Sermon Preached Before The Provincial Grand Lodge Of Berks And Bucks.

Avicked presumption of life ; or , even if we should succeed in drowning its voice entirely in this world , it Avill be hoard as a ' voice of most just indo * ment' iu the Avorld to come . But do not the J o Avords of tho text suggest thoughts bearing upon

-our present position as a nation ? " Those AVIIO have studied the history of this country can have done so to little purpose , if they have not marked the numerous fiery trials through which it has successively passeel , the powerful

invasions it has had to repel , the bloody and perilous Avars in AA'hich it has been involved , the bitter and Avasting internal strifes by Avhich it has been rent , and last , though not least , the fires of religious persecution Avhich blazed with awful brilliancy even in comparatively modern days . But , thanks bo to God , Ave have fallen upon other

and happier times . \ Y ~ ehave ' a goodly heritage . ' The fire' has passed aAvay ; and ' after the fire ' comes the ' still small voice / the voice of peace and happiness , tho voice of Him Avho stilled the troubled waters and caused this f great calm . '

Happily not a blade of English grass has been wet Avith the blood of friend or foe for many a score of years . We know nothing of tho sickenng horrors of Avar except by report . The sons of our soil , of every rank , go forth , it is true , to fight

their country's battles , but nothing of the bloody field disturbs our sight . The ' peaceful lowings ' of our land resound through valleys as peaceful . This blessed security has , I fear , tempted us to think lightly of Avar ' s ravages , and sometimes boastfully

of our own position . It is well , therefore , that we should not ' be high-minded , but fear / bearing in mind that 'the still small voice' that calms the

waves and stills the madness of the people can speak in thunder too . We knoAV that a mightier than earthly potentate reigns supreme over all the earth , and that He punishes nations for their misdeeds , for abuse of their gifts and misuse of

their opportunities ; and that such punishment must necessarily be inflicted in this present world . He has dealt so Avith . other nations . Egypt Avas once the pride of the Avorld , with its huge palaces , its gigantic mountains , and its mighty men of

Avar . But Egypt has come to naught , and the traveller as ho treads its ancient soil can scarcel y conjecture the form and purpose of the relics that lie scattered around . Assyria and Babylon rose and ruled , surrounded by all the elements of human poAver ; yet they were no more . Tyre , the proud city of the Eastern waters , is IIOAV a barren

rock , on Avhich the fisherman drys his nets . Eome , whose iron foot once crushed the nations and tram-pled on the necks of kings , is no more what she Avas—her imperial sceptre gone , her ancient glories faded , her proud sons sunk so low

that if you seek throughout the world a debased , disloyal , and dangerous populace , you will find it in modern Home . And Avhere is Greece ? Ah ! ' living Greece no more ! ' Not all the learning * of her philosophers , the genius of her poets , the

arts of the painter , sculptor , musician , nor yet the bravery of her warriors , could save her Avhen the time of her probation had run out . Then , Avho or Avhat are Ave , that Ave should vaunt ourselves on our greatness , or repose too much on our

present security ? But ' ascribe unto the Lord , 0 ye kindreds of our people , ascribe unto the Lord Avorship and praise '— ' the voice of the Lord brought mighty things to pass' —for while it has , ¦ as Ave have seen , annihilated empires , it has spoken

peace to our land and granted us a lot radiant with hope aud promise . And not only ' after the fire ' of past troubles in our OAvn land , but amidst the fiery trials of other nations , is heard that still small voice . '

" Look out , my brethren , this moment on the nations of the earth , and say Avhich of them is not troubled , if not actually threatened or distracted , by war . In several of these troubled nations , most civilised , have not these sunny days , with their

blessings for the fruits of the earth and recreations for the bodies and minds of our people—have they not yonder dawned upon armed hosts , burning for fights , and compassing sea and land to Avork each other's destruction ? 0 happy , thrice happy ,

ought we to be for our national as well as our industrial blessings . May the day be far aAvay Avhich shall put them in peril ; yet , should it come , let us learn in peace to put our trust in Him Avho is the ' Protector of all that trust in Him , Avithout

whom nothing is strong , nothing is holy , " who alone is the ' glory of our strength / and can protect us in the hour of danger . For , though the pursuits of peace , especially a long peace , have a natural tendency to lull the mind of a nation into

a false security , and consequently a want of material preparation ; still , in a country whose sovereign is a bright exemplar of public and private virtue , and Avhose throne is therefore' established in righteousness ' and fortified by love—whose institutions are free , Avhose people are united , and whose children are trained in the lessons and spirit of true religion ,