we might expect, from the nature of the thing, that Christ coming to judgment would take an account, not only of all mankind, but in a particular manner of Christians. But, over and beyond this, Holy Scripture particularly assures us that such will be the case. It tells us that "unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required." It tells us that Christians are to be diligent in all good works, especially in prayer; and that "so much the more as they see the day approaching." It tells us, again, that we should learn to be " looking forward to the glorious appearing of God our Saviour;" that to "those who look for Him, He shall appear the second time without sin unto salvation;" that "when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is; and that every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as He is pure.

995

You see, then, that in reality it is a practical matter of the greatest consequence to all of us to have a true knowledge concerning the words and actions of our divine Saviour, when He was in the world on His first advent, and to be living accordingly; for agreeably to what He commanded us then, shall we every one of us be judged at His second coming in power and great glory. At His first advent indeed, He came as a Saviour. But at His second advent He will come to be our Judge;

1 Luke xii. 48.

2 Heb. x. 25.

3 Tit. ii. 13.

4 Heb. ix. 28.

5 1 John iii. 2, 3.

and a Judge how terrible! even a consuming fire, to those who have not truly repented and faithfully turned to Him in this life. And how many are there who have never done this! who really and actually live as if they were not at all mixed up in these things, as if they had no concern with them!

you

My friend, whoever you are, who continue living in this negligent manner, let me assure you, on the authority of the Word of God, that this carelessness, of itself, without any great positive crime, is enough to be your eternal condemnation. Christ, as your King and your God, claims of worship, veneration, love; claims of you that your heart be given to Him in this life; ; that you be His faithful and true servant, and live as such,not only mortifying all evil lusts, but also advancing unto perfection in faith, in hope, in charity, in love unfeigned, in all holiness. Now if you are not in this state at this present time; if you should die without having arrived at it, your salvation is impossible. It is expressly stated that "without holiness no man shall see the Lord." Christ, when He comes as a judge, must condemn you. There is no repentance in the grave. And in that state in which a man goes down into it, in that state will he come forth: the righteous unto life everlasting, the wicked unto torments eternal.

Oh, let us all dread so fearful an end! Let us flee for refuge to the hope set before us in the ever

1 1 Heb. xii. 14.

lasting Gospel. Therein, if we do but seek it in time, and not too late, we may find a strong consolation, and a sure anchor of the soul, which "entereth within the veil ;" that is to say, into heaven itself, whither Christ is gone before. "Yet a little while, and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry." "Yet a little while and, at any rate, our brief course will be over. But if we have lived a Christian life; if we have really, and from the heart, believed in Christ, our Saviour and our Judge; if we have actually made it the earnest effort of our lives to live according to His commands, in all things in which we possibly could, mourning over our weakness where we failed, but not ceasing our efforts nor casting away our confidence, then great will be our reward, even "a crown of glory, that fadeth not away.' "Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life."

993

Heb. vi. 19.

3 1 Peter v. 4.

2 Heb. x. 37.

4 Rev. ii. 10.

SERMON V.

THE JOY OF CHRISTMAS.

CHRISTMAS DAY.

LUKE ii. 10.

"Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people."

IT is a custom, founded in nature, and common amongst all nations, to observe every year those particular days on which any signal event, whether for good or evil, took place,—such, for instance, as the coronation of a sovereign, or some great battle; and the same is the case with individuals. If any particular event has happened to a man, it generally comes to his mind with especial force at about the same time next year. Thus persons are fond of observing, more or less, what are called anniversaries; as, for instance, the anniversaries of births and weddings in their own families.

Hence, too, it has come to pass that, although in Scripture there is no positive direction given to observe Christmas or Easter, or other festivals, yet from a very early period all Christians throughout the world have been accustomed to keep these

holy anniversaries; and this naturally and with reason. For if it is right to keep any anniversaries at all—if it is right in any way to bring to our minds a yearly memorial of blessings received, then certainly it is right for the Church to do so, in regard to those greatest of all blessings, which we owe to the Birth, Crucifixion, Resurrection, and Ascension of our Saviour Christ.

Those, therefore, who do not observe Christmas-day, on the ground that it is not commanded to be observed in the Bible, surely lie under a great mistake; for, not to mention that the principle of religious anniversaries is established in the Old Testament, we do many things which are not positively commanded in Holy Scripture, doing them naturally, that is, because nature and reason, even without the Bible, shew them to be right. And any person whose mind has not been very much perverted, must feel that it cannot be wrong, and must be right, to do all that lies in us, whether by anniversaries or otherwise, towards keeping up in our minds a remembrance of the great mysteries of our religion; and that, if the world has its anniversaries, the Church should have its anniversaries too.

Now the proper intention of the religious anniversary or festival of Christmas is, that it should raise in our minds a spiritual joy, by the consideration of the great blessings conferred upon us through Christ's birth. And such joy is a duty,