gemmed with valleys and mountains, flowers, fruits, and crystal streams, symbolizing immortal truths-truths with millions-phased fore-gleams and finger-marks demonstrating an actual converse with those exalted and immortalized souls that traverse the upper kingdom of God! Hence, Sophocles affirmed that—

"This is not a matter of to-day,

Or yesterday, but hath been from all time."

And Hesiod, in strains as mellifluous as undying, told of—

"Erial spirits designed

To be on earth the guardians of mankind."

-while the grandly inspired Goethe sang in sweet refrain

"The spirit world is not closed

Thy sense is closed-thy heart is dead."

Religion is natural. The religious sentiment is an essential principle of the human soul. Like the true and the beautiful, like moral consciousness, it is in humanity permanent, eternal.

Life's emotional stream from the manger in Nazareth to the "rappings" in Rochester, has been bridged with startling, spiritual phenomena. So devious its windings, the patient student of antiquity often wearies in tracing it among the lights and shadows that alternately dance in brightness, or darken into sullen midnight along its shelving shores.

The genuine historian living in two worlds-the past and the present is necessarily philosophic and imaginative, painting visible forms, as well as transcribing passing events. Though gathering these, and weighing facts correctlythe hard granitic facts characterizing given epochs-he experiences deeper delights in arranging them in orderly series, and deducing therefrom such great logical conclusions as tally with the mighty march of the ages.

During those fearful mediæval years, when a cultured paganism and Pauline Christianity, brooded by a chrysalis

papacy, were struggling for social and political mastery, there were treasured in costly tomes the records of strange psychologic wonders, inner visions, imperial prophecies, and grand demonstrations of immortality. These, exhumed and analyzed under the meridian sun of this century, stand as phenomenal witnesses of spirit intercourse-echoes from the gods flowing in melodious lights, and flaming with promise along the stately steps of humanity.

The nights of those dust-buried centuries had their stars; the angels, their blessed missions; all the old legendary periods, their representative personages. Balanced upon the topmost waves of circling eras, each, in turn, exclaimed: "It is I, be not afraid!" Startling the world, founding new institutions, they disappeared for still greater, to breathe diviner utterances, prophesy of rosier Junes, riper harvests; and bring to a thirsting people fresher draughts from the ever-flowing fountains of inspiration.

Among the eminent leaders that arose under Asian skies, was Joshua-He was so called by his friends and Hebrew countrymen, signifying savior. The Syrian world expected some remarkable leader. "Coming events cast their shadows before." This thought impregnated the national atmosphere. It was truly a propitious period. There was weeping by Babylon's streams; a suspense of spiritual life; a literal reign of ritualism in Judea. The Pharisees corresponded to New England Puritans, being the most prominent of the Jewish sects. In Hillel, disciple of Shammai, and other grave Rabbins, they had interpreters of the law; but the masses and more advanced thinkers of the times, demanded an exposition of the soul; its forces, sympathies, capacities and infinite possibilities. Demand brings supply. When India, China, Greece, called, there were born to them, saviors-Chrishna, Confucius, Pythagoras.

The coming of these religious chieftains, as with Jesus, was foretold in dreams and prophecies; foretold, because the thought concerning them, and their mediatorial mission on earth, were born and shaped in the Angel Congresses of