The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-11-01
sUBsTITUrIoNs AND KEsovATIoNs.

49,
STBsTITUTIONS AMI EESOvATIONs.
Our scientists. in their inter pretations Of
nature. announce many propositions. dis
coveries an laws. which, rightly understood,
are only expressions, almost paraphrases. OF
Scripture. In e~xalting ! W they are chanting
the II Oh Psalm and in their general praise
Of nature they would do well to adopt the
10Th as a summary Of natural history.
Their wiser and most approved maxims and
fundamental principles are grand statements
of simple gospel teachings. Tho "conyersa-
ton Of strengthening that force Is eter-
nal. that the power gwen 70 the whole sys-
TEN Of things at the beginning will keep in
motion for @eyer-is. almost in the words Of
tie ritual. as It was in the beginning, is now
and ever shall be. world without end" Tho
eternity of force IS the eternity Of its origin.
Thy years shall not fail. And the incidental
order at the feast in the wilderness Gather
up the fragments. that nothing be lost, was
after the way Of nature and d~iyinely wise.
deserved Force"-the ine1haustible re-
sources of nature-tells only OF tue greatness
Of the Almighty-"Ah tbingsserye Him It'll
TO the honor OF the late advances of human
knowledge that its great conclusions are
quite readily turned to a useful account, and
grease and adjust and move the wheels of
business; that It's big ideas are easily coined
into the mintage Of common sense. So its
bright clouds are not for grandeur and
beauty and glory only. but freely let down
their dew and refreshing showers. In such a
service knowledge. referred to use and
action" does a high work and is
dignifed, honorable. divine. Its doctrine
drops as the rain and distlils as the dew; az
the small rain upon the tender herb and the
showers upon the grass. And SO the common
people are not surprised TO see the hardest.
straugest results of mind-work-she appa-
rentlY monstrous heresie,-melt into reviying
streams for their enrichment and blessing.
And honey comes from what seemed to be
weeds.
The selection Of the httest and the suryi-
val Of the best are, on their face, taken as
hard sayings; the working of memorable law.
the insensible running of the great machine
that grinds up everything and turns out the
grist of evolutionary progress-the devil TAX
ing the hindmost. And yet the wisdom Of
these two ideas is wisdom and very essence of
modern advance.
Only, what is the ''fttest' and the best"
is the question. The two systems Of truth
and error have different measures and stand
ards and results. And, according 10 the
authorities, that which is highly esteemed
under the one is abominatlon under the other.
And the Grand Criterion will pronounce many
that are last to be first and many that are
first to be last. Head and stomach. soul and
sense have not the same interests. For they
say:
Fat paunches make lean pates. and dainty bits
Make fat the rios, but quite bankrupt the wits
So the fttest and the best depend on
how you look at them.
The selection of the best is the character
istic of our energetic and pushing and adj
vancing generation. pulling down and
dragging out" ia going on everywhere. Old
things are passing away and new things nre
taking their place. This IS what is going on in
our houses. our clothes, our food. our mate
rial, our factories, our business. our govern
ments. our methods. and all our enterprises
and in all our ways. All indicate a new order
Of things ut hand and more and more assert
ing itself.
The central figure and big actor in the
swelling scene is man himself, and ell the
changes show his advancing power over ma
ture and his wise adaptation Of all about him
10 his convenience and comfort. SO then. as
be approaches his enthronement or ~restora-
ton TO sovereignty. it is about time to look to
his royal robes and the fitness for his place.
And the selection Of the fttest must be the
principle of his getting up; for his furnishing
and food all the treasures and al the labors
OF the best and wisest of oil the past are
spread out. All his surroundings are set on
educating and e%leyating him.
"A pack Of blessings waits upon his beck;
Happ ness courts him IN Its hest array;
But like a mishehayed and sullen Jade.
Ihon poutst upon thy fortune and thy love"
Is this to be said Of the man OF our day in
the midst OF his privileges, Indeed, no.
Let tho mad world of science or lust wag
as it viii. the earth IS full Of men eagerly
a%vailing themselves of all the facilities.
advantages, the white harvest. the splendid
souls wardrobe Of the day. An underground
Is coming on. Even now it is the salvation
Of the world. Presently q new era will mani
fest them.