Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-08-20
Chtist's Victory for Christianity.

The nations were waiting for hero when
Christ came. The old era in history was
ended. Four grand attempts to found a
universal empire had succeeded each other
in disastrous failure Just before his advent.
The early dream of the Babylonsh empire
had vanished and Nebuchadnezzar was
dead. Cyrus was buried, and the shell of
the Persian monarchy had been forever
crushed. Alexander had passed away, and
the worldwide dominion of Greece was ut.
terly broken. Aud now Caesar Augustus
and the Roman Empire trembled at their
meridian, while the last hope of n universal
temporal kingdom bowed toward its hope
less decline. The magnificent idea of the
world-conquerors had not been realized. Then
the angel of history closes the old and opens
the new book, and the name that is written
on its title-page is Jesus Of NoSdreh, King nj
the JecS. He was "the goal toward which all
ancient history tended" He was the foun-
tain from which all subsequent history
sprung He was the thought of dominion
that was struggling for utterance in the
heart of the centuries And since that day
every holy movement among the nations has
been linked with his name. From his own
time Jesus began to triumph. BY his per-
petual reign on the throne of history he has
| NluulCdJtu Ills OMU
men. Coming to set right and to govern
the world, Christianity has ever been, as it
| ought to be- in conflict with vast masses of
men, civil power with physical force, with
adverse PHILOSOPHERS. 1t has had successes,
it has had reverses; but it has had a grand
history aud has effected great things, and is
as vigorous in its age as it was in its
youth" 1t was discarded of Judaism within
and confronted with Judaism without
Judaism fortified in its fifteen hundred
years of gorgeous worship and holy faith.
II was challenged by Paganism, rough
handed, strong-headed, stony-hearted, whose
last appeal to physical force, when argument
failed, was never wanting. 1t was invaded
and torn asunder by dissension and schism,
by mixture with philosophy and heathen
ism; but still it endured. 1t was over
whelmed by vandal hordes and driven into
solitude its temples leveled by barbarian
bands, and its worshipers scattered to the
four winds of heaven. But it died not
Mohammedanism, its gigantic rival, sought
to overshadow and outshine it by superior
charms and sensual rewards. 1t was over
laid in its own nest by an apostate sacerdo-
talism. But out of all turmoil and antagonism,
out of external persecution and internal dis
sension, even out of corruption victorious
for time in the church itself, Jesus Christ
majestically arose, the genius of all history,
the one grand ndestructible character among
mankind. Unaided by any, opposed by all,
Christianity won. Through the gross ig-
norauce Of the dark ages, through the re-
vival of learning in the Renaissance, through
subsequent deism, infidelity and rational
ism, the same head lowered above all the
stormy waves in deathless grandeur; until
IN these modern days the powers of the
world are become Christian powers, the
ends of the earth behold the circulation of
the gospel, and the position of Christ in
history is recognized as the highest, the
graudest, the most sublime in time. The
liie OF Christ is fast becoming the life of
the world tho kinedouis of tiv "vild
becoming the Kingdoms of our Lord aud OF
his Christ.-A. A. Z. Tayior.