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SERMON (2) visits him every morning, morning and evening too; visits by his angels, by his priests, by his prophets, by his mercies, by his judgments, by his Son, by his Holy Spirit, by daily motions and inspirations. These are the visits he hourly makes us since he visited us by his Son, far more plentifully than before: more abundant grace, more gracious visits; for if his Son be once formed in us, he will never give over visiting till he crown us.

Yet (3) by degrees he raises us up to some angelical purities and perfections before he crown us: our nature is much elevated by the grace of Christ; and what the Jew did only to the outward letter, we are enabled to do to the spirit of it, to inward purity as well as the outward. Thus Matt. v. 21. and thus you heard of old, says Christ; but I say more; not

Eph. ii.5,6.

a wanton look, not a murderous thought, not a reproachful word, not the slightest oath. He would refine us fain somewhat near the angels, to be pure as they.

But (4) we shall not do it gratis; he will crown us for it, "quicken us together with Christ, raise us up together, and make us sit together in heavenly places, in Christ Jesus:" honours us with the name of "friends," reveals himself unto us, fills us with the riches of Christ, adopts us to be his sons; makes us members of Christ, partakers of his Spirit; makes himself one with us, and we with him; washes us by one sacrament, feeds us by another; comforts us by his word, compasses with the ministrations of righteousness that exceeds in glory; pardons our sins, heals our infirmities, strengthens our weaknesses, replenishes us with graces, 2 Cor. iii. urges us with favours; makes us with "open face behold them as in a glass," "behold the glory of the Lord," and "changes us at last into the same image from glory to glory." "What is man, O Lord, or the son of man" that thou shouldst do thus unto him? And what are we, O Lord, what are we, that we are so insensible of thy mercies? what base, vile, unworthy things are we, if we do not now pour out ourselves in thanks and wonder, in praise and glory, for this exceeding glory!

18.

Wonder we (1), stand we and wonder, or cast ourselves upon the earth, upon our faces, in amazement at it, that God should do all this for us; thus remember, thus visit,

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thus crown such things as we. That (2) he should pass by SERMON the angels to crown us, leave them in their sins and misery and lift us out of ours. That (3) he should not take their nature at the least, and honour those that stood among them; but take up ours, and wear it into heaven, and seat it there.

And there is a visit he is now coming to-day to make us, as much to be wondered at as any,- that he should feed us with his body, and yet that be in heaven; that he should cheer us with his blood, and yet that shed so long ago; that he should set his throne and keep his table and presence upon the earth, and yet heaven his throne and earth his footstool; that he should here pose all our understandings with his mysterious work, and so many ages of Christians, after so many years of study and assistance of the Spirit, not yet be able to understand it. "What is man," or "the son

of man," O blessed Jesu, that thou shouldest thus also visit and confound him with the wonders of thy mercy and goodness?

Here also is glory and honour too, to be admitted to his table; nowhere so great: to be made one with him, as the meat is with the body; no glory like it. Here is the crown of plenty fulness of pardon, grace, and heavenly benediction. Here is the crown of glory: nothing but rays and beauties, lustres and glories, to be seen in Christ, and darted from him into pious souls. Come take your crowns, come compass yourselves with those eternal circlings.

Take now the "cup of salvation," and remember God for so remembering you: call upon the name of the Lord, and give glory to your God. If you cannot speak out fully (as who can speak, in such amazements as these thoughts may seriously work in us?) cast yourselves down in silence, and utter out your souls in these or the like broken speeches:What is man, Lord what is man? What am I? How poor a thing am I! How good art thou! What hast thou done unto him! How great things! what glory, what honour, what crown hast thou reserved for me! What shall I say? How shall I sufficiently admire? What shall I do again unto thee?

1. What shalt thou do? Why (1) if God is so mindful

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SERMON of us men, let us be mindful of him again; remember he is always with us, and do all things as if we remembered that so he were.

(2.) Is he so mindful of us? Let us be mindful of ourselves, and remember what we are, that we may be humbled at it.

(3.) Does he remember us? Let us then again remember him with our prayers and services.

Let us

2. Has he visited us? Let us in thankfulness visit him again, visit him in his temple, visit him at his table, visit him in his poor members, the sick, the imprisoned. 3. Has he made us lower than the angels? make ourselves lower and lower still in our own sights. it yet but a little lower than the angels? Let us raise up thoughts, and pieties, and devotions to be equal with them.

Is

4. Has he crowned us with glory? Let us crown his altars then with offerings, and his name with praise; let us be often in corona, in the congregation of them that praise him, amongst such as keep holiday. Let us crown his courts with beauty, crown ourselves with good works; they should be our glory and our crown: and for the worship that he crowns us with too, let us worship and give him honour, so remember, so visit, so crown him again; so shall he, as he has already, so shall still remember us last, and bring us to his own palace, there to visit him face to face, where he shall make us equal to the angels we are now below, and crown us with an incorruptible crown of glory: through Christ, &c.

THE NINTH SERMON

ON

CHRISTMAS-DAY.

S. LUKE ii. 30-32.

For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.

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SALVATION cannot but be a welcome, then, at any time. SERMON I know no day amiss; but in die salutis, at such a time as this, on Christmas-day especially: then it first came down to bless this lower world.

But salvation so nigh as to be " seen " is more; much more if we ourselves have any interest in it; if it be for "the Gentiles" too, that we also may come in; far more, if it be such salvation that our friends also may be saved with us-none perish if it be omnium populorum, to them "all,” in whatsoever nation.

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Add yet, if it be salvation by "light," not in the night, no obscure deliverance, we like that better; and if it be to be saved, not by running away, but gloriously-salvation with "glory," that is better still. Nay, if it be all-salvation on a day of salvation; not afar off, but within ken; not heard of, but seen; to us and ours, an universal salvation; a gladsome, a lightsome, a notable, a glorious salvation; as it is without contradiction, verbum Evangelii, good Gospel, joyful tidings, so it must needs be, verbum diei, too, the happiest news in the most happy time.

SERMON

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These make the text near enough the day; and yet it is nearer. What say you if this "salvation" prove to be a Saviour, and that Saviour Christ, and that Christ new-born? the first time that viderunt oculi could be said of him; no time so proper as Christmas to speak of Christ the Saviour, born and sent into the world. He it is that is here styled salutare tuum. Christ, that blessed sight that restores Simeon's decaying eyes to their youthful lustre, that happy burthen that makes Simeon grasp heaven before he enter it. Indeed, the good old man begins not his Christmas till Candlemas. It was not Christmas-day with him, he did not see his Saviour till he was presented in the temple. The Feast of Purification was his Christmas: this, the shepherd's, the world's, and ours. This day first he was seen visibly to

the world.

Being, then, to speak of "salvation" which is a Saviour, or a Saviour who is salvation:-I. First of the "salvation" itself, (I.) Tò σwτńpiov. (II.) Then of its certainty and manifestation, so plain and evident that the eye may see it: salvation (1.) to be "seen;" more (2) "prepared " to be scen. (III.) Of the universality, "before the face of all people." (IV.) of the benefits: they are two: (1.) "A light;" (2.) A "glory," with the twofold parties: (1.) "The Gentiles;" (2.) The Jews. Of each both severally and jointly.

H. When we have done with the salvation, then of the other sense of Tò σwτnpiov, the Saviour himself; that is the prime meaning of salutare here. (1.) Of his natures: in pos, his "Godhead;" in eidov and ýτoíμaoas, his "manhood." (2.) The unity of his person, in Tò σwτýptov. (3.) His offices, in evov, ἀποκάλυψιν, and δόξαν. His eternal generation in φώς ; his temporal in κατὰ πρόσωπον.

H. Lastly, of our way to behold him, and our duty when we see him. How to obtain this glorious sight of Tò σwτńριov, of salvation, and how to entertain it. Of which that I may speak with reverence, and you hear with profit, let us pray, &c.

F. I begin with that which we all desire and hope to end— "salvation ;" and, (I.) first, with Tò σwτýptov (give me leave to do so) in the sense of profane authors. It will fit the day: Tà owτńpia were dies salutares, festivals for some famous