that immutable as are the purposes of divine love, and complete as is the salvation effected by the Lord Jesus Christ, the design of the former, and the benefits resulting from the latter, can only be accomplished and enjoyed through the channel of sanctifying grace, by the Spirit of holiness," without which no man shall see the Lord." The election of grace are as absolutely predestinated to experience the power of this salvation in their hearts, as they are to ultimate glory as its consummation. Hence says our Lord, "If a man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his ;" for, "as many as are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God;" and the implantation of the spirit of adoption evidences that sonship, and leads the renewed man into a blessed apprehension of God as his Father, and of Christ as his elder brother. The decree of election must run through the blood of Christ, and the sanctification of the Spirit, ere it can reach the sinner; the latter of which is the evidence of his election, and the earnest or first-fruit of his glorification, but not the cause of either; seeing it is written, "elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, unto obedience through sanctification of the Spirit, and the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ:" which "blood of sprinkling" speaketh peace to the poor sinner galling under the yoke of a broken covenant of works, and purgeth his enthralled conscience from dead works, turns the current of his alienated affections, and consecrates the powers of his soul to the service of God in newness of life, to "bring forth fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life."

The knowledge of our interest in the covenant" ordered in all things and sure," and the blessedness resulting from our union to and completeness in Jesus, can be realized and enjoyed in no other way than by being made one with Jesus, by the assimilating and transforming energy of the Holy Ghost in our regeneration, and actual union to our living head by a living faith, whereby we become living members of the mystical body of Christ.

What a fearful picture do the scriptures pourtray of man in his fallen and natural estate and what unutterable blessedness do they unfold as accruing to the sinner saved by almighty grace! By nature he is represented as making a covenant with death, and in league with hell against the Lord and against his anointed; sin is his native element, and death his sure wages! By nature, man wanders far from God; by grace he is brought nigh through the blood of the everlasting covenant! By nature he is opposed to every thing sacred and divine; by the Spirit of the living God he is raised from a death of sin to a life of righteousness, and obeys from the heart that form of godliness! By nature he says, with all the hardihood of a demoniac," depart from me, I desire not the knowledge of thy ways" from divine teaching he is led to exclaim, "whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee, for thou art all my salvation and all my desire; thy ways are ways of pleasantness, and all thy paths are peace." By nature he

supposes himself in possession of strength to defy Omnipotence, and brave the thunderbolts of heaven; but by the humiliating discipline of the school of Christ, he is shorn of his vaunted strength, and compelled to confess, "I am a worm, and no man !" And, finally, by nature, man, (the appointed lord of God's creation) is, by sin, degraded beyond expression, and so debased, that he becomes the sport of devils; but by participating in this "great salvation," he is exalted beyond conception, and becomes, the envy of seraphs, an heir of God, and joint heir with Christ Jesus his Lord.

Fourthly. This salvation is glorious in its consummation. Not only is the believer delivered from the guilt, power, and consequences of sin, but he is also destined to the enjoyment of a glory that is "incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away." And this cheering consideration enables him to esteem all the sorrows he experiences, and all the vicissitudes to which he is exposed, as so many light afflictions which are working for him "" a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory:" and reckons that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with that glory which shall be revealed in the saints, when the Lord shall be revealed from heaven, and appear the second time without sin unto salvation, to awake the sleeping dust of his saints to participate in that glory which He had with the Father before the world was. The painful and unceasing struggle between flesh and spirit-the old man of sin, and the new man of grace, makes the subject thereof to groan, being burdened." And the locality of his situation, being confined within the narrow boundaries of earth, makes him pant to be with his Lord; whom having not seen he loves; and now, though he sees him not, yet believing he rejoices with a joy that is unspeakable and full of glory. The fervent desire of the apostle Paul, is but the counterpart of that experienced by every soul born of God, when panting for immortality: "I have a desire to depart, and to be with Christ, which is far better." And in this blessed frame his mind dwells with increasing delight upon the precious words of the Redeemer, "Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory;" till transported with the joy these words are calculated to produce, he breathes out the ardent desire of his soul in the holy aspiration of the Psalmist, "O that I had the wings of a dove, then would I fly away and be at rest!" for, "I know, that if this earthly house of my tabernacle were dissolved, I have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens."

Indeed, brethren, the contemplation of the climax of glory, resulting from the finished salvation of the God-man Mediator, is well calculated to call up the warmest emotions of the soul. It is a chord in the celestial harp, the sounds of which vibrate and find their echo in the soul redeemed by the precious blood of the Lamb, when approximating near the confines of mortality, and has the effec (under the sweet breezes of the Spirit) of elevating the buoyan

spirit of the departing saint beyond the power of terrestrial gravitation, and wafts him on the strong pinions of a living faith to the summit of the everlasting hills; from whence he obtains a view of the pit from whence he was digged, and the rock from which he was hewn and from that spot his eye follows the blood-marked track which the incarnate Saviour trod, until he descries in the distance the scene of anticipated rest, the end of his predestination, the realization of his hopes, and the consummation of his bliss. And as he inhales the celestial sweets of the blissful atmosphere, the immortal principle feels the attraction of heaven, and bursting through the trammels of corruption and mortality, sings with extatic fervour

"The world recedes, it disappears,
Heaven opens to my eyes: my ears
With sounds seraphic ring:

Lend, lend your wings! I mount, I fly!
O grave! where is thy victory?

O death! where is thy sting?"

August 18, 1831.

T. W. H.

(For the Spiritual Magazine.)

A CHRISTMAS OFFERING;

OR, A FEW THOUGHTS ON THE INCARNATION OF CHRIST, FOUNDED ON LUKE ii. 15.

"Let us go to Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us,"

THE incarnation of Christ is a most glorious theme; a theme fit for the burden of an angel's song; yea, which is and ever will be the delight of all the blood-bought family of God. The chapter whence I have selected the words with which my paper is headed, shews how Jehovah in his all-wise providence brought about his purposes, and fulfilled his word with respect to the place of the Saviour's nativity. The prophet Micah foretold that Zion's illustrious King should be born at Bethlehem. "But thou, Bethlehem-Ephratah, 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 of old, from everlasting," Micah v. 2. There appears to be some disagreement beween Micah's prophecy and Matthew's quotation of the same. But I think the seeming difference is easily reconciled, by paying strict attention to their language: Micah says, it was "little;" and Matthew says, it was "not the least." According to Micah, it might be little; that is, it might be mean and contemptible as to worldly splendour; yet not be the least when considered as the birth-place of many great persons, such as Boaz, Jesse, David, and especially of Christ.

At the time that Joseph, with Mary his espoused wife, were at Bethlehem to be taxed, "the days were accomplished that she should

be delivered; and she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room in the inn." This shews how meanly they thought of the infant stranger and his parents. If they had been persons of affluence, doubtless there would have been room for them in the inn; but because they made but a mean appearance, they could have no admission there. Did not this inn strikingly prefigure the human heart? As there was room for the worst of characters there, but none for Zion's new-born King; so there is room in the human heart for the devil, the world, and every darling lust; but, alas! alas! there is no room for the incarnate Jesus, till by his grace he makes room for himself.

As to the time of the Saviour's birth, we can say but little; for I think that the season of the year, month, or day is not to be ascertained. Some have thought, that as the shepherds were watching their flocks at the time of his birth, that it proves it to have been in the winter season. I shall not stand to contend for or against this; but, leaving them to their favourite hypothesis, pass on to shew that it was before the sceptre departed from Judah, while the second temple was yet standing; for he came to it, and appeared in it. Mal. iii. I. It is farther evident, that it was "in the fulness of time," or at the appointed time the Saviour came; for Paul informs us, that "when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law; to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons," Gal. iv. 4, 5. This, brethren, is enough for us to know, as it respects the time of his birth.

To announce the glad tidings of the Saviour's birth, an angelic messenger was deputed; which glorious messenger appeared to the shepherds while they were keeping watch over their flock; and when the glory of the Lord shone round about them, they were afraid; they were filled with sacred awe at so unusual an appearance; when to remove their fear, and comfort their hearts, the heavenly messenger told them the errand on which he was come-to disclose the great secret of covenant love; “And the angel said unto them, fear not; for behold, I bring unto you good tidings which shall be unto all people;"-not unto every individual of the human race, but unto all God's elect, among all nations, who in the day of his power shall be brought to believe in his name; "for unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord." After he had announced the Redeemer's birth, he told them the situation in which they would find the child, and his parents; "this shall be sign unto you, ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger." Perhaps this was told them, that they might not be disappointed, or disbelieve that it was the infant Saviour in so mean a condition. Here we see how, though he was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor, that we through his poverty might be rich." And more; to confirm the VOL. VIII.-No. 93.]

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blessed story, behold a large detachment of the heavenly host leave the abodes of the blessed, spread their obsequious wings, cut their way through the air, and in angelic strains adore the God of grace for the gift of his Son to poor sinners. The theme was so immensely great, the song so grand, that heaven could not contain it.

"Swift through the vast expanse it flew,
And loud the echo roll'd;

The theme, the song, the joy was new,
'Twas more than heav'n could hold.

"Down through the portals of the sky,
Th' impetuous torrent ran;

And angels flew with eager joy,
To bear the news to man.'

We are informed that after the angels were gone away from them into heaven, (for that is their dwelling-place), that the shepherds said one to another, "let us go to Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass;" not that they doubted the truth of what they had heard, but having their hearts fired with love, and filled with zeal, were desirous of seeing their new-born Prince, and glorious Redeemer. And when they came, they found things in exact accordance with the relation which the angels had given. But lest I exceed the usual limits of your pieces, I proceed to notice what they

saw.

First-They saw an exhibition of covenant love. The great sacred Three entered into covenant on behalf of the election of grace, the blessings of which are unconditional and free. The Son stipulated with his divine Father to leave his sacred bosom, lay aside his glory, come into our sinful world, become incarnate, and offer himself a sacrifice for the sins of his people. True to his engagement, he came in the fulness of time, and took his people's nature into union with his own; "the children being partakers of flesh and blood, he likewise took part of the same, that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil.” Who was it that took on him the seed of Abraham? It was the Divine Logos, or Eternal Word, the second Person in the Trinity. John, in his first chapter and first verse, says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." And in the fourteenth verse he says, "the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." Oh, wondrous grace, sacred mystery, that God, the everlasting Word, should condescend to unite our nature to his own-that the Creator should become a creature! Well might the apostle say, "great is the mystery of godliness, God manifest in the flesh." This mysterious union of two natures in one person, was formed by the blessed Trinity; the Holy Ghost came upon the virgin, and the power of the Most High overshadowed her, while the Word became incarnate. Thus the shepherds beheld