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النشر الإلكتروني

Our prayer should be continually, O God preserve us most especially from ourselves.

Again; God will come a second time, signally as a God of vengeance, when he comes to judge the world. All heaven and hell will view him then at the same moment, as a God that searcheth the hearts and trieth the reins. To apply the subject. The disciples were taught, and we likewise, not to rest their portion in the creature. It is said of the wicked, they have their portion in this world. Do not, my brethren, be uneasy at this. Riches are contemptible in the sight of God; so much so, that he lavishes them upon the wicked; but upon his people he bestows himself.

Again: there is a sense in which we ought to seek our portion in this world-we are bound to seek our own preservation, to be active and diligent in business and station; but in seeking our portion we must seek God, in the creature.

Again; the disciples were taught not to court the smiles of the world; these smiles are very dangerous, full of deadly poison.

Again; they also learnt this lesson-that they were not to dread the frowns of the world ; why? because God was their Saviour. Sometimes we are tempted to fear the world's reproach and persecution; but fear is the offspring of cowardice, and the parent of cruelty. Would

you tremble at the growling of a dog, had you a lion at your side to protect you? Oh no; you smile at the idea. Remember then your protector is "the Lion of the tribe of Judah." The world may threaten and injure, but I leave it all to my God; “ vengeance is mine; I will repay saith the Lord."1

1 Romans xii. 19.

Christmas-day, 1820.

SERMON XVIII.

THE ADVENT OF CHRIST, AS THE MESSIAH.

Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord.PSALM CXVIII. 26.

THE Psalms, if I may so speak, have a triple application; first, to David, as the type of Christ, then to Christ, and lastly to his church. The passage, as I have read it, is applicable to David as the type of Christ, and to the Messiah; a slight perusal of the New Testament will convince us of this. The ancient Jewish church looked forward to the coming of the Messiah, and especially they were expecting him about the time of Christ's coming: even those who were merely professors, looked forward to the Messiah, as to a great prophet. John did not at first know who Christ was, and accordingly sent two of his disciples to inquire if he were the Messiah; "Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and

show John again those things which ye do hear and see; the blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me." 1 The expression, "he that should come," was applied to the Messiah. After the miracle of the loaves and the fishes, the multitude said, "this is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world." We have then to consider, the advent of the Messiah; as God, it is impossible he can move from one place to another, who fills all space and eternity with his presence. He is at times, in scripture, said to come, to judge his enemies; at others, to deliver his people. Let us compare a few passages to shew that the Messiah, who was to come, was Christ. I would lead the young to see that the Deity of Christ is clearly revealed, and I would furnish them with arguments against Socinians. Mark what is said of the Messiah coming, "But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the

Matt. xi. 3-6.

wicked."—Isaiah xi. 4. Compare this with 2 Thess. ii. 8: "And then shall that wicked one be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming." And again, compare this with Rev. ii. 16, "Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against thee with the sword of my mouth." These prove that the advent alluded to, is that of Messiah, as man. His advent is to seek and to save such as were lost: his advent was as "a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief: " he came as a son and as a child; yes, he came as the Son of God and the son of man ; perfect God and perfect man. It is written, 'great is the mystery of godliness; God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory."

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Again-He came to bear the curse of the law, and to atone for the sins of his people. He came to bear the curse of the law, which we had violated,—that he might atone for all our sin,―actual and original. He came to atone for young and old, for persons under all circumstances, that no one should be placed in

11 Tim. iii. 16.

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