One of these results is stated in the text, and has, I trust, this day been the subject of your grateful celebrations. "In this was manifested the love of God towards us, because that God sent his only-begotten Son into the world that we might live through him." The Godhead must be infinitely removed from all human relations and all corporeal emotions and passions. But between the eternal Father, and the eternal Son, the sacred writings authorize the rational belief that there subsists an affection analagous to that which connects a human father with a human son, but infinitely and incomprehensibly purer in its nature, and more exalted in degree. The Son is frequently styled the "beloved and the well-beloved Son" of the Father." Herein then is the love of God manifested." "God sent his Son"-that Son whom, from all eternity, he loved with an affection, pure and exalted as his own holy and infinite nature-with an affection as far transcending any human love, as the nature of the Godhead transcends the nature of man."God sent his Son," to veil his eternal glories in our nature; to dwell among us, bearing our sins and carrying our sorrows, in poverty and in ignominy; exposed to scoffs, to calumnies, to persecutions; pouring forth his soul in agony; yielding up his life in an ignominious and excruciating death. Angels cannot tell the greatness of

that love which prompted the Father thus to give his eternal Son-Cherubim and Seraphim are unable to comprehend it. What deep and fervent emotions of gratitude should this manifestation of the love of God excite in our breasts!

For, my brethren, God sent his Son "that we might live through him"-that, doomed on account of our sins to sorrow and to death, we might, through his merits and grace, be restored to a life of holiness, of peace, of eternal felicity. "God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son"." The Son, only begotten of the Father, very and eternal God, is our Saviour and Redeemer, the Author to us of everlasting salvation. What strong confidence, what full consolation; what triumphant hopes, should the consideration of the Divine dignity and glory of the Saviour inspire in the hearts of those who believe in him! No longer veiled from mortal vision-with reverence be it spoken-the perfections of the Godhead, are manifested and engaged, in the person of Jesus Christ, for their guidance, their protection, their eternal felicity. But what must be our guilt, and what should be our punishment, if we reject the wonderful counsel of God for our salvation; if, insensible to that display of his infinite love in the gift of his eternal Son for our redemption, we continue in those

b 1 John v. 11.

sins from which he came to redeem us!

God hath pronounced (and hath he said and shall it not come to pass) that "there remains for us only a fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation "."

Oh!-let us then remember, that the love of the eternal Father, in giving his only-begotten and well beloved Son to be the Saviour of our fallen race, is a mystery which should excite our humble reverence, our fervent gratitude, our devout and holy love. And let us "with angels and archangels, and all the company of Heaven, laud and magnify the name of our God." For "herein was his love manifested towards us, because he sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him!"

C Heb. x. 27.

SERMON XIII.

THE SON, THE CREATOR AND RULER OF THE

WORLDS.

[A CHRISTMAS SERMON.]

HEBREWS i. 1-12.

1. God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past unto the fathers by the prophets,

2. Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

3. Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

4. Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

5. For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?

6. And again, when he bringeth in the first begotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.

7. And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.

8. But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.

9. Thou hast loved righteous, and hated iniquity: therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.

10. And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the works of thine hands:

11. They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they shall wax old as doth a garment;

12. And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.

My Brethren-if we regard only the external circumstances of the event which we this day celebrate, we shall be at a loss to perceive in what respects it is worthy of being hailed as " glad tidings of great joy." In the stable at Bethlehem, the birth-place of Jesus Christ; in the manger, which received him' as a cradle; in the obscure Virgin, the espoused wife of a poor Nazarene ; and in the helpless infant, whom she cherished; we do not behold any thing calculated to awaken our wonder, or call forth our triumph.

But the word of God sheds, on this scene of humiliation, the splendour of divine glory. He, who was ushered into the world amidst every circumstance of humility and poverty, is set forth