modation of our Manners to the Prepoffeffions of others to win them over, and fecure their Attachment to Christianity. Prejudices when engrafted or inveterate are more eafily diverted than fubdued. And when the Stream ran too ftrong to be banked out, the Wisdom of the Church endeavoured to turn it into a new Channel.

Now two eminent Festivals at this very Season of the Year were celebrated, one among the Heathens, and the other among the Jews. The latter of thefe Festivals a learned German, Olderman, gives as the Reason for the fixing Christmas to this Seafon; and Hardouin is no lefs pofitive, that the true Reafon was a Compliance with the Humour of the Gentiles. But furely it is more rational to fuppofe, that both these Festivals were intended to be swallowed up in the Celebration of our Lord's Nativity, that both Jews and Gentiles might rejoice, as they had greater and better Reason to rejoice, for the Birth of the Saviour, who is Chrift the Lord.

Now

Now Hardouin has very learnedly proved, that among the Romans the twenty fifth of December was always celebrated as the Nativity of their God of Day, or the Sun. On this Day an antient Roman Calendar has the Words---Natalis invicti---the Birth-Day of the invincible ;--a Name which Julian the Apoftate likewife gives to the Perfian God Mithra, or the Sun. And fince the precise Time and Day of our Saviour's Birth is unknown and uncertain, could there be a more natural or wife Appointment than to apply to the honour of our Lord a Festival, that was observed by the Heathens in honour of the Sun? If it be called the Birth-Day of the invincible, who is fo invincible as our Lord, who hath fubdued Death, and led Captivity captive? Or if it be the Birth-Day of the Sun,---(the Winter Solstice being fixed by Julius Cæfar to the twenty fifth of December, whence the Sun returning and reviving with new Warmth and Vigour was thought to be as it were born again,)--was not our Lord also the Sun of Righteous

VOL. II.

K

ness,

nefs, who, as the Prophet Malachi expreffes it, (Ch. iv. 2.) fhall arife to those that fear his Name with healing in his Wings?

The Feast among the Jews, which was obferved on the twenty fifth of their ninth Month, called Cifleu or Cafleu, was the Feaft of the Dedication, which fell likewife - about the Time, of the Winter Solstice. It was inftituted by Judas Maccabeus. † For Antiochus Epiphanes having taken and profaned the Temple, Judas Maccabeus afterwards defeated the Generals of Antiochus, recovered Jerufalem, purified the Temple, and ordained this Festival to be annually observed in memory of his Success, and God's Mercies to the Jewish Nation in reftoring the Temple Worship. It was this Feftival, that Chrift honoured with his Prefence at Jerufalem, as St. John tells us, (John x. 22.) when it was Winter, and which from the Time of it's Inftitution, was ever after celebrated without Interruption till the

† See 1. Maccabees iv. 59.

Romans

Romans destroyed both the City and Temple, and put a final Period to the whole Jewish Worship. Now furely we cannot but suppose, that the Appointment, which celebrates our Saviour's Nativity at this very Seafon of the Year, was intended as a prudent Condefcenfion to the Prejudices both of Jews and Gentiles: And as it was cuftomary for both, upon different Views, to abftain from Labour, and to indulge themselves in Feftivities and Rejoicings at this Season of the Year, Provifion was hereby made, that their Joy might be directed to a nobler End, to celebrate the Memory of the Word, who was made Flefb, and came into the World to fave Sinners.

I have now, it may reasonably be hoped, removed the common Prejudices in favour of the twenty fifth of December as the real Birth-Day of our bleffed Redeemer. But to obviate every Difficulty, and to reconcile you to the new Establishment, I fhall pro

An Obfervation more immediately belonging to the Occafion of the present Af fembly.

It is a popular Prejudice that by finking eleven Days in the last Year the twenty fifth Day of December is made to fall on the fifth of January. Many therefore out of a good Intention, I doubt not, think this Day facred to the Commemoration of our Lord's Nativity. But this is indeed a mere Mistake. Were the twenty fifth of December the real Birth-Day of our Saviour; yet the true twenty fifth is that which the Law of the Land has appointed to be observed as fuch, and dedicated to the Honour of the Meffiah's Nativity. The Occafion of the common Miftake I will briefly explain. The Year does really confift of three hundred and fixty five Days, five Hours, and forty nine Minutes. But for a round Number, the odd Hours and Minutes have been always reck

oned with us as really amounting to fix whole

Hours