is made of a deliverer: in Deuteronomy, Moses speaks of a prophet which the Lord our God should raise up unto the people of their brethren, like unto him. Him should they hear in all things whatsoever he should say unto them. The historical books point to Christ. The prophetical describe every particular of his birth, parentage, life, and singular sufferings. When God bringeth the first begotten into the world he saith, Let all the angels of God worship him.' Accordingly the angels sang a song of joy and triumph at his birth; they ministered to him after his temptation in the wilderness; they supported him in his agony in the garden; they attended his body in the sepulchre; they proclaimed the great truth of his resurrection, "he is not here, for he is risen, as he said: come see the place where the Lord lay!" The heavenly host, though not deeply interested as we are in his salvation, yet rejoiced for us. Let us then rejoice-let us give honour and glory to the Lord our Saviour-let us enter into the story of his life with a real interest-let us behold our Saviour and our God: and whilst employed in this happy way, let us always Let us then inquire, by way of applica tion, whether the mercy of God, as mercy of God, as displayed in the sacrifice of his Son, has had this effect upon us whether we are sanctified by the Holy Spirit poured out for that gracious purpose? As redeemed by Christ, we have great cause for gratitude and joy : but let us ask ourselves whether we are employed in applying these truths to our own consciences: whether we are diligently beseeching the Giver of all good gifts to give us more and more of this Holy Spirit. To know that Christ came into the world to do the will of God and to save sinners, will be of no avail to us, unless we apply these truths to ourselves by faith, by practice, and by a life of holiness. That the gracious purposes for which our Saviour came into the world have been accomplished in many respects, and will finally be completed, there can be no doubt. When upon the cross, he said, "It is finished." Nothing which we could want was left undone : ❝ in Him all the fulness of the Godhead dwelt bodily: in Him, then, we have redemption, "even the forgiveness of sins." This he effected; and to fit and prepare those who had corrupted themselves by sin, for the future enjoyment of everlasting happiness and glory in heaven, He promised to send down the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, to purify unto Himself a peculiar people zealous of good works. Thus the will of God was our sanctification. Nothing can be clearer than this point, when humbly received by the assistance of that Spirit of whom we are speaking. All holiness dwelt in God: there was none holy but the Lord. He was pleased to create man, pure, innocent, holy, without spot or blemish: and then man was happy, created after God's own image in righteousness. But our forefather Adam fell from this happy state: he sinned against his God: and all his children from that day to the latest hour of the world's existence have been and will be born sinners. To hear the complaints uttered by the writers of the Old Testament of the depravity which existed in their day; to see the heathen world sunk in abominable crimes and superstitions, rend the heartstrings, and might make the whole world cry out with the apostle, "O wretched men that we are, who shall deliver us from the body of this death?" To see the errors, the infirmities, the temptations, to which the children of Adam have been subject since his fall, induces us to cry for mercy; for if God were extreme to mark what we have done amiss, O Lord, who might abide it! Such was the state of the world, even taking into the catalogue of nations the Jews, God's highly favoured people, when the same God who in mercy had created, in mercy was pleased to redeem then, there seemed to be a voice proceeding from the throne of judgment: "Lo, I come to do thy will, O God! O Israel," O ye family of lost transgressors, "you have destroyed yourselves, but in me is your help : turn ye to the stronghold, ye prisoners of hope." Then the voice of mourning and the voice of weeping were turned into the voice of joy! Sing O heaven, and be joyful O earth, and break forth into singing O mountains: for the Lord hath comforted his people, and will have mercy his afflicted:" or, as the same prophet expresses the cause for joy in another upon 66 chapter: "For the Lord hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel." Such was the great work to accomplish which the Saviour came into the world: "Lo! I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me) to do thy will, O God.” And now, my brethren, let me ask you, were ever people more blessed than you may be, by cordially welcoming this adorable Redeemer? What honour does the whole plan of redemption put upon God's law, which, as it was broken by us, was fulfilled in every point by our great Representative! God's justice and God's mercy meet together in this amazing plan: here mercy and truth have met together, righteousness and peace have kissed each other : God is reconciled: the sacrifice is accepted the Lamb, the Paschal Lamb, has been offered up: nothing is wanting but our ready reception of this gracious deliverance. To God, then, the Author of our salvation, let prayer be made, that we may have that Spirit poured out upon us which He has promised to bestow on them that ask Him to open our eyes, to make us see the wide difference between time and eter : |
