and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are, that no flesh should glory in his presence.'* "Such was the glowing and triumphant language of St. Paul, in his day, to the Jews, who were still requiring signs, and to the Greeks, who were still seeking after worldly wisdom. But we,' says he, 'preach Christ crucified; unto the Jews a stumbling-block, and unto the Greeks foolishness; but, unto them that are called, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.'+ "The triumphant language of the apostle has been fulfilled; his prophetic vision has been realized; and Christ has proved most marvellously the power and the wisdom of God in every age of the world since his own era. Yet how incorrigible is the heart of man when perverted! how obstinate in its errors! how blind to the noon-day, 'the light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun,' that shines around it!--if the question be still asked, 'Where is the disputer of this world?'-Thousands will, even to the present hour, hold up their hands unabashed, and proudly accept the scripture challenge. They go to Bethlehem, indeed, but they return as they go there: no heavenly music has sounded in their ears; they have seen neither angel nor Saviour; they went not to worship, and will not believe. The thing which is come to pass,' and which the Lord hath made known to mankind at large, they regard, not as matter of implicit faith and holy wonder, but as matter for the tribunal of their own reason. With insufferable arrogance they + Id. i. 22, 23. * 1 Cor. i. 20, 27, 28, 29. arraign the Godhead before its impotent bar; they measure the plan of infinite wisdom, the energy of Almighty power, the great mystery of godliness, by their own standard; and convict the cause of falsehood or of error upon the sole ground that reason cannot comprehend it. And hence, as in the time of the apostles, to some it is, in many parts, a stumblingblock, to others altogether foolishness; some, sitting in the seat of the scorner, would summarily enter a general verdict of imposture: while more, perhaps, not far off, though openly condemning one half, are yet ready enough, with an affectation of liberality, to acquit the remainder, on being allowed to put their own corrections into the inspired text.-Merciful God! great, indeed, was thy long-suffering that waited in the days of Noah! but how much greater is that which waiteth in our own day, overpowered as it is in such a diversity of ways with the profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called!'* "Let, then, the world go where it may,-let us go even unto Bethlehem. WHAT A LESSON IS THERE READ TO US ON THE EVIL OF SIN! In the dealings of God's providence there is no waste, and as little in the dealings of his grace. A masterly economy, an exact adjustment of cause to effect, is a striking characteristic in both. And hence, if the wickedness of the world could have been expiated at a less price than the sacrifice of the Son of God, never would he have left the throne of his glory to become "a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief." And what can more forcibly demonstrate to us the intrinsic enormity of sin, of sin of every kind, the utter abhorrence with which God beholds it in all its incalculable ramifications, its essential repugnancy to the purity and holiness of his own nature, than the stupendous cost of its atonement. Though armed with almighty power, God has not the power to forgive sin unconditionally; though his mercy is infinite, not a pang due to mankind could be remitted to the Son of his love: though Christ was God, and thought it no arrogancy to be equal with God,' the severe penalty demanded for human transgression was that of making himself of no reputation, of divesting or 'emptying himself' of his glory, as the passage has been more correctly rendered; of humbling himself to the fashion of a man, nay, to' the form of a servant,' despised and rejected of men;' and of becoming 'obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.' O wonderful concentration of harmonizing inconsistencies! God becomes man; the Everlasting Father a feeble babe; Essential Holiness a sin-offering; the inexhaustible Fount of all blessing and happiness is made a curse: without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness,' infinite the evil of sin. "Let us go also to Bethlehem, AND THERE READ A LESSON OF LOVE: of the love which God has so stupendously manifested to man; and the love which man ought to feel towards God. 'Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends:* but God commendeth his love towards us in that, while we were yet enemies, Christ died for us.'+ "It was love, infinite, exuberant love, that planned, from all eternity, the blessed scheme of man's redemption. Before guilt was contracted, or man was in being, salvation was provided for him; the atonement * John xv. 13. + Rom. v. 8, was ready before sin was committed. 'Lo, I come!' said the Saviour of the world; and in the volume of the book of heaven the engagement was recorded from the beginning: 'Lo, I come to do thy will, O God!' "And through the whole accomplishment of this will, love alone was the ruling principle. Every step was marked with it, every action testified it, and every word sealed it. His miracles were all love, inexhaustible, overflowing love: the most aggravating provocation could never turn the sweet current, nor rouse its gentle surface into a ripple. Instead of commanding fire from heaven upon his enemies, he breathed forth his blessing on them that cursed him, and prayed for them that despitefully used him and persecuted him; and died on the cross with the touching benediction of, 'Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do!' "But, O, the tenderness, the sweet and overwhelming endearment, the friendship and affection beyond that of a brother, which he poured forth to his disciples in the scenes of privacy and blessed confidence. When he weeps at the grave of Lazarus, who can help weeping with him? When delivering his last address to his beloved eleven-how melancholy that one should have fallen off from the original number! there was love in that emergency, O Iscariot, even for thee, hadst thou, then, like the overtaken, but soon subdued and penitent Peter, gone out, and wept bitterly.' Who can hear his touching address without melting? what heart but is all attention to catch every word as it drops from his gracious lips! what distress, but what comfort does he set before thee! how completely are his own sufferings forgotten and swallowed up in the agony that oppresses the faithful few around him. He sees them terrified, overpowered, broken-hearted; he beholds the tearful eye, and the bursting bosom, and the speechless silence. And, O! what a cup of cordial does he provide for them! never was so consolatory a farewell uttered, so rich a legacy bequeathed. 'Peace I leave with you: my peace I give unto you. Not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.' "And what our divine Master said unto his disciples at that time, he says to his disciples still, and will say to them to the end of the world. Let us, then, go to Bethlehem; let us see this thing which has now, more especially, come to pass; which is, at length, fully consummated. Let us learn the lesson of love which it so impressively sets before us. Let love beget love; the love of God call forth the love of man ;-love supreme, uninterrupted, overflowing, to him who first loved us; and love free, unlimited, and universal to our fellowmortals. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye love one another.' "Let us go, then, to Bethlehem; let us begin with the Saviour if we would end with him. Let us go even to Bethlehem, but let us not take up our final abode there. Let us follow the footsteps of our Redeemer from Bethlehem to Calvary, from Calvary to mount Olivet; from his humiliation to his exaltation; from his cross to his crown. Let us follow him from his first advent to his second; from the manger to the regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit on the throne of his glory.' Yes; to Bethlehem let us go; but let us catch the angelic carol of this holy season, and employ it as a chant for every day of our lives. He who thus unites with the multitude of the heavenly |