INDICATIONS OF A SCHEME IN THE UNIVERSE. 



169 



to the prophet, and being " caused to fly swiftly," touched him " at 

 the time of the evening sacrifice,"^ evidently a good while later. 

 With the rapidity of light is a far likelier estimate of an angel's 

 progress ; and perhaps we may venture to think that of God's own 

 movements.! 



It has been suggested by Mr. E. W. Newell, the American 

 preacher, on the strength of several allusions in Holy Writ, that 

 God's dwelling-place lies within the circle of the pole stars, to which 

 the earth's axis always points, slowly rotating around it in 26,000 

 years : he cites Ezekiel i, 4, where the glory of God with its atten- 

 dant cherubim is seen coming from the north ; he also cites Psalm 

 Ixxv, 6, where we read, "Promotion cometh neither from the east, 

 nor from the west, nor from the south, but God is the judge ; He 

 putteth down one and setteth up another " ; and he cites Isaiah xiv, 

 13 (E.V.), where to Lucifer the inward thought is ascribed, "I will 

 ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God ; 

 And I will sit upon the mount of congregation in the uttermost 

 parts of the north." And to these evidences one may perhaps add 

 from Job xxxvii, 22 (R.V.)) "Out of the north cometh golden 

 splendour ; with God is terrible majesty." 



Whence comes the present day aversion to anthropomorphism t 

 In Genesis i we read that the triune God said, " Let us make man in 

 our own image, after our likeness," and this could hardly have 

 referred to the intellect of man, since not to speak of its finite 

 character it did not include the knowledge of good and evil which 

 God possessed ; and again in the description of Jehovah's glory,, 

 given in Ezekiel i, we read, that above the cherubim and their 

 crystal canopy was " the likeness as the appearance of a man " 

 seated upon a throne. 



After the melting points of rocks had been ascertained Lord 

 Kelvin reduced his estimate of the earth's age to twenty-four 

 million years. 



Lieut.-Colonel Mackinlay said : I am sure we all unite heartily 

 with our Chairman in thanking Canon Girdlestone for his excellent 

 and suggestive paper. 



The reign of law seen in nature is also to be recognised in the 

 political world. A kingdom grows in power until it becomes 



* Dan. ix, 21, 23. 



t Cf. Matt, xxiv, 27. 



