of the
times?'
These words were spoken to the Phari-
sees and Saddusees as they came toChrist
desiring a sign of Him. They had schooled
themselves in selfishness until they we're
enabled to discern certain things that
would ad vance their worldly interests,
but the one thing most needful had been
overlooked. They had neglected the
study of the Scriptures, which would have
revealed TO them that Jesus was the
Christ. without His having to show a sign
or work "a miracle to convince them. They
could not discern the signs of the times.
A sign in scriptural sense must be n
matter of prophecy. The prophets, by in
spiration of God, had foretold of John the
Baptist. the forerunner of Christ, and his
work. They had foretold the birthplace
of the Savior, also the efforts of Herod TO
destroy HIM as soon as born. When
these Scriptures had their fulfllment, as
they did to the very letter, they were
signs to all who understood them that
Christ the Savior of the world had APP
pearcd; and had the Pharisees and Sad
dusees put forth as great an effort to gain
q knowledge of the Bible as they had to
gain this worlds goods, they would have
been able to discern the signs of the
times.
AS we look back, we say, show blind
they must have been that they did not un-
derstand these things" but may there not
be Just as much danger of us doing the
81 nm fhinn m nd OyRrlnOk tho a ll-Innnnrfauf
thing in our day? We read in Acts 1927
that the reason they rejected Christ and
did not see in the things transporting the
signs of their times, was because they I'M
derstood not the voice of the prophets,
which were read every Sabbath. Then,
although they read the prophesies they did
not understand them. They had Christ
fixed up in their minds and how he should
come aud set up temporal kingdom.
But Jesus was not the christ they had
been looking for and they rejected Him.
Now, God has also foretold by the prophets
that the second house of Israel would re-
ject Christ Mt His second advent, the same
as the first house or the Jews dad at HIS
FIRST advent. We find that both houses of
Israel. the Jews, the first house, and the
Gentiles, the second house, by adoption,
would both stumble over Christ, and IL
will be for n lack of an understanding OF
the Scriptures in both cases. The first
house of Israel looked for Christ to come
anu set a temporal hlnUiDin Ut us llTst
advent, when he was coming to reign
spiritually. Now when Christ is coming
to prepare TO set up his kingdom. satan
would blind the eyes of tho people and
make them believe that Christ us coming
to reign spiritually, and so we hear
preached on every hand that the world is
growing better and soon the millennium
will be ushered in and peace Will reign
upon the earth. 81
How important that we understand
Gods word, and be able to discern the
signs of our times. God has pointed out
the condition of the world in the last days
in many places in the Bible.
In Timothy 2nd chapter and verses 10.
we read of the condition of tho professed
people of God in the last days. Eighteen
of the worst traits of character imagin-
able, the Lord has told us, will be de-
veloped in the professed church of Christ.
These traits are not said to be manifested
in the world only, but by professors. We
read, "know this also, that IN the last
days, perilous times shall come. For men
shall be lovers of their own selves, covet-
Gus, boosters, proud, blasphemers, dis
obedient TO parents, unthankful, unhoiy,
without natural affection, truce breakers,
false accusers. incontinent, fierce, de-
spisers of those that are good, traitors,
heady, high minded. lovers of pleasure
more than lovers of God; having a form
of Godliness. We see that these are pro-
fcssors, for they have n form of religion
these worldlings do not pretend 10 have.
Look over these traits here brought to
view, can you see them developed among
professors to-day to an alarming extent?
Many of you no dassent. We know that
these things are so to such an extent that
efforts for the conversion OF souls Is al
most fruitless. The worlds people look
at professors and say am as good or
better than they are and too often this
is true.
What does this state of affairs declare
to you and me to-day? When did the
Lord say such condition of things would
exist among professors" "know also that
in the last days" these things will exist.
Then if we read these signs Alright, what
do they declare TO us? That we are liv-
ing in the last days.
We read again in Luke l., 26-2S. Here
the Lord states that just before the COM
ing of Christ the world will be in the same
condition that existed before the flood.
Likewise also as il was in the days of
Lot" The condition described Is. that
they wore all given up TO things OF this
world; going to excess in eating, drinking,
building. marrying, etc.
The speaker dwelt at some length upon
the point of marriage. Tue Scripture says
that they married wives. They are not
satisfied with one wife, but they marry
and for some trivial matter apply tor n di-
vorce. Ii is granted, and they arc soon
married again. Ii matters do not pass oil
Us SbOoAHAN a. 1hOAhNi -
secured, and another trial is made, until
there are women and men that have sew
eral living husbands or wives. You can
hardly take up newspaper but II records
this state of affairs. Several days ago, in
one county, there were granted 81 DE-
vorces i'm one week. And these persons,
many of them, profess TO be followers of
Christ and His teachings. But what does
Christ say? Il say unto you, that whose
ever shall put away his wife, saving for
the cause of fornication. causeth her TO
commit adultery; and whatsoever marry
eth her that is divorced, committeth adult
terry
The Lord. in the oath chapter OF Matt,
IS and 40 verses, speaks OF a class of per-
sons who will be saying, My Lord de-
layeth his coming and they will be en-
gagged i'm eating and drinking with the
drunken. Is not this fulfilled to-day. in
The rnanncr resorfel To- by snrlln in n sing |