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SUBJECT:-God's Revelation to Man.

"God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they."-Heb. i. 1—4.*

Analysis of Homily the Four Hundred and Fifty-sixth.

THERE are four facts in this passage concerning God's revela tion to man :

I. THAT HE HAS ACTUALLY MADE A REVELATION OF HIMSELF TO MAN. He has spoken at "sundry times" to humanity. This is a fact indicative of infinite condescension and capable of the most conclusive proof. The fact implies three things:-First: That man has a capacity to appreciate, to some extent, God's thoughts. Would He speak to us if we had not the power of understanding? This power is the dignity of our nature, for it shows that we have something in common with the infinite reason. "Come now and let us reason together, saith the Lord." The fact implies :-Secondly: That man stands in need of God's thoughts. Does the Almighty ever act uselessly? What He does is ever needed. Man deeply needs God's thoughts to quicken, purify, and elevate, his own. The fact implies:-Thirdly: That man is bound

*God, who in ancient times spake often and in various ways to the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken to us by his Son; whom he hath appointed lord of all things, by whom also he made the world; who, being the radiance of his glory and the exact image of his substance, and controlling all things by his own powerful word, after he had by himself made expiation for our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high; being exalted as much above the angels, as he had obtained a name more excellent than they. Stuart's Translation.

to study God's thoughts.

If He speaks, ought we not to

listen? If He makes a revelation, ought we not to invesWe should look into the perfect

tigate it? Undoubtedly.

law of liberty, &c.

Another fact in this passage is :—

II. THAT HE HAS REVEALED HIMSELF TO MAN THROUGH MAN. "He spake in times past to the fathers by the prophets." "Holy men spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost," &c. This serves two important purposes :--First: To increase the intelligibility of God's thoughts. Had they come to us through an angelic mind, or through any other order of mind, lower or higher than our own, they would not have been, I think, so intelligible. The thoughts of the infinite mind come to us through the finite mind. His reason addresses our reason through human reason; his heart addresses our hearts through human hearts; his thoughts and emotions flow through the common channel of human thoughts and emotions; and they thus come down to a level with ourselves. They come to us in human language, with human associations, and in human forms of conception. The fact serves :-Secondly: To increase the attraction of God's thoughts. There is no object so interesting to man as Truth everywhere has attractions for man as a rational being. Truth in the fossil, the star, the flower, the animal, the seraph, is attractive; but truth in man is truth. to man in its most attractive form. The Bible of God is filled with humanity, and this invests it with an imperishable interest to the race.

man.

Another fact in this passage is :

III. THAT HE HAS REVEALED HIMSELF TO MAN IN A VARIETY OF WAYS. "In divers ways," &c. By visions, and dreams, by mysterious voices and supernatural appearances, strange presentiments and impressions. This shows :First: The necessity of modesty in pronouncing concerning the methods of Divine influence. The avenues to the soul of

man are numerous. He knows them all, and can pass through them at pleasure. He knows every part of the mental machine, and can move it as He please. We can trace His steps in the mental, no more than in the material domain. His way in both cases is in the sea, and his footsteps are not known. This shows:-Secondly: The importance of keeping the soul ever in a waiting attitude. All the strings of our nature should be open to His influence, as the Eolian harp to the breeze. "In visions of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon man," &c.

Another fact in this passage is:

IV. THAT HE HAS MADE CHRIST THE FINAL REVELATION OF HIMSELF. God "hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son," &c. Christ, as the final organ of divine revelation to man, transcends all preceding organs :—First : In His relation to the universe. (1) He is the inheritor of the creation. He is "appointed heir of all things." (2) He is the creator of the universe. "By whom also he made the worlds." "All things were created by him, visible and invisible," &c. (3) He is the sustainer of the universe. "Upholding all things by the word of his power." (4) He is the sovereign of the universe. He is on "the right hand of the majesty on high." "All power is given unto him.” How far does He transcend all the old prophets through whom God spoke to our fathers! Again, Christ, as the final organ of divine revelation to man, transcends all preceding organs:-Secondly: In the completeness of His divine manifestations. He is "the brightness,"-the effulgence-"of His glory." He reveals Him as the mirror reveals the sun. More, "he is the express image of his person"-His substance. He represents Him more accurately than the impression on the wax represents the seal that produced it. The old prophets had a depraved nature, and they could not fully and perfectly reflect the infinitely Holy One:-but Christ does. "No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him."

Still more, Christ, as the final organ of divine revelation to man, transcends all preceding organs :-Thirdly: In the moral service He has rendered to humanity. He has, "by himself, purged our sins." He died to expiate our sins, and to cleanse our hearts. "He put away sin by the sacrifice of himself." "He taketh away the sins of the world." None of the old prophets did any thing like this. Once more, Christ as the final organ of divine revelation transcends all preceding organs:--Fourthly: In His superiority to all angelic intelligences. "Being made so much better than the angels," &c. (1) He is superior in His position. He is exalted above them. subjects, His willing messengers, His (2) He is superior in His reputation. a more excellent name than they." Some of them are very famous in the universe; they have sent their names over vast districts of the great spiritual empire; but not one of them has such a reputation as Christ. "His name is above every name." "It fills all things "; it vibrates in all the thoughts of the universe.

They are His loyal devout worshippers. "He has obtained

Brothers, under what obligation are we laid to praise our Maker for this revelation of Himself to our race! Praise Him, that He condescended to open up any communication with us at all. He might have left us in utter ignorance of Himself. Praise Him, that He has made His communications to us through man, thus rendering His great thoughts in some measure intelligible and attractive. Praise Him, that He continued through so many ages to communicate Himself at sundry times, and in divers manners to our world. Praise Him, that we in these last days have the fullest revelation of Himself through His Son. We live neither under the light of stars, nor the twilight of morning, but under the sun-radiance of His thoughts, as shining through Christ. We see the infinite through Christ, as we see the solar orb through the bright beams of day. The New Testament for me. Not that I would undervalue the Old. It has done good service, and in its place is useful still. But let

the cold dim stars hide their heads before the warm bright sun of day. They have "no glory" "by reason of the glory that excelleth."

"O that His bright influence,

Would work effectually in me
Another new Epiphany,
Exhale, and elevate me hence :
That, as my calling doth require,
Star-like, I may to others shine;
And guide them to that sun divine,
Whose daylight never shall expire."

GEORGE HERBERT,

SUBJECT:-God's Redemptive Love.

"But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered awhile, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen."-1 Peter, v. 10, 11.

Analysis of Homily the Four Hundred and Fifty-seventh.

MAN'S existence on earth is a subject of profound interest to the universe. The Prince of Evil and the "God of all grace" are represented in the context as earnestly active in connexion with man's earthly history. Satan is spoken of as

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"roaring lion, going about, seeking whom he may devour." He is prowling about in all the spheres of human activity. He is in the current of polluted passions; he is in the false maxims and the corrupt spirit of the age; he is in the policy of unrighteous governments and in the cupidity of dishonest merchandize; he is in the spirit and the stratagems of war ; he is in the dark errors of Pagan superstition, and in the plausible hypocrisies of a mere formal Christianity. His roar echoes, his tread vibrates, and his breath pulsates, through all the districts of human life. The lion of evil "walketh about "-he prowls everywhere, and his work is to "devour" :-to devour the virtue, the rights, and the joys, of humanity.

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