hall hear and redress all their grievances. To them and to their
right seed after them, I hereby bestow all these grants, privileges, and
royal immunities. All this is but a lean epitome of what was that day
laid down in letters of gold and engraven on their doors and their castle
gates. And what joy, what comfort, what consolation, think you, did now
possess every heart in Mansoul! The bells rang out, the minstrels
played, the people danced, the captains shouted, the colours waved in the
wind, and the silver trumpets sounded, till every enemy inside and
outside of Mansoul was now glad to hide his head.

Our constitutional authors and commentators are wont to take Magna Charta
clause by clause, and word by word, and letter by letter. They linger
lovingly and proudly over every jot and tittle of that splendid
instrument. And you will indulge me this Communion night of all nights
of the year if I expatiate still more lovingly and proudly on that great
Covenant which our Lord has sealed to us again to-day, and has written
again to-day on the walls of our hearts. Moses made haste as soon as the
old Charter was read over to him, and nothing shall delay us till we have
feasted our eyes, and our ears, and our hearts to-night on the contents
of this our new and better covenant.

1. The first article of our Magna Charta is free, full, and everlasting
forgiveness of all the wrongs, injuries, and offences we have ever done
against God, against our Saviour, against our neighbour, and against
ourselves. The English nobles extorted their Charter from their
tyrannical king with their sword at his throat, and after he had signed
it, he cast himself on the ground and gnawed sticks and stones in his
fury, so mad was he at the men who had so humiliated him. 'They have set
four-and-twenty kings over my head,' he gnashed out. How different was
it with our Charter! For when we were yet enemies it was already drawn
out in our name. And after we had been subdued it would never have
entered our fearful hearts to ask for such an instrument. And, even now,
after we have entered into its liberty, how slow we are to believe all
that is written in our great Charter, and read to us every day out of it.
And who shall cast a stone at us for not easily believing all that is so
written and read? It is not so easy as you would think to believe in
free forgiveness for all the wrongs, injuries, and offences we have ever
done. When you try to