SERMON I.

LUKE, ii. 14.

GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST; AND ON EARTH PEACE, GOOD WILL TO MEN.

HESE were the notes, which angels fang,

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at the birth of the Meffiah, to a company of fhepherds, as they watched their flocks. In the midst of the quiet folemnity of night (that night in which their Saviour was born), a fudden brightness fhone around them, and a heavenly form appearing in the midst of it, difpelled their fears. Be not afraid, faid the angel: behold I bring you glad 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 Chrift the Lord.

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As the angel fpake, the light was fuddenly filled with a multitude of the heavenly host, who joined their voices in one triumphant fong, Glory to God in the higheft; and on earth peace, good-will

to men.

These words fhall be the fubject of the following difcourfe. But first I fhould wifh you to observe, from the circumstances juft related, how little all worldly diftinctions appeared in the fight of God. The foolish world admires riches and honours: but you fee, God estimates things by other meafures. He did not fend his heavenly meffengers to tell these glad tidings to the princes, and great men of the earth; but he sent them to a humble company of pious fhepherds; fhewing, that he regards the good difpofition, not the ftation in life-and that, wherever this is found, however humble the condition, there also is found the true favourite of God.

Cloath yourselves therefore with the holy dif pofitions of these shepherds-their piety, and love for truth, their innocence of manners, and attention to the holy meffages of God, and then conceive the fame joyful tidings brought to you, which were brought to them. Unto you is born this day a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. Glory therefore

to

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to God in the highest; and on earth peace, good-will

to men.

These words let me now explain. The Meffiah's coming, you fee, is here reprefented, as producing the Glory of God; and peace and goodwill among men that is, its first object was to fit us for heaven its next to make us happy in our paffage to it.

The glory of God is an expreffion taken from human things, as all our expreffions must be taken that relate to God. We can only explain fuch things as we do not know, by comparing them with things we do know. Literally speaking, it is impoffible that any thing we can do, can advance the glory of God; but God is pleased to confider those things as his glory, which advance the true glory of mankind their pious and religious lives. And thus in our church. fervice, we properly pray, that we may live godly, righteous, and sober lives, to the glory of God's holy

name.

Now the Christian religion alone inftructs us how to give glory to God. You have often heard in what manner the glory of God was debafed in heathen times, by the worship of stocks and stones.

All that glory, which was due to God in the highest, was attributed to devils, or to the spirits of dead

men.

The Chriftian religion reformed this great corruption; and drew men, as St. Paul tells the Athenians, from the worship of the unknown God, to the worship of that God, who made heaven and earth.

We who have been bred up from our infancy in the knowledge of God, are not aware how we gained this knowledge. As we acquired it imperceptibly from our childhood, it may seem as if it had been born with us. But when we confider the blind ftate of the heathen world, we can give no reafon, why we should not be as blind as they were except our having been favoured with the light of the Gospel. We may take it for granted therefore, that all our religious knowledge proceeds from that fource. By it we are informed, that the power, and wisdom, and goodness of God are infinite-that God is kind to us, beyond our conception. that every event is intended for our good; and will certainly produce it, if we make a proper use of it.

It

It is the Gospel also that inftru&ts us to pray to God in a manner the most agreeable to him. It allows us to pray for our temporal wants; but within proper bounds, and with entire fubmiffion to the will of God. In fpiritual things it leaves. us more at large it inftructs us to adore the infinite perfections of God, and to praise him for all his goodness both temporal and spiritual; especially for that great instance of it in graciously fhewing us a method of being restored, through Christ, to that happiness, which Adam, and in him all his pofterity, had loft. It inftructs us alfo to pray for the virtues of a Christian life, charity, humility, temperance, faith, piety, as the greatest ornaments of the Chriftian profeffion; and lastly, to acknowledge our own unworthinefs; to pray for the affistance of God's Holy Spirit, and for the forgiveness of our fins, through the atonement of our bleffed Saviour. In fhort, the Chriftian religion inftructs us to live up to our prayers; to form our lives upon them; and to be in our actions the fame pious, humble, charitable Christians, that we wish to appear before God in our prayers.

It is the incense of these holy prayers-it is the incense of these holy lives, which the Gospel hath