and ideas manifested in the Cross would be a
pitiable condition. We adopt as our ideal the kind of glory there
revealed, and in our hearts condemn the opposed style of conduct that
the world leads to. As we open our understanding and conscience to the
meaning of Christ's love and sacrifice and devotedness to God's will,
the prince of this world is judged and condemned within us. We feel that
to yield to the powers that move and guide the world is impossible for
us, and that we must give ourselves to this Prince of holiness and
spiritual glory.

In point of fact the world is judged. To adhere to worldly motives and
ways and ambitions is to cling to a sinking ship, to throw ourselves
away on a justly doomed cause. The world may trick itself out in what
delusive splendours it may; it is judged all the same, and men who are
deluded by it and still in one way or other acknowledge the prince of
this world destroy themselves and lose the future.

Such was the promise of Christ to His disciples. Is it fulfilled in us?
We may have witnessed in others the entrance and operation of
convictions which to all appearance correspond with those here
described. We may even have been instrumental in producing these
convictions. But a lens of ice will act as a burning-glass, and itself
unmelted will fire the tinder to which it transmits the rays. And
perhaps we may be able to say with much greater confidence that we have
done good than that we are good. Convinced of sin we may be, and
convinced of righteousness we may be--so far at least as to feel most
keenly that the distinction between sin and righteousness is real, wide,
and of eternal consequence--but is the prince of this world judged? has
the power that claims us as the servants of sin and mocks our strivings
after righteousness been, so far as we can judge from our own
experience, defeated? For this is the final test of religion, of our
faith in Christ, of the truth of His words and the efficacy of His work.
Does He accomplish in me what He promised?

Now, when we begin to doubt the efficacy of the Christian method on
account of its apparent failure in our own case, when we see quite
clearly how it ought to work and as clearly that it has not worked, when
this and that turns up in our life and proves beyond controversy that we
are ruled by much the same motives and desires as the world at large,
two subjects of reflection present themselves. First, have we remembered
the word of