Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concern- ing the Son of Man shall be accomplished. For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles; and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on, and they shall scourge him, and put him to death, and the third day he shall rise again. And they understood none of these things, and this SERMON I. ON THE DIFFERENT RANKS OF SOCIETY. PROVERBS xxii. 2. "The rich and poor meet together: the Lord is the maker of them all." In this sacred place,-met together, in the presence of our common God and Maker; and, as we trust, under the immediate influence of the Holy Spirit,-it seems as if we stood for awhile aloof from the busy world, and were able, as from an eminence, to take a survey of life's various scenes; and to view its pursuits and pleasures, its toils and troubles, its hopes and disappointments, with a more comprehensive and discriminating eye, than when we are actually engaged in them. B Here, in God's holy mountain, the light from heaven shines more directly on our souls; we breathe a purer and holier atmosphere, and apart from the mist of worldly vanities, we may take a juster view of those various duties and relations in which we shall so soon again be busied. Let us pray to God, that we may derive from these sacred opportunities the spiritual benefit which they are designed to afford. May our faith in him be increased; may our hearts be filled with the love of our Lord Jesus Christ; and may the sacred truths which we here receive be so grafted in our hearts, that when we return to our homes, they may remain for ever fixed there, may sanctify every thought, word and deed, and spread a colouring of holi+ ness over our daily intercourse with each other, in whatsoever rank or station it may have pleased the providence of God to place us. It appears likely to conduce to this desirable result, if we are careful to form a right conception of our different stations |