Our Day Part 45

At the time when the first foreign missionary movement was being launched in America, Robert Fulton's steams.h.i.+p, the "Clermont," was making its first trip on the Hudson.

[Ill.u.s.tration: HIEROGLYPHICS

The "Ox Song" of the Egyptian thres.h.i.+ng-floor.]

In 1838 the first s.h.i.+ps to cross the Atlantic under steam power alone--the "Sirius" and the "Great Western"--came into New York from Liverpool, a few hours apart, forerunners of the fleets that furrow all the seas today, making quick pathways for the gospel messengers to all lands. Verily, they are a gift of G.o.d's providence to this generation, when all the world is to hear the gospel message.

[Ill.u.s.tration: CUNEIFORM WRITING

An account of the capture of Babylon, B.C. 538. From the cylinder of Cyrus.]

"He hath made the deep as dry, He hath smote for us a pathway to the ends of all the earth."

In 1825 Stephenson built his first railway pa.s.senger locomotive, which may still be seen in the Darlington railway station, in England. It was the beginning of the great revolution in land travel. The late Prof.

Alfred Russel Wallace, scientist, wrote:

"From the earliest historic and even prehistoric times till the construction of our great railways in the second quarter of the present century [the nineteenth], there had been absolutely no change in the methods of human locomotion."--_"The Wonderful Century," p. 7._

[Ill.u.s.tration: Ma.n.u.sCRIPT WRITING

The process by which the books of the great library of Alexandria, Egypt, were made.]

For nearly six thousand years men had traveled in the old way. Why should these revolutionary changes in travel by sea and land come abruptly just at this time?--Because the time foretold in the prophecy was at hand, when the last gospel message was to be carried quickly to all the world--"to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people."

We see the hand of the living G.o.d opening the doors into all lands, and His wonderful providence laying at the feet of this generation agencies for quickly covering the whole earth.

[Ill.u.s.tration: GUTENBERG'S FIRST TYPES

Reproduced from the first edition of the famous forty-two-line Latin Bible, printed by Gutenberg.]

Later came the electric telegraph, for the quick transmission of news.

It was in 1837 that Cooke and Wheatstone in England, and Morse in the United States, made their application for patents on the electric telegraph. It was in 1844 that the first long-distance system was successfully demonstrated--when the historic message was sent from Baltimore to Was.h.i.+ngton, "What hath G.o.d wrought!" Now news of events fulfilling prophecy, and news of progress and conditions in all lands, are daily spread before the world by this agency of our wonderful time.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE GUTENBERG PRINTING PRESS

On which was produced the first printed Bible, in 1456 A.D.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE FRANKLIN PRESS

Operated by two men, it has a maximum speed of 250 impressions per hour.]

As the closing events take place, the Lord has in His providence so ordered it that no one need be ignorant of the signs of the times fulfilling before the eyes of men.

"Speak the word and think the thought, Quick 'tis as with lightning caught-- Over, under, lands or seas To the far antipodes."

Here is an incident ill.u.s.trating the way in which the electric telegraph may multiply and spread abroad the witness borne to the truth of G.o.d in some obscure corner of the earth:

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE HOE DOUBLE OCTUPLE PRESS

The largest printing press in the world. Length, 48 feet; height, 19-1/2 feet; weight, 175 tons; number of parts, 65,000; revolutions, 300 per minute; paper used per hour, 18 tons, or 216 miles of paper three feet wide; production per hour, 300,000 eight-page folded newspapers.]

The Mighty Press

"When old Gutenberg, inventor Of the printing press, and mentor Of the clumsy-fingered typos In a sleepy German town, Used to spread the sheets of vellum On the form, and plainly tell them That the art was then perfected, As he pressed the platen down, He had not the faintest notion Of the rhythmical commotion, Of the brabble and the clamor And the unremitting roar Of the mighty triple decker, While the steel rods flicker, And the papers, ready folded, Fall in thousands to the floor."

Some years ago a young man in Europe--a Seventh-day Adventist--was giving answer for his faith. His conscience would not allow him to do ordinary labor on G.o.d's holy Sabbath. He had declared to the court that the oath of loyalty which had been required of him forbade his breaking the Sabbath. "How is that?" asked the judge. The young man replied:

"I was sworn in with a Christian oath, and therefore cannot be under an obligation to violate the commandments of G.o.d and work on the Sabbath. One must regard G.o.d as the highest authority, and obey Him in the first place."

This witness was borne in a little courtroom, before a small group of men; but the press dispatches took it up, and the description of the scene and report of the words spoken were carried by electric telegraph to the press of at least four continents, and millions read the testimony of the young man to the faith that was in him.

In the days to come, with great events taking place and solemn issues calling upon men to make decision for G.o.d and His truth, how quickly, in some great crisis, all the world may be warned, and the last individual decisions be made for eternity!

Modern Printing

The invention of the printer's art had come just in time to give wings to Reformation truth. Luther said of it:

"Printing is the latest and greatest gift by which G.o.d enables us to advance the things of the gospel. It is the last bright flame, manifesting itself just previous to the extinction of the world. Thanks be to G.o.d, it came before the last day came."--_Michelet's "Life of Luther," p. 291._

While improvements in the art were made through the centuries, it was a slow process, even up to the opening of our generation. During our day, however, inventions have revolutionized the printing process.

In this, as in other things, the methods have been speeded up to meet the necessities of this time of rapid accomplishment. The printing press is one of the chief of the marvelous enlightening agencies of this time of the end. By it the printed pages of truth are set falling over the earth "like the leaves of autumn."

Time fails us to speak of all the wonderful material developments of our day, when knowledge has been increased, and when men are not only searching to and fro, but literally running to and fro. The whole earth is brought within the range of human knowledge, and the light of saving truth is streaming out toward every dark place where the children of men dwell.

Nearly twenty-five hundred years ago it was written upon the prophetic page,

"Shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased."

There the word stood on the scroll of prophecy through more than two millenniums. Then, as the time of the end came, lo, the book of prophecy was unsealed, and the new era of increasing knowledge began to spread in wondrous blessing over the earth.

So surely, also, the prophecies of the last events will be accomplished.

In the occurrences taking place before our eyes, we see that G.o.d is indeed finis.h.i.+ng His work in the earth, and cutting it short in righteousness.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FORTIFICATIONS ON THE BOSPORUS

The strategic waterway involved in the Eastern Question.]

FOOTNOTES:

[J] It is not designed to give the reader the idea that this running "to and fro" refers wholly to turning to and fro through the pages of a book. The times in which we live have been characterized by a great increase in Bible study, and consequently in knowledge of the Scriptures; but it is equally true that this has been due in large measure to the fact that there are no longer any "hermit" kingdoms.

Travel, a real physical running "to and fro" through the earth, has contributed mightily to the modern increase of knowledge, and in no other field of investigation has this been more true than in the study of the Bible. By increased facilities for travel, all nations have been brought close together physically. Different races and nationalities have become acquainted, missionary zeal has been quickened, and peoples formerly beyond the reach of missionary operations have become easily accessible. In this sense, as well as by private searching of the Scriptures, knowledge has increased.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE MOSQUE OF ST. SOPHIA IN CONSTANTINOPLE

The most famous of all Mohammedan temples.