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Christ and call God their "Father?" who, when we would urge upon them the service of God and ask them to reserve some time for Him-some portion of each day, suppose, for reading His word, for meditation and for prayer,—are ready to answer, 'How? Wist ye not that I must be about my worldly business?' while the world, or rather he who is the Prince and God of it, takes care to arrange the business of it so as most effectually to interfere with the business of God. Yea, and often on the day and at the hour when the Church would call us to the more immediate worship of God, to His service in the highest sense, this is still the pretext for absence: as if a blessing could be expected by men on their worldly business when the business or service of God is postponed to it!

2. Again, This saying of the Son of God teaches those whom He makes children of God that the service of their Heavenly Father is, not only of paramount obligation, but, a service of self-denial. It was so in His case:-His Life was one of self-denial: from the time of His leaving "the glory which He had with the Father before the world was," when "though He was rich he became poor for our sakes," to the last hour of His sojourn on earth, " He pleased not Himself." And so, would we follow Him faith

fully, we must not only resist the importunities of business but the solicitations of pleasure-yea and even the calls of natural affection, if they should interfere with the claims of God's service upon us. Like the Apostle who exhorts us "to be followers of him as he was of Christ," we must not "confer with flesh and blood:" but with the Saviour Himself, as in the instance before us, be ready again to reply, even to the sorrowing remonstrance of those most dearly loved by us, "Wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?"

3. And last-we learn that this service should be in us as in Him, as a service of self-denial, so also of Love to others. Do you ask, How you are to do the work of God or be occupied in His business or service, otherwise than in the acts or on the occasions of His immediate worship? The answer is-In "the work and labour of love," like as Christ, "who went about doing good." For this He denied Himself. Love was the motive, love to Man the beginning and end of His Mission; by His Love (as we have seen) to Manifest the Love of the Father. And in this we are taught that pre-eminently consists our likeness to our Father which is in Heaven as His children, as well as our likeness to Christ: a service in which there is employment for all-measured only by the

wants spiritual and temporal of our fellow-creatures; by the "infirmities and sicknesses" which He who is our example "bore" when on earth, and by "the sorrows" which He "carried;" a charge which, with His Spirit, He has bequeathed to us His disciplesto be His instruments to carry into effect the purposes of His love and the love of the Father to the world, and so to do "the work of God."

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In conclusion: To the young especially this record and example addresses itself. It is the record and example of early-devotedness: for Jesus was yet "a child," but "twelve years old," when He was thus occupied and uttered this saying. And you, my young friends, have your Mission. You have been in Baptism dedicated to God and have been enlisted in His service and more-You have been numbered among His children, and, of His rich mercy and great love, been entitled to call Him your "Father." "Be ye then followers of God as His beloved children;" and this by aiming to tread in HIS steps who for your sakes became a child and grew up to Man's stature; and of whom it is written that, as He "grew," He "waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon Him" (ver. 40). This grace " is in measure for you also. Pray then for it daily; that you may be enabled to offer to God

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that offering with which of all others He is most pleased the affections, the energies, and devotion of youth; and so (in the words of our Confirmation Service) 'continue His for ever, daily increasing in 'His holy Spirit until you come to His everlasting 'kingdom.'

THE LIFE OF CHRIST.

VI. HIS BAPTISM.

ST. MATT. iii. 13-end.

"Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be bap"tized of him. But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be

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baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering, said 66 unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. And Jesus, when He was bap"tized, 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: and, lo, a voice from heaven, saying, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

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WE come now, in tracing the personal history of our Lord, to the time when He was to manifest Himself publickly and enter on the work of His Mission; immediately previous to which is the Event here recorded-His Baptism by John in Jordan: an Event which possesses a far greater importance than is often attached to it by Expositors; for, while in the opinion of some He only intended by this act to

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