something more of following CHRIST than we do in these days.

But, if we could go now through Europe, in every great city, in every little village church, we should see multitudes preparing themselves to go up to the Midnight service which is everywhere said in remembrance of Him Who at midnight came into the world; for it is not as if we were alone, though we may seem cut off and separated from the rest of the world. We believe in the Communion of Saints: we believe that in all those prayers, which to-night shall be offered up by the Holy Church throughout all the world, we have a share. We believe that they and we are looking forward to that one long Feast, of which all these earthly feasts are poor and feeble types. We believe that they and we are looking back to that Birth, which was on this night, as our only hope of escaping from that death which is eternal night.

Truly this is the night wherein "a holy solemnity is kept;" and Isaiah tells us how to observe it. "There shall be a song," says he. Now we are not to think that all these old customs are good only because they are old. We must not imagine that Christmas Carols are to be kept up only because they have been the fashion for so long. No; remember what was their first beginning. The first singers at Christmas time were the blessed Angels; and the first Christmas Carol they sang was, "Glory to GoD in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards men." And what was the effect of it? What did the shepherds say? Did they say, "What lovely music! or, What sweet voices! or, What a glorious sight?" No; they said, "Let us now go even to Bethlehem."

And so I say to you, "Let us now go even to Bethlehem." Let us go to see Him Who, though He was King of kings, yet vouchsafed to become a Servant of servants. Let us go there to learn not to do our own will, but our FATHER'S not to please ourselves, but Him Whose we are, and Whom we ought to serve. Let us go to Bethlehem. It is no such easy thing, in this sense; for if we have once learned this, and if we do it, we are not far from the Kingdom.

And so to go to Bethlehem is the only way by which we can hope hereafter to go up to the Heavenly Jerusalem so to seek that Holy Infant now, is the only way in which we can expect to meet Him as a righteous Judge hereafter.

And so I end in the words of one of His saints :

"CHRIST, Who mad'st us out of dust,

Life and spirit giving;

CHRIST, from Whose dear steps we must
Pattern take of living:

CHRIST, Who camest once to save

From the curse and from the grave,

Healing, lightening, cheering;

CHRIST, Who now wast made as we,
Grant that we may be like Thee

In Thy next appearing!"

Which He grant for His own Name's sake: to Whom, with the FATHER and the HOLY GHOST, be all honour and glory for ever. Amen.

SERMON XLIX.

JESUS STANDING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD.

Christmas Day. Evening.

"THESE ARE THEY THAT WENT OVER JORDAN IN THE FIRST MONTH, WHEN IT HAD OVERFLOWED ALL HIS BANKS."-1 CHRON. XII. 15.

TO-DAY we celebrate the Birthday of our King in this world: to-morrow we shall celebrate the Birthday of S. Stephen to heaven. To-day our Prince took on Himself our flesh, and came from the womb of Mary into the world to-morrow S. Stephen puts off the body, and goes from the prison of the flesh to eternal life. To-day CHRIST came down amidst the songs of the Angels to-morrow S. Stephen goes up amidst the blasphemies of the Jews. To-day CHRIST was wrapped for us in swaddling-clothes: to-morrow S. Stephen puts on the robe of immortality. To-day the Captain of our Salvation showed His Love for them that hated Him, by His Birth: to-morrow, His valiant servant shows his love for them that persecuted him, by his prayer.

Now to-night we are called on to think of both of our LORD and of S. Stephen; of CHRIST's Birth, and His Martyr's death; and the text I read you will help us to do both. See how.

David had been promised by GOD the kingdom of Israel. As yet he was fighting for it: he had many difficulties to overcome, many enemies to put down, before he could sit upon the throne. In this verse we read of certain valiant men that came to help him; and in order to get to him, they had to pass over the river Jordan in the first month, when it had overflowed all its banks.

Now the river Jordan is a type of death. It separated the land of Canaan from the wilderness that lay beyond it, just as death separates Paradise from the desert of this world. These brave soldiers had to cross the Jordan, in order to help David. So Stephen had to meet death, and to pass through it, in order to fight the battles of the Son of David, JESUS CHRIST. That is no easy matter in itself. I will tell you what a Bishop of our own said, just before his Martyrdom; he can best describe what a Martyr felt. "I am not in love with this passage through the Jordan, for I have the weakness of flesh and blood plentifully upon me. And I have prayed with my SAVIOUR that this cup of red wine might pass away from me; but if not, His will, not mine, be done; and I shall most willingly drink of this cup as deep as He pleases, and enter into this Jordan, yea, and pass through it, in the way that He shall lead me."

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But this is common to all Martyrs. They all gave up the dearest thing they had for the sake of CHRIST, even their lives. And herein they proved Satan to be a liar, and the father of it. "All that a man hath he will give for his life," he said; and behold these valiant soldiers of CHRIST gave life and all for Him.

S. Stephen has yet a more blessed portion; and we

shall find a type of it in those soldiers of David that came over the Jordan. When did they pass it? In the first month. They were the first that did it. Others might follow or not as they liked: they would go anyhow. And so S. Stephen. He could tell nothing of the noble army of Martyrs; he might have been, for aught he knew, the only one who was to suffer for CHRIST'S Name. He had no one to show him the way. He had no one to point to as having been victorious in the same battle. "Ye have not passed this way heretofore." He was the first, and therefore he has the greatest honour.

I will tell you a story. There were once a brave people called the Swiss, against whom there came a much stronger nation, intending to make slaves of them. When they set the battle in array, the Swiss had not a quarter so many soldiers as their enemies, the Austrians. There were many valiant men in the Swiss army: and again and again they came on, but again and again they were driven back. For the Austrians, standing shoulder to shoulder, held out their spears before them, so as to make as it were an iron fence, which neither man nor horse could break through. Now among the Swiss there was a countryman, who seeing this, cried out, "Take care of my wife and children; I will break their ranks." He threw away his armour, rushed in upon the enemy, took as many spears as he could in his breast and arms and body, and so fell down dead himself at the very moment he broke through the fence. The others rushed in after him; and the Austrians were soon put to flight. Now among the multitude of valiant soldiers in the Swiss army, he it was that had the greatest honour, because he was the first to lay