Such is “the glorious gospel of the blessed God.” You have seen the evidence of its divinity, and the peculiar excellence of its character. Suffer me to ask, do you believe its doctrines? do you obey its precepts? do you enjoy its blessings? do you delight in its promises? It commends itself every way to your faith, and your affections. It is worthy of all acceptation. It is the light of the world—walk ye in it! It is a feast for the soul—eat and be satisfied! It is a river of living water—drink and thirst no more!
How miserable is that man who rejects alike its evidences and its offers! How miserable in the hour of death! As Thistlewood said of himself, when on the drop at Newgate, he is “taking a leap in the dark!” How miserable in the day of judgment! God saith—“Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hands all the day long, and no man regarded; but ye have set at naught my counsel, and would none of my reproof; therefore I also will laugh at your calamity, I will mock when your fear cometh—when your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind—when distress and anguish cometh upon you!”
SERMON XVII.
THE SONG OF THE ANGELS.
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” Luke ii. 14.
The most important event recorded in the annals of time, is the incarnation of the Son of God. Anointed to be “the Apostle and High Priest of our profession,” it was necessary that he should humble himself, to assume our degraded nature, and enter into our suffering condition. Had he appeared on earth in the unmitigated glory of his Godhead, the children of men could not have borne the revelation, and could not have been benefited by his personal ministry; neither could he have been “touched with the feeling of our infirmities,” nor have offered himself a sacrifice for our sins. His manifestation in the flesh was essential to the great objects of his advent; and no wonder the heavenly host descended to announce his coming, and poured forth their delight in this joyful strain;—“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”
Let us consider, first, The incarnation of the Eternal Word; and, secondly, The song of the angels on the occasion of his birth.
I. Though it is impossible for the immutable God to be made a creature, yet the Divine nature was so closely and mysteriously joined to the human, that the same person was “a child born,” and “the Mighty God”—“a son given,” and “the Everlasting Father.” The Divinity did not become humanity, and the humanity did not become Divinity; but the two were so united as to constitute but one glorious Mediator.
Though his incarnation did not destroy, or even tarnish in the least, the essential glory of the Deity; yet was it a mighty and marvellous condescension, for him who is “over all, God, blessed for ever,” thus to assume our frail and suffering flesh. Solomon asked—“Will God in very deed dwell with men upon the earth?” A question which neither men nor angels could answer. But God hath answered it himself, and answered it in the affirmative. “The Word” that “was in the beginning with God, and was God,” in the fulness of time, “was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”
We can form no idea of the natural distance between God and man. But the infinite vacuum is filled up by the Messiah. He is “Emmanuel”—“the true God,” and “the Son of Man.” “He thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, and took upon himself the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of sinful flesh.” Passing by the nobler nature of angels, “he took on him the seed of Abraham.” Nor did he join himself to humanity in its original perfection and glory. He came into the mean condition of fallen creatures, sharing with us our various infirmities and sufferings. Yet he was free from all moral contamination. He was “holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners.” He “knew no sin.” He “did no iniquity, neither was guile found in his mouth.”
But notwithstanding the humility of his appearance in Bethlehem, such was the dignity of his person, and such the magnitude and grandeur of the work for which he came into the world, that angels descended from heaven to publish the glad tidings to the children of men. True, no ambassadors were sent to the Sanhedrim at Jerusalem—none to the Senate of Rome, to proclaim the coming of the Prince of Peace; but never was there such an embassage on earth, to announce the birth of a royal son, as that which came to the shepherds of Bethlehem. When he appeared among men, the order was given in heaven, that all the angels of God should worship him; and their example was followed by wise men upon earth. The prophet Isaiah said that his name should be called Wonderful; and the angel informed Mary that he should be great, and should be called the Son of the Highest; and that God should give unto him the throne of his father David, and he should reign over the house of Jacob for ever. “Though he was rich, yet for our sake he became poor, that we through his poverty might be rich.” He humbled himself that we might be exalted—was bruised and wounded that we might be healed—died the most shameful death that men could inflict, that we might live the most glorious life that God can confer!