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world, the Upholder and the Lord of all things, he can and he will make all the powers of nature minister to his just vengeance in the perdition of the ungodly. When his wrath is kindled, yea but a little-blessed are they that trust in him "."

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4. Yes-faithful Christians-blessed are ye who trust in him. Having in the fulfilment of the eternal counsel of the Godhead, and in the execution of his own gracious purposes of love to you, "purged," expiated your sins;" "he is now set down for ever at the right hand of God." There as your Mediator and Redeemer, in his glorified human nature, he is advanced to that almighty power and dominion, which in his divine nature as the Son of God he possessed from all eternity. Confide then in him and rejoice. Rejoice amidst all the temptations and sorrows that assail you. For he who commenced in the assumption of your nature the work of your redemption, now sits in majesty and glory at the right hand of the Father, to consummate by his power the work which he has begun. Your Saviour is the Creator of the worlds. He will make them all subservient to the salvation of his redeemed. Your Redeemer, Christians, is the Upholder and Lord of all things; he will rule them all for the good of his Church and people.

" Psalm ii. 12.

Exalted above all his enemies on a throne that endureth for ever and ever, he exercises the sceptre of his kingdom for the defence of those who submit to its righteous sway. If you,

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brethren, are of this number; if you are not only in name, but in deed and in truth the followers of the Lord Jesus; "what can hurt you or make you afraid." For "all things are yours," in that Redeemer with whom by an obedient faith you are united; and who exercises sway over all things, that he may make them "work together for your good." When he rolls the heavens together and makes them depart as a scroll; when before the flames kindled by the breath of his displeasure, the earth is burned up, and passes away; he will still remain-your Redeemer, your Ruler, your Lord. And, sustained by his power, you shall remain, amidst the departing of the heavens, the passing away of the earth -you shall survive the dissolution of all things, and be with him for ever in his eternal and glorious kingdom, where with the Father and "the Holy Ghost he lives and reigns ever one God, world without end."

1 Cor. iii. 21.

r Rom. viii. 28.

SERMON XIV.

THE WORD.

[A CHRISTMAS SERMON.]

JOHN i. 1-14.

1. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2. The same was in the beginning with God.

3. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

4. In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

5. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

6. There was a man sent from God whose name was John.

7. The same came for a witness to bear witness of the light, that all men through him might believe.

8. He was not that light, but was sent to bear witness of that light.

9. That was the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

10. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

11. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 12. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his

name.

13. Which were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

14. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father) full of grace and truth.

THESE Words afford a luminous and forcible delineation of the character and offices of Jesus Christ. His pre-existence, his divinity, his incarnation, his glorious character and offices— those truths which constitute the life of the Christian system, without which it would be only a comfortless code of morals; satisfying neither the doubts, nor allaying the fears of guilty man, shine forth in this passage with a lustre not to be darkened by prejudice, and not to be evaded by sophistry.

As then the Church, with admirable propriety, appoints this passage as the Gospel for this holy day, when she celebrates the joyful news of the birth of a Saviour who is Christ the Lord, it is proper you should understand its interesting import. And with this view, it shall be my object to explain and enforce its various parts.

The whole passage may be thus analyzed :-
The person spoken of, who is Jesus Christ.
His pre-existence from all eternity.

The title bestowed on him, and the declarations concerning him, establishing his divinity.

The exercise of his divine power in the creation of the world.

The testimony to his incarnation.

His advent in the flesh.

His divine glory and his exalted offices.

His reception in the world.

The blessings which he bestows.

The consideration of these particulars, as set forth in this passage, must necessarily be brief, in the compass of a single discourse.

I. In this passage there is a person spoken of, and this person is Jesus Christ.

It certainly would not occur to any reader of this passage who had not a favourite theory to support, that by the term translated the Word, was denoted not a person, but merely an attribute of the Deity; his infinite wisdom, that perfection of reason which distinguishes the Supreme and Eternal Cause of all things. And yet this opinion has been advanced by some of the opposers of Christ's Divinity. They generally, however, admit that by the Word, in the original, the Logos, is meant not an attribute of the Deity, but a dis

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