ONE who escaped from the ruins of San Francisco telegraphed: "Death and sorrow have leveled all grades, saint and sinner, rich and poor, the lady of quality and the woman of the city's unspeakable slums, huddle together in the desolate streets, starving and benumbed. Only the dead are at peace.”
A day of far greater distress and confusion than that depicted in the above newspaper cutting will, before long, dawn for all who “forget God," and they shall be "cut down" and "withered." (See Job 8:12-1312Whilst it is yet in his greenness, and not cut down, it withereth before any other herb. 13So are the paths of all that forget God; and the hypocrite's hope shall perish: (Job 8:12‑13).) The dead shall not be at peace, for God says: "After death the judgment." (Heb. 9:27.) And again: "There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked." (Isaiah 57:21.)
Dear reader, if indifferent to the oft-repeated story of God's great love in giving His best gift, even His only Son, for our eternal salvation, let me plead with you once more, asking you to listen to the warning voices around. Earthquakes, famines, wars, or the sorrowful parting from some loved one—are not any of these sufficient to tell us that things are unstable, and here there is no abiding city? God says: "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away." (Matt. 24:35.)
Now there is a way of safety, now a way of escape to an abiding city, and a patient, loving Deliverer waiting to conduct you there. Will you not let Him save you?
San Francisco, that beautiful city of wealth and prosperity, proudly called "Queen of the West," has had her strength shaken, her beauty marred, and her riches buried in the dust. How will you stand in the day of God's wrath, when He will utterly destroy all those, who have neglected His way of salvation?
“All grades are leveled" comes the news from that terror-stricken city; and so it will be again, only world-wide, when every knee shall bow to God. Bow to His love now, and He, will exalt you in the day of His glory.
Surely it is no hard thing to submit to love, love that would draw you as a tired child out of the strife and confusion around.
“Oh, what will you do with Jesus?
The call conies low and clear;
The solemn words are sounding
In every listening ear.
Eternal life's in the question,
And joy through eternity:
Then what will you do with Jesus?
Oh, what shall the answer be?”
C. V.