Page:SermonsFromTheLatins.djvu/536

 hold; the  latter  receive  monthly  or  yearly  their  sordid earthly  pay  and  are  content,  but  the  former  are the sons  of  God,  co-heirs  with  Christ,  and  serve gratuitously, looking  only  for  their  reward  on  the great day  of  their  majority — the  coming  of  the  glory of the  great  God. How different  will  that  coming be from  that  of  Sinai! How different  from  that  of Bethlehem! And yet  both  Sinai  and  Bethlehem were necessary  preparations  for  the  final  coming  of the  Lord. To the  Israelites  He  came  with  law  and majesty, the  God  of  fear,  and  fear  failed  utterly  to turn  the  wayward  peoples  back  to  God. Then came the God  of  love,  the  Babe  of  Bethlehem,  who  by  His self-denial, His  infinite  charity  towards  all,  and  His absolute obedience  to  His  heavenly  Father,  set  before the  world  an  object  lesson  in  love  never  to  be forgotten. His final  coming  will  be  in  glory  such that the  heavens  and  the  earth  shall  be  filled  with  it, and the  sun  and  the  moon  and  the  stars  shall  pale before it. Brethren, let  this  be  the  process  of  our sanctification and  salvation,  from  fear,  the  beginning of wisdom,  to  the  pure  love  of  God  and  so  on  to glory. We are  by  nature  imitators,  especially  of  the kingly and  the  great. Let us  then  follow  and  imitate the  King  of  kings. If, following  His  example, we love  God  above  all  things  and  our  neighbor  as ourselves;  if  we  live  as  He  did— soberly,  justly,  and godly in  this  world — be  assured  we  shall  have  good reason to  look  forward  with  confidence  to  the  blessed hope and  coming  of  the  great  God  our  Saviour.