the angels of God worship him.' Is not indeed our flesh become adorable, as the true Shechinah, as the everlasting palace of the supreme Majesty, 'wherein the fulness of the Godhead dwelleth bodily;' as the most holy shrine of the Divinity; as the orb of inaccessible light; as more than all this, if more could be expressed, or if we could expound that text, 'the word was made flesh, and dwelt in us?' May not our soul worthily claim highest respect, all whose faculties (being endued with unmeasurable participations of the Holy Spirit) have been tuned to a perfect harmony with the all-wise understanding and the most pure will of God? yea, which hath been admitted into the nearest consortship, into the strictest union with the eternal Word; hath become an ingredient of him, who is 'the wisdom and the power of God?' It was a great dignity that man should be made according to the image of God; but it is a more sublime glory that God should be made after the image of man, κατὰ πάντα ὁμοιωθείς, being made like to us in all things,' bating only sin, which is no part of us, but an unnatural excrescence, or a deflection from our nature: how could we be so raised up to God, as by his thus stooping down to us? What can be imagined more honorable to us, than that God should deem us worthy of such condescension? This, this indeed is our exultation, that God for us should express not only so vast charity, but so prodigious humility.

And is it not good matter of joy to be thus highly graced? When are men better pleased than when they are preferred; than especially, when from the meanest state, from the dunghill, or from the dust, they are raised to be set among princes, and made to inherit the throne of glory? Wherefore this being our case, that we sons of earth, children of corruption, and brethren of worms, (in Job's style ;) we exiles of paradise, we heirs of death and misery; we, that by our nature are the lowest of all intelligent creatures, that by our merits were debased beneath the beasts that perish,' that we are assumed to such relations, that we are ennobled to such a pitch, that our nature hath mounted so high above all creatures, with what enlargement of heart should we entertain a dispensation so wonderful! how welcome should that day be which doth introduce it!

6. Finally, if we survey all principal causes of joy and special exultation, we shall find them all concurring in this

event.

Is a messenger of good news embraced with joy? Behold the great evangelist is come, with his mouth full of news, most admirable, most acceptable: he, who doth acquaint us that God is well pleased, that man is restored, that the adversary is cast down,' that paradise is set open, and immortality retrieved; that truth and righteousness, peace and joy, salvation and happiness are descended, and come to dwell on earth; he of whom the prophet told, How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings;' that publisheth peace, that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation, that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth;' he who doth himself thus declare the drift and purport of his message; 'The spirit of the Lord God is on me, to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted; to proclaim liberty to the captives, and opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, to comfort all that mourn.'

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Is the birth of a prince by honest subjects to be commemorated with joyous festivity? Behold a prince born to all the world! a prince undertaking to rule mankind with sweetest clemency and exact justice; a prince bringing with him all peace and prosperity; in whose days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely;' who shall protect us in assured rest and safety; shall secure us from all danger and mischief; shall achieve most gallant and glorious exploits in our behalf; shall vanquish all the enemies of our welfare; shall rescue us from the worst slaveries and mischiefs; shall settle us in a most free and happy state: he who bringeth salvation from our enemies, and from the hands of all that hate us;' that, being delivered from the hands of our enemies, we might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.' Now therefore it is seasonable to cry out, Allelujah, for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth ; let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him.'

May victory worthily beget exultation? See the invincible warrior doth issue forth into the field, 'conquering and to

conquer:' he that shall baffle and rifle the strong one, our formidable adversary; that shall rout all the forces of hell, and triumph over the powers of darkness; that utterly shall defeat sin, and slay death itself; that shall subdue the world, and lay all things prostrate at his feet; behold the Captain of of our salvation, arrayed with glorious humility, and armed with a mighty patience; see, the great blow is struck, at which the infernal powers do stagger; the devil's pride and envy are abased, all the enemies are amazed, are daunted, are confounded at his presence; they cannot stand, they break, they scatter, they flee before him.

Is a proclamation of peace, after rueful wars, to be solemnised with alacrity? Behold then everlasting peace between heaven and earth, a general peace among men, a sound peace between each good man and himself are settled and published; the illustrious herald, the noble hostage of them is arrived; the Prince of peace' himself doth bring all peace unto us.

Is satisfaction of desire and hope very pleasant? Behold the desire of all nations, the expectation of Israel,' he for whom the whole creation groaned, is come.

Is recovery of liberty delectable to poor slaves and captives? Behold the Redeemer is come out of Sion;' the precious ransom, sufficient to purchase the freedom of many worlds, is laid down; unblemished innocence, purity, and perfection appearing in human nature, have procured a releasement for us; have unlocked the prison of sin detaining us, have knocked off the shackles of guilt sorely pinching and galling our consciences; have wrested us from the hands of those proud masters who claimed a right, who exercised a most tyrannous power over us; he is come, that proclaimeth liberty to the captives, and opening of the prison to them that are bound;' the time is come, of which the prophet foretold, The ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Sion with songs, and everlasting joy on their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness; and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.'

Is an overture of health acceptable to sick and languishing persons? Behold the great Physician, endued with admirable skill, and furnished with infallible remedies, is come, to cure us of our maladies, and ease us of our pains; to bind up our

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wounds, and to pour in balm (the most sovereign balm of his own blood) into them; to free us not only from all mortiferous diseases, but from mortality itself: he, who was sent to bind up and heal the brokenhearted;' he who himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses;' he, of whom the prophet (in relation to corporal, and much more to spiritual infirmities) did foretel; God will come and save you; then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped;' then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing;' he, whose art no disease can resist, who is able to cure our most desperate, our most inveterate distempers; to heal the corruption and impotency of our nature, to void the ignorances and errors of our understanding, to correct the stupidity of our hearts, the perverseness of our wills, the disorder of our affections, to mitigate our anguish of conscience, and cleanse our sores of guilt; by various efficacious medicines, by the wholesome instructions of his doctrine; by the powerful inspirations of his grace, by the refreshing comforts of his spirit, by the salutary virtue of his merits and sufferings.

Is mirth seasonable on the day of marriage? Behold the greatest wedding that ever was is this day solemnised; heaven and earth are contracted; divinity is espoused to humanity; a sacred, an indissoluble knot is tied between God and man; The Bridegroom is come forth out of his chamber, (verbum Dei de utero virginali,) clad in his nuptial garment of flesh, and ready to wed the church, his beloved spouse ;* 'Let us therefore be glad and rejoice; for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.'

*

Is the access of a good friend to be received with cheerful gratulation? Behold the dearest and best Friend of all mankind (most able, most willing, most ready to perform all good offices, to impart wholesome advice, needful aid, sweet converse, and seasonable consolation) is arrived to visit us, to sojourn with us, to dwell in us for ever.

Is opportune relief grateful to persons in a forlorn condition, pinched with extreme want, or plunged in any hard distress? Behold a merciful, a bountiful, a mighty Saviour and succorer,

Aug. de temp. Serm. 2.

undertaking to comfort all that mourn,' inviting all such to receive from him a plentiful supply for their needs, a comfortable ease in their pressures, a happy riddance from their calamities; who 'crieth aloud, If any one thirsteth, let him come to me and drink;' Come to me all ye that labor, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.'

Is the sun-rising comfortable, after a tedious, darksome, and cold night? See, the Sun of righteousness is risen with healing in his wings,' dispensing all about his pleasant rays and kindly influences: The dayspring from on high bath visited us;' diffusing an universal light on the souls of men, whereby the night of ignorance is dispelled, the spectres of error are vanished, the mists of doubt are scattered; whereby we clearly and assuredly discern all truths of importance to us, and worthy of our knowlege; concerning the nature and attributes, the works and providence, the will and pleasure of God; concerning ourselves, our nature and original, our duty and interest, our future state, and final doom: Our light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen on us;' the light of the world, the true light, enlightening every man,' by whose lustre all flesh may see the salvation of God, and which guideth our feet in the way of peace,' doth visibly shine forth on us.

Never indeed did heaven with so fair and serene a countenance smile on earth, as then it did, when this (ȧorip Xaμxpòs Kai oppivòs,) bright and morning star' did spring up above our horizon, bringing this goodly day; and with it shedding life and cheer among us.

From this auspicious day did commence the revocation of that fatal curse, by which we were expelled from paradise, adjudged to death, and committed to hell; from thence we became reinstated in a condition of hope, and in a fair capacity of happiness; from thence is to be dated a return of joy into this region of disconsolateness. In this nativity mankind was born, or did revive from manifold deaths; from a legal, a moral, a natural, an eternal death; from lying dead in irreparable guilt, and under an insuperable power of sin; from having our bodies irrecoverably dissolved by corruption, and our souls immersed into that second more ghastly death of perpetual incurable anguish.