of his Rou, who illustralerl all purity and condomoe<l Bl! iniquity; In (3) the death uf hie Son, who by the sncrifice of himaelf uttered God's thought Bn<l feeling Bbout sin as nothing else oould speak it, and struck it such a death-blow 81! nothing else could strike it. III. His DIVINE MERCY. (Ver. 60.) Many are the testimonies borne by Old Testament saiuts to tho pity, the patience, the mercy, of the Lord. But in Jesus Christ--in his spirit, in his example, and more particularly in his redeeming death and work-is the manifestation of the grace of God. "God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." In the gospel of Christ the pity, the patience, the magnanimity, of God rise to their fullest height, reach to their nublost breadth. IV. IlIS DIVINE F'AlTHFULNESB. (Vere. 53-55.) God, who made us for himself and for truth and righteousness, who has made our hearts to hunger for the highest guod, does not leave us to pioe and perish; he fills us with the "rich provision" of his truth and grace in J esue Christ. "As he spake unto our fathers," so he h81! done, granting not only such a Oue as they hoped for, but lme that has been to the whole race of man a glorious Redeemer, in whom all natious are blessed with a blessiug immeasurably transcending the most sanguine hopes of his ancient people. 1. Let our souls be so filled with the greatness and the goodness of God e.s thns revealed, that we shall break forth into grateful song, magnifying his Name. 2. Let us return at once to him, if we yet remain at a distance from him; for we have no right to hope. and 'no reason to expect, that he will ever manifest himself to us in more attracti~e features than as we see him in the Son that was born of the lowly Virgin.-C. Vers. 58, 66, 67.-Joy and awe at a human birth. When John was born his mother's heart was filled with great joy, anrl her neighbours rejoice,! with her. And when the little child, a week olt!, was introduce,! into the Jewish commonwealth, ,i feeling of awe filled the hearts q_f those present, and there was much wonderment con- cerniog him. "Fear came on them all," and every one was asking, " What maoner of child shall this be?" No doubt the exceptional character of the circumstances attend- ing his birth and his circumcision accounted for the joy and also for the fear; but apart from all tlrnt was unusual, there was rca.son enough for both sentiments to be felt aod shown. At any ordinary human birth there is- I. OCCASION FOR IIOPEFULNESS AND GLADNESS OF HEART. .. The mother remem- bereth no more her anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world," said our Lord (John xvi. 21). And why rejoice on this occasion? Becauso of: 1. The love which the little child will cheris-h. Not, indeed, to be manifested in its very earliest days, but to be felt and shown before long-the beautiful, clinging, whole-hearted love of chi!Jhood; a love which it is fair to see and most precious to receive. 2. The love which the little child will call forth-the love which is parental, fraternal; the love of those who serve as well as that of kinored and friends,-this, too, is one of the most goodly sights on which the eye of purity and wisdom rests; it is one of the sweetest and most whole- some ingredients in the cup of earthly good. 3. The discipline which tbe coming of the child will involve. All parents have an invaluable privilrge, from which they ought to derive the greatest benefit. They may be so slow to learn, so unimpressioo- able, so obdurate, that they are none the wiser or better for their parentage; and in that case they will be something or even much the worse. Ilut if the " little child " does not "lead" us, it is our own fault and folly. 'fhe child's dependency on his parent, trustfulness in hfa po.rent, obedience to his parent,-do these not speak eloquently of our dependence upon, c,ur trustfulness in, our obcdie11ce to our heavenly Father? The love we feel for our little child, the care we take of him, the prnfouud regret we should feel if he went astray, the sacrifice we are rea,ly to make for his recovery,-doos not all this summon us, with touching and even thrilling voice, to realize the love God has for us his human children, the care he has takon of us day and night through all our years, the profound Divine regret with which he has seen us go astray from himself, the wonder[ul sacrifice he made for us when he spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us nll, in ord,,r to restore us to himself and reinstate us in our heritage ·1 And the labour wo nre necessitated to bestow, tho pationco to exercise, and the self- 24. TllE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. LUKE. [on. 1. 1-80.
denial and sacrifice to sbow,-tbese are essential factor1 In the forming of our character. We should not choose them, but we may well be most thankful for them. 4. The excellency to which be may attain ; it may bo that (1) of physical beauty or (2) of intellectual ability, or (3) of spiritual worth, or ( 4) of valuable service. 'who can tell what lies latent in that belpleaa infant? what sources of power and blessing are in that little cradle? IL OccAsION FOB REVERENT AWE, It may well be that" fear" comes on all those who bold their own children in their arms. For they wbo are entrusted with a little cliild receive therewith a most grave responsibility. It is true that nothing cnn remove the accountableness of each soul to its Creator for what it has become, but it is also true•tbat parents are very seriously responsible for the character and ~areer of their children. Our children will believe what we teach them, will form the habita in which we train them, will follow the example we set them, will imbibe the spirit which we are breathing in their presence. What shall this child be? That depends on ourselves. If we are only true and wise and kind, our children will almost certainly become what we ourselves are-what we long and pray that they may be. Joy and awe are there• fore the two appropriate sentiments at every human birth, When a child is born into the home, there enters that which may be the source of the greatest gladness to the heart; there also enters that which should make life a far more serious and sulemn thing.~