voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God." Such will be the awful circumstances, and such the splendour of the Second Advent. But there is one consideration, of still more importance than the pomp and solemnity of the scene; namely, that we ourselves shall form a portion of the mighty concourse, and shall have our part to act, and our doom to hear. "For we must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in the body, according to that he whether it be good or bad"." Short, then, as this life is, how important does it, in this view, appear! how much is to be done, and how brief the space to do it in! Let us, then, who have arrived at the beginning of another religious year, and who may never see its conclusion,-let us not add another year of negligence to the time which we may have already wasted in thoughtlessness or sin. Let us reflect, that the Lord whom we seek, may "sud 1 1 Thess. iv. 16. hath done, 22 Cor. v. 10. denly come to his temple '," and the door of repentance and mercy be for ever closed. Let us bear in mind, that as, when our blessed Saviour made his triumphant entry into Jerusalem, "he went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money-changers, and the seats of them that sold doves 2;" even so shall it be in the end of the world: the eternal temple of the living God shall be purified from all iniquity; for "there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life." Good reason, therefore, have we all to pray, in the language of our Church, which she has this day put into our mouths: 66 Almighty God, give us grace, that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life, in which Thy Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great 1 Malachi iii. 1. 2 Matt. xxi. 12. 3 Rev. xxi. 27. humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty, to judge both the quick and dead, we may rise to the life immortal, through Him who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, now and ever. Amen." SERMON III. THE DIVINITY OF JESUS CHRIST THE SOLE ST. JOHN i. 11, 12. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. WHO was it, we may ask, who thus came to his own, and was thus rejected? What, let us enquire, was his character and office; in order that we may ascertain his power to make us, as St. John tells us he is able to do-the sons of God. The individual here referred to, is, we know, the Messiah, the promised deliverer of the Jews. Now, the rank and dignity of that Messiah are described in prophetic language, with the utmost distinct "Unto ness, in the lesson for this day 1. us," says Isaiah," a Child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace." No words, surely, can give us a more exalted idea of the nature and office of him who was thus promised. These terms, as applied to mere man, would transcend the bounds of fair hyperbole, and amount to absolute blasphemy;—it would be ascribing to a creature those titles, and that rank and honour, which belong to the Uncreated alone. Accordingly, we find by the event, that it was not of a creature of which they were ever intended to be spoken; that the prophet was not here speaking "of himself or of some other man," but of him who was emphatically on earth the Son of Man, because, from all eternity, the Son of God, the man Christ Jesus. As 1 Christmas day. 2 Isaiah ix. 6. |