Our great principle then is,--that in the revolutions of the world we can trace the working of a vast design,--that they were but established agents to secure a mighty end. They may be regarded as a series of EXPERIMENTS upon mankind,--each powerful in its influence,--occurring at its proper time,--and all tending toward an object which is yet to be attained. We find in these dark and gloomy spots of history nothing to alarm us! We consider them indeed as clouds, heavy and portentous, resting on the path of ages--but as clouds surcharged with energy,--embosoming the elements of mighty action, destined to sweep away abuses,--to purify and disenthrall our race! As an illustration of these remarks, let us turn to the last and greatest of those monarchies that were the glory of the ancient world. What now is the prospect that is opened to our vision? How rich in its variety of features--how gorgeous in its colorings! We are treading on the golden age of History. All that it has of beauty, power and grandeur, are at once before us. On the confines of a dark and superstitious era we behold the fabric of a mighty Empire. It has sprung up like the Oase of the desert, reared by the workings of magic power, instantaneous, electric! Yonder tower the columns of its capitol--the beautiful and arbitrary Mistress of the world--proud, imperial, ill-fated Rome! The city with its seven hills--its gorgeous palaces--its thousand fabrics, molded by the plastic hand of symmetry, burst at once upon our view. Here then is the mighty theatre, where human nature is destined to stand forth, so near perfected--to display so many virtues, and yet innumerable vices--to exhibit all that Paganism can accomplish for the advancement of our race. Here are assembled the monuments of Grecian genius, and of Roman valor--the pride of Philosophy, and the miracles of Art--all that Heathenism can do to adorn and dignify mankind. The experiment is made, and the Empress of the world sinks from the stern virtues of her early founders, to the bloody licentiousness of a Nero or Caligula. Rome is tottering to her fall! Here opens the mightiest revolution in the history of our globe--the introduction of Christianity. Forty centuries had been occupied in showing the impotency of unaided reason for the advancement of our race--and a new series of experiments now commences, to exhibit the evils of those human improvements which were soon engrafted on the simplicity of the Gospel. Christianity had a single object--to raise the spiritual nature of man above the sensual--to establish the dominion of reason, enlightened by Faith. It was the first system of religion which was favorable to the cause of freedom.