you nothing but life? He comes
to you and says, 'Follow in my path.' He raises you to Himself, and ye
catch at this earth with your hands, crying, 'Lord, save us!' I am dust
before God, but before you I am His apostle and viceregent. I speak
to you in the name of Christ. Not death is before you, but life; not
tortures, but endless delights; not tears and groans, but singing; not
bondage, but rule! I, God's apostle, say this: O widow, thy son will not
die; he will be born into glory, into eternal life, and thou wilt
rejoin him! To thee, O father, whose innocent daughter was defiled by
executioners, I promise that thou shalt find her whiter than the
lilies of Hebron! To you, mothers, whom they are tearing away from your
orphans; to you who lose fathers; to you who complain; to you who will
see the death of loved ones; to you the careworn, the unfortunate, the
timid; to you who must die,--in the name of Christ I declare that ye
will wake as if from sleep to a happy waking, as if from night to the
light of God. In the name of Christ, let the beam fall from your eyes,
and let your hearts be inflamed."

When he had said this, he raised his hand as if commanding, and they
felt new blood in their veins, and also a quiver in their bones; for
before them was standing, not a decrepit and careworn old man, but a
potentate, who took their souls and raised them from dust and terror.

"Amen!" called a number of voices.

From the Apostle's eyes came a light ever increasing, power issued from
him, majesty issued from him, and holiness. Heads bent before him, and
he, when the "Amen" ceased, continued:--

"Ye sow in tears to reap in joy. Why fear ye the power of evil? Above
the earth, above Rome, above the walls of cities is the Lord, who has
taken His dwelling within you. The stones will be wet from tears, the
sand steeped in blood, the valleys will be filled with your bodies, but
I say that ye are victorious. The Lord is advancing to the conquest of
this city of crime, oppression, and pride, and ye are His legions! He
redeemed with His own blood and torture the sins of the world; so
He wishes that ye should redeem with torture and blood this nest of
injustice. This He announces to you through my lips."

And he opened his arms, and fixed his eyes upward; the hearts almost
ceased to beat in their breasts, for they felt that his glance beheld
something which their mortal sight could not see.

In fact, his face had changed, and was o