not God's ideal nor man's. The child may handle a toy, but a man
must mount a locomotive; and before there can be New Jerusalems
with golden streets, there must be men more avaricious of knowledge
than of gold, or they would dig them up; more zealous for love
than jewels, or they would unhang the pearly gates. The uplifting
refinement of the material world has been kept back until there
should appear masterful spirits able to handle the higher forces.
Doors have opened on every side to new realms of power, when men
have been able to wield them. If men lose that ability they close
again, and shut out the knowledge and light. Then ages, dark and
feeble, follow.

Some explore prophecy for the date of the grand transformation
of matter by the coming of the Son of Man, for a new creation. A
little study of nature would show that the date cannot be fixed.
A little study of Peter would show the same thing. He says, "What
manner of persons ought ye to be, in all holy conversation and
godliness, looking for and hastening the coming [Page 265] of the
day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved,
and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we,
according to his promise, look for a new heaven and a new earth."

The idea is, that the grand transformation of matter waits the
readiness of man. The kingdom waits the king. The scattered cantons
of Italy were only prostrate provinces till Victor Emanuel came,
then they were developed into united Italy. The prostrate provinces
of matter are not developed until the man is victor, able to rule
there a realm equal to ten cities here. Every good man hastens the
coming of the day of God and nature's renovation. Not only does
inference teach that there must be finer men, but fact affirms
that transformation has already taken place. Life is meant to have
power over chemical forces. It separates carbon from its compounds
and builds a tree, separates the elements and builds the body,
holds them separate until life withdraws. More life means higher
being. Certainly men can be refined and recapacitated as well as
ore. In Ovid's "Metamorphoses" he represents the lion in process of
formation from earth, hind quarters still clay, but fore quarters,
head, erect mane, and blazing eye--live lion--and pawing to get
free. We have seen winged spirits yet linked to forms of clay,
but beating the celestial air, endeavoring to be free; and we have
seen them, dowered with