My friends, those were the words of our King; of Him in whom was
neither passion nor selfishness; who loved us even to the death, and
endured for us the scourge, the cross, the grave. And believe me,
such are His words now; though we do not hear Him, the heaven and the
earth hear Him and obey Him. His message is pardon, mercy,
deliverance to the sorrowful, and the oppressed, and the neglected;
and to the proud, the tyrannical, the self-righteous, the
hypocritical, tribulation and anguish, shame and woe.

Because He is the Saviour, therefore He is a consuming fire to all
those who try to hinder Him from saving men. Because He is the Son
of God, He will sweep out of His Father's kingdom all who offend, and
whosoever maketh and loveth a lie. Because He is boundless mercy and
love, therefore He will show no mercy to those who try to stop His
purposes of love. Because He is the King of men, the enemies of
mankind are His enemies; and He will reign till He has put them all
under His feet.



II--HOLY SCRIPTURE



SECOND SUNDAY IN ADVENT.

Whatsoever things were written aforetime, were written for our
example, that we, through patience and comfort of the Scriptures,
might have hope.--ROMANS xv. 4.