" I send thee to the Gentiles (he says to Paul) to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sin, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith which is in me."* Take heed then unto yourselves that ye do not live below your privileges. And, remember, in every trial, that "all things are possible to him that believeth." ↑ "Then shall ye know, if ye follow on to know the Lord." ‡ Do not "limit the holy One of Israel;" repose an unbounded confidence in your unchangeable Redeemer, and you shall find by experience, that his is an unbounded love. He says, "all things are yours." § He hath shown, in his life, that there was nothing which he would not suffer for his people's benefit. How inexcusable then must his people be, if they dream of wanting any thing, now that he is made head over all things to his church. He never forgot the very least of all his little ones on earth. Be ye sure therefore, that he bears every one of you in his bosom, now that he appears as the Advocate of sinners before the mercy seat of God. Only let his enemies be your enemies, and fight against them in the strength which he will give you, and "be careful for nothing," but "cast all your care on him."-So doing, you shall find that he careth for you: his peace which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds; and ye shall be preserved "by the power of God, through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time." *

23

SERMON II.

CHRISTMAS DAY.

1 JOHN i. 1-4.

"That which was from the beginning; which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon; and our hands have handled of the Word of life;

"(For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested unto us ;)

"That which we have seen and heard, declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly, our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

" And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.”

THESE words are the opening of St. John's first epistle. Their import is much the same with that of the first sentences of his gospel. His business in both cases was to preach Jesus Christ: and he enters at once upon his work

by a description of his person.

states

The text

I. Who it was whom the apostle was about to make known.

II. His end or intention in making him known.

On these heads I purpose to discourse; for they will be found to comprehend the proper subject of this day's festival: namely, the manifestation of God in the flesh, together with the benefits derivable to ourselves from that great "mystery of godliness."

I. First then, St. John tells us who it was whom he was about to make known.

"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled of the Word of life; (for the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us ;) that which we have seen and heard, declare we unto you."

There are here three chief particulars; and if we take them in order, we shall have the apostle's whole doctrine respecting the person of Jesus Christ.

First, he says we declare unto you which was from the beginning."

"that

The Lord Jesus, therefore - " That holy thing,"* as he is called by the angel Gabriel, did not first begin to be when he first made his appearance upon earth. He was, though not "in fashion as a man," before the foundation of the world. So St. John had declared previously. "In the beginning was the Word." † And to the like effect speaks the prophet Micah, in that well known passage, the former part of which is quoted and applied to our Lord in St. Matthew's gospel. "But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old from everlasting." †

Secondly, says the apostle, we declare unto you the life," "the Word of life; yea, "eternal life." And in this manner, also, he had spoken of him in the first sentences of his gospel. "In him was life, and the life was the light of men."§ And with the same account of him he closes the epistle before us, earnestly beseeching us to lay it well to heart, as a matter of first

*

Luke i. 35.

† Micah v. 2.

+ John i. 1.
§ John i. 4.