habit of opposing and exalting himself against all that is called God or that is worshipped? If there is, let him hear the voice of a sin-hating God, and fear. Let him hear the voice which saith, My Spirit shall not always strive with man'." Let him hear the voice which saith, "God is not a man that he should lie, or the son of man that he should repent. Hath he said and shall he not do it? And hath he spoken and shall he not make it good2?"

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But God has spoken in tones of mercy. He is a God of love, yea, love itself, even "full of compassion and mercy, longsuffering, and of great goodness3." How condescending is it in God to speak to man as a friend; to expostulate with him, reason with him, wait his time, give him opportunity! Can the sinner resist his touching appeal? Can the wavering hesitate? Can the penitent relapse? Nay, can any that have tasted of his grace repent the step he has taken, and stop short in his onward career? Oh, no, God, not man, has persuaded him; “he who speaks in righteousness, and is mighty to save."

But, secondly, God, this benign, this gracious, this omnipotent, this reconciled God, hath spoken unto us! And we, whom he hath spoken unto, who are we? Worthy in any wise of such particular notice, such especial condescension? Impossible. We are weak, wicked, fallen, degraded creatures, and he is infinitely holy, infinitely good. "He is in heaven, and we on earth"." He is a Spirit, and we are flesh. He is the Creator, and we the creatures. And yet this Lord of Heaven, this Eternal Spirit, this great Creator, this "High and Holy One that inhabits eternity," disdains not to hold communication with "man whom he has formed," with man who is his enemy, and mocks him to his face. Oh, astonishing grace, adorable love, unparalleled condescension! Behold him speaking to Abraham, to Moses, to the Prophets. Behold him addressing a nation. Behold him conferring with a world. Hear him in his word, feel him in your hearts. Observe him reasoning, watch him expostulating; give heed to him promising, threatening, beseeching, admonishing; and then say, whether it is not really true, to your own everlasting content and joy, that God doth indeed "talk to man and he liveth"."

But, finally, although God himself hath in very deed spoken unto us, he hath spoken unto us BY HIS SON. Love, mercy, peace, grace, forgiveness, salvation, all are included in that one title, the Son of God. If God had spoken to us in all his omni

1 Gen. vi., 3.
4 Isai. Lxiii., 1.

2 Numb. xxiii., 19.

5 Eccl. v., 2.

3 Ps. LXXXVi., 15.

6 Deut. v., 24.

potence and all his majesty, coming, as he shall some time come, with power and great glory," making the clouds his chariot and walking upon the wings of the wind;" then indeed might man be affrighted, for he could never have seen him and live. But thanks to the infinite wisdom and pity of him who accomplished redemption, he hath spoken to us as God, and yet spoken in the form of man. Offended, justly offended as he was with man— and sinner, truly grievous sinner as man was—he not only condescended to speak to man, but to take his form and likeness, and "being found in fashion as a man," to become eventually "obedient unto death, even the death of the cross1."

"Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, good-will toward men," these were to be the results, sang the heavenly choir, of the appearance of a Saviour on earth. And truly does it picture his mission, not indeed as it invariably or universally is, but as it should always be found, and as it does sometimes appear. He came to speak to us on a subject that concerned our own happiness, our own eternal, unspeakable happiness. And he came to tell us that he could restore it, bring back the long-lost days of Paradise, make reconciliation between the offended God and the offending creature, change the corrupt heart, comfort the mourning spirit, teach the lesson of holiness, and bring the returning prodigal within the hope, the light, the sound, the fruition of salvation. And how has he done this? He has left us his word, whereby we may be taught, his ministry, whereby we may be admonished, his Spirit, wherewith we may be assisted "how we ought to walk and to please God." He has left us an example, that we should follow his steps3." He has left us a day, on which to remember him, a place in which to serve him. All these things he has left us; but, above all things, he has left us, as the most precious legacy he could possibly bequeath, his death upon the cross; the death by which he has ransomed sinners, and "opened unto us the gates of everlasting life." And this is the day, on which he first, in his incarnate form, appeared on earth. And wherewith do we now celebrate it? Not, it is to be hoped, with superabundant company, unusual merriment, immoderate feasting; but with sober, temperate, spiritual joy, "serving the Lord with fear, and rejoicing unto him with reverence," and, above all, listening with the most fervent faith and the most devout attention to the precious words that

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proceed out of his mouth, which still offer forgiveness, still offer righteousness, still offer a new heart and a new spirit, to every lost sheep that wanders from the fold.

SAINT STEPHEN'S DAY.

FOR THE EPISTLE.

55 Stephen, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,

56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. 57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,

Acts vii., 55 to 60.

58 And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul. 59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.

60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

Stephen, whose martyrdom we this day commemorate, was distinguished for his extraordinary faith, and those gifts of the Holy Ghost, through which he was enabled to work miracles, make converts, and silence gainsayers. Abundant, however, as was the life of this eminent saint in evidences of faith and holy inspiration, yet did his death, and some of the circumstances attending it, afford still more signal tokens of grace not in vain, and faith great beyond measure, of grace that triumphed over natural infirmity, and faith that worked mightily by love. Even in the awful hour of his martyrdom, this faithful servant of Christ could still be "full of the Holy Ghost," and of faith, and of charity. And in the midst of all his persecutions and afflictions, he could still, with the eye of faith, "look up stedfastly into heaven and see the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God." He could still "love, bless, and forgive his persecutors," and pray fervently, that "the Lord would not lay the sin they were committing, to their charge."

This example may be instructive at all times, but especially in times of tribulation. Those who are in the daily habit of enduring patiently much suffering and privation, spiritual and temporal, may take courage from the martyr's history, and be assured that, though there may be much to be borne by Christ's disciples, there can never be too much, with the help of God, to be borne patiently. Those, whose faith is strong, may dwell exultingly on that holy faith of the martyr Stephen, which, in a

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fixed contemplation of "things above," could thoroughly despise 'things on the earth;" could look up stedfastly unto a heavenly friend through the darkness of an earthly trial, and “fear not those that could kill the body, but only him who could destroy the soul." And those whose meekness and charity is on the increase, may dwell exultingly on the meekness and charity of him, who, as sufferings increased, could pray more and more ardently for his persecutors, and at a time when his enemies were devising against him cruelties innumerable, was ready to repay their malevolence with prayers for their conversion. Those, however, whose patience is as yet not great, their faith not strong, their charity not overflowing, may learn from this history the true mode of obtaining the spiritual gifts they need; may learn that they are necessary to salvation, and not unattainable.

In the family, more especially, must faith be set forth for an example, and patience and charity be exercised. A family is a little world in itself, where every good gift we possess will be put to daily proof, and every evil propensity drawn forth. In a family, as well as elsewhere, temptations abound, and trials occur continually, sin, more or less, has dominion, provocations are unceasing, and few there be, comparatively, that "walk in the narrow way that leads to everlasting life." Sometimes does it indeed happen, but rarely, that a family, as a whole, is “holiness unto the Lord;" and, oh! how spiritually bright is the place of its habitation! Like Goshen in the land of Egypt, there is light in that fair place. While all around is darkness; while an evil world, full of corruption and iniquity, envelopes the pathway of the penitent, and the course of the true believer, with obstructions and gloom; here does the brightness of "the Gospel of peace" shine with unclouded effulgence, and afford "a light to the feet and a lamp to the paths" of all that walk therein.

If such be really the case amongst us who are here present, let us take heed individually, as well as collectively, not to fall short of our profession in the world without. Our walk must needs be in the world; but let us walk with vigilance, with purity of heart, with holy fear. Let us go on our way, praying; let us pray while we go, watching; and Christ, besought in faith, will give the light, give the increase, give the blessing.

But if, on the contrary, it must in truth be said of us, that as a family, we are not of the true fold; then must there be a sore trial for each of us to undergo, before we can attain unto

Stephen's perfectness. There will be impediments to a first attainment of faith, patience, and charity-impediments to their progress, if they have already taken root and most trying tests of their stability, if they have reached a certain ripeness and perfectness. And, happy will it indeed be for us, if we can only feel, that, under any circumstances, we need never depend on ourselves, but may always look up for help; that we may have the glory of God for a prize, and the Son of Man on his right hand for a friend; that we may have One on our side who will sustain us in life, and in death receive our spirit. There is not, indeed, in these days any danger of martyrdom. Christian principles may be professed, practised, and gloried in; and no bodily peril can ensue.

But there are many other circumstances of a trying character, with which we are continually surrounded, and these must be met in a Christian spirit. And no easy task will it be to meet them thus. Pride will be the chief obstacle. Worldliness, self-love, uncharitableness, unbelief, will also offer opposition. There will be persecution, but it will be spiritual; danger, but not to the body; enemies, but not carnal. The soul may be almost overpowered. It may even be wholly overcome; crushed under the weight of its temptations; deprived for a season of all spiritual life. But there will be the motives I have already named to cheer it up; and as they enabled Stephen to conquer, so will they enable all other believers to return to the contest with courage, "fight the good fight of faith, and lay, hold on eternal life."

And thankful, truly thankful should we be, that our lot was not cast in Stephen's times, and that, without any peril to the body, we can bestow all attention on the soul. The soul must have its dangers-its trials-its enemies-and sanctify and purify it as by the grace of God we may, we cannot exempt it from suffering. Suffering is man's appointed trial, and suffer he must, whether he be a servant of Christ, or a child of the devil. But his suffering is his Father's chastisement, if he is a servant of Christ; and, if he meets it with the mind of Stephen, it will draw forth and prove his patience.

But it should never be forgotten, that the meekness and spirituality of this blessed martyr was accompanied with boldness and courage. He was ready to suffer for the truth, but he was determined to defend it. With his dying breath he could pray for his enemies, but with his dying breath he must confess