sent Him to GOD on earth in sacramental forms, He presents Himself in heaven with all the glory of His mediatorial merit.

It is strange to think of CHRIST, the King of Kings, the Son of GOD, supplicating for us poor miserable sinners in heaven, and claiming us as His own members there. Yet so it is. Our feeble prayers are uttered there by His Voice, which is mighty in operation. The power which is given to Him, He does not exercise by His own independent action, but by supplicating the FATHER, and receiving, by His intercession, glorious "gifts for man." How unspeakable a privilege is ours to know our personal interest in that all-powerful intercession. As we meet Him in Holy Communion, let us realize that He is making known to GOD the FATHER, our own special and individual want. Whatever our want may be He makes it known. There is nothing too small for His care! Nothing too great for His power! Nothing too easy to need Him! Nothing too hard to be accomplished by Him! He knows the desires of our hearts, and as He comes to dwell in us, He would fill every corner of our hearts with the echo of His omnipotent Voice. Every longing which He knows to be there, if it be not sin, is presented

by Himself before the FATHER as His own desire, for He ministers at the altar on high as our representative, the Priest to sprinkle before GOD the Blood of the Sacrifice of our Peace-offering, that our prayer may be granted.

Let us be careful, therefore, to join in the Holy Eucharist with self-sacrifice as far as may be, and with special prayer, according to our varying needs; for "if we suffer with CHRIST, we shall also reign with Him."* Every offering we can make of mind, body, or estate, if it be offered along with CHRIST shall share His reward. He is our peace. He sanctifies all that we can bring. The fragrance of His merit gives an infinite value to every act that is done in union with Him. His grace and benediction contain "the promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come," for all who will really plead with GOD by Him. If in this remembrance we did indeed "make suppplications, prayers, intercessions, and eucharists on behalf of all men,"‡ we might stay the flood of iniquity which is swallowing up the world. Though the plague be begun, yet let us do our part; let us bring our peace-offerings in the omnipotence of

2 Tim. ii., 12.

+ 1 Tim. iv.,

8.

1 Tim. ii.,

CHRIST to GOD, and for the Elect's sake shall the days of evil be shortened. Taste, and see how gracious the LORD is, feasting upon His Blessed merits now in this day of transitory life, feasting thereon in the knowledge that this food shall abide unto the morrow of eternity. Let not our act be wanting, nor our prayer of faith come short, whilst we confess the power of the merits of CHRIST to obtain for us all we can desire. With CHRIST SO near you, do not doubt. "Ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full."*

* S. John xvi., 24.

SERMON IV.

SACRIFICE, AN ACT OF PR

(Preached at S. Thomas, M. in Oxfor before Easter, 1860.)

"That He might be a merciful and fa things pertaining to GOD, to make reconcil the people."

We come now to consider the end for which sacrifices were ins propitiation. A subject this, full mystery! Every act of the wors mystery belonging to it, but this We can form some conception praise, and of thanksgiving, and of and thanksgiving naturally ascen every faculty of every creature to given life. GOD is our highest g understand the duty and the blesse Him, although our conceptions ca voices to the throne of the Most Hi ing Him we are lost in mystery, how the praises of the creature can

SACRIFICE, AN ACT OF PROPITIATION.

87

of the Creator. Prayer, again, we can in some measure understand, for our earthly relationships are influenced by somewhat analogous to prayers, and if men being evil give good gifts to their children, we feel a confidence, even by natural intuition, that the Heavenly FATHER will give to His children what they need, if they ask for it-a confidence which we are able to appropriate to ourselves, if we know that we are GOD's children in CHRIST. But in prayer there is a greater mystery than in praise and thanksgiving; for prayer is a voice not only ascending to GOD, but returning from GOD, and we have to welcome our own words back again glorified with the power of GOD, after they have ascended to His throne of glory. The words of accepted prayer rising on high, set in motion the power of GOD for works of love to us below. Here then is a deeper mystery, how the purpose of GOD can be changed by our prayer. But not so great as that which yet remains! When we reflect upon propitiation, we come to a subject which can have nothing analogous to it in any of the dealings of men. If prayer be considered as changing the purpose of GOD, yet we can understand that under various circumstances one course of action towards His creatures