tures are silent on the subject, we may lawfully infer the same, with regard to the human mother of him who was the substantial Nazarite, "separate from sinners; purer than snow, whiter than milk, more ruddy in body than rubies, whose polishing was of sapphires."* Concerning the wife of Manoah, the angel of the Lord, who appeared unto her, said, "Behold now thou art barren, and bearest not: but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son. Now therefore, beware I pray thee, drink not wine, nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing: for lo, thou shalt conceive and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb, and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines."†

Read, my dear friends, and ponder well, the simple, chaste, and beautiful narrations of the evangelists, concerning the sublime mystery of the incarnation; and, may the holy Comforter open your understandings, and enable you to discover the internal evidence they contain, of the untainted purity, and inherent righteousness of the Holy child Jesus. It is this spotlessness which constitutes the essence of our salvation; and, in which Mary herself rejoiced, as an heir of glory, and a partaker of the blessings which her Son was come to bestow. It was this crowning point of re* Lam. iv. 7. + Judges, xiii. 3—5.

demption, in Jehovah's bringing purity out of impurity, a harmless, undefiled, sinless man, out of a sinful woman, in which she triumphed, when she said, "for he that is mighty, hath done to me great things: and holy is his name."* This new creation of a second Adam, was the exquisite workmanship of the Holy Ghost, when the power of the Most High overshadowed his mysterious operations, and the chief Corner-stone was cut out without hands, fearfully and wonderfully fashioned in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth, viz.: in the virgin's womb; of her flesh and blood, while no taint of her corrupt nature was taken into the act :-" pure as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires, more precious than the gold of Ophir, the onyx, ruby, or topaz of Ethiopia."+ Yet, in assuming flesh, our glorious Redeemer rejected none of the characteristics of a man, but his inherent depravity: which, after all, is no essential part of human nature, but an accidental property, introduced into it by Satan at the fall. The glorious Immanuel became incarnate, in order to make himself a curse for the redemption of his betrothed church, therefore, he placed himself in the precise condition in which she stood; subject to the penal consequences of the fall, and all its incident miseries; graciously condescending to pass through the three stages of manhood; infancy, youth, and * Luke, i. 49. + Job, xxviii. 16, 19.

maturity; partaking of all its innocent infirmities, and susceptibility of weakness and pain, that he might be capable of making a vicarious atonement, and by tasting of death, become the first fruits of a resurrection to everlasting bliss and glory.

When this Divine messenger of the covenant, the mighty God, and Prince of peace, "whose goings forth have been of old, from everlasting,”* opened the virgin's womb by his own omnipotent power, and came forth clothed in immaculate flesh, then truth sprang out of our earth, even out of the sinful dust and ashes of our ruined nature. The holy child Jesus in the manger, at Bethlehem, the house of bread, was the glorious branch, which should grow into a "tree of life," for the healing of the nations, and the nourishment of souls. Well might the morning stars sweetly sing together, and all the sons of God shout for joy, while the universe resounded with the songs of the angelic hosts, who, in harmonious strains of love, united in that divine chorus, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace and good will to men."+ Well might the wise men undertake a long journey from the east country, bringing presents of the gold of Sheba, frankincense, and myrrh, as emblems of the preciousness, purity, and fragrance of the divine Immanuel, and "rejoice with exceeding great joy, when they beheld the Ancient * Mic. v. 2. + Luke, ii. 13, 14.

of Days, condescending to become a babe, that flesh might be produced in a state of absolute purity; in order to crush the serpent's head, and deliver mankind from his venom. As Immanuel came to fulfil the typical, as well as the moral law, he was sealed by circumcision as the promised "seed of Abraham, in whom all the nations of the earth should be blessed:" not that he needed the renovation of heart which that ceremony symbolized, for his whole nature was essentially holy. But being made of a woman, under the law, he thereby constituted himself "a debtor to the whole law," that his people might "receive the adoption of sons. In his Godhead, our glorious Christ, possessed all the infinite attributes of Jehovah, but his humanity admitted of increase. The "holy seed," which contained the original principles of all purity and holiness, must be gradually unfolded, till the "goodly cedar is displayed with its boughs and fruit; in the shadow of whose branches shall dwell all fowl of every wing." "And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon him. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man."‡

It was a part of the ceremonial law, that the priests, who typified our glorious Melchizedek,

Gal. iv. 4, 5; v. 3.

+ Ezek. xvii. 23.

Luke, ii. 40, 52.

should be installed into the ministerial office by the washing of water; therefore was the Son of God baptized, when he entered upon his function, as priest, prophet, and king, to which he was visibly anointed by the Holy Ghost. John the Baptist, who recognized in him the impeccable divine Lamb of God, symbolized in the morning and evening daily sacrifice, shrunk back with reverence and godly fear, at the idea of baptizing the immaculate Saviour of sinners, whose eternal majesty, dignity, and glory were as infinite as his condescension. "I have need to be baptized of thee," was John's imploring remonstrance; "Jesus, answering, said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness."+

As the great Captain of our salvation, Christ, the "God of Jeshurun," commenced his warfare against the dragon, by going spontaneously forth into the wilderness, to encounter him in single combat. Armed at all points with the infinite strength of his intrinsic holiness, "his righteousness it sustained him," and was "his breastplate"; and his impeccable flesh and blood were his "garments of vengeance;" for there was nothing temptible there, which Satan could inflame. The pangs of hunger, which our heavenly warrior endured, after a long and severe fast of forty days, must have been agonizing to his

*Exod. xxix. 4.

+ Matt. iii. 13-15.

Isa. lix. 16, 17.