And if ever the thought comes over us—­But these men had their faults, mistakes—­Oh, what of that?

   Nothing is left of them
   Now, but pure manly.

Let us think of them:  not as they were, compassed round with infirmities—­as who is not?—­knowing in part, and seeing in part, as St Paul himself, in the zenith of his inspiration, said that he knew; and saw, as through a glass, darkly.

Let us think of them not as they were, the spirits of just men imperfect:  but as the spirits of just men made, or to be made hereafter, perfect; when, as St Paul says, “that which is in part is done away, and that which is perfect is come.”  And let us trust Christ for them, as we would trust Him for ourselves; sure “that the path of the just is as a shining light, which shineth more and more unto the perfect day.”

Ah, how many lie in this Abbey, to meet whom in the world to come, would be an honour most undeserved!

How many more worthy, and therefore more likely, than any of us here, to behold that endless All Saints’ Day, to which may God in His mercy, in spite of all our shortcomings, bring us all.  Amen.

SERMON XXIII.  DE PROFUNDIS.

PSALM CXXX.

Out of the deep have I called unto Thee, O Lord:  Lord, hear my voice.  O let Thine ears consider well the voice of my complaint.  If Thou, Lord, wilt be extreme to mark what is done amiss, O Lord, who may abide it?  For there is mercy with Thee, therefore shall Thou be feared.  I look for the Lord; my soul doth wait for Him:  in His word is my trust.  My soul fleeth unto the Lord before the morning watch:  I say, before the morning watch.  O Israel, trust in the Lord:  for with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him is plenteous redemption.  And He shall redeem Israel from all his sins.

Let us consider this psalm awhile, for it is a precious heirloom to mankind.  It has been a guide and a comfort to thousands and tens of thousands.  Rich and poor, old and young, Jews and Christians, Romans, Greeks, and Protestants, have been taught by it the character of God; and taught to love Him, and trust in Him, in whom is mercy, therefore He shall be feared.

The Psalmist cries out of the deep; out of the deep of sorrow, perhaps, and bereavement, and loneliness; or out of the deep of poverty; or out of the deep of persecution and ill-usage; or out of the deep of sin, and shame, and weakness which he hates yet cannot conquer; or out of the deep of doubt, and anxiety—­and ah! how common is that deep; and how many there are in it that swim hard for their lives:  may God help them and bring them safe to land;—­or out of the deep of overwork, so common now-a-days, when duty lies sore on aching shoulders, a burden too heavy to be borne.

Out of some one of the many deeps into which poor souls fall at times, and find themselves in deep water where no ground is, and in the mire wherein they are ready to sink, the Psalmist cries.  But out of the deep he cries—­to God.  To God, and to none else.