"The lawgiver passed to his rest. His laws and literature surviving through many vicissitudes have produced in each succeeding age a new harvest of poetry and history inspired with their own spirit. In the meantime the learning and superstition of Egypt faded from the eyes of men. The splendid political and military organizations of Assyria, Babylon, Persia, and Macedon arose and crumbled into dust. The wonderful literature of Greece blazed forth and expired. That of Rome, a reflex and copy of the former, had reached its culminating point; and no prophet had arisen among any of these Gentile nations to teach them the truth of God. The world, with all its national liberties crushed out, its religion and its philosophy corrupted and enfeebled to the last degree by an endless succession of borrowing and intermixtures, lay prostrate under the iron heel of Rome.

"Then appeared among the now obscure remnant of Israel one who announced Himself as the Prophet like unto Moses, promised of old; but a prophet whose mission it was to redeem not Israel only, but the whole world, and to make all who will believe children of faithful Abraham. Adopting the whole of the sacred literature of the Hebrews, and proving His mission by its words, He sent forth a few plain men to write its closing books, and to plant it on the ruins of all the time honored beliefs of the nations- beliefs supported by a splendid and highly organized priestly system and by despotic power, and gilded by all the highest efforts of poetry and art.

" The story is a very familiar one; but it is marvelous beyond all others. Nor is the modern history of the Bible less wonderful. Exhumed from the rubbish of the middle ages, it has entered on a new career of victory. It has stimulated the mind of modern Europe to all its highest efforts, and has been the charter of its civil and religious liberties. Its wondrous revelation of all that man most desires to know, in the past, in the present, and in his future destinies, has gone home to the hearts of men in all ranks of society and in all countries. In many great nations it is the only rule of religious faith. In every civilized country, it is the basis of all that is most valuable in religion. Where it has been
withheld from the people, civilization in its highest aspects has languished, and superstition, priestcraft and tyranny have held their ground, or have perished under the assaults of a heartless and inhuman infidelity. Where it has been a household book, education has necessarily flourished, liberty has taken root, and the higher nature of man has been developed to the full. Driven from many other countries by tyrannical interference with liberty of thought and discussion, or by a short-sighted ecclesiaticism, it has taken up its special abode with the greatest commercial nations of our time; and, scattered by their agency broadcast over the world, it is read by every nation under heaven in its own tongue . . .

" Explain it as we may, the Bible is a great literary miracle; and no amount of inspiration that can be claimed for it is more strange and incredible than the actual history of the Book. Yet, no book has thrown itself into so decided antagonism with all the great forces of evil in the world. Tyranny hates it, because the Bible so strongly maintains the individual value and rights of man as man. The spirit of caste dislikes it for the same reason. Anarchical license on the other hand finds nothing but discouragement in it. Priestcraft gnashes its teeth at it as the very embodiment of private judgment in religion, and because it so scornfully ignores human authority in matters of conscience and human intervention between man and his Maker. Skepticism sneers at it, because it requires faith and humility and threatens ruin to the unbeliever. It launches its thunders against every form of violence or fraud or allurement that seeks to profit by wrong, or to pander to the vices of mankind. All these consequently are its foes. On the other hand, by its uncompromising stand with reference to certain scientific and historical facts, it has appeared to oppose the progress of thought and speculation ; though, as we shall see, it has been unfairly accused in this last respect."

Origin of the World.-Dawson.
'DARIUS THE MEDIAN."