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by this," said He, "shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye love one another." But till that happy time shall come (if ever it is to come in this world), the Christian who himself possesses this temper, though he will practise and promote peaceable and beneficent conduct, must not expect always to meet with it. This world is the place of trial; the next, that of retribution. The promised benefit to himself is, inward peace, and the expectation of eternal peace hereafter.

And does not the offer of this reconcilement with God well deserve to be accounted " goodtidings of great joy," such as to fill with benevolent exultation the angels who brought the message? Every professed Christian will assent to this; and all Christian churches accordingly have ever celebrated a festival on this day ;have reckoned it a season of gladness, in commemoration of the birth of Jesus. And well may those rejoice who have a share in the benefits, in the peace and salvation,—which He came to bring! The rich, and prosperous, and great in this world, see here set before them "the peace of God, which passeth all

understanding," and the prospect of such exaltation and enjoyment hereafter that all they can enjoy on earth fades away, in comparison, like the stars before the sun: the poor, the afflicted, the lowest of mankind in earthly rank, have the offer of that which makes all worldly goods and evils appear but as a drop of water to the ocean. Well, therefore, might the shepherds, who had received these good-tidings, "return home glorifying and praising God for all the things which they had heard and seen:" and well may the partakers of the same benefits rejoice as they did.

But is this " Gospel of peace," indeed, goodtidings to all who have heard it? It is so in a certain sense; since the offer of so great a benefit is freely made to those who will accept it. But will they all accept it? The greater part of the Jews, by rejecting the Christ, changed his good-tidings into evil for themselves: "Ye will not," said He, "come unto me that ye may have life." But it is not all who acknowledge Him that have really accepted his offer: He declares that he will reject, as strangers to Him, even those who have preached in his name, and in his name done

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many mighty works," if they "do not the things which He says." He bids us "strive to enter in at the strait gate;" because "wide is the gate, and broad the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be that go in thereat." There is, indeed, room enough at the narrow gate for all who will so strive: but there are many, He adds, who " will seek to enter in (seek i. e. in some different way from what He has appointed) and will not be able.”

Yet still, the Gospel may be said to be, in a certain sense, good-tidings to all people who have had its gracious offer made them, though they may transform it into, an evil. It was surely a great deliverance that God wrought for the Israelites, when He opened them a path through the Red Sea; though if any had refused to escape by this path from their pursuers, it would have been no deliverance to them. When they were fainting with thirst in the wilderness, it was good-tidings that a rock had been cleft by divine power, and that a stream was flowing from it; though the benefit of this would have been lost to any who should have refused to slake their thirst at it. And it was good-tidings

also that God had invited them to take possession of the good land which He had promised to their fathers, on condition that they would be indeed his people and obey his laws: and this, not the less, though the whole generation who came out of Egypt, with the exception of two persons, perished in the wilderness through their disobedience.

A path is

And so it is now with Christians. opened to them which leads from the "house of bondage," even "from the bondage of corruption," to "the glorious liberty of the Gospel of Christ;" a path by which to pass through the waves of this world's afflictions and temptations, which else would overwhelm us; this may be accounted good-tidings to all to whom this path is opened, even though they will not walk in it. The stream of divine grace is flowing, and we are all invited by him who pours it forth, to drink at it; "Ho! EVERY One that thirsteth," said He, "come ye to the waters." "He that drinketh of the water that I shall give him, shall never thirst; but it shall be in him a well of water, springing up unto eternal life." This may be reckoned joyful tidings to all who may, though

all will not, seek the gifts of the Spirit. For us, as for the Israelites, a land of promise is prepared; to us a heavenly Canaan is offered on the like condition; that in our journey through the wilderness of this world, we follow the guidance of our great Master,—are led by his Spirit, and are truly his people. Those are not the less honoured and favoured by the offer, even who choose, like the disobedient Israelites, to "harden their hearts, and not to enter into his rest."

But though, as far as God is concerned, his Gospel may be regarded as good-tidings to all, inasmuch as (in the language of the Apostle Paul) "the grace of God, which bringeth salvation, hath appeared unto all men,"--yet as far as we are concerned, we may make this Gospel to ourselves intelligence of horror and dismay. As the Israelites, God's elect (i. e. chosen) and highly-favoured people, were, for that very reason, more heavily judged for their rebellions than the heathen who knew not God;" so among Christians, "the servant who knew his Lord's will," says our Saviour, "and did it not, shall be beaten with many stripes." Thus also