aspect, and that too in the most brilliant period of her history, "the Age of Pericless." And here we may remember, we are looking upon a civilization which follows in the train of the very best of human philosophy and the ablest of unaided human thought. Decency forbids us to give more than a glance here. That we may not be misunderstood, let me say, I am not of that class who favors the false modesty and overnicity that cannot give right names to God-given truths and heaven ordained facts. Be assured, friends, such people are not among the most intelligent, and are far from belonging to the first circles of Christian society; and were I looking for pure hearted men and women I should not begin among this class. With With this understanding I repeat, decency forbids us to give more than a glance at the moral status of Rome and Greece, even in their brightest period as seen in their literature and their art. Much of the popular literature was obscene and in many respects below those which, in our day, are considered unfit for print. Passages may be found in almost all the most popular literature, both in Greece and Rome, which would now be regarded as indecent to read Sot mixed society. Nor do we meet with better sucrss when we turn to art. Art, especially in ve in many respects, surpassed anything the kind in the world's history before

Her temples and their adornments mong the finest in the history of architecture

withstanding the surpassing beauty

worry and attraction, the corrupting

its essential features, is but heathenism renamed and newly dressed and trimmed down a little, and you turn away to thank God for the elevating principles of the Christian religion. When I note thus the morals of un-Christian nations even under the influence of the best of other religions, and compare them with the elevating effects of Christianity, I can but exclaim with the Apostle, I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ.

Turning to the social aspect, let us notice in the first place the condition of the world in reference to slavery. Contrast in this line the Christian nations and the non-Christian countries, ancient and modern. This was so prominent in the ancient civilizations that it could not be hid, nor was it sought to be. You are all well informed concerning this and I need only to mention it. In Republican Rome all foreigners were considered subject to slavery. All prisoners too were held as slaves subject to be bought and sold. In Athens they were often of the same blood of their master. Poor men would sell their children for food, and the father would not unfrequently sell his child in simple caprice; as occurs to-day with the Chinese, children were not unfrequently sold for the vilest purposes. Such was the idea of slavery that even Plato, in his Republic, contends that the Greek alone should not be reduced to such bondage. In his Laws he finds something radically deficient in the soul of the slave. The lives of the slaves, too, were absolutely in the hands of the master, and were in no wise looked upon as full men. So more or less is it to-day in Asia and in heathen Africa.

Christianity comes. The bonds are lightened.

Society is reformed. The grace of God which bringeth salvation appears. Like the snow under the

warming rays of the sun, it melts away by the reforming influence of the Gospel. The process is a long one. It takes centuries to accomplish it. At last, however, in the most Christian of the nations the power of Christianity is irresistible. We hear the thunder of war;two million men and more march out to battle. They raise the standard of liberty over fields red with human blood. Hundreds of thousands give their lives for the cause. The great Proclamation is issued. Christian freedom is triumphant, and slavery is erased from our statute books, and we come to realize that where the spirit of God is there is liberty. Brethren I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ! for it is the power that unifies the race, ennobles mankind and elevates society. Consider now the condition of woman to-day and compare it with that of two thousand years ago. There is perhaps no field which presents more obvious effects of the elevating power of Christianity than this.

In the early history of Greece the reputed declaration of Iphogenia, daughter of Agamemnon, shows what the women themselves then supposed their own condition was. She presents herself at the demand of Diana, as a sacrifice to save her father's cause, saying as she thus surrenders herself: "One man is worth more than ten thousand women that he should see the light." Whatever may be the foundation of this story, the moral remains the same. the most enlightened age of ancient heathendom woman was looked upon, not as the equal of man, but,

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at best, as the drudge and plaything of her husband; and as we shall see hereafter there was, there could be, no true marriage with the idea held by the general populace. Perhaps we can see better, more practically at least, what Christianity has done in this respect, by looking upon heathenism of to-day. Let us go to the other side of the world, and, my sister, contrast, if you will, your condition with that of your sisters in India, China and Africa. You can go alone and in safety to the very limits of Christian civilization; but you have sisters in India, even now, who can scarcely more than pass the threshold of the door and cross the street alone; and that, too, only when thickly veiled. You can sit at the table with your husband and your sons, your father and your brothers:-your sister in the East can at best only stand and serve them and eat what they may leave. You take your place with your family in the church and participate in the services. But even at the Mohammedan services in the East your sisters must steal their way into the galleries, firmly barred, and with their own faces covered. You may be insulted, you have recourse and redress in your country's laws; but there is no such thing, we are told, as insulting a woman there. Your husband or your brother may beat you, but if you choose they must pay the penalty at the law. But your sister and her daughter in Pagandom may be murdered even by her husband or her father and it is a matter of so little importance that seldom is any notice taken of it;-they are his property. In China a woman has no rights except under subjection to In the sacred books of the Hindoos we are told woman is looked upon as of less importance and

men.