aitorous dealings with them. The victory
was complete! "He hath put all enemies under His feet"; the victory is
permanent, for, "death hath no more dominion over Him."
In these Addresses we have said much about those large results which God
is allowing us already to see as obviously coming out of the war; on our
Day of "Humble Prayer to Almighty God" we solemnly thanked Him:
For the laying aside of controversies at home, and for the unity of
the Nation and Empire;
For the loyal and loving response of our fellow-subjects beyond the
seas;
For the full harmony between our Allies and ourselves, and for the
success which has already been granted to our common efforts;
For the devotion of those who have laid down their lives for their
country;
For the revelation in danger, in suffering, and in death, of the power
of the Cross and the benefits of the Lord's Passion.
Now remains the question, Are the results to be permanent? That entirely
depends upon our attitude towards the discipline of victory; or how we
are going to behave ourselves in the hour of success. It is written
concerning Israel, "The Lord saved them from the hand of them that hated
them: and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy. Then believed they
His words, they sang His praise. They soon forgat His works: they waited
not for His counsel." God willing we shall ere long be singing our Te
Deum; oh! yes, we shall do it with all our heart and soul; but how are
we to fix the emotions, to render permanent that thankfulness which we
shall really feel. The Israelites "waited not for His counsel." They
failed, that is, under the discipline of success. Victory is given that
it may be used for good, just as much as failure is sent that we may
rise on "stepping-stones of our dead-selves" to fresh endeavour.
As a nation we have been single-minded and honourable in our entry upon
and our waging of the War; when it is over we are to be just the same in
our use of the fruits of the War. Victory will not come to us simply for
our own sakes and that it may be selfishly exploited for our own needs.
No, assuredly not: it will come for the mutual benefit of all concerned,
and unless the very first fruits of it be dedicated to the cause of
heroic Belgium, to her re-instatement in something of her former
condition, it will have come in vain. The time of distress and disaster
has knit together the Empire in a wondrous unity of brotherhood. Th
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