God to him, and assure him that it is no hopeless task he is engaged in, but that however painful his own sins may have made it for a time, still the end is in the power of Him Who has come from Heaven to help him.

But this joy and this encouragement is only for those who truly receive our Lord and Saviour. To rejoice in this Festival as a mere worldly merry-making, is a wicked profaneness, too common indeed, but of which we need not now say more. May God give us all better thoughts, and keep all this day, and throughout this season, from forgetfulness of Him, and from sinful excess!

But there is another kind of rejoicing, which is not right or safe, and which too often comes to nothing. I mean that idle, careless sort of rejoicing in Christ, when men satisfy themselves that He has done all for them, and now they are safe, and have no need of fear or labour, but only to be quite sure that they are saved. And some perhaps think they have a good hope in Him, who do not even trouble themselves so far as this, but only use the thought of His Merits, and God's Mercy through Him, to still their conscience when it troubles

them, as though it wanted nothing but keeping quiet.

Now it would be well for such persons to consider the view given by S. John in the words of our text, of what Christ has done for us, "as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God." The word in the Greek is as plain as in our own translation. There is no mistaking what is meant, great and wonderful as it is, that it is placed in men's power to become the sons of God. He does not say "He made them sons," but "He gave them power to become sons." And matter of rejoicing indeed it is that such a power should be given us; but remember that a thing placed in our power still may not be ours, unless we bestir ourselves to make sure of it. It is in most men's power to live decently and comfortably in this world, I mean at least as respectable and well-employed labourers. But how many in every

rank of life throw themselves out of the good, and happy, and honourable way in which they might live, for the sake of a little paltry indulgence, that never satisfies them!

And just so men do in the concerns of their souls. Great and good things are put

in their power, but they will not go steadily to work for them. They will " spend their money for that which is not bread, and their labour for that which satisfieth not," instead

f

of sowing that which they would reap in Heaven, and being satisfied here with God's bounty.

Now this blessing, which is put in the power of all who believe in the name of Christ, is no mere outward thing, like worldly riches or honours, but a thing in the man himself, and between God and him, a thing that makes him really and eternally blessed, and as much above his own natural state as he is now above the meanest of the brutes, or the worm that crawls at his feet. surely no difference between creatures can be so great as that between those who are, and those who are not, the sons of God.

g

For

In the first place He "hath begotten us again unto a lively hope, through the washing of water by the Word,” some, as grown up persons, receiving the gift through the faith He had before given them, some, as children, to whom this great mercy was shewn in their infancy, that they were taken into His family.

But this is not all, for those who are thus 1 S. Peter i. 3; Eph. v. 26.

f Is. lv. 2.

received, and have become " partakers of the

h

i

heavenly gift," may yet fail of being found sons at the last. Our Lord bade His disciples forgive those who wronged them, that they might be "the children of their Father which is in Heaven." And S. Paul says "as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God," where, by being led, he clearly means obeying His leading; as he says "if we live by the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." Meaning that our life is the gift of the Spirit, but still after His gift of life, our part must be done, that we may walk in the Spirit.

This then is, through grace, in our power. In this let us rejoice, but so rejoice as those who see they have a great and inestimable advantage, and who are determined to make the most of it. One is ashamed to make such a low comparison, but let us rejoice. somewhat as a man does when he is put into a gainful and honourable business, and determines to pursue it with all his strength. O how much wiser in their generation are this world's children than the children of light!

And now let us enter on this part of the

k Heb. vi. 4.

* Rom. viii. 14.

i S. Matt. iv. 44, 45.

1 Gal. v. 25.

year, in which the life of the Son of God on earth is brought before us from His Birth to His Ascension into Heaven, in the earnest desire and hope that while we behold His glory, we may be transformed into His Image.

It is not presumption, but faith, to hope and strive that we may, with the aid of His Holy Spirit, and by imitating Him, form in ourselves some likeness of that which we see perfect in His most holy life, and that this likeness will be pleasing to God for His sake.

Let this, then, be the portion that we seek, for ourselves and for our children,— to become the children of God, and, having been made so in the first adoption of our Baptism, so to persevere in the life of the sons of God, as to be found His in the day of the final adoption of those who are "found in Christ," and of the redemption of the body.

Let us not only cast away the works of darkness, as children of the Light, but also follow up closely all works of holy obedience, and all appointed means of Grace. For Christ is in these things to aid and to bless us, though, since His greatness has been made known, He has hidden Himself, because we are not yet changed so as to be