December 26

Follow me; and they arose, and, forsaking all, followed him. "Art thou a king, then?" said Pilate. He answered, "I am a king. But my kingdom is not of this world—Then would my servants fight—But now my kingdom is not from hence." The government of all things is indeed upon his shoulder, and he rules in the midst of his enemies, and makes their wrath to praise him. But his people only are in a proper sense his subjects. They are made willing in the day of his power, and from knowledge and attachment resign themselves to his empire; and he not only reigns over them, but in them, by "righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost."

"Whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting." Surely these words imply and express an existence before his incarnation, and eternal existence too. The Evangelist bears the same testimony to this interesting truth: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made." The Apostle also says, "He is"—not he was; "he is before all things, and by him all things exist."—It was "the Spirit of Christ" that spake in the prophets. It was Christ the Israelites tempted. It was the reproach of Christ that Moses prized. He appeared in a human form to Joshua and to the patriarchs. But "of old" is not "from everlasting." Who can tell what he did before time had begun to roll? We know that he had a glory with the Father before the world was. We know—

"His busy thoughts at first, On their salvation ran; Ere sin was form'd, or Adam's dust Was fashion'd to a man."

One remark results from all this. We see what a wonderful character the Redeemer is, and how constantly the sacred writers combine together his greatness and his abasement. Thus here, while we see him born in Beth-lehem, we behold him the king of glory, whose goings forth were from of old, from everlasting. It is his greatness that displays his goodness. He loved us, and gave himself for us. He is a man of sorrows, but it was because the children were partakers of flesh and blood that he likewise took part of the same. He made himself of no reputation, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Ah! Christians, what you have witnessed to-day will not detract from his glory in your regards. You "know the principle of all this humiliation." You know "THE GRACE of our Lord Jesus Christ; how, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that you through his poverty might be rich."

DECEMBER 26.—"The consolation of Israel."—Luke 2:25.

LET us justify this character of the Messiah.

And here to what shall we appeal? To the language of prophecy? Whenever the prophets would comfort the Jews they always led them to his coming and his kingdom. Witness Isaiah: "O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah,

Behold your God! Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young." Witness Zechariah: "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem; behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass." Witness Malachi: "Unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the Lord of hosts."

Or shall we appeal to the experience of Old Testament saints? Abraham rejoiced to see his day. Moses esteemed his reproach greater riches than the treasures of Egypt. Job's solace was, "I know that my Redeemer liveth." David, at the thought of describing him, said, "My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the King; my tongue is the pen of a ready writer." And what said the angel of the Lord to the shepherds? "Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people: for unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord."

That he considered himself as the owner of this title, and as deserving it, is undeniable, from the gracious words which proceeded out of his lips. "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord." "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." "In me ye shall have peace." "I will not leave you comfortless: I will come." "And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you."

And how was he regarded in the first and purest age of the Church? "Whom having," says Peter, "not seen, ye love, in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory." And says Paul, "We joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement." He makes it one part of the character of the circumcision that they "rejoice in Christ Jesus." Yea, he swears upon the certainty of it; "I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily." It would be easy to show from additional passages how the first Christians, taught by inspired teachers, repaired always and only to him for consolation in whatever circumstances they were found.

And need we wonder at this? What is he? How does the word of truth represent him? Is he not a hiding-place from the storm? The shadow of a great rock in a weary land? A river of waters in a dry place? The bread of life? The robe of righteousness? A light in darkness?