guilt ; and he must have resembled them in respect of misery, if such a way had not been devised and executed for his reco- very. Moreover, it was in this way only that God could save man, and at the same time maintain the honour of his own perfections. Without an atonement, his justice could not be satisfied : nor could his mercy be exercised in consistency with his truth and holiness. It was, that " mercy and truth might meet together, and that righteousness and peace might kiss each other"1;" it was for this end, I say, that our God became incarnate : and the more we examine into the reasons of this mysterious dispensation, the more we shall be satisfied, that it is in every respect worthy of its Divine Author.]
3. Its use and importance —
[We are not to amuse ourselves with empty speculations upon such momentous points as this; but to inquire into their practical use and importance. Now these tidings will upon examination be found as important to us as to any people at any period of the world. Our first and great concern is, How may we be reconciled to our offended God? To this we find a complete and satisfactory answer in the event referred to. The Lord Jesus Christ has become a mediator between God and man; he has taken our nature, in order that he might " bear our sins in his own sacred body," and work out a right- eousness whereby we might be justified ; so that " God may now be just, and yet the justifier of all that believe"." In this mystery the burthened conscience finds rest and peace. From this, the vilest of the human race may take encouragement to return to God ; and be fully assured, that, for Christ's sake, all his iniquities shall be pardoned, and not one of them be remembered against him any more for ever0. Surely then we should spare no pains in investigating these things, that so we may derive from them the consolation and happiness they are intended to convey.]
To recommend yet further this spirit of inquiry, we shall conclude, with shewing you the benefits that will result from it :
1 . You will receive conviction in your own minds —
[The shepherds did not doubt the veracity of the angels ; but their faith was certainly confirmed, when they had ocular demonstration of the fact that had been related to them. Thus, though we may not really disbelieve the incarnation of God's co-equal, co-eternal Son, or doubt whether he be the only, and all-sufficient Saviour of the world, yet the more we examine the Scriptures with humility and prayer, the more deep will be our insight into this " great mystery of godliness," and the more
m Ps. lxxxv. 10. " Rom. iii. 25, 26. ° Heb. viii. 12.