speaking have been
observed in every age and every land. Some like Socrates have felt
themselves warned against evil courses; others like Augustine have been
protected from moral and spiritual death; others like Sakya-Muni have
been led to give up wealth and power for truth and service; others, who
could draw upon no hidden source of strength, have been sustained in the
midst of trials which have seemed heavy enough to crush; and, most
wonderful of all, in spite of all vices and crimes, all darkness and
ignorance, all bondage to ignoble ideals and slavery to commercialism
and pleasure, the race of man has never been content with things as they
have been. As the moon draws the tides by unseen attractions, so by
unseen attractions the souls of men have been made dissatisfied, and
drawn toward truth and beauty, love and holiness; and this desire for
some better country has never been absent. The passage from Egypt to the
promised land is the eternal parable of humanity, which is always
getting out of some Egypt, with its slavery and tyranny, and pressing
toward some intellectual and spiritual Canaan. This is one of the most
marvelous facts in the history of our race--its discontent with things
as they are, its faith in something better, and the perfect confidence
with which it embarks on unknown seas in its search for ampler and
fairer worlds.

The history of the past is the record of the weak receiving strength, of
the wicked being made uncomfortable in their wickedness, of limited and
provincial creatures reaching out to broad and high horizons, of
weakness, suffering, agony, willingly endured in the confidence that
relief and blessing will come at last, though far off, to all.

Moreover, there is no indication of any cessation of such phenomena. In
these days, when we say that no man should be asked to affirm anything
which he cannot verify, voices of warning and entreaty are vivid, the
consciousness of protection is distinct, support in trial is frequent,
and the evidence that some force, or some person, is steadily leading
humanity toward truth and righteousness is as convincing and constant as
ever.

What shall be said of these facts which are so numerous and so evident
as to make an effort at classification and explanation imperative?

Four answers to this inquiry are possible. Is the old doctrine of
Guardian Angels true? Possibly we may be, individually, under the care
of spiritual beings who are appointed for