Luke ii. 13, 14. And suddenly there was with the angel a mul- titude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good-will toward men.
THE circumstances of our Saviour's birth charac- terize in a measure, the dispensation which he came to introduce. The Gospel exhibits a plain, yet pro- found, scheme of salvation : while its great outlines are intelligible to the meanest capacity, it abounds with the most sublime, and inscrutable mysteries. Thus, in the incarnation of our Lord, there was a meanness, which seemed unsuitable to such an occa- sion ; and at the same time a majesty, that was worthy the person and character of the new-born infant: he was born, not in a palace, but a stable, and had only a manger for his reception : yet did an angel come from heaven to announce his birth ; and a multitude of the heavenly host attended to proclaim his praise.
In this divine hymn the incarnation of Christ is represented in a two-fold view : I. As a subject for our deepest contemplation —
The subject itself is announced in those words of the angel to the shepherds, " Unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." And, in honour of this marvellous event, a multitude of the heavenly host break forth into strains, so abrupt, as to need much careful elucida- tion, and so ardent, as to express as fully as possible what angels feel in the contemplation of this divine mystery.
Behold, "peace" now exists "on earth" —
[The whole race of man had fallen, and were subjected to God's heavy displeasure. Nor was there on man's part any possibility of restoring himself to the Divine favour. But God devised a mode for reconciling the world unto himself through the intervention of his only dear Son. On his co-equal, co- eternal Son, who was " the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person," " he laid our iniquities," that so, his justice being satisfied by an atonement in our behalf, re- conciliation might be effected for us in perfect consistency with all the Divine perfections. Hence peace was brought down from heaven to earth, through the sufferings of our incarnate God, who is therefore emphatically called " the Prince of Peace." Now every sinner in the universe may have peace with God, and in his own conscience, if only he welcome this Saviour into his heart, and believe in him as God's appointed instrument for the salvation of the world.]
1472.] the angels' song. 237
And now also is revealed "good-will toward men" —
[The strongest possible evidence of God's love to men was, the gift of his only dear Son, to die for them. In this view the incarnation of our blessed Lord is always spoken ofa; and Jehovah himself is represented as commending his love to us in, and by, this marvellous event b.
But far more than this is comprehended in the expression here used by the holy angels. I understand by it, that, through the incarnation of Christ, a full scope is given to the exercise of God's " good-ivill to man,''' so that it can flow down in the richest abundance into the soul of every one that is " at peace" with him. Yes, to every believing soul " will God manifest himself as he does not unto the world," and " dwell in him, and abide with him," and give a spirit of adoption, yea, and the witness of the Spirit to attest to him the relation in which he stands to God," and will " rejoice over him to do him good," " rejoicing over him with joy, and resting in his love, and joying over him with singing." There is no expres- sion of good- will which a believing soul is capable of receiving from God, which shall not, more or less, be vouchsafed by God to every one that is at peace with him through faith in Christ.]