souls being saved^ and many brands plucked firom the burning.
Let us strive to be more like-minded with the angels. Our spiritual ignorance and deadness appear most pain- fully in our inability to enter into the joy which we see them here expressing. Surely if we hope to dwell with them for ever in heayen, we ought to share something of their feelings while we are here upon earth. Let us seek A more deep sense of the sinfulness and misery of sin, and then we shall have a more deep sense of thankful- ness for redemption.
Let us mark, fourthly, the hymn of praise which the heavenly host sung in the hearing of the shepherds. They said, ''Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards men."
These famous words are variously interpreted. Man is by nature so dull in spiritual things, that it seems as if he cannot understand a sentence of heavenly language, when he hears it. Yet a meaning may be drawn firom the words which is firee firom any objection, and is not only good sense, but excellent theology.
"Glory to God in the highest ! " the song b^ins. Now is come the highest degree of glory to God, by the appearing of His Son Jesus Christ in the world. He by His life and death on the cross will glorify God's attri- butes, — justice, holiness, mercy, and wisdom, — as they never were glorified before. Creation glorified God, but not so much as redemption.
"Peace on earth!" the song goes on. Now is come to earth the peace of God which passeth all understanding, •—the perfect peace between a holy God and sinful man«