of Israel is "the rod of his anger" and "the staff of his
indignation." Said God to his ancient people, "I will bring a nation
on you from far, O house of Israel." God of old sent his prophets to
this nation and that; Elijah to Israel, Jeremiah to Judah, Jonah to
Assyria.

Moreover, the Bible recognizes the importance of national relations in
the position it assigns to nations in the historic and prophetic
development of the plan for man's redemption. Before the advent of our
Saviour, God was in covenant with a nation. To conserve the true
religion amidst the corruptions which a second time were coming over
the whole earth, God took Abraham and his family into special
relations to himself. Yet God did not see fit to keep these special
relations confined to a single family in successive generations. It
entered directly into his plan, to make of this chosen family a
nation, to set them in a land of their own, to give them a government
of their own, to place them amidst the other nations of the earth. The
influence of a nation was required to prepare the world for the coming
of Messiah. So also in prophecy. Whatever may be thought of the beasts
of the Revelation, with their heads and horns, the beasts of Daniel
are distinctly stated to be "Kingdoms upon Earth." They are States and
Empires. It is, moreover, a kingdom which the Lord God will set up
upon earth, which, as a little stone cut out of the mountain, shall
smite and break and crush the kingdoms of earth, and itself occupy
their place. "The saints of the Most High shall take the kingdom, and
possess the kingdom for ever."

With this consideration of the idea of a nation, and of the importance
of national relations, let us now, turning and beholding the race of
men dwelling together in a family of nations, ask more particularly
after their duties and destinies.

* * * * *

I. The State has a religious character. Nations derive their existence
as such from God. The State is of divine institution. It enjoys and
exercises divine prerogatives. It is hence under duty to God; it has
herein a religious character.

I do not propose to argue the question of the nature of civil
government. I will not undertake to show that the theory of a social
compact--the theory that all just powers of government are derived
from the people, who voluntarily yield them up and consent to their
exercise--that this theory is false. Enough for me--enough for y