Page:Studies in the Scriptures - Series I - The Plan of the Ages (1909).djvu/341

 13) in which justice and love, instead of power and self- ishness, will be the law.

Each time these labor pangs of the new era come upon the present body politic, her strength and courage will be found less, and the pains severer. All that society's physi- cians (political economists) can do for her relief will be to help, and wisely direct the course of the inevitable birth to prepare gradually the way for the event. They cannot avert it if they would ; for God has decreed that it shall come to pass. Many of society's physicians will, however, be totally ignorant of the real ailment and of the necessities and urgency of the case. These will undertake repressive measures; and as each paroxysm of trouble passes away, they will take advantage of it to fortify the resistive appli- ances, and will thereby increase the anguish ; and while they will not long delay the birth, their malpractice will hasten the death of their patient \ for the old order of things will die in the labor of bringing forth the new.

To lay aside the forcible figure suggested by the Apostle, and speak plainly : The efforts of the masses for deliver- ance from the grasp of Capital and machinery will be im- mature; plans and arrangements will be incomplete and insutocient, as time after time they attempt to force their way and burst the bands and limits of " supply and de- mand" which are growing too small for them. Each un- successful attempt will increase the confidence of Capital in its ability to keep the new order of things within its pres- ent limits, until at length the present restraining power of organizations and governments will reach its extreme limit, the cord of social organism will snap asunder, law and order will be gone, and wide-spread anarchy will bring all that the prophets have foretold of the trouble "such as was not since there was a nation' 1 and, thank God for the assur- ance added "nor ever shall be " afterward.

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