~tood prosperity better than a,lversit_y (see Matt. xi. 2, 3). He does not appear to have wavered for a moment in his fidelity to the Lord whose way be came to prep!lre; be alwa.ye retained a true estimate of himself, hie work, and his Master. lo thw respect he we.s as wise e.s he we.s true, and we cannot do better thaCl emulate his wisdom, I. A TRUl!l ESTIMATE 01" OURSELVES. John knew that in personal worth anrl dignity he was not for a moment to be compared with Jesus. That great Prophet wbon, he wa.s preceding we.s "One mightier than himself," One for whom be was nc,t worthy to discharge the meanest office which the slave renders his master. In cherishing this thought· he was both right and wise. There is the truest wisdom in humility. To mistake ourselves, to think ourselves greater or worthier than we are, is to do ,,11rselves the greatest injury and wrong. 1. It is to offend God and to draw down some sign of his serious displeasure (Jas. iv. 6). 2._ It is to incur the disapproval aod hostility of our fellow-men; for there is nothing that our neighbours more thoroughly dislike on our part than an exaggerated notion of our own importance. 3. It is in itself an evil sod perilous condition, in which we are open to the worst attacks of our spiritual enemies. On the other hand, humility is acceptable to God, approved of man, and safe. II. A TRUE ESTIMATE 011' OUR POSITION and of the work we have to do in the world. John clearly recognized, and very distinctly declared, that his mission in the world was one altogether and immeasurably inferior to that of Christ; to those who would not have been surprised to learn that he claimed to be the Messiah be made it known that he was doing that which was slight and small in comparison with the work uf Christ. It is indeed a good and a wise thing for us to aspire to do all that God gives us the capacity and the opportunity to do. But let us take great care that we do nut, from pride or vaio-glory, go beyond that boundary-line. If we do we shall make a serious and possibly even a calamitolL~ mistake. Many that have done excellent service and have had great joy in the doing it when they have worked within the rang6 of their powers, have done grievous mischief and have suffered sad trouble when they have attempted that which was beyond them. Nothing but injury to others, damage to the cause of God, and sorrow for ourselves can arise from an over-estimate of the position we are able to fill. UL A TBUE ESTIMATE OP OUR LORD. That Mighty One who was coming should do the very greatest things. He would: 1. Act with direct Divine energy upon the souls of men-" baptize with the Holy Ghost." 2. Utter truth which should have a great testing and cleansing power; his fan would "throughly purge his floor" (see homily on eh. ii. 34). 3. Make a final distinction between the true and the fa.be : "He will gather the wheat into his garner," etc. No man who cares for his own spiritual and eternal interests can afford to disregard the words or the work of this great Prophet that was to come, that has come, that "is now exalted a Prince and a Saviour," giving redemption and eternal life to all who setk his grace and live iu bi~ service.-0.
Vem. 21, 22.-God's good pleasure in us. There are some preliminary lessons we do well to learn before we approach the main one ; e.g. : 1. That piety will sometimes prompt us to do that which we are under no constraint to do. Jesus was not unt.ier any obligation to be bapt.ized with the baptism of r~pentance. Moreover, he co,1lu nc,t be s-aid to be enrolling himself as a disciple of John. But he felt that "it became him" to do what he did (Matt. iii. 15); probably his abstention would have been far more likely to be misunderstood than his compliance: hence his action. If we are earnestly desirous of doing everything we can in the cause of truth and righteousn_ess, we shall not stop at the line of positive commandment or of necessity ; we shall cons1de1 what it becomes us to do and how we shall best serve the purposes of God's love. 2, That God will not fail to maniFest himself to us in the hour of need. Again and azaiu he appeared in strengthening grace unto his Son; on this occasion, when "the heaven was opened,'' eto.; and when" his soul was troubled" (John x. 28); and in the garden (eh. xxii. 43). So did he appear lo Paul in the time of his necessity (Acts x.viii. 9; xxiii. 11; 2 Tim. iv. 17). So will he appear in all-sustaining power unto us in th<' crises of our life. 3. That in proportion to our true devoutness of spirit may we look for the manifestations uf GoJ's kinclnsss "Jesus ... prnyirtg, the bca\'cn was opcneJ." R/1 THE GOSrEL ACCORDING TO ST. T,tTKR [en. m. 1-!ltt.
'l'he mRin le~~on is that thoee who are God's true children ma.y bo a.ssured of his good pleasure in t.hem. l. Gov's ooon PLRA~TTRE IN HIii SoN JEsus CHRTST. "Thou art my beloved Son• in thee I. am well pleased." The eentimcnt of Divine complacency an<l gl11dnee11 I~ Jp1n~R Ch_nst probably had regnrd to: 1. 9u~ Lord's past earthly life, to the innoceucy of his childhood, to the mtegrity of all bis hfe at home, to the preparation he had been ~a.king in s?li1ary st~dy a~d devotion for hi~ )if~-work. 2. ~o his then Rplritual oon- d1~1on,_espem6:lly to his attitude toward his D1vme Father, his submission to bis holy will, bis rendm- to undertake whatever that holy will should appoint him, and, therefore: 3. To his sacred and sublime purpose, his intention to enter on that grent work which should issue in the redemption of mankind. It must have been no slight access of holy strength to tbe Saviour to be so strikin~ly assured of his Father's love and good pleasure 36 he entered on that most arduous and lofty enterprise. II. Gon's ooon PLEASURE IN us. We cannot hope to have for ourselves the measure of Divine complacency which w&e possible in the Person of our Lord. Yet in our measure may we hope to have and to enjoy the good pleasure of our heavenly Father. For us there may be: 1. Fullforgivene,& of the faulty past. Grieved with all that is guilty, and resting on the abounding mercy of God in Jesus Christ, we are freely and frankly forgiven; so truly and thoroughly forgiven that our past transgressions and shortcomings are buried from the sight of the Supreme; they do not come between our souls and his favour; they arc to him as if they were not; they do not make us less dear to his parental heart. 2. Positive Divine delight in our filial loyalty and love. Ju God, searching our hearts with pure and benign regard, sees in us e. trne filial spirit, a spirit of grateful love and of cheerful submission and of glad consecration to himself, he is glad in us with a Divine, parental joy. 3. Divine satisfaction 'With our purpose /or the future-our intention to dedicate our life to the service of God and to spend our powers in the service of our kind.-C.