stand, however unworthy, in the place of the generations that are gone, as the hearers and ministers of the Word of God.  Let me put two or three very simple and homely exhortations.  First, see to it, brother, that you accept that Word.  By acceptance I do not mean a mere negative attitude, which is very often the result of lack of interest, the negative attitude of simply not rejecting; but I mean the opening not only of your minds but of your hearts to it.  For if what I have been saying is true, and the Word of God has for its highest manifestation Jesus Christ Himself, then you cannot accept a person by pure head-work.  You must open your hearts and all your natures, and let Him come in with His love, with His pity, with His inspiration of strength and virtue and holiness, and you must yield yourselves wholly to Him.  Think of the generations that are gone.  Think of their brief moment when the great salvation was offered to them.  Think of how, whether they received or rejected it, that Word took hold upon them.  Think of how they regard it now, wherever they are in the dimness; and be you wise in time and be not as those of your fathers who rejected the Word.

Hold it fast.  In this time of unrest make sure of your grasp of the eternal, central core of Christianity, Jesus Christ Himself, the divine-human Saviour of the world.  There are too many of us whose faith oozes out at their finger ends, simply because they have so many around them that question and doubt and deny.  Do not let the floating icebergs bring down your temperature; and have a better reason for not believing, if you do not believe, than that so many and such influential and authoritative men have ceased to believe.  When Jesus asks, ’Will ye also go away?’ our answer should be, ’Lord, to whom shall we go?  Thou hast the words of eternal life.’

Accept Him, hold Him fast, trust to His guidance in present day questions.  Zechariah felt that his message belonged to the generation to whom he spoke.  It was a new message.  We have no new message, but there are new truths to be evolved from the old message.  The questionings and problems, social, economical, intellectual, moral—­shall I say political?—­of this day, will find their solution in that ancient word, ’God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish.’  There is the key to all problems.  ‘In Him are hid all the treasures and wisdom of knowledge.’

Zechariah pointed to the experiences of a past generation as the basis of his appeal.  We can point back to eighteen centuries, and say that the experiences of these centuries confirm the truth that Jesus Christ is the Saviour of the world.  The blessedness, the purity, the power, the peace, the hope which He has breathed into humanity, the subsidiary and accompanying material and intellectual prosperity and blessings that attend His message, its independence of human instruments, its adaptation to all varieties of class,