Page:SermonsFromTheLatins.djvu/614

 bration; from  the  rejection  of  the  Jews  to  the  decay of modern  nations;  yet  as  surely  as  history  repeats itself, so  surely  do  these  and  similar  great  events echo and  reecho  one  another  down  the  ages. To understand the  present  and  the  future's  possibilities we must  turn  on  them  the  search-light  of  the  past. When the  triumphant  shouts  have  died  away  and  the glittering pageants  disappeared,  it  is  well  to  recollect that  the  unseen  hand  of  God  runs  through  it  all, reaching from  end  to  end  mightily  and  ordering  all things sweetly. Our services  at  the  shrine  of  patriotism should  close  with  a  recessional  full  of  the  thought of God. We should  remember  it  was  His  hand  gave nations victories  in  the  past  and  afterwards  crushed them for  their  infidelity. For infidel  nations  that trust in  legion  and  armor-clad,  with  not  a  thought  of God,  are  dust  that  build  on  dust. Amid our  foolish boasts of  power,  therefore,  we  should  pray  the  God of hosts  to  mercifully  turn  His  face  to  us  and  ours to Him  lest  we  forget,  lest  we  forget.

"The king  being  angry,  sent  his  army  and  destroyed those  murderers  and  burned  their  city." Brethren, the  real  King  was  God  the  Father,  and  the marriage He  made  for  His  Son  was  the  union  of  the divine and  human  natures  when  the  Word  was  made flesh. The invitation  to  the  marriage,  therefore,  was the call  to  communion  in  the  Christian  Church either by  faith  in  the  future  Messias,  as  in  the  Old Law, or  by  actual  membership,  as  in  the  New. But God's messengers  were  coldly  received. Though they came  to  their  own — God's  chosen  people —