your minds, "He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not; but as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God." LEIGHTON.

And this shall be a sign unto you, Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. Who now can complain of want, when he hears of his Lord and Saviour but thus provided for? He could have brought down with him a celestial house, and have pitched it here below, too glorious for earthly eyes to have looked upon: he could have commanded all the precious things that lie shrouded in the bowels of the earth to have made up a majestic palace for him, to the dazzling of the eyes of all beholders: he could have taken up the stateliest court that any earthly monarch possessed, for his peculiar habitation; -but his straitness was spiritual and heavenly; and he that owned all would have nothing; that he might sanctify want unto us, and that he might teach us, by his blessed example, to sit down contented with any thing, with nothing. -HALL.

And suddenly there was with the angel, &c. It is observed by the doctors of the primitive ages, that, from the nativity of our Lord to the day of his death, the divinity and humanity did so communicate in effects, that no great action passed, but it was like the sun shining through a cloud, or a beauty with

a thin veil drawn over it; they gave illustration and testimony to each other. The holy Jesus was born a tender and a crying infant; but is adored by the magi as a king, by the angels as their God. He is circumcised as a man ; but a name is given him to signify him to be the Saviour of the world. He is presented in the temple as the son of man; but by Simeon and Anna he is celebrated, with divine praises, for the Messias, the Son of God. He is baptized in Jordan as a sinner; but the Holy Ghost, descending upon him, proclaimed him to be the well beloved of God. He is hungry in the desert as a man; but sustained his body without meat and drink, for forty days together, by the power of his divinity: there he is tempted of Satan as a weak man, and the angels of light minister unto him as their supreme Lord. And a little before his death, when he was to take upon him all the affronts, miseries, and execrations of the most miserable, he receives testimonies from above, which are most wonderful; for he was transfigured upon Mount Tabor, entered triumphantly into Jerusalem, had the acclamations of the people; when he was dying, he darkened the sun; when he was dead, he opened the sepulchre; when he was fast nailed to the cross, he made the earth to tremble; and, when he suffers himself to be apprehended by a guard of soldiers, he strikes them all to the ground only by replying to their answer; that the words of the prophet might be

verified, "Therefore my people shall know my name; therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak; behold it is I." Isaiah lii. 6.-TAYLOR.

The shepherds said one to another, let us now go even unto Bethlehem, &c. No sooner do the shepherds hear the news of a Saviour, than they run to Bethlehem to seek him. Those that left their beds to tend their flocks, leave their flocks to enquire after their Saviour. No earthly thing is too dear to be forsaken for Christ. If we suffer any worldly occasion to stay us from Bethlehem, we care more for our sheep than our souls. It is not souls. It is not possible that a faithful heart should hear where Christ is, and not labour after the sight, after the fruition of him. Where art thou, O Saviour, but at home in thine own house, the assembly of thy saints? Where art thou to be found, but in thy word and sacraments? Yea, there thou seekest for us: if there we haste not to seek for thee, we are worthy to want thee,-worthy that our want of thee here should make us want the presence of thy face for ever. HALL.

And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. How should all the world blush at this indignity of Bethlehem! He that came to save men is sent, for his first lodging, to the beasts: the stable is become his inn, the crib his bed. O strange cradle of that great king, which heaven itself may envy! O Saviour, thou that wert both the maker and

That, since

owner of heaven, of earth, couldst have made thee a palace without hands, couldst have commanded thee an empty room in those houses which thy creatures had made. When thou didst but bid the angels void their first place, they fell down from heaven like lightning; and when, in thy humbled estate, thou didst but say, I am he, who was able to stand before thee? How easy had it been for thee to have made place for thyself in the throngs of the stateliest courts! Why wouldst thou be thus homely, but that, by contemning worldly glories, thou mightest teach us to contemn them, that thou mightest sanctify poverty to them whom thou calledst unto want! thou, which hadst the choice of all earthly conditions, wouldst be born poor and despised, those which must want out of necessity might not think their poverty grievous! Here was neither friend to entertain, nor servant to attend, nor place wherein to be attended; only the poor beasts gave way to the God of all the world. It is the great mystery of godliness that God was manifested in the flesh, and seen of angels; but here, which was the top of all wonders, the very beasts might see their maker. For those spirits to see God in the flesh it was not so strange as for the brute creatures to see him which was the God of spirits. He that would be led into the wilderness amongst wild beasts to be tempted, would come into the house of beasts to be born, that from the height of

con

his divine glory his humiliation might be the greater. How can we be abased low enough for thee, O Saviour, that hast thus neglected thyself for us! That the visitation might be answerable to the homeliness of the place, attendants, provision, who shall come to gratulate his birth but poor shepherds? The kings of the earth rest at home, and have no summons to attend him, by whom they reign. God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the mighty. In an obscure time, the night, unto obscure men, shepherds, doth God manifest the light of his Son, by glorious angels. It is not our meanness, O God, that can exclude us from the best of thy mercies; yea, thus far dost thou respect persons, that thou hast put down the mighty, and exalted them of low degree.-HALL.

HYMN.

Hark the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the new-born king;
Glory in the highest heaven,
Peace on earth, and man forgiven."
Joyful all ye nations, rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With th' angelic host proclaim
"Christ is born in Bethlehem!''

Christ, by highest heaven ador'd,
Christ, the everlasting Lord;
Late in time behold him come
Offspring of a Virgin's womb!
Veil'd in flesh the Godhead see,
Hail th' incarnate Deity!
Pleas'd as man with men to dwell,
Jesus our Immanuel.

Hail the heaven born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of righteousness!
Light and life to all he brings,
Ria'n with healing in his wings.

Mild, he lays his glory by,
Born that man no more may die;
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.
Come, desire of nations, come,
Fix in us thy humble home;
Rise, the woman's conquering seed,
Bruise in us the serpent's head.
Sing we then, with angels sing,
Glory to the new-born king:
Glory in the highest heaven,
Peace on earth, and sins forgiven!

§ CLVIII.

CHAP. II. 21-38.

Simeon and Anna prophesy of Christ. Christ is circumcised. Mary purified.

9

21 And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called 'JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

22 And when 'the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord;

23 (As it is written in the law of the Lord, 'Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;)

24 And to offer a sacrifice according to "that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair