THE GROWTH OP THE KINGDOM OF GOD. 



121 



the Hindus in seeing these things cannot but conclude that 

 Christianity is a true religion. 



The pagans had no public hospitals or poor-houses or asylums 

 for the advantage of the dumb, the blind, the lame and the insane 

 such as we see spread over Christian countries j still less any 

 society such as Christian England set the example of founding for 

 protecting poor animals. 



Professor LANGHORNE ORCHARD. — Since " nature " and God's 

 spiritual kingdom are both under the same King, we shall agree 

 with the author of this interesting paper that both may be expected 

 to evidence a similar process of government and working. Un- 

 doubtedly, history brings before us " Purpose, Plan, Preparation, 

 and fixed Times," evident in the growth of the Kingdom of God. 

 The instances adduced from prophecy and from general history 

 abundantly illustrate this pre-arranged timing of events. In 

 connection with the preparation of a "suitable cradle" for 

 Christianity, it is very noticeable that Alexander the Great died 

 just at a time so specially critical, and that Seleucus transplanted 

 two thousand Jewish families into all the cities of his kingdom. 

 Things like these, which cannot be accounted for by any theory of 

 coincidence, constitute a strong, and indeed decisive, argument in 

 favour of the author's thesis. 



I am glad that the author clearly affirms his belief in human 

 free-will. "Without free will there cannot even be morality. God 

 never over-rides free will. But, though He does not over-ride, He 

 uses and over-rules it, to carry out His own purposes. If a 

 statesman, gifted with the wisdom and insight of a Bismarck, could 

 so correctly guess as to what men would do, as often to make their 

 actions subserve his plans, can we find any difficulty in believing 

 that the certain fore-knowledge and unerring wisdom of God 

 employs and over-rules all results of human free-will ? 



The great philosophies referred to by the author, reinforced, by the 

 conclusions of the intellect, the conclusions of the heart. Their 

 failure helped to prepare the way of the Lord. 



After some observations by Colonel Alves, a cordial vote of 

 thanks to the author was passed and the meeting separated. 



