hend its mode, proceed to deny its existence; yet upon the same grounds they must ultimately deny their own existence; for it will be found no less difficult, no less impossible to account for the union of soul and body in their own person, than of the human and Divine nature in the person of Christ. That such an union was miraculous we allow; and what is not miraculous in the mercies of our Redemption! Though incomprehensible in the mode, it is neither contradictory nor impossible in fact. No reason can be assigned against its existence, and we have the whole testimony of Scripture for its corroboration. It was not man, but God, that was made flesh-" In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God"-" and the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us." Again it is represented, that

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being in the form of God, he thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men." Before the world was, Christ existed in the bosom of the Father, and " in him dwelt the fulness of the Godhead bodily."

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He, therefore, who was the Word, which in the beginning was with God, and was God; He, whose glory Isaiah saw as the glory of the God of Israel; He, who was in the form of God, and

was equal with him, "being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person;" He, whose being is included in the One Eternal Indivisible Divine essence, descended from on high, and was made flesh. And "took not on him the nature of angels, but took on him the seed of Abraham."

In pursuance of this train of thought, it will be my purpose to consider, first, the fact of our Lord taking upon himself the seed of Abraham, and the circumstances attending it; and, secondly, the reason of his preference of the seed of Abraham, over the nature of angels.

It was by the singular, invisible, and immediate operation of the Holy Ghost, that Christ was conceived in the womb of a virgin, and, as on this day, born into the world. Is it incredible that an event pregnant with the destinies of the whole world, past, present, and to come, should be ushered in with signs and wonders? Is it strange that he whose death was to restore our lost immortality, should in his birth be the subject of miraculous interposition? More strange and incredible indeed would it have been, had no miracle attended his incarnation, had no sign announced to an astonished world, the birth of a Saviour, and a God. The voice of prophecy had declared a sign: a sign infallible, because impossible, but by the immediate interposition

of Providence.

Since the foundation of the world, an event so contrary to the laws of nature never happened, scarcely even in the exuberance of poetical Mythology, was it imagined. "Behold," saith the prophet Jeremiah," the Lord hath created a new thing upon the earth, a woman shall compass a man." Again, "the Lord himself shall give you a sign," saith Isaiah, "behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." Here then a sign is promised, a sign of no ordinary or common nature, and how clearly that sign was accomplished in the birth of our Saviour, the Scriptures bear the clearest, and most ample testimony.

He took upon himself the seed of Abraham; because to Abraham, at first, the promise was made, that in his "seed should all the nations of the earth be blessed." Nor to Abraham alone, but to David also was the promise made, "a rod shall arise out of the stem of Jesse; a righteous branch, whom God will raise to David." Accordingly he was born not only of a virgin, but of a virgin of the house and lineage of David. That such was the general expectation of the Jewish nation, is proved from the question, of the Jews themselves respecting the birth-place of our Lord. "Hath not the Scripture said, that Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of

the town of Bethlehem where David was." Accordingly we find the pedigree of Christ traced in the most accurate manner, both to David and to Abraham. By St. Matthew is deduced, through his political or royal pedigree, his right to the kingdom of the Jews; by St. Luke is pointed out his natural descent, through the several generations of those from whom he derived his human origin; as a confirmation of this, in St. Matthew we find no enumeration beyond Abraham, because to him and to his seed was the kingdom promised, but in St. Luke every step is carefully trod to the progenitor of mankind, from whom he derived his human origin.

Another circumstance, of no ordinary import, attending the nativity of our Lord, was the place of his birth. "Thou Bethlehem Ephratah," saith Micah," though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me, that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting." So assured were the Jews that in Bethlehem the Messiah was to be born; that their objection to Christ was that he was a Nazarene. “Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?" Nazareth was indeed the country of his parents, and in Nazareth was he brought up; he was therefore justly by the Jews considered a Nazarene. In Bethlehem, by a train of what

man would call fortuitous circumstances, was he born by such fortuitous circumstances, is the Providence of God declared to man. What we loosely term chance, is but the work of his will, and the operation of his power, in the ordinary course of human events. Can we doubt, then, that the steps of Joseph were guided by the Almighty, though the second cause was of an ordinary and political nature, to the city of Bethlehem, that there the Saviour of the world should be born? In Bethlehem then was the voice of prophecy fulfilled; thither were the magi directed by their heavenly guide; there was the promised Saviour first declared to the astonished shepherds; there was the song of the angels heard: " Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, good will towards men." Thus, then, did Christ take upon him the seed of Abraham. As an attestation of his Divinity, he was conceived by the Holy Ghost; as a proof of his humanity, he was born of a pure Virgin, of the house and lineage of David, and in the city of that favoured monarch. As Christ was consecrated in his spiritual conception, so are we also in our spiritual regeneration. The same overshadowing power that presided over his first birth, shall also support us in our second birth unto righteousness; the operation of that blessed power which conducted our blessed Lord