For, first, the inquiry shows disbelief in our Lord's own words, that all dominion is given to Him in heaven and earth, and that He is with us always, even to the end of the world. And next, it is a vain inquiry, based on a mistake. When we look back longingly to any past age, we look not at the reality, but at a sentimental and untrue picture of our own imagination. When we look back longingly to the so-called ages of faith, to the personal loyalty of the old Cavaliers; when we regret that there are no more among us such giants in statesmanship and power as those who brought Europe through the French Revolution; when we long that our lot was cast in any age beside our own, we know not what we ask. The ages which seem so beautiful afar off, would look to us, were we in them, uglier than our own. If we long to be back in those so-called devout ages of faith, we long for an age in which witches and heretics were burned alive; if we long after the chivalrous loyalty of the old Cavaliers, we long for an age in which stage-plays were represented, even before a virtuous monarch like Charles I., which the lowest of our playgoers would not now tolerate. When we long for anything that is past, we long, it may be, for a little good which we seem to have lost; but we long also for real and fearful evil, which, thanks be to God, we have lost likewise. We are not, indeed, to fancy this age perfect, and to the end inquiry, based oI A longingly to any 1 2 but at a sentimena an imagination. We so-called ages of fat : old Cavaliers; when we among us such gant I those who brongir Em tion; when we jong beside our own, WE KIN which seem so beam. were we in them, ugi e back in those so-c r an age in which ive; if we long at avaliers, we lon presented, ev arles I., wh I now toler t, we lo m to h whi. arc our character makes than we were in former r than the past, even why should it not be 1, the spirit of progress in us, the children of ld around. Surely the tter, more useful, more sappointed in our lofty ne. But we may have notions of what can be husiasm, and yet gained › lost in sensibility, yet d power. We may be vhat we do may be far disappointments - Have rely not. We shall have in, if the Spirit of God be will have wrought in us ence of God's sustaining our day our strength shall vidence, which tempers the d lays on none a burden to bear. And that experihope: hope that He who d us farther still; that He who brought us through the trials of youth, will bring us through the trials of age; that He who taught us in former days precious lessons, not only by sore temptations, but most sacred joys, will teach us in the days to come fresh lessons by temptations which we shall be more able to endure; and by joys which, though unlike those of old times, are no less sacred, no less sent as lessons to our souls, by Him from whom all good gifts come. We will believe this. And instead of inquiring why the former days were better than these, we will trust that the coming days shall be better than these, and those which are coming after them better still again, because God is our Father, Christ our Saviour, the Holy Ghost our Comforter and Guide. We will toil onward because we know we are toiling upward. We will live in hope, not in regret; because hope is the only state of mind fit for a race for whom God has condescended to stoop, and suffer, and die, and rise again. We will believe that we, and all we love, whether in earth or heaven, are destined-if we be only true to God's Spirit-to rise, improve, progress for ever: and so we will claim our share, and keep our place, in that vast ascending and improving scale of being, which, as some dream-and surely not in vaingoes onward and upward for ever throughout the universe of Him who wills that none should perish. SERMON XIII. FAITH. (Preached before the Queen at Windsor, December 5, 1865.) WE HABAKKUK ii. 4. The just shall live by his faith. E shall always find it most safe, as well as most reverent, to inquire first the literal and exact meaning of a text; to see under what circumstances it was written; what meaning it must have conveyed to those who heard it; and so to judge what it must have meant in the mind of him who spoke it. If we do so, we shall find that the simplest interpretation of Scripture is generally the deepest; and the most literal interpretation is also the most spiritual. Let us examine the circumstances under which the prophet spake these words. It was on the eve of a Chaldean invasion. The heathen were coming into Judea, as we see them still in the Assyrian sculptures-civilizing, after their barbarous fashion, the nations round them-conquering, mas |