The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1911-07-18
THE END OF THE WORLD
Fredericksburg. Va. July -. 1911.
To The Free Lance:

To The Free Lance.
As the Holy Spirit. who is God. is
the author of the Bible We would
naturally and nationally expect il to
be the most remarkable. unique and
important of an books. Sir Walter
Scott just before his death said to
his son-in-law. II wish you would
read to me. From what book shall
| read?" he asked. The reply was
there is but one book and that Is
the Bible" All other books are
not to be thought of or mentioned
in comparison with The Book. II
is a revelation OF God to men. and
of men to themselves. without 1t
how ignorant OF ourselves we should
be. We should not know whence
We came or whittier We 30. How
dark and uncertain would be our
way from the cradle to the grave.
We should grope our way through
life as blind man through waste.
bowling wilderness, without chart
or compass TO direct his steps. But
In the Bible what storehOuse OF
knowledge. wisdom. truth and dircc-
tiOn We have. And while there Is I'm
this bOOl some things hard to be
understood. yet so much as is need
ful for us to know for our present
and future wellboing and well do
ing is 50 plainly and clearly revealed
that he that runs may read and
the wayfaring man though fool
need nor err therein.
But the Bible is as remarkable
and wise in what II cOnceals as in
what il reveals. Much or what We.
are curious TO know God in wisdom
ana goodness has purposely con /
ccaled from us. Solomon says
While IL is the glory of Kings TO
search out matter, II is the glory
Of God to conceal a thing. This
profound observation is the best an
swer to many objections to divine
revelation. rs Bishop Butler has
shown in his Analogy
Since We are told $ cret things
belong unto God but revealed things
to us and our children" it becomes
rs TO accept as absolutely true all
that God has revealed and to ac-
quiesce cheorfuliy all the He has
concealed without impatiCncc, rest
lessness or curious inquisitiycncss
This concealing is in part a ncces-
sity owing to the limitations in us
and partly from q benevolent pur-
pose. il being best for us not TO
know the things lie has concealed
II we had all knowledge there
would be no place for faith. and God
has designed this life shall be- a
walk by faith and not by sight,
a faith which is the substance Of
things hoped for. the evidence OF
things not seen.
One of the things distinctly re-
yealed is that one day this world is
TO come 10 an end and be destroyed
by fire. Peter says The day OF the
Lord shall come as thief in the
night; In which the heavens shall
pass away with great noise. and the
elements shall melt with a feryent
heat. the earth also and the works
that are therein shall be burned
/ up. Then will be tho time OF
Christ's second coming. the rcsurrec-
ton OF the dead and the final judg-
ment.
The time OF the end Of the world
is purpOsely concealed. The dis
ciples of Christ in his day greatly
desired 30 know the time OF his sec
ond coming and the end OF the
world. and as they sat on the Mount
Of Olives they saith unto Him pri-
vately tell us when these things shall
be and what shall be the signs OF
/ Thy coming and the end Of the
world His reply was "Of that day
and hour knOweth no man, no. not
/ the angels Of heaven. but My
father only In every age men
have been eagerly seking to find out
the time OF the end OF the world and
some fancying they have ascertained
1t have predicted the time. only to
be disappointed and to prove them
selves false prophets. Our Lords
clear and strong words on this sub
ject ought TO repress all curious en-
quiry as to the precise time of the
end of the world and prevent all re-
lance on mathematical calculations
and interpretations of the prophecies.
\ | have no ambition 10 be numbered
among the many false prophets as
to the end of the world. About this
/ have no more knowledge than the
most untutOred African, and | make
no predictions and would not dogma
tise about a subject of which | am
EwhOlly ignorant. But In the exercise
OF the reason which God has given
mel think / have the right to think
and speculate reyerently on this sub
Ject and with the lights before me
TO form an impression or belief. And
as | think and reason on this sub
ject with all Difference and reverence
1 am strongly inclined TO the belief
that this world will continue to ex-
ist as the abode Of the human race
for a long period of time. and posi-
bly,. II not probably, this world is
today nearer its beginning than its
end as mans abode
| will now give my reasons for
such an impression or belief. In do
ing so | will first lay down GER
tain axioms or premises on which
my impression is founded.
l. God is the creator ofthe world
and of all things. "All things were
created by Him and without Him
was not made anything that was
made"
2. He is likewise the governor and
preserver of all things. Nothing is
too great for his power and manage
ment, and nothing too small for His
notice and care. He controls the
systems of worlds which move in
space and at the same time clothes
The grass of the fields, feeds the
birds of the air and numbers the
hairs OF our heads Not a sparrow
rails to the ground without His
notice.
He sees with equal eye as God
OF all
hero perish or a sparrow fall,
Atoms or systems into ruin hurled.
And now bubble burst and now a
world"
3. He is n God of infinite wisdom
and benevolence as we'll as power. In
all His works and ways as creator,
governor and preserver there Is
neither lack nor waste. Utility and
a wise economy characterizes all His
acts. God never does anything for
the display OF His power, or just
TO be doing. He has a wise end in
view In all that lie does.
4. With God there is no sue
cession of time With Him
thousand years are as one day and
one day as a thousand years" With
Him there is no past or future, but