| 41 as usual; and the great mass of mankind pass down the stream of time, as thoughtless and as giddy, as though they were certain that there was no God no eternity, no heaven or hell, and no happiness or misery beyond this life. They have no time for reflection; snd [and] they are so engaged in business, their minds so engrossed with the cares of this life, the obtaining of riches and honors, that they do not realize, that time is passing swiftly away, and soon will hurry them off the stage of action, to make room for others, perhaps as thoughtless and careless as they. There are many, no doubt, even among this class, who partially believe in God, and divine things, who have such an imperfect idea, of the character of the great Jehovah; and such an undue attachment, to the perishable things of time and sense, that they think it a hardship to serve him while in youth or middle age, but who think that they will attend to that, when old age arrives, and the world has no more allurements for them. Yet did they but realize, that God was the most lovely, of all things which exist, whether animate or inanimate, they would see the propriety of that command which says, "Thou shalt love the Lord, thy God with all thy soul, might, mind and strength." They would not put off the service of God, but would with the Psalmist say. Now is the accepted time, and, now is the day of salvation. And as one of old said, would say.-As for me, and my house, we will serve the Lord.
In looking back, over the past year, we see that the world of mankind appear to grow worse and worse, wickeder and wickeder. They seem to be determined, more than ever before, to build themselves up in wealth, and fame, upon the ruin of each other.-Steam boats and rail-road cars are caused to strive, to outvie others in speed, that they may obtain advantage over them, whilst thousands of lives are endangered theyeby [thereby], and accident upon accident are happening in consequence thereof. Flatteries and deceptions, of almost every kind, are practised [practiced]; by many at the present day, to gain a favorite object. The mind and ingenuity of man is constantly on the stretch, to invent ways legally to injure, overreach, and defraud, the honest and unsuspecting: and when it cannot be done legally, there are not wanting men, who will resort to illegal means, to accomplish their end.
We see that men, still continue to get intoxicated, notwithstanding all the exertions made to reform them: and lying is so common, that at present, it is hardly considered a vice. The depravity of the human heart may be seen in looking over the columns of the newspapers of the day; for we there discover that all manner of crimes are practised [practiced] to a very great extent. It seems as though they had increased beyond a parallel, for a few years past. Swindling, pilfering, counterfeiting, robbing; burglary, arson, and murder are committed with the greatest boldness and have increased to an alarming degree, within a few years, especially in the cities. No man who travels alone feels safe at the present day, who has much money about his person. How often travelers are robbed of pocket books, trunks, &c. And many a man has been murdered, even within the past year, for his money; and in some cases for paltry sums. The merchant finds it very difficult to so guard his store, that his goods will not frequently be taken by some arch fiend in human form; and no property of value is safe except strongly secured by bars and bolts. Formerly in this country, these things were not so; the great body of the people were honest, and iniquity had to hide its head. And now according to the present ratio in morals, we would ask, how long will it take the sectarian world to bring about the Millenium, upon the principles which they go upon, of converting and making saints, or christians of all the inhabitants of the earth? contrary to the plain declarations of scripture. And here let us quote three of four testimonies to prove our assertion. And first, "Behold the day of the Lord cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger to lay the land desolate; and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it." Isaiah XIII. 9. Again, "The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they
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