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should be born of Mary, his espoused wife, was no less than the Son of God, who should save his people from their sins.

The emperor Augustus was made the instrument, though unconsciously, of bringing the virgin mother to Bethlehem; thus fulfilling the prophetic declaration of Micah, and establishing the truth of the descent of Jesus in the line of David, by a public enrolment.

When born in the city of David, the infant Saviour was announced by the angel of the Lord to the humble shepherds of Judea, who were keeping watch over their flocks by night; whilst the angelic host sang in exulting strains: "glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good-will towards men."

In the temple, during the ceremony of Mary's purification and the dedication of her son to the Lord; Simeon took the blessed child in his arms, and declared him to be "a light to lighten the gentiles, and the glory of his people Israel;" while Anna, the prophetess, spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.

When returned to Bethlehem, the divinely directed Magi of the east, came to pay their homage to the infant King, presenting to him gifts-gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Herod and all Jerusalem were troubled, whilst saints and angels were rejoicing, at the birth of the long-expected deliverer.

When John entered upon his prophetic office, he bore witness to the dignity of the Messiah; and pointed to Jesus, as the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world.

The Father himself testified of his Son; for Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water and lo! the heavens were opened

unto him, and the Spirit of God, descending like a dove, lighted upon him; and lo! a voice from heaven said: this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

The blessed Jesus, when he made himself public to the world, astonished the thronging crowds by his stupendous, yet beneficent miracles; by his heavenly wisdom; by his holy example; by his unwearied labours to do good.

The wordly, the proud, and the self-righteous, could not endure the light of his doctrine, and the keenness of his reproof.

Hence they conspired against him, however discordant were their peculiar views and practices.

Herod and the high-priest-Pilate and the scribes -sadducees and pharisees-heathens and the professed worshippers of Jehovah,-all suffered their national antipathies and religious differences to merge into one common cause against the Lord and against his anointed.

Herod from jealousy; the chief priests and scribes from envy; Pilate from slavish fear; and the common people from popular feeling excited by their rulers, conspired the death of Jesus; whose meekness and innocence, contrasted with the rage of his bloody enemies, shone like the arch of heaven on the angry cloud.

He died praying for his murderers. He died a saerifice for their sins. He died a sacrifice for the sins of a lost world. Amazing love! O! my soul, look to this precious, bleeding Saviour; trust in him for thy whole salvation; rejoice in his grace, and adore that wisdom that could over-rule so much wickedness, to produce so much good.

How awful the period.

The sun was darkened; the rocks rent; the veil of the temple was rent in twain; the graves were

opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and appeared in the holy city after his resurrection.

On the third day the conquering Saviour rose triumphant from the dead, appeared to his weeping followers; ascended into heaven in their sight; and soon after his session at the right hand of power, poured out upon his infant church that great promise of the Father-the HOLY GHOST.

How wonderful was the effect of this heavenly gift. The apostles, once illiterate, now spake with new tongues; their former fears were lost in an undaunted courage; timidity gave place to zeal. In the emphatic language of the sacred historian: "they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and spake the word of God with boldness."

They preached Christ in the face of danger and of death.

Thousands, through their labours, were turned from Satan unto God. Churches were planted in all the known countries of the world; and at length they sealed the truth with their blood, counting it all joy to suffer for the sake of their beloved Lord. Great is the mystery of godliness-God manifest

in the flesh.

That the Almighty should become the Saviour of his rebellious creatures by taking upon him their nature: that he, who rules over all worlds, should stoop, not to be a mighty monarch, but a humble carpenter: that he, who created and provided the foxes and the birds with holes and nests, should voluntarily leave himself destitute of a place where to lay his head : that he, who is the great proprietor of all things, should condescend to be supported by pious females who ministered to him of their substance: that the Fountain of felicity should become a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief: that the Lord of glory

should be despised and rejected of men: that the Judge of quick and dead, should stand, like a criminal, at an earthly tribunal, charged with crimes which he never committed; and condemned for transgressions of which he was declared innocent: that the Majesty of heaven should be spit upon, scourged, and crucified: that the Lord of life should pour out his soul unto death: this, this is the wonder of wonders-the unsearchable riches of Christ,

"Not to be thought of, but with tides of joy,

Not to be mention'd, but with shouts of praise."

Well may Christ be styled by the enraptured Prophet Wonderful."

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Men are naturally fond of great things, and yet they feel an aversion to the greatest thing in the world-the REDEMPTION OF THE SOUL.

This would be inexplicable, had we not the volume of inspiration to unfold to us the hidden reason. This aversion to so glorious a work, arises from the state of the human heart, and the nature of redemption.

The heart is in love with sin; yea, is itself desperately wicked. Sin is its food; its element: its very constitution.

Salvation by Christ is a deliverance from sin; a renovation of the heart to holiness; a surrender of the soul to God.

Hence arises the enmity. Darkness is opposed to light; and Satan reigning in the sinner, to Christ the Saviour claiming his usurped possession.

This enmity is universal, and proves the universality of the fall.

Wherever redemption by Christ is faithfully preached, and honestly exhibited in the life, there it is powerfully resisted both by the worldly laity and mercenary priests,

As the bitterest enemies of our blessed Lord were those who wore the sacerdotal vestment, so multitudes of the faithful have, in all ages, been devoured by wolves in sheep's clothing. Lord! clothe thy ministers with righteousness, that thy people may sing with joyfulness.

None can receive the gospel in the love and power of it, but those who are enabled by sovereign grace so to do. All others lie under the just condemnation of wilfully rejecting it; and shall be punished for such rejection. Men may cavil at such a statement as this, and call it inconsistent; but God will ere long vindicate his own cause.

If it be true that, "by grace we are saved,” it is equally true, that "this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and that men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil."

This great redemption is by price. And, O! what a price! the precious blood of Jesus, the lamb of God. This blood cleanseth from all sin, satisfies offended Justice; clears away the obstacles in the sinner's path to glory, and procures pardon and peace and the gift of the Holy Ghost. "He made peace for us, by the blood of his cross." "We have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins."

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This redemption is by power. God the Holy Ghost descends into the sinner's heart, applies the healing balm to the previously smitten conscience, and by his Almighty influence, produces the new birth, the new creation. He leads the trembling sinner to the bleeding sacrifice; points to the cross; gives saving faith; causes joy to spring up in the heart; and thus enables the soul, delivered from the penalty and pollution of sin, "to sing in the ways of the Lord," and to glorify the rock of his salvation.

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