be full of life and hope to overflow with energies of thought, of heart, of action,to enjoy the full feeling of Christian life and hope, might tend, you would think, to a sense of liberty and self-confidence. Why, ask yourselves; and you will confess, that even the common consciousness of health and strength, tends to make you rest on yourselves, as though the fountain of both were in yourselves. But look at the power of God, in those to whom the Son hath given life! They who are most full of graces, who most abound in hopes and joys, and in whom the springs of holy action are most exhaustless and indefatigable, find all their strength, in their weakness. "Not I," saith the apostle, "but Christ that liveth in me."

They rejoice in their sonship. But that is inseparable from the sonship of Christ, in which their own inheres; and a separation from Him, is the loss of the adoption which cometh from Him alone. They rejoice in their conquest over death and hell!

They are bold in the assured hope of life everlasting. But this is only a rejoicing in Christ, who hath conquered hell for them, and who is to them that believe in him, the way, and the truth, and the life. They rejoice in freedom from sin; from its condemnation and power over them here, and the last remnants of it hereafter. But this is only rejoicing in Him, who knew no sin, but who hath been made sin for them; and is their justification, and sanctification, and redemption. The greater their spiritual strength, the more perfect their spiritual life, the more they rest on Christ as God and man. "I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Almighty God, who hast given us thine only-begotten Son to take our nature upon

him, and, as at this time, to be born of a pure Virgin; grant that we, being regenerate, and made thy children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by thy holy Spirit; through the same our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Spirit, even one God, world without end! Amen.

131

SERMON VI.

MATT. ii. 10.- "When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy."

WE have had occasion to notice, before, the quietness and silence with which it has pleased God to bring about the greatest events for us and our souls, in the world's history; not shaking the earth and the skies, but inaudible to the ears and invisible to the eyes of the great mass of mankind. But to-day I would point out something to modify this. I would dwell on the indications of the greatness of his designs, and the glimpses of glory which have, at the same time, accompanied these unobtrusive manifestations of of himself

among men. He thus restores the balance, and makes up for the lack, in other respects, of outward pomp and circum

stance.

And I would be understood, in thus speaking, to refer solely to the commencement of his great designs. In their progress, they become visible enough. Nay, they occupy permanently that very world which was originally unconscious of the prodigious change about to be wrought upon it. Men slept and slumbered as usual, when God incarnate was born into the world. But, since that time, the nations have worshipped Him, and the uttermost isles of the sea have done Him service.

Above all, I wish to show you, that the line of God's dealings, as afterwards unfolded, is marked by unmistakeable intimations from the very first. For instance, the birth of the Son of God in the stable of an obscure inn, is, indeed, in its earthly aspect, a low and humble thing. But join to it, the glorious vision of angels,