Sermon 4: Concerning the Incarnation of Christ

*JOHN I. 14.* The Word was made flesh, &c.

The third and last thing which I proposed upon this argument of the incarnation of the Son of God was, to give some account of this dispensation, and to show that the wisdom of God thought fit thus to order things, in great condescension to the weakness and common prejudices of mankind: and that when all things are duly weighed and considered it will appear much more for our comfort and advantage, than any other way which the wisdom of men would have been most apt to devise and pitch upon.

And it is the more necessary to give some account of this matter, because after all that has hitherto been said in answer to the objections against it, it may still seem very strange to a considering man that God, who could without all this circumstance and condescension have done the business for which his Son came into the world and appeared in our nature, that is, could have given the same laws to mankind, and have offered to us the forgiveness of our sins and eternal life upon our repentance for sins past, and a sincere endeavour of obedience for the future: I say, that notwithstanding this, he should yet make choice of this way for the redemption and recovery of fallen man, by sending his Son in our nature, to accomplish this design.

And in the handling of this argument I shall, as I said before, all along take the express declarations, or at least the pregnant intimations of Scripture for my ground and guide: it being always safest to take the reasons of the divine counsels and actions from God himself: and in the

First place, I make no manner of doubt to say, that it would be a great presumption and boldness in any man to affirm that the infinite wisdom of God could not have brought about the salvation of men by any other way, than by this very way in which he has done it. For why should we take upon us to set limits to infinite wisdom, and pretend to know the utmost extent of it? But since God has been pleased to pitch upon this way rather than any other, this surely ought to be reason enough to satisfy us of the peculiar wisdom and fitness of it, whether the particular reasons of it appear to us or not.

And yet it cannot be denied to be a very noble argument, and well worthy our consideration, to enquire into the reasons of this dispensation, and to assign them particularly, if we can. For I look upon mysteries and miracles in religion to be much of the same nature, and that a great reverence is due to both where they are certain, and necessary in the nature and reason of the thing: but neither of them are easily to be admitted without necessity, and very good evidence.

Secondly, I consider in the next place that in the several revelations which God has made of himself to mankind, he has with great condescension accommodated himself, both as to manner and degree of them, to the condition, and capacity, and other circumstances of the persons and people to whom they were made.

Particularly we find that the dispensation of God towards the Jewish nation was full of condescension to the temper, and prejudices, and other circumstances of that people. For the religion and laws which God gave them were far from being the best and most perfect in themselves; in which sense some understand that passage in the Prophet Ezekiel, where it is said that God gave them statutes which were not good, that is, very imperfect in comparison of what he could and would have given them, had they been capable of them; and yet such as were very well suited and fitted to their present capacity and circumstances.

Thirdly, I observe yet further; that though the Christian religion, as to the main and substance of it, be a most perfect institution, being the law of nature revived and perfected; yet upon a due consideration of things it cannot be denied that the manner and circumstances of this dispensation are full of condescension to the weakness of mankind and very much accommodated to the most common and deeply radicated prejudices of men concerning God and religion; and peculiarly fitted to remove and root them out of the minds of men, by substituting something in the place of them of as near a compliance with them as was consistent with the honor of Almighty God, and the great design of the Christian religion.

It is not easy to give a certain account of the true original of some notions and prejudices concerning God and religion which have generally obtained in the world, in that variety of religions, and the different ways of worship and superstition which have been in several nations of the earth: but in history and fact this is certain, that some notions, and those very gross and erroneous, did almost universally prevail even among those who did extremely differ in the particular forms and modes of their superstition.

And though some of these were much more tolerable than others, yet God seems to have had great consideration of some very weak and gross apprehensions of mankind concerning religion. And, as in some of the laws given by Moses God was pleased particularly to consider the hardness of the hearts of that people; so he seems likewise to have very much suited the dispensation of the Gospel and the method of our salvation, by the incarnation and sufferings of his Son, to the common prejudices of mankind; especially of the heathen world, whose minds were less prepared for this dispensation than the Jews, if we consider the light and advantages which the Jewish nation had above the Gentile world: that so by this means and method he might wean them by degrees from their gross conceptions of things, and rectify more easily their wrong apprehensions by gratifying them in some measure, and in a gracious compliance with our weakness by bending and accommodating the way and method of our salvation to our weak capacity and imperfect conceptions of things.

Fourthly, and that God has done this in the dispensation of the Gospel will I think very plainly appear in the following instances; in most of which I shall be very brief, and only insist somewhat more largely upon the last of them.

1st. The world was much given to admire mysteries in religion. The Jews had theirs; several of which by God's own appointment were reserved and kept secret in a great measure from the people; others were added by the superstition of after ages, and held in equal or rather greater veneration than the former. And the heathen likewise had theirs; the Devil always affecting to imitate God so far as served his wicked and malicious design of seducing mankind into idolatry and the worship of himself. And therefore the Scripture always speaks of the heathen idolatry as the worship of devils, and not of God. So that almost every nation had their peculiar and celebrated mysteries; most of which were either very odd and phantastical, or very lewd and impure, or very inhuman and cruel, and every way unworthy of the Deity.

But the great mystery of the Christian religion, the incarnation of the Son of God; or, as the Apostle calls it, God manifested in the flesh; was such a mystery, as for the greatness and wonderfulness, for the infinite mercy and condescension of it, did obscure and swallow up all other mysteries. For which reason the Apostle, in allusion to the heathen mysteries and in contempt of them, speaking of the great mystery of the Christian religion says, without controversy great is the mystery of godliness, God was manifested in the flesh, &c. Since the world had such an admiration for mysteries, he instances in that which was a mystery indeed; a mystery beyond all dispute, and beyond all comparison.

2dly. There was likewise a great inclination in mankind to the worship of a visible and sensible Deity. And this was a main root and source of the various idolatries in the heathen world. Now to take men off from this, God was pleased to appear in our nature; that they who were so fond of a visible Deity might have one to whom they might pay divine worship without danger of idolatry, and without injury to the divine nature: even a true and natural image of God the Father, the fountain of the Deity; or, as the Apostle to the Hebrews describes the Son of God, the resplendency or brightness of his Father's glory, and the express character or image of his Person.

3dly. Another notion which had generally obtained among mankind, was concerning the expiation of the sins of men and appeasing the offended Deity by sacrifice, upon which they supposed the punishment due to the sinner was transferred, to exempt him from it. Especially by the sacrifices of men, which had almost universally prevailed in the Gentile world.

And this notion of the expiation of sin, by sacrifices of one kind or other, seems to have obtained very early in the world, and among all other ways of divine worship to have found the most universal reception in all times and places. And indeed a great part of the Jewish religion and worship was a plain condescension to the general apprehensions of men concerning this way of appeasing the Deity by sacrifice. And the greatest part of the Pagan religion and worship was likewise founded upon the same notion and opinion, which because it was so universal seems to have had its original from the first parents of mankind; either immediately after the creation, or after the Flood; and from there, I mean as to the substance of this notion to have been derived and propagated to all their posterity.

And with this general notion of mankind, whatever the ground and foundation of it might be, God was pleased so far to comply as once for all to have a general atonement made for the sins of all mankind by the sacrifice of his only Son, whom his wise providence did permit by wicked hands to be crucified and slain. But I shall not at present insist any further upon this; which requires a particular discourse by itself, and may by God's assistance in due time have it.

4thly. Another very common notion and very rife in the heathen world, and a great source of their idolatry, was their apotheoses or canonizing of famous and eminent persons, who in their lifetime had done great things and some way or other been great benefactors to mankind, by advancing them after their death to the dignity of an inferior kind of gods fit to be worshipped by men here on earth, and to have their prayers and supplications addressed to them as proper and powerful mediators and intercessors for them with the superior gods. To these they gave the titles of heroes and Semidei, that is, half gods; though the notion of a being that is just half-infinite seems to me very hard to be conceived and defined.

Now to take men off from this kind of idolatry, and to put an end to it, behold One in our nature exalted to the right hand of the Majesty on high; to be worshipped by men and angels: One that was the truly great benefactor of mankind: One that was dead, and is alive again, and lives for evermore, to make intercession for us.

5thly. To give but one instance more, which I have already intimated: the world was mightily bent upon addressing their requests and supplications, not to the Deity immediately, because their superstition thought that too great a presumption, but by some mediators between the gods and them, who might with advantage in this humble manner present their requests so as to find acceptance. To this end they made use of the daemons or angels, and of their heroes, or deified men whom I mentioned before, by whom they put up their prayers to the supreme gods, hoping by their intercession, and patronage of their cause, to obtain a gracious answer of them.

In a gracious compliance with this common apprehension, and thereby more easily and effectually to extirpate this sort of idolatry, which had been so long, and so generally practised in the world, God was pleased to constitute and appoint One in our nature to be a perpetual advocate and intercessor in Heaven for us, to offer up our prayers to God his Father, and to obtain mercy for us and grace to help in time of need.

And for ever to take us off from all other mediators, we are expressly told in Scripture that as there is but one God to whom we are to pray, so there is but one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, by whom we are to offer up our prayers to God. And that we need not look out for any other, since the Apostle to the Hebrews tells us, that he is able to save to the uttermost all those that come to God by him, seeing he lives for ever to make intercession for us.

And for this reason the Church of Rome is altogether inexcusable in this point, for introducing more mediators and intercessors, more patrons and advocates in heaven for us: and this not only without any necessity, for who can add any virtue and efficacy to the powerful and prevalent intercession of the Son of God? But likewise in direct contradiction to the express constitution and appointment of God himself, who says there is but one Mediator between God and men, and they say there ought to be many more, not only the B. Virgin, but all the saints and angels in heaven. Besides that by this very thing they revive one notorious piece of the old pagan idolatry, which God so plainly designed to extinguish by appointing one only Mediator between God and men.

By this condescension likewise God has given us the comfortable assurance of a most powerful and a perpetual intercessor at the right hand of God in our behalf. For if we consider Christ as man and of the same nature with us, bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh, so very nearly allied and related to us, we may easily believe that he has a most tender care and concernment for us: that he sincerely wishes our happiness, and will by all means seek to procure it, if we ourselves by our own willful obstinacy do not hinder it, and resist the kindness and the counsel of God against ourselves. For if we be resolved to continue impenitent, there is no help for us; we must die in our sins, and salvation itself cannot save us.

But to proceed; it cannot surely but be matter of greatest consolation to us, that the man Christ Jesus who is now so highly exalted at the right hand of God, and who has all power in heaven and earth committed to him, is our patron and advocate in heaven to plead our cause with God. Since we cannot but think, that he who was pleased to become brother to us all does bear a true affection and good will to us: and that he who assumed our nature will heartily espouse our cause, and plead it powerfully for us; and will with all possible advantage recommend our petitions and requests to God.

But then if we consider further, that he did not only take our nature, but likewise took our infirmities and bore them many years, in which he had long and continual experience of the saddest sufferings to which human nature is subject in this world, and was tempted in all things like as we are: this gives us still greater assurance that he who suffered and was tempted himself cannot but be touched with a lively sense of our infirmities, and must have learned by his own sufferings to compassionate ours, and to be ready to succour us when we are tempted, and to afford us grace and help suitable to all our wants and infirmities. For nothing gives us so just a sense of the sufferings of others as the remembrance of our own, and the bitter experience of the like sufferings and temptations in ourselves.

And this the Apostle to the Hebrews does very particularly insist upon as matter of greatest comfort and encouragement to us, that the Son of God did not only assume our nature, but was made in all things like to us, and during his abode here upon earth did suffer and was tempted like as we are. For verily, says the Apostle, he took not on him the nature of angels, but of the seed of Abraham: therefore in all things it behoved him to be made like to his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God. For in that he himself suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.

And again exhorting the Jews who were newly converted to Christianity to continue steadfast in their profession, notwithstanding all the sufferings to which upon that account they were exposed; he comforts them with this consideration, that we have at the right hand of God so powerful an advocate and intercessor for us as the Son of God, who is sensible of our case, having suffered the same things himself, and therefore we cannot doubt of his compassion to us and readiness to support us in the like sufferings. Seeing then, says he, that we have a great High Priest that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession: for we have not a High Priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. From where he concludes, that having such an intercessor we may with great confidence and assurance address our supplications to God for his mercy and help in all our wants and weakness, to supply the one, and to assist the other. Let us therefore, says he, come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need, [〈in non-Latin alphabet〉] grace for seasonable relief.

So that our B. Savior and Redeemer, now that he is advanced to heaven and exalted to the right hand of God, is not unmindful of us in this height of his glory and greatness; but with the tenderest affection and compassion to mankind does still prosecute the design of our salvation; and in virtue of his meritorious obedience and sufferings, which he presents to God continually, he offers up our prayers to him, and pleads our cause with him, and represents to him all our wants and necessities, and procures for us a favourable answer of our prayers, and supplies of grace and strength proportionable to our temptations and infirmities.

And thus, by virtue of this prevalent intercession of his with God for us, our sins are forgiven, and our wants supplied, and our requests granted, and the gracious assistance and supports of God's H. Spirit are seasonably afforded to us, and we are kept by the mighty power of God through faith to salvation. In a word, all those blessings and benefits are procured for us by his intercession in heaven, which he purchased for us by his blood upon earth.

So that in this method of our salvation, besides many other gracious condescensions which God has made to the weakness and prejudices of mankind, our B. Savior has perfectly supplied the two great wants concerning which mankind was at so great a loss before, namely the want of an effectual expiatory sacrifice for sin upon earth, and of a prevalent Mediator and Intercessor with God in heaven.

And he has, in great goodness and condescension to our inveterate prejudices concerning these things, taken effectual care fully to supply both these wants; having appeared in the end of the world to take away sin by the sacrifice of himself; and in virtue of that sacrifice appearing now in Heaven in the presence of God for us, he is become our perpetual Advocate and a most prevalent Intercessor with God in our behalf.

For instead of the various and endless sacrifices of the Jews and Heathen, the Son of God has by one sacrifice for sins perfected for ever them that are sanctified. And instead of the mediation of Daemons and Heroes, to offer up our prayers to God, which were the intercessors made use of among the Heathen, we have one Mediator between God and men, appointed by God himself, even the Son of God, who is entered into Heaven itself, there to appear in the presence of God for us. And to assure us that he commiserates our case and has a true and tender sense of our infirmities and sufferings, the very manner of his intercession for us, as the Scripture represents it to us, is a plain demonstration of the thing. For he intercedes for us in Heaven by representing to God his Father his sufferings upon Earth, and pleading them in our behalf. So that the very argument which he uses to God for us cannot but stir up compassion in Him towards us, and while he represents his own sufferings in our behalf, we cannot think that he is unmindful and insensible of ours.

You see then that in this dispensation of God for our salvation, by sending his Son in our nature, things are not only suited in great condescension to our apprehensions, but are likewise in great compassion to us every way fitted for our comfort and encouragement. God has made him our great patron and Advocate who was our sacrifice and propitiation. And surely we have all the reason in the world to believe that he who in the days of his flesh humbled himself and became obedient to the death for our sakes, will be ready to do us all good offices now that he is advanced to the right hand of God; that he who died for us upon Earth, now that he lives again will make intercession for us in Heaven and perfect that salvation which he purchased for us upon the Cross.

And therefore we find in Scripture that as the purchasing of our salvation is ascribed to the death and sufferings of Christ, so the perfecting of it is attributed to his intercession for us at the right hand of his Father. Therefore, says the Apostle to the Hebrews, he is able to save to the uttermost all those that come to God by him, seeing he lives for ever to make intercession for us. He died once to purchase these benefits, but he lives for ever to procure them for us, and to apply them to us. And now that he is in Heaven, he is as intent upon our concernments and lays our happiness as much to heart as when he dwelt here among us on Earth, and poured out his blood a sacrifice for sin upon the Cross. And that when he lived here below he suffered and was tempted as we are, this very consideration gives us the greatest assurance possible that he is still touched with the feeling of our infirmities and has a lively sense of our sufferings; and consequently, that he does compassionate our case and will use all his power and interest for our advantage, for our seasonable support and succour in all our trials and sufferings. But besides the wonderful condescension of this dispensation, there is likewise in the

Fifth and last place, a great congruity and fitness in the thing itself; and this method of our salvation which the wisdom of God has pitched upon is in many other respects very much for our real benefit and comfort. For by this means we have a perfect and familiar example of holiness and obedience in our own nature, by which we plainly see that God requires nothing of us, but what he himself when he submitted to become Man did think fit to do. For being made of a woman, he was of necessity made under the Law, and by assuming human nature he became naturally subject to the laws and conditions of his being.

And here likewise is a provision made for the expiation and forgiveness of our sins, in a way not only very honourable to the justice of God and the authority of his laws, but likewise very effectual to discountenance sin and to deter men from it; since God did not think fit to forgive the sins of men without great sufferings and that in our nature. For though God was willing to save the sinner, yet rather than encouragement should be given to sin by letting it go unpunished, he was contented to give up the dearly beloved of his Soul to be a sacrifice and propitiation for the sins of the whole world.

By the same means also we have a most powerful antidote against the fear of suffering, and particularly against the fear of death one of the greatest slaveries of human nature. So also the Apostle to the Hebrews tells us, that for this cause Christ himself also took part of flesh and blood, that by death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the Devil; and might deliver those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

Again, we have hereby full assurance of a blessed immortality in another life, because in our nature death and all the powers of darkness were baffled and overcome. The death of Christ, which could not have been without his Incarnation; and so likewise his resurrection from the dead and his ascension into Heaven, are sensible demonstrations to all mankind of a blessed immortality after death; which is the most powerful motive in the world to obedience and a holy life.

And lastly, we may upon this account promise to ourselves a fair and equal trial at the judgment of the great day, because we shall then be judged by a man like ourselves. Our Savior and Judge himself has told us, that for this reason God has committed all judgment to the Son, because he is the Son of man. And this in human judgments is accounted a great privilege, to be judged by those who are of the same rank and condition with ourselves, and who are likely to understand best and most carefully to examine and consider all our circumstances, and to render our case as if it were their own.

So equitably does God deal with us, that we shall be acquitted or condemned by such a Judge as according to human measures we our selves should have chosen; by One in our own Nature who was made in all things like to us, that only excepted which would have rendered him incapable of being our Judge, because it would have made him a Criminal like our selves. And therefore the Apostle offers this as a firm ground of assurance to us that God will judge the World in righteousness, because this Judgment shall be administred by a Man like our selves; He has, says he, appointed a Day wherein be will Judge the World in righteousness, by that Man whom be bath ordained, &c.

I shall now only make a practical inference or two from what has been delivered upon this Argument and so conclude this whole Discourse.

First, The serious consideration of what has been said concerning the Incarnation of our B. Savior should effectually prevail with us to comply with the great end and design of the Son of God's becoming Man and dwelling among us, and of his doing and suffering all those things which are recorded of him in the History of his Life and Death written by the H. Evangelists: I say, the consideration hereof should persuade us all to comply with the great design of all this, which is the reformation of Mankind and the recovery of us out of that sinful and miserable estate into which we were fallen. Because the Salvation which the Son of God has purchased for us, and which he offers to us by the Gospel, is not to be accomplished and brought about any other way than by our forsaking our Sins and reforming our Lives. The grace of God, which has appeared to all men and brings Salvation, will not make us partakers of it in any other way, nor by any other means, than by teaching us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live soberly and righteously, and godly in this present World. God sent his Son Jesus to bless us, by turning us away every one from his iniquities; and unless this change be effectually wrought in us, we are utterly incapable of all the blessings of the Gospel of Christ. All that He has done for us without us will avail us nothing, unless we be inwardly transformed and renewed in the spirit of our minds; unless we become new Creatures, unless we make it the continual and sincere endeavour of our lives to keep the commandments of God.

For the Scripture is most express and positive in this matter; That without Holiness no man shall see the Lord: That every man that has this hope in Him, that is, in Christ to be saved by Him, must purifie himself even as be is pure. We do not rightly and truly believe that Jesus Christ came into the World to save Sinners, if we be not also thoroughly convinced that it is as necessary for us to leave our Sins, as to believe this most faithful and credible Saying.

The Obedience and Sufferings of our B. Savior are indeed accounted to us for righteousness, and will most certainly redound to our unspeakable benefit and advantage upon our performance of the condition which the Gospel does require on our part, namely, that every man that names the Name of Christ depart from iniquity. And the grace of God's H. Spirit is ready to enable us to perform this condition, if we earnestly ask it, and do sincerely co-operate with it: Provided we do what we can on our part, God will not be wanting to us on His. But if we receive the grace of God in vain, and take no care to perform the condition, and do neglect to implore the grace and assistance of God's H. Spirit to that purpose, we have none to blame but our selves; because it is then wholly our own fault if we fall short of that Happiness which Christ has purchased, and promised to us upon such easie and reasonable conditions as the Gospel proposeth.

But I no where find that God has promised to force Happiness upon the negligent, and a reward upon the wicked and slothful Servant. A gift may be given for nothing, but surely a reward does in the very nature of it always suppose some Service. None but a righteous man is capable of a righteous man's reward. And Saint John has sufficiently cautioned us not to think our selves righteous unless we be doers of righteousness: Little children, says he, let no man deceive you, he that does righteousness is righteous, even as He is righteous. This is so very plain a Text, that if men were not either very easie to be deceived by others, or very willing to deceive themselves, they could not possibly mistake the meaning of it. And therefore I will repeat it once more, Little children, let no man deceive you; he that does righteousness is righteous even as He is righteous.

Secondly, The other inference which I would make from the precedent Discourse is this, That with all possible thankfulness we should acknowledge and adore the wonderful goodness and condescension of Almighty God in sending his only begotten Son into the World in our Nature, to be made flesh, and to dwell among us in order to our recovery and Salvation: A method and dispensation not only full of mercy and goodness, but of great condescension to our meanness, and of mighty vertue and efficacy for our Redemption and Deliverance from the guilt and dominion of Sin; and upon all accounts every way so much for our benefit and advantage. So that well may we say with Saint Paul, This is a faithful Saying, [illegible] a credible Word, and worthy of all acceptation, that is, fit to be embraced and entertained with all possible joy and thankfulness, That Jesus Christ came into the World to save Sinners.

What an everlasting fountain of the most invaluable blessings and benefits to mankind is the Incarnation of the Son of God? His vouchsafing to assume our nature, and to reside and converse so long with us? And what are we, that the eternal and only begotten Son of God should condescend to do all this for us? That the high and glorious majesty of Heaven should stoop down to the earth, and be contented to be clothed with misery and mortality? That He should submit to so poor and low a condition, to such dreadful and disgraceful sufferings for our sakes? For what are we? vile and despicable creatures, guilty and unworthy, offenders and apostates, enemies and rebels. Blessed God! how great is your goodness? How infinite are your tender mercies and compassions to mankind? That you should regard us while we neglected you, and remember us in our low condition when we had forgotten you days without number, and should take such pity on us when we showed none to ourselves; and while we were your declared and implacable enemies should express more kindness and good will to us, than the best of men ever did to their best friends.

When we reflect seriously upon those great things which God has done in our behalf, and consider that mighty salvation which God has wrought for us; what thanks can we possibly render, what acknowledgments shall we ever be able to make, I do not say equal but in any wise meet and becoming, to this great benefactor of mankind? Who, when we had so highly offended and provoked Him, and so foolishly and so fatally undone ourselves; when we were become so guilty and so miserable, and so much fitter to have eternally been the objects of his wrath and indignation than of his pity and compassion, was pleased to send his own, his only Son into the world to seek and save us; and by Him to repair all our ruins, to forgive all our iniquities, to heal all our spiritual diseases, and to crown us with loving kindness and tender mercies.

And what sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving should we also offer up to this gracious and most merciful Redeemer of ours, the everlasting Son of the Father, who debased himself so infinitely for our sakes, and when he took upon Him to deliver man did not abhor the Virgin's womb: Who was contented to be born so obscurely and to live all his life in a poor and persecuted condition; and was pleased both to undergo and to overcome the sharpness of death, that he might open the Kingdom of Heaven to all believers?

Every time we have occasion to meditate upon this, especially when we are communicating at his holy table and receiving the blessed symbols and pledges of his precious death and passion: how should our hearts burn within us and leap for joy? How should the remembrance of it revive and raise our spirits, and put us into an ecstasy of love and gratitude to this great friend and lover of souls: and with the blessed mother of our Lord, how should our souls, upon that blessed occasion, magnify the Lord, and our spirits rejoice in God our Savior?

The holy men of old were transported with joy at the obscure and confused apprehension and remote foresight of so great a blessing, at so great a distance: it is said of Abraham the father of the faithful, that he saw His day afar off and was glad. How should we then be affected with joy and thankfulness, to whom the Son of God and blessed Savior of men is actually come? He is come many ages ago, and has enlightened a great part of the world with his glory. Yes, He is come to us, who were in a manner separated from the rest of the world: to us is this great light come, who had so long sat in darkness and the shadow of death: and this mighty salvation which He has wrought for us is near to every one of us that is willing to lay hold of it, and to accept it upon those gracious terms and conditions upon which it is offered to us in his holy Gospel.

And by His Coming he has delivered mankind from that gross ignorance and thick darkness which covered the nations: and we know that the Son of God is come, and has given us an understanding to know him that is true: and we are in Him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ: this is the true God, and eternal life. And then it immediately follows, Little Children, keep yourselves from idols. What can be the meaning of this caution? And what is the connection of it with the foregoing discourse? It is plainly this: that the Son of God by His Coming had rescued mankind from the sottish worship of idols; and therefore he cautions Christians to take great heed of relapsing into idolatry by worshipping a creature, or the image and likeness of any creature instead of God. And because he foresaw that it might be objected to Christians, as in fact it was afterwards by the heathen, that the worship of Christ, who was a man, was as much idolatry as that which the Christians charged the heathen withal: therefore Saint John effectually to prevent the force of this plausible objection, though he perpetually, throughout his Gospel declares Christ to be really a man, yet he expressly also affirms Him to be God, and the true God; and consequently, Christians might safely pay divine worship to Him without fear or danger of idolatry: we are in Him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ: this is the true God, and eternal life: Little Children, keep yourselves from idols.

But this I am sensible is a digression, yet such a one as may not be altogether useless.

To proceed then in the recital of those great blessings which the Coming of the Son of God has brought to mankind. He has rescued us from the bondage of sin, and from the slavery of Satan. He has openly proclaimed pardon and reconciliation to the world. He has clearly revealed eternal life to us, which was but obscurely made known before, both to Jews and Gentiles; but is now made manifest by the appearance of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light by the Gospel. He has purchased this great blessing for us; and is ready to confer it upon us, if we will be contented to leave our sins and to be saved by Him: a condition without which as salvation is not to be had, so if it were, it would not be desirable, it could not make us happy; because our sins would still separate between God and us, and the guilt and horror of our own minds would make us eternally miserable.

And now surely we cannot but thus judge, that all the praises and acknowledgments, all the service and obedience which we can possibly render to Him, are infinitely beneath those infinite obligations which the Son of God has laid upon the sons of men by his coming into the world to save sinners.

What then remains, but that at all times, and more especially at this season we gratefully acknowledge and joyfully commemorate this great and amazing goodness of God to us, in the incarnation of his Son for the redemption and salvation of the sinful and miserable race of mankind? A method and dispensation of the divine grace and wisdom, not only full of mercy and condescension, but of great power and virtue to purify our hearts and to reform our lives; to beget in us a fervent love of God our Savior, and a perfect hatred and detestation of our sins, and a steadfast purpose and resolution to lead a new life, following the commandments of God and walking in his ways all the days of our life. In a word, a method that is every way calculated for our unspeakable benefit and comfort.

Since then the Son of God has so graciously condescended to be made in all things like to us, sin only excepted; let us aspire to be as like to Him as is possible in the exemplary holiness and virtues of his life. We cannot be like Him in his miracles, but we may in his mercy and compassion. We cannot imitate his divine power, but we may resemble Him in his innocency and humility, in his meekness and patience. And as He assumed human nature, so let us re-assume humanity which we have in great measure depraved and put off; and let us put on bowels of mercy towards those that are in misery, and be ready to relieve the poor for His sake, who being rich, for our sakes became poor, that we through his poverty might be made rich.

To conclude, let us imitate Him in that which was his great work and business here upon earth, and which of all other did best become the Son of God; I mean in his going about doing good: that by giving glory to God in the highest, and by endeavoring as much as in us lies to procure and promote peace on earth, and good will among men, we may at last be made meet to be made partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: through the mercies and merits of our blessed Savior and Redeemer. Amen.

Almighty God, who has given us your only begotten Son to take our nature upon Him, and as at this time to be born of a pure Virgin: Grant that we being regenerate and made your children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by your Holy Spirit; through the same our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the same Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.