in their joy? Has the day-star arisen in our hearts- do we by faith worship this babe and give him the best offerings we possess. What has been the effect of the birth of Christ on our hearts? Has the door been opened for an abode for him, or has it been a matter of indifference to us that he was laid in a manger?

CHAPTER III.

IN those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea,

2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

3 For this is he that was spoken of, by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

4. And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.

5 Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the region round about Jordan,

6 And were baptised of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.

7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

VERSES 1-12.

8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:

9 And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

10 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:

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12 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

On such classes as went out of Jerusalem and the neighbourhood, to be baptised of John, confessing their sins, he at once conferred the rite, probably too they promised repentance, that is, to forsake sin. But to the Pharisees and Sadducees he plainly declares, that without fruits meet for repentance, baptism would be of no avail-a warning all may take who are resting in outward ceremonies which cannot cleanse the inner man, and are satisfied with a name to live whilst they are dead.

The coming of Christ was to introduce a new dispensation,

outward forms were to be abolished, and God was to be worshipped in spirit and in truth. The tree was to be known by its fruits; and how awful the end of those who were trusting in their birth privileges!

VERSES 13-17.

13 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.

14 But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?

15 And Jesus answering, said unto him, Suffer it to be so now, for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.

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16 And Jesus, when he was baptised, went up straightway out of the water and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him;

17 And lo, a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

The Holy Spirit being poured out on the Saviour at his baptism, is a strong encouragement to seek the same gift in the ordinance. But there is no promise, and certainly no assurance that it shall invariably be bestowed; the wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou canst not tell whence it cometh; so is every one that is born of the Spirit. Nor can the baptism of Jesus be any precedent. We are to be baptised into his death, to be buried in baptism with him-to rise with him. He had no sins to be washed away. The Holy Spirit was to be given to him to strengthen his human nature for the special work before him, not to make him holy.

CHAPTER 4. 1-11.

THEN was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.

3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, if thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.

4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by

bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,

6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down, for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee; and in their hands they shall

bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shall not tempt thy Lord thy God.

8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;

9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.

10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan; for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

The gift of the Holy Spirit, whilst in this wilderness world, does not exempt the christian from temptation. It is given to us to preserve us from sin when tempted. Sin is latent in us-not so in the Saviour, and it is evident our Lord permitted Satan's assaults, to show us how to resist them. The word of God must be our shield and our sword. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. We must needs think that this was one of our Lord's greatest trials on earth, this close contact with the evil One. Well may we pray, "by thy baptism, fasting, and temptation, good Lord deliver us."

VERSES 12-17.

12 Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee ;

13 And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim:

14 That it might be fulfiled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,

15 The land of Zabulon and Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles;

16 The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death,light is sprung up.

17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Jesus dwelt for a time in Capernaum, and this region and shadow of death was visited by the light of life. In this awful state how many remain on whom the light of truth has long shone; for they love darkness rather than light; they will not come to Jesus that they may be saved,

VERSES 18-25.

18 And Jesus walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethen, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea for they were fishers.

19 And he said unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

20 And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.

21 And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them.

22 And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.

23 And Jesus went about all Galilee teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.

24 And his fame went throughout all Syria and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.

25 And there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judea, and from beyond Jordan.

That power accompained Christ's call to Peter and Andrew, cannot be doubted. But let any one who admits the divinity of Christ, consider, what are the impediments that prevent him now from obeying the call, and following Christ. They will be found to consist in a nominal belief, in love of the present world, in all those ties and entanglements that bind us to this life, deaden our perception of the future, and alienate our hearts from God. Let us remember what Christ preached before he called his apostles, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand:" then notice what followed; "he healed all manner of sicknesses;" he can turn our stony hearts into flesh; he can create a new spirit within us.

CHAPTER V. VERSES 1-16.

AND seeing the multitude, he

went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him :

2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,

3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for their's is the kingdom of

heaven.

4 Blessed are they that mourn : for they shall be comforted.

5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteous. ness for they shall be filled.

7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

We e are here taught what are the shining virtues of the christian character; all lowly in their nature, and yet such as constitute Christ's people the salt and light of the world. We must take heed that the salt lose not its savor, nor our candle its light.

VERSES 17-37.