Reign of Diocletian-Marcellus-Persecution-Martyrs in Palestine-Constantine-Vision of the Cross-the Interval of tranquillity— Arian controversy-Constantine -Vain effort to obviate discussion- · Council sum- moned at Nice-Arians silenced-their political in- trigues Theodosius - Council of Constantinople- Approach of barbarians-impending destruction of THE TWO RACES-LAMECH-ENOCH-FLOOD. B.C. 4004. Thou art the source and centre of all minds, COWPER. HE original object of man's being is sufficiently declared by the manner of his creation: "God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them. And God blessed them, and said, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it." To set forth upon earth God's image, and to rule all creatures for their happiness, man was sent into the world. By means of that natural perfection which he had from God's image within, and of God's outward presence, which would doubtless communicate to him gifts above nature, he might have continued in this happy state. He fell, however; he was cut off 1 Gen. i. 27-8. B from God's outward presence; and God's image within became corrupted and debased. Yet even then he was not altogether forsaken; and the course of his history declares by what means it has pleased God to renew in some measure His lost image, and to give hopes hereafter of its perfect restoration. The end of man's existence since the fall has been to compass this object; and with a view to it, he has had to learn, first, what is the weakness and degradation of his corrupted nature; and, secondly, in what manner he may regain that purity which has been lost. A promise on this subject was given to our first parents; and as it was a promise, the attainment of which did not rest with themselves, but was to be consequent upon the multiplication of their race, therefore it taught them that the recovery of God's image was to be bestowed upon mankind not as separate beings, but as portions of a family; not as individual subjects of the King of heaven, but as joint members of His community upon earth. Mankind, therefore, did not originally run wild through the forests, like the savages of America,— they did not unite, as some have supposed, because they anticipated the blessings of civilisation,- .but their hopes were anchored upon a promise which could be fulfilled only by their first becoming members of a family, and then of that larger family which is called a nation. Thus arose human society, out of the common expectation of the regeneration of men. Its course was long, painful, and complicated; and oftentimes none but He who sees the end from the beginning could have perceived that it advanced. For if its second stage has shewn what great benefits have been bestowed upon mankind by the restoration of God's image through Jesus Christ, yet its earlier state was but a proof that mere human efforts would not suffice for its recovery. For how could human society attain any perfection, seeing that men speedily forgot the object of its existence? From which it followed, that since one half of the human race was weaker than the other, and that in each sex there were differences both in mind and body, all respect was lost for those who, as possessors of an immortal spirit, had as much right as the strongest, wisest, or wealthiest, to their place among the community of mankind. Throughout the ancient world women were treated either with cruelty or contempt; and slaves were trodden under foot as though they had not been of the same blood with their masters. It was reserved for the Church to loose the fetters of slavery, to preach the Gospel to the poor, and to give "due honour to the weaker vessel" in the household of God. That such would be the state of society was obvious, even when it took its first departure from the family of the common parents of mankind. From them sprang two races — -the sons of God, and the children of men-the respective forerunners of the world and of the Church. The children of Seth built their social life upon that divine system in which they were placed, and lived in expectation of the promise of the world's recovery. Cain and his family were driven out from God's presence, and sought by their own contrivance to supply what seemed irreparably lost. Society arose in both from that family-relation in which God had placed them; mankind were bound together not by voluntary agreement, but by natural affinity; and the nation was but a wider household. But though society itself had thus a divine principle, yet the contrivances which minister to it-the arts of life, the means of security-these had a human origin, and were produced by the self-interest and necessities of man. Seth dwelt with his father Adam; and when his first child was born, we read of no consequence but the establishment of God's public worship. "Then began men to call upon the name of the Lord."? No doubt the voice of prayer had before been heard, but this multiplication of the family necessitated some more formal establishment of the divine service. Cain, on the other hand, whose object was to defend himself from being a fugitive in the earth," built the first city, and called it after the name of his first-born son :3 and the two races continue to run parallel to one another. In the time of Lamech, the seventh from Adam, the powers of human society came to a head- his children were leaders in their several ways to the herdsmen and artificers of the world: "Adah bare Jabal: he was father of such as dwell in tents, and have cattle. And his brother's name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ. And Zillah, she also bare Tubal-cain, an instructor of every artificer in brass and iron." These gifts were in fact but manifestations of that sovereign wisdom from which human skill, as well as human conscience, proceeds; the confused remains of that divine image which had formerly been perfectly manifest. This image was never so far effaced as not to shew the traces of what it once had been. Thus the perfection of human skill was shewn in Bezaleel to be God's inspiration.5 And even man's society had its sanction and strength from the wisdom of God. By it "kings reign, and princes decree justice." But that the worldly seed should be allowed to work out and develope these gifts of God, -that it should bring society to its 2 Gen. iv. 26. Ex. xxxi. 3. 3 Ver. 17. 4 Ver. 20-22. "4 |