The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-06-21

time her firmness," was verify proph- ecy of the long life we tonight cee- brate.
 Never was a ruler upon coming to the seat Of authority more earnestly and narrowly watched than Britain's queen; Tor the times were such as made men l doubtful of their dearest friend; socie- | ty was presenting front that to-day would be hard to find in our lowest walks of life.
 | But above all the "pestilence that Walketh in darkness" above "the de- | struotion that wasteth at monday" no evil has befallen her, neither has any | plague come nigh her dwelling; because she hath made the Lord her refuge, and with long life has he satisfied her. and In the end of years shall show her His salvation.
 Have We done wrong then in taking for our text the words of the wise man,
 Many daughters have done virtuously but thou excellest them all"
 Men have talked, and perhaps will al- ways talk, of Vfctoria's narrow policy In the matters ecclesiastical, but like many other matters of which the pub lie deem themselves the special arbi-
 ters, this is but an expression of ignor- ance
 During her reign there has been an
 expansion of religious liberty, such as
 was never known this among many other features Is most apparent.
 We can appeal to history, not hear
 say, for the truth of this fact, and find
 that but few days elapse after her
 ascending the throne, that she bestows
 a knighthood upon Jew
 To use the words of another, The was
 the first Jew whom royalty had hon.
 ored since the good old times when roy alty was pleased to borrow the Jews l money, or order instead the extraction
 of his teeth
 The spirit of the Lord being with Vic
 toria, there must be liberty: for the
 apostle St. Paul Is the authority of our
 thus linking effect to cause.
 Her office as she understood it, and
 we claim she understood it right, was to
 protect the welfare Of her subjects in
 their material good. and not to force
 theological convictions upon the unwil-
 ling minds of men.
 Great Britain was not wrong as we
 know full well to-day, when her people
 thought, that with a woman on the
 throne, the thick atmosphere of the
 court and social life would clear away;
 and clear it did.
 But We must not leave this service of jubilee commemorative without at least | glancing upon the progress of events ; that come within the span of Victoria s reign. ; How We stand amazed as we look
 backward over the generations that have passed since the queen, a girl of , only eighteen summers, was proclaimed the ruler June the Fist, 1887; queen ot the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
 l How wonderfully have the hitherto ' hidden leaves of natures book beer
 turning. l When she took her seat upon tht ] throne of kings no message of congrat.
 ulation could go from us to her. as il } can go to-day.
 No electric pulse was throbbing its tidings of good will beneath old ocean: 5 ever heaving bosom; the storms O.
 heaven were the oceans only tidings tt ) lash out upon the distant and neal 9 shore.
 r But now an iron cord binds Grea l, Britain and America in an union, whicl 5 God grant, may be as the hills rount 9 about Jerusalem, everlasting.
 The heavens studded with thei sparkling brilliants, was but field 0 e beauty but stars to represent the glo = rified spirits of holy men; but myster. . to the common mind. = But in Victoria's reign the windows 0 e heaven have been gradually opening = and the heavens to-day declare no
 alone the glory of God, but the stupen t dousness of his creative handiwork y and men are able by the advances O = knowledge to do what the psalmis t said, "he telleth the number of tn l. stars; he calleth them all by thei 5 names"
 But few men could do as much a l, write the name; but to-day such mel
 are the exception, not the rule as then e Since Victoria came upon the scene Il Solomons words have been fulfilled = "of making many books there is n y end;" and to-day knowledge is cover u ing the earth as the waters cover tn . sea.
 Il Shrines to unknown Gods, and no Go :, at all, have gone; and dark recesse e from whence came the shout of heathe e worship, now resound with the hymn T of those who triumph in the Lord glo t riously.
 $ Servitude and bondage have loose t their yoke, and to-day we let freedor = ring from pole to pole, and shore [
 shore.
 r As the queen now looks out upon th r world how many must the recollection a be that we'll up from memory's store Il how mighty must be the impulse t e thank God for the fulfillment of tn
 wonder His blessed son spoke to tn e seventy" for I tell you that man s prophets and kings have desired to SC k those things which ye see, and have nc J. seen them; and to hear those thing
 which ye hear, and have not hear It them.'
 e Thus a life full and ripe in years ha 1T been a life full and ripe with blessing
 to the world.
 h God the king of heaven has been gra IS cious to Victoria, queen of Britain! If And so as this our service of Victor e an jubilee draws to its close, may br
 say a word to you, men and womel T, who now rest within the walls of God l. most holy place.
 l; Above you and about you hangs th W emblem of your adopted country, joine
 win that nf voI1r native land