to them as long as they live. And when the good man lies on the bed of death, there, in the sick chamber, unseen, unheard, But now it is high time to ask, Why is our blessed Saviour called an ANGEL? Is He of the same nature as the Angels? That cannot be. For it is written, "He took not on Him the nature of Angels." In what way then does He resemble them? 1. Christ is like the Angels in His appearances. Long before He took on Him the seed of Abraham He used often to appear in the world. And when He did so, He chose to come in the form in which Angels appeared, which seems to have been that of beautiful and dignified men. Thus He visited Abraham in company with two created Angels. Again, one night, "there wrestled a Man with Jacob, and he held Him till morning." And then this Unknown Traveller said, "Let me go, for the day breaketh." But Jacob held Him fast and clung yet more closely to Him. He dared not let Him go; for he found it was his Saviour who thus stooped to try the strength of his faith. And Jacob "wept and made supplication to Him" till he obtained the blessing. In after years the Lord, the Uncreated ANGEL, came to Gideon as he was thrashing wheat; and sitting down in a friendly manner He saluted him, saying, "The Lord be with thee, thou mighty man of valour." Again, He appeared to Manoah and his wife, in the garb of a prophet or man of God; only with a countenance so glorious that the woman at once saw He was more than man; and when they asked after His name He told them it was Wonderful, or Secret. Thus in His appearances He was an ANGEL. 2. Christ is like the Angels in His disposition. The Angels take great delight in the affairs of this world. When it was first built, those "morning stars sang together, and the sons of God shouted for joy." And when sinners repent and begin to pray, Angels carry the news to heaven; and there is joy and singing among them in the presence of God. Yes, Gabriel the highest Angel, rejoices over a penitent boy or a little girl who loves her Bible and her Saviour. So the great ARCHANGEL, the Lord Christ, when the foundations of the earth were laid, "rejoiced in the habitable parts of it, and His delights were with the children of men." On earth He was a Man of Sorrows. But what was that which once made Him rejoice in spirit and break out into a song of praise? Hear Him! "I thank Thee, O Father! Lord of heaven and earth! that Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes!" 3. Christ is like the Angels in His ministrations. As Angels are ministering spirits sent forth to minister to the heirs of salvation, so Christ 66 came not to be ministered unto but to minister." He stooped to wait on us, to carry our burdens, and guard and guide us through He life; and in death He will come again and receive us to Himself. is the "ANGEL who redeems us from all evil;" the "ANGEL of God's presence who saves us." In all our afflictions He is afflicted; and in His love and pity He redeems us, and carries us in His everlasting arms, as He did His people all the days of old. "Call upon Me," He says, "when you are in trouble, and I will deliver you." We may not pray to Angels, nor worship them, for they are creatures. But we must pray to this Uncreated ANGEL-this Lord of Angels. As did the Patriarch Jacob when Joseph's two boys stood at his bedside, waiting for his last dying blessing. Laying his hands on their heads, the venerable old saint said, "God, the God that fed me all my life long unto this day, the ANGEL which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads." You remember the Angel coming to shut the lions' mouths while Daniel was among them. Just so does our blessed Saviour restrain that "roaring lion" who desires to have us, to devour and to sift us. Glory be to Him! He will take the prey from the mighty. He will bruise Satan under our feet. Fear not, Christian, to walk in the path of duty! The lions may roar, but they are chained. You may have to walk through the very midst of them; but the Angel of the Covenant is by. Keep the strait and narrow path of duty; for "no lion shall be there, neither shall any ravenous beast go up thereon." You remember the Angel leading Peter forth from the prison. Oh, what a delightful emblem of Christ's work in this world! He comes to deliver the lawful captive out of his dungeon. He comes to take off his chains! He comes with kind aspect to bid us "follow Him,” that He may lead us where no frowning walls of despair shall enclose us, no chains of darkness gall our bruised limbs. Hast thou learned to rejoice in the ANGEL who comes to preach deliverance to captives -to proclaim the jubilee, the year of release? Only those who know what it is to groan under their spiritual fetters, know how to prize the liberty He brings. But "If the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed." You remember the Angels delivering Lot. Thus does Christ come to snatch us from a fiery doom-a far worse tempest than that which buried the five wicked cities of the plain. And He holds back the tempest till "all that the Father hath given Him shall come to Him." And not till the last of His servants is safe, will He pour out the vials of His wrath on the world. But what the Angels said to Lot, that Jesus Christ says to you as you loiter, Escape for thy life! Tarry not in all the plain." "Remember Lot's wife!" 66 Strive to enter in at the strait gate." Oh, listen to His counsels, linger no 66 more, give not slumber to your eyelids! The night of respite is ar spent! The day is at hand!"the day of His fierce wrath which will burn as an oven." If the word spoken by the Angels to Lot was steadfast, and everything came to pass as they had said, oh, what will become of you if you neglect the warnings of this Lord and Maker of Angels? 4. Christ is like the Angels in His errands. As angels are messengers, so Christ is SENT with tidings. And that must needs be an important message which could not come by the hands of a servant, but must be brought by the Son. But this more properly belongs to the next Title in the series: APOSTLE of our Profession. Heb. iii. 1. The word Apostle signifies an AMBASSADOR, one sent with tidings, or on important business, or entrusted with power to make proposals. You know the Lord Jesus chose from among His disciples twelve to be Apostles, And He said to them, (John xx. 21,) “As My Father hath SENT Me even so send I you." An Apostle, then, is a minister of the gospel. But, just as an Archangel is great among Angels, so an Apostle is chief among preachers. God had sent many with great tidings to the Jews from age to age. "Last of all He sent His Son." How richly has God kept that promise to the Church, "I will give to Jerusalem one that bringeth good tidings." And when Christ went up into the mountain, and His disciples came unto Him, and He preached unto the assembled multitudes as they sat or stood scattered about on the hillside-surely some of them must have remembered the words of Isaiah, which they had often heard read in the Synagogue-" How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of Him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace!" Well might the children surround Him with palm branches, and shout as they followed Him into Jerusalem, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" Angels are not sent to preach the Gospel; it is not their business. When an Angel came to Cornelius, it was not to show him the way of salvation, but to tell him to send for an Apostle, and to ask of him what he should do. Angels delivered the law on Sinai, as we read, Acts vii. 53. But it was reserved for the Uncreated ANGEL, the Prince of Angels, to be also the great APOSTLE, to bring the joyful tidings of salvation and to preach the Gospel. To this He was anointed. "Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. For if the word spoken by Angels was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard Him?" Heb. ii. 1—4. But what is the message which this GREAT APOSTLE brings from Him that sent Him? This is the substance of it. "Poor sinner, thou APOSTLE. ARM OF THE LORD. 41 hast destroyed thyself body and soul! But I have good news for thee. I am willing to save thee. I have one Only Begotten Beloved Son. He is the Bearer of these tidings. I have sent Him to die for thee, and to bless thee in turning thee away from thy iniquities. Yield thyself up to Him and thou shalt be saved. Thou art poor, but return to Me through Him, and I will enrich thee. Thou art vile, but I will cleanse thee. Thou art starving, but there is bread enough and to spare in My house. There is room in My heart for you all, and room in My house too. Come then I have spread My table, I have killed the fatted calf, I have made ready the feast; come to the banquet! Let not shame exclude thee! I will clothe thee in fine linen, clean and white, which is the righteousness of saints. I will lift up thy head so that thou shalt appear with honour before My holy Angels. I will enrich thee and exalt thee. I know thou art unworthy of all this; thou hast greatly sinned against Me. I know it all. But how can I give thee up, Ephraim ? How shall I deliver thee to destruction? My heart is turned within Me, and My repentings are kindled together. I will not destroy thee, for I am God and not man. I have seen thy ways, and will heal thee and restore comfort to thee. I can speak peace to him that is near and to him that is far off. Wherefore look unto Me and be ye saved all ye ends of the earth." This is the message. And He who brings it is appointed to carry out all its provisions. He is "THE ARM OF THE LORD." ARM OF THE LORD. Isa. liii. 1. ALMIGHTY He is by virtue of His divine nature, so that no physical obstacles can stand against Him. But ALMIGHTY also by virtue of His appointment, so that no legal obstacles can stand against Him. Think of this, ye who pray; and hear Him say, "If ye ask anything in my name, I 'the ARM OF THE LORD' will do it." Think of this, trembling penitent. No guilt is too great for Him to deal with. The ARM OF THE LORD will take it away from off your shoulders, and plunge it into the depths of the sea. Think of it, perplexed afflicted Christian. The ARM OF THE LORD can "make a way in the sea, and path in the mighty waters." Think of it and be encouraged, drooping soldier of the cross, as you contend with fierce temptations. He can overmaster all the strength of thy proud or sensual nature, and mould thee to His will. The Emperor Cæsar once said to an attendant who treated his words with indifference, "Know, young man, he who says these things can do them." If Cæsar can undertake to make good his words by his power, how much more Jesus Christ! How surely will He help thee, if thou invoke the ARM OF THE Lord, and "take hold of His strength." "Christian! dost thou feel them, working still within, Sixth Sunday. BABE. BLESSED AND ONLY POTENTATE. MORNING STAR. BREAKER. BRIGHT AND THE city of Lystra was once thrown into great commotion through a miracle which was wrought by Paul and Barnabas. The people were running about shouting that "the gods had come down in the likeness of men!" The cry reached the ears of the priests of Jupiter; and straightway they brought oxen adorned with garlands and flowers, and prepared to offer them up in the streets as sacrifices to the two strangers, whom they mistook for gods in human shape. But when the apostles heard this uproar, and saw the mistake which the people had made, they ran in amongst them and said, "Sirs, why do ye these things? Turn from these vanities to the living God!" But scarcely could they keep the people from paying them divine honours. Paul and Barnabas informed those idolaters that they themselves were only men; but that there had been a real visit of this kind to earth. They told them that the One True God, the God that made heaven and earth, had not only come down in the likeness of a Man, but that He had actually become a Man! and had lived a life of poverty, and was crucified, and rose again from the dead. But those pagans cared not to hear of this; it was foolishness to them. The visit of Christ was not to their minds. They saw no glory in His humble life and shameful death; so they stoned those who told them the strange history, though just before they had been ready to worship them. Now this wondrous visit of our Lord to earth we are about to contemplate today. And I trust we shall not be like the Lystrians, but be all led to admire this "great mystery of godliness, God manifest in the flesh!" Let us consider our Lord as "the BABE OF BETHLEHEM.' BABE of Bethlehem. Luke ii. 12-16. One day about eighteen hundred years ago, the pathways leading to the little town of Bethlehem in Judea were unusually thronged with passengers, all drawn together for the same object. They were going to have their names enrolled in the records of the city in order that they might be taxed. From all parts little groups and companies of travellers were seen making their way to this ancient city of David. Some were toiling along on foot, carrying their little stores of provision; while others were mounted on camels and asses, and were better furnished with such conveniences as were required in that country. For there were |