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Show THE PRESENT HOUR. The three days, commencing yester-day, yester-day, known to all the civilized world as Good Friday, impress significant thoughts upon the mind of the Christian Chris-tian world. They embrace but a very brief period, yet to the devout Chris tian, it is the supremest, holiest in the wide range of the world's history the august moment of eternal time. Xearly two thousand years have passed since Calvary's hill absorbed the blood of Christ, since the consecrated sepulcher of Joseph was tenanted by the Majesty Majes-ty of Heaven in the embrace of death; but in all that period the cross has been sacredly revered, and the tomb of death watered with the teari of multitudes. Out of that willing sacrifice sacri-fice of life spraiiky hope and j.iy to countless millions; out of the dark grave come conquest and comfort. The dead Christ aroso a living Savior. Great reformers have arisen indifferent indif-ferent ages of the world,'some of whom were endowed with very h.gh conception concep-tion of the duties of man 'towards himself, him-self, society and his (iod, and so great hns been their power and so extensive their influence, that since tin- in: ;.:-ieucy ;.:-ieucy of their creeds numberless mi.- ions of conscientious devotees have accepted their doctrine, and have pit. en their loyalty and patriotism in many a sanguinary encounter, by self-sacrilice self-sacrilice and a devotion born only ol .' '"'"" ' wVy. Their Ssenm look chaise , 'I 1 ff lt iiliv-iiiiHl. hut Tf.jU- J lated society and showed their wisdom n accomplishing political organizations organiza-tions which command our attention from their prodigious extent, the union of their parts aud the philosophy of their laws. Instance the great Arddha Chiddis ofCapila, the iouuder of Buddhism. This peculiar but enduring sect owes its success to the wonderful foresight of its founder, which gave expression to it in the absolute equality of all men aud this, too, in a country that for ages had been oppressed by castes. In the twenty-nine centuries that have passed since the organization of this .sect it has had more followers than that of all other religious teachers. Another reformer, Mohammed, sur-named sur-named by Europeans, '-the Imposter." He raised his own nation from Fetich-ism Fetich-ism the adoration of a meteoric stone, and from the basest idolatry, lie iutrodi cd a monotheism which quickly quick-ly scatteied to the winds the empty disputes of the Arians and Catholics, wrenched from Christianity more than half her possessions. Africa and a f very large part of Asia, after the lapse of more than a thousand years, still remain permanently attached to the Arabian doctrine. With the utmost, ut-most, difficulty, and aj. if by miracle. Europe itself escaped. To be the" religious head of many empires, to guide the daily life of one third (.f the human race, may perhaps justify the title of (not 'Tmposter"") a j messenger of God. And did he not I appear at a time ripe for his coming? When the influences of pure religion had ceased and an incomprehensible, theology substituted; when personal virtue or vice was scarcely considered; when sin was not measured by evil works but by the'tlegrees of heresy; when legions of monks carried terror into the imperial armies and riot into the great cities; when hideous clamors arose for theological dogmas, but never a voice for intellectual liberty or the i outraged rights of many Is it to be wondered that so called Christianity had lost its hold and men could not be e.M-cUl lo L'ive help to a system that h.n: lost all i.o'd ' heir hearts'- Thus, siip.-rih-i.ii Ciiri.-ti.ui.;;,- ,'o,t its power. loM ti e ancicjtt. an,. . illustrious Carthage. Alexam.ri t. -J ci ;: iem, An-tiocli An-tiocli ;-.iid Constant iiiiiplc. and wj-s con...-,'1-d to fall Uir.k o:i G..ul, Germany. Ger-many. Britain and Si-;.ndi.:;r.':-. Indeed, iii. one can study the then condiiion of religion without discovering discover-ing how cuniilt5ely its -x n-t:-e depended de-pended on human agency and therefore there-fore bearing epoii it the liiioaniuts of human passion, human virtues and iiumau sins. But the seed of the cross wag not destroyed, nor the virtues of the tomb annihilated. Long ages after arose mighty men, " John . Wycliff, Huss. Jerome, Tyndale, Latrimer and a host of others. - Immoital names! Men with unfettered unfet-tered minds and hearts devoted to the . highest aims arid engaged in the most glorious purposes of the race. To them ine the emancipation of our race jryafihe galling fetters of priestcraft V and political tyrant ; to them is d se, in a great measure, the clearing of the , way fir the introduction of a higher, ! better Christianity one that conforms j more closely to the grand ideal of its j original Founder, ami one that will eventually redeem and civilize. Budd.-hist Budd.-hist and Moslem, and give to a universal uni-versal world the utmost consistent rreedom, be it in the realms of thought or action, religion or politics. Does not the constitution ot our country, the enlightenment of the age. the progress of civilization, the closer unity of religious thought, the dissemination dis-semination of knowledge, and the ljiiri.il of prejudice Lorn of ignorance, do they not all conspire to the belief that the development of Christianity is taking gig;ntic strides towards the liberation of man from error and sin. and of his nearer approach to the guiie-ss Hero of Calvary? |