he day of His power, and to pour out His Spirit in rich
abundance upon men.

With all the conscious and unconscious preparation which had paved the
way for them, the men who were God's chosen instruments at that crisis
were made deeply to feel and humbly to own that it was God Himself who
had led them on--at times by ways they had not thought of; that it was
He who had upheld them in their extremity when all human power seemed to
be arrayed against them; that it was He who, when their resources were
exhausted, was pleased, in the day when they cried unto Him, to hear
their prayer and revive their hopes by the plentiful outpouring of His
Spirit. How feelingly this was acknowledged by Luther at various crises
in his life is known to all who are in any measure acquainted with his
thrilling story. No one could have more constantly in his heart or more
frequently on his lips the Hebrew psalmist's song of holy confidence,
"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the
mountains be carried into the midst of the sea.... There is a river, the
streams whereof shall make glad the city of God." There was also that
other which, under reverses and discouragements, was the solace of our
own reformer, "If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, when men
rose up against us: then they had swallowed us up quick.... Blessed be
the Lord, who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth." As they mused
the fire burned and found expression in such songs of holy confidence
as--

"A sure stronghold our God is He,
A trusty shield and weapon;
Our help He'll be, and set us free
Whatever ill may happen.

* * * * *

Through our own force we nothing can,
Straight were we lost for ever,
But for us fights the proper Man,
By God sent to deliver.
Ask ye who this may be?
Christ Jesus named is He,
Of Sabaoth the Lord
Sole God to be adored,
'Tis He must win the battle."[2]

"If God were not upon our side
When foes around us rage,
Were not Himself our help and guide
When bitter war they wage,
Were He not Israel's mighty shield,
To whom their utmost crafts must yield,
We surely must have perished."[3]

[Sidenote: Decay of the Medieval Church.]

By the time at which reforming influences began manifes