fave, to affure the Ifraelites, that God by him would bring them into Canaan, and would give them victory over the Canaanites. Bishop Pearfon, indeed, labours to prove, that the first syllable of the word Jehovah, was added by Mofes to his name, and that it properly means, Jehovah fhall fave by Hofhea, or Jehovah shall be with Hofhea, to fave you. Jehoshua, by contraction, is Joshua, and with the Greek termination, Jefus.*

The reafon affigned by the angel, for giving the Meffiah this name, we have in thefe words: for he fhall fave his people from their fins. Princes have derived names from their predeceffors, or the countries, or people, governed by them. Generals have acquired diftinction by martial exploits, and their formidable names have affociated with them, ideas of the invafion of countries, the deftruction of towns and cities, and the blood, mifery, and death of the people. The angel Gabriel, in his falutation to Mary, faid, concerning Jefus, "He fhall be great, and hall be called the Son of the Higheft; and the Lord God fhall give unto him the throne of his father David. And he fhall reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there fhall be no end." But he aflumes a Name, derived from the people he faves, and it has no blood affociated with it, unless his own, fhed to accomplish the falvation it imports. "The blood of Jefus Chrift, the Son of God, cleanfeth us from all fin," is the noble teftimony of the beloved apoftle, John. By his blood he merited falvation, by his word he proclaims it to the world, and by his Spirit, he applies it to the foul; a falvation from the power, guilt, pollution, and confequences of fin; and to the enjoyment of peace, love, holinefs, and heaven. And the plain way to obtain all this, is by repentance towards God, for the fins already committed, and faith towards our Lord Jefus Chrift, in whom all the precious promifes of the gofpel are Yea, and Amen, unto the glory of God.

V. The humble circumstances of our Saviour's birth, evidently shew that his kingdom is not of this world.

His stooping fo low as to take our nature upon him, is a moft marvellous inftance of condefcenfion. The grace of our Lord Jefus Chrift was fuch, that, THOUGH HE WAS RICH, in all the infinite perfections and glories of Godhead, yet for our fakes he became poor, covering his Divinity with our frail humanity, "that "we through his poverty might be rich."-" Will God, indeed, dwell upon the earth?"-was the aftonished enquiry of Solomon. This could never have entered the heart of man, if God himfelf had not revealed it. It is an event, that fills the angelic hosts

See Pearfon on the Creed, and alfo Dr. Grofvenor's Sermon on the Name Jefus

with wonder, and leads them to bend their exalted minds to the study of the facts and doctrines of Christianity.

But if he take upon him our frail nature, if his Majesty ftoop to our meannefs, furely, fays human reafon, he will be born of a female, of the moft exquifite beauty, extraordinary accomplishments, and firft eminence and rank of all her fex. No: he paffed by all the fplendid and fashionable circles of the rich and great, defcended to the humble walks of life, and there made choice of a poor, but pious virgin, to be his mother after the flesh. Hence the words of this holy woman, on this great occafion" My foul doth magnify the Lord, and my fpirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded the low estate of his hand-maiden: for behold, from henceforth, all generations fhall call me bleffed. For he that is mighty, hath done to me great things, and holy is his Name. And his mercy is on them that fear him, from generation to generation. He hath thewed ftrength with his arm: he hath fcattered the proud, in the imagination of their hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their feats, and exalted them of low degree. He hath filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he hath fent empty away."

But will he not then make his firft appearance in ROME, the city of greatest note and fplendour, the refidence of the rich and noble, and feat of univerfal empire? Or, if not in a place fo full of idolatry and fuperftition, will he not firft fhew himself at Jerufalem, the capital of Judea, the city where David dwelt, where the Temple of God ftood, and where the Jews had worshipped for fo many ages? No: he makes his entrance into our world in an obfcure country village, of fmall repute;-in Bethlehem, of Judea, faid to be little among the thousands of Judah; little in wealth, figure, and number of its inhabitants.But, if fo, is not the first house in Bethlehem fet apart, and commodiously fitted up, for the accommodation of the heavenly Vifitant, the Defire of all Nations? No: The place of his birth is a ftable, and his bed a manger.

"Where now his illuftrious and Royal descent?" fays an elegant Writer: "Patriarchs, Prophets, Heroes, Philofophers, Kings, and Conquerors, crowd his facred genealogy; yet all his lineal dignity and glories afford him but a ftable for a chamber, but a manger for a bed of ftate. But what the dignity of his ancestors, compared with his own? Surely his excellencies need no additional circumftance to enhance them! How aftonishing, then, his condefcenfion! How vaft the tranfition! From the bofom of his FATHER, to a station with the herds in the STALL. Who can view the mean circumftances of our Saviour's birth, and

not

not learn how to eftimate worldly things? What a contralt between earth and heaven! To be good, fays a pious Author, is more than to be great. To defpife the world, is more than to conquer it with arms. To fubdue the flesh, is more than to carefs it with all the flattery of luxury and greatness. To know God, and obey his will, is greater honour than to command the titles and fortunes of mankind."

Though our Saviour appeared in fuch circumstances of poverty and meannefs, and met with fuch general neglect from the natives and ftrangers in Bethlehem, yet he was vifited by holy angels, innocent thepherds, and wife men from the eaft.The conduct of the angels, or this occafion, forms a striking contraft with that of men. Living in ignorance, or loft in the bufy crowd of noife and diffipation, they let the infant Saviour, not only dwell with oxen, but leave the town, without paying him the leaft attention or refpect. Holy angels, natives of heaven, who better knew his character, his dignity, and benevolent defign in coming into the world, on receiving from their court a commiffion to attend him, flew with raptures of joy into his prefence, thought themfelves exalted in the capacity of attendants, and graced his birth with fongs of praife." When God bringeth in the first-begotten into the world, he faith, And Jet all the angels of God worship him?" Who return their refponfive praises, faying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good-will towards men." He never commanded the angels to receive religious adoration, but he enjoined all the angels to worship Chrift. This is a proof, not only of his infinite fuperiority to the angels, but of his effential Deity; for the Divine Nature is the only object of religious worship.

Some fhepherds, men of plain manners, and fimplicity of mind, who were watching their flocks by night, in the vicinity of Bethlehem, were favoured with the revelation of the Saviour's birth. The angel of the Lord, difpatched from the celestial. courts, appeared in a vifible form, in the air, and announced to them the birth of the long-expected Methiah. Some may think it ftrange, that God fhould give the firft notice of the birth of his Son, to a company of poor, illitera e fhepherds; and may afk, why the Divine communication was not made to men of rank, learning, and fcience? I answer, God faw thefe fhepherds to be the molt proper perfons to whom he fhould make known this great event. Their harmlefs fimplicity, joined with a meek and teachable difpofition, prepared them for this high and extraordinary honour. The pride of a learned Rabbin, or the felffuficiency of a conceited Pharifee, would fentcely have fubmitted to feek the promised fietlich in a table and a manger, But wo

fooner

fooner had the angel faid, "Behold, I bring you good tidings
of great joy, which fhall be to all people: For unto you is
born this day, in the city of David, a Saviour, which is Chrift
the Lord;" than they believed the report, and immediately
refolved to go and vifit the heavenly ftranger. Their faith
influenced their hearts; for they left their flocks, and made hafte
to Bethlehem. And if our faith be of the right fort, we fhall
imitate thefe fhepherds. Leaving all at the command of God,
and led by the light of grace, in the ufe of appointed means, we
fhall haften to fee Jefus. When the faith of the fhepherds was
confirmed by the evidence of fenfe, they published abroad the
faying which was told them by the angel concerning Jefus. In
this they acted properly; for it was a matter of univerfal concern,
and of the greateft importance for all to know. Chrift is the
Saviour of all, intentionally and provifionally, but actually and
effectually only of them that believe. Thofe, therefore, that have
found Chrift themselves, fhould recommend him to others; and
endeavour to promote faith in the world, and thereby the glory
of God, and the falvation of men.

There came alfo wife-men from the eaft, conducted by a miraculous ftar, which went before them, till it came and ftood over where the young Child was. The word, in the Greek, fignifies Magi, or Magicians; but may be taken in a good fenfe, for men given to fcience, and excelling others in knowledge and wisdom. Whatever, they were befides, it is certain they were Gentiles, and the firft-fruits of Gentile converts to Chriftianity. From what part of the world, whether Chaldea, Arabia, or Perfia, they came, is uncertain: the moft are of opinion that they came from Perfia, which abounded with the most famous Philofophers and Aftronomers. When arrived at the metropolis of Judea, they afk, "Where is he that is born King of the Jews?" This was a bold enquiry, confidering that Herod was invefted with Supreme Authority, and exercifed it in the most arbitrary and cruel manner. Whether they understood Chrift to be a merely fecular, or a fpiritual King, is doubtful; but it is not likely that they would have put themfelves to the trouble and expence of fo long a journey, to fee one whom they judged to be a mere man, and only a King of the Jews. The reafon they gave for this enquiry was, "that they had feen his ftar in the eaft, and were come to worship him." Thefe wife-men were probably Aftronomers, and knew that this was a new and extraordinary ftar, and that it fignified fome great event of Providence. Perhaps they might be acquainted with Balaam's prophecy, concerning the "STAR that fhould come out of Jacob, and the SCEPTRE that fhould rife out of Ifrael:" or God might have revealed to them the birth of the Meffiah, VOL. XXX. February, 1807.

Meffiah, and fhewn them, that this ftar was to conduct them to the place of his Nativity.

"When thefe wife-men were come into the houfe," we are informed, "they faw the young Child, with Mary his mother," and were fo far from being fcandalized at his mean appearance, "that they fell down, and worshipped him." They fell down, to fhew their humility and reverence, and worshipped him, it feems, with that religious, divine worship, which was due to him, as the Son of God, and Saviour of the world. For if they had not been perfuaded, that he was more than a mere creature, they would hardly have proftrated themfelves before him, confidering the unfavourable circumftances of his prefent condition. "And when they had opened their treafures, they prefented anto him gifts; gold, and frankincenfe, and myrrh."—" Gold,” fays Origin," as an enfign of his Kingly power; myrrh, (wont to be used in embalming dead bodies), because he was to die for mankind; and frankincenfe, as to a God." Irenæus and Tertullian, two others of the ancient Fathers of the Chriftian Church, agree in opinion with Origin. These were undoubtedly products of their country, and were offered to Chrift to exprefs ftill further the homage they paid him. We fhould learn of thefe wife-men to fhew ourselves wife, in diligently enquiring and feeking after Chrift, in being humble and devout worshippers of the Lord Jefus, and in honouring him with our fubftance.

VI. Having noticed the certainty, time, and place of Chrift's birth;-viewed it as the accomplishment of prophecy ;-thewed the complex nature of his perfon, as divine and human;-proved that mankind, being depraved, miferable, and helplefs, need fuch a Saviour; and marked the attention and worthip paid to him by holy Angels, innocent Shepherds, and Wife-men from the Eaft-we fhall add a brief improvement of the whole.

1.

And, 1. We learn the truth of the Christian religion. In a matter of fuch importance, which involves our dearest interefts, we cannot investigate too clofely. Chriftianity does not require 'implicit faith, and blind fubmiflion; but invites the most diligent refearch; which, being contrary to the dark defigns of impofture, is one genuine characteristic of truth. Paganifm and Mahometanifi can never be reconciled to the fober dictates of reafon ; and, on a comparifon between Judaism and Christianity, the latter will rife fuperior in the fcale of excellence; or rather, it is a fyftem matured, of which the other contains only the rudiments. The coming of Chrift into the world, being fo clearly the accomplishment of the Divine predictions, proves moft conclufively, that he came by appointment from heaven; a fact, which ferves to illuftrate his character as the Saviour of finners; and a right