Jerusalem, the glorious city of our God, revealed from on high. Now hath God made a new heaven, and a new earth, and fixed his tabernacle and dwelling place among men. The fulness of time is come, the sound of the Apostles is gone through all the earth, the sun of righteousness hath appeared: he is the light to lighten the whole world. This is the year of mercy. This is the day which the Lord hath made.

Therefore, saith Christ, I am the light of the world. He that followeth me, shall not walk in darkness; but shall have the light of life. Thus spake Almighty God, by Moses; to his people: Ye shall observe to do as the Lord your God hath commanded you. Ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. Thou shalt not do the thing that seemeth right in thine own eyes. Thou shalt not follow the zeal of thine own heart. Dispose thyself to hearken unto the voice of the Lord. Whatsoever he shall command thee, that only shalt thou do for my thoughts are not as your thoughts, neither are your ways as my ways, saith the Lord : for as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than YOUR ways, and my thoughts than YOUR thoughts. The will of the Lord is the only measure by which all truth must be tried.

We were in darkness, says the Apostle, yet thought we had the light. I myself, he confesses, was a blasphemer, and persecuted the Church of God; being more exceedingly zealous of the tra

ditions of my fathers: but the way wherein I walked was slippery, the light was darkness. I was blind, yet perceived it not; and therefore was my blindness and misery so much the more.

But now is our salvation come near unto us. Our bodies are made the temples of God, and his SPIRIT dwelleth WITHIN us. The Son of God calleth to us, Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. St. John saith, We have looked upon, and our hands have handled the word of life. And again, 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. So near is the Lord to them that seek him, so near unto us is our salvation.

When David heard the voice of the Lord, he awoke and rose up. He gave thanks unto God, and poured out his heart before him; saying, O Lord our God, How wonderful is thy name in all the world! And again, Praise the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, praise his holy

name.

When the Apostles heard this voice of the Lord, they also were awakened; they forsook all they had, they took up their cross, and went throughout the world, preaching the Gospel of salvation. When Paul heard the voice of Christ from heaven, he fell upon the earth, and said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? I am thy servant and the son of thy

handmaid. Make me to do according to thy word. Then could neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, separate him from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord; then he determined not to know any thing, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. He roused himself from sleep, rose up, and went forward. In like manner, the Prophet Isaiah stirreth up Jerusalem. Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.

These things are written for our learning. God hath given his word unto us. We have seen the works of God: the dumb to speak, the deaf to hear, the blind to see, the lame to walk, the dead to come out of their graves, the sun to be darkened, the earth to quake, the rocks to rend, and Satan himself to confess the Son of God.

The night is far spent, the day is at hand. We have slumbered enough in ignorance. It is now high time that we should know the blessings which God hath bestowed on us; it is time we should be thankful, and awake out of the sleep of forgetfulness; that we humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, and dream no more of our own strength. We cannot plead ignorance. It is time for us to rise. The mercy, the abundance of his blessing, the fear of his judgment, the regard of our salvation, so requires.

Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness. They blacken the heart, and blind the conscience. Let us be afraid, let us be ashamed of them.

And

let us put on the armour of light. God hath chosen us to be his soldiers, and hath called us forth into the field. Our fight is not against flesh and blood, but against the prince of this world, the father of darkness; who, as a roaring lion, lieth in wait, seeking whom he may devour. All the vanities of this life, our bodies, our own hearts, conspire against us. The fight is terrible, the danger great. Let us not be unprovided; let us not expose ourselves unguarded to the stroke of the enemy; but let us take unto us the whole armour of God. Let our loins be girt about with truth; let us put on the shield of faith, the breast-plate of righteousness, the sword of the Spirit, and the helmet of salvation. These are the weapons of righteousness, these are the armour of light.

Let us be faithful unto the end. Let it appear that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to pull down strong holds, and cast down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God: so shall our armour be complete, so shall we be terrible to the enemy; so, like faithful soldiers of the great Captain of our salvation, we shall manfully withstand the gates of hell, and thus be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked; then

shall we eat of the fruit in the midst of paradise, and shall receive the crown of everlasting glory.

Let us walk honestly, as in the day, not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. He sets down three things as defilements of the soul: they oppress the body, pollute the mind, and break the bond and unity of the Church of God. The first is rioting and drunkenness, the root and mother of all evil. Nothing stands safe where wine prevails. This was the iniquity of Sodom; abundance and fullness of bread: they abused the gifts of God, to the dishonour of God. This was the cause of all her filthiness; and her filthiness was the cause of her destruction.

Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, says the Prophet, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them. And the harp and the viol, the tabret and pipe and wine are in their feasts; but they regard not the work of the Lord, neither consider the operation of his hands. And again, Behold, joy and gladness, slaying oxen, and killing sheep, eating flesh, and drinking wine.

The people of Israel sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play. They forgat God, and the mercies he had shewed on them, and worshipped a golden calf: so gross and so deadly are the clouds of drunkenness. Our Saviour says,

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