came into the world: "Sacrifice and offering, and burntofferings, and offerings for sin ;" that is, all kinds of sacrifices-" thou wouldst not, neither hast pleasure therein :" God henceforth rejects them; "then said I, Lo! I come,' &c.: "by the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the BODY of Jesus Christ, once for all." (ver. 5-10.) This one mysterious body was to involve all atonement, expiation, redemption-the substance of all typical sacrifices, and the final satisfaction for man's sin. "He hath reconciled us to God, in one body on the cross." (Ephes. ii. 14— 16.) "In the body of his flesh, through death.” (Col. i. 20, 22.) "He bare our sins in his own body on the tree." What must that body be which had such value-such destiny! 3. In this same human body Christ fulfilled all righteousness for us :

-In this he kept the law-complied with every injunctionobeyed his Father without error or imperfection: human nature was invested with sinless perfection, and the man Christ Jesus could and did demand as the reward of his just merits the justification of his people. Having fulfilled the law, that law has no more power to condemn us: "we are thus dead to the law, by the body of Christ." (Rom. vii. 4.) What must that body have been in holiness and value, which had virtue not only to atone for sin, but to justify the sinner?

4. This body was never to see corruption, but was destined to be the centre of power, glory, and worship, through eternity!

-It should die; the human soul should be separated from it, to prove that it was in all respects a real human body; "but He would not suffer his HOLY ONE to see corruption!" (Acts ii. 25—33.) It should rise on the third day it should ascend into heaven, and stand at God's right hand, "a glorious body." (Philipp. iii. 21.) There Stephen saw him! (Acts vii. 56.) In that splendour St. John saw him! (Rev. i. 13-16.) And so all will one day see him, "when he comes in his glory, and all the holy angels with Him,” &c. (Matt. xxv. 31.) Now we begin to see the mystery, the wonder, the prodigy of the birth of this little child, with a body dedicated to such marvellous purposes. But once

more

5. This body was to be the food of his people's souls during their earthly pilgrimage!—

In vain unbelief exclaims, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" We answer, "Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in

you!" (John vi. 52-58.) "The body and blood of Christ are verily and indeed taken and received by the faithful in the Lord's Supper." Of course, in a spiritual sense : Christ's body is now no longer "flesh and blood"-" for they cannot inherit the kingdom of God." (1 Cor. xv. 50.) It is "by faith" only that "our souls feed on him with thanksgiving." But how wonderful this mystical purpose of this body prepared! All heaven is filled with its glory; and all the Church on earth is sustained, strengthened, and retained in spiritual life by it, as by heavenly food!

Now, look at this Infant born in Bethlehem as on this day. See its little infant form—the emblem of feebleness, dependence, obscurity! Yet contemplate the purposes to which that body was dedicated-to be the habitation of the Godhead-to be the expiation of sin-the justification of God's people-the Ruler of all in heaven and earth and hell-and the spiritual food of his people in all their pilgrimage; and then say, is not this birthday a high and holy and happy day?

1. We may learn how this blessed season should be observed.

Surely not in carnal joy and unhallowed mirth! There is a time for the social affections, and domestic feelings, and infantine mirth, to circulate; but not on this holy day-it is dedicated to the contemplation of the greatest of all mysteries-the incarnation of Deity-for the most affecting of all objects, the redemption of sinners by Christ's blood; even in our religious joy, there is much to humble—to fill the eyes with tears-because of what sin has done; what then is the guilt and depravity of those who at this season plunge into profligacy, "rioting and drunkenness, chambering and wantonness," and plead that they are "keeping Christmas!" This is to turn the cup of salvation into " a cup of damnation!" to change the blessing into a curse! God deliver us from this wickedness! If we keep this day at all-yielding to the authority of the Church (which rests with every man's own conscience to do as he pleases), (Rom. xiv. 5, 6,) then let us keep it religiously-spiritually-devoutly-seeking God's blessing on our observances in Christ Jesus.

2. Let the Infant body prepared for Christ, and dedicated to such holy purposes, suggest to believers the consecration of themselves to God.

As of His body, so of yours; "it is holiness to the

Lord" you are especially entreated to consecrate it to his glory: "Present your bodies a living sacrifice," &c. (Rom. xii. 1.) And again, "Your bodies are the temples of the Holy Ghost," &c. (1 Cor. vi. 19): and not the body only, but" the whole body and soul and spirit." (1 Thess. v. 23.) This is one great object of the Holy Communion, always on this day administered: "here we present unto thee, O Lord, ourselves, our souls, and bodies," &c. If we are one body in Christ, and feed on him by faith, and are made partakers of his holiness, how cheerfully should we surrender ourselves wholly to him! "Ye are not your own; ye are bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's." (1 Cor. vi. 20.)

3. Let all the faithful expect an enlarged blessing in the celebration of the holy mysteries of this season.

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Every thing is blessed which points us to Jesus! Let us look to him-contemplate the love and innocency of his childhood-the perfection of his person, work, and officeshis deep humiliation and high exaltation-until our souls are filled with his love, and we "taste that he is gracious." (1 Peter ii. 3.) The Lord open our eyes to see his beauty, and to desire him;" to worship him with the magi and the shepherds; by faith to press him to our bosom, as did the aged Simeon when he saw his salvation," (Luke ii. 30) so shall we be able to sing " My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in GOD MY SAVIOUR!" (Luke i. 46, 47.)

"

XL.

THE BELIEVER'S PURSUIT.

Isaiah xxvi. 7-9. The way of the just is uprightness: thou, most upright, dost weigh the path of the just. Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O Lord, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee. With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early.

TO contemplate the eagerness with which all men are pursuing something which they esteem to be the chief good, we should conclude that the object of pursuit must be of inestimable value. Yet what is it? It is ambition, or wealth, or vice, or fame, or pleasure, or science! For these, men will expend time, health, life, even all that they

have! One person will devote his whole life to the pursuit and classification of insects, and another to the solution of some problem in natural philosophy; esteeming himself well paid if he can say at the close of life, "I have discovered it!" Not that we would depreciate scientific pursuits when they are made subordinate to higher considerations, or when they are consecrated to the furtherance of benevolent and religious objects; but when they absorb the man, they are sin! Oh that we could all be induced to study a science more profound, and to pursue an object more worthy of attainment, even that revealed in the text; to which we will now, with God's blessing, direct our attention!

I. THE OBJECT OF PURsuit.

II. THE METHOD OF PURSUING IT.

I. THE OBJECT OF PURSUIT :

-It is nothing less than God Himself: "We have waited for THEE-the remembrance of THEE-with my soul have I desired THEE-I will seek THEE early."

1. What a noble object of pursuit !-To know God, to become acquainted with him in holy communion, &c.

His works are wonderful: the earth, sea, skies; but if all creation is glorious, what must the Creator be?

Man is marvellously formed: the structure of his body, the power of his intelllect, the glow of his affections; what then must that God be who formed him out of the dust?

Redemption how gracious! that the Son of the blessed should come down from heaven to save sinners become a man of sorrows-suffer-die-rise again—and live to intercede for us: how unsearchable his grace! What then must that God of love be who devised this scheme-planned redemption took his own Son from his bosom, and sent him into the world for us!

We think of the glories of heaven-the bright and shining ones-the cherubim and seraphim-angels and archangels— the dazzling glories of that splendid company! But what must He be who is the source of all those bright things? the central sun-the glowing one whom all reflect! Oh that we could look off from attributes to Deity itself-from the rippling streams to the original fountain-tracing all goodness to its source-the deep bosom of the Almighty!

2. This has been the desire of successive generations of God's saints; this their distinctive character; this their

master-passion; to have an insatiable thirst for God himself: the more he has discovered himself to them, the more diligently have they sought a further and a more intimate acquaintance with him.

To know ourselves is a deep and important study; without it religion is speculation or self-deception: yet to know God is a higher study!

Christian experience (the operations of religion on our own soul, is absolutely necessary to salvation; yet this is all in all-to be acquainted with God!

How did Moses desire this! He had been in the mount with God, and entered into "the thick darkness where God was." God had spoken to him face to face, as a man talketh with his friend, (Numb. xii. 8); yet hear that servant of God crying, "I beseech thee, shew me thy glory!” (Exod. xxxiii. 14-23); and God said, "I will make all my goodness pass before thee!"

For this David thirsted: "My soul thirsteth for THEE, my flesh longeth for THEE," &c. (Psalm lxiii. 1, 2.) And so Isaiah in the text: "With my soul have I desired thee in the night," &c. This knowledge is eternal life: "To know THEE the only true God," &c. (John xvii. 3.) It is the Spirit of adoption. (Gal. iv. 6, 7, & 9.) It is one of the highest attainments "to be found in him, and to know him," &c. (Philipp. iii. 8-10.) How inestimable this knowledge!

II. Let us learn from the text-How THIS KNOWLEDge

IS TO BE PURSUED.

It must be received by revelation; God is clearly revealed only in his word: nor shall we find him there, unless his Spirit open to us the hidden treasures which are concealed beneath the surface; like the precious ore in the deep recesses of the earth. We must pursue this knowledge

1. With intense desire :

-The prophetic bosom seems to heave with the strong emotion: "My soul," "my spirit," my intellectual powers, and all the passions of my heart, "desire thee"--long after thee-covet thy smile-live upon thy favour! "As the hart panteth after the water brooks," &c. (Psalm xlii. 1, 2.) No language can exceed this in fervour and holy ecstasy. So the Church desires Christ: "I will seek him whom my soul loveth," &c. (Ca. iii. 1, 2, 4, & v. 6,) This is indeed enthusiastic phraseology: we must be enthusiasts; we must be impelled towards the knowledge of God with the same