We are not to be discouraged in our estimate of the Christian Religion by this which seems to be the failure of God.  We are not to echo the cry:  “Since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.”  S. Peter pointed out to those pessimists that all things do not continue the same, that there are times of crisis which are the judgments of God.  Such a judgment was that of old which swept the wickedness of the world away, “whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished.”  He goes on to state that the present order likewise will issue in judgment:  “The heavens and the earth which are now ... are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.”  What renders men hopeless is the feeling of God’s inactivity; but this declaration of impending judgment certifies the active interest of God.  God’s dealing with the world is a perpetual judgment of which we are apt to decline the evidence until the cataclysm reveals the final scene.  But every society, every individual life, is being judged through the whole course of its existence, and there is no need that either society or individual should be blind to the fact that such a judgment is taking place.  There is no failure of God.  There is a failure on our part to understand the works of God.

We may very well consider the problem an individual one and ask ourselves what ground of hope we have.  On the basis of our present effort can we, ought we, to have more than we have?  The spiritual life is not an accident that befalls certain people; it is an art that is acquired by such persons as are interested in it.  It is attained through the careful training and exercise of the faculties wherewith we have been endowed.  The answer to our question is itself a perfectly simple one, as simple as would be the answer to the question:  “Do you speak French?” We speak French if we have taken the trouble to learn French; and we have gained results in the way of spiritual development and culture if we have taken the trouble to do so.  I do not know why we should expect results on any other ground than that.

But certain persons say:  “I have tried, and have not attained any results.”  Well, I should want to know what the trying means in that case.  It is well for a person who aspires to spiritual culture to think of his past history.  What sort of character-development has so far been going on?  Commonly it happens that there has been no spiritual effort that is worth thinking about; but that does not mean that nothing spiritual has been happening.  It means on the contrary that there has been going on a spiritual atrophy, the spiritual powers have been without exercise and will be difficult to arouse to activity.  In such a case as that spiritual awakening will be followed by a long period of spiritual struggle against habits of thought and action which we have already formed, a period in which unused and immature