voice, and he will "gather" you" with his arm, and carry" you "in his bosom ;"* and bring you in the end to his everlasting fold. He is the Only Son of God, by an everlasting and incomprehensible generation. Adore him as God, the second Person in the ever-blessed Trinity, who left the bosom of his Father and the seat of his glory, and "took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men," in order to become the propitiation for the sins of the whole world. 66 He is, moreover, your Lord and Master, having" for your deliverance "spoiled principalities and powers,”‡ and for your blessing made you his own by the ransom of his blood. Obey and serve him with all your strength, and give him the affection of your hearts and the tribute of your praise; for he is able to lead you in safety through the dangers of life, and to exalt you in glory to the habi tation of God. Leaving the scoffer to the enjoyment of * Isaiah, xl. 11. + Philippians, ii. 7, Colossians, ii. 15. his profane sport, and the advocate of human reason and human rights to the absurd indulgence of his fancied dignity and his high conceits, go unto Christ in all the submission and humility of your souls, and learn of him " the wisdom that is from above,"* which proud men deem foolishness, and wicked men laugh at as a fable; which teaches man the knowledge of himself and of his God, which " is better than gold, and more precious than rubies," and "which giveth life to them that have it." The humble Christian, who looks beyond himself for help and salvation, and reposes all his trust and hope in his Divine Redeemer, is more precious for Christ's sake in the sight of God, than the vain Philosopher with all his learning, the proud Monarch with all his power, and the haughty Conqueror with all his triumphs. God dwells with him that is of a contrite spirit, and Christ makes his abode with those who are meek and lowly, and not faithless, but believing. * James, iii. 17. + Proverbs, iii. 14, 15. ARTICLE III. WHO WAS CONCEIVED BY THE HOLY GHOST, BORN OF THE VIRGIN MARY. THE Manifestation of the Son of God in the flesh, which forms the subject of the third Article of our Creed, is a doctrine of the sublimest nature and of the highest importance; and, viewed in its true light and with a humble mind, furnishes matter for the warmest admiration and most lively gratitude. That "the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, "* is a fact testified by the strongest evidence that reasonable creatures can demand; but with respect to the Conception there is a Mystery, which our souls will never be able to solve while confined within this earthly tabernacle, and which John, i. 14. no one, who gives a fair exercise to his understanding, and meditates with humility, will consider as an obstacle in the way of his faith. In the contemplation of this mysterious subject, we must always take Revelation for our guide, and not suffer our Reason, which even in points of an inferior and more evident nature is liable to error, to wander out of its proper and appointed sphere. With regard to the express words of Scripture, we are not to question their truth upon the ground of our difficulty in comprehending them; for difficulty of comprehension is no proof of fallacy in the doctrine. Before we come to any decision upon the doctrines of Scripture, we should inquire into the origin of Scripture itself. The result of this inquiry must be, either that Scripture is, or is not, the Word of God. If it be rejected as such, there can be no occasion to enter into any question with regard to the truth of the doctrines it contains; for the first proposition being denied, all the other propositions that arise out of it, must be denied also. If, however, it be received as a Book of Divine Origin and Authority, then it follows of course, that every doctrine it teaches must be true, how mysterious soever it may be; for to acknowledge Scripture to be the Word of God, and yet to hesitate in receiving any of its doctrines upon the ground of difficulty, is a positive contradiction, an inconsistency in argument, which can find no justification in reason or in candour. We are to consider the Gospel as a Divine Revelation, and consequently as removed from the possibility of containing a fallacious doctrine, or conveying a delusive sense. What we can comprehend, we should thankfully receive and rejoice in; what we cannot, we should firmly believe to be true, as being the Word of God. So far back as the fall of Adam, it was declared by the Lord God himself, that "the Seed of the Woman should bruise the Serpent's head."* This promise, although a positive one, had nevertheless a considerable degree of obscurity in it, and * Genesis, iii. 15. |