ing of Christ will be like a snare; but the multitude of the saved-the church-will be "looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God" (2 Pet. 3:12). They are children of the light and children of the day, and that day will not overtake them as a thief (1 Thess. 5: 4-6). The five foolish virgins represent all those who will not be ready, and the five wise ones represent those who are saved. To the former Christ's coming will be unexpected; to the latter it will be welcome, for they are ready. "Even so come, Lord Jesus."

In Luke 17:26-30 Jesus likens his coming to the flood and to the destruction of Sodom. I question whether the Lord here intended to teach that the same proportion of wickedness that was characteristic of the antediluvian world and of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah would be prevalent in the earth at his coming. If he here intended to teach that no more proportionately would be saved at his second coming than were saved at the time of the flood-"eight souls"-or at the destruction of Sodom-three souls-then we may well despair the evangelization of the earth. But such an interpretation of Christ's words would place them in direct

contradiction to all the many plain scriptures that teach exactly the reverse, as seen in this and in the following chapter.

A careful reading of Luke 17:26-30 and Matt. 24:36-39 shows that Christ neither mentioned the proportion of people to be saved nor spoke of the awful sins of Sodom and then compare them to the wickednes of earth at the time of his coming. The thought is, “Of that day and hour knoweth no man." When the deluge burst upon the earth, the people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, planting and building, and they "knew not until the flood came and took them all away." The same was true regarding the destruction of Sodom-"they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded," until the day God rained fire from heaven. They knew not the time. In these texts Christ says nothing about only a few being saved, but he shows that business enterprises and the common routine of daily cares and responsibilities will occupy the minds of the people right up to the hour of judgment. The reason for this he states thus: "No man knoweth the day and hour when the Son of man cometh." Hence this gives weight to Christ's

solem charge, "Watch therefore; for ye know not what hour the Lord doth come.” He also said, "For in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh."

Again, it is said that "strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leads to life," and that "few there be that find it." Yes, this has always been and it ever will be true, but this does not contradict the many scriptures that teach the reaping of the harvest of the nations of earth. During the history of Christianity the harvest of some nations has been reaped. In the first centuries a great harvest of souls was gathered into the garner of the Lord from the Roman empire. Thousands upon thousands were saved, and yet thousands remained in sin. During the Reformation of the sixteenth century a great harvest was gathered in European countries. The Wesleyan Reformation reaped a great harvest throughout the British Isles and in many colonies in America; and for a long time America has been a great harvest-field. But we affirm, and facts bear out the assertion, that such great countries as China, India, Japan, and Africa, and many islands of the sea, with their teeming millions of poor be

nighted souls in heathen darkness, have never been harvested. The gospel will surely reach these nations, and their harvest is approaching. But even if multitudes of the heathen in these countries, "the abundance of the sea," should yet be saved, the host would be few compared to the millions lost. Taking the Christian era as a whole, the percentage saved compared to the millions lost will be small and the number few.

The Saints Will Have Universal Dominion.

The final triumph of Christianity over all other religions and faiths is assured in the Word of God. In Daniel 2 we read of a "stone cut out without hands." This refers chiefly to the church or kingdom of God-Christianity. It did not come by human hands. Being divine, it came from heaven. It is of a spiritual nature; hence no worldly policy, human doctrine, nor military force was employed in its establishment. 'Not by might nor power, but by the Spirit of the Lord of hosts.' This stone smote the image and broke it to pieces. As observed in a previous chapter, the great image represented four heathen kingdoms that reigned in succession in ancient times. These were the Babylonian, the Medo-Persian, the Grecian, and the Roman. It was the Roman which held the dominion when Christ appeared to set up the everlasting kingdom of heaven.

At the time when this heathen government, partaking of all the characteristics of the preceding empire, was at its zenith of imperial splendor, military glory, legislative authority, and literary eminence, Christianity smote it at