THE NINETEENTH AND TWENTIETH CENTURIES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11933, 5 January 1901, Page 2

THE NINETEENTH AND TWENTIETH CENTURIES.

At the Mornington Presbyterian Church last Sunday : evening the Rev. W. Scorgio preached to a, largo , congregation from the text, "Wo bring our years to an end as a tale that is told." After pointing out how one century leads on to another, grows out of another, and carries its great central features forward to maturity, he \yont on to show tho marvellous territorial expansion of the British Empire. When the eighteenth centufy opened the King of England ruled over about three millions outside his own islands; whon tho nineteenth century, opened tho three had become 100 millions at least; now when it is closed Queen Viotoria reigns over 260 millions. Ono hundred years ago our Empire was about one-third in size and numbers of France or Germany; now it is about 20 times as big and seven times as populous as either. In 100 years we have peopled and controlled colonies and continents in all corners of the world, .That has been accom- ' plishe'd by carrying out the, policy of Walpole and Pitt, and so the nineteenth century is herb only a development of the eighteenth, but a devolopmont that has exceeded the wildest dream of -the wildest dreamer. Briefly glancing at some of the mechanical glories of the marvellous development of the last 100 years, tho preacher went on to say: There has also been a great social amelioration and religious, elevation of the people Tho sooiii condition of Britain during the first quarter of this century is monstrous beyond comparison. No one would credit it for starvation; degradation, oppression, and ignorance, to flay; nothing of disease, crime, and cruelty. Starvation, taxation, overwork, dark homes, and filthy streets crushed and killed the poorer classes. Children of six years .arid women of all ages worked in the coal mines, and hardly ever saw the light of day. Children of nine years worked in the factory 14.and 16 hours a day, half-fed, halfclothed, and beaten cruelly by overseers when they fell asleep on their feet. When a man got work about half his wages went to pay his taxes, for everything was taxed beyond conception. A tax on windows raised one million and a-half. Newspapers wore taxed 4d per copy, Salt was taxed four times its value. So that the poor had to live without light in their homos, salt to their meals, and the slightest knowledge of the outside world. On tho other hand, during all these years there had been a spiritual elevation of the poople going on, as tho effect of Whitefield's and Wesley's work. This resulted in the rise of the new theology, with its softer views of God and wider views of the Atonement and fullermcEsage of God's love, which grew in Scotland till it became the Disruption and the formation of the Free Church in 1843. In England this intenser life was hurt by the Tractarian movement. Then came tho great revival of 1872 under Moody and Sankey,' which convulsed all England and Scotland. Its latest fruit has been the union of the Free and United Presbyterians into one groat united olinrch. A great outburst, of missionary and charitable zeal is witnessed in the nineteenth century. In 1795 to send missionaries to the heathen was looked upon as visionary and subversive of all good order, and by a great majority the proposal was rejected. Carey's groat desire—tho world fpr Christ,—and his meeting at which tho collection was 513 2s 6d, seemed to render absolutely impossible such » gigantio task, but that was really the birth of the London Missionary Society of to-day, with its annual revenue of £50,000. Then Moffat and Livingstono in Africa and Duff in India gavo those vast lands their first glimpse of llio.Gospel, and prepared the way for civilisation and progress.' The nineteenth .century may also bo called, the women's century,' for in it wo see the elevation and emancipation of women to a position never occupied by her before. Thus wo see that the outstanding features of the nineteenth century are territorial expansion, social amelioration, mechanical and industrial development, spiritual elevation, missionary and charitable zeal. Now what are to be the outstanding features of the twentieth century? The twentieth century will be marked by still greater expansion and industrial development. Tho future lies in tho hands of the Anglo-Saxon race, both for territory and industrial development, and the twentieth century will see greater, things than the nineteenth century. Wo look forward to a century of socihl amelioration among all ihe lower glasses, especially in our great cities. The nineteenth century,has become intensely sensitive to suffering of all kinds. Its effect on the rich is that they have lost faith In tlioir own cause, and are retiring before the rising tide, and the best of (hem are to be found fighting for the welfare of the people; the mneses are advnncing, the classes retreating. The amelioration of the social sphere is bound to bring elevation in the spiritual. God's purpose is spiritual transformation, glorification; nor can it fail, though the heavens fall, It is the final end of all His efforts, and will surely come. The advancement of the nineteenth century fills us with hope for the twentieth century. For this we do not look to man, but God. We do not depend on kings, nations, nor classes, but on Christ. By Him all things were created and in Him they hold together. His purpose is man's redemption, and he will carry out His purpose in spite of all evil. The i spirit of self-iiidtilgcn'eo, ae seen in drunkenness and debauchery, will die before the breath of His spirit. Tho spirit of greed, as seen in gambling and oppression, will flee before the softening presence of His love. Our industrial slavery,, starvation wages, and heartless sweating, that grinds the feces of the poor, will become a thing of the past, through the influence and example, spirit and power of Christ. The' poor will be fed, the ignorant educated, the vicious reclaimed, the oppressed set free, and the down-trodden uplifted by the hands and hearts of those who have learned to. love Christ. That love will give the world a growing army of missionaries abroad to dispel the darkness of heathenism, and a growing army of workers at home to feed and elotho and care for the crippled, defeated, and broken in life's battle. Do you say we shall not see this? No, wo may not see it, but our children shall. You never saw the squalor, degradation, and brutality of 100 years ago, but your grandfathers did, and so you will not see the reign of love. Industry without oppression ;• commerce without cut-throat competition; without hatred; wealth without sweating; religion without hypocrisy. Our .children shall see it, and our arandchiklren. Despite our blindness and faithlessness., it is coming, for Christ has promised, and Hie Word shall stand; His purpose realised. His plan fulfilled to the fullest by-arid-bye. Then let us pray that the twentieth century shall be a century of light'and love, and that the spirit of Christianity will shine into every heart. For in the day when man is toother to man God, shall be Father, and we shall all bo one family around His feet in glory.