they indulged themselves with sleep. Here love covered this fault. "The spirit is willing." Love speaks what is right. Love finds an excuse for what is wrong. "The flesh is weak." And, when the same most blessed pattern of love hung expiring in the greatest agonies on the cross, yet, amidst all the taunts and jeers of his enemies and murderers, love vented itself with his expiring breath, "Father, forgive them;" adding this as a veil or covering, "for they know not what they do." Thus hath Jesus left us an example. He hath given us a new commandment, "Love one another." May the Spirit of love keep alive this heavenly temper, and blow up every spark into a fervent flame, that all men may know his disciples, by this badge of charity or love, and be forced to confess, "See how these christians love one another !" "Love is of God," 1 John iv. 7. DEC. 24.-Wherefore he is able to save to the uttermost, all who come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.-Heb. vii. 25. When the strong blasts of temptations blow, the swelling waves of corruptions lift up their heads; malicious Satan casts his fiery darts; the thunders of Sinai roar; the law threatens wrath and destruction; carnal reason pleads; unbelief pronounces hopeless despair on them happy for believers, to take up the language of faith, expressed by God's children of old, "We are not careful to answer in this matter: our God whom we serve, is able to deliver us; and he will deliver us," Dan. iii. 16, 17. Admirable faith and fortitude! A shining example of Old Testament saints; worthy to be imitated by New Testament disciples. Such a conduct yields ease to the mind and peace to the conscience; while it confesses Jesus the only Saviour, it gives him the glory due to his name. And, verily, according to their faith, so it was. They were saved to the utter most. Though cast into the fiery furnace, they had the presence of Jesus; and he delivered them out of it unhurt. Who can prescribe bounds to the salvation of Jesus? He saves according to his ability. Who can limit that which extends to the uttermost? Thou comer to God by Jesus, think not sin too strong in thee for Jesus to save thee from. "He is almighty to save to the uttermost." Art thou not willing thus to be saved? Verily, faith longs for it, love desires it, hope expects it. Stagger not through unbelief. Our object of faith is a once crucified Jesus, an ever-living, interceding Man and Mediator, and who is also the omnipotent God. Is anything too hard for the Lord? Why then should sin hold thee one moment under its power? Why should it at all distress thy mind? Nay, it could not, but for thy unbelief. But is not the strength of Jesus the most powerful encouragement for poor sinners to come to God continually? A throne of grace is ever open. A God of love is seated on it. Jesus ever lives, and always prays. A salvation to the uttermost perfection is promised, and the infinitely powerful Jehovah able to effect it. Coming to God by Jesus; Oh, this is a sweet mystery, for faith to feed upon, and be nourished and strengthened by! We are confident of access; perfectly sure of acceptance by Jesus. We are not left to perhaps, or peradventure, because it is not founded upon ourselves, what we have done, or can do, but upon the eternal life, everlasting love, and unchangeable priesthood of Jesus. "The just shall live by faith," Heb. x. 38. DEC. 25.-Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.--Isa. vii. 14. On this prophecy hang all the hopes of fallen sinners. Had this failed, we were all lost: horror eternal awaited us; hell eternal must have been our doom. "God with us" must be born a babe in time, or sinful man for ever dies. But, O my fellow sinners, all hail! I congratulate you. This day is the scripture fulfilled. This virgin hath conceived; this Son, this Immanuel, is born God in our nature; God with us, God for us, we behold in Jesus. He says, "I was set up from everlasting," (as the covenant head of my people,)— "my delights were with the sons of men," Prov. viii. 23, 31. Now he hath shown, how he delighted over us, how he rested for ever in his love to us. For he visits us in our flesh. "He took not on him the nature of angels," but became a babe in human flesh, a man in stature; born to save; lived to justify; died to redeem ; whom? fallen angels? No; they are left, reserved in chains of darkness. But, unto us sinners, us miserable apostates from God, in the very same desperate state as devils; behold "unto us a Child is born; unto us a Son is given." That we, who are filthy by birth, and polluted by nature, might have a holy birth and a sanctified nature in him. "The government is upon his shoulders." He is our King. He reigns over us, for us, and in us. Our souls and all our concerns are safe in his hands. "His name is Wonderful." In his conception, birth, person, God and man in one Christ: in his life, death, resurrection, ascension, and intercession, wonderful: in his love to and salvation of us, wonderful. "Counsellor." He powerfully pleads our cause above; he sweetly counsels our hearts below to come to him, and find rest in him. "The mighty God." None less could save us. Jesus is the God of our salvation. "The everlasting Father." He begets us to himself, by the word of his grace. The most tender parent on earth never loved his children as Jesus loves "The Prince of peace," Isa. ix. 6. He is ever at peace with us, made peace for us, bestows his peace us. on us. For ever hallowed be this happy morn! O ye sinners, if, as verily as the virgin conceived and brought forth this Son, your hearts conceive Jesus by faith, this will bring forth holy love to him. The birth of Jesus is our delicious Christmas fare. Behold it, says the prophet; dwell on it in your minds; feed on it in your hearts. This makes us keep a joyful Christmas all the year round. For this brings "glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, good will towards men," Luke ii. 14. DEC. 26. We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.-Eph. ii. 10. Upon a survey of the works of creation, the psalmist cries out with admiration, "O Lord, how manifold are thy works, in wisdom hast thou made them all!" Is such a display of wisdom and glory visible in the objects of time and sense, which perish in the using, and are destined to destruction? Oh, what infinite riches of wisdom, glory, and love, are manifest in our new creation in Christ Jesus, which are of a spiritual and eternal nature! Such is the economy of the covenant of grace, the glorious three persons in the ever-adorable Trinity concur in the salvation of sinners. God the Father elects, in Christ, to glory, and ordains good works, as the fruits of everlasting love, for all the heirs of salvation to walk in. Jesus, in whom they are chosen, atones for all the guilt of their sins, and frees them from all condemnation of the law. And the Divine Spirit creates their souls anew in righteousness, peace, and holiness. But why doth he say, "created in Christ Jesus?" Because we are his members; one with him; beloved in him; chosen in him; viewed in him; loved with the very same love, as Jesus our Head is, John xvii. 23. What is wrought in us by the power of God the Spirit, is not to glorify us in our own eyes; to make us independent of our Head, Jesus; but to glorify him, and keep us in close union to, and sweet communion with him, that so our good works, our fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, may abound to the glory of God. How awful this delusion, under pretence of exalting Jesus, to depreciate the work of his Spirit in us! and how fatal the mistake, of thinking our good works are to recommend us to God's favour! But how does the devil amuse poor dead sinners, with notions of good works, and swell them with the pride of their works! as though they were the price of God's favour, and the purchase of his kingdom. All such works are of the flesh, they flow from pride and unbelief, and are accursed. The seventeenth article of our church speaks of "walking religiously in good works;" as though there are no good works but what spring from the religion of Jesus. Christian, what thou art called to in life, that thou art created to in thy soul. Those duties exhorted to in the word, thou hast strength to perform by the Spirit. Therefore, though sinful and lost in thy first creation, yet thou art saved and righteous by thy new creation in Christ Jesus. In him, being one with him, thou mayest say with Paul, “I have all things and abound," Phil. iv. 18. DEC. 27. The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly.-Rom. xvi. 20. It is very common for the followers of the Lamb to reason, but not right, after this manner: แ How can I be a son of the God of peace, how can I be a subject of the Prince of peace, seeing I am daily in war and fightings? If at any time the sweet sound of peace is heard in my heart, and the comforting sense of peace is felt in my conscience, soon some rebel lust, some sinful passion, some fiery dart of the enemy, makes an attack upon me: hence war commences, and peace is banished." Nay, but, soul, Jesus is thy peace. God is ever at peace with thee. Glory in this always. Know, thou |
