all the while training for Apostleship, and is ready to take the other's place. Nay, GOD has another, and yet another, resource in store. The treasures of His Knowledge are inexhaustible; the ways of His Wisdom, past finding out. Like clay in the hand of the potter, He can shape the least promising material, as readily as the most suitable and approved. The fiercest persecutor may be converted into the most fearless Apostle : the man of contemptible speech may become the Teacher of the Nations... And He will mould us in like manner to His service, however unapt we may seem by nature for so lofty a calling: deign to make us also the instruments of His Glory, however mean and unworthy unless indeed we oppose our stubborn wills to His, and refuse to become what He is alike able and willing to make us.

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THE PRESENTATION OF CHRIST IN THE TEMPLE,

COMMONLY CALLED,

The Purification of St. Mary the Virgin.

BLESSEDNESS TO BE FOUND IN THE PATH
OF DUTY.

ST. LUKE ii. 29.

LORD, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy Word.

THESE familiar words are repeated daily in our Evening Service, but they belong properly to the present Festival; which, though 'commonly called THE PURIFICATION OF ST. MARY THE VIRGIN,' does in fact commemorate nothing so much as < THE PRESENTATION OF CHRIST IN THE TEMPLE.' The Church has been very careful to remind us of this, as well by the title which she prefixes to the Day, as by the very construction of the Collect: and it is clear that both Reason and Piety are on her side. Reason, for we need only glance at the Gospel to discover which of the two events is brought into greater prominence by the inspired Evangelist :

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Piety, for our hearts will not be slow to inform us that we are thereby directed to the worthier object; even to the Author of our Salvation, our SAVIOUR CHRIST Himself.

On this day then, we are reminded how, forty days after the Birth of CHRIST, His Blessed Mother and Joseph, her wedded protector, brought the Holy Babe 'to Jerusalem, to present Him to the LORD; . . . . and to offer a sacrifice, a pair of turtle doves or two young pigeons. And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel; and the HOLY GHOST was upon him. . . . And he came by the Spirit into the Temple and when the Parents brought in the Child JESUS to do for Him after the custom of the Law, then took he Him up in his arms, and said, LORD, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace!' Such is the history, on which we now propose to offer a few remarks.

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It is well known that at the time when our SAVIOUR came into the world, a general belief prevailed that MESSIAH was about to appear. St. Luke informs us that not only the prophetess Anna herself, but the persons also whom she addressed, 'looked for Redemption.' As for holy

Simeon, he is distinctly recorded to have 'waited for the Consolation of Israel.' But this lastnamed individual was favoured so much beyond the other men of his day, that it had been expressly revealed unto him by the HOLY SPIRIT that he should not see death, before he had seen the LORD's Anointed.' A glorious anticipation truly, for a pious Israelite to entertain! A stupendous assurance to carry about with him! How must it have stirred his inmost soul at times to think upon it! At one time, joy,-at another, alarm,—must have filled his heart: joy, at the thought that GOD was about 'to visit and redeem His people;' alarm, for, who might abide the Day of His Coming, and who should stand when He appeared ?' Every rumour which reached him must have made his pulse throb and his heart beat: for he knew that he was destined to look upon One to whom all type and all prophecy for four thousand years had been steadily pointing; 'the Desire of all nations; Him whom many prophets and righteous men had desired to see, and yet had not seen;' a Light that was to lighten the Gentiles, and to be the Glory of God's people Israel.'. . . . His words of recognition, the inspired hymn which bears his name, must doubtless have flowed from

his burning lips like words of fire. His embrace must surely have been an act of unspeakable gratitude, joy, and wonder!

Let us put ourselves in his position from the day that he received the promise, and consider, as far as may be, not merely what we should have felt, but how we should have acted, had we been in his place. It may be thought that we should have adopted one of the most probable opinions as to the manner in which MESSIAH Would appear, and have anxiously expected His manifestation. We might perhaps have gone out of our way in this pursuit; and when the time grew long, we might have fancied that we were called upon to take some step in order to meet the Divine Condescension half way.

But what was the course adopted by devout Simeon? We find him frequenting the Temple faithfully, as aforetime; until, on a certain day, which was like every other day except in its result to him, the desire of his soul was gratified. A humble pair enter, and the Mother bears in her arms a little Babe. There is nothing to distinguish that group from ordinary worshippers. Nay, their attire and their offering bespeak great poverty. Simeon is made aware by a sudden revelation of the Spirit, that in that helpless Child,