every man may welcome Him alike, and draw near and behold him "full of grace and truth." We are all looking forward to the day; we would not be debarred from the festival; we hope to mingle our Hosannas with the multitude of worshippers: O, then, let us employ the season in preparation, in bringing to the Lord our undivided heart: Jesus will be ready to receive us, with the promise of His mercy, and the tokens of His love: God grant, that we may all be ready for HIM; and be so refreshed with the celebration of His coming, that our affections may be more firmly fixed upon His everlast ing kingdom.]

SERMON II.

THE WISDOM OF THE JUST.

LUKE i. 17.

The wisdom of the just.

A short time before the Lord Jesus entered upon His public ministry, before He proclaimed Himself as the Saviour and Redeemer of mankind, before He preached his heavenly doctrines of grace and truth, and worked His miracles for the conviction and conversion of sinners, John the Baptist was sent to prepare His way, to prepare the hearts of the people for the reception of the gospel; to explain to them the great purpose, for which Jesus was come into the world. And

this was the more necessary, as the Jewish people, to whom He first preached and offered the word of life, mistook the nature of His government and kingdom; thought that His kingdom would be of this world whereas it was a kingdom "of righteousness and joy in the Holy Ghost;" a spiritual government over the minds and affections of men; a reign of holiness in this life, which was to lead to an eternal life of glory hereafter.

John, at his very birth, was declared to be the person who should go forth, as the prophets Isaiah and Malachi had foretold, to "make ready a people prepared for the Lord;" to bring them to repentance; to seek the Lord, not for earthly benefit and honour, but for the spiritual blessings which He was coming to bestow. In the verse from which the text is taken, this office of John is expressed in remarkable terms; " to turn the hearts of the fa

thers unto the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just." These * Isai. xl. 3-5. Mal. iv. 5, 6.

words are variously interpreted; they may mean, that fathers might be led to shew the best affection, even a spiritual care, for their children; and lead them, after learning themselves, to the knowledge and the way of salvation; that parents and children might be united together as a people holy unto the Lord, as a redeemed people, as the inheritors of Christ's everlasting kingdom. Or perhaps thus: that the children of Israel might be made like their pious forefathers; in either sense it implies, that every disobedient soul, every soul which had rebelled against the word and will of Jehovah, might be made sen sible of its lost condition, and be turned to the wisdom of the just.

Such was the unspeakable mercy of God towards the race of His fallen creatures. He not only provided them with the mighty means of salvation, but also sent His messenger to prepare them for it; that they might understand its nature and importance, and be disposed to ac. cept it; that they might be induced to

lay down the arms of their rebellion, and submit to the gracious overtures of love

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and peace. It would indeed have been enough to claim our admiration, to move our hearts, to fix our gratitude, if the offended Creator had only offered the terms of reconciliation to His offending creatures; but we see Him, in every page of the sacred history, in all His dealings and dispensations, not only offering, but inviting and entreating; begging, as it were, and importuning them, to come and partake of His mercy; to come and be saved. And not only may we be thankful for the divine favour manifested to others; (and for every such favour we ought to be thankful, for every measure of mercy vouchsafed to an immortal soul;) but we have also gratefully to acknowledge the same merciful dealing towards ourselves. The Lord would draw us from the path of evil and of misery, would draw us unto Himself, by every kind and gracious consideration; by the warn ings of His word and the abundance of