"This is a wonderful country," said papa, "for the way its
associations are packed. There is more history here than in
any other region of the world."
"Well, papa, it is the world's history," I said.
"What do you mean, Daisy?"
I hesitated; it was not very easy to tell.
"She is right though," said Mr. Dinwiddie; "it is the very
core of the world's history, round which the other is slowly
gathering and maturing, to the perfected fruit. Or to take it
another way, - ever since God at the first did visit the
Gentiles, to take put of them a people for His name, His
dealings with that people have been an earnest and an image of
His course with His Church at large. We may cut down to the
heart of the world and find the perfect flower here - as we do
in bulbs."
"A blossoming to destruction then, it seems," said my father.
"No!" said Mr. Dinwiddie - "to restoration and glory. The
history of this land is not yet finished."
"And you think that is in store for it yet?"
Mr. Dinwiddie answered, - " 'Thus saith the Lord; If ye can
break my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night,
and that there should not be day and night in their season;
then may also my covenant be broken with David my servant,
that he should not have a son to reign upon his throne; and
with the Levites the priests, my ministers. As the hosts of
heaven cannot be numbered, neither the sand of the sea
measured: so will I multiply the seed of David my servant, and
the Levites that minister unto me.' "
"Who spoke that?"
"The prophet Jeremiah."
"And when, pray?"
"When Nebuchadnezzar and his army were just upon the point of
completing the destruction of the city - and of the people."
"Then it refers to their return from captivity, does it not?"
"As the type of the other restoration," said Mr. Dinwiddie.
"For 'In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch
of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute
judgment and righteousness in the land. In those days shall
Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely; and this is
the name whereby she shall be called, The Lord our
righteousness.' Moreover, in Ezekiel's vision of a new temple
and city, he gives the dimensions of the temple large enough
to take in all Jerusalem, and the holy city as many times
exceeding its utmost actual limits; and he says, 'The name of
the city from that day shall be, The Lord is there.' Jehovah
shammah. I wish the day were come."
"You take it as entirely figurative!" said papa. "I thought
just now you made it entirely literal."