Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-01-02

Inonarehies. republics. ages On ages.
ages on sges, passing today In cnrono-
lcz.cal review, until one has no more
power 70 look upon the advancing col
umns. low brilliant, now sqralid. now
gaFlandsd with peace, now crimson with
slaughter. now horrid with ghaztlilsss.
now radiant with love and Joy.
THE GLoRIEs OF TIE PRESENT.
THIS chronological study affords,
among other practical thoughts, espe-
cially two-ths one encouraging 10 the
last degree and the other startling. The
encouraging thought is that the main
drift Of the centuries has been toward
betterment. with only here and there 4
stout reversal Greeian civilization Was
vast Improvement on Egyptian civil.
cation. and Roman civilization a vass
improvement On Greeian civilization,
and Christian civilization is vast i'm
prOvement on Roman civilization.
VIVA, was the boasted age OF Pericles
compared with the age OF Longfellow
and Teanysons What was Queen Ella
beth as a specimen Of moral womanhood
Win 3aECiA t4CICA&o w
were the cruel warriors of olden tsaes
compared with the most distinguished
warriors OF the last half century, al OF
them as much distinguished for kindness
and good morals as for prowess-tbe
two military leaders Of our civil war "a
northern and southern side commitment
members of Christian ~ .,ches. and their
home life as pure as their public life?
Nothing impresses me in this chrome
logical review more than the fact that
the regiments OF years are better and
better regiments as the troops move on.
thank God that You and | were not
born any sooner than we Were born.
How could we have endured the disaster
of being born in the Eighteenth or Sew
enteenth or Sixteenth century? Glad am
that we are IN the regiment now pass
ing the reviewing stand, and that our
children will pass the stand in astill bet
ter regiment. God did not build this
world for slaughter house or y den OF
infarny.
A good deal of cleaning house will be
necessary before this world becomes as
clean and sweet as it ought to be, but
the brooms, and the scrubbing brushes
and the upholsterers and plumbers are
already busy, and when the world gets
fixed up. as it will be, if Adam and Eve
ever visit it, as l expect they will, they
will say to each other, well, this beats
paradise when we lived there, and the
pears and the plums are better than we
II. Ia o~~I h.
wardrobes are more complete, and tie
climate is better"
Since | settled in my own mind the
fact that God was stronger than the
devil l have never lost faith in tie
emparadisation of this planet. With the
exception of retrogression in the Dark
Ages, the movement Of the world has
been on and on, and up and up. and l
have two jubilsnt hosannas-one for
the closing year and the other for the
new year.
PUNCTUAIITY.
But the other thought coming out OF
this subject is that Biblical chronology,
and indeed all chronology. is urging the
world to more punctuality and immedi-
ateness. What an unsatisfactory and in
definite thing it must have been for two
business men in the time of Ahaz to
make an appointment, saying, 1--WE will
settle that business matter tomorrow
when the shadow on the dial of .Ahaz
reaches the tenth step from the top" or
II will meet you in the street called
Straight in Damascus in the time Of the
-
room what time an occurrence took
place should answer, 1T was during
the time of the latter rain" or 1T was a,
the time of the third Growing of the
barnyardr
You and / remember when ministers
of the Gospel in the country, giving out
a notice of IA evening service, instead Of
saying at or Z or s o'clock. would say.
The service will begin at early candle
light" Thank God for chronological
achievements which have ushered in cal
endars and almanacs and clocks aud
watches, and at so cheap rate all may
possess them. Chronology, beginning
by approaching the value of years and
the value of days, has kept on until it
cries out. Man, immortal; woman, i'm
mortal; look out for that minute; look
out for that second!"
We talk great deal about the value
Of time. but viii never fully appreciate
its value until the last fragment OF it has
passed out of our possession forever
The greatest fraud man can commit /.
to rob another of his time. Hear it, We
laggards and repent. All the fingers Of
chronology point to punctuality as one
Of the graces. The minister or the lee
turer or business man who comes to his
place ten minutes after the appointed
time commits crime the enormity Of
which can only be estimated by multi
plying the number Of persons present by
ten. II the engagement be made with
FIVE persons. he has stolen fifty minutes.
for ne is ten minutes too late. and he has
robbed each Of the five persons OF ten
minutes apiece. and ten times Iive ara
fifty.
Ii there be eco persons present and he
DO ten minutes too late. be has commit
ted q robbery OF 5000 minutes. for ten
time 600 are 5.0o0. and 1000 minutes arc
eighty-three hours. which MARE moro
than three days. Tho thief of dry goods,
the thief Of bank bills. is not half so bal
SIS the thief Of time
sOME ExAMTTEs.
DR. Rush, the greatest and busiest ply
stefan Of his day, appreciated the value
of time, and when asked how be had
been able 10 gather 30 much information
for his books and lectures he replied: Il
have been able TO DO it by economizioI
my tirne. have rot speat one hour in
amusement in thirty years. And TAX