"features of the face, the offspring of casualty? Did chance "arrange them, with such symmetry, into a frame so myste"rious, and commence its more mysterious, and more won"derful operations?

"Look at thy mind. Is chance the parent of thought"of science of wisdom-of moral action-of virtue?

"Didst thou ever see, didst thou ever hear of a casualty? "Thou wilt be compelled to reply in the negative. Where, "then, and why, and when, did this supposed torrent of casu"alties begin, and cease to flow?

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"If the inherent attributes of matter are the causes of its operations, those operations must have existed in an eternal "series. But dost thou not perceive intuitively, that an "eternal series is a self-contradiction?

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"Of what is the universe composed? Of atoms. What "binds them together, so as to constitute worlds and systems? "Thou wilt say, Attraction. What is attraction? To this question thou canst give no answer. Dost thou not per"ceive that this word denotes an effect, and not a cause? a “fact, and not the power, by which it is produced? Of this "power thou knowest nothing, and yet it is boundless, un"wearied, and eternal.

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"Remove, then, this mental rubbish of infidelity, and acknowledge, what thou canst not deny, that there is a God. "His hand lighted up the sun; rolled the planets around "him; kindled the stars; and marked out the mysterious 66 course of the moon. The same hand sprinkled this world "with verdure, beauty, and magnificence; formed man upon "it; gave him the breath of life, and caused him to become "a living soul. He also has from the beginning given rain "from heaven, and fruitful seasons, and filled the hearts of "mankind with food and gladness. In all this he has not "left himself, to any sober discerning eye, without ample wit"ness of his existence, presence, agency, and character.

"Of this same great and glorious Being thou art the work"manship; indebted to him for every thing which thou hast "enjoyed; and dependent on him for every thing which thou "canst hope. But against this Being thou hast sinned. By

"whatever law thou believest thyself governed, that law thou "hast broken. To him thou hast been ungrateful, impious, ❝ and rebellious; to thy fellow-men unjust, unkind, and in<< sincere; and to thyself, a continual source of moral pollu<tion. For these sins thou canst make no atonement, and "allege no excuse. Of them all he has been an eye and an Thou durst not believe that he is not of purer

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“eyes than to behold iniquity.

Thy own reason declares, that God cannot but hate

" with a silent but solemn voice, “sin, and cannot bless sinners. Look at the manner in which "he executes vengeance upon this guilty world.

Mark the

" ravages of the storm, the desolating miseries of famine and pestilence, and the devastations of the earthquake and the "volcano. See oppression grind the race of man to the dust, " and war dye the world in blood. With these terrible proofs

"of his justice before thine eyes, will it be possible for thee "to comprehend, or to measure his future vengeance against iniquity?

"Thou art a sinner. Thy own conscience has a thousand "times declared this tremendous truth. Should he summon "thee to account for thy sins hereafter, what wilt thou an"swer? From his eye where wilt thou hide? From his hand "how wilt thou escape? With what agonies wilt thou then "wish that thou hadst acknowledged, believed, and obeyed "his word? With what sighs will thy bosom heave, with what "throes will thy heart wring, for an interest in that divine "Redeemer, whom, in this world, thou hast only crucified "afresh by thy unbelief? Doest thou not see that thou art sacrificing thyself on the altar of infidelity, and murdering "thy soul as a victim to sinful pleasure?

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"What then is thy hope? Annihilation. But how dost "thou know that God will annihilate thee? Stung by thy "guilt, thou hast made thyself willing, or persuaded thy"self, that thou art willing to see the living light of the "mind go out in eternal darkness. But will He who kindled "it suffer it to expire? Should thou continue to exist af"ter death, how terrible a state of existence will eternity prove "to thee!

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Accompany me to yonder cemetry. Whose graves do I "see? In this thy father is interred; in that sleep the remains "of thy mother. They were Christians. They loved God; "they trusted in the Redeemer; they practised holiness; "and, from this melancholy world, they ascended to heaven. "In that delightful world, amid all its glories, they wait impatiently for the arrival of thee, their beloved child, to com"plete their joys. But they wait in vain. Thy path is only "downward. Thou hast destined thyself to the regions of "annihilation. Nay, thou wouldst pluck them from the foot "of the eternal throne; extinguish their immortal life; strip "them of angelic happiness; and hurl them down to the "same dark and desolate abyss. Miserable man! open thine 66 eyes, if they are not finally closed in moral darkness, and "see before thee the melancholy regions of woe, where the groans of anguish resound, and the stream of tears flows "without intermission, and without end; and where death "and despair stretch their iron sceptre for ever over the "dreary solitude! Dost thou tremble at the prospect? Look "behind thee, and behold goodness and mercy, twin-born of "heaven, and arrayed in robes of uncreated light, stand, anx66 iously watching thy course, and beckon thee to life; while, "at their side, Hope, with her lucid finger, points the path "to immortality, and exclaims, with a smile of transport, "Glory to God in the highest; peace on earth; and good"will towards men !'"

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SERMON XI.

TIDINGS OF A SAVIOUR, TIDINGS OF GREAT JOY.

LUKE II. 10, 11.

"And the Angel said unto them, fear not; for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. "For unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord."

IN the preceding chapter we are informed, that the Angel Gabriel was sent first to Zacharias, a priest, and afterwards to Mary, a virgin of the family of David, to announce to them, and through them to mankind, the birth of the Saviour. The birth of John the Baptist, his harbinger in the great work of redeeming the world from sin and misery, was also predicted by the same illustrious person, and in the appointed season was accomplished. On this occasion, Zacharias, who had been deprived of his speech, both to punish his unbelief, and to manifest the certainty of the prediction, resumed it in the same miraculous manner, and uttered to those around him a memorable prophecy concerning the child already born, and the more wonderful infant whose birth was approaching.

The context opens with an account of a decree, issued by the Roman Emperor, Augustus Cæsar, requiring all the inhabitants of Judea to enrol their names, for the purpose of being taxed. The ancient prophets, particularly Micah, had foretold, that the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem, the city of David. By means perfectly natural and easy, this prophecy was now accomplished. In Judea, the register of

every family was, according to custom, kept in the city to which that family was originally attached. Bethlehem was the city of Joseph and Mary, the parents of Christ. In obedience to this decree, therefore, they were necessitated to go up from Nazareth, where they usually lived, to be registered in Bethlehem. While they were here attending on this business, she brought forth her first-born son, the Redeemer of mankind.

At this time there was a number of shepherds in the neighbouring fields, keeping watch over their flocks by night. As they were occupied in this employment, the Angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them. It cannot be wondered at that they were terrified by this vision, but the Angel soothed their fears, and restored their presence of mind with these remarkable words: "Fear “not; for behold I bring you glad tidings of great joy, which "shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day, in "the city of David, a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord. And “this shall be a sign unto you. Ye shall find the babe, wrap"ped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger."

Immediately there appeared a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, "and on earth peace; good will towards men."

Such is a brief recital of the story, of which the text forms an interesting part; a story wholly singular, recounting events of a wonderful nature, and demanding from mankind the deepest attention.

My design in choosing these words, as the theme of the present discourse, is to endeavour to illustrate the declaration made by the Angel, and to show, that the tidings which he published of the birth of a Saviour, are tidings of great joy to all people.

This doctrine I shall illustrate

I. From the story which has been summarily recounted. The person who announced this intelligence to the shepherds of Bethlehem was, it will be remembered, a person of high dignity. He was an inhabitant, and plainly no common one, of the highest heavens. In that happy world he had been