gree of the same kind of wickedness; for, as he that should get drunk in a church would insult the church, so he that gets drunk at Christmas, which is the season for commemorating the birth of Christ, insults Christ and his religion.

I know it may be said, that those who take these liberties at Christmas do not mean to insult Christ, and that they act from inconsideration; to which I answer, that they are then very guilty in being so inconsiderate; for I would just remark by the way, that these people who are so very inconsiderate in some things, are apt to be very considerate in others; for instance, they are very considerate about their pleasures, but very inconsiderate about their duty; they are often, perhaps, very considerate about this world, always very inconsiderate about eternity; very considerate for themselves, and very little so about other people; extremely considerate on their own side of a bargain, but as inconsiderate about the side of the other party; and when they have committed a sin, they are apt to be very considerate in finding out excuses for it, but very inconsi derate in tracing out the guilt and mischief of their wickedness. In short, then, let it be remembered, that the inconsiderate way of spending Christmas, which has been spoken of, is only, in other words, the wicked way of spending it.

But let us now come to the true way of keeping it. First, then, in order to know how the time of Christ's birth ought to be remembered by us, I would observe, that it is necessary to understand well who Christ was, and for what purpose he came on the earth. How absurd would it be to celebrate the fifth of November, without knowing that, on that day, the Houses of Parliament were saved from fire, and our happy Constitution, as well as our religion, was preserved to us. Again: how absurd would it be for any man to celebrate the King's birth day, or coronation day, who did not feel within his heart loyalty and affection towards his sove

reign, and who did not think that any blessings were derived from our kingly government.

Let every one, therefore, who wishes to spend Christmas aright, get acquainted with the benefits which have followed from Christ's coming into the world. We will endeavor, now, to shew, very shortly, what these benefits have been. The world, at the time of Christ's appearing, was divided into Jews and Gentiles. The word Gentiles significs nations, that is, all the nations except the Jews. Let us speak of the Gentiles first, and of the Jews afterwards. The Gentiles were worshippers of false gods, some of one kind, some of another. They all, however, agreed in this, that they thought one God as good as another, and no one among them had any anxiety to bring his neighbour over to his religion, which is a plain proof that they had no true religion among them; for, whoever is possessed of true religion, is possessed of a great comfort and blessing, which he will therefore be glad to convey to other people also. It was the custom of some of these Gentiles to worship stocks and stones; others bowed down to living animals, such as bulis or goats, or lizards; and others paid their stupid adoration to the sun, instead of the Author of it. Many of them worshipped their deceased fellow-creatures, and the dead men, who were thus turned into gods, had been, in general, some of the most wicked and abominable of the human race.

Now this ignorance of the true God was followed (as all ignorance of him is apt to be) by great wickedness in their practice. They were given over on this account (as St. Paul, the inspired Apostle, declares) to a reprobate mind; to work all uncleanness with greediness." They learnt to confound good and evil—vices were then commonly practised, such as are not named among Christians. False principles, and false maxims of every kind, abounded. Slavery prevailed even in the most civilized lands, for almost all servants, were slaves in those days. The earth was filled with violence. He that had killed the greatest number of

his fellow-creatures got usually the greatest praise. Wars were carried on with dreadful ferocity, and multitudes were massacred at the public games, in battles fought for the amusement of the people. Humanity, kindness, and benevolence, were made no account of; and such a thing as an hospital was not known. Revenge was both practised and recommended; and those excellent Christian graces, humility, universal charity, and forgiveness of injuries, were considered as weaknesses and faults. I shudder to think of the dreadful state of mankind in those days. God grant that the same evils may never return. They are the natural consequences of being without Christianity in the world; for when Christianity is gone there is no rule to go by. Every man may then set up a false goodness of his own. Morals, of course, grow worse and worse; a fierce and proud spirit comes in the place of Christian meekness, and benevolence, and claims the name of virtue; and the Saviour of the world, with all his works of mercy, being forgot, man becomes cruel, and unjust, and selfish, and implacable, and unmerciful, for all the violent passions of our nature are let loose.

If we enquire also into the character of the Jews, who lived before the coming of our Saviour, we shall find them to have been deplorably corrupt, though they expected his coming, and were, in some measure, acquainted with true religion. The little knowledge which they had seems to have been perverted, through the wickedness of their hearts; and, in short, the scriptures assure us, that both Jews and Gentiles were all under sin." Such was the state into which the world was sunk before the time of our Saviour's appearance in it.

Let us describe next, who Christ was, and what were the consequences of his coming. He is called in scripture, "the Son of God;" and in some places, "God's only Son," which shews that there is no other Being like unto him. We know that a son, by his very birth, derives privileges from his father which belong to no

other person; that he partakes in the same rank and inheritance with his father; and that he possesses also, in an especial manner, his father's favor, and altoge ther differs from a stranger or a servant. Christ, then, is to be considered, in all such senses as these, as the Son of God. It is true, he is called also the Son of man, for he was born of a woman (namely, of the Virgin Mary) and he took upon him our nature, dwelling on earth for thirty years. We should take great care, however, that his appearance among us, as a man, does not lead us to form any low and unworthy notions of him. Suppose now that the son of a king was to travel in the dress of a private subject, on some merciful and condescending errand, to a distant and obscure part of his territory, surely it would be very ungenerous and ungrateful, if the poor villagers, whom he came to serve, were to deny to him the honors of a king's son, merely because they could not believe that so great a person could stoop so low as to come among them, especially if he brought proofs of his power and greatness along with him. Just so, methinks, are all those persons ungenerous and ungrateful, who refuse to Christ that divine honor which belongs to him, merely because he condescended to be made flesh and blood, and to dwell among us. Let us, then, receive, with simplicity and humility, the scripture testimony concerning him. It speaks of him in terms that are quite astonishing. "His name," says the prophet foretelling of his birth, "shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of peace, and the government shall be on his shoulders." The Evangelist John tells us, that "the word (meaning Christ) was with God, and the word was God."By Him," it is said in the Hebrews, "God made the world;" and again, "Let all the angels of God worship him. All power hath been given him, both in Heaven and earth, and God hath committed all judgment to the Son."-" The hour also cometh when they that are in their graves shall hear the voice of the Son

of man, and shall come forth, they that have done good to the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil to the resurrection of damnation."

Such are a few of the expressions used in scripture concerning Christ.. Let us learn from these to adore his Divine Majesty, and trust his power, as well as to fear his wrath, and to account him able to fulfil all the purposes of his coming.

It

But let us next describe what these purposes were. may be said in general, that "it was for us men, and for our salvation, that he came down from Heaven;" or, as the scripture expresses it, "the Son of man came to seek and to save that which was lost, and to give his life a ransom for many,"

The world, as hath been already shewn, was sunk in sin, and not in sin only, but in condemnation also. Ever since the fall of our first parent Adam, man had become a sinful creature. "But as in Adam all had died, so now in Christ were all (that is, all who would receive him) to be made alive." Christ, then, was the second Adam as Adam was the destroyer, so Christ was the restorer of our race. The devil, who is called the prince of darkness, had, as we are told in scripture, become the god and the prince of this world. Christ, therefore, came into the world as a conqueror comes, to recover an empire that was lost, and to bring back the rebels to their obedience, and to happiness. He came to overthrow that kingdom of darkness which, through the power of the devil, and the corruption of man, had been set up. "For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil." He came "to redeem us from all ini quity, and to purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works."

But how does Christ fulfil his purpose of delivering us? First, I would observe, that he lived a most holy life, hereby setting before us an example that we should tread in his steps. He went about doing good. Never was any one so kind and gracious to all who came