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in Providence from the day of the Incarnation up to that time, 
as I have pointed out; its religion was Fatalism. Even among 
the Jews it was only by force of miracles that people could be 
made to believe in the intervention of God. But, from the 
day when men have felt the heart of God beat in His Sou, 
when they beheld Him, who is the revelation of the Father, 
men believed that God loved, and would not abandon them to a 
fatal destiny. Now, just see what a change in our views takes 
place the moment the stupendous fact of the Incarnation casts 
light on our deep darkness. We say to ourselves, on first con- 
templating our little earth lost in the vast universe, “ Can it be 
possible the eye of God can see it? ” And, now that I know 
that among so many thousands of worlds, it has been the object 
of the love of the Most High, the abode of His Son, the theatre 
on which His highest love has been displayed, can we now 
say, that any number of worlds are worth that on which have 
fallen the tears and the blood of His Son ? How willingly can we 
now say, in sympathy with the Prophet, “ O little Earth, smallest 
star-planet, lost amid the immensity of the universe, yet thou art 
the most glorious of worlds, for out of thee came the Saviour, 
the Son of the Highest ! Yes, in thy celestial journey across 
the realms of boundless space, angels salute thee, for in the 
whole universe they see no spot surpassing thee in brightness. 
Let them wander through the star-spangled heaven, whose 
splendours announce the glory of God ; let them pursue their 
course through His wide domain, and contemplate the magni- 
ficence of His handiwork. They will never find anything more 
grand than Divine love, which immolates itself; and the light 
of all suns will pale before the ray which shines from the Cross. 
O Earth ! blessed art thou, for from thee has come forth the 
Saviour.” We seemed to say, what is the secret of the Divine 
will ? and what is the meaning of these extraordinary dis- 
pensations which blind and confound us ? But now God has 
answered us, we have seen the Cross triumphant. We know 
across all that bewilders and troubles us the Kingdom of God 
advances, and will finally subdue the earth. But not only are 
the destinies of humanity at large illumined by the Cross, but 
the individual history of each one of us. The Cross tells us the 
value of a human soul in God^s eyes, by showing at what a price 
God has redeemed it. And when we believe in that love, and 
when we know the value of our soul, how can we doubt the 
goodness of Providence ? Is not this precisely the energetic 
reasoning of St. Paul ? i( God, who spared not His own Son, 
but delivered Him up for us all, shall He not with Him freely 
give us all things ?” 
After so striking a proof of His love, may we not expect a 
