this "law of sin" in them-they are quickened anew out of it, in the power of an undying and sinless life, in Resurrection.

66

And now, such being the import of the circumcision of Christ—such the blessings to us implied in itwe see how fitting an occasion it was for His receiving that NAME by which especially He is declared to be our Saviour; as stated in our Text-" And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising " of the child, His name was called JESUS which was "so named of the angel before he was conceived in "the womb:"-a Name of which the interpretation was at the same time afforded- "Thou shalt call His name JESUS, for He shall SAVE His people from "their sins." (Matt. i. 21.)

The custom of naming children at the time of their being circumcised seems to have been coeval with the ordinance itself; as we find the naming and circumcising of Isaac mentioned together, Gen. xxi. 3, 4 : whence we may infer that it was by Divine direction. And this is confirmed by the fact that the Name had usually, as in Isaac's instance, a spiritual meaning expressive of an interest in the Covenant of promise; whence it would be fitly given at the time when the child was admitted within, the pale of the Covenant, and in connexion with that rite by which was set

forth its dying to the world and the flesh, and its birth to new hopes. And so the Church now confers the Name in Baptism, and with better reason; inasmuch as this Ordinance has the promise of that spiritual Life of which circumcision taught the necessity but could not confer it; setting forth, indeed, significantly a death unto sin,' but not a new birth unto righteousness' except in type or shadow. And by this Name, accordingly,—which was also generally in primitive times, and is often still, significant of some gracious quality or blessing invoked the members of the Church continue thenceforth to be exclusively denoted in all its offices*: the sir-name (i.e. sire-name) being that by which the baptized are designated as of the family of man and born after the flesh; the Christian Name that which connects them with the family of God as born after the Spirit. Would that we were all constantly mindful of the holy relation of which that Name is the sign, as well as worthily prized the nobleness which it confers above that of earthly race and pedigree which is the boast of "the children of this world;" who in this, as in other instances, "are wiser than the children of light," and in their regard for the honour of their family-name set us an example!

But like as of the ordinances themselves, Circum

* E. g. The Catechism: The Marriage-Service; &c.

cision and Baptism, so of the Names then conferred

-their whole import and significancy, the title conferred and the Covenant relation implied in them, are solely owing to one Name, to the giving of which all Names given before or since in the family of God have had respect-the Name of "JESUS" and the occasion when He was so called: when in being 'made to be circumcised' He was also made obedient to the Law for man' and thereby declared to be "the end of that Law for righteousness to every one that believeth,"--to be our "SAVIOUR," the Author to us of spiritual and eternal Life. This Event we now celebrate this Feast we now keep: and, keeping it, (as remarked at the beginning) we celebrate a more joyful event than the commencement of a New Year, even though it had the promise of many days and years to come: for we celebrate the Anniversary of the work of Salvation begun, and, with it, the commencement of Eternity, the dawn of "Life and immortality brought to light by the gospel."

THE LIFE OF CHRIST.

III. HIS EPIPHANY, OR MANIFESTATION BY A STAR TO THE EASTERN MAGI.

ST. MATTHEW ii. 1, 2.

66 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of "Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the East to Jeru"salem, saying, Where is He that is born King of the Jews? for we "have seen his star in the East and are come to worship Him."

THOUGH at His first coming the Saviour appeared in humiliation, yet were there in His history several attestations to His true Dignity and Glory, far surpassing, when rightly understood, all the circumstances of earthly Majesty of which the event recorded in this passage is one-commemorated on this day by the Church as The Epiphany or Manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles,' and deemed of such importance as to have been selected to mark one

* January 6th. As to the distance of time of this Transaction from the Nativity Chronologists differ considerably, the most part postponing it to the Presentation. I follow, however, the order of the Festivals in which this has the precedence.

of the Seasons of the Ecclesiastical Year extending over a period of six weeks, the Sundays of which are designated with reference to it: though, again we have to lament, that this Festival, as well as the preceding, is utterly disregarded in many places by members of our Church, and the service appointed for it suffered to fall into disuse. This, my Brethren, I repeat, ought not to be: and I trust we may hope soon to see it otherwise-to see our congregations coming forward to join their ministers in reviving those services, without which concurrence on their part the design of the Church in the appointment will not be realized or the intended practical benefits derived from it.

We shall first consider the particulars of the transaction itself: and afterwards its import or the instruction to be derived from it.

I. First, As to the event itself, it is strange that it should be considered by some learned Expositors a matter of uncertainty whence these Eastern Sages, or "Magi" as they are termed in the original, derived the information which led them to undertake this journey, and enabled them to interpret rightly the sign sent to direct them: it being most evident that, as it could only have been from Divine revelation, so it was from an ancient Prophecy so clearly bearing