of Europe were looking on to see us devoured up by those
Spaniards, our laws and liberties taken from us, the Popish
Inquisition set up in England, and England made a Spanish province,
what they did see was, the people of this little island rising as
one man, to fight for themselves on earth, while the tempests of God
fought for them from heaven; and all that mighty fleet of the King
of Spain routed and scattered, till not one man in a hundred ever
saw their native country again.

And in England, after that terrible trial had passed over us, there
rose up the best and noblest time which she had ever yet beheld.

Yes, my friends, three hundred years ago we went through just such a
fiery trial as the Jews went through in Hezekiah's time; and God
grant that we may never forget that lesson.

But what is true of whole nations, is often true also of each single
person; of you and me.

To almost every man, at least once in his life, comes a time of
trial--what we call a crisis. A time when God purges the man, and
tries him in the fire, and burns up the dross in him, that the pure
sterling gold only may be left.

To some people it comes in the shape of some terrible loss, or
affliction. To others it comes in the shape of some great
temptation. Nay, if we will consider, it comes to us all, perhaps
often, in that shape. A man is brought to a point where he must
choose between right and wrong. God puts him where the two roads
part. One way turns off to the broad road, which leads to
destruction: the other way turns off to the narrow road which leads
to life. The man would be glad to go both ways at once, and do
right and wrong too: but it so happens that he cannot. Then he
would be glad to go neither way, and stay where he is: but he
cannot. He must move on. He must do something. Perhaps he is
asked a question which he does not wish to answer: but he must. It
would be well worth his while to tell a lie. It would be very safe
for him, profitable for him; while it would be very dangerous for
him to tell the truth. He might ruin himself once and for all, by
being an honest man. Now which shall he do? He would be glad to do
both, glad to do neither: but choose he must; speak he must. He
must either lie or tell the truth. Then comes the trial, whether he
believes in God and in Christ, or whether he does not. If he only
believes, as too many do without knowing it, in a dead God, a God
far away, he will li