They follow the Star, not knowing whither it would take them, much as Abraham had done, from nearly the same country two thousand years before. So ought it to be enough for us to know the next step in our journey, the next thing GOD would have us do, with something like tolerable certainty. One step before them, is as much as sinners in a troublous world should expect to see.

SERMON XXviii.

First Tuesday after Epiphany.

The Wise Men were greatly honoured by Him; especially if, as was of old believed, they became afterwards disciples of His Apostle, ministers and stewards of His mysteries. Think what a glorious ending, from a beginning in appearance so slight and seemingly accidental, as their observing a particular Star, religiously taking it to be from GOD, and with all perseverance inquiring its import, and following after its course. Let any

Christian child, or poor person as ignorant as a child, only go on doing his best in silence, GOD for His part will most surely keep and perform His part of the promise. Let the Star, the lesser light you have, guide you to Christ here, that you may after this life have the fruition of His glorious Godhead.

SERMON XXviii.

First Wednesday after Epiphany.

The Wise Men were not ashamed to acknowledge and honour Christ as especially present in a poor cottage, and as a young Child: neither let us doubt, but take Him at His word, when He says, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these, ye have done it unto Me;" and again, "Whosoever shall receive one such little child in My Name, receiveth Me." As ever we desire to find Christ truly in His Sacraments and His Scriptures, be it our care never to forget Him in His poor, if we can relieve them; or in His little ones, if we can help them to continue His, at least by not doing or saying anything to corrupt them in the way of bad example.

SERMON XXviii.

First Thursday after Epiphany.

If we worship, we must give: we must give alms of our substance; and in Holy Communion we must offer to Him" ourselves, our souls and bodies." Even as the Wise Men opened their treasures and to their lowly King presented gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. And if it puts you more or less out of your way, either to come to Church at all, or to spare something for an offering to Him

there, this is the trial of your faith. O, pray that you may meet it courageously, and not draw back either from worshipping Him, or from giving: and then the Face of the LORD JESUS, that bright and Morning Star, shall never be turned away from you.

SERMON XXix.

First Friday after Gpiphany.

If our light is to shine before men we must walk constantly and openly in all the ways of good men : if all the glory of this is to go on to GOD, none at all to stay with ourselves, we must ever watch and pray and repent; we must be ever practising contrition for what is and has been amiss in us. It will be troublesome: but who would mind the trouble, seeing that the end, by His Grace, will be, that, as the light of such persons hath shone before men on earth, so they shall hereafter shine as the Sun, as Jesus Christ Himself, for they shall be made like Him-in the kingdom of their Father and before the Angels of GOD ?

SERMON XXxix.

First Saturday after Epiphany.

The Wise Men grudged not the Holy Child the best and most expensive gifts they could offer,

though it were hard to see how some of them, at least, could be of any use to Him. But they were full of adoring love, and a heart where love dwells cannot stop to consider the use of things. Does not this tell us something about our way of serving and honouring Christ in His Churches, and in all that appertains to them, especially in whatever belongs to the services of the Holy Communion? Ought it not to be all as handsome as we can make it? Ought we nicely to count the cost, or measure the good done, when we are bringing our offerings for such purposes?

SERMON XXviii.

First Sunday after Epiphany,

The Church, having fully set before us the exceeding mercies, which we yearly remember on Christmas Day and the other great days of this season, proceeds, in the Epistles for these Sundays after the Epiphany, to tell us what manner of persons we ought to be, for whom so great things have been done and suffered by the great Almighty GOD Himself. The first is purity: "to present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto GOD;" and to keep our minds from being conformed to the world. The next is that which is

set down in the text: "not to think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think."

SERMON XXxviii.

Second Monday after Epiphany.

The holiest and most saintly person, then, is he who thinks most lowly of himself: and the reason why we are not all humble and lowly is, because we are not really trying to be good. Who among men is the greatest of Saints? Who is especially known by the name of Blessed; a name assigned by the Holy Spirit Himself? Is it not the Virgin Mother of our LORD and our GOD? and that, because being His Mother, she has been brought nearer to Him than any other created being. Now the Spirit which filled her, in the Hymn which we daily rehearse, has told us what her thoughts of herself It was her lowliness, which GOD regarded. He exalted her, as being especially humble and meek.

were.

SERMON XXXviii.

Second Tuesday alter Epiphany.

With regard to this holy time of Epiphany in particular; one great lesson for us all to learn of it