enlarges here upon the eminent token of favour, which this mission and the special manner of conferring it bestowed upon him, and expresses his astonishment that so important an event as the participation of the Gentiles in God's promise in Christ, should have been permitted to be announced by so humble an instrument as himself'. "By revelation God made known unto me the mystery, that the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the Gospel." "Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, was this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ." This day we celebrate Christ's first and visible manifestation to the Gentiles; an event which was afterwards followed by manifestations much more glorious; and as, in these subsequent manifestations, the Apostle, by special revelation, bore so distinguished a part, it was most appropriate to the festival to associate with it his commentary upon its subject. We who now celebrate it are Gentiles, or rather descendants of those who, when the Gospel was first preached, were Gentiles. We are positive living proofs of the comprehensiveness of redemption; experimentally blessed witnesses of the fact, that the Gospel has brought "good tidings of great joy," not only unto the Jewish shepherds, but unto all people; signs that to the Gentiles the Gospel has been preached, and that by the Gentiles the Gospel has been received. When the Apostle first preached the Gospel to the Gentiles, our ancestors, the inhabitants of this land, were in darkness and knew not God. But the revelation first made through the instrumentality of the Apostle, that "the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs," was in due time brought to this land; and from that period to the present, except during the dark ages, the knowledge of the truth has increased, and mankind has been made to see, "what is the fellowship of the mystery, which, from the beginning of the world, had been hid in God." As heirs, together with the whole world, of the hopes which the Epiphany has made manifest, but, in particular, as possessors of the nature and knowledge of those hopes, of which a large portion of the world is at present destitute, we, the members of a family professing godliness, have much whereof to give account, much for which to be thankful. And every individual amongst us is thus under obligation. The name of Christian, the possession of Christianity, the profession, 1 Acts ix., 15. 2 Matt. ii., 1-12 inclusive. whether nominal or real, of faith in Christ, is quite sufficient to create this peculiar responsibility. Let a Christian only compare his present situation with the situation of the Jew of old, who was also highly favoured. As the Jew of old, who had the law, was held to be more inexcusable, if he went astray, than the Gentile who had not the law; even so it is now. He who is now placed, through his knowledge of the Gospel, within reach of the dispensation of the grace of God, will be held to be more inexcusable, if he goes wrong, than he who is not. All of us, then, who are here assembled, have much whereof to give account, much for which to be thankful. Christ has been manifested to us from our youth up until now; he has been manifested to us in the Scriptures; manifested to us by ministers of Christ; manifested to us by parents and teachers; manifested to us, above all, by the light of the Holy Spirit. Has Christ, thus in so many ways manifested unto us, been received into the heart by faith, from the youth up until now? Or has the ear only heard him, but the heart rejected him? Does Christ reign in this household, as though he were in every sense its supreme Master? Or, does Satan disturb it with dissensions, and introduce into it the seeds of disunion, envyings, frauds, provocations, oppressions? Is there an evident impression on the mind of every one, that the knowledge of Christ is a trust, in which matters of everlasting moment are involved; a gift for which the thanks of every believer, both with his lips and in his life, are due? Or is it clear, that there is much misapprehension on this subject amongst us? that we make nothing more than an outward profession? that our affections are wholly fixed upon the world? and that we possess not any treasure in heaven? The life, the daily life of each of us, will be the sure and true test. The star manifested Christ to the wise men; and they followed the leading of the star, and were guided to Jesus. The Apostles, and especially the Apostle Paul, manifested Christ to Gentile nations, and many "believed with the heart unto righteousness, and with the lips made confession unto salvation'." So also "the life we now live in the flesh,” if Christ has in truth been manifested to our souls, we shall “live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved us, gave himself for us," and, as at this time, manifested himself to us. We shall live as becometh his true disciples; as teacheth that law, which he hath delivered, as moveth that gratitude, which he by his 2 Gal. ii., 20. 1 Rom. x., 10. love stirreth up within us. action of our lives, every movement of our souls, conformable to his will. We shall live altogether to the glory of God; live in constant communion with heaven; live in sweet intercourse with the children of God; live in a state of separation, although not of alienation, from the world. We shall strive to make every In particular, we shall not forget that many around us, although disciples by profession, know not God; and that many far from us, even heathens and Gentiles innumerable, have never been told that a Saviour has come into the world. To these Gentiles and nominal believers we shall deem it a prominent duty, so far as our means and opportunities go, to assist in extending a true knowledge of Christ, and so bringing them out of their present darkness into the marvellous light of the Gospel. And for this there is every encouragement. Christ will assist us; Christ will reward us; Christ will give the increase. In all that we do for ourselves, in all that we undertake for others, his grace, if our faith fails not, will be with us, and his grace will be sufficient for us. And when we presently kneel down to pray, may we strive that so it may be; that our perception on all these points, if in any respect heretofore clouded, may speedily be cleared up; that our energies may be quickened, our desires spiritualized, and Christ, so long manifested to us, for the future really dwell in us, and make his love perfected in us. THE FIRST SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY. I BESEECH you, therefore, bre-given unto me, to every man that 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God. 3 For I say, through the grace is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. 4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: 5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. In the exhortation with which this Scripture opens, allusion is evidently made to the prescribed Jewish ordinance of propitiating God by sacrifice. On the appointed day the beast was slain, the blood poured out, the body offered in sacrifice. And when this was done, the worshipper was held to be clean, his sin blotted out, and an offended God propitiated. And this expiation was accounted effectual, because the sacrifice was a holy sacrifice, the victim an innocent victim, the life offered a life free from sin. The Apostle intimates, that a Christian, like this sacrifice, must be holy, if he would be acceptable with God; and declares, that the body must be a living sacrifice, the life a dedicated offering, the members servants of God, and agents in all works of faith and labours of love. But not only does the Apostle inform the Romans that their bodies must be wholly given up, and specially consecrated to spiritual services, but their souls also. "Be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God." As if he had said, "be no longer the worldly-minded people you once were, but in token of your professed subjection to the spiritual religion you have adopted, change your conduct and conversation altogether, that ye may prove, experimentally to yourselves, and practically to the world, that you are new men; new in mind, new in faith, new in every thing. Your souls will thus be the prompters of your bodies in all things pertaining to the service of Christ, and your bodies the willing ministers of your souls in all the works of godliness." Careful, then, to guard them against a fall, or any kind of inadvertency or imperfection, the Apostle wisely reminds these faithful converts of their danger, and tells them, that they must not "think of themselves more highly than they ought to think, but soberly, according as God has dealt to every man the measure of faith." And he gives two good reasons for this prudent advice. He tells them, first, that "God has dealt to every man his measure of faith;" or, in other words, that he has given to every man his faith, and whatsoever other spiritual gifts he possesses. And he tells them, secondly, that all their spiritual gifts have been given them for the benefit of one another. "For as we have many members, and all members have not the same office, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another." To all these points, severally and in order, let us now direct, with a special view to edification, our particular attention. First, then, we are besought to "present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is our reasonable service." And what does this intimate to us? That we should employ our bodily members, as much as may be, in works of faith and labours of love, not polluting them beyond measure with worldly works and carnal pursuits, but giving them full occupation in ministering to our own spiritual wants and the spiritual wants of others, and doing the bidding of him, who is the great Master both of our souls and bodies. And he beseeches us "by those mercies" we have already received, by those blessed Gospel privileges, which, while others have been sitting in darkness, we have been permitted to possess, by those means of grace which we enjoy, by those hopes of glory which we anticipate. Surely these edifying and interesting facts will constrain us to be thankful, and to show forth our thanks and praise, "not only with our lips, but in our lives; by giving up ourselves, our souls and bodies, to the service of the Lord Jesus; and by walking before him in holiness and righteousness all our days." But what, in real truth, is our present actual situation with respect to these matters of moment? Are we duly impressed with a sense of the many mercies of God, at least sufficiently so to repent of sin, grow in grace, and go on unto perfection, sufficiently so for the good of our souls, sufficiently so for purposes of holiness? There is great necessity imposed upon us to be thus sensible of obligation; and woe be to us if we do not duly regard all that the Lord hath done for us. And oh! may we at last be touched and softened by his great love, the great love of a Saviour dying for us; and be rather warned by his goodness, than driven by his power, to flee from the wrath to come. But until we have If we are obtained this strong foundation of all true religion, a thankful sense of its gracious influences, let us be distrustful of our spiritual state; doubtful of our favour with God. If we desire to be "holy, unblameable, and unreprovable in his sight," we cannot be unmoved by an appeal to his mercies. careless whether our faith fail not, or whether it be in us at all, we shall "set our faces like a flint'," and refuse him that speaketh. What is our life? Are our bodies living sacrifices? Are all our members sanctified, and made meet for the master's use? Does each member discharge its office of dutiful love? Does each faculty of the mind yield itself up as an offering consecrated to one great purpose? Remember, "Christ bare our 1 Isai. L., 7. |