COME, was the ground of believers' hope in every age, and there were many of them waiting, when he caine, who blessed God for letting them see with their eyes his great salvation. At the fixed moment, when the fulness of time was come, there was a chosen vessel most graciously fitted and humbled. for this miraculous conception. She was highly favoured, high in grace, meek and lowly in heart, and of her, by the power of the Holy Ghost, was that holy child conceived-of her, the virgin mother, was he born-a babe, helpless as we are. Here is Love! O what a miracle, God incarnate! and yet like us in all things -an infant: Be astonished, ye heavens, and adore thou earth, this miracle of miracles.

He is born among us, grows up, as we do, a child, a youth, a man-true and very man. But O the rapturous thought-He is Jehovah. Think, O think, what that blessed woman felt, when she broke out in this sweet hymn: My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God MY SAVIOUR. There is my honour, not that he is my son, but that he is GOD MY SAVIOUR: He took my nature, that I might take his: He lived for me, that by his obedience I might be made righteous: He suffered my punishment, that I might never suffer it: He bore my curse, to redeem me from the curse of the law: Ho

B 2

was forsaken of God his father, that I might never be forsaken: He died to give me life: He rose again to take possession of life for me: He ascended in our nature, and is glorified in it: What he has, I shall have: His honours, his crown and dignity, his fulness of joy and bliss: All, all is mine: What he is, what he was, is for me: for he is GOD MY SAVIOUR. Happy, thrice happy, Mary, virgin-mother! yea, happy, thrice happy too, Mrs. Is not the new-born king, your king? Is not the child Jesus, your God? He is, he is; you cannot deny it. O come then, my dear friend, let us praise his precious name, and let us magnify his love together. Soon, yet a very little while, and we shall be with him; we shall be like him. O what a thought is that, LIKE HIM! yes, when we come where he is, the glory of that sun of righteousness will shine upon us, yea will shine into us; and he will make us what he is. We shall then be happy partakers of all that was with delight in the breast of Jehovah from eternity; all will be fulfilled. The Father's richest love, the most exalted grace of the Spirit, will flow, through the infinitely blessed Immanuel, into all his glorified members. This is the accomplishment of the everlasting covenant. In this the eternal Three will take eternal delight. Jehovah will rest in his love. And, through that God-man,

will the God-head have full, perfect, and everlasting glory, honour, worship, blessing, and praise, from the full choir. You will sing aloud, in as high a key as any one of them all: complain now you may, and of yourself you ought, but then it will be ALL praise-all wonder-that you should be chosen, elect of God, partaker of his covenant-love; this distinguishing grace will make you a happy, willing debtor to Immanuel for ever and ever..

MUST have the

O that we may

And you will,

Thus looking backward or forward, I see all the purposes and works of God bearing respect to this wonderful person. He was set up from everlasting as the Alpha, and he will be to everlasting the Omega for in all things he pre-eminence. He has it above. ascribe more of it to him below. if you can pierce with the eagle-eye of faith within the veil. There you will behold Immanuel enthroned, and all the host of heaven worshipping at his feet, admiring and adoring, because sharing in his divine excellencies. The beauty of this sight makes an eternal heaven. Then, if your faith have any ears to hear, listen: 0, what melody do they make! What notes do these golden harps strike! What voices accompany them! What a harmony! The words I understand they are singing Salvation to our God, who sitteth

upon the throne, and to the Lamb for ever. But their manner of singing is peculiar to the place. The air can form no such sounds. They can be only in the element of heaven. When your faith comes down from this high flight, and it is not capable of being long there, then look around you, and whatever object your eyes first fix upon, if they be spiritually exercised, you will see some ray of our Immanuel's glory. The book of nature is the outward record of his fame. Some of his great achievements are engraved in every part of the creation. The sun, moon, and stars; the earth, with all its productions, in full concert, join the cho'r above, and, in perfect unison, sound forth the glory of our Immanuel. And suppose I direct your eye to an object, which I know you do not like to look at-YOURSELF. Even there I can find, O that you may, as great a proof of the Redeemer's glory, as any where else upon earth: for what are you? Are you not, a poor, misera ble, helpless sinner? His crown depends upon his saving such. What do you feel within youtell all your complaints. These just fit you to live

on the Saviour's fulness. Look at your outward estate, tell me that part of it, which does not display the Saviour's glory. What does fortune say, and health, and friends (I put myself in)—let me be their mouth: We are all the gifts of Jesus's

And

rich love.-Love him for bestowing us upon you. And the more you have, love him more. mind, you cannot, never will, love him too much. Try-put forth all your strength he will still be above your affection, the best, the utmost of it. I wish you much of his company this Christmasmany a sweet visit from him. When you are very familiar, put a word in for me. long to be more. intimate with him. But he is kind indeed, exceedingly kind. Dearest, dearest Jesus; may he never leave you without some token of his love! Paper fails. Farewel.

O how I

W. R.