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upright, Heb. xii. 1; Rom. vii. 23. We want "such strength and protection as may support us in all dangers, and carry us through all temptations "this is only "through Jesus Christ, our Lord," who is "the Power of God." Oh, let us appropriate this power in Him, as the woman of old did, that He may say, "I perceive that Power (original) is gone out of Me," Luke vii. 46, and that we may go in

peace.

Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany.

"THE WISDOM OF GOD."

Learn, Prov. viii. 12-17.

Passages to be referred to-Prov. viii., ix. 11-2; Isa. xiv. 5-25; 1 Cor. i. 4-31; Eph. i. 15-23.

YEARS ago the question was asked, "Where shall wisdom be found?" Job xxviii. 12. It is the question of the natural heart. For ages God allowed man to try and answer it by himself,-by his learning, his philosophy, and his science, that he might find out his real ignorance, Rom. i. 21, 22; 1 Cor. i. 20, 21. And when man had completely failed, then God answered the question Himself, by sending His Son, "Jesus Christ, who of God is made unto us Wisdom," 1 Cor. i. 30, "in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge," Col. ii. 3.

Let us understand this: wisdom and knowledge are two distinct perfections, 1 Cor. xii. 8. Knowledge is the apprehending anything; wisdom is the carrying out of anything. The knowledge of God is the understanding all things; the wisdom of God is the skilful ordering of all things, Rom. xi. 33. And Christ is the wisdom

of God, not only as knowing and making known the things of God, but as appointing and ordering them perfectly, Col. i. 15-18. We might see this in Creation, Ps. civ. 24; Eccles. iii. 11; in Providence, Col. i. 17; Ps. lxxv. 3; but we shall consider it only in Redemption, Eph. iii.

10.

I. In reconciling justice and mercy. Justice says, The sinner must die, Ezek. xviii. 4. Mercy says, Spare him for Thine own sake, Hab. iii. 2; Ps. lxi. 7. God says, "I will give my Son," 2 Cor. v. 19; Ps. lxxxv. 10.

II. In uniting the human and divine natures. The Word is made flesh, John i. 14. One equal with God, in the form of a servant, Phil. ii. 7 ; see Col. ii. 9; 1 Tim. iii. 16. And for what

purpose ? 1 Tim. ii. 5.

III. In showing hatred to sin, and yet love to the sinner. How great God's detestation of sin, in not sparing His own Son! Isa. liii. 10. How great His love, in giving Him for the sinner! John iii. 16.

IV. In honouring and vindicating God's law. Obedience was our debt to the law, as creatures, Gen. ii. 16, 17. Death was due to us from the law, as sinners, Rom. vi. 23. It became the holiness of the Mediator to fulfil all the righteousness of the law, Rom. iii. 25, v. 19, viii. 3, 4.

These are things which are only seen in Christ. He is "The Wisdom of God." Oh, let us pray

that we may thus know Him! Col. i. 9; James i. 5. We can be eager enough about human wisdom, Matt. xii. 42. Let us never rest till we have that which is divine, Dan. ii. 23.

Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany.

"THE SON OF GOD."

Learn, Matt. xvi. 15-17.

Passages to be referred

to-Matt. xiv. 22-33; John i. 29-49; 1 John v.; Rev. ii. 18-29.

Of all the titles of our Blessed Lord, there is none more wonderful than "The Son of God." It is the expression drawn from human relations to represent to us the mode of existence of the Second Person in the Trinity, and His relation to the First. Only man can enter into it. Angels know nothing of generation. In Scripture He is thus distinctly said to be begotten, as the son is derived from him who begets him, John i. 14; Ps. ii. 7 (conf. Acts xiii. 33); Col. i. 15. He speaks of Himself, too, as deriving His own eternal being from God the Father, John vi. 57, v. 26, vii. 29. By the gift, therefore, of eternal generation, Christ is, and is called, the true and proper Son of God.

Now, this is the last title in connexion with the Epiphany, and perhaps the most important, 1 John iii. 8. Our faith (1 John v. 13), our

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