THE FAMILY SANCTUARY.

FIRST SUNDAY IN ADVENT.

Let us pray.

ALMIGHTY GOD, give us grace, that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life, in which thy Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty, to judge both the quick and dead, we may rise to the life immortal, through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, now and ever. Amen.

Holy, holy, holy Lord God of hosts, heaven and earth are full of the majesty of thy glory. Lord there is none among the gods like unto thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders.

B

We confess before thee, heavenly Father, our unworthiness of the least of thy favours. We have done the things we ought not to have done, we have offended against thy most holy law, and there is no health in us. Yet, blessed be thy name, we are now permitted to approach thy throne of mercy, through the merits of the Redeemer, who is the way, the truth, and the life, who is thine accepted sacrifice, and in whom thou art well pleased. Wondrous love! gracious condescension ! Thou didst not spare thine only begotten Son, but didst freely give him up to the death for us. Great, oh, great indeed, is the mystery of godliness! Jesus died, the just for the unjust, to reconcile us to God. Lord, we pray thee to wash, and purify, and sanctify us in his precious blood. Let the Spirit of all grace, dwell in us richly. Let us become new creatures in Christ Jesus, and for his sake grant, that with our errors all pardoned, and our sins all forgiven, our future life may abound in the fruits of the Spirit, with true lowliness and meekness; with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love; we being purified and prepared for every good work, and filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto thy glory and praise. O gracious God, hear and mercifully accept these our humble petitions, for Jesus' sake, who while on earth taught us thus to pray,

Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name: thy kingdom come; thy will be done

on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil; for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

THE SCRIPTURE.

Here followeth the portion of Scripture as it is written in Saint Luke's Gospel, the 2nd chapter, from the 8th to the 20th verse.

"And there were in the same country, shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them; and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not; for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angels, a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying that was told them concerning the child. But all they that heard it, wondered at these things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them."

SERMON I.

THE ADVENT OF CHRIST.

In Saint Luke's Gospel, 2nd chapter, 13th and 14th verses it is thus written:

" And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."

The fall of man by sin, and his restoration to God's favour by grace, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, are the supreme doctrines of Christianity. Connected with these, however, are events so sublime, and so mysterious, that the believer, as he acknowledges their stupendous interest in time, is persuaded they will be the themes of his admiration and gratitude for ever in eternity.

The wondrous event of this world's creation, when, at the voice of God, it emerged from surrounding darkness, was yet surpassed, by the mi