the living, and therefore the growing, germs of a higher moral, social, and religious civilization than any portion of the heathen world had ever witnessed. The middle ages were, in fact, the chrysalis state of the world, in which it put off the effete civilization of the past, and put on the never-fading civilization of the future.

There have been, no doubt, dark eddies in the great stream of the world's progress. But this stream has, nevertheless, continually flowed on, gaining in depth and breadth and beauty. The dark eddies, or whirlpools of destruction, in which the folly and madness of human reformers, have come into conflict with the great stream of the Divine purpose, have neither defeated that purpose, nor rolled back the course of its resistless tides. And here, in the civilization of the Christian world, has the design of the Almighty attained an amplitude of development, and a marvelous combination of glorious results, to which there has been no parallel in any other portion or age of the globe.

There are those, indeed, who deny this benign influence of Christianity. But their denial grows out of a most microscopic view of the mere details of history. If they will only sweep, with telescopic vision, the vast outlines of history, they may easily perceive the fallacy of their objections. We do not see, nor can we discover, the law of gravity in the atoms floating on all sides around us; yet is that law most assuredly there, and everywhere, exerting its silent influence amid all the influences of earth. This sublime law is, however, magnificently unveiled in the celestial spaces. In like manner, although we many not happen to see, or be able to discover, the transforming influence of Christianity on the individuals around us, we have only to direct our attention to the great outlines of history to behold the benign power of that mighty influence. It is, indeed, only within the range of that influence that the condition of man is bright and cheering, while all beyond is darkness and decay.

The progress of Christianity is the progress of man. Hence the civilization of the modern world, unspeakably

the best ever seen, has, under the influence of this religion, sprung from the barbarism of the German forests. During the same period, the people of Arabia have, under the influence of the Koran, declined from the pinnacle of power and greatness to the comparative insignificance and misery of their present condition. Bagdad was the Athens of the world at the very time that Europe was emerging from its primeval night. The progress of Christianity is, then, the emancipation, the freedom, and the civilization of the human race. No greater mistake was ever made, no more grievous blunder was ever committed, than the placing of this Religion on the side of despotism.

Progress is, indeed, the sublime privilege and prerogative of man. The beaver, guided by instinct, builds his dam to-day precisely like that of the beaver which issued from the ark of Noah. But how different is that ark from a modern man-of-war, or from one of our majestic steamships! In like manner, the rude huts occupied, in the summer season, by the barbarians who overthrew the Roman empire, or the caverns dug by them in the earth for winter-quarters, bear small resemblance to the magnificent palaces erected by their descendants on either side of the Atlantic. Still greater is the contrast between their crude notions of government, or dark undeveloped germs of a social state, and the sublime code of laws and institutions under which we live. But of all the points of difference, the most striking and immense is that which exists between the religion, the worship, and the morals of those shaggy sons of the forest, and the corresponding systems of the present Christian world.

Nearly all this progress has, in fact, been confined to Christendom. During the same period, there has been little or no progress in China, the oldest and the largest empire on earth. On the contrary, that vast empire had, long before the Christian era, cast anchor on the great sea of ages, and there it has remained. Nor has there, in all that time, been any real progress in India, in Arabia, or in Africa; except such as may have proceeded from the influence of the Christian World, or of Christian ideas. When it is said,

therefore that, progress is the great law of the world, the meaning is not that all nations are moving forward in obedience to this law. The meaning is that the States of Christendom obey this law, and that they are gradually, though slowly, gaining on the darkness and barbarism of the heathen world.

But all States, it is sometimes said, must grow, decline, and perish like individuals; that all civilizations must return to barbarism, and renew their strength to repeat the same melancholy circle. A New Zealander, standing on the broken arch of London Bridge, surrounded by a vast solitude and sketching the ruins of St. Paul's, is the type and symbol of this philosophy. But what solid foundation has this symbol in the history of the world? History, if truly considered, lends no support to "the ideal circle" of Vico, or to the desponding rhetoric of Macauley. The civilization of Greece, for example, was as brief as it was brilliant. Impelled by her dominant passion, Greece reached "the middle ground of the beautiful," and there displayed all the wonders of her genius and her art. But did the civilization of Greece return unto itself void, or perish by the way side? No, on the contrary, it became, as every one knows, the grand tributary to the civilization and power of Rome; and still lives in the civilization of the Christian world.

A still higher destiny was reserved for Rome. Enriched with all the spoils of Greece, and finally modified by the Christian religion, Rome developed, for the benefit of mankind, the great principles and laws of social order. Nor did Rome, after having run her wonderful career, return unto herself void, or sink into her primeval darkness and barbarism. On the contrary, she laid all the treasures of her wisdom, her knowledge, and her civilization at the feet of Christianity.

The destruction of Rome is, beyond all question, the most disheartening spectacle, the most awful scene of wide-wasting desolation, the world has ever seen, except the flood. If ever, in the history of our race, the human mind has had occasion to despond, it was when the western

the best ever seen, has, under the influence of this religion, sprung from the barbarism of the German forests. During the same period, the people of Arabia have, under the influence of the Koran, declined from the pinnacle of power and greatness to the comparative insignificance and misery of their present condition. Bagdad was the Athens of the world at the very time that Europe was emerging from its primeval night. The progress of Christianity is, then, the emancipation, the freedom, and the civilization of the human race. No greater mistake was ever made, no more grievous blunder was ever committed, than the placing of this Religion on the side of despotism.

Progress is, indeed, the sublime privilege and prerogative of man. The beaver, guided by instinct, builds his dam to-day precisely like that of the beaver which issued from the ark of Noah. But how different is that ark from a modern man-of-war, or from one of our majestic steamships! In like manner, the rude huts occupied, in the summer season, by the barbarians who overthrew the Roman empire, or the caverns dug by them in the earth for winter-quarters, bear small resemblance to the magnificent palaces erected by their descendants on either side of the Atlantic. Still greater is the contrast between their crude notions of government, or dark undeveloped germs of a social state, and the sublime code of laws and institutions under which we live. But of all the points of difference, the most striking and immense is that which exists between the religion, the worship, and the morals of those shaggy sons of the forest, and the corresponding systems of the present Christian world.

Nearly all this progress has, in fact, been confined to Christendom. During the same period, there has been little or no progress in China, the oldest and the largest empire on earth. On the contrary, that vast empire had, long before. the Christian era, cast anchor on the great sea of ages, and there it has remained. Nor has there, in all that time, been any real progress in India, in Arabia, or in Africa; except such as may have proceeded from the influence of the Christian World, or of Christian ideas. When it is said,

therefore that, progress is the great law of the world, the meaning is not that all nations are moving forward in obedience to this law. The meaning is that the States of Christendom obey this law, and that they are gradually, though slowly, gaining on the darkness and barbarism of the heathen world.

But all States, it is sometimes said, must grow, decline, and perish like individuals; that all civilizations must return to barbarism, and renew their strength to repeat the same melancholy circle. A New Zealander, standing on the broken arch of London Bridge, surrounded by a vast solitude and sketching the ruins of St. Paul's, is the type and symbol of this philosophy. But what solid foundation has this symbol in the history of the world? History, if truly considered, lends no support to "the ideal circle" of Vico, or to the desponding rhetoric of Macauley. The civilization of Greece, for example, was as brief as it was brilliant. Impelled by her dominant passion, Greece reached "the .middle ground of the beautiful," and there displayed all the wonders of her genius and her art. But did the civilization of Greece return unto itself void, or perish by the way side? No, on the contrary, it became, as every one knows, the grand tributary to the civilization and power of Rome; and still lives in the civilization of the Christian world.

A still higher destiny was reserved for Rome. Enriched with all the spoils of Greece, and finally modified by the Christian religion, Rome developed, for the benefit of mankind, the great principles and laws of social order. Nor did Rome, 'after having run her wonderful career, return unto herself void, or sink into her primeval darkness and barbarism. On the contrary, she laid all the treasures of her wisdom, her knowledge, and her civilization at the feet of Christianity.

The destruction of Rome is, beyond all question, the most dishearteniig spectacle, the most awful scene of wide-wasting desolaton, the world has ever seen, except the flood. If ever, in the history of our race, the human mind has had occasion to despond, it was when the western