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and Mifery; and undertaking to procure a great Salvation, not for the Jews only, but for all Nations.

In regard to Authority, Wisdom, Power, Juftice and Goodness, and likewife in Refpect to his Dominion, the Extent, and Duration of it, the greatest Potentates on Earth are as nothing.

Yet how did this moft glorious Perfon, whom the Holy Angels worship and adore, how did he enter into this World?

Not with Pomp, and Grandeur; no, he was born of a Virgin in mean Circumstances, tho' descended from David the King; he was born of one deftitute of the Conveniences common to Women in her Condition. And altho he was born King of the Jews, he had no Palace for the Place of his Birth, but his firft Accommodations were in a Stable, and to be laid in a Manger.

Behold, O my Soul, the Beginning of thy Saviour's Life! The Beginning of a Life of deep Humiliation and Suffering! Surely he was a Man of Sorrows, and acquainted with Grief, from his Birth to his Death.

And why was all this, but out of Love and Pity to me and other Sinners like myself? And fhall I not love him, who fo greatly humbled himself that I might be delivered from my natural State of Sin and Misery, and be exalted into a State of Holinefs and Happiness ?

I pray that I may be enabled always, to love him in Sincerity.

In Ifa. liii. 2. the Prophet speaking what would be the Thoughts of the Jews, when the Meffiah fhould appear, fays, He has no Form nor Comeliness: And when we shall fee him, there is no Beauty that we should defire him. That is, none that was agreeable to the carnal Expectations and Wishes of the Jews.

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The Jews therefore despised and rejected him, because he came into the World in a mean, and low Condition, deftitute of the Accommodations of the Attendants, and of the Honours, which are common to Emperors and Kings.

But did not the great God bear witness that this Jefus of Nazareth was his Son, and the very Meffiah spoken of by all the Prophets, notwithstanding his Poverty, and mean Appearance among the Jews?

Did not the Angel of the Lord appear unto Jofeph in a Dream, faying, Joseph, thou Son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy Wife: For that, which is conceived in her, is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a Son, and thou fhalt call his Name JESUS: For he shall fave his People from their Sins? (Matt. i. 20, 21.)

And when Chrift was born, did not the Almighty God make known this grand Event to certain wife Men in the Eaft, and reveal to them that this Child was born King of the Jews? (Matt. ii. 1, 2.) and did he not incline them to take a long Journey to vifit, and bring Prefents, and pay their Homage to him? And did he not by a miraculous Star guide them, and made it pafs before them, till it came and ftood over where the young Child was? (Matt. ii. 9.)

When the Virgin Mary brought forth her first born Son (in Bethlehem) and wrapped him in Swadling Cloths, and laid him in a Manger, be cause there was no Room for him in the Inn. (Luke ii. 7.) we read, There were in the fame Country Shepherds abiding in the Field, keeping Watch over their Flock by Night: And lo, the Angel of the Lord came upon them, and the Glory of the Lord fhone round about them, and they were fore afraid. And the Angel faid unto them, fear not: For bebold I bring you good Tidings of great

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Joy, which shall be (the Occafion of great Joy) to all People, for unto you (and to all People) is born this Day in (Bethlehem) the City of David a Saviour, which is Chrift (or the Meffiah) the Lord. And this shall be a Sign unto you; je shall find the Babe wrapped in Swadling Clothes, lying in a Manger:

Thus God fent an Angel to publish or proclaim to the Shepherds, that the Meffiah was come; that the glorious Saviour was born in Bethlehem, Christ the Lord. (Luke ii. 8, &c.)

But God did not atteft this grand Event, by one Angel only, No, For fuddenly there was with that Angel, a Multitude of the Heavenly Hoft preifing God (on this Account,) and faying: Glory to God in the Highest, and on Earth Peace, Goodwill towards Men. (ver. 13, 14.) And when the Angels were gone from them into Heaven, the Shepberds faid one to another, let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and fee this Thing, which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with hafte, and found Mary, and Jofeph, and the Babe lying in a Manger. And when they had fecn it, they made known abroad the Sayings which was told them concerning this Child. And all they that beard it, wondered at thofe Things which were told them by the Shepherds.

Thus God himself did bear Witness that Jefus, who was born of the Virgin Mary, was his Son, and the true Meffiah, and thus in the most magnificent and glorious Manner, proclaimed his Birth to the World.

And as at his Birth, fo through his Life, and at his Death, and after it did God bear witness to the Truth of his Gofpel.

When the Meffiah our great Redeemer was baptized, the Heavens were opened unto him and be jaw the Spirit of God defcending like a Dove and

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lighting upon him; and lo, a Voice from Heaven, Saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleafed; bear ye him. (Mat. iii. 16, 17.)

When he was tranfigured before his Difciples, (viz. Peter, James and John,) while he yet fpake, behold, a bright Cloud over shadowed them; behold, a Voice out of the Cloud (that is the Voice of God,) which faid, This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleafed, hear ye him. Matt. xvii. 5.

It may, and it ought to be obferved, that our great. Redeemer through the whole Courfe of his Life fhewed a continual Difregard to the Honours, the Riches and Pleasures of this. World, and wholely employed himself in preaching the Gofpel, fhewing the People the Way to be faved, and teaching them thofe Things they should know, and believe and practise. Daily proving his Miffion from God, and confirming his Doctrine by numberlefs Miracles, cafting out Devils, raising the Dead, and healing all Manner of Diseases.

And in his laft Sufferings, when he was dying on the Crofs as a Sacrifice for us, Behold, the Vail of the Temple was rent in twain, from the Top to the Bottom, and the Earth did quake, and the Rocks rent, and the Graves were opened, and many Bodies of Saints, which flept arofe, and came out of the Graves after bis Refurrection, and went into the Holy City, and appeared (not to a few but) unto many.

And when the Centurion, and they that were with him, wa ching Jefus, Jaw the Earthquake and those Things that were done, they feared greatly, faying, Truly this was the Son of God. (Matt. xxvii. 31, &c.)

Well, after he was dead Jofeph, a rich Man of Arimathea buried his Body, and laid it in his own new Tomb, which he had hewn out in the Rock, and rolled a great ftone to the Door of the Sepulchre.

- The Enemies of Chrift remembred his Prediction of himself, viz. that he would rife again the

third Day, and intreated Pilate to command the Sepulchre to be made fure until the third Day, And Pilate faid unto them ye have a Watch, go your Way, make it as fure as you can, so they went and made the Sepulchre fure, fealing the Stone and fetting a Watch. (See ver. 63, &c.)

Vain Precautions! in Matt. xxviii. 2, &c. it is faid, Behold, there was a great Earthquake; for the Angel of the Lord defcended from Heaven, and came and rolled back the Stone from the Door, and fet upon it. His Countenance was like Lightning, and bis Raiment white as Snow. And for Fear of him the Keepers did shake, and became as dead Men. And the Angel anfwered and faid unto the Women (mentioned ver. 1.) Fear not ye, for I know, that ye feek Jefus, which was crucified. He is not here, for he is rifen, as he faid. Come, fee the Place where the Lord lay. And after he was rifen from the Dead, he often appeared unto his Difciples, and He did eat, and drink, and converse with them. It is faid, be fhewed himself alive to his Apostles, by many infallible Proofs being feen of them forty Days, and Speaking of the Things partaining to the Kingdom of God. Acts i. 3.

When he left this World, and had taken Leave of his Difciples he did not go from them into a fecret Place, and thence by himself alone ascend up into Heaven: No, but as there were many Witneffes of his Death, and of his Refurrection, fo likewife of his Afcenfion into Heaven.

The Hiftory of the Holy Jefus written by St. Luke teftifies, that two of his Difciples, (Luke xxiv. 13.) went the fame Day (in which our Lord rofe from the Dead) to a Village called Emmaus, and that our Lord joined himself to their Company, (ver. 15.) and beginning at Mofes, and all the Prophets, be expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the Things concerning himself. (ver. 27.)

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