With these sublime pictures—a retrospect and a prophecy—from the gallery of the great master, I close this long-drawn subject:
“When India is supreme, Brahma sits upon the world’s throne. When the sceptre passes to Egypt, Isis and Osiris receive the homage of mankind. Greece, with her fierce valor, sweeps to empire, and Zeus puts on the purple of authority. The earth trembles with the tread of Rome’s intrepid sons, and Jove grasps with mailed hand the thunderbolts of Heaven. Rome falls, and Christians, from her territory, with the red sword of war, carve out the ruling nations of the world, and now Christ sits upon the old throne. Who will be his successor?”
“I look again. The popes and priests are gone. The altars and the thrones have mingled with the dust. The aristocracy of land and cloud have perished from the earth and air. The gods are dead. A new religion sheds its glory on mankind.... And as I look Life lengthens, Joy deepens, Love intensifies, Fear dies—Liberty at last is God, and Heaven is here.”
INDEX.
ABBOTT, Dr. Lyman, on the paganization of Christianity, [576].
ABIATHAR, eating shew bread in the days of, [161].
“ABILENE, Tetrarch of,” [129].
ACELDAMA, [218].