SERMON IV.

ISAIAH IX. 6.

UNTO US A CHILD IS BORN-UNTO US A SON IS GIVEN.

I will attempt, in the first place, to illustrate what is meant by this expression.

"Unto us a child is born-unto us a son is given." It is a child that is born-it is a son that is given. We first state the position and then illustrate it. The meaning of the text is, that this child, this son was born or given to the world of mankind for their benefit. All gifts are supposed to be for the benefit of those to whom they are made.

The Messiah, who is the subject of this scripture, was born for the benefit of the world-was given for the benefit of mankind--and this justifies the form of expression, "unto us a child is born-unto us a son is given;" that is, for our benefit.

The illustration will be taken, in the first place, from some circumstances that have come within your own observation, in the circle of your acquaintance in society. You have, perhaps, known a family, that has seen good days, and enjoyed affluence, by some misfortune become reduced to poverty and want, and not able to retrieve their former condition. It so happens by the kind Providence of God, that a little child-an infant, is born, who, when he is first given to the family, seems to be, as it were, an addition to their care and expense, and an increase to their wants; but, in a

all probability, that Joseph had been torn in pieces by the wild beasts. When the father looked upon the coat and recognised it, how was his heart agonized, and with what sorrow did he bemoan the loss of his favourite son! At the same time was God Almighty giving this family Joseph in the land of Egypt, that when the time should come when they would be there in want and distress, he should be there before them to save their lives. And what did this result in? In the temporal salvation of all the family. And all the unkindness of Simeon and his brethren was not remember with condemnation, when Joseph communicated to the family his bounty and favour.

Once more let us refer to the scriptures. When the king of Egypt persecuted the Israelites, and with an edict, marked by cruelty, which reached the heart of every family, commanded that every male child that was born among them should be put to death, God was pleased to give to this people a son; "And to them a child was born-to them a son was given." It was Moses. It was three months nursed in secret by its mother and kept from the observing and vigilant officers of the crown: but danger and fear would not permit the mother any longer to keep it; and she committed it to the Providence of God. Carefully she wrapped it up; and, having placed it in a little bark, deposited it on the margin of the Nile. She sent Miriam its little sister, at that time but three or four years of age, to watch the child and see what became of it. I name these small circumstances because they are important; for if a strong wind had sprung up, the child would have been swept away; or if a crocodile had got his eye upon it, it would have been swallowed up; but the all-seeing Eye of

TON. God Almighty gave him to the colonies, and in that gift, the genius of liberty, the doctrine of freedom, and the spirit of enterprise, that was sure to result in the emancipation of this country, from the thraldom of tyranny, and he established these states in the enjoyment of all those rights and privileges, which cannot at this moment be enumerated though you can duly appreciate them. This, then, was a gift sent for our preservation, by the great Giver of every good and perfect gift; and, when we contemplate the enjoyments with which we have been blessed in freedom and liberty, we can look up to our Father in heaven, and say, "God be thanked for this blessing."

I will now invite your attention to a few historical instances selected from scripture, by which this same subject may be illustrated. First I will refer to the history of Joseph, taken by the rude hands of his brethren, who contemplated his total destruction by death; but, finally, sold him a slave into the land of Egypt. Under the wisdom of Almighty God, however, he afterwards preserved them. How far beyond all human calculation does he extend his goodness! and through what unexpected mediums does he bless mankind! Look on this son of Jacob, when the rude hands of his brethren took him out of the pit where they had cast him, and sold him to strangers travelling to Gilead, and bid him an everlasting farewell, hoping that they never should see his face any more. From this very moment God Almighty was moving on in his design, to send Joseph before them into Egypt, to be their saviour, when they should come there themselves. They cruelly took the coat of Joseph and dipped it in the blood of a kid, and carried it to their Father, in order that he might conclude, in

all probability, that Joseph had been torn in pieces by the wild beasts. When the father looked upon the coat and recognised it, how was his heart agonized, and with what sorrow did he bemoan the loss of his favourite son! At the same time was God Almighty giving this family Joseph in the land of Egypt, that when the time should come when they would be there in want and distress, he should be there before them to save their lives. And what did this result in? In the temporal salvation of all the family. And all the unkindness of Simeon and his brethren was not remember with condemnation, when Joseph communicated to the family his bounty and favour.

Once more let us refer to the scriptures. When the king of Egypt persecuted the Israelites, and with an edict, marked by cruelty, which reached the heart of every family, commanded that every male child that was born among them should be put to death, God was pleased to give to this people a son; "And to them a child was born-to them a son was given." It was Moses. It was three months nursed in secret by its mother and kept from the observing and vigilant officers of the crown: but danger and fear would not permit the mother any longer to keep it; and she committed it to the Providence of God. Carefully she wrapped it up; and, having placed it in a little bark, deposited it on the margin of the Nile. She sent Miriam its little sister, at that time but three or four years of age, to watch the child and see what became of it. I name these small circumstances because they are important; for if a strong wind had sprung up, the child would have been swept away; or if a crocodile had got his eye upon it, it would have been swallowed up; but the all-seeing Eye of

Providence was upon the child. It was a son given to the house of Israel. The little sister watch

ed over the child, and at length Pharaoh's daughter came; and when she came there, she heard a voice; and when she had discovered the child, pity and compassion moved her heart towards it. She approached and took it up, and then was the time for its little sister to speak. "Shall I go and call a nurse?" This was agreed to at once; and Miriam went and called her mother-the mother of Moses. A very good nurse to be sure; but mark the wisdom and economy of Providence in all this. The mother was directed to nurse it for Pharaoh's daughter; and when he was sufficiently nursed, he was brought up in the court of Egypt-he was taught in all the learning of the court, which prepared him as a suitable person to perform the great exploits he afterwards did perform. He drew the house of Israel out of the iron furnace, and carried them by the miracle of God across the Red Sea, and there they raised songs of praise to their Father in heaven; while Miriam his sister, and Aaron his brother went forth in the dance!

These instances selected from the history of our country and from scripture, serve as illustrations of the form of expression: "He was born to ushe was given to us"-that is for our benefit; and so was Jesus given for the benefit of the world. The scriptures inform us, that "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotton Son for it." God so loved the Hebrews that he gave them Moses, and this Moses says, "A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me him shall ye hear." God gave to the house of Israel, Joseph, to be their Saviour--their deliverer when they were in trouble and distress.