Nativity of Jefas Chrift. vifiblc Splendour and Lultrc, which refteC\:s f~om the Ef[ential Glory! upon t~c notice and intimation that the Crcatnres have of lt. Thus we are faxd, to gwe Glo? to God· not that we can contribute any thing to him, and fct any Jewels in hxs Crown' which did not fhine there before; but when we obferve and admire thofe bright Corrufcations of his Attrib~tes, which appear in fe_veral ways ~hat God takes to exprcfs them : T~en we Glor_1fie Siod, w_hen we admtre thofe :Stntl:urcs of God's Edtntial Glory, wh1ch appear m h1s Attrzbuw. So here when the A11gel Sung, Glory to God in the highcft ; the meaning _is, ~et Heaven a1~d Earth b~hold wit~ Admiration, and acknqwlcdge thofc Atmb11tcs of God, wh1ch now fume forth 111 the lmMmat;on of hU Son. From the Words thus opcn'd, let me obferve; that, Doa. The abafin,tt; Nati'l.lity of 'Je{tts Chrift, U the highefl Ad'l.lance1nent of God's Glory. This is a ftrange Riddle to Huma.nc Reafon, which is apt to judge it a mdft prepofterous courfc for God to raife his Glory out of the Humiliation and A· bafement, yea out of the very Ruines of his Son. What if God had thrown open the Gates of Heaven, and gi;ren all the World a Profpe8: into that Heavenly and Glorious Palace, there to have feen the Throne of Majefty, and his glittering Attendants, 'ten thoufand jldming Spiritr ready to execute his Will; Cberu?ims and Seraphims flying .u jivift as Lightning within rhofe boundlefs Roofs: \Vould not thiS have been more expreffive of God's Glory, then. thus to cloifter it up and immure the Deity in Clay; to expofe Him who was God, to the Miferies of wretched Man, to an ignoble and curfed Death ; The Crarch in which he by, and the Crofs on which he hung, were not high Places of any Glorious appearance. Thus may Carnal Reafon urge upon this fcore: The Apoftle in 1 Tim. 3; 16. fpcakjng of the Incarnation of Chrifr, calls it the Myftery of Godlinefs. lt is a Riddle, and a myfl:erious one, not only how it fuould be, that the Eternal and Infinite God ihould unite himfelf in onenefs of Perfon with frail and defpicable Flefu: It is not only a \:Vonder How, but Why it lhould be done. Now to give you fome account of this, I fhall briefly in a few Particulars !hew you bow much Glory to God redounds l1ereby. 573 Firft, In the Birth of Chrift, God glorified the Riches of his Infinite Wifdom, This wa9 a Contrivance that would never.have entered into the Hearts either of Men or .Angels. Heaven at this very Day fl:ands afl:onifhcd at it; A,rgtiJ are continually looking into it, and confefs their U nderfl:anding.s infinitely too fhort to fathom it, 1 Cor. t. 24· Chrift is call'd the Wifdom of God. He is firfl: the Ef[ential Wifdom of God, as he is the Second Pcrfon of the ever blej[ed 'lrinity. · He is the lnte!ltlJual World that was in the beginning with God, and w~ alfo God himfelf. He was likewife the Declarative Wifdom of God, as Mediator, God-Man, united in one Perfon. Let us a little put the difficult Cafe concerning Man's Sabai:ion, that withal we may fee whether it was not Infinite Wifdom. 'Juftice and Mercy laying their diftCrent Claims for flr./ul Mtn, Severe 'Juftice pleads the Law and the Curje, by which the Souls of Sinners are forfeited t() Vengeance; therefore cha1lengeth the MalefaB:ors, and is ready to drag them away to Execution. Mercy interpofeth, and pleads, That if the rigorous Demands of']uftice be heard, it mull: lie an obfcure and an unregarded .Attribute in God's Elfence for ever: It alone muft be excluded, when all the reft had their lhare and portion; the Cafe is infinitely difficult; Call a Bench of Angels to debate the Cafe : When all is faid, we find no way to accommodate this Difthence; it is beyond thfi\· reach, how to fatisfie 'Juftice in the punHhment of Sinners, and yet to gratifie Mercy in their Pardon. Here now in this gravelling Cafe, is the ~Vondcrjl1l Wifdom of God feen1 'Juftice demands that Man fhould Die; faith God, My Son will become Ma11, and die under thy hands: Seize upon him and pm·fue him, through all the Plagues and Curfes that my Law threatens, only there fatisfie thy [elf on the Surety ; my A1ercy fhall .forgive and fave the Principal. Think what a Shout and Applaufe Hea'l.lm gave at the Decifion of this great Controverfie. 0, the Infinitenefs of thy iVifdom, that couldft contrh·e Means to reconcile fuch different lntercO:s, and twill: thy Glory with them both. 0, its delightful for Reafon to lofe it felf in fuch a divine Meditation; for it is an unfordable Deep for the )oul to enter into: It utterly [wallows up all our Apprehenfions: We never find our felves at fuch a ravilhing Ecftafie of Lofs, as when we trace out the Intrigues and daroirable ways of our Recovery. Secondly,
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