The Lord Jesus. By the Rev. EVAN THOMAS,* Baptist Minister, "He was in the world and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not."-John i. 10-12. VERYTHING connected with the Lord Jesus is worth telling. This chapter assures us that (1) He has touched the farthest extremes of intelligent existence-17. "with God," 147. "among us;" (2), that He is the same in all circumstances and in connection with every change, and as such can be known everywhere; and (3), that He is at home alike with God and with us. Our text teaches us I. That our Lord's presence in the world was of importance to the world. Three things prove this 1. The record of His life in the world. He ennobled everything He touched. He sanctified everything-poverty -suffering-yea, even the cross, taking from it the shame and the grave, robbing it of its gloom and terror. When He was present at a funeral it was no longer like any other funeral. Funerals in other circumstances did not stop until the grave was reached, but when He only See page 331. met a funeral it turned back. When He was present at a wedding, too, the water was converted into wine. Everything He touches derives a glory from the touch-Baptism—The Lord's Supper. If He is in the service His presence makes it very precious. 2. The work attributed to Him-" All things were made by him." No one, save Himself, makes anything. Men but modify and reproduce. Only He has the creative power. This power is irresistible-He who can make a blade of grass can make an Apostle when He needs one. 3. His position in comparison with all things. He was before all things. It is a great disadvantage to be before things, as in the case of those who lived before religious liberty was extended, before the days of railways, telegraphy, &c. It is a great advantage to come into the world in the train of grand discoveries and glorious reformations; but He was before all things. There was nothing with which to begin, He had only Himself, He made everything else. II. Yet He came into the world and passed out of it without being known by many. I. Many of the best and noblest of men have passed through the world without being known. But this is the greatest oversight in all history, an oversight which involved the greatest loss-" He came unto his own, and his own received him not." 2.—The reason why He was not received was that the world did not know Him. It is impossible to know Him and not receive Him. 3. The world judged Him by the wrong standard— hence they mistook Him for a prophet, v. 21. He was not like anyone else, and belonged to no class of men, but stool by Himself. There was no use in going in search for Him among others, not even among the prophets. 4. If He must be compared with anyone let Him be compared with Moses. The Jews compared Jesus to Moses on one occasion. Jesus gave one meal to five thousand, but Moses had fed hundreds of thousands for forty years, hence Moses, they thought, was far in advance of Him. Jesus asked what had become of the people who partook of that manna? They were dead, but, said He, "I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any man eat of this bread he shall live for ever." They could We should III. Though He was rejected by many, those who received Him did not therefore suffer. 66 'As many as received him to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name." not have had more if all had received Him. have expected that after all the treatment He received He would have turned His back upon the world; nay, He did not reward those who received Him any the less because so many rejected Him. Nor did He appear any the less in their estimation because others turned their backs upon Him. Not even His poverty and homelessness kept them away from Him. "To them gave he power to become the sons of God." "What the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh"-the Law was not weak in itself. It was the strongest thing in the world next to the Gospel. Yet the Law could not give the Spirit of sonship, only the Gospel could do that.—“ Ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father." The Angels of God. By the Rev. W. REES, D.D.,* Congregational Minister,. Chester. "Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word."-Ps. ciii. 20. OR all that we know of the angels and their history we are indebted to this Book only. The invisible things of The Invisible, Almighty, and Eternal One are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made independently of the supernatural revelation: of Him in His Word; but we should not know about the existence and attributes of these created invisible beings, apart from the testimony we have in the Word concerning them. It is to the good, holy angels who have kept their beginning that the text calls our attention. It is not of them but to them that the Psalmist speaks here. We find him at the close of this glorious Psalm like the taxgatherer of the universe collecting the taxes of the great King. Having borne testimony to the greatness and glory of the King as the God of providence and grace, he calls upon all His subjects to pay the tribute due to Himthat of praise and thanksgiving. His subjects have nothing See page 331. * of their own that they can offer Him except obedience and praise, and nought else is asked of them-" Offer unto God thanksgiving, and pay thy vows unto the most High." This collector of tribute pays his own before he calls upon anyone else to do so. "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name," exclaims he in the first verse. He proceeds to call again upon his soul, and brings forward the many great obligations which rest upon him to pay this tribute of praise— "Who forgiveth all thine iniquities, who healeth all thy diseases, who redeemeth thy life from destruction, who crowneth thee with loving-kindness and tender mercies." These are sufficient reasons for calling over and over again upon his soul and all that is within him to the task. Then he calls upon others to pay their debt of gratitude. . . He summons all beings and things within the limits of the Divine government in heaven and earth to join in the offering; and then closes as he began, with his own soul. In our text he calls upon the angels; they have always been ready and willing to pay tribute to their King. Many of their brethren proved disloyal. . but those addressed here are the pure and loyal, those who pay their way; there are no arrears on the books of the government against them; the King has never lost aught of His revenue through them. It is to them that the Psalmist now speaks. May a poor preacher thus follow up his subject for once, and that without presumption, in addressing so august an audience ? Poor child of the dust though he be, he is permitted to address the Creator of angels, who Himself calls upon him and teaches him how to approach. We believe, therefore, that the angels will not consider us presumptive, and that they will not be offended if we address them in these words, "Permit us, ye glorious |