Bereans found Christ: in them " Apollos was mighty." (Acts xviii. 24.) If comfort were needed, it was to be found in the same scriptures, (Rom. xv. 4): if men were to "become wise unto salvation," here they must learn! (2 Tim. iii. 15.) 3. And this is sufficient, we need no more! This is evident from the design of the scriptures here stated: "these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ. . . . and that believing ye might have life through his name." Here is the whole of salvation! What do we need more than "life by believing in his name?" and for this express object they were written! and God wrote them! Will any one dare to say that they are not sufficient for what God designed them? And if they are, then we need no further information: what is written, we believewhat is mere tradition, we reject or receive as it accords or not with the certain written standard. II. CONSIDER MORE PARTICULARLY THE IMMEDIATE OB JECT FOR WHICH THE SCRIPTURES WERE WRITTEN : "that ye might believe that Jesus is the Son of God.” 1. It is a general truth that the Scriptures are the mean of faith: -"These things are written that ye may believe." "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Rom. x. 17.) By the seed of the word men are born again to life and salvation, (1 Peter i. 23); and by the Scriptures faith is fed and strengthened. 2. But it is of faith in one grand truth that the text speaks-viz. faith in the person, work, and offices of Christ: "that ye might believe that Jesus is the Son of God." (a) All the Old Testament points to this. All prophecy is but one grand "testimony of Jesus." (Rev. xix. 10.) All history traces his genealogy, or symbolizes his salvation. All types and ceremonies were shadows of his Gospel. We hear his voice continually, for the Jehovah of the Old Testament is declared to be the Jesus of the New! (Compare only one passage: Isaiah vi. with John xii. 41.) (b) The New Testament identifies him: shewing "that Jesus is the Christ"-the Messiah expected-" the Son of God:" this is the grand topic of this book-all the narratives of the Gospels go to prove it-that the reputed carpenter's son was "the Christ of God," who was to die "one man for all :" this all the miracles confirmed. The subsequent histories, epistles, &c., all labour this one grand truth, that Jesus of Nazareth " was God manifest in the flesh;" the very point which the deluded Socinian or Unitarian denies, is that for which all Scripture was written-to prove the real incarnation of Deity! III. THE ULTIMATE OBJECT FOR WHICH THIS WRITTEN WORD WAS REVEALED;— -not only "that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God," but "that believing ye might have life through his name." This is the spiritual energy and appropriating power of his Gospel. 1. In him there is life! All are dead-dead in sins-in unconversion-all, both Jews and Gentiles; "for there is no difference," and doomed to "die eternally;" but in him is life, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." "He that believeth in me hath passed from death unto life." (ch. v. 24.) "He giveth life unto the world." (ch. vi. 33.) He is our life, (Col. iii. 3); so that "he that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." (1 John v. 12.) 2. But men may believe in him and not have life!— -else the text is tautologous: "that ye might believe," &c., "and that believing ye might have life through his name." There is a dead faith, a mere conviction of the understanding, while the heart and conscience are unmovedthat faith does not bring life, but rather condemnation. "The very devils believe and tremble!" (James ii. 19.) 3. But true faith in Christ infallibly ensures salvation and life. "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God: that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God." (1 John v. 13.) Faith lays hold of Christ-grasps the promise of life in him-confides in it-acts upon itappropriates his righteousness-rests in that, and finds "peace!" (Rom. v. 1.) There is a vital power in Christ, and faith "draws out of his fulness"-faith abides in him, and so "brings forth much fruit.” Through his name that may be himself, according to the idiom; or it may be his work, his offices, his sufficiency: "There is no other name under heaven whereby we can be saved." (Acts iv. 12.) Thus present grace and future glory, all that the sinner can need in time and in eternity, are his by believing in Jesus: "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." (Acts xvi. 31.) 66 4. Now all Holy Scripture is written for this object, that we might secure all these blessings by faith in Jesus Christ. How blessed and glorious the design-how admirable, how invaluable the means! What must these Holy Scriptures be which are effectual to such objects! How sacred! How divine! In this book is life, because in it is Christ! In him we have all and abound; and he being there, the blessed Scriptures must be ample, full, abundant, and "contain all things necessary to salvation," as saith our apostolic Church. Beloved brethren, what think ye of this book, of these sacred writings? Are they some cabalistic pages which need a necromancer to unravel, or are they an honest book for simple and honest men to read that they may grow wise? Are they for the learned, or for the unlearned, or for both? Must we go to the Nicene fathers for explication? Must truth be made out through pages of Greek and Latin? Oh bless God that you have his word "in the vulgar tongue;" cleave to it-read it-meditate on it— pray over it-seek God's teaching-and you shall be wiser than aged philosophers or learned schoolmen, “because you are instructed out of God's law." 1. In what condemnation are they involved who neglect the reading of God's holy word! It contains life-salvation-Christ! but they will not study it! God wrote it—but they will not read it! How will they meet its Author at the last day?" when he visiteth, what will they answer him?" (Job xxxi. 14.) 2. How great their guilt who reading this word do not obey it! "who know their master's will and do it not!" This book, taught in our schools—read, repeated, studied by many -will be their sorest condemnation! It is a book of love, of light, of liberty, of grace, of salvation, to all who read it humbly, diligently, practically; but to the careless, heedless, disobedient student, it will be but an augmentation of guilt and woe! As of God's word preached, so of his written word: "it is a savour of life unto life to some, but of death unto death to others!" May we so read it, "that we may believe in Jesus, and believing, may find life through his name." IF we are assembled this morning to celebrate the birth of a mere child of man, although he may have been one of the holiest, best, and greatest of men, or even the first of created intelligences, our commemoration would be altogether unsuited to the event. The Church has, from the earliest days, celebrated this season with holy joy; has assembled her people in her most holy communion; and has imparted the most sacred character to the festival. But wherefore all this, if Jesus of Nazareth be but a great human teacher? if there be no mystery in his conception and birth, none in his person, work, and offices? The nature of Him whose birth we commemorate must give the character to our celebration. How important, then, to investigate this question! Who is he whose birthday we keep? Whence came he ? and for what object? and how has he accomplished it? The passage before us will afford an answer to all these questions. And may the Holy Spirit of God enable us, with deep reverence, to contemplate, this day, "the great mystery of godliness, God manifest in the flesh!" We have here I. THE PREPARATION OF A BODY FOR CHRIST. II. THE PURPOSES FOR WHICH IT WAS PREPARED. I.—THE PREPARATION OF A BODY FOR CHRIST: "a body hast thou prepared me." 1. This is the subject of prophecy :— -Hundreds of years before, David, in spirit, predicted this 66 plies it to Christ, and to "the body of his flesh!" What possible sense is there in all this if Christ were a mere man? What should be prepared for a man, but a human body? and what wonder was there in that? But on the Christian scheme, how marvellous all this! Here are the Father and Son entering into covenant for man's salvation. The coequal Son "gives himself for us;" the Father by the Spirit prepares a human body for his Son's dwelling upon earth; and in this “form and fashion as a man" he appears for our salvation! 2. This prophecy is now fulfilled— 66 (a) In the miraculous conception of the Virgin Mary: "God sent forth his Son made of a woman," (Gal. iv. 4-5); the power of the Holy Ghost overshadowed her; and the holy thing which was conceived in her was therefore called the Son of God." (Matt. i. 18-23; Luke i. 26-38.) The taint of Adam's seed was cut off, and a child was conceived who was not "conceived in sin, and shapen in iniquity; but without spot, or blemish, or any such thing. (b)" This day this prophecy is fulfilled in our ears!" "To us a child is born, a son is given, and his name is Wonderful," &c. (Isaiah ix. 6, 7.) Look at this little babe in Bethlehem-gaze on its lovely form! That is the body which God hath "prepared" from all eternity, in which the marvellous work of man's salvation shall be achieved. This is not the son of a poor carpenter, but the Son of God: it is "Immanuel, God with us." But we shall better appreciate the wonderful character of this Infant Body, if we considerII.—THE PURPOSES TO WHICH IT WAS Devoted. 1. This human body was to be the habitation of the Godhead! GOD dwells indeed in his people: "they they are filled with all the fulness of GOD," (Ephes. iii. 19); "they are an habitation of GOD through the Spirit." (Ephes. ii. 22.) But the GODHEAD, the essential Deity, is never said to be in them. But in this Body of Christ "all the fulness of the GODHEAD dwelt bodily!" (Col. ii. 9,) and dwelleth to this day in glory! This is "the great mystery of godliness, God manifest"-appearing, presenting himself—" in the flesh"-in "the body prepared" for him! "He was the brightness of his Father's glory, and the express image of his person." (Heb. i. 3.) He was greater than the Temple, where God visibly dwelt; and this could not be unless he was God himself! (Matt. xii. 6.) 2. This body was to be the great sacrifice for sin. All other bloody sacrifices were to be abolished when he |