subtle craftiness of the sanhedrim? How did she feel, as she looked upon the marks which care and toil had made upon that child of hers, the object of such wonder in her secret meditations-for such marks his life of sorrow had made-"his visage. was so marred more than any man's, and his form more than the sons of men." What did that inother want, when she stood without, with his brethren, desiring to speak with him? She saw that things were coming to a crisis with him; her heart was burdened on his behalf with a heavy load; all the mother's solicitude, and conscious right to interfere, made her eager to withdraw him from destruction; but her grief swelled like a mountain torrent when she heard that he was betrayed; and where was she, and what were her thoughts and feelings, when the scenes of his mock trial passed on, and he was finally condemned to be crucified? and what sword was that which passed through her own soul also, as she, with the omnipotent energy of a mother's love, stood by and saw him take his place between two thieves, to expire on the accursed tree as a public malefactor? For we read in John, "Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother,"Enough--no matter who else were there-his mother! O God, our heavenly Father, to what baptisms of sufferings we are called in this world; and how wonderful is that grace which sustains poor creatures like us, under loads which would crush angels without thine everlasting arm! His mother saw him die-his widowed mother, as we must conclude she was; for the beloved disciple took her thenceforth to his own home. "Hail, thou that art highly favoured among women!" some one at the cross, instigated by the power of dark

ness, may have whispered, mocking through her, as she stood by her expiring son, the pretensions of Jesus, and, with him, the fabulous story of his pretended miraculous birth, in the circulation of which she of course was implicated. How is it now with thee, O woman? from henceforth shall all generations call thee blessed? O, sad reward of faith and hope! We will not wonder to hear thee echo thy Son's dying cry, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? But it was for this, though she knew it not, that in his infancy she dedicated him to God.

Could you foresee that God would make that little child of yours an instrument of great good, by means of suffering and a dreadful death, would you shrink to consecrate it, by prayer and vows, to God? Dear Christian parents, what an honour it is to have children whom God shall count worthy to suffer for his name's sake! Indifferent servants of God are not selected for this high honour; they are not "counted worthy to suffer;" but God seeks those who, by nature and grace, (both his gifts,) are capable of great endurance, superior to the frowns and flatteries of the world, willing to be cast out and trodden under foot by feet that have also trodden under foot the Son of God, ready to suffer the loss of all things, able to bear martyrdom, and to endure unto the end. When we consecrate our children to God, let us fancy that we hear him say to us, Are ye able that the child shall drink of the cup that I drank of, and be baptized with the baptism wherewith I was baptized? Let us say, By thy grace, Lord, we are able. We ask not for them length of days, nor riches, nor favour, nor pleasure, nor to sit on thy right hand and on

thy left in thy kingdom, but that thou wilt qualify them, and employ them to serve thee wherever, and in whatever way thou shalt appoint. Then, should we hear even that they are devoured by cannibals whom they go to save, we shall say, Had I now a hundred children, I would give them all to Christ if he would employ them. The reward is great in heaven; and not only so, but in this world also a "hundred-fold."

It was so with the mother of Jesus. Weeping endured for a night, but joy came in the morning.

What were her feelings when they told her, Thy son liveth-when she looked into the deserted sepulchre-when Jesus met her-when she stood with him in Olivet, "all power given unto" him "in heaven and on earth," and saw him ascend to his throne in heaven? "Hail, thou that art highly favoured among women; all generations shall call thee blessed!"

Let us consecrate our children to God, and pray that that holy child Jesus will own them as his servants; then, if they have a fellowship with him in suffering, or serve him amid the temptations and trials of prosperity and ease, to them to live will be Christ; and, when we meet them in heaven, there will be an "over-payment of delight," in saying of them, beloved and honoured of Christ, Here am I, and the children which thou hast given

me.

III. THE WORDS OF SIMEON, WITH REGARD TO CHRIST, TEACH US THAT CHRIST IS THE GREAT TEST

OF HUMAN CHARACTER.

"Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel-that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed."

So it came to pass in his day. Some, by means of him, fell, as it were, over a stumbling stone into perdition. The chief priests and scribes; the amiable young ruler; the man that wished to go and bid them farewell that were at home at his house; those who on a certain occasion went away and walked no more with him-these were tried as to their secret thoughts and characters, and were found wanting. While, on the other hand, Simeon, and John the Baptist, and the Eleven, and thousands of the poor and humble, found him to be the Saviour that they needed; for he was meek and lowly in heart, and they were poor in spirit, and theirs was the kingdom of heaven. So they built their hopes upon him for eternity.

Christ is a touchstone to every one of us. What think ye of Christ? is a question whose answer decides the truth or error of our belief. If he be to you only a creature, however exalted, superangelic, but still a creature, your views of the character of God, and of your own character, and of the way to be saved, and of future retribution, must be wrong. If Christ is God, and you worship him, and he made atonement for your sins, this affects the whole character of your belief. "He that hath the Son hath life;" "Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father." So with regard to our secret thoughts and our character. Tell us how you feel toward Christ, and we will tell you whether you are a Christian, and, if a Christian, what sort of Christian; for this depends on our feelings towards him whose character and whose relation to us, as a Saviour, were intended to affect the human heart more intensely than any thing else. And such is the case. There are no

feelings so intense as the feelings which Christ awakens, for or against himself. There was Julian the Apostate, who, falling in battle, seized a handful of sand and flung it towards the sky, saying, Thou hast conquered, O Galilean! Dying Stephen, heedless of the shower of stones, cries, Lord Jesus receive my spirit! Some are never greatly excited to anger except by religion; Christ brings no peace to their homes, but a sword. In contrast with them, there are those to whom the name of Christ is music, and they are most happy when they are counted worthy to do any thing for him, and for those who love him. Each of us may see just what we are, by our feelings toward Christ; if we are indifferent, we are opposed to him; we dislike his spiritual character and precepts, and the way to be saved through him. If we love him, we are loved of his Father also. As a proof of all this, we have only to consider that last dread sentence which Christ says he will pronounce, with the reasons on which it is based: Inasmuch as ye did it, or did it not, to one of the least of these my brethren, ye did it, or did it not to me. And what follows?" And these shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal." Are my feelings towards Christ, indicated by my treatment of those who love him, to settle the question, where I shall spend eternity? Let me see to it, that I think of Christ, and feel toward him, as the word of God requires.

The words of Simeon, as he took the infant Saviour in his arms, suggest one more remark, which is properly deduced from his feelings and expressions.