same scourge. Brazil has had a long and expensive war with Paraguay, and it is difficult to name a single nation which has not been more or less entangled in war and bloodshed in this century.

During the first fifteen years of this century there was war all, over in Europe, and it reached even to America. The next ten years it appeared in Mexico and in Central and Southern America. After that Africa and Asia had their share with France in Algiers, with England on the west coast and Egypt on the east; Russia, in Turkey and Circassia; England and France, in the East Indies and China. These lasted twenty-five years. After that the scene was changed to Europe, and the wars in the Crimea, Hungaria, Italy, Denmark, Germany, and France have filled the rest of the time. Thus there have been in this century more than two hundred wars. This can indeed be called bloody and satanic pastime.

Standing Armies.

The following table of the armies of the great kingdoms shows plainly that they are preparing for war.

16

PerExpenses for the Army and centFleet. age.

$337,313,000 $131,037,000 38.8 136,824,000 87,294,000 63 8 463,540,000 178,978,000 38.6 570,438,000 161,975,000 28.4 235,676,000 51,169,000 21.7

206,248,000 54,181,000 26.2

319,306,490 2,250,562 $1,959,039,000 $664,634,000

During the time that has passed since this table was arranged, the preparations for war have continually increased. More destructive weapons have been invented, more steel-clad ships have been built, torpedoes and other

16 Johnson's New Universal Cyclopedia, edition 1888, art, War.

engines of destruction have been improved, enormous sums have been paid out for the monstrous cannons of our days.

These preparations for war are a plain fulfillment of the word of the prophet: "Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles, prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears let the weak say, I am stong. Assemble your

selves and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about; thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O Lord. Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat; for there will I sit to judge the heathen round about." 17

At present (1895) two so-called heathen nationsJapan and China are engaged in a bitter war. Their hatred toward each other is shown in bloody battles at sea and cruel butcheries on land.

19

18

All the kings of the earth shall be gathered to the last great battle, which is called "the battle of the great day of God Almighty. Then the coming of the Lord' is very near. Who cannot see that the kingdoms are preparing for this universal war? What can show more plainly that the glorious coming of the Lord is drawing near? How carefully we ought to consider the words of our Lord: "Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame." 20

Dear reader, will you watch and keep your spiritual garment will you be on your guard, lest your love of God should wax cold? And if you never have felt this love in your heart, will you then seek to obtain it? Will you follow the Saviour? Will you believe in him, and closely follow his holy example, that you may stand before the Son of man, when he comes?

17 Joel 3 : 9-12. 18 Rev. 16: 14.

19 Verse 15.

20 Rev. 16: 15.

CHAPTER III.

DESTRUCTION BY FAMINES, PESTILENCES, AND EARTHQUAKES.

A

ND there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows."

"1

The Saviour did not only declare that men would die in wars, but also by famines, pestilences, and earthquakes. We have seen that our Lord's prophecy about wars has been very minutely fulfilled. We shall now see that his predictions of famines, pestilences, and earthquakes have been just as minutely fulfilled.

People who have Perished by Famines, Pestilences and
Earthquakes since the Days of Christ.

In Antioch 10,000 people perished by earthquake, and thirteen cities were destroyed during the years 96–180. In Rome many thousand people were destroyed by pestilence in the year 196. In London 40,000 died of famine in the year 310. In the year 588 an earthquake killed 60,000 people in Antioch. In the year 590 the pestilence carried away daily 10,000 people in Turkey. From 679-681 there was a great famine in England. In 717, 30,000 people died from pestilence in Constantinople.

In the year 1005 earthquakes occurred for three months, after which followed a fearful pestilence, destroying about one third part of mankind. In the year 1077 so many people died in Constantinople from famine and pestilence

1 Matt. 24: 7, 8.