in remembrance, and is humbled within us." We are open to no feelings, but those of fear and shame, and confusion and abasement.

But such reflections, however salutary, produce strong and painful emotions. Let us turn, then, to the other consideration, and for a time fix our minds upon the great God of heaven and earth, and the relation in which He stands, so intimately and affectingly towards us. View Him, first, as the omnipotent Maker, Preserver, King, and Judge of the whole world; nay, possibly, of an infinity of worlds besides. Then turn to the insignificant atom in the universe, thine individual self, thy puny powers and sphere of action, and observe, how all things are conducted, and can go on, in all respects, as well without thee; and how, to use the language of Job, "men perish for ever without any regarding it." View all this deliberately, and then "enter into the rock and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his Majesty!" But regard the Almighty next in love, and mercy, and goodness, condescending to die for thee, to become thy Saviour. Behold Him leaving the realms of glory, descending from the heaven of heavens, veiling all his surpassing perfections in an earthly tabernacle of flesh and blood,-" found in fashion as a man,' -"taking upon him the form of a servant,”.

becoming obedient unto death," and that death, "the death of the cross." And for whom was this mysterious humiliation, this astounding degradation? For thee. For thee. For thee, the little, sinful, proud, rebellious tenant of this fair creation. That "Jesus, at whose name every knee should bow, of things in heaven and things in earth, and things under the earth, and whom every tongue should confess to be Lord, to the glory of God the Father;"- He who accuseth his angels of folly, and in whose sight the heavens are not clean, so loved thee, the ungrateful, fallen, and perishing creature of his hands, regarded thee with an affection so exalted, so intense, as to become "a curse for thee;" to be "bruised for thy iniquities;" and " though he knew no sin, to be made sin for thee, that thou mightest be made the righteousness of God in him."

Contemplations like these, extort from us that exclamation of the Psalmist, "What is man that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man that thou so regardest him?"-" Man, that is a worm, and the son of man that is a worm!" We sink, indeed, into our native littleness and insignificance, under such reflections. We see our true dimensions, and the guilt of pride. We perceive that we are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked." We kneel in grateful

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adoration before him "who scatters the proud in the imagination of their hearts, who putteth down the mighty from their seat, and ever exalteth the humble and meek."

F

As the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

FROM this day, our excellent church begins to direct the meditations of all those, who use her ritual, more especially to the advent, or arrival of our blessed Redeemer upon this our earth. The great mystery of godliness, "God manifest in the flesh," is, indeed, a doctrine of so much comfort and importance, that it must, in some degree, enter into all the serious and devotional reflections of the Christian. But it is the intention of the church, at this season, to lead her congregations in a particular manner, to the practical consideration of this mysterious event.

She presses forcibly upon our minds, the great purpose of Christ's coming in the flesh; and urgently entreats us to perform our part towards its accomplishment: she reminds us, that "the Son of man was manifested to destroy the works of the devil;" and that, therefore, at this time more especially, we should bring home this glorious truth to our own case, by renouncing those sins, which required so inestimable a sacrifice, and by not allowing "sin to reign in our mortal bodies, to obey it in the lusts thereof;" she implores us to "cast away the works of darkness, and to put upon us the armour of light;" she wills us to "embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life," which Christ himself has given us; she would apply the commemoration of his blessed advent to "turning the hearts of the disobedient to the wisdom of the just:" and all for this momentous purpose, that, at Christ's second coming to judge the world, "we may be found an acceptable people in his sight."

Such are briefly the edifying objects of the several services of our church appointed for the four Sundays, that precede the celebration of our Lord's nativity. It is my intention in the present discourse, to come in aid of so judicious a direction of your thoughts, by insisting somewhat more fully upon the nature of the motive, which she