At the present moment many things conspire to show that the long-looked-for coming of our Lord may be at the very door. The extensive way in which the truth of the Lord's second coming has spread, and is now held by evangelical Christians of all parties, is a significant action of the Holy Spirit. Sixty years ago it was practically unknown, and scriptures which speak of it were universally interpreted as meaning death. But God raised up men to demonstrate the truth, and now there is a large number of believers who are really and practically awaiting the Lord's return.

The soul, however, who gathers light from God's word sees other indications of the nearing of our hope. Scripture informs us that "the day" of the Lord will not be until "the apostasy" has first come (2 Thess. 2:3). Some will say, "Does not that refer to Romanism ?" Certainly not. Romanism seems clearly referred to in the fourth chapter of the ad epistle to Timothy-but that is only a limited apostasy-"some shall apostatize from the faith " (i Tim. 4:i). That is different from what is mentioned in 2 Thessalonians. The Authorized Version has "a falling away," but the true translation is, "the apostasy." This is an absolute expression, without limit or qualification, and implies the total abandonment of Christianity, which cannot be while the Church is here below; nor, indeed, can it be fully consummated until the destruction of Babylon the harlot by "the ten horns . . . and the beast" (Rev. 17:16).

We have not yet the apostasy. It will take place after the Church is gone. But the anointed eye cannot fail to discern evidence every day of the preparation of the public mind of Christendom for what is coming-the entire giving up of Christianity. It is being given up in reality now. The inspiration and authority of Scripture, the revelation of God in the Old Testament, the incarnation, the propitiatory sacrifice of Christ, the lost condition of man, the revealed judgment of the wicked, the existence of Satan, the nature of sin-all these tenets, constituting the body of Christianity, are denied and preached against daily, not merely by adversaries in the profane world, but within the enclosure of that which professes to be the Church! And this is virtual apostasy; but it is not apostasy in form while the name and profession of Christianity are still retained. The apostasy which is coming will be the open and avowed abandonment of the very form and name of Christianity. Men are not yet prepared for this, for the Church acts as a restraint upon the world. But in the meanwhile Satanic agency is busy building up men's minds in what will blossom into formal and patent apostasy after the Church shall have been removed. When, therefore, we see a movement well in hand and far advanced which is to mature after the Church has been caught away, does not this seem like an indication that catching away may verily be near ?-Bible Treasury.