Angels and Archangels, Thrones, Dominions, Principalities, and Powers, that let fall their Crowns, for the Objects of his Mercy? No. He paft by all these (once) unparallel'd Beauties of the Upper-World, to bestow upon loft Mankind his Everlasting Favours. But, What is Man, that God is thus mindful of him? Or the Son of Man, that he so regardeth him? What is Man, that he should be prefer'd before Cherubim and Seraphim, and of all the Sons of God, that finn'd, be fingled out for the Object of Divine Mercy and Pity? He is made, as the Pfalmift tells us, lower than the Angels. Their Nature is Spiritual, Exalted and Glorious: But Man dwells in a Houfe of Clay, and his Foundation is in the Duft. They were created Inhabitants of the Courts above; the pure undefiled Manfions of Light and Glory: But Mans Lot and Inheritance is in these 'Lower and Darker Regions, this Sink and Sediment of the Creation, among the Beasts that perifh. They are rais'd above the Laws of Mortality: But Man is forc'd to acknowledge, that Corruption is his Father, and the Worm his Mother

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and Sifter. Here then, laftly, is a Manifeftation of fuch Tenderness and Compaffion, as is abundant Encouragement to all Men every where to Repent: For what can now feperate us from the Love of God? He, who fpar'd not his own Son, but gave him úp for us all, how fhall he not with him freely give us all things? He, who fpard not himself, but, when he was in the Form or Nature of God, and; thought it no Robbery to be equal with God, made himself of no Reputation, but took upon him the Form or Nature of a Servant, and was made in the Likeness of Men. He who drew a Veil over his Effential Glories, and cloath'd himself with Flesh for the Salvation of Mankind. He, who became Bone of our Bones, and Flesh of our Flesh, that by the fhedding of his most precious Blood, he might purchase our Redemp tion, and reconcile us to his Father. He, (fay) who did all these things for us, and that too, when we were yet in our Blood, wallowing in the loathfome filthinefs of Sin, Enemies to God, and Co-heirs with Satan of Eternal Damnation, can certainly now deny us nothing. Now then (fay) we

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are fure, that God hath reconciled all things to himself; that all our Sins, how many and heinous foever, will, upon our Repentance, be done away: That the Holy Child Jefus, hath made Peace between Heaven and Earth, between his Father and Sinners, between Men and Angels, and open'd the Gates of the Heavenly Jerufalem, that all People, Nations, and Languages, may enter in. And furely this (as the Angel tells us) is good Tidings indeed; Tidings of great, unfpeakable Joy to all the Nations of the World.

The Year of Release indeed, the Year of Jubilee, was a time of publick Joy; and greater yet was the Exaltation and Triumph, when the Captives had Liberty by Royal Proclamation to return from Babylon. When the Lord, Ezra1.2,3. fays the Pfalmift, turned again the cap- Pfal. 126. tivity of Sion, then were we like unto them that dream. Then was our mouth fill'd with laughter, and our Tongue with Joy. But yet there is no Proclamation, no Voice, no Tidings like this of the Heavenly Meffenger. Unto you is born a Saviour. For if a Redemption from Secular Pains and Drudgeries, from C the

the Miferys and Afflictions of a Temporal Captivity, from the Oppreffions and Tyrannical Impofitions of a Man whose Breath was in his Noftrils, and who therefore was nothing to beac counted of, juftly demanded the Solemn, moft Grateful, and joyous Commemorations of the Sons of Ifrael: Then certainly to be deliver'd from that great 'ATоMúwv, or Deftroyer, the Prince of Darkness, from the Ufurpations of our Lufts, from the imperious and domineering Dictates of our Paflions, from not only the Power and Dominion, but also from the Guilt and Punishment of Sin, and confequently from the Wrath of God, and from the Everlasting Burnings: To be deliver'd (fay) from all thefe (and from all thefe our Lord is come to deliver us) most deservedly calls for the never ceas ing Returns of the most exalted Gratitude, for an univerfal Jubilation and Festival throughout all the Nations of the Earth. And indeed after this manner have the Saints been always affected with the Confideration of this Mercy. Abraham faw it only at a Distance, (u)Joh. Ev. and yet adoro, (n) fays our Lord, he rejoyced, he exalted, he triumph'd

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to behold it. And the were fupported by it in all their Troubles: They gladly waited for the Light, tho' they themselves were furrounded with Darkness. But when the Bleffed Virgin was inform'd by an Angel of its nearer approach: That the Day began to dawn, when the Son of God would come; and He, who is Mighty, by affuming to himself of her Substance an Human Body, fo magnifie Her, that all Generations should call her Bleffed, how was her Heart fill'd with Transports? and her Tongue with Joy? She could not contain it within her Breaft, but it flam'd out in thefe Glorious and Seraphick Strains of Devotion: My Soul doth Magni- Luk. 1. fy the Lord, and my Spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour. Old Zacharias, whofe Houfe was firft blefs'd

th this Divine Magnificat, was afterwards himself fo ravifh'd with the fame Contemplation, that his infpir'd Soul ftay'd not gratefully to reflect upon his perfonal Mercy; (his Tongue being Ioos'd after nine Months Silence) but inftantly afcended up to Heaven in Hymns and Praifes for this Univerfal € 2

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