December 25 PM

Emmanuel, GOD with us. Matt. 1:23.

This is the mystery which holy angels pry into, infernal devils envy, proud infidels reject with derision, humble sinners glory in, and which all the redeemed around the throne above are incessantly shouting, and everlastingly triumphing in.

“Till God in human flesh I see,

My thoughts no comfort find:

The holy, just, and sacred

Three Are terrors to my mind.”

This is the language of every sin-convinced, spiritually- enlightened soul. O how did we talk of God in nature’s darkness, when we were without Christ, having no hope, and without God in the world, even Atheists! But now, O wonder of converting grace! we see, we believe, we know God with us. This is the chief glory of our faith, the chief joy of our hearts. (1st.) God with us, in the eternal council and covenant before time. There he had our persons in view, our case at heart, and undertook to be our surety, our Jesus. Lo, we were then given to him by the Father; that, (2d.) in the fulness of time, he might be God with us, in our flesh. Lo, he is born. See the babe. Adore the God. Rejoice in “Emmanuel, God with us;” that, (3d.) he might accomplish that in our nature, without which we must have been eternally lost; but for which we are everlastingly saved: namely, finish transgression, make an end of sin, and bring in an everlasting righteousness—suffer, the just for the unjust, to bring us to God, (1 Peter 3:18.) This is sweet in the history; but, O how much more so, in the experience of the mystery. (4th.) God with us, living in our hearts, hopes, and affections by the Spirit, through faith. We know, we taste, we feel the reality, power, and comfort of this truth, God in Christ reconciled, not imputing our trespasses to us. (2 Cor. 5:19.) Therefore, (5th.) God with us, to oppose all who are against us. Well might St. Paul ask, “If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Rom. 8:31.) Now, may we not stand forth, and challenge all the powers of sin, earth, and hell, “Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect?” For God the justifier, and we the justified, are one in Christ: “I in them, and thou in me,” says the Lord. (John 17:23.) Hence we meet in love, mutually embrace, and have fellowship one with another. This is the glory of Christ’s nativity, brought into our hearts. “Christ in us the hope of glory.” (Col. 1:27.) This makes a joyful soul, and a happy Christmas.

Thou God, who came in mortal flesh,

The lost to seek and save:

In spirit visit us afresh—

New triumphs let us have.