A Comparison of Seven Causes of Antediluvian Corruption W ith Forces A t Work in the Present Daj)
Bÿ G. H. PEMBER
N O T E :—T h e fo llo w in g a rtic le Is a c h a p te r ta k e n fro m G. H . P e m b e r’s re m a rk a b le book, “ E a r th ’s E a rlie s t A g es” (p u b lish e d b y F . H . R ev ell C o.). T h e c h a p te rs o n S p iritu a lism , T h eo so p h y , a n d S ig n s o f th e E n d , a re o f g r e a t m o m e n t a n d sh o u ld be s tu d ie d b y e v e ry B ible s tu d e n t a n d p re a c h e r.
Are these fatal influences now in operation? Are they more universally ch aracteristic of th is epoch th a n of any other? Mature consideration has im pelled many to re tu rn an affirmative answer: let us see w hether facts w ar ra n t us in holding th e same view. I t is impossible to exaggerate our in terest in the investigation. If th e present tim es are only beginning to take the complexion of those of Noah, they send fo rth a piercing cry of w arning admon ishing us to stand w ith our loins girded about and our lamps burning, waiting for the summons of th e Lord. F o r He will remove H is church as He removed Enoch, before th e w ickedness of man has come to its worst. He will take away th a t which He H imself has called th e sa lt of thé earth , and then th e cor rup tion of all flesh will go on un checked, and the world speedily ripen for its doom. The Seven Causes of Antediluvian Corruption The seven causes of antediluvian cor rup tion may be summed up as follows: 1. A tendency to "worship God as Elohim , th a t is, merely as th e Creator and Benefactor, and no t as Jehovah the covenant God of mercy, dealing w ith tran sg resso rs who are appointed to de struction, and finding a ransom for them . 2. An undue prom inence of the
“B u t a s th e d a y s of N o a h w ere, so s h a ll a lso th e c o m in g o f th e S on of M an be. F o r a s in th e d a y s th a t w e re b e fo re th e flood th e y w e re e a tin g a n d d rin k in g , m a rry in g a n d g iv in g in m a rria g e u n til th e d a y t h a t N o a h e n te re d in to th e a rk , a n d k n e w n o t u n til th e flood c a m e a n d to o k th e m a ll a w a y ; so s h a ll a lso th e c o m in g o f th e S on o f M an b e .” (M a tt. 24:37-39). .
HE closing scenes of th e p resen t age will be a re production of th e days of Noah: th e same intense worldliness, and a t last positive inability to care for th e things of God,
which was displayed by th e antedilu vians will also be characteristic of our age when Christ begins th e judgm ents th a t will quickly culm inate in th e glory of His appearing. It seems fair, then to infer, th a t th is second m anifestation of th e sp irit th a t worked in them which were disobedi en t before th e flood, will be effected by a conjunction of causes sim ilar to th a t 'which form erly produced it. Hence, as we have already rem arked, it becomes a m atter of th e g reatest practical im portance to comprehend those causes: for whenever they are found to be sim ultaneously affecting th e masses of the world’s population, the fact will afford a strong presumption th a t we are drift- ting rapidly to th e g reat consummation of w ickedness; th a t th e avenging glory of the Lord is abou t to he revealed, so th a t all flesh shall see it together.
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