The herald., 1897-04-12

midst of the worlds life. might come.
And the new earth of the prophets s
dream was not to be the issue of some
fearful catastrophe, that out of the
wreckage and the spoils there might
come forth another and better crea-
tion. but It was the casting out OF selhsn-
ness and sin and all unloveliness from
human relation that all the children or
men might become the children of God
and the earth a fit home for Gods great
family. We have made the mistake, and
n is a serious one, of reading the book OF
Revelation s IL 1t referred to some other
life than this. and to some other proc
ess than the historic development by
which God has brought the world thus
far along. Prophecy is but the prelim-
mary sketch of history. 1t is the proof
sheet of the worlds biography. The
method of God is the method Of evolu-
ton. The fruit issues out of the bios
som. the blossom out Of the bud. The
new is ever the TRANSPORTATION OF the
old. Nothing comes out Of nothing.
Forms change. identity remains. The
new heaven and the new earth are the
old heaven and the old earth carried on
and up to conformity to the truth.
not see that we are in the midst OF a
tremendous movement in all our varied
life. The world trembles with convic'
ton that deepens with each day tnat
God is working out the last step in some
great problem, and that the answer Is
soon to be written in human experience.
We are on the threshold or new age.
The phrase "in de steele" is no accidental
l. ~ IL
mony to the universal conviction that the
old things are passing away. The OLD
order is nearing its end. The heaven
that has been peopled with false gods
and with false conceptions OF the true
God is melting away in the fervent neat
of the coming revelation OF a broader
and more intelligent thought, and the
earth of selfishness and greed and STRIFE
is to be consumed in the burning bap-
tism of the spirit of righteousness, ano
the fire of social justice, that is even now
pressing down upon the world. These
are the days of the restitution OF Things,
when men shall know the truth ABOUT
God. and will speak the truth one with
another The rigid fetters of fanaticlsm
and ecclesiastical conventionality ana
tradition will be loosened, and the walls
of social distinction that divide protner
from brother by false and pitiful fiction
will be shattered. For the New Jerusa-
lem of the vision was not the setting up
Of q new dwelling place. hut the intro
duction of a new principle of civil organf-
zation, a new and holy power that Will
bring all the relations of men, social. in
dustrial and political, under the law OF
sacrifice, under the law of the mutual
service Of love.
The signs of the times are full Of mean
ing. The disturbances that fill so many
minds with vague dread are indications
of the coming consummation. The
larger thought of the day that seems to
strike at the old and hallowed faith Is
but the reaching out of the human rea-
son after a better Interpretation OF the
truth. The struggles of men in fierce
conflict over rights and counter-rights,
the industrial writhing and unrest. the
hostile fronts with which the nations are
facing each other. are but the travail OF
the old creation to bring forth more
perfect manhood and a truer society.