e,
acquainted with true religion. The little knowledge which they had
seems to have been perverted through the wickedness of their hearts;
and the Scriptures assure us, that "both Jews and Gentiles were all
under sin." Such was the state into which the world was sunk before
the time of our Saviour's appearance in it.

Let us describe, next, who Christ was, and what were the consequences
of his coming. He is called in Scripture, "the Son of God;" and in
some places, "God's only Son;" which shows that there is no other
being like unto him. We know that a son, by his very birth, derives
privileges from his father which belong to no other person; that he
partakes of the same rank and inheritance with his father; and that
he possesses also, in an especial manner, his father's favor, and
altogether differs from a stranger or a servant. Christ, then, is to
be considered, in all such senses as these, as the Son of God. It is
true, he is called also the Son of man, for he was born of a woman,
namely, of the virgin Mary, and he took upon him our nature, dwelling
on earth for thirty years. We should take great care, however, that
his appearance among us as a man, does not lead us to form any low and
unworthy notions of him.

Suppose, now, that the son of a king was to travel, in the dress
of a private subject, on some merciful and condescending errand to
a distant and obscure part of his territory. Surely it would be very
ungenerous and ungrateful, if the poor villagers, whom he came to
serve, were to deny to him the honors of a king's son merely because
they could not believe that so great a person could stoop so low as
to come among them, especially if he brought proofs of his power and
greatness along with him.

Just so, methinks, are all those persons ungenerous and ungrateful
who refuse to Christ that divine honor which belongs to him, merely
because he condescended to be made flesh and blood, and to dwell among
us. Let us, then, receive with simplicity and humility the scripture
testimony concerning him. It speaks of him in terms that are quite
astonishing. "His name," says the prophet, foretelling his birth,
"shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the
everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace; and the government shall be
on his shoulders." The evangelist John tells us, that "the Word,"
meaning Christ, "was with God", and the "Word was God." "By him," it
is said in the Hebrews, "God made the world;" and aga