involved in the science of language, and are here even more delicate and are employed on a choicer material.

Taking it for granted that the student's attention will be directed to Latin and Greek, we counsel him to join Hebrew therewith. He will thus not only be employed with facts, which, from their primitive simplicity and their admirable illustration of the laws of language, are extremely interesting to the philologist, but he will also be making a direct preparation for that thorough knowledge of the Scriptures which characterizes the true divine.

The Christian ear.

BY A CLERGYMAN.

Year.

The Third Sunday after Trinity.

"Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth."-Luke xv. 10.

Unconscious

This man receiveth sinners and eateth with them. praise is sometimes drawn from the lips of enemies. The Pharisees and Scribes complained of the Lord's kindness to sinners, not knowing that they were sinners themselves. Because they were not gross and scandalous offenders, they thought that they were righteous. They resented the Lord's care for publicans as an affront to themselves. The three parables which this chapter contains constitute His reply to their objurgation. He condescends to justify Himself by showing that He acts in harmony with the best feelings of men, and with the principles of Heaven. Thus that which they charge on Him as a fault was His greatest glory. It is so still. Even now we have no higher thing to say of Christ than this:-This man receiveth sinners.

These three parables are all intended to set forth one truth; which is, that the vexation occasioned by loss and the joy of

recovery, are immeasurably greater than the calm satisfaction of undisturbed possession. The shepherd forgot his ninetynine sheep in seeking the one which was lost. The woman heeded not her nine safe pieces of silver, but was troubled about the one which was missing. The father's grief after the son that was gone was greater than his satisfaction with him that remained at home. And the joy of recovery in each of these cases is proportionate to the sorrow and vexation which it supersedes. How true this is to human nature we all know; and our Lord Jesus intends to teach us that it is as true in heaven as on earth.

Each of the parables illustrates the point in a manner somewhat different from the others. In the first, the sinner is a silly sheep, ignorant of his own welfare, stupidly going astray, and only restored by the anxious search of the shepherd. In the second, he is a piece of money, to recover which no pains must be spared. In the third, the representation is the most touching of all. If a shepherd grieves over a wandering sheep, how much more shall a father after his lost son! In the tenderness of the human father we see a faint representation of the tenderness of God. If a man rejoices over his recovered son, how much more shall our Heavenly Father over the return of the penitent!

There is joy in the presence the of angels of God over one sinner that repenteth. How different the occasions of joy on earth and in heaven! The most prominent joy amongst men is on account of what contributes to their own frivolous gratification, or favors their interest, or vain-glory, or self-indulgence. The most prominent joy of heaven is unselfish; it has reference to earth, it is occasioned by the repentance of a sinner.

This fact proves the superiority of angels to men.
It proves the superiority of their character.

Concerning angels we learn but little from Holy Scripture. We know that they are higher than we, that they have physical and intellectual superiority. But perhaps this passage throws more light than any other on their character. If you know what are a man's predilections, the occasions of his chief

pleasures, you cannot be ignorant of the man. Now, although few particulars are uncovered concerning angels, yet we know the occasion of their mightiest joy, and this gives us the key to their character, and discloses the secret of their lives.

It is their piety which makes them rejoice, for the sinner's repentance gives glory to God. Their benevolence also makes them rejoice, for the sinner's repentance ensures his restoration to peace, and is a pledge of his highest happiness. Their joy over the sinner's repentance proves the superiority of their knowledge. Things which are secrets on earth are

notorious in heaven.

The repentance of a sinner is for this world often an obscure event. It begins in secret, and often excites but little attention afterwards. But it is known in heaven from the very first. tree, and prays and weeps. politics and pleasure, rolls on at a distance unaffected. is unseen of men but not of angels. They are invisibly present, and note the transaction, and "there is joy in heaven."

Nathanael kneels under the fig
The stream of life, of commerce,

He

The joy of angels over a sinner's repentance is partly a re-action. They were in deep and anxious grief on his account before. Sin is to them a stupendous and unspeakable evil, a foul blot on the beauty of the creation, a contradiction against God, and the ruin of man. They bewailed the entrance of it into the world; they have bewailed the progress of it, and the dominion of it over every individual transgressor. But when repentance comes, sin receives the death-blow. In proportion, therefore, to their former sorrow, is their present joy. The greater the sin repented of and forgiven, and the more complete the repentance, the greater and fuller is their joy. The blot is now wiped away, God is reconciled, and a soul is saved.

The joy of the angels at a sinner's repentance is, perhaps, sometimes mutual congratulation at the success of their endeavors. We know that good men often benefit us by their suggestions, their examples, their prayers, and their mysterious influence, which wins us over into the right way. We know, also, that evil angels have power to tempt us, and that we, too

Shall not good angels,
We are assured by

often, alas! yield to their persuasion. then, have power with us for good? Scripture that they have, that they are "all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation." Who can tell how many blessings they secretly minister? How many evils are warded off by their watchful guardianship? In how many ways they try to do us good, would we only permit it? By how many avenues they have access to our hearts? And how many methods they use to better our condition and rectify our lives? We may be sure that their strong interest in us, as souls for which Christ died, leads them to use their advantages, to ply every means with diligence, perseverance, and anxiety. They have often to wait long for the fruit of their care, sometimes to wait in vain. But when the means prosper, and the sinner's heart melts; when they witness the inarticulate groaning, the sob, the purified tear, the cry for mercy, then their song begins. They have succeeded, and they have their reward. "There is joy

in heaven."

The joy of the angels at a sinner's repentance is a token of the joy of their Lord. We judge of a monarch by the pomp and style of his ambassadors, and of the nobles about the court. His grandeur, and often even his character, is reflected in them. Now the angels are nobles of the court of heaven, God's messengers and ambassadors. They are emphatically angels of God." Their character is greatly in harmony with His, and much of His character may be learnt from theirs. That which occasions pleasure to them, is well-pleasing to Him, and in a far larger measure. If there is joy among the angels at the repentance of a sinner, God is the Original Abode and Spring of that joy. The angels sympathize with Him according to their measure, but He rejoices far more than they. Christ is better than the angels, (Heb. i. 4) and His joy over repentance is more excellent and mighty, and is the fountain of theirs.

When our Lord Jesus was on earth, He was "a man of sorrows." His life here was for the most part saddened by our

sadness and sin. This world has seen Christ in sorrow; it has hardly known Him in joy. Christ in joy is a mystery hidden in heaven. The definition of heaven is-the abode of Christ in joy. And the essence and character of His joy isthat it is joy over repenting sinners.

generally in sorrow.

We have said that when Christ was on earth He was Yea; but there were moments of relief and intermission, moments even of joy, which had a like occasion with that in the text. In that hour, says the evangelist, Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. (Luke x. 21.)

Even when Jesus was on the cross, amid all His bodily and mental anguish, there was a moment of relief; in the dreadful gloom of that hour there was one serene ray of heavenly brightness. It was when His face lighted up with unutterable love, as He said to the penitent and supplicating thief, To-day shalt thou be with me in paradise. For a moment the Saviour forgot His present suffering in the foretaste of the joy that was set before Him.

Brethren, we have sometimes felt inclined to speculate on the nature of heaven's happiness. We have longed for some celestial visitor to draw aside the curtain and show the joyful mystery. Let us speculate and yearn no more. Christ has opened heaven to us. We know now in what the joy of heaven consists. The angels and the redeemed from the earth rejoice-not because they rest in bowers of roses on the banks of gently flowing rivers, nor over amaranthine crowns, nor the brightness of their countenances, nor the sweetness of their music. There is joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth.

Let us draw from this subject encouragement to repentance. God rejoiceth with His holy angels over every repenting sinner. Sin is the only object of His hatred, mercy is His delight. When therefore, sin is forsaken, He has infinite pleasure in restoring the soul. The greater the sinner, the greater God's joy at his return. Come to Him then, and make