PAGE

69

76

85

92

99

106

111

117

125

132

139

145

SEPTUAGESIMA SUNDAY.-Self-subjugation

SEXAGESIMA SUNDAY.-The fall of man

QUINQUAGESIMA SUNDAY.-The Noachic covenant
ASH WEDNESDAY.-The occasion

FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT.-Fasting, prayer, confession
SECOND SUNDAY IN LENT.-The Lenten Collect
THIRD SUNDAY IN LENT.-Secret faults

FOURTH SUNDAY IN LENT.-The forgiveness of sins
FIFTH SUNDAY IN LENT.-The Priesthood and Atone-
ment of CHRIST
SUNDAY NEXT BEFORE EASTER.--Contemplation of our
LORD'S death

MONDAY BEFORE EASTER.-Our LORD's foreknowledge
of His Passion

TUESDAY BEFORE EASTER.-Our LORD's Agony in
Gethsemane

WEDNESDAY BEFORE EASTER.-Contemplation of our
LORD'S Passion

153

THURSDAY BEFORE EASTER.-The great Sacrifice begun

in the mystery of the Holy Eucharist

GOOD FRIDAY.-The Great Sacrifice consummated on the

EASTER DAY.-CHRIST the resurrection and the life
EASTER MONDAY.-The Resurrection of the Soul
EASTER TUESDAY.-The Resurrection of the Body .
FIRST SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.-The ministerial com-

SECOND SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.-The sheep, fold, and
Shepherd.

182

189

195

203

214

THIRD SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.-Our LORD preparing
His disciples for His departure.

223

FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.-The benefit of our

LORD'S Departure

231

FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER.-The world and its Con

queror

237

ASCENSION DAY.-The occasion

246

SUNDAY AFTER ASCENSION.-Waiting for the HOLY

GHOST

WHIT-SUNDAY.-The occasion

WHIT-MONDAY.-The intelligent use of the public minis-
trations of the Church

WHIT-TUESDAY.-The fruit of the SPIRIT

TRINITY SUNDAY.-The Creed of S. Athanasius

FIRST SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.-Dives and Lazarus
SECOND SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.-The mutual indwell-
ing of CHRIST and the Church

THIRD SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.-Hannah
FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.-The Mote and the

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255

264

273

283

290

300

309

316

325

FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.-The miraculous draught
of fishes

SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.-The eternity and com-
prehensiveness of the divine commandments

SEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.-David numbering

EIGHTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.-The sin of Jeroboam 356
NINTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.-The "still small voice." 363
TENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.-The history of Ahab.
ELEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.-The Pharisee and
the Publican
TWELFTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.-The didactic cha-
racter of our LORD's miracles
THIRTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.-The good Sa-
maritan
FOURTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.-The influence
of the obedient.

379

388

396

404

FIFTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.-The lilies of the
field

SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.-Unity
EIGHTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.-Ezekiel's wife

428

taken

437

TWENTIETH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.-The revelation
and requirements of God.

TWENTY-FIRST SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.-The evil An-

gels.
TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.-The faith-
fulness of GOD.

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.

445

453

461

469

478

485

493

500

TWENTY-THIRD SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.-The hea-
venly citizenship

TWENTY-FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.-Meetness
for the inheritance

TWENTY-FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.-The use of

I.

First Sunday in Advent.

Subject. CHRIST's first Advent, and our consequent obligations. Text. Ezek. xx. 32. "That which cometh into your mind shall not be at all, that ye say, We will be as the heathen, as the families of the countries, to serve wood and stone."

Principal Word. D】 the heathen, the uninstructed nations.

ADVENT, intended as a preparation for Christmas. The Incarnation, much too high a doctrine to be contemplated without due preparation. It cannot worthily be regarded in one day only. To be duly thankful for it, to rejoice intelligently and beneficially in the festival of Christmas, a previous meditation on its nature and consequences requisite. Hence the Church has ordained this season, wherein we regard the coming of our LORD in the flesh conjointly with His future coming to judge the world, that our Christmas joy may be duly chastened with wholesome and solemn fear; and that it may also have the only true foundation, an humble but good hope of acceptance in the last day.

To apply the text to the purposes of the season, notice its occasion. Ezekiel was in captivity, with a multitude of his countrymen, in Chaldæa. They did not profit by this loud call to repentance; they took

heed to false prophets, who deluded them with hope of return. Yet, doubting of these predictions, they resorted to Ezekiel. But he received the Divine command not to answer them. They had come impenitent; and yet more: they knew that what they were suffering came upon them for being the apostate people of GOD. (Amos iii. 2; Dan. ix. 12.) Had they been of the heathen, then these visitations would not have come upon them. Why then not be as the heathen at once? They might thus escape these signal judgments. They could not be punished as disobedient subjects and servants, if GOD were not their King and Master.

So they reasoned. But Ezekiel told them in the text, this should not be at all. How could it be? (Contrast the circumstances of the Jew and the heathen. Deut. iv. 32–34; vii. 6; x. 15; Ps. cxlvii. 19, 20; Rom. iii. 2; ix. 4, 5; x. 13-15; Eph. ii. 11, 12.)

The heathen were without excuse for not acknowledging the "eternal power and Godhead of the Most High" (Rom. i. 20); but they could not be condemned for despising His judgments, walking not in His statutes, polluting His Sabbaths. It could not be said to them as to Ephraim, Hos. viii. 12. GOD was the God of Israel for ever, for his blessing or for his ruin. Accordingly in the verse following the text, we read, "As I live," &c.

We have succeeded to the privileges of the Jews. (See Rom. xi. 17, seqq.; 1 S. Pet. ii. 9.) Baptized into CHRIST's Church, we are "the elect people of GOD." (1 S. Pet. i. 2.) We have all they had, and far more. The heathen were in night, the Jews in