January 3

come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them." "Now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation."—Such a period is the Sabbath. The Sabbath was made for man. It befriends his civil comfort, his bodily health, and his mental improvement. But it chiefly regards his spiritual and eternal welfare. What a gracious appointment, to draw us once a week out of the world for a whole day—to afford us leisure to examine our character and condition before God—to remind us, in the midst of all other engagements, that one thing is needful—and to urge us, by a thousand motives, "to choose that good part which shall not be taken away from us." How many have found "the Holy of the Lord," an accepted time, and a day of salvation!—Affliction is also such a period. It matters not from whence our troubles arise; they are designed for our profit—"In their affliction they will seek me early." They also naturally tend to impress the mind and soften the heart. They show us the evil of sin, and the vanity of the world; and the need we have of a better home than earth, and a better arm than flesh. Many have been chosen in the furnace of affliction beside Manasseh. How foolish to wish to get our trials removed without their being sanctified! How lamentable to lose the benefit of such a season!—Such is a period of religious excitement. It is said in the Gospel, "The law and the prophets were until John; since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it." And when we see others seeking and finding; delivered from the stings of a guilty conscience, and the tyranny of their passions; becoming meek and patient, and peaceful and happy; does it not powerfully call upon us to "take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew;" and to pray to the God of all grace, "Bless me, even me, also, O my Father?"—Such is the period in which conscience has been awakened and impressed. Perhaps you have had, more than once, such views and feelings, that it has been said of you, "Thou art not far from the kingdom of God." It was thus with Felix when he trembled. He felt then as he had never felt before, and as he never felt afterwards. But instead of cherishing the conviction, he endeavoured to banish it—and succeeded. Go thy way, said he to the preacher, for this time; when I have a convenient season I will send for thee. That season never came. He saw Paul indeed several times afterwards, but not a word was said concerning the faith in Christ! Beware! your impressions may die away, and never revive. But can you complain? Did you not oppose or neglect them? Beware! All good is from God, but he will not be trifled with. "My Spirit will not always strive with man." "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation."

JANUARY 3.—"Which things the angels desire to look into."—1 Peter 1:12.

HAD we only heard of such an order of beings as angels, with all the attributes the Scripture ascribes to them; and then have been told, that there were several subjects with which they were intensely anxious to be acquainted; how eagerly should we have inquired what these things were! And had we been left to conjecture, it is

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probable we should have been led astray—yet, it is certain we should have been led astray, had we conjectured under the influence of the spirit of the world. For what do they study? What do merchants, princes, statesmen, study? What do the sons of science and learning study? What are the acquirements, by proficiency in which, men are distinguished among their fellow-creatures, and left on the pinnacle of fame?—But what do angels desire to look into? The arts of trade? the secrets of government? the researches of philosophy? the mysteries of nature? No. But the salvation of sinners; the grace of God; the sufferings and glory of Christ—"Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us, they did minister the things which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the Gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into."

Now this fact is announced, not for our amusement, but profit. It shows us what is the necessary condition of all creatures, however high in the scale of being. It is a state of dependence, deficiency, and progressive improvement. Some imagine, as soon as we enter heaven we shall reach an ultimatum beyond which there will be no additions to our knowledge or enjoyment. Such a stagnation of existence, devoid of prospect, energy, and excitement, would be far from desirable, if it were possible—but it is not possible. The future life is called "that which is perfect;" and it is perfect, compared with the present: but it is not absolutely so. There is only one Being who is absolutely perfect, whose duration is not lengthened by time, and whose knowledge is not increased by discovery. Nothing is past or future with Him. His understanding is infinite. But angels are creatures, and therefore finite in their faculties as well as we. He chargeth his angels with folly. There are many things of which they are ignorant. Our Lord assures us they know not the day of judgment. The book in the Revelations, whatever were the mysteries it contained, was closed to angels as well as men: for no one in heaven as well as in the earth was able to open the book and to look therein, till it was unsealed by the Lord of all. Angels know much now of which they were formerly unconscious, and fresh springs of knowledge and enjoyment are continually opening to them, and calling for a new song of wonder and of praise.

Does it not also show us the vastness of the Gospel? A very inferior master may teach the ignorant; but the honour is to be able to instruct the wise and learned. We should think very highly of one who could have improved Handel in music, and Milton in poetry, and Newton in philosophy. But angels are the flower of the creation; they are always spoken of in Scripture as proverbial for their knowledge; they are the first beings in the universe for intelligence; and are as much above men in their powers as the heavens are higher than the earth. If to these principalities and powers in heavenly places is made known by the church the manifold wisdom

of God; if the Gospel can teach them—if it can enlighten and enlarge their views—if it draws forth their wonder and astonishment; how well may it be called “the deep things of God;” “the wisdom of God in a mystery!” If after having been employed in the works of God, and the administrations of his providence, from the beginning; if after all the scenes which have passed under their review for so many ages; if after seeing dispensation succeeding dispensation, in the Patriarchal, the Jewish, and the Christian economies; if after seeing the fulness of time, and the divers miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost; if after all this they were still, as Peter asserts, diligently exploring the Gospel, how does it aggrandize the system! This is the system which some suppose may be readily reduced into a form of words drawn up by a fallible man! This is the system whose bounds some imagine they can easily reach, and whose depths they can perfectly fathom! But were they angels, they would exclaim, “O the depths of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!”

We learn also the excellency as well as the vastness, the value as well as the immensity of the Gospel. Would such beings as these trifle? Does not their attention prove that the subject is worthy of all acceptance? Why do they study it, but because it is “the Gospel of our salvation;” but because it is “the glorious Gospel of the blessed God;” but because, in redeeming Jacob, he has glorified himself in Israel; but because they find displayed in this scheme more of all his perfections than is to be seen in all his other works? We cannot justly infer the worth of a thing from the attention paid to it by men. They may be compelled by authority, biassed by interest, governed by vanity, or led astray by novelty. Even great men have had their follies. Nothing has been brought forward so absurd as not to have attracted to it some names of distinction. And we have always proof enough that to be learned and knowing is not always to be wise. But no objection can lie against the inference we here draw—If angels desire to look into these things, the things deserve to be looked into.

And therefore let us learn what is our duty with regard to them. Is it not to be thankful that we are favoured with the dispensation of them? Blessed are our eyes for they see, and our ears for they hear.—Is it not to study them ourselves? We are deeply, we are infinitely concerned in them. The being to whom they relate is our Saviour. His history is the record of our eternal redemption. He became poor; he died for us. Let us therefore turn aside from the little, the vain, the vexing, the debasing, the defiling things of the world, and contemplate the great mystery of godliness. Let us never be weary in reading, in hearing of it. And let us not rest in a speculative acquaintance with it; but taste that the Lord is gracious; and walk in the truth.—Is it not to own them and confess them and glory in them before men? I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ—angels are my companions. Is it not to pray that the knowledge of them may be extended, and that all the ends of the earth may see the salvation of our God together?