At the time of his advent, and during his sojourn- ing on earth, the discovery of him was deemed a sub- ject of self-congratulation —
[As announced by the angelic choir to the shepherds, we behold him in this view : " Behold, I bring you glad tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people : for unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lordc." And how his Virgin Mother gloried in him, you well know : " My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour d." In truth, all who waited for his coming, looked for him as " the Consolation of Israel e." The delight expressed by Andrew and Philip, on their intro- duction to him, has been already noticed : and we cannot doubt but that all his Apostles, who so willingly left their all to follow him, found in him an ample compensation for all that they had lostf. In truth, the experience of Zaccheus must have pervaded multitudes, whilst they listened to his words of grace, and felt, in their bodies and in their souls, the mighty working of his power g — ]
The joy of his servants, after the publication of his Gospel, was yet greater, in proportion to the clearer discoveries which they had of his transcendent excellence —
[Behold the thousands on the day of Pentecost ! What a change was wrought on them by the revelation of Christ to their souls ! In the morning, their hearts were as full of all malignity as that of Satan himself: in the evening, you find them " eating their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, blessing and praising Godh." The people of Samaria, the Ethiopian Eunuch, the Jailor and his family, all, as soon as they heard of him, found the sure accompaniment of faith in him \ And what shall I say of the Apostle Paul ? No man ever had so much of his own to glory in as he : yet did he account it all but loss for Christ; yea, he counted all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus his LordV]
And is there any difference in the experience of his
servants at this day?
[None at all. I will appeal to all who know him. I will ask, Whether, in their estimation, he do not fully answer to " the treasure hid in a field ;" and to " the pearl of great
c Luke ii. 10, 11. (1 Luke i. 40, .47. e Luke ii. 25.
f Mark x. 28, 29. 8 Luke xix. 5, 0. h Acts ii. 41, 46.
* Acts viii. 8, 39. and xvi. 34. k Phil. iii. 1—8.