ten, of glory and honour as a thing to be longed for and striven
after. That one word, "ashamed," occurs twelve times and more in the New
Testament, beside St John's warning, which alone is enough to prove what
I allege, "that we have not to be ashamed before Christ at his coming."

And how does the Te Deum--the noblest hymn written by man since St John
finished his Book of Revelations--how does that end, but with the same
old cry as that of the Psalmist in the 119th Psalm--

"O Lord, in thee have I trusted, let me never be confounded"?

Now it is difficult to tell men what being confounded means; difficult
and almost needless; for there are those who know what it means without
being told; and those who do not know what it means without being told,
are not likely to know by my telling, or any man's telling. No, not if
an angel from heaven came and told them what being confounded meant would
they understand him, at least till they were confounded themselves; and
then they would know by bitter experience--perhaps when it was too late.

And who are they? What sort of people are they?

First, silly persons; whom Solomon calls fools--though they often think
themselves refined and clever enough--luxurious and "fashionable" people,
who do not care to learn, who think nothing worth learning save how to
enjoy themselves; who call it "bad form" to be earnest, and turn off all
serious questions with a jest. These are they of whom Wisdom says--"How
long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity, and the scorners delight
in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge? I also will laugh at your
calamity, and mock when your fear cometh."

Next, mean and truly vulgar persons; who are shameless; who do not care
if they are caught out in a lie or in a trick. These are they of whom it
is written that outside of God's kingdom, in the outer darkness wherein
are weeping and gnashing of teeth, are dogs, and whosoever loveth and
maketh a lie.

And next, and worst of all, self-conceited people. These are they of
whom Solomon says, "Seest thou a man who is wise in his own conceit?
There is more hope of a fool than of him." They are the people who will
not see when they are going wrong; who will not hear reason, nor take
advice, no, nor even take scorn and contempt; who will not see that they
are making fools of themselves, but, while all the world is laughing at
them, walk on serenely self-satisfied, certain that they, and they only,
k