THE SCATTERED NATION. JANUARY, 1867. SIGNS OF THE TIMES. BY THE EDITOR. THE year 1866 will occupy a prominent place in the history of the world. Great changes have taken place and greater still are preparing. What we have witnessed in this one year may well teach us to give heed to the declaration of Jehovah, "I, the Lord, will hasten it in his time." God very frequently takes a long time, at least according to our opinion, to lay His plans and to prepare the execution of His designs, but when His time is come then He hastens it, and the most marvellous events are brought to pass within the twinkling of an eye. In our private life, as well as in the destinies of great nations, it becomes highly important to discern God's word and to know His time and to wait for His day; for it is never of him that willeth nor runneth but of the Lord whose thoughts remain from generation to generation. But it holds equally true that though He tarry He is sure to come, and nothing can prevent Him from thus accomplishing His purposes at the hour He has fixed upon. Then, again, we do well to remember that no human foresight or forethought is sufficient to secure results we have set our hearts upon. The Lord reigneth over His friends and over His enemies; the first will, and the latter must, serve and glorify Him. He allows them to pursue their own plans, to have it all, so to speak, their own way, and when they flatter themselves with the success they have obtained, and are ready to put the last stone to the high spire they have raised with untiring zeal and great skill, then the very foundations of the gorgeous building are quietly and sud VOL. II.-NO. XIII. denly removed, and what seemed to be an immoveable work proves to be sand, easily shaken. Let us therefore cease from man whose breath is in his nostrils, for wherein is he to be accounted of? It does not belong to our domain to discuss merely political matters, but we cannot deny that the political and religious aspect of many events is so closely interwoven, that it is almost impossible to separate them. Jesus is the Head of His Church, and He is also the Lord of the nations; and, as so many nations recognize His authority by being baptized in His name, and the state of the church is influenced by political events, and again politics by the Church, one must, more or less, take notice of what goes on in the cabinets of princes and the councils of the peoples. One idea has been proclaimed very strongly during the past year, that of nationalities. The Emperor of France struck the key-note, and all the more or less clever artists have played on the same instrument. In several instances it has served its purpose, and, as many suppose, has restored harmony where nothing but confusion seemed to exist. Time will show whether it is of man's device or of God's design; for on that depends the stability of the long-desired changes, which are looked upon by many as the greatest achievements of our age. None of the existing nations has a promise. They may or may not continue to exist. God alone knows. But strange to say, the people which seem to be nothing less than a nation because they are scattered everywhere, that 1 |