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views of theology, and a fear lest illegitimate inferences should be drawn from an open avowal of Scripture truth, seem to have produced a spirit of nicety in many well-intentioned and learned persons, which threatens very material injury to religion among us. "From all false "doctrine, heresy and schism, Good Lord, de"liver us !"

The satisfaction of Christ is the ground of our hope in an application for sanctifying grace, as it hath removed the obstacles to its communication. The rebel must be pardoned, before he is admitted into the king's presence, or can be elevated to any post of honour. It pleased the Father, that all grace should flow through Christ as its channel; and he is therefore declared to be our sanctification as well as our righteousHis sacrifice, while it ransomed our souls from everlasting destruction, procured for them all that was needful to prepare them for everlasting life and glory. The satisfaction of the Son of God affords therefore to every penitent suppliant a solid foundation for the hope of success, while he earnestly implores succour and deliverance in his spiritual warfare.

ness.

We conclude the collect with a doxology, or ascription of sempiternal praise to the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Should it be asked, Is not this act of worship premature?-should it not be postponed till the prayer is answered, and the church militant is converted into a church triumphant? Certainly not: for to rejoice in God is a duty belonging to this present time. Phil. iv. 4. Thanksgiving is required to be joined with every act of prayer and supplication by the epistle for the day. And as "all

"the promises of God are in Christ Yea, and in "him Amen to the glory of God," the reason of this requisition is plain. What God has bestowed on us in the gift of his Son, is a pledge and earnest of what he is engaged to do. For "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered "him up for us all, how shall he not with him "also freely give us all things?"

THE NATIVITY OF OUR LORD, OR THE BIRTH-DAY OF CHRIST, COMMONLY CALLED CHRISTMAS-DAY.

Almighty God, who hast given us thy only begotten Son to take our nature upon him, and as at this time to be born of a pure virgin; Grant that we, being regenerate and made thy children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by thy Holy Spirit, through the same our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

T this season of the year we are directed

A by the practice of the catholic church, Α

and the institutions of our own, to commemorate "the nativity of our Lord, or the birth-day of "CHRIST, commonly called Christmas-day." This event is the pin on which all the golden vessels of the sanctuary must be hung. Therein every human being is interested; for it is the only foundation of human hope. In the object this day proposed to our view, the Deity incarnate, there is that which is calculated to excite the strongest emotions of wonder, love and praise, in every bosom. But "Great is the

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mystery of Godliness, God manifest in the "flesh." The subject is inaccessible to a finite understanding; it is enveloped with awful obscurity. Let the rationalist therefore, who cannot implicitly submit to the authority of Divine

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revelation; the conceited theologue, who supposes that he can fathom every depth of infinity by his own scanty line;-let each keep at a distance; let him depart from the consecrated stable; for he will meet with nothing here but what is calculated to mortify his pride, to puz. zle his reason, or to cause him to blaspheme. But let the humble believer draw near; let him come and look into the privileged manger, where an object will meet his eyes that is justly styled "The chiefest among ten thousand and alto"gether lovely ;" an object that will seize on his affections, and lead captive every thought of his breast in silken chains of admiration, gra titude, and adoration. Here let him, with the Divinely instructed Magi, present his offerings at the feet of the infant-Saviour. Let him join the heavenly host in singing, "Glory to God "in the highest, and on earth peace, good "will towards men."

The celebration of Christmas is a custom of immemorial antiquity in the church of Christ. * But the collect now in use was composed in 1549. It contains a statement of the marvellous event which we commemorate, and a prayer for grace to make a due improvement of it.

The birth of Christ, in connection with its attendant circumstances, is the most important event which the pen of history has recorded. For the world itself was built, and all its affairs have been ordered, with an immediate reference thereunto. The universe was erected for the purpose of becoming a theatre, on which the glory of God might shine in the person of Jesus Christ; and notwithstanding any appearance of

*See Bingham's Antiquities of the Christian Church. Book xx. ch. iv.

confusion in the heterogeneous mass of occurrences which history unfolds, a Divine hand has overruled the vast machine for the accomplishment of its own purpose, the manifestation of the Divine perfections in and by the incarnation of Jehovah. We need not to be surprised therefore, that this intended interposition of Divine Goodness, on behalf of ruined man, was the subject of a series of predictions during a period of four thousand years, which had elapsed between the fall and the era of redemption. The language of prophecy was in the beginning obscure, like the first light of the morning: but as the crisis of its fulfilment approached, it became clearer and more distinct, till the perfect day disclosed its object to full view in all its glory. The Spirit of prophecy in its commencement, like the Nile at its fountain, flowed in a narrow channel, but spread joy and gladness as it held its course. In process of time, however, it gathered strength, by the accession of other streams; till at length, after enriching various countries, it majestically rolled its sevenfold waters into the wide ocean of accomplishment. The promised Messiah was at first. characterised as "the seed of the woman;" a partaker of human nature, but not derived in the ordinary mode. After the limitation of the church of God to the descendants of Abraham, His lineage was confined to this family, and to a particular branch of it, by the swan-like song of dying Jacob. David specifies the place of His nativity (Ps. cxxxii. 6); which was afterwards confirmed by Micah. (chap. v. 2.) And Isaiah and other prophets shed further light on the subject, by a minute specification of circumstances, which must

*

* Rev. v. 6. Comp. Isai. xi. 15. Septemplicis ostia Nili.

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