This was the Perfon that the Text faith, Now appeared; that is, the Son of God in Human Nature. God, of the Subftance of his Father, begotten before all Worlds; and Man, of the Substance of his Mother, born in the World. Perfect God, and Perfect Man, and yet but one Perfon. For as the Reasonable Soul and the Body make one Man, fo here God and Man make one Chrift; as our Creed expreffes it.

And this leads me to his Office. This Divine Perfon God-Man, that the Text here faith appeared, was, by his Office, the Chrift the Meffias, that is, that great Minifter of God, that anointed King and Prieft and Prophet, which, from the Beginning of the World, he promifed to fend down upon Earth for the Salvation of Mankind; who was believed in by the Patriarchs; Typified by the Law; Foretold by all the Prophets; Shadowed out in all the Oeconomy of the Jewish Nation; Expected by all the Ifraelites; and wifhed for by the best of the Heathen World :

This Perfon invefted with this Office, at laft appeared; and in what manner, you all know from his Story in the Gospel.

He was, by the Holy Spirit of God conceived in the Womb of a Virgin, as was foretold of him by the Prophets; of which an Angel of the highest Order in Heaven, firfe brought the happy Tidings to the Virgin herself.

This Virgin, by as ftrange a Providence, when the Time of her Delivery drew near,

was

was brought from her own City and Habitation in Galilee, to Bethlehem, a City of Judah, where fhe brought forth this illuftrious Babe; and thereby fulfilled another Prophecy concerning him, namely, That he should be born in Bethlehem, which alfo the Scribes at that Time acknowledged.

The Circumstances, indeed, of his Birth, were far from any outward Pomp and Magnificence. The Virgin his Mother was poor, and a Stranger, and ill-befriended; that in the Confluence of People, with which the City was then crowded, she was able to procure no better a Lodging than the Stable of an Inn: So that a Manger was the Place that firft received the Lord of Glory. This Slur, this Affront God then thought fit to put upon all that external Splendor and Grandeur, which ufually doth fo much dazle the Eyes of Mor

tal Men.

But God failed not to make abundant Amends for the Meannefs of his Birth, by giving fundry other demonftrable Evidences of the Dignity of the Perfon that was then

Born.

For the Magi from the Eaft (Princes fhall I call them, or Philofophers?) being conducted by a new Star, came and paid their Homage, and brought their Offerings to this King of the World in a Manger: And the Shepherds, that were watching the Flocks in the Fields by Night, were furprized with the Glory of the Lord fhining round about them, and an Angel that thus fpoke to them; Fear not, for be

bold

-hold I bring you 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 Chrift the Lord. And this fhall be a Sign unto you, Ye hall find the Babe wrapped in fwadling Cloaths, lying in a Manger. And fuddenly there was with the Angel, a Multitude of the Heavenly Hoft, praifing God, and faying, Glory to God in the Higheft, on Earth Peace, Good Will towards Men.

After this Manner was the Appearance of our Saviour, and much after the fame Manner was his following Life. It was a Life of much Poverty and Meannefs as to outward Circumftances; but it was a Life in every Period of it, fraught with Wonders. Whether we confider the admirable Goodness and Charmingnefs of his Temper; or the exemplary Virtue and Piety that did fhine out in all his Converfation; or the Divinity of his Sermons and Doctrines; or his prodigious inimitable Miracles; or the Atteftations which were given him from Heaven; or the Ufage he received from Men; or the Events which followed upon all thefe Things in the World.

But it is his firft Appearance in the Flesh, that we are this Day met together to commemorate. And never had Mankind fo Noble an Argument given them, to exercife their Thoughts and Meditations upon.

If we confider the Quality of the Perfon appearing, that he was no other than the Eternal Son of God; how ought we to be wrapt with Wonder and Aftonishment, at the Infinitenefs of the Divine Condefcenfion? How VOL. I. ought

Y

ought we to be affected with Love and Thankfulness, at fuch a never-to-be parallelled Inftance of God's Kindnefs to us, that he fhould fo love us, as to fend his only begotten Son into the World, that we might live through him?

If we confider that this Son of God refolving to appear in the World, of all others Ways, chose to do it in our Flesh, and fo united both the Deity and Humanity in one Perfon; O what a Sense ought this to imprefs upon us, of the Honour that is here done to our Nature, and the Dignity it is advanced to? And how ought that Senfe, either to fright us, or to fhame us from proftituting this our Nature, to any vile unworthy Mixtures Mixtures and Communications, which God did not difdain to take into fo near a Relation to himself?

If we confider that this God, in Human Flefb, came as the Meffiah, the Saviour of the World, fo long before promised, and so long expected; how ought this to fill our Hearts with Joy and Thankfulness? How should it move us to pour out our Souls in Benedictions to God, for having thus vifited and redeemed his People? And putting us into that Dispensation, which fo many Holy Men, for fo many Ages, wifhed to fee, but did not fee it; nay, and which the Angels themselves defired to look into; and which the Jews for rejecting, at the Time it was Published, are to this Day a ftanding Monument of God's Displeasure and Vengeance?

If we confider the many Evidences, that this our Saviour gave at his Appearance, of

his being the true Chrift; how exactly in all the Circumstances of his Nativity, and all the Paffages of his Life, he fulfilled the Prophecies which went before of him; and how convincing the Teftimonies were, which God gave to the Truth of his Miffion: how ought this Confideration to ftrengthen our Faith in this Chrift? To make us conftant to the Death, in owning him for our Saviour, our Meffiah, in Oppofition to all the Pretences of the Jews, and Infidels, and Atheists, and Scepticks, to the

contrary.

Lastly, If we confider the mean Circumftances that this our Chrift chofe to appear in; fo far below the Dignity of fo great a Prince, that there is not the pooreft Beggar's Child among us, but generally finds better Accommodation when it comes into the World; Owhat a Check, what a Rebuke ought this to be to that Spirit of Ambition, and Pride, and Vain- . glory, that too often poffeffes us poor Mortals? How ought it to take off our Admiration, and leffen the too great Efteem we are apt to have of all outward Pomp and Greatnefs? Nay, and to make us defpife all the glittering Shews and Bravery of the World: Since God has given us fo vifible a Demonftration, by the fending his own Son into it, how little a Value he fets upon thefe Things. But,

II. I proceed to the Second Point, which my Text leads me to fpeak to, and that is the Time of our Saviour's Appearance here mentioned, Once hath he appeared in the End of the World.