and Whitsuntide, for holy rejoicing, on account of the birth, and of the resurrection of our Lord and Master, and of the coming of the Holy Ghost. But the devil has taken advantage of these appointed seasons, and perverted them to his own ends. He has daringly set up his standard against God's, on each of these great feastdays; it is sad to think with what success. I verily believe there is more drunkenness, more rioting, more wickedness of all kinds going on at these three holy seasons of Christmas, Easter, and Whitsuntide, than in any other three weeks of the year. My brethren, is this right? Is it better than a mere mockery of God? Is not it a downright insult to him, to come hither and pray to him with your lips for pardon, and to promise amendment, and ask his aid, and perhaps even invite him into your hearts, and then to go to-morrow, or the day after, nay perhaps to go this very evening fresh from God's house, to some place of merry-making, as it is called, there to do every thing which you have just renounced, every thing which God has forbidden? What can any one expect from such profane mockery, but that God should leave the man to himself, and suffer him to fall from bad to worse, until at last he sinks into that dreadful pit, where they have no rest day or night, but the smoke of their

torment ascendeth

up

for ever?

Would we

escape that horrible pit?

Let us shun all the paths which lead thither. Let us open our ears to the merciful calls to repentance, which God is ever sending us by his word and ministers. Keep. ing in mind how high a prize, how bright a crown is set before us, let us labour to attain to them, and so to enter into the rest which Christ has prepared for his faithful people.

186

SERMON XI.

THE ANGELS TEXT.

LUKE ii. 14.

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

SUCH was the text of the angels on the night of our Saviour's birth; and to that text our Saviour's life furnished the sermon. For it was a life of holiness and devotion to his Father's service, a life spent in doing good to the bodies and souls of all around him; and it was ended by a death undergone on purpose to reconcile man with God, and to set earth at peace with heaven. Here is a practical sermon on the angels text, the best of all sermons, a sermon not of words, but deeds. Whoever will duly study that practical sermon, whoever with a teachable, inquiring heart will study the accounts of our Saviour's words and actions handed down in the four Gospels, will need little else to enlighten him in the of

way

godliness. Nevertheless, since it has pleased God that faith should come by hearing, and hearing by the multitude of preachers, I will say a few words to you on each of the heads into which this, the angels text divides itself.

The first words of it are Glory to God: and a most weighty lesson may we draw for ourselves from the angels putting that first. A world is redeemed. Millions on millions of human beings are rescued from everlasting death. Is not this the thing uppermost in the angels thoughts? Is not this mighty blessing bestowed on man the first thing that they proclaim? No, it is only the second thing: the first thing is, Glory to God! Why so? Because God is the giver of this salvation; nay, is himself the Saviour, in the person of the only-begotten Son. Moreover because in heavenly minds God always holds the first place, and they look at every thing with a view to him. But if this was the feeling of the angels, it is clear we cannot be like angels, until the same feeling is uppermost with us also. Would we become like them, we must strive to do God's will, as it is done in heaven; that is, because it is God's will; and because we are fully persuaded that whatever he wills must needs be the wisest and best and rightest thing to do, whether we can see the reasons of it or not. We

must have God ever in our thoughts, just as most men have themselves ever in their thoughts. I do not mean that we should be always considering what God is like; any more than a selfish man is always considering what he is like himself. But the selfish man does every thing with a view to self, to his own pleasure, to his own interest, to his own profit and convenience, and no more dreams of crossing his own wishes, or his own will, than of cutting and maiming his own body This, you must be well aware, is the way most men look to themselves. Now I would have you look to God exactly in the same manner. why say, I would have you? The Bible would have you, Jesus Christ would have you, make a habit of trying to obey and to please God in every thing, and thereby offering and devoting to him all your daily doings. Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, you should do all to God's glory. Then will you be like the angels, who began their text with Glory to God.

But

The next branch of the text is, Peace on earth. Our Saviour is especially called the Prince of Peace, because his great purposes were to bring down peace to man, and to plant and foster peace within man. He brought down peace to man; for he came with a message of free pardon from the Father, to proclaim that God was