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nant over the philosophical spirit, as is the case in a youth. Horace, Virgil, Plautus, Ovid, Propertius, Tibullus, Pacuvius, Cicero, Ænesidenus, Cato, Livy, &c., are the blossoms of this age. And whilst eternal Rome received a Cæsar in Augustus, who ruled the physical world absolutely; whilst Fo appeared in China, and the Germans enter upon the arena of history; the pure Word of God rises, with Christ, in the East, destined to illuminate and govern the whole world.

The civilization gained by humanity up to this time had fitted it to receive the highest teachings of divine revelation. It was even now a requisite of the age, that the highest interests of human existence should be openly and universally announced. For although, up to this period, certain nations had maintained themselves in a considerable degree of civilization, yet there were but few in number which raised themselves as lights above the surrounding darkness; up to this time there had been no conception of an universal civilization. In the first youth of humanity, the whole endeavour was naturally for a bodily development, to gain materials for a greater clearness and fertility of the mind through knowledge of men and the world. And thus we find humanity at the epoch of Christ's advent. The Roman empire was a gigantic colossus, in the vigorous bodily health of youth; but a higher spirit had not yet been infused into its limbs; earthy and sensual was its life and being, and therefore was it that this colossus so easily crumbled within itself. All other nations, at the period of the birth of Christ, stood still lower; some even had ceased to exist. The vital activity of the Greeks had long since expired, and almost the whole of Asia was sunk in a deep sleep of intoxication. The Egyptian sacerdotal wisdom was scattered to the winds, and their earnest solemnity had vanished; the temple of the almighty Jehovah, on Zion, had become a Jewish market of the Pharisees, and Moses' laws were forgotten; in short, all the old forms had become antiquated, and the human mind had universally sunk into darkness. "In this age," says Hamberger, "the nations were evidently sunk in the deepest mental night, and lay as in the shadow of death, in the utmost need of the saving, sanctifying grace of God."

As individual man, verging on maturity, with the awakening consciousness of inward freedom, has to choose between the life paths of virtue and vice; to combat between animal or divine nature; and as a wise guardian now gives the deciding impulse, so that doubt and error are separated from truth, and the path of virtue is chosen; so must humanity, which is but a generalization of the individual man, be guided and educated in its spiritual development; for, if left to itself, it strays to the by-ways of error, like individual man. If the general corruption was to be checked, degenerating humanity cured of its disease, a powerful, regenerating remedy must be applied by a skilful never-failing physician; and this was the pure light of life, and the teachings of Jesus Christ. Through the universal applicability of his word, seizing upon all men, his teachings were well adapted to illuminate the obscurity and to curb the wild disorder; for Christ's teachings are not a philosophy swelling with new ideas, with which a few occupy themselves for a short time; not a mere collection of single disjointed moral sentences; not a glittering delusion of the mind, to vegetate in visionary minds in dull words without deeds; but a gentle light and beneficent warmth which illuminates and enlivens the reason and mind, and the whole of nature. And thus Christ was the divine Saviour, who released the human mind from the many fetters with which it was bound.

All developments of nature take place according to fixed laws, and therefore, also, the life of man; and as man is only in little what humanity is in the whole, necessarily humanity must also conform to those natural laws. I have treated of this subject more at large in the statement of my anthropological views-to which I must refer the reader. The result of the typical process of development through three periods (youth, maturity, and age,) with seven epochs, and nine degrees of subdivision, gives eighty-one years as the normal life of the individual man. This presumptive calculation, adapted to the history of humanity, gives us the following: the three periods of man, each one of 4374 years, would make, in the whole, 19683 years (=3=81)—and, therefore, the close of the first epoch of the first period is 2187 years,―agreeing very narrowly

with the life of Abraham; the end of the second epoch, which is the close of the first and commencement of the second period (maturity) in the life of humanity, is marked by the advent of Christ,=4374; and, therefore, at that age, humanity was, as it were, in the eighteenth year of individual man. This calculation agrees remarkably with the Mosaic history; and weight and meaning are given to the words "The heir, as long as he is a child, is under tutors and governors until the time appointed by the father." But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law.

The time, therefore, was narrowly indicated, and as Christ could not come earlier, neither could he have come at a later time; for this would have been a delay at variance with the wisdom and providence of God. In the whole history of the world, therefore, there could not have been chosen a more fitting time for the revelation of God's word than the above named period. In all parts of the world, however, there were enlightened men, to whom, in the universal moral corruption and general wickedness, such a noble doctrine was in the highest degree welcome. The arts and sciences flourishing in Rome, made a higher religious illumination absolutely necessary, and learned teachers, as Socrates, Plato, and the Alexandrian philosophers, had already laboured to prepare the way for it. Outward circumstances also were of a nature to spread this new teaching generally; for the light of this divine doctrine arose at the period of the most extended dominion of Rome, which permitted universal religious freedom, and thereby, as well as by the peoples, brought into communication with each other, living at that period in peace, this religion was easily spread among other nations; for it was to spread over heathens as well as Jews. Even the obstacles standing in the way appear to have been exactly adapted to have hastened its progress, and to have increased its vitality instead of obstructing it. Among these obstacles may be reckoned the fate of the Apostle Paul, who, from being a violent persecutor of the Christians, became an earnest preacher of the Gospel, and meeting with the most adverse fortunes, taught the Christian doctrines in Asia, Greece, and, lastly, even in Rome, with an enthusiasm and a success which assisted much in its accep

tation and enduring prosperity. Even the commands of the first Emperors to suppress the teachers of this religion, from fear that they might become dangerous to their government, and the unbridled fury of the Pagan nations, caused the Christian communities, which the governors of the provinces usually left undisturbed, to be more intimately confederated to preserve the precious jewel from the leaven of heathenism and from defilement. Thus, the first diffusion of the Christian religion progressed in many ways, through by-paths, and even in error, but always irrestrainable; and even this shows, in another manner, that mankind cannot be at once violently changed, but must pass through various stages, and that the members must be developed before the whole organization can be penetrated by the light of a selfexisting life. For how could the barbarous, warlike, Roman nations, and afterwards the northern barbarians, become in so short a time true Christians? How can we, therefore, expect the same from similar nations?

As Christ had to come at a fixed time, so was he to appear at a certain place. The seed must be sown where it is to shoot up, and a good husbandman sows it upon fruitful ground. I have treated at large upon this subject in other works. Whoever knows the history of nations, and compares it with the geographical positions of the same, must perceive that the west coast of Asia, and especially Syria, as the centre between east and west, of the nomadic pastoral tribes of Asia and the stationary nations of Egypt, near to the sea, with so many clustering islands, was a spot far superior to all others of the world for the elements of activity and repose, of exchange and retention, and of the mutual intercourse of distant nations. From this point the early Phoenicians carried on their commerce in all directions over the earth. This country, so well adapted for commerce, was bordered by a sea, which the Egyptians hated, as they hated all strangers, upon which the patriarchal orientals by their ships spread civilisation with their wares, not only to the nearer islands, but also to the far-off coasts of the western lands. Upon the whole earth there is no sea to be found which is better adapted for this purpose; even a fruitful imagination could scarcely imagine one more

fit. It appears as if Providence had created the Mediterranean Sea to unite nations and countries, and spread civilization; while, at the same time, this very sea separates nations from this civilisation who might endanger it like a blast of the simoom.

The historical and natural circumstances being determined, the advent had now to take place in the regular form of existence; not earthly greatness and power were to accompany the Divine Man, for his kingdom is not one of this world; he takes servitude in lowliness and stillness; his birth and first appearance in this world do not excite attention, though not without signs to the faithful. He will, however, announce the words of truth only as a mature man; for the highest doctrines affecting the mind are only imparted by men, and only believed by men who have firm and fixed characters. To give power and vitality to his teachings, the divine teacher must be the ideal of every perfection; he must also possess and exercise divine powers. The weaknesses of the flesh, and the universal failings of mankind, are not perceptible in him as in the Greek gods; he must not afford materials for the human imagination, but represent a purely spiritual being through a life of eternal love. He will precede all by the example of his virtues; he will reveal the corrupted state of human nature unhesitatingly to every one, and hold up, without reserve, the falsity of earthly pleasure before all men; he will show that the true happiness of peace consists in striving to regain the lost resemblance to God through faith and love.

For the teachings of the word of life long preparation is necessary Messengers must precede him to the same place and the same people where he is to appear, who shall announce his coming; some even must immediately precede him, who shall prepare the way and make the paths straight with the preaching:-" Repent and believe, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Behold, he standeth at the door and knocketh." At his coming, the world's Saviour will reveal the word of life to all without distinction; for all have an equal claim on the heritage of the Father, which he now gives to them in a New Testament, through his Son; there is no difference between rich and poor, between lord and servant, between young and old; he even made a new

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