In the twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew we have a remarkable prophecy by our Lord of "the signs of His coming and the end of the age." There is in verse 12 a sad, prophetic word to which each of us will do well to take heed:'' And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold."

Before the iniquity, came the wars and rumors of wars; the famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes; the Lord's people being killed and hated of all nations for His name's sake. These things but served to strengthen them and make their testimony shine the brighter. God's people cannot surrender Christ; persecution therefore but makes their faith shine the more, while it weeds out the false. But in verse 11 false prophets have arisen, and now quickly follows the abounding iniquity which causes the love of many to grow cold.

We know that this prophecy of our Lord applies to the Jewish people who are in Judea just before He returns in glory on the clouds of heaven. But have we not a similar thing in the history of the Church ?The persecutions she passed through but brightened her testimony. Now a host of false prophets have come:Unitarianism, Annihilation-ism, Second Probation, Millennial Dawn-ism, "Christian Science," Spiritism, Seventh Day Adventism, etc., etc.,deceiving multitudes, befogging them, turning the hearts from Christ, in whose communion alone love is kept fresh and warm.

What a torrent of sin, iniquity, and crime, may not be traceable to the various doctrines of non-eternal punishment of these false prophets! What loose living, what lawlessness, may not have grown out of the work of the " Higher Critics "! How much easier it is to sin when the "divinity" men tell their fellows that the Bible cannot be trusted as the voice of God to man! Never, we believe, has there been a time of such Satanic energy to gather up all the forces of evil, that everything that is of God may be blotted out from the face of the earth. Thank God, His people have the Rock of Ages on which to stand, and "On this Rock," says the Son of God, "I will build My Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Happy and secure is he who hides in Christ Jesus; the raging tides of evil may run high, but cannot overcome him.

The love of many has waxed cold because they have not made Christ their refuge. Weary of the strife, they have drifted with the tide; they have ceased to enjoy eternal things, and so they have turned to the earthly and worldly ones. What an awful kind of shipwreck is the shipwreck of faith! Child of God, arise, arise from among the dead, that Christ may give thee light! If love has grown cold, come to the fire; draw near to Him whose love never grows cold, and can make yours warm again.

Thank God, not one whom Christ has saved can ever be lost. Not one washed in His precious blood shall ever be plucked from His hand. Let us draw near therefore, and drink afresh into His love, and we shall find that, whatever be the abundance of iniquity we are called to pass through, we shall be not only untouched by it, but able to joy in God throughout the journey, and bear fruit to His praise. They who are with God are on the winning side. All they need is to exercise faith in all He has said, and patiently wait for the end.