The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-04-30

/ tlurCh- The text was. Thou Slwest (
s;one cut out without hands. which smote
the image upon the feet that were Of iron
and clay and brake them in pieces.
Then was the iron. the clay, the brass,
the silver, and the gold broken in pieces
together, and became like the chaff of the
summer threshing floors, and the wind car
ried them away that no place was founC
/ for them. and the stone that smOte the i'm
! age became a great mountain and filled
the whole earth" Daniel. ii:3i-35.
In beginning his address Dr.. Bristol said
1 that Daniel was standing in the presence
Of the Assyrian king to interpret his dream,
and that he was permitted by divine as
/ sistance TO look out into the future and to
I foretell what should befall the four great
| empires Of antiquity. The king had seen
vision which the speaker likened to the
/ Colossus Of Rhodes or to the Statue OF
| Liberty in New York Harbor. It was a
colossal figure which troubled the imperia
| mind and seemed TO the king to have a.
| unusual significance. and Dr. Bristol in
/ dicated how the prophet had been calle
! IN TO explain the meaning of the vision.
DAME! and the King.
Daniel showed the king that the head of
gold upon the image signified the Assyrian
empire. which then was at the height CT
its glory. The breast and arms of silver
represented the Medo- Persian empire. in
dicatve Of military strength, adventure on
/ the seas, and that proves which was for
time invincible. The legs and feet were
Of iron and signihed the Roman empire,
whose sway IVES established with the bat
Z
was mixed with clay. showing that the
I image was beset with internal weakness
which would lead to its destruction 1t
was the image of Paganism and history
shows that within period OF SEQ years
the ancient civilizations degenerated from
gold TO brass and from iron to clay The
4 lncongruous elements which the Caesars
sought TO harmonic in the Roman empire
were precisely adapted to its decay and
overthrow. and Daniel foretOld ii all SOC
years before with fidelity to detail which
has led some to affirm that the book of
Daniel could not have been written until
after the fall OF the Roman empire The
stone that was not cut by hands smote the
image, as he said, and as we look back
upon it now We see that the same stone
has grown to the dimensions of a noun.
tain, and VIII, in time ill the whole earth
The prophecy is not yet completely full
hlled and there would be a good rea-
son for saying that the book could not
have been written before the German Re
formation as TO place the date Of its COM
position some time after the fall Of Rome
What is this stone which became the
instrument Of humiliation? God tells US
that it is his spiritual kingdom. estab-
lished in the earth by his son. The pro-
phet looking across the rise Of two king
dcms and the fall Of three. saw the stone
smite the empire Of iron and cast 1t down /
That was prophecy. and what says his. /
tory2"
At this point in his discourse DR.. Bristol .
reviewed the history OF the four empires.
showing how one after another they
hourished and fell. giving way TO new .
ideas and the conquering power OF more
aggressive nations. He showed that Christ .
was born at the time when the power and
glory Of Rome had reached the zenith
The stone Of the Prophet Daniel was an
Insignificant pebble, so to speak, on the
shore Of Romes ocean Of power. but Dr.
Bristol said that il grew until il at
uacted the attention OF the men Of the
age, and when, in the fulIness OF time
il smote that colossal image of Pagan
civilization, its power was felt even on
the crumbling throne Of the Caesars.
But continued the speaker the
shifting stone was not the outgrowth Of
what had existed before. II was indeed
cut out without hands. We cannot ex-
plain its appearance in the world and the
influence it has exerted by the law of
social or political development There was
nothing in the ancient civilizations from
which il could be derived. II was of di-
vine origin. and upon no other theory can
II be explained as working and all-con-
queriug power. To establish Gods king
iom in the earth the divine must supplant
the physical Jesus must overcome the
Caesars. rppublicanism must supplant
individualism must take the
place OF imperial authority, and the in
and the spiritual must banisn
ignorance from the minds of the masses
lf men. Wherever you view this stone its
effects cannot be explained on human
theories. Christianity was not the thought
lf man. II came from the skies.
The aggressive character Of the Chris |
.ian religion was foretold by Daniel 1t |
vas animate with the power of destruc-
ion. II smote the image and the latter 4 ,
ay PROSTATE and pulverized before the
'low. Christianity in all ages has wrought ,
or the destruction of tyranny. for the re- ,
ief Of the enslaved for the downfall of
he rum power. and the uproOting of su- +
lersuton. The ancient empires were po- =
uco-rellgious. and Christianity came into =
Iirect conflict with pagan religion as well
Is the political forces in operation in / >
Rome The two were incompatible and :
ne had to give way before the other y
crushed the religion OF the !
'aesars after thousands Of its devotees o
lad given their lives for the defence Of E,
he truth in the Roman arena. Il could a
rock no opposition. and the history Of
he Church is full Of the story Of the ag-
ressiveness Of the soldiers Of the living
81
I'd righteousness against political ambi-
on aud greed. The coming OF Christianity
tarted conflict OF ideas. Old supersti-
ions were undermined, PHILOSOPHERS and s
ystems OF error were uprooted and Chris l.
aniy gave TO the world a now revelation q
God and Of man as the son Of God. a
Passing Of the Empire. h
When its work had been accomplished 81
The Roman empire everything lay in a
ins. crushed by this wonderful stone. 81
liny thought IL possible In his day TO 81
op the groveliHg superstition. but 10 did I p.
b stop. The image represented the q
caith thought wisdom. and power OF
e world. The stone was insignificant and
presented poverty and weakness aud
BE- supporters Of the new religion were o.
b among the influential people Of the
nuire ot The Caesars. How did il smite
ID Destroy Because there was super b.,
.tural power behind 10. w
But Christianity is more than an IN
.enCy Of destruction. II is constructive le
seeks not alone 90 tear down but to as
md up. There lay the stone In the ruin re
ID debris Of the PROSTATE image. and II an
d look as though the Church would be va
So But 10 lid not tear down the stately II
iaca Of Rome TO build a grave. but to an
M unnn The min q .frlIctrrn far rrand- N.