“Let us endeavor to be of the number of those who hope to share in the promises of God. And how shall we accomplish this, my dear brethren? If our minds are established in the faith; if we seek in all things to please God; if we bring ourselves in entire accord with his holy will; if we follow the paths of truth, renouncing all injustice, avarice, contention, anger, deceptions, complainings, impiety, pride, vanity, ambition,――then, my dear brothers, we shall be in the path which conducts us to Jesus Christ our Saviour. Let the strong help the feeble, and let the feeble respect the strong. Let the rich give to the poor, and let the poor thank God that he has given to the rich the means of supplying their wants. He who has created us has introduced us into this world, which he has so richly prepared for our abode. Having received from him so many favors, we ought to thank him for all things. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” Such was the spirit of the religion of Jesus. To banish this gospel from the world, imperial Rome often combined all its energies. CHAPTER X. ROMAN EMPERORS, GOOD AND BAD. Character of the Roman Army.――Conspiracy of Otho.――Death of Galba. ――Vitellius Emperor.――Revolt of the Jews, and Destruction of Jerusalem.――Reign of Vespasian.――Character of Titus; of Domitian. ――Religion of Pagan Rome.――Nerva.――Anecdotes of St. John. ――Exploits of Trajan.――Letter of Pliny.――Letter of Trajan. AS we contemplate the awful scenes of depravity and misery witnessed under the reign of many of the Roman emperors, the sympathies of the reader are naturally excited in behalf of the oppressed millions. But it is a melancholy truth, that the people were as bad as the rulers. The assassin and his victim, the oppressors and the oppressed, the emperor in his palace, the nobles in their castles, the beggared poor in their hovels, were alike merciless, morally degraded, and depraved. Probably earth has never witnessed a more diabolical band than was congregated in a Roman army.