74 The Plan- of the Ages.
both time and means, though his resources are infinite; and no power, however malicious, for a moment retards or thwarts his purposes. All things, evil as well as good, un- der divine supervision and overruling, are working together for the accomplishment of his will.
To an uninstructed and undisciplined mind, which can see only a little of the intricate machinery of God's plan, it appears like anarchy, confusion and failure, just as the whole, or even a part, of an intricate machine would appear to a child. To its immature and untutored mind it is in- comprehensible, and the opposite motions of its wheels and belts are but confusion. But maturity and investiga- tion will show that the seeming confusion is beautiful har- mony, working good results. The machine, however, was as truly a success before the child understood its operation as after. So, while God's plan is, and has been for ages, in successful operation, man has been receiving the nec- essary discipline, not only to enable him to understand its intricate workings, but also to experience its blessed re- sults.
As we pursue our study of the divine plan, it is essential that we keep in memory these ages and their respective pe- culiarities and objedls ; for in no one of them can the plan 1)0 seen, but in alt of them, even as a link is not a chain, but several links united form a chain. We obtain correct ideas of the whole plan by noting the distinctive features of each part, and thus we are enabled to divide rightly the Word of truth.
A statement of the Word which belongs to one epoch, or dispensation, should not be applied to another, as things stated of one age are not always true of another* For in- stance, it would be an untruth to say of the present time that the knowledge of the Lord fills the whole earth, or that there is no need to say to your neighbor, Know the
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