By this science Zachariah, Elizabeth, John the Baptist, Simeon, Anna, Joseph, Mary, the wise men from the east, and the shepherds of Judea, enjoyed visions, communion with angels, and the spirit of prophecy, so as to understand and welcome with joy the events of the birth and approaching ministry of Jesus Christ, when, as yet, all those not versed in this science, were in darkness on the subject, and as liable to reject the Saviour as to receive him. Dreams and visions, enjoyed by means of this science, led and protected the Son of God in all his career of mortal life. Finally--By this same power a mighty angel descended, shook the earth, frightened the Roman guards, rolled away the great stone, broke the seal of the tomb, and called to life the sleeping body of Jesus Christ. By this power the risen Jesus, eating, drinking, and conversing with his disciples, after his resurrection, commissioned and instructed them in the same science, ordained them to act in the same, and to impart its power to others, in all the world, with signs following them that believed. By this science he ascended to the Father, and lives for ever in the flesh, to shed forth the gifts and powers of the same science, according to his own will, and the will of his Father, to reign henceforth until he descends to the earth, conquers death in a last great conflict, and puts all enemies under his feet. By this same power his Apostles, being clothed with the full powers of the same on the day of Pentecost, ministered the powers and knowledge of this science to others, both Jew and Gentile, insomuch that the sick were healed, the blind saw, the dumb spake, the deaf heard, the lame walked, devils were cast out, and the dead were raised, while everywhere, dreams, visions, the ministering of angels, and the gift of prophecy were enjoyed. CHAPTER II. DECLINE AND LOSS OF THIS SCIENCE AMONG THE JEWS. O horrid! awful! melancholy sight! A nation, wont to soar 'mid realms of light, Degraded, fallen, sunk in dark despair, The hiss, the scorn, the bye-word everywhere; No eye to pity, and no arm to save, Till wearied nature finds an exile's grave. It now becomes our painful task to trace the decline of the science of Theology and its powers among the nations, and to review the awful consequences of such decline. We will commence with the Jewish nation. The science of Theology, as we have just reviewed, was enjoyed, and its powers were wonderfully developed, under the several dispensations called Patriarchal, Mosaic, and Jewish. There had, however, been a great decline, a retrogression of the powers and knowledge of the same, previous to their restoration by John the Baptist and Jesus Christ.