Glory to Him, whose mighty power
Supports the Christian’s dying hour!
Christian! now thy warfare ends;
Thy God his gracious love extends;
Through Him the victory is won;
The triumph gained, the conflict done.
The reign of the depraved and barbarous persecutor of the Christians had closed with the succession of Servius Galba, a new era had dawned upon their fortunes; and, although the “blood of the Martyrs” had proved “as seed to the Church,” yet the season of peace and quiet, which now ensued served to foster and ripen the Christian graces, which, in those days of cruelty and inhuman bigotry acquired a stern and almost gloomy character. The mild and beautiful religion of our Saviour, when allowed its free course, in the sweet scenes of domestic life, shone with a more benignant lustre, and its votaries, no longer shuddering with the terror incident to human nature, at the consequences of avowing their faith, fearlessly taught and practised its heaven-born precepts.
The virtues of the noble family whose fortunes we have been following, were expanded beneath the rays of the sun of prosperity, and, for ages, some of the most undaunted defenders of the Christian faith were ranked among its descendants. Connected with illustrious and powerful houses, they were no longer exposed to persecution themselves, and, were enabled, by their influence, not only to promote the rapidly progressing cause of Christianity, but to save many of its disciples from suffering in the days of trial, which ensued in some of the subsequent reigns.
We have now closed our tale of the early Christians,” said Herbert, “and, tho’ it is a simple story, and pretends to no romance or mystery, yet it is not destitute of a moral.” “Very far from it,” said Mrs. Wilson, “who can read the short, but well authenticated account of the death of Nero, and contrast it with that of the aged Christian, or even with the last moments of the erring but misguided Sybil, without saying, ‘Let my death be that of the righteous.’”