the loweft orders of men and in the humblest conditions of life. They were shepherds attendant on their flocks. Yet were they not fo distinguished, it may be reasonably prefumed, but for fome congeniality of difpofition and character to the tidings now delivered. Employed in a peaceable and lowly occupation, they were free from those pasfions and prejudices, which obfcured the understandings and corrupted the hearts of men in fuperior stations and more public walks of life. They probably came under the description, fo much approved by the Author of our faith, of being poor in fpirit and meek and lowly in heart. And therefore they were beft difpofed and beft qualified for the reception of thofe glad tidings, which the band of Angels had now to communicate.

But let us attend to the relation of the Evangelist, making fuch obfervations as the story may suggest.

And there were in the fame country Shepherds, abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the Angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord fhone round about them; and they were. fore afraid. Under the Law, whenever God gave any fenfible notice of his more immediate prefence, he was invested with fuch awful glories as.

were

were the ground of apprehenfion and alarm. Under the Gofpel he is prefented to human regard in the milder characters of grace. The communication now to be made was a matter not of terror, but of gladnefs. And the Angel faid unto them, Fear not. For behold I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people. The dispensation to be now imparted had been invariably foretold by the name of good tidings. Thus Ifaiah fays in addrefs to that perfon, who fhould proclaim the coming of the Meffiah; "O thou, that bringest good tidings to Sion, get thee up into the high mountain: 0 thou, that bringest good. tidings to Jerufalem, lift up thy voice with ftrength, lift it up, be not afraid; fay to the cities of Judah, Behold your God m!" And thus he alfo fays in the perfon of that Anointed, whom he repeatedly foretold; "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; because he hath anointed me. He hath fent me to publish good tidings to the poor "." And furely those must be tidings of great joy, which offered healing to the broken-hearted, and deliverance to the captives, and recovering of fight to the blind. The value of these tidings was incomparably the greater, that

m' Ifa. xl. 9.

n Ifa. lxi. 1.

they

they were not to be limited to one nation like the Jews, but were to be extended without referve or exception to all people. The grace of God was now publicly divulged, which brought falvation indifferently to all

men.

For unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Saviour, who is Chrift the Lord. He is called a Saviour, agreeably to the language of preceding communications. For thus he is fignified in those several paffages of the Prophets, which foretel him in the character of a Redeemer and Deliverer. And thus was he announced by the Angel before his birth, in the name, which was given him, of Jefus, or a Saviour, for he thould fave his people from their fins; that is, he should redeem them from the guilt and punishment of fin, as well by his own facrifice for fin, as by preaching repentance for the remiffion of fin. For both by his doctrine and by his fuffering he should redeem them from all iniquity, and purify to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works. He is also ftyled by the name of Chrift the Lord, being the fame person who had been foretold by the title of the Meffiah or Anointed; which cha

racter he was to fulfil in the feveral capacities, to which anointing was the rite of confecration among the Jews; of a Prophet, in declaring the whole counfel of God to man; of a Priest, in offering facrifice, and making interceffion to God for man; of a King, in establishing a spiritual dominion on the earth, and ruling in the power of God over man.

In the last of these characters he had been represented by the Angel at the annunciation of his Virgin Mother; the fame not improbably, who now addreffed the fhepherds, when this promised Heir was born: “ He fhall be great, and fhall be called the Son of the Highest. And the Lord God will give unto him the throne of his Father David. And he fhall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end P." With a reference to the fame royal character and lineage, the Angel declares him to be born in the City of David, according to the prophecy of Micah; "And thou, Bethlehem in the land of Judah, art not the least among the cities of Judah; for out of thee shall come a Governor, who shall rule my people Ifrael." As being of the house and lineage of David according to the

P Luke i. 32, 33.

Mic. v. 2. Mat. ii. 6.

flesh,

flesh, he was born in the City of David. So far indeed he condefcended to comply with the carnal expectations of the Jews; though

in all other circumstances of his birth he had no external signs of a royal parentage. Notwithstanding the real dignity of his perfon and character as he was acknowledged in heaven, yet in the eyes of men he appeared in every garb and circumftance of humility. As the Prophet had foretold," he had no form nor comeliness, when men fhould fee him ; nor was his countenance fuch, that they should defire him '." Accordingly the Angel adds, "And this fhall be a fign unto you; Ye fhall find the Babe wrapped in fwaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

This lowly circumstance would have been an ungrateful hearing to the Pharifees and Scribes, to the wife and great of this world. Predifpofed to receive him in a palace, they would have turned with difappointment and averfion from a fcene fo unworthy, as they might conceive, of the promised Heir. But humble Shepherds had no fuch prejudices of worldly ambition to impair the value of the tidings given. Conscious of the bleffing now imparted to the world, they were gratefully