I know not, my friends, unless it be for this one reason, That into that heaven which witnesses against us, the merciful and loving Christ is ascended; that He is ever making intercession for us, a High-priest who can be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; and that He has received gifts for men, even for His enemies—­as we have too often been—­that the Lord God might dwell among us.  Yes.  He ascended on high that He might send down His Holy Spirit; and that Spirit is among us, working patiently and lovingly in many hearts—­would that I could say in all—­giving men right judgments; putting good desires into their hearts; and enabling them to put them into good practice.

The Holy Spirit is the life of England, and of the Church of England, and of every man, whether he belongs to the Church or not, who loves the good, and desires to do it, and to see it done.  And those in whom the Holy Spirit dwells, are the salt of England, which keeps it from decay.  They are those who have chosen life and blessing, and found them.  Oh may God increase their number more and more; till all know Him from the least unto the greatest; and the land be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.

And then shall all days be Whit-Sundays; and the Name of the Father be hallowed indeed, and His kingdom come, and His will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.

SERMON XXV.  THE SILENCE OF FAITH.

PSALM CXXXI.

Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty:  neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me.  Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother:  my soul is even as a weaned child.  Let Israel hope in the Lord from henceforth and for ever.

We know not at what period of David’s life this psalm was written.  We know not what matters they were which were too high for him to meddle with; matters about which he had to refrain his soul; to quiet his feelings; to suspend his judgment; to check his curiosity, and say about them simply—­Trust in the Lord.

We do not know, I say, what these great matters, these mysteries were.  But that concerns us little.  Human life, human fortune, human history, human agony—­nay, the whole universe, the more we know of it, is full of such mysteries.  Only the shallow and the conceited are unaware of their presence.  Only the shallow and the conceited pretend to explain them, and have a Why ready for every How.  David was not like them.  His was too great a mind to be high-minded; too deep a heart to have proud looks, and to pretend, to himself or to others, that he knew the whole counsel of God.