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EEV. E. L. LANGSTON, M.A., ON 



men that has never since been abrogated. Thus we see the 

 sword put into man's hands for the punishment of evildoers 

 and the subjugation of brute creation. Evil will a,bound, but 

 let those in power keep it down as best they can. Every soul 

 was in this way subject to higher powers. Eor the first time the 

 principle of magisterial rule is introduced. In spite of all this 

 provision, this age, like all the preceding ages, ended in failure; 

 evil dev eloped, and man endeavoured to build a city and a tower 

 with the proud boast, Gen. xi. 4, " Let us make us a name," 

 and thus came into being Babel, the city of revolt against God, 

 which God judged. 



The Fourth Age. 



Hitherto in preceding ages individuals were prominent, but now 

 with the division of the world as a result of the dispersion of 

 men from Babel, God now chooses a man from amongst men, 

 and here is the commencement of that people who were destined 

 to hold so prominent and important a place in God"s dealings with 

 m.en, and with the earth. For the first time an entirely new 

 feature is introduced : a nation now becomes the central object 

 of God's blessing and care, from whom is to spring the world 

 Eedeemer, the Seed of the woman, and also the seed of Abraham. 

 It is of the utmost importance to note this momentous epoch, and 

 the place which the descendants of Abraham have in God's plans 

 for world redemption. This great change occurs chronologically 

 just half-way between the Creation and the predicted birth of 

 the Messiah, the Seed of the woman. So that, speaking in round 

 figures, God dealt for 2,000 years with mankind in general; 

 then for 2,000 years with the seed of Abraham, the children of 

 Israel, and possibly for about another 2,000 years with the 

 Church. Thus ends the age of Abraham, also in failure ; for even 

 in this age the patriarchs from Abraham to Moses nearly all 

 of them failed. But in spite of their failure, God's unconditional 

 covenants remain the same ; their failure did not affect the pur- 

 poses of God. God promised to Abraham, Gen. xii. 3, " In thee 

 shall all the families of the earth be blessed." Gen. xv. 18, 

 And the centre of world blessing shall be from " the river of 

 Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates." All the 

 promises of this period converge upon the coming Messiah, the 

 seed of Abraham, the seed of the woman. 



The Fifth Age. 



The age of Moses or of the Law. Throughout this age God 

 reveals to man details, through type and prophecy, of the coming 

 of world redemption and the establishment of His kingdom upon 

 the earth. But Israel has to learn by the giving of the Law, owing 

 to the hohness of God and the sinfulness of sin, that in themselves 



