and wheresoever the Gospel has not come, thus will it still continue. It is the destiny of man; the badge of his condition; the wages of his sin. And is it banished altogether even from Christian lands? Alas there, although in a very different form, it exists also, softened indeed and lightened, but not wholly subdued. In the heathen heart in a Christian land, it comes like the shock of an earthquake, tears up the foundation of peace altogether, lays the whole man prostrate, and overwhelms the stricken soul with a mighty desolation. Even over the heart in which the word has accomplished the Lord's pleasure, trouble will sometimes cast its shadow; but it will float there lightly like a summer-cloud. The whole horizon will be in other respects bright and clear; for there will have arisen upon it the full radiance of "a sun of righteousness, with healing in his wings'."

And is all this theory, imagination, illusion? Oh no, it is fact; authenticated fact. The glorious Gospel of Christ fulfils its ancient promise in all that truly acknowledge it. It brings its good tidings of joy to "those that sit in darkness;" and wheresoever it is heartily welcomed, there is its promise fulfilled. Truly, most truly are these tidings, tidings of joy. Never had such interest been taken in man. A Saviour was indeed a cure for all ills. His presence dispersed the heavy clouds. Trouble in its worst form he conquered, and carried away captive. Trouble, indeed, in any form, he deprived of its sting. Our world of sorrow has become, wherever Christ is truly received, a world of joy, yea, even a heaven on earth.

And how does the Apostle exemplify this doctrine in the passage before us? He says first, "Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice." As if he had said, “maintain an habitually happy frame of mind. Mind not whether tribulation, or vicissitude, or peril, or necessity, befall you. If you are true believers in Christ Jesus, you have that within you which gives you infinite support. You have all and abound' in his atonement, his Spirit, his word, his ability to save and strengthen you." Nay, more, you must take all your trials as proofs of a fatherly loving-kindness; as means of grace to your souls; as dispensations intended for your profit. And if, by God's grace, you are brought to think thus of your trials, you will certainly not only bear them patiently but joyfully; acknowledging them to be truly loving corrections and parental chastisements, and

1 Mal. iv., 2.

rejoicing most unequivocally in the evidences they afford you of the infinite love of God.

We thus learn, that a well-founded trust in God through Christ is the most legitimate source of joy; and that the joy which thus "rejoices in the Lord," is never out of season. When the soul is overwhelmed with a temporal bereavement, or sunk in the very lowest depths of depravity and iniquity, then indeed is joy out of season. In the latter of these cases, indeed, there cannot be better evidence than sorrow, from whatever cause arising, of a return to a better frame of mind; and gladly should it be hailed, much should it be encouraged, as the germ of future fruit. And if this fruit come, if " tribulation," under the fostering influences of the Spirit "works patience, and patience experience, and experience hope," then may even this sorrow be turned into joy, and the soul repose in confidence on the omnipotent mercies of a Saviour, who brings good tidings of great joy to all, but especially to the penitent. The exhortation here given to "rejoice in the Lord alway," may not inappropriately bear reference, at the present time, to the approaching season of Christmas. It is a season (most justly) of great joy. But does it not derive its character from its connexion with our soul's salvation? With what then should its

joy be conversant? How should it show itself? Of what sort should it be? It should be, as much as in us lies, calm, devotional, reverential, spiritual, heavenly; not boisterous, not frivolous, not indiscreet, not in any point of view unbecoming; but devoted chiefly to a contemplation of those great and glorious objects, for which a Saviour came into the world.

The Apostle says, secondly, "Let your moderation be known unto all men: The Lord is at hand." Men are born by nature with violent passions, which often disturb their peace, and affect the peace of society. How often is this violence visible in the little affairs of daily life! People imagine themselves insulted or wronged, and when once the idea gains possession of them, nothing can dislodge it from their minds. And so without inquiry, without reflection, without desire for explanation of any kind, they pour forth a torrent of abuse, and condemn without sense or reason. What interruption is this of a friendship, an affection, a good understanding; of the harmony of a neighbourhood, community, or family! "Behold how great a matter a little fire kindleth1." But the gentleness or moderation engendered

1 James iii., 5.

by Christianity "is not easily provoked'," and takes all things patiently. Taught of God to regard even the heaviest afflictions as light, it can easily support life's lesser vexations with composure. And it is incumbent upon him who is really a believer in Christ, nay, it is his most glorious privilege, thus to crucify the whole body of sin; thus to make the Gospel a fund of comfort; thus to turn evil into good, and to live as becomes his high and holy faith. And he has a joy, which may well make amends for any trouble. "The Lord is at hand" to see his inward struggles. "The Lord is at hand" to strengthen his purposes of endurance. "The Lord is at hand" to bless and finally glorify his patient and self-denying spirit.

But once more, there are not only grievous tribulations wherein we may rejoice, and light provocations wherein we may practise forbearance, but ordinary occasions wherein we may show equanimity. The Apostle says, "Be careful for nothing, but in every thing by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God." Distrust of a wise and overruling Providence is a failing which exists to a much greater extent than we imagine among true believers; that sort of distrust, I mean, which is implied in overmuch anxiety, occasional murmurs, a keen sense of temporal disappointment, a mournful depression under worldly vicissitude. Why should a man who in sincerity acknowledges a Saviour be thus distrustful? Why should such a man bestow much more thought upon his own ability to get wealth than upon the divine power to provide, a power which he professes to acknowledge in prayer, and invokes because he thinks it can supply the need? Why should he, a believer in that atonement which supplies man's greatest need, dissipates his heaviest perplexities, brings him his tidings of truest joy, display such very marked concern about things of but little moment? Is it not too like a withdrawal of solicitude from things spiritual, to fix it upon things temporal? Does he forget that he should not be thus thoughtful above measure for the morrow, thus careful and troubled about many things, thus worldly-minded, thus impatient, but "seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness," and for everything really necessary, "by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, make known his request unto God?" The experience he has had of the divine goodness in the care of his immortal soul must assure him, that everything intrinsically good and excel2 Matt. vi., 33.

1 1 Cor. xiii., 5.

lent does come from God, through that Mediator who has already died for his sins, and would save him from every other real ill besides. And if he will only faithfully act upon this experience, and pray in spirit and in truth, when encompassed with temporal calamity, to him who has done so much for him and can do more, his prayer will certainly be heard. God will give him what is needful, raise him up friends, find him ways and means. Or, if it be more in accordance with the divine will, to try his faith, and to try it by delay, he will give him in due time, and in answer to frequent prayer, "the peace of God which passeth all understanding," and this shall "keep his heart and mind through Christ Jesus."

THE NATIVITY OF OUR LORD OR THE BIRTH-DAY OF CHRIST, COMMONLY CALLED CHRISTMAS DAY.

THE EPISTLE. Heb. i., 1 to 12.

GOD, who at sundry times and in

divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

4 Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

5 For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?

6 And again, when he bringeth in the first-begotten into the world,

he saith, And let all the angels of

God worship him.

7 And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.

8 But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.

9 Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.

10 And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands:

11 They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment;

12 And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.

There cannot be a more seasonable doctrine on this day, than the doctrine of its appointed Epistle. The Incarnation of Christ naturally fixes our thoughts on his humanity, and draws our attention to what he did, said, and suffered, as man. We

find him, on this day especially, "in fashion as a man," and naturally expect to see him, as such, "tempted in all points like as we are" in his after life. We behold him, on this day especially, made in our likeness; and we naturally look upon him as one, who "must be touched with a feeling of our infirmities'," and be "able to succour them that are tempted"."

But lest our minds should be so entirely taken up with these considerations, as to become thereby forgetful of other equally prominent features in the office and attributes of Jesus, the Church wisely makes choice of a portion of Scripture, on the day of his nativity, which most strongly illustrates his divinity. And first, he is called "the Son of God," which is the most sublime, the most divine, the most truly glorious, of all titles. If he were proved to be the Son of God, even the Jews, his old enemies, declared their readiness to acknowledge him; to acknowledge him as equal with God3. And that he can be so proved, every page of Scripture and every conclusion of reason verifies beyond a doubt. But here, in particular, it is said, that "by him God made the world," that he "upholds all things with the word of his power," is "set down on the right hand of the Majesty on high," is "made much better than the angels," is "the brightness of his Father's glory, and the express image of his person." And it is said also, that "his throne is for ever and ever," that "worship is due to him from the angels," and that though the earth may perish and the heavens wax old, he is "the same, and his years shall not fail."

These are the terms made use of, (and they are many and of the most forcible kind,) to express the divinity of the Saviour, and by him, such as he is here declared to be, God has "in these last days" spoken. God has spoken to us by his Son. He has then spoken to us by himself. Can we turn a deaf ear to a voice from heaven? Can we turn away from him, who, under such peculiar circumstances, and through such a peculiar channel, vouchsafes to speak unto us? Can he not, the great and mighty God, as readily turn man to destruction, as save his soul alive? Can he not speak as terribly in his holiness, as speak mildly in his mercy? "What am I," should not each of us at once say, "that I can withstand such a God; presume to oppose his will by continuing in sin; dare to thwart his purposes by habitually grieving, quenching, and doing despite to his Spirit?" Is there a sinner amongst us, who, by a constant course of open sin, is in the daily 3 John v., 18.

1 Heb. iv., 15.

2 Heb. ii., 18.