The Manhood of Christ is set forth in the statement, that he visited earth in great humility. Great humility, that He who was God, should for our sakes be made man, live a life of pain and suffering, and end it in agonies and shame. Example, Matt. xi. 29. Luke xxii. 27. John xiii. 13—15.

The Godhead of Christ is declared in two things-1st. That He shall come to judge the quick and dead. This was an office (Is. ix. 7.) and title (Micah v. 1.) of Jesus Christ, i. e. of Judge-2nd. That He lives and reigns with the Father, and the Spirit, and is therefore equal with them, as He Himself says. John xv. 26; x. 30.

Note. That this Collect reminds us of the second coming of Jesus Christ.

LESSON. We are to show by our pureness of living that our christian profession is not an empty name.

The Epistle enumerates some of the works of darkness, which we must cast off, and urges that the time is short. The Gospel exhibits our Saviour in his great humility-when He comes again, none will ask, "Who is this?"

SECOND SUNDAY IN ADVENT.

WORDS TO BE EXPLAINED :-CAUSED-SCRIPTURES-SUCH-WISE-MARK-DIGEST

EMBRACE.

What truth do we assert in the first sentence of this Collect ?—That the Bible is the word of God-written for our instruction, especially in heavenly things. Is. xxxiv. 16; John v. 39; 2 Tim. iii. 16.

For what do we pray?—That we may hear and read the Scriptures in a right manner, i.e., taking notice of, remembering and meditating on what is preached and explained of God's Word, and on what we read of it.

"Hear them"-like those who received the seed in "an honest and good heart." Luke viii. 15.-Read them. "Like the noble Bereans. Acts. xvii. 10, 11.-"Inwardly digest." As food properly taken, strengthens and nourishes the natural body, so in like manner the Divine doctrines, precepts and promises invigorate the soul. Job. xxiii. 12. Ps. cxix. 103. 1 Peter ii. 2.

The blessings following are pointed out, viz.: patience and comfort.

And we offer this petition to the end, that our faith may be so strengthened, that having embraced the hope of the Gospel, we may never let it go.

LESSON.-The duty of searching the Scriptures, and the benefits resulting therefrom.

The Epistle gives a glorious view of the work of the Scriptures in the heart and the world hope, brotherly union, the universal spread of the Gospel, joy and peace.

THIRD SUNDAY IN ADVENT.

WORDS TO BE EXPLAINED:-MESSENGER-STEWARDS-MYSTERIES-JUST

ACCEPTABLE.

To whom is this Collect addressed ?-Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Who was his messenger ?-Prophesied of by Isaiah. Is. xl. 3.

What did he especially preach ?-Repentance. Matt. iii. 2. Mark i. 4. Luke iii. 4. Belief in Christ. Luke iii. 16—17. John i. 15, 29.

A professed belief in Christ is without value, unless accompanied by sincere repentance.

For whom do we pray?—The ministers of the Gospel.

St. Paul asked the prayers of the Church on behalf of himself and other apostles. Rom. xv. 30-32. 2 Cor. i. 11. Heb. xiii. 18. Col. iv. 3.

For what do we pray on their behalf?—That their ministrations may be blessed to the conversion of sinners.

Is a blessing stated to attend on the preaching of the Gospel ?-Acts ii. 41. 1 Cor. xv. 1, 2.-See also the parable of the sower :-Its great importance, as the means whereby the concluding aspiration of the Collect may be realized, is set forth in Romans x. 14.

Observe that the word "we" in the Collects has a comprehensive meaning-it refers not only to ourselves as individuals, personally trusting in Christ, faithfully and humbly believing we are his by adoption, but the prayer is offered for all men, and being so offered, should be followed by zealous exertion on our part. that " we "i. e. all men, should have the Gospel preached to them, and be rendered an "acceptable people."

LESSON.—The infinite importance of the preaching of the Gospel, and the duty of praying for those to whom this charge is committed.

The Epistle points out the estimation in which we are to hold our ministers. The Gospel gives us the character of John the Baptist, the messenger spoken of in Collect.

FOURTH SUNDAY IN ADVENT.

WORDS TO BE EXPLAINED:-SUCCOUR-SORE LET-BOUNTIFUL-SATISFACTION.

What do we here pray for ?-1st. That God would be with us, to help us with his mighty power. This help is promised, Is. xli. 14; xliv. 3. It was a parting promise of the Saviour, Luke xxiv. 49. John xiv. 16, 17.

For what purpose do we offer this prayer?-That we may be enabled to run the race set before us.

What does this race signify?—1 Cor. ix. 24. Heb. xii. 1; Col iii. 24.

We confess we are hindered in the running of it, by our sins and wicked

ness.

What do we next pray for ?-2nd. That God will help and deliver us speedilyFrom what? The obstructions raised by our own sins. See Prov. iii 21-26 Rom. vii. 18. And all this is asked for, through the satisfaction of our Saviour. What do we understand by this satisfaction?-The sacrifice of Himself for us. Heb. vii. 27; x. 12.

LESSON.-The need we have of God's grace and power, to help us in our christian

course.

CHRISTMAS DAY.

WORDS TO BE EXPLAINED:-NATURE-REGENERATE-ADOPTION-GRACE

RENEWED.

In this Collect we state, 1st. Our belief in Christ as God; He took 66 our nature upon Him." John i. 14. 2nd. The manner of that incarnation-"born of a pure virgin." Is. vii. 14; Luke ii. 5, 7. "Only begotten Son of God." Prov. viii. 22

-31. John iii. 16.

Christ is the Son of God by right, we are the sons of God, but by adoption and favour; the blessing is purchased for us by Christ. Rom. viii. 14, 16, 17 Gal. iv. 47. Eph. ii. 18.

What is meant by "regenerate"?-Being born again; see our Lord's Sermon to Nicodemus.

For what do we here pray?-To be daily renewed by the Holy Spirit, i. e. strengthened spiritually. 2 Cor. iv. 16. Eph. iv. 23, 24. 1st. With might. Eph. iii. 16. To resist temptation, &c. Eph. vi. 10. 2nd. In knowledge. Col. iii. 10. To understand the things of God. John xiv. 26. 1 John ii. 20. 3rd. In love to God. Eph. iii. 17. As showing most perfectly our faith in Him. 1. John v. 2. Thus fitting our bodies as living temples to the Lord. Eph. ii. 21, 22. What we ask for, we supplicate in the name of the Holy Trinity, "ever one God world without end."

LESSON. Our souls need a daily supply of spiritual food.

Both Epistle and Gospel set forth the Deity and Manhood of Christ, the onlybegotten Son of God; the Creator, the life, the light, the Judge of men, yet made flesh, and dwelling among us.

THE

Church of England

SUNDAY SCHOOL QUARTERLY

MAGAZINE.

SEPTEMBER, 184 9.

The Teacher in his Closet.

THE MAJESTY AND MERCY OF GOD.

In the present imperfect state of our minds, when man attempts to contemplate God, he is but bewildered in the vast extent of the ́subject, and lost in the maze of ideas presented on all sides to his view. It is therefore interesting and instructive to fix the attention for a time on one particular point, and try to form a distinct conception of some one aspect in which the Deity may be regarded by us. Let us then make a few simple observations on his peculiar attributes of Majesty and Mercy, and by the collection of some of the most striking passages in Holy Writ, draw attention especially to the remarkable combination of the two, a subject which will I trust be found to have some distinctive bearing on the work in which we are engaged.

That the Great Framer of the world and ruler of man should be a being of majesty, is a notion which has ever found a place in the heart of man. But this essential attribute has generally assumed the form of an arbitrary authority, and sometimes degenerated into that of a stern and unfeeling tyranny. The combination of that mercy, whereby God as a Father pities his children, with this sovereign majesty, has been but seldom conceived: the two are, however, in reality closely connected: for true majesty is inconsistent with cruelty, and the dignity of a king or judge is perhaps never more remarkably seen than in the respite of a criminal, provided that the ends of justice be answered. It was from the Bible man first learned this doc

P

trine so full of comfort and encouragment. Indeed the number of the passages in which the two attributes are expressly named, or illustrated in juxta-position, shows the beautiful harmony of the christian scheme amid apparent contrast, and appears to place this notion of our God ever anew before us, as eminently worthy of our contemplation.

Thus at the very beginning of the history of our race, when the divine command had been violated, and in consequence punishment had been required and decreed on our guilty parents for the vindication of the divine majesty, mercy simultaneously asserted her sway, and set before them the hope of Him who should bruise the serpent's head. Their shame had overwhelmed them with a consciousness of the majesty of the Lord God when they heard his voice walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and were compelled to shrink under his searching examination, but now they might feel how, although outcasts from his presence, they were not abandoned by his love; and utterly wretched as the world was in itself, yet mercy still lived to guide them through to the end. In like manner we see the mighty God, while denouncing wrath against the rebellious cities of Sodom and Gomorrha, yet vouchsafing the most gracious condescension to Abraham, and in that wonderful manifestation of mercy allowing the creature who was "but dust and ashes," to plead with his Maker face to face.

When Moses prayed "shew me thy glory," that glory was shewn by the divine answer, actually to consist in making his goodness to pass before him; * and the favoured man of God, whose eyes might not behold the radiance of divinity, was permitted, hidden by the hand of God, to look on the more tolerable splendour of his back parts, while the voice of God proclaimed himself as "the Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth."

That portion of the Bible in which this idea is most frequently and forcibly developed is the book of Psalms, where we see (Psalm lxiii. 2.) how David found God's "power and glory" in that "loving-kindness which is better than life." In Psalm xlvii. the Psalmist brings it before us with the abruptness of those striking words "The Heathen raged, Kingdoms were moved; He uttered his voice, the earth melted. The Lord of hosts is with us &c., Psalm lxviii. 4. Who is "the father of the fatherless and God of the widows but "He that rideth upon the heavens, whose name is Jah."! Does he employ all the power of his inspired poetry to sing "The waters saw their God, they were afraid, the depths also were troubled: the clouds poured out water, &c. Psalm lxvii. 16-20. "The voice of thy thunder was in the heaven, thy way is in the sea and thy path in the mighty

* Vid. Stephenson on prayer. Exposition of Psalm xxii. 21.