Reserved for the Last Century by T. E. Bowen

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Oct 9, 1913

Reserved for the Last Century

By T. E. Bowen

S. S. OF THE JAPANESE TOYO KISEN KAISHA LINE, LEAVING SAN FRANCISCO

As the prophet Daniel beheld the scenes of the end in holy vision, he saw in astonishment what our natural eyes may now look upon. A few brief words from his pen describe the wonders of the century in which we now live: “But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.”

We have become so accustomed to these many, O, so many new developments that we are likely to think of them as commonplace. But any forefather who has spanned fourscore or more years, can remember when these things, so common, were not to be found in the land. Let us run over the list to refresh our own minds.

A writer introducing a book entitled “Progress of Invention in the Nineteenth Century,” says in part:—

“To appreciate them [the wonders of this age], let us briefly contrast the conditions of today with those of a hundred years ago. As we make the backward run of one hundred years, we have passed by many mile-stones of progress. Let us see if we can count some of them as they disappear behind us. We quickly lose the telephone, phonograph, and graphophone. We no longer see the cable-cars or electric railways. The electric lights have gone out. The telegraph disappears. The sewing-machine, reaper, and thresher have passed away, and also have all india-rubber goods. We no longer see any photographs, photoengravings, photolithographs, or snap-shot cameras. The wonderful octuple web perfecting printing-press, printing, pasting, cutting, folding, and counting newspapers at the rate of 96,000 an hour, or 1,600 a minute, shrinks at the beginning of the century into an insignificant prototype. There are no gas-engines, no elevators, no asphalt pavement, no steam fire-engine, no triple-expansion steam-engine, no self-binding harvesters. We lose air-engines, stem-winding watches, the great suspension-bridges and tunnels, iron-frame buildings, revolvers, torpedoes, magazine guns, linotype machines, typewriters, all Pasteurizing, knowledge of microbes or disease germs, and sanitary plumbing, air-brakes, electric locomotives,—enough! the reader exclaims, and indeed it is not pleasant to contemplate the loss.”

And what does it all mean?—That the God of heaven, who has a great work to accomplish in the last generation, has prepared for it and is accomplishing it before the eyes of this very people who are alive today. Blessed are the eyes that see his providence, and the ears that hear his voice, in all these things, inviting them to come unto One who is abundantly able to save.

T. E. BOWEN.