THE K I N G ’ S BUS I NE S S are now developing in our presence, while it is folly to ignore or underrate them, are by no means occasions for un mingled apprehension, still less indica tions of the failure of the Gospel, but are positively harbingers of the day of complete and final triumph. And, moreover, that there is every ground for hope that the darkness will not last long. Do we give a full testimony? Or do we convey the impression of gloating over the darkness, because we never tell of the Blessed Hope? One or two other considerations are worthy of a place in any thoughts miti gating the danger of pessimism. In spite of the unparalleled extensiveness and audacity of current manifestations of the principle of lawlessness, it is probably true als,o that there never were so many people really anxious to find out the will of God'and to do it; never such a grasp of deep spiritual truth on the part of so many believers; never a more widespread devotion to missionary effort or truer sacrifice in its prosecu tion on the part of so wide a circle of supporters. Along with the unmistak able development of lawlessness in af fairs both secular and religious which seems so characteristic a feature of the latter days as foretold in Scripture, there is a parallel movement of inten sified spiritual depth among a great body of devoted Christian people. If the/e has never been so much open evil in the world, barefaced and unashamed, there has also probably never been so large a circle of true disciples of the Master. While there is nothing in this to di minish the force of earlier conclusions, there is everything to encourage the be liever as he recognizes that God has not left His people without this further evi dence of His care for His own cause and His own unshakable truth. This, too, is a consideration which may well find (Continued bottom next page)j
264 who maintains, in spite of the porten tous rebellion against the laws of God and man which is developing all around us, that the world is getting better, and adduces reasons— connected with the action of , nations or with individual heroism and self-sacrifice— to support the view. And we feel it is our duty to point out that this is not the expecta tion which is encouraged by Biblical prophecies, and moreover that it is not really supported by a survey of current facts and events, viewed in the mass and explored below the surface. And perhaps we think that we are very faithful in our testimony when we do so. But as a matter of fact, we are not, if that is all -we say. The truth is, we too often stop short of giving a true testimony at all. If we stop at that, the result may be to alienate thoughtful minds from the plan of God, and to make them rebel against His purposes and even resist His revelation, while they stiffen themselves the more obsti nately in plans and ideals of purely hu man devising and execution which- can never check the rising flood. Or, per haps, they may be shaken in faith through a superficial and incomplete presentation on our part of all that is implied in the Scriptural aspect of af fairs; because by imperfect testimony or gloomy manner we have given real cause for the supposition that we are pessimistic— a thing that the Bible cer tainly is not, and the last thing a Chris tian ought to be. Let us not for ever be harping upon the dark and gloomy outlook of the fleeting present! “ Look up, and lift up your heads” to catch the first glowing of the rising dawn, to welcome the shin ing of the Morning Star! Be enthusias tic about the great and mighty trans formation which will be ushered in by the coming of the King of kings; and let the perplexed, the unbalanced, and the thoughtless, see that this is the hope of the Church; and that such things as
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