given by God, and Jesus was conveyed to a place of safety, the Innocents had an early and sure entrance into the realms of glory, an ancient prophecy was literally fulfilled', and the fugitive infant lived to be the Saviour of the world. Man, then, we see can never disappoint the purposes of God. Strive though he may, and strive with the arm of authority, the craft of cunning, the agency of ministers of his will, he must against him, yield the victory to God. ever, if God be And how shall we spiritualize this truth? Let us begin by asking ourselves, whether we ever make an effort to disappoint the divine purposes? Yes, too often. We often set up our own wills in opposition to the will of God. We sometimes corrupt one another by a bad example. We occasionally persecute those who are doing their best to love and please God. It is thus that we attempt to disappoint the divine purposes. But can we ever expect these efforts to succeed? Oh, no! God will bring to nought our best laid schemes of opposition to his will. He will thwart us in a thousand ways. He will make his omnipotent grace to abound to our sore discomfiture and amazement. He will turn us whithersoever he will "with his mighty hand and stretched-out arm2." He will bring us down to the gates of the grave. He will make the cause of himself and of his persecuted people to triumph. Glory shall be his. Selfabasement shall be ours. Peace shall be the portion of the sanctified. Misery, disappointment, nay hell, the inheritance of the gainsayers. And should we not pray that God would be pleased to deliver us from this evil? Should we not pray that God would speedily cause his will to triumph over ours, turn our hearts of stone into hearts of flesh, and "cast down imaginations and every high thing within us that exalts itself against the knowledge of God." Oh! let us strive and pray, and then will he turn and answer. But, secondly, this portion of Scripture hints to us who are the best prepared for heaven. And these, it implies, are children, and all of tender years who have not been defiled with sin. What does the Saviour himself admonish concerning children? "Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily, verily, I say unto you, whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. And he took them up in 1 Compare Hos. xi., 1, with Matt. ii., 15. 2 Deut. v., 15. his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them1.” “Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever, therefore, shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?." A childlike disposition, then, is the disposition most meet for the kingdom of God; the disposition, in fact, without which we cannot possibly enter it, either in the sense of true conversion, or final salvation. A childlike disposi tion is an humble disposition, a trusting disposition, a tractable disposition, a disposition free from wilful sin, and untainted with worldly pollution. It is the disposition of very young children, of those who have not lived as many months as some have years, and are as unpractised in the ways of the world as in the devices and desires, yet to be developed, of their own hearts. This is the disposition inculcated on the Christian as his truest spiritual ornament, and best qualification for heaven. Thus arrayed, he will be “ a vessel unto honour, meet for the master's use;" qualified for discipleship; furnished for immortality; the lowest in his own estimation; the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Not prepared thus, not disposed thus, not watching thus, not living thus, he will not be a recognized disciple of Christ, not deemed meet for spiritual privileges, but rather be deemed an "alien from the commonwealth of Israel, a stranger from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world"." 66 But ought we not to live unto God? Should we not make it the chief object of our ambition to believe unto salvation; to do the work given us to do; to gird up the loins of our mind;" to "labour for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life"?" Necessity is indeed imposed upon us, yea, upon all of us, to take this advantage of present privileges, and thus to watch, thus to desire renovation, thus to make all things new. Perchance we do not think thus at present. If so, there must be self-examination; self-examination will soon show us what we are, and what we ought to be. And then let contrition, self-abasement, self-condemnation follow. And let not the soul be content until it be fashioned like unto Christ; until it has "behaved and quieted itself as a child that is weaned from his mother, yea, has made itself as a weaned child"." Finally, we are taught in this Scripture, indirectly, the great 1 Mark x., 14, 15, 16. * 1 Pet. i., 13. 2 Matt. xviii., 3, 4. 5 John vi., 27. 3 Eph., ii., 12. 6 Ps. cxxxi., 2. 1 importance of educating children. If children, just fresh from their Maker's hands, are, comparatively speaking, innocent, and yet often grow up in after life to be hardened sinners, should not advantage be always taken of the capabilities of childhood, and children be invariably taught by those who have the charge of them, so soon as they shall be able to learn, what a solemn vow, promise, and profession," has been made in former times in their behalf1? 66 In particular, are any of us godfathers and godmothers? If so, let us take the present opportunity of calling to mind a trust perchance much neglected and long forgotten. Let us return, if possible, even thus late, to the fulfilment of it, never again abuse it thus, and implore the Lord to pardon the omission. Let us examine our godchild with care, and see what his faith, knowledge, practice, opportunities, are. Let us teach him if we be able; pray for him if it be necessary; and so guide and warn him, that he may be established in truth for ever. Are any of us teachers in a school? If we are, how do we perform our duties? Do we feel the responsibility of our situation? Do we look upon ourselves as "stewards of the manifold grace of God?" Do we enter on our task and go on with it under a deep sense of the obligation we are under to keep the innocent child still innocent, show him his proneness to sin, and his need of a Saviour, and sow in him the seeds that shall ripen unto everlasting life. Oh! let us do thus, and we shall be fellow-labourers with God, ministers of his grace, workers that shall be blessed in our deed. And finally, are any of us parents? If so, we are bound, notwithstanding the responsibilities of godparents, teachers, ministers, to look well to the ways of our children, to show them, both by example and precept, the thing that is right, and to turn in the right direction the steps that have just entered on the path of life. "In the morning sow thy seed, in the evening withhold not thy hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good3." 1 Baptismal Service. 2 1 Pet. iv., 10. 3 Eccles, xi., 6. THE SUNDAY AFTER CHRISTMAS DAY. THE EPISTLE. Gal. iv. 1 to 7. NOW I say, That the heir, as long | Son, made of a woman, made under as he is a child, differeth nothe law, thing from a servant, though he be lord of all: 2 But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. 3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: 4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his 5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. 6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. 7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. The Apostle here draws a comparison between the minority of an heir to a great worldly estate, and the minority of man in his spiritual character. The heir to a great worldly estate, “ as long as he is a child,” “is under tutors and governors, until the time appointed of the father," and when that time comes he takes possession. So also were those Jews, in a spiritual sense, children, who, before they embraced the Gospel, "were in bondage under the elements of the world," which taught but the beginnings of knowledge. But when the fulness of the time was come in which this spiritual minority should cease, “God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem all Jews that were under the law," as well as all Gentiles that were in a state of still more abject bondage, that all might "receive the adoption of sons." And as the inheritance of a worldly heir is a great worldly estate, with all its profits and privileges, so is the spiritual inheritance of the adopted child of God a rich, heavenly possession; an entrance of the Spirit of God into the heart; and an entrance of the spirituallyminded disciple, after death, into the presence of his God. It appears, then, from the Epistle for the day, that the spiritual minority of man did, as at this time, cease; and that to the Son of God, sent, as at this time, to terminate his spiritual minority, the glory of the great deliverance is due. "The time appointed of the Father" for this glorious consummation, was the time of Jesus Christ's appearance. The Jews before this were 66 under tutors and governors," and these tutors and governors were their rites and ceremonies, their statutes and sacrifices, which taught them certain rudiments of heavenly knowledge; kept them under strict discipline; and gave them a shadowy outline of many good and spiritual things to come. The Gentiles, equally with the Jews the intended heirs of the promise, were involved in still greater spiritual darkness; were in much more abject "bondage under the elements of the world;" and though heirs of a most glorious inheritance, were slaves, servile slaves, to their own hearts' lusts. But the time of the termination of the minority drew on, and at last came fully to pass. Christ was revealed the hope of glory. "To them which sat in the region and shadow of death, light did spring up1." "The darkness had covered the earth, and gross darkness the people;" but "the Lord arose upon them, and his glory was seen upon them;" "a light that lightened the Gentiles, and the glory of God's people Israel3. Be it then a subject of pious joy, of grateful recollection, in every family, that the worldly elements of the Law and the darkness of Gentile ignorance have now passed away, and that grace and truth have been established by Jesus Christ. No longer does " a law of commandments contained in ordinances," no longer does a burden of obedience impossible, no longer does a bondage of sin unatoned, press heavily on the conscience, and harass it with misgiving. No longer is man without a knowledge of God, without means of grace, and without hopes of glory. No. A new law, a new sacrifice, a new system of rites and ceremonies have now arisen, and that which was liable to decay and perversion has at length vanished away. The Mediator of this better covenant, made in the likeness of sinful flesh, has now gone forth; furnished with his more excellent ministry and better covenant, offering us his easier yoke and lighter burden, and declaring his readiness to "loose the bands of wickedness, undo the heavy burdens, let the oppressed go free, and break every yoke"." And we are the slaves set free; we are among the children made heirs; we are among the sojourners in a strange country, privileged to walk at liberty, taste of the heavenly gift, and find the way that leads to everlasting life. As such, let us rejoice in our inheritance, live as becometh servants and children largely benefited at present and expecting to be still more largely benefited hereafter, and behave in our new character and in our several vocations, as we ought. Disobedience is sin; lack of love is sin; lack of faith is sin; dissension and discord are con 1 Compare Isai. ix., 2, with Matt. iv., 16. 4 Eph. ii., 15. 2 Isai. LX., 1, 2. 5 Jerem. Lviii., 6. |