The apostle Paul exhorted the Colossians to "be not moved away from the hope of the Gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven;" _Col_. 1. 23. About fifty-seven years after the Savior had closed his earthly mission, if we are correctly informed in the second and third chapters of the Revelations of St. John, there were but seven churches in Asia whom the Lord considered worthy of notice. This, coupled with the assertion of Paul, that the Gospel had, in his day, been preached to every creature, proves that its light only faintly glimmered, in the otherwise universal darkness, which existed at the time John had his vision on the isle of Patmos. John the Revelator saw Rome in all her glory, in his day, reigning over the kings of the earth, full of riches and all manner of abominations, and drunken with the blood of the Saints and of the martyrs of Jesus; _Rev_. 17. This great power, drenched in the blood of the martyrs, about 325 A.D., in the reign of Constantine, adopted what was then known as Christianity, as the religion of the empire. It was not possible that such a wicked, corrupt element and the Gospel of Jesus could have any affinity. Rather, is it not evident that the antagonism of Christianity and paganism had measurably ceased? that they had assimilated? that they had both so nearly found the same level, that with a slight pressure of governmental policy they readily amalgamated? Not only prophecy but general history, and especially the history of Christianity by its learned professors, furnish abundant evidence of its early departure from the pure principles of the Gospel. The prophetic history of the preparatory work, for the coming of Christ to reign on the earth in the latter days, is predicated on the apostacy of the primitive Christian church, the general wickedness of the nations, and the gathering of the house of Israel. Since the calling of Abraham, the authenticated personal manifestations of the Lord to man have been through him and his family. Christ came to his own chosen people. His earthly mission was commenced and consummated in the midst of Israel. The Gospel was first preached to the Jews. His apostles were chosen from his brethren of the seed of Abraham. The first church of Christ was established at Jerusalem. The apostles were commanded to remain there until endowed with power from on high. All the blessings of salvation are promised to mankind through the seed of Abraham. When the Lord comes in glory and power, the prophets inform us that he will come to Zion and Jerusalem, the chief cities of gathered Israel. The apostle Paul informs us that "God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues;" 1 _Cor_. 12. 28.