polluted forms, universally triumphed; the whole world continued in willing and abject slavery to Satan, the prince of darkness. The solitary individuals emancipated from his tyranny were almost unnoticed and unknown. All human governments have been established with the avowed purpose of ministering to the reformation, safety, and welfare of mankind; and almost every chief ruler considered it his highest glory to be called the father of his people. Appellations of this import were, and, still are, in many countries, exclusively appropriated to designate their successive kings. Such is said to be the signification of Pharaoh, the royal title of the monarchs of ancient Egypt; and of Praw, the princely name of the sovereigns of Burmah. Good, less or more, undoubtedly results to man from the least enlightened and benevolent government, devised by human wisdom, and maintained by human power. How much more desirable is any government than entire anarchy, or liberty for every man to do what is right in his own eyes! This latter state, were it universal, would undoubtedly speedily terminate in the utter ruin of the human race, and in the complete dissolution of the globe. Less order and happiness would be known among mankind than among the animals that rove at pleasure over the deserts and forests, exulting in the exercise of their unceasingly active and devouring capacities.

But what moral deliverance did the mighty governments of the four empires of prophecy accomplish in the earth? They certainly brought the scattered nations into a closer union and intercourse than had previously existed. Law acquired more influence over mankind. Knowledge, and the useful and ornamental arts of life, were more widely disseminated, and the principles of true religion were more generally made known, and invisibly operated to subvert the dominion of human authority, and the subtle and wicked devices of the wise in religion. The tyranny of Satan was, nevertheless, still paramount; the evil one remained apparently immovably seated on his iniquitous throne. How little could any one of the absolute despots of Assyria or Babylon do to mitigate human woe were he even inclined to rule according to justice or mercy ? Their thrones were sustained by men resolutely determined to uphold, propagate, and establish idol-worship, by the arts of divination and every means of imposition which the perversion of human knowledge could suggest. And the kings were equally destitute of humanity and truth as their counsellors, the magicians, astrologers, and priests, insomuch

that they required their subjects to regard them as gods, who had right to act, without being questioned, according to their own pleasure. Idolatry, the most powerful and tremendous engine which hell itself ever devised to deceive, debase, and destroy the children of Adam, was, in fact, the chief instrument employed in the administration of the first empire. And the principal gods, whom the people were called to adore, were represented as actuated and impelled by the most sanguinary dispositions, and as accustomed to riot in the most licentious pleasures, and to exult in the most revengeful and cruel practices. To resemble them in heart and conduct was, of course, believed to be indispensable to secure their favour. The festivals most acceptable to them were characterised by splendid follies and the impurest and, sometimes, most bloody scenes. Conceive what depravity of soul, habits, and customs, must have characterised the worshippers of such demon gods.

The dominion of the second Persian empire was probably more beneficial than that of the first empire, especially by its treatment of idols and generous patronage of the Jews. But, in other respects, the inhabitants of the empire were not much improved in religion or morals. Fire-worship was not much more fitted than idol-worship to rescue man from superstitions, vanities, and wickedness. The worshippers acquired no more accurate knowledge of the True God, nor were required to cultivate moral excellence more than those who were the most zealous votaries of idols. And almost all the nations of the empire remained degraded by the most vile and detestable idolatrous rites and customs, and by unrestrained indulgence of immorality, in its most injurious and impure forms.

Nor was the religion or the conduct of the nations much improved by the Third, or Grecian Empire. Many of the rulers and chief men perceived the delusion and folly of their mythology, and, personally, entertained little or no veneration for the gods; but they all, without one exception, employed idolatry to please and amuse the people, that they might be more easily retained in subjection to the will of their superiors. The progress of philosophy, literature, and the arts, greatly contributed to the advancement of civilization and religion; and, we apprehend, that the numerous synagogues of the Jews had an extensive, although, perhaps, unobserved, influence in enlarging and diffusing the most important knowledge of the Supreme God, and of the numerous duties belonging to the varied relations of human society.

Though the human mind is divinely constituted to admit the truth, yet its power was repelled by the dreadful delusions, errors, prejudices, and fascinating pleasures of idolatry, which ruled the hearts of its votaries, and were strongly supported and recommended by its army of priests and political patrons. By consequence, all classes, in all countries, continued the voluntary slaves of impure superstitions, and vicious practices. The light of Grecian philosophy was darkness; its teachers and their disciples and admirers cherished little respect for moral excellence. And, in general, while they knew that their unhallowed passions and ungodly and unjust practices were worthy of death, they not only persevered individually in the indulgence of them, but had pleasure in one another, on account of their unworthy conduct.

The rulers of the Fourth, or Roman Empire assumed no higher standard of religion and morals, any more than in learning and the arts, than what Greece afforded them; and the Romans so sedulously imitated the enlightened sages of the Greeks that, before the death of Augustus, they almost, if not altogether equalled, if they did not surpass, the noble examples which they admired. In one thing, assuredly, they excelled the Grecians, as well as all their predecessors in the sovereignty of the world,-they generously encouraged and 'assisted all the nations subject to Rome to aspire to all the knowledge, the grandeur, and conveniences of the first cities of Italy. Hence the rapid advancement of civilization throughout the empire. The Gauls, the Spaniards, and even Britons, were rescued from savage barbarism, and many of the natives acquired a taste, and laboured to attain the conveniences and comforts of social life, and some valued its elegancies and embellishments. The empire, however, owed no improvement in morals or religion to the Roman administration. The Augustan age is celebrated as the glory of the Romans; but that glory included no moral excellence, which is the true glory of human nature. The generation that grew up in the last years of Augustus is universally acknowledged to have reached the highest degree of effeminacy and vice; it was drenched in every abomination which reduces man below the lower and meaner animals. The admirers of the purest philosophy of Cicero, who in moral instruction was, perhaps, never excelled by a pagan, sanctioned by authority, and example, and influence, the worship of Venus, of which prostitution was a part; the adoration of

Bacchus, whose festivals were shocking scenes of intoxication and riot; and supreme reverence for Jupiter, as the father and prince of all the gods, but not less famous for debauchery and cruelty. What more desirable than the objects of this life could be expected or sought from such gods by their worshippers? and how could the latter be supposed to desire or endeavour to obtain any thing superior to those things which gratify "the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eye, and the pride of life?" Surely it is not then surprising that the most enlightened, most talented, and most refined of the Romans, as well as the ignorant, rude, superstitious, and lawless multitude, should neither fear God nor love man, and neither cherish pure affections and passions in life, nor enjoy peace or hope in the prospect of death. However ardently they might cry, "Who will show us any good?" when the sorrows of life harrowed up their souls, no solution to their question was to be expected from the oracles of their gods. No fountain of happiness was discovered by them, except what uncertain, distracting, and perishing objects of sense presented; and, consequently, many of the wisest of them deemed almost the maxim, "Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die," the consummation of wisdom. Such were the popular class of philosophers, who gloried in being named, from their leaders, Epicureans. The few who comprised the class called Stoics, while they treated contemptuously the pleasures of the senses, recommended the pride, ambition, and revenge which produce many of the severest calamities which overwhelm the human race, and tend to their complete destruction. Rome, in which were now beheld the throne of philosophy, the seat of the muses, and the theatre of the finer arts, was inundated by wickedness in all its most contemptible, loathsome, hateful, terrific, ruinous, and frightful aspects. The wealth and luxuries and vices of all the provinces were imported into the metropolis. The intemperance of the rich was almost incredible; and was only equalled by the licentiousness of all ranks. The name of Apicius is preserved on account of his skill to reduce gluttony into a system. Some emulous of his fame were not ashamed to give one hundred pounds sterling for one fish; and individuals expended fifty thousand pounds on one entertainment. Debaucheries of every kind abounded; and the mental powers were wasted in devising means to gratify the senses. A number of persons, called "the Spintriæ," who were much favoured and honoured by the great,

employed their whole time in the invention of new modes of pleasure; in other words, in attempting to find new forms of iniquity. The senators had lost all sense of honour and all respect for the interests of the community. They sought by every art to flatter the reigning emperor, and to inflict punishment in the manner most degrading and tormenting on those whom he hated. How great was their mental debasement when they proposed to place Tiberias among the gods, and supported his successor in requiring the inhabitants of the empire to pay him religious homage! The people were, if possible, still more corrupted. Accustomed to be supported by the largesses of the emperor, they at once resigned their liberty, and spent their time in idleness, folly, tumult, or in seditious schemes. Nor were moral excellencies more valued in any province or city of the empire than in Rome. "All flesh had corrupted their way;" and it was manifest to all that the Fourth Empire was equally inefficient, as the former empires had been, to work any moral deliverance for mankind.

Thus the mental state of the Jews and Gentiles demonstrated the absolute necessity that a power altogether different in nature and operation from any thing hitherto seen should. be put forth, if ever the human race were to be reclaimed from moral evil, and rescued from the wretchedness inseparable from living according to their perverted conceptions and impure inclinations. And such a power was, according to many divine predictions, to characterise the Fifth Empire, denominated in the Scriptures, "The kingdom of God," and "The kingdom of heaven" all its subjects were to be distinguished by obedience to the Most High, and all its immunities to be conferred on the saints or holy ones, whom He saved from sin, and consecrates to his service. "And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom. under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him." The rise of this kingdom is dated from the year in which its sovereign, Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of Mary, was born. This is said to have been about the thirty-fifth year of the reign of Augustus; but the common computation fixes the birth of the Saviour four years later. John the Baptist, his forerunner, was born six months earlier. He was one of the most eminently holy men that ever lived, and was the subject of several predictions. A general view of his character we have

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