465 be animated and assisted in "keeping a day unto the Lord," after a holy and heavenly manner; and not in conformity to the corrupt and carnal fashion of those, who turn a Christian solemnity into a bacchanalian carnival!

I. Let us reflect on the event which was celebrated by the heavenly host. A poor woman, named Mary, of the family of David, espoused to a carpenter residing at Nazareth, a place branded with infamy, came with her husband to Bethlehem, in obedience to a decree of Cæsar Augustus, and there being "no room for them in the inn," which was occupied by superior people, they were lodged in a stable. In this situation, Mary was delivered of a son whom she wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger.—Nothing at first sight appears remarkable in this event, except the extremely mean and inconvenient accommodation made for the poor woman and her infant; and the unfeeling neglect shewn to a person in her circumstances by the inhabitants of Bethlehem. Indeed the affair seems scarcely to have been noticed in that city; and we do not find that it was heard of at Jerusalem, till the child was presented at the temple, according to the law of Moses, when a few persons of eminent piety were made acquainted with it. The rulers, scribes, and priests in general, knew nothing of these transactions; till wise men from the east came to inquire after the new born king, and to do him homage. Then indeed a considerable degree of attention was excited; and the tyrant Herod caused the infants about Bethlehem to be cruelly murdered, in hopes of destroying one, whom he dreaded as the rival of his authority. Soon after, however, the report seems to have been forgotten. The child born at Bethlehem was brought up at Nazareth with Joseph the carpenter, and doubtless earned his bread at that laborious trade; till at length he entered on his public ministry, which he closed by an ignominious death upon a cross. Thus he grew up before the Lord as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground; he had no form or comeliness, and when the people saw him, there was no beauty that they should desire him: he was despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief." Isaiah liii. 2, 3. And if the Jews knew little of the infant at Bethlehem, and the carpenter's son at Nazareth; the Gentile rulers, conquerors, and philosophers, were still more entirely unacquainted with him. All over the earth, which he came to bless, he was disregarded or despised; yet angels witnessed and celebrated his birth with admiring songs of praise!

These blessed spirits, free from guilt, and perfect in holiness, wanted not a Saviour. They" excel in strength," and do the Lord's commandments, hearkening to the voice of his words." Psal. ciii. 20. Their capacities for wisdom and understanding are very great; their judgment and taste for what is beautiful and glorious are exactly conformable to those of the holy God whom they adore: and the hope of being at length made like them, and equal to them, should excite a noble ambition and emulation in every human heart. But the event which had taken place at Bethlehem, and which we this day commemorate, appeared to them of the greatest possible importance, and worthy to be celebrated with their most rapturous adorations.

In the infant laid in the manger they recognized the Seed of the woman, the spotless offspring of a virgin mother, who was to come and "bruise the serpent's head;" and "the Seed of Abraham, in whom all nations should be blessed." They knew that Mary was come to Bethlehem, according to the purpose of God, that the ancient prophecy might be fulfilled. Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, "But thou, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me, that is to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting." Micah v. 2. They saw the Desire of all nations," actually come; Hagai ii. 7, and they celebrated the accomplishment of Isaiah's prediction, "Unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace." Isaiah, ix. 6. One of the company

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therefore said to the poor shepherds, "Fear not, for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people: for unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." They could not say, "Unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given:" "for verily he took not on him the nature of angels, but he took on him the seed of Abraham." Heb. ii. 14-16. He came into the world to be a Saviour: he was the Christ, the promised Messiah, the anointed Prophet, Priest, and King; yea, he was "The Lord," "The second man is the Lord from heaHis name is "Emmanuel :" for "God is in Christ reconciling the world unto himself."

ven.

"The WORD, who was in the beginning with God, and who was God," by whom "all things were made, and without whom was not any thing made that was made," was now made flesh and dwelt among us;" and angels first beheld" his glory, the glory as of the only-begotten of the Father." John i. 1-14. They saw him, "who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God," make himself of no reputation, take upon him the form of a servant, and the likeness of man; that being found in fashion as a man, he might become obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." Phil. ii. 6-8. With astonishment they witnessed him, "by whom all things were created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers;-for whom all things are created ;-and by whom all things consist:" they witnessed this glorious Creator and Lord of all "come in the flesh;" that he might be the visible of the invisible God; and as Head of the church, inherit all things, and have in all respects the pre-eminence: " for it pleased the Lord that in him should all fulness dwell." Col. i. 15-19. Heb. i. 1-4.

Into "these things the angels desire to look :" here they contemplate with fixed attention and unwearied admiration for they behold" in the church the manifold wisdom of God." The heavenly host knew who the infant in the manger was, and for what ends he came : they were ready to adore the Child born as the mighty God: they recognized their Creator and Lord under this disguise; and with good old Simeon, they viewed him as "the Light of the Gentiles, and the glory of his people Israel."

In this humble scene they saw the opening of that grand design, which had been shadowed forth by the ceremonies of the law, and of which the prophets from the beginning had excited the highest expectations: that design which had been obscurely intimated when Adam sinned, and gradually unfolding for about four thousand years. "The great mystery of godliness, God manifested in the flesh;" now actually realized, called forth the amazement, and enlivened the affections of these heavenly worshippers, and dictated that zealous song of adoring praise, which is the subject of our present meditation.

II. Then we proceed to explain the song itself. "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good-will to men." The angels celebrated the praises of God, and congratulated the happiness of man, with most fervent love and joy. "To you," O ye sons of men, " is born a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord:" we exult in your felicity, we rejoice over one sinner that repenteth: "how much greater then must be our joy and gladness at the nativity of Him who is come to stoop, suffer, and die, that he may be exalted as a Prince and Saviour, to give repentance and remission of sins?"

It is very affecting to compare the conduct of the heavenly host, in this respect, with that of men in general, who neglect or oppose the message of salvation, and despise the glorious Redeemer. But angels know our real character and condition: while we are naturally blinded with pride and prejudice, and will not be convinced that we deserve destruction! Or we are so taken up with "the world, and the things that are in the world," that we disregard the important interests of eternity!

In considering the hymn of praise before us, we may perhaps begin to best

advantage with the concluding sentence, "Good-will to men."-The blessed angels had witnessed the creation of the earth, when these morning-stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy;" Job, xxxviii. 7. for in that august transaction they saw the immensity of their Creator's power, wisdom, and goodness. With astonishment and awe they beheld also the fall of their compeers, and when "God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness to be reserved unto judgment," 2 Pet. ii. 4. they adored his righteous severity against the rebellious, and his holy abhorrence of sin; and they received instruction of inestimable value from the impressive solemn scene. They saw too the fall of man; and probably expected that vengeance would, with unabated vehemence, seize in like manner upon him: not conceiving that a God of infinite purity and justice could possibly shew mercy and kindness to rebels and apostates. No doubt they heard the first intimation of favour to our offending parents, mixed with the solemn denunciation of death, and all the woes that preceded it: and this must have excited a peculiar attention to so new and interesting a discovery of the divine perfections.

From that crisis, they had been witnesses and messengers, both of the Lord's mercy and indignation towards the human race. Numerous opportunities had been afforded them, in the history of mankind, of learning the fatal effects of transgression, and the power of divine wrath. The deluge; the tremendous doom of Sodom and Gomorrah; the desolations of Egypt; the severities inflicted on the devoted Canaanites; the judgments executed even on offending Israel, in the wilderness and Canaan, and by the Babylonish captivity; were so many illustrations of the justice of God, and his holy abhorrence of iniquity. But at the same time his patience and bounty towards sinful men, his gracious interpositions in behalf of his people, the intimations and predictions of a Saviour, the promises given to believers, and the actual salvation of numbers, showed his good-will to mankind; and his readiness to pity, help and relieve them, as far as could consist with the honour of his name, and the interests of his universal and everlasting kingdom.

Yet in the infant lying in the manger at Bethlehem, the angels had such a discovery of the Lord's good-will to men, connected with his detestation of their sins, as had never hitherto attracted their notice or raised their expectations. They no doubt before this had some general conception of the plan formed by infinite wisdom and everlasting love: perhaps the whole had been fully notified to them. Yet when the stupendous design was thus far accomplished, their previous admiration of the ineffable condescension, compassion, and love of the holy and glorious Lord God towards lost sinners, whose multiplied and heinous crimes had so long called loudly for vengeance, was far exceeded, and as it were swallowed up in inexpressible astonishment. Good-will to man! to guilty, polluted, ungrateful man! to idolatrous, impious, and blaspheming man! This overwhelmed the blessed angels with amazement, and tuned their hearts to adoring praises: and these reflections must have the same effect on all, who have just views of the majesty and glorious holiness of God, the nature and desert of sin, and the wonderful plan of redemption.-" God commendeth his love to us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." Rom. v. 6-10. 1 John iv. 10.

This good-will of God to men is mere compassion and benevolence, not approbation or complacency. The crimes, dispositions, and characters of the creatures thus beloved, were unspeakably hateful in his holy eyes: and none of his protestations against sin are so decided and energetic, as that which principally declares his love to sinners. The compassion and tenderness, which induce virtuous and pious persons, at great expence to relieve those pitiable objects, whose crimes have rendered them miserable; in order that an attempt may be made to rescue them from temporal and eternal ruin,

form a feeble reflection of the love shewn by our God to sinners, in giving his Son to be their Saviour, even while he declares them to be deserving of his everlasting wrath and abhorrence. The heinousness of our crimes, the contrariety of our dispositions to the divine purity, the great things he hath done to make way for our salvation, and the inestimable blessings prepared for us, combine to illustrate the riches of his mercy, and the immensity of his goodness. The love of the Father, in giving his only-begotten and well-beloved Son; the love of the Son in most willingly assuming our nature, that he might give himself a sacrifice for our sins; and the love of the Spirit, in preparing our hearts to receive this salvation, and in making us meet for the heavenly inheritance, demand our warmest gratitude and most fervent praises; while we give glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, into whose name we were baptized.

Before the coming of Christ, the special tokens of the Lord's good-will to men were principally confined to the people of Israel; and he had suffered all other nations to walk in their own ways. But in the child born at Bethlehem, the angels saw him who was appointed for salvation to the ends of the earth. The partition wall was about to be removed; the good tidings of a Saviour, even Christ the Lord, were speedily to be proclaimed to all people without distinction; and thus a proposal of mercy and every blessing, "without money and without price," would be made to persons of all characters and descriptions, not excepting the vilest. Nay, all men every where would be commanded to repent; and the ambassadors of Christ, would in his stead, and as if God besought them by their mouth, beseech them to be reconciled to God. The fullest assurances were thus about to be given, that the loving Saviour would reject none, on any account whatever, who came to him for life and godliness; and exceeding great and precious promises, together with the institution of sacred ordinances as means of grace, would concur in encouraging sinners of every nation to seek the blessings of eternal life, without fearing a denial or disappointment. All this, doubtless, and far more was perceived by the heavenly host, when they proclaimed "Goodwill to men" in celebrating the nativity of our Emmanuel!

They sang also, "Peace on earth." They had witnessed the fatal effects of the creature's venturing to oppose the Creator's will, and become his enemies. They had seen angels, as it were, declare war against the Almighty; and even when cast out of heaven, employing all their liberty in carrying on the same desperate and ruinous hostilities. They beheld man seduced to join the apostate rebels, and become enemies to God by wicked works; and then instigated by enmity to increasing iniquity. The earth filled with tears, groans, and miseries; the universal victory and triumph of death and the grave, and the subsequent doom of impenitent and unreconciled sinners, were the consequences, which angels had witnessed of man's infatuated contest against his omnipotent Creator.-They had been spectators likewise of all the cruel wars, which men in every age had been waging against each other; and of all the dire effects of ambition, envy, revenge, and insatiable rapacity or cruelty, from the day when Cain, the first murderer, imbrued his hands in his brother's blood. What then must have been the sentiments and feeling of these benevolent spirits, while witnessing the murders, massacres, battles, sieges, and persecutions, which have wasted the human species, and increased the miseries of the world to a degree that exceeds all calculation? What did they think of the lavish encomiums, bestowed almost unanimously, on the most skilful, prosperous, and unfeeling of these butchers of mankind? What estimate did they form of man's heart, and of the vaunted dignity of human nature, the milk of human kindness, and the sufficiency of reason to guide us to virtue and happiness? Beholding incessantly these horrid spectacles, what could holy angels think of man but that he was, as it were, a younger brother of the original murderer, delighting in the same work, and deeming no other employment so honourable? What could they think of the earth, but that it was in many respects a counterpart of hell; and that

it would have been so more entirely, had it not been for the good-will of God to men?

I mean not, my brethren, to declaim against the profession of arms, or to condemn all rulers and nations that engage in war. Some soldiers have been, and some are Christians; but their profession is their cross, and its duties their self-denial; they would not willingly engage in any war of ambition, rapacity, or revenge; but they readily face danger and endure hardship in defence of their country. The more we hate war, and long for peace, the greater are our obligations to such men, as thus expose themselves to guard us against injurious assailants, and the more fervently we ought to pray for their protection and success. In the present state of the world, war isa necessary evil, and often quite unavoidable; and that not merely when a nation is directly attacked; for there are many other ways, by which the rapacious and ambitious may render a neighbouring country incapable of defending its liberties and possessions; and these can only be counteracted by vigorous opposition. Nor are private individuals generally competent to decide what wars are necessary and justifiable, or the contrary: in this respect rulers must give an account to God for their conduct. But wars proceed originally from the lusts of men's hearts, James iv. 1. and from the wicked one: God employs them as he does hurricanes, earthquakes, or pestilences, as executioners of his vengeance on guilty nations: and ambitious conquerors, however accomplished or illustrious, are the most hateful and tremendous scourges of our apostate race. We may therefore deprecate and denounce war itself, as the most horrid and atrocious evil, consistently with the obedience and honour due to our rulers, and the most sincere prayers for the success of their measures, as far as they tend to the protection and welfare of our beloved country. But we must also maintain, that all the blood shed in war is murder, chargeable on them, whose criminal projects and politics render such dreadful methods of resisting them necessary; and that it will certainly be required at their hands, on which side soever the victims were slaughtered.

But to return from this digression; when Christ was born, angels sang, "Peace on earth." Peace between God and sinners; peace between a man and his neighbour: peace between contending nations; peace in the heart and conscience, and peace throughout the earth. The Saviour is the Prince of peace; the true Melchisedeck king of Salem, the King of righteousness and the King of peace: "and of his government and peace there shall be no end." The gospel is "the word of reconciliation," ministers are ambassadors of peace, through the great Mediator between God and man. Into whatever house the apostles entered, they were directed to say "Peace be to this house:" and wherever we are sent, we go 66 preaching peace by Jesus Christ." "He is our Peace, he hath made peace by the blood of his cross;" and he hath pronounced a blessing on peace-makers as the children of God.

When we embrace his gospel, "being justified by faith we have peace with God;" he imputes not to us our trespasses, but admits us into a state of reconciliation and a covenant of friendship with himself; and by the Spirit of sanctification and adoption, teaches and inclines us cordially to love him, and delight in his perfections, service, and salvation. Peace is the legacy Christ hath left his disciples, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you; not as the world giveth, give I unto you." John xiv. 27. When our hearts are stayed on the Lord in faith and hope, he keeps them in "perfect peace," and he imparts a peace of God" which passeth all understanding" to possess and confirm "our hearts and minds by Christ Jesus." A stable peace of conscience, in reliance on the immense and everlasting mercy of God, through the all-sufficient atonement and mediation of Christ; which will bear investigation, and flourish in connection with deep humility, holy abhorrence of sin, and the strictest conscientiousness in all things; and an inward serenity and tranquillity of mind, in submission to the will of God and confidence in him, constitute this inestimable blessing.