disposed to smite on his breast and cry for mercy. His vain con- ceits of his own goodness all vanish ; and, instead of despising others as inferior to him in sanctity, he accounts himself rather " the chief of sinners." And it deserves particular attention, that the Baptist himself prescribed this as the very first and prin- cipal means of smoothing the way for the reception of Christ0. The next means, and that which renders the other effectual, is faith. This, no less than repentance itself, is an universal leveller. If repentance brings down the hills and mountains, faith exalts the valleys, straightens the crooked paths, and smooths the rough. Wonderful indeed is the efficacy of humble faith: it dissipates at once all desponding fears : the things which appeared utterly insurmountable, now become plain and easy: the blood of Christ is acknowledged as sufficient to cleanse them from all sin ; and the grace of Christ as sufficient to make them victorious over every enemy. It is remarkable that our blessed Lord, on his first entrance on his ministry, united this with repentance, as the grand, the effectual expedient for esta- blishing his kingdom in the worldd. And his Apostles after him continued to further his interests in the very same way : they preached everywhere " repentance towards God, and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ."]
To stir us up to that exertion which is necessary, let us contemplate, III. The blessed consequences of their removal —
The manifestation of Christ's glory is that which ever did, and ever shall, follow the removal of those things which have hitherto veiled him in obscurity.
See how it was on his first appearance —
[The clouds which surrounded him, concealed in a measure the bright effulgence of his rays : his humble birth, his mean appearance, the contempt and abhorrence in which he was held, all tended to cast a veil over his divine majesty : yet even then his own more immediate Disciples " beheld his glory, as the glory of the only-begotten of the Father."]
See it more particularly after the day of Pentecost —
[Till that time his very Apostles saw but very imperfectly the nature of that kingdom which Christ came to establish : but when the Holy Ghost had opened their eyes, and had sealed their testimony on the hearts of others, what a splendour beamed from the countenance of our incarnate God! Then it was seen, that he who had been " crucified, was the Lord of glory," the brightness of the Father's glory, and the " express
c ver. 3. d Mark i. 15.