English character would have
been too ponderous a dead weight upon our progress."

Geo. Alfred Townsend, speaking of the misfortunes that have attended the
other governments on this continent (New World and Old, p. 635), says:--

"The history of the United States was separated by a beneficent
Providence far from this wild and cruel history of the rest of the
continent."

Again he says:--

"This hemisphere was laid away for no one race."

If Providence has been thus conspicuously present in our history, we may
look for some mention of this government in that Book which records the
workings of Providence among mankind. On what conditions have other
nations found a place in the prophetic record? First, if they have acted
any prominent part in the world's history; and secondly, and above-all,
if they have had jurisdiction over, or maintained any relations with,
the people of God. And both these conditions are fulfilled in our
government. No nation has ever attracted more attention or excited more
profound wonder, or given promise of greater eminence or influence. And
certainly here, if anywhere on the globe, are to be found a strong array
of Christians, such as are the salt of the earth, and the light of the
world.

With these probabilities in our favor, let us now take a brief survey of
those symbols found in the word of God, which represent earthly
governments. These are found chiefly, if not entirely, in the books of
Daniel and Revelation. In Dan 2, a symbol is introduced in the form of a
great image. In Dan 7, we find a lion, a bear, a leopard, and a great
and terrible nondescript, which, after passing through a new and
remarkable phase, goes into the lake of fire. In Dan. 8, we have a ram,
a he goat, and a horn, little at first, but waxing exceeding great. In
Revelation 9, we have locusts like unto horses. In Rev. 12, we have a
great red dragon. In Rev. 13, we have a blasphemous leopard beast, and a
beast with two horns like a lamb. In Rev. 17, we have a scarlet-colored
beast, upon which a woman sits holding in her hand a golden cup full of
filthiness and abomination.

What governments and what powers are represented by all these? Do any
of them symbolize our own? Some of these certainly represent earthly
kingdoms; for so the prophecies themselves expressly inform us; and in
the application of nearly all of them there is quite a uniform agreement
among expositors. The four-parts of the