398 THE DIVINE PURPOSE. 



tangent ? We assert that in so doing they are guilty of an act 

 of iniquity, of a veritable blasphemy. 



Some explanation is necessary here. You believe, we hope, 

 in the majesty, power, wisdom, and mercy of God, in the 

 revelations He has vouchsafed to man, in the immortality of 

 the soul. These are great problems, however ; the greatest 

 problems a mortal can venture to discuss. Already I see the 

 bigot frowning ; he professes to be shocked by the word " pro- 

 blem," he would fain substitute for it that of " certainty " or 

 " truth." Well, through faith we accept them as truths ; but, 

 metaphysically speaking, they may be regarded as problems 

 which the All-wise has submitted to man's earnest considera- 

 tion. In fact, the God in whom you and we believe, in 

 whom you and we put all our trust, has surrounded them with 

 something of uncertainty, has invested them with so much of 

 doubtfulness as may test our faith. 



Yes, in doing so, He has had a purpose to fulfil. Let us 

 think of a geometrician and an ancient writer said that God, 

 by creating the world, created geometry for the sake of exer- 

 cising the minds of his pupils, his children, giving them a pro- 

 blem to be solved. 



If at the same time, he placed before them the solution, he 

 would assuredly fail in his object. No means would remain of 

 distinguishing the capable from the incapable, the studious 

 from the indifferent, the idler from the worker, if they all 

 found the question answered beforehand ! 



True, if the problem is too difficult, if the solution lies be- 



