g; after all this
prodigal waste of blood and tears, and labour and treasure, and genius
and sacrifice, we have nothing better to show for Christianity than
European and American Society to-day.

And this ghastly heart-breaking failure proves the Christian religion to
be the Divine Revelation of God!

THE PROPHECIES

Another alleged proof of the divine verity of the Christian religion
is the Prophecies. Hundreds of books--perhaps I might say thousands
of books--have been written upon these prophecies. Wonderful books,
wonderful prophecies, wonderful religion, wonderful people.

If religious folk did not think by moonlight those books on the
prophecies would never have been written. There are the prophecies of
Christ's coming which are pointed out in the Old Testament. That the
Jews had many prophecies of a Jewish Messiah is certain. But these are
indefinite. There is not one of them which unmistakably applies to Jesus
Christ; and the Jews, who should surely understand their own prophets
and their own Scriptures, deny that Christ was the Messiah whose coming
the Scriptures foretold.

Then, we have the explicit prophecy of Christ Himself as to His second
coming. That prophecy at least is definite; and that has never been
fulfilled.

For Christ declared in the plainest and most solemn manner that He would
return from Heaven with power and glory within the lifetime of those to
whom He spoke:

Verily, I say unto you, this generation shall not pass, till
all these things be fulfilled.

These prophecies by Christ of His return to earth may be read in the
Gospels of Matthew and Luke. They are distinct, and definite, and
solemn, and--untrue.

I could fill many pages with unfulfilled prophecies from the Old and New
Testaments. I think the one I give is enough.

Jesus Christ distinctly says that He will come in glory with all His
angels before "this generation" all have passed away.

This is the year 1903. Christ uttered His prophecy about the year 31.

THE UNIVERSALITY OF RELIGIOUS BELIEF

Christians declare the religious sentiment to be universal. Even if it
were so, that would show a universal spiritual hunger; but would not
prove the Christian religion to be its only food.

But the religious sentiment is not universal. I know many young people
who have never been taught religion of any kind, who have never read
Bible nor Gospel, who never attended any place of worship; and they are