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PREDICTIONS OF NATIONAL PEACE.

of peace and national prosperity: hence, we contend that the names of Watt, Stephenson, Hargreaves, Arkwright, and a host beside, are more deserving national honour, than the memories of many whose honour is engraved brass or recorded in

"Storied urn, or animated bust."

They have been the true benefactors of their species, and the reality of their influence will be felt, when the monuments of many whom the world called "great" will be disregarded, or serve only to attract the listless gaze of some holiday idler.

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But, while we honour the men who thus contributed to the welfare of their race, especial praise should be rendered to Him who gave them to the world. Without classing them with an Isaiah, an Elijah, or a Paul, in the gift of Divine inspiration, we do contend, that the favour of that gracious Being who enriched a Bezaleel and an Aholiab with wisdom and understanding," for the work of rearing the typical tabernacle in the wilderness, must be recognised, when men pre-eminent above their fellows for the intellectual endowments they possess employ their gifts not for selfish purposes merely, but for the removal of some distressing evil, or the supply of some pressing want which afflicts humanity. He gave them the endowments, he directed their application, he arranged the circumstances which secured their success; to him therefore the praise is due.

The beautiful imagery of prophecy seems to imply, that ultimately the condition of the human race shall be one of peculiar prosperity in all its interests, physical and social, political and religious: to bring about this delightful consummation, then, every beneficial influence is required, none is superfluous or insignificant. One cannot do the work of another; truth must dispel error and implant the principles of righteousness and piety; extending freedom must destroy oppression in all its forms; enlightened legislation must make the balance of justice really even, and harmonize the seemingly opposing claims of personal liberty and general security; but want, famine, idleness and poverty, must be banished, and general prosperity promoted by means of their own kind. This we

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have seen in this chapter, is the spirit and tendency of industrial arts and useful discoveries; and hence, the history of the world has been one of progress in the less obtrusive as well as in the more conspicuous ranks of the community, all evidently under the superintendence of Him who ruleth among the nations of the earth.

We only add by way of caution, let not our blessings become our bane: Tyre, Egypt, Greece, Rome, all teach us by their ruins that a greater curse cannot befall an individual, a nation, or a world, than unsanctified prosperity. Let us then take heed; many golden images have been worshipped besides that set up on the plain of Dura; and many besides Nebuchadnezzar, have forgotten the real source of their prosperity, and learned their sin in their punishment. "Let us not then be highminded, but fear;" let us not impede the progress of our nation and our world by criminal abuse of Divine favours, or by indulging in practical atheism: but, rather like David, when surveying the materials he had prepared for building the temple, exclaim, "O Lord God, all this store cometh of thine hand, and is all thine own." (1 Chron. xxix. 16.)

CHAPTER XVII.

Recapitulation.

TIME PRIOR TO THE DELUGE.

THE CONFUSION OF TONGUES.-RISE OF THE GREAT MONARCHIES.-EGYPT. -ITS RAPID GROWTH.-PROGRESS OF THE DESCENDANTS OF ABRAHAM.-THE ETRUSCANS.-ASSYRIA.THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY.-DECLINE OF THE POWER OF BABYLON.-THE MEDO-PERSIAN AUTHORITY.-CONQUESTS OF ALEXANDER.-DIVISION OF THE GRECIAN EMPIRE.-SUPREME POWER OF ROME.-THE BIRTH OF CHRIST.PUNISHMENT OF THE JEWS.-PROGRESS OF THE TRUTH.-FIERCE PERSECUTIONS BY THE ROMAN GOVERNMENT.-CORRUPTION IN THE CHURCH.-RENEWAL OF THE PERSIAN EMPIRE. CHRISTIANITY ESTABLISHED UNDER CONSTANTINE. FALL OF THE WESTERN EMPIRE.-SETTLEMENT OF THE SAXONS IN BRITAIN.-THE FRENCH MONARCHY.— RISE OF THE FALSE PROPHET.-COMMENCEMENT OF THE PAPACY.CHARLEMAGNE. - DANISH INVASION OF BRITAIN. ALFRED THE GREAT.-SEVERE LOSSES OF THE EASTERN EMPIRE.-ASSUMPTIONS OF THE POPES.-FORMAL DIVISION OF THE CHURCH.-THE INSTITUTION OF CHIVALRY.-EXERTIONS OF HILDEBRAND.-CONQUEST OF ENGLAND BY THE NORMANS. -THE SARACENS SUCCEEDED BY THE TURKS.-INFLUENCE OF THE HOLY WARS.-STATE OF RELIGION.-RISE OF THE TARTAR EMPIRE.-FALL OF CONSTANTINOPLE.

We have now followed the stream of history, from the commencement of time to the present period, entering as far as possible into the various circumstances by which the progress of successive or contemporaneous nations was marked, and dwelling with more lengthened consideration upon those principal events which have mainly affected its final issues: it may therefore be well in this and the following chapter, to review briefly the different epochs over which we have passed. This, of

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course, can only be done in a compendious manner; but even such a sketch may fix the leading occurrences in the mind, or awaken a desire for further inquiry.

The period from the creation to the flood, though doubtless fertile in incident, has passed away from record; and, excepting the very brief references of sacred Scripture, no account whatever has been handed down. All that we know is, that as men multiplied sin increased: "and God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." (Gen. vi. 5.) This universal alienation of the human race from God, brought down the solemn judgment of the deluge, in which all flesh was destroyed save the family of Noah, which was miraculously preserved in the ark, to be the progenitors of future generations.

Many useful arts had doubtless been acquired prior to the deluge, the remembrance of which was continued, and materially aided the progress of civilization as the world advanced.

The arrogant and impious determination of the multitudes which in the following century assembled on the plain of Shinar, to make that the permanent dwellingplace of the human family, was rebuked by the confusion of tongues: and the tripartite division of the human race, according to the prophecy of Noah, speedily followed; while many remained on the spot, and founded the empire of Assyria. The descendants of Japheth passed on towards India, and some afterwards stretched to the western shores of Europe; while Mizraim, the son of Ham, settled on the banks of the Nile, and other sons of Ham gave their names to the nations of Africa, and the tribes who located themselves on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean sea. In many respects the Shemitic nations claimed a pre-eminence over their brethren; the IndoEuropean descendants of Japheth ranked next; while the posterity of Ham realized the truth of the sad prophecy, delivered by Noah their common ancestor.

As the inhabitants of the earth multiplied, the great monarchies arose. Common consent awards the priority of these empires to the dwellers on the banks of the Nile, and certainly there is strong evidence for believing that

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EGYPT AND ISRAEL.

Egypt is entitled to the distinction. But the empire of Assyria, including Babylonia, supposed to be the "land of Nimrod," could not have been far behind in the race for worldly greatness. These empires, and those of India and China, which were soon afterwards established, evidently made considerable advancement in science, but fearfully degenerated in religion; loading the simple faith of the primitive world with human speculations, and afterwards totally obscuring it with the darkness and absurdities of their idolatries. The mischievous tendency of religious symbolism, when deriving its origin from human imagination, was fully illustrated in each case.

Egypt, which occupies a large space in the sacred Scriptures, from its connexion with the chosen people of God, was evidently a kingdom of considerable importance when Abraham made it the place of his sojourn; but it grew with great rapidity between that time and the period when it sheltered the family of Jacob, and enjoyed the wise administration of Joseph. It had passed through several revolutions, one of which especially seems to have been remembered with much indignation, caused by the invasion of the shepherd kings, most probably a Canaanitish race. During the sojourn of the Israelites in the land of the Nile, idolatry had evidently acquired a fearful power, and needed the solemn rebukes which were administered by the ten plagues, which preceded Israel's deliverance. Its wealth and power had increased with equal rapidity, as the employment of the Israelites in building their treasure cities, even if they were not engaged in rearing the lofty pyramids, sufficiently demonstrates. But the last shall be first, and the first last," has been a frequent feature of the dealings of Divine Providence. The slaves whom Egypt oppressed became a nation, and after forty years' sojourn in the wilderness, expelled the inhabitants of the land of Canaan, and became a people whose history is intimately connected with the salvation of the world, while Egypt, though rising higher and higher still in wealth and political renown, sinks down eventually to be one of the weakest of nations.

The interesting progress of the descendants of Abraham, when possessed of their long-promised inheritance, need not be recorded here. How judges ruled the tribes,