We see that such promises cannot refer to the present life. If they do,
what about the Jews of the olden time who lapsed so often into the
grossest sin? What about the tears of Christ over the apostate city?
What about the present condition of that race? Are they saved? No! they
still repudiate the name of Christ. Do they become extinct when they
die? Or do they go into everlasting torment? In either event they could
not be saved as promised. Or will they be restored in due time? On no
other supposition can we conceive of the words coming true.
To this theory I can conceive of an objection, which at the first glance
may seem a formidable one. It is this: If the theory is true, why did
it not dawn on the world sooner? Especially when we consider what a boon
it would have been to the race, and what a dark mantle of gloom it would
have lifted from the heart of the world, why did God withhold the light
so long? Surely there were saints and seers of the olden time who were
worthy to be media of such a communication. And surely the generations
of the past needed such a spiritual uplift as much as we do to-day. Yet
for ages and ages the revelation was not given. Men had to grope in the
twilight for centuries, until at length the illumination dawned on a few
souls. But the reputed wise men of the world did not hail with joy the
new illumination, but generally treated it as a new presumption.
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