LORD and SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST. 17 the full time of her pregnancy, (he was delivered of her heavenly fon. Some have fuppofed, that, as (he had conceived by the mighty power of God, (he brought forth her fon without pain, or common affiflance. The {table in which our great Redeemer was born, is faid to be a cave cut out of a rock ; and it is not unlikely that he was born in the night. In this fituation the holy Virgin, having brought forth her fon, wrapped the infant in fwaddling clothes, and, having no better accommodations, laid him in a manger. What an amazing inflance of condefcen- fiotï was this ! The Son of the Eternal God ! the Heir of all things ! the Dar- ling of the fkies ! who was worfhipped by angels, and held in veneration equal with heaven's Great Supreme ; to become man; to take human nature upon him in it's moft helplefs and feeble elate ; to lay afide his Harry crown, and all the glories of his heavenly .dignity, and become a flicking child ! One would have thought, that when the Great King of the uni- verfe condefcended to become man, and appear in this world, that he would have been received by the inhabitants of the earth with tokens of the higheft regard; and that every thing great and good, every thing grand and noble, would have been prepared to honour and accommodate the Mighty Prince. It might have been par- ticularly expeáed, that the nation which he chofe for his refidence, that people whom he condefcended to make his coun- trymen, would have received him with the higheft acclamations, and warmers tokens ofhonour and refpecl. But how contrary to this were the councils of heaven ! how oppofite to this, the appearance of our great Redeemer ! When great princes are born, the city of their birth rings with ac- clamations, and the illuminated night Clines like the day. But when our exalted Redeemer was born, all was filent, all was ßi11. Not the poor peafant, who firfl draws breath in the homely cottage, -steals into the world lefs unobferved, than No. z. did the Son of God. He, in all proba- bility, was born in the night, perhaps with- out light, or by the glimmering of a winking taper. When great princes are born, they are wrapped in fine linen, and adorned with mantles of purple fringed with gold ; the floors of their apartments are decorated with fplendid carpets, the windows are adorned with noble hangings, and they lie on a bed of (late, which fhines with crimfon and with gold. But our great Redeemer, the Saviour of mankind, the greaten Prince that ever was born into the world, received no honour, no tokens of refped ; was received with no demon- ftrations of joy; had no fplendid apart- ment, no rich decorations ; but was brought forth in a {table, without any per- fon to put on the poor habit prepared for him, but his virgin mother, who her - felf wrapped him in fwaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger: but though our glorious Redeemer was received, by the inhabitants of the earth, with no tokens of refpefl, or demonftrations of joy ; though he was brought forth in the in- commodious limits of a fiable, and his companions were the beans of the field ; he was not neglected nor difregarded by the bright natives of the heavenly world. A fquadron of (hining cherubs was dif- patched from the eternal throne, to pro- claim the great event, to congratulatethe wondering world on their great Deli- . verer's birth, and proclaim the approach of the exalted Prince of peace. But this report was to be made ; not to the great Sanhedrim ; not to the learned doctors of the law ; not to the chief priefts and elders: but to a company of poor fhepherds, who were watching their flocks by night, in the fields of Bethlehem. The rays of heavenly glory which attended this (pining train, breaking through the darknefs of night, alarmed and terrified the artlefs fwains. But one of the angels called to them from on high: Fear not, for be- hold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which 'hall be unto all people ; for E unto
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