"And the Nations were Angry."
Under this heading we find a significant article in The Independent of Feb. 1, 1866, from which we make the following extract in reference to France and Spain : "Mercurial, volcanic, eruptive France, always angry, was never more so than now. The magic of a great name, the intrepid and aggressive intellect of Louis Napoleon, a centralization of power that makes the sword supreme, and the antipathy of the anti-Bonaparte parties, who hate each other more than they do the Emperor, have combined to make the power of the present ruler absolute. The English alliance prolonged the empire ten years. This was the darling scheme of Palmerston's life, his last contribution to a fading royalty. Yet France has overthrown a power even stronger than that of Napoleon, and we may look at any time for a demonstration in favor of liberty. The history of the suppression of the public journals during the last year shows that no means will be spared to prevent freedom of thought in France. If the empire was really peace; if France really worshiped an imperial nephew of the great Napoleon; why these constant attacks upon the freedom of the press? why this dread of a free expression of opinion? We are told that France is under arms to menace the integrity of Europe. 'Europe,' says the London Spectator, 'is at peace just as a soldier is at ease when marching under a hot sun in full accoutrements.' We venture the theory that France is not armed against Europe, but against herself; for only by the bayonets of Napoleonic soldiers can any ruler exist on the theory of Napoleonism. That is a theory of force—terror, tinsel, and fireworks. Keep France armed, and the empire is safe. Give France twenty crowns to play with, and a republic will be forgotten. Yet France is angry. Her men of genius speak noble thoughts; her people are watchful and patient. "Spain is even now in the throes of an insurrection. The admirers of Her Catholic Majesty have been applauding the rigor and sagacity with which the Spanish ministers made war upon Chili, and Peru, and San Domingo. We were to have a return of the gorgeous days of Philip and Ferdinand, when the Spanish ships made England tremble, and the Spanish council was the law in every European court, and the Spanish flag was carried into empires of a rude but magnificent barbarism. In vain! The curse of Rome has settled85upon Spain; and her civilization, moth-eaten, ulcerated, torpid, sluggish, self-consuming, 'sleeps on,' says one of the most gifted of modern writers, 'untroubled, unheeding, impassive, receiving no impressions from the rest of the world, and making no impressions upon it; the sole representative now remaining of the feelings and knowledge of the Middle Ages.' The insurrection headed by General Prim threatens to become a revolution. Whether it falls or not, we have evidence that Spain is about to take her destinies in her own hand, and strike down one of the last of the Bourbon thrones. No country on this earth has had the advantages of Spain. God has blessed her beyond other nations, and under the influence of the Roman system she has abused them all. We have hopes for Spain. In this time of inquiry and enterprise, in this day of anger among nations, we believe she will throw off the superstitious crust of centuries, and come forth strong, and fresh, and regenerated, to take her place among the nations of the earth. "America has done her work; let Europe begin. Do away with the false and the vile—the degradation of labor—the enervation of manhood—aristocracy and thrones—pensioned paupers who happen to have what they call royal blood in their lazy veins. A struggle may come, but the world will come forth better, the nations will recognize Christian freedom, and moral progress, and all men can truly feel that 'neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor hight, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God.'" With the prophecy from which the heading of this article is taken, every Adventist is familiar. It is found in Rev. xi, 18: "And the nations were angry." The article is written to show that we have now reached this time of anger among the nations. And what are the events which the prophecy brings to view right in connection? They are as follows: "And thy wrath is come." What is the wrath of God? Rev. xv, 1, tells us that it is the seven last plagues. And the prophet continues, "and the time of the dead that they should be judged." Here the Judgment of the last day supervenes. We read on, "and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, . . . and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth." Here is the general destruction of God's enemies, the dashing of the nations in pieces, and the change of dispensation, from this mortal to the eternal state. Such is the series of successive events, introduced by the anger of the nations, which state of anger is now exhibited before us. Yet the Independent, with the most glaring disregard of the other events which in the prophecy are inseparably associated with the anger of the nations, turns right aside from the inspired record, and declares that the world will come forth from "this day of anger," and the coming struggle, in a "better," condition, recognizing "Christian freedom," "moral progress," &c., &c. Peace and safety! A good time coming! True we see before us the anger of the nations; but then there is no cause of alarm; for this is only the herald of "better" days, and not, as the mistaken old Bible prophet has it, a prelude to the final exhibitions of God's wrath, the general Judgment, and the destruction of the wicked, as God sets up his everlasting kingdom. Is not this virtually the language of the popular fables of the day on this question? Verily darkness covers the earth, and gross darkness the people; and pre-eminently are the "watchmen blind." Isa. lvi, 9-12. The Lord keep his people from being bewildered by the confusion and darkness of earth's closing scenes.