December 18 — On other Benefits of our Saviour to Mankind, by his Incarnate nation

Consider, first, that the Son of God, by his incarnation, cams amongst us to be Father, and tfxe Head of all mankind, ac cording to the spirit, and according to grace, as Adam was ac cording to the flesh, and according to nature. He came as th' second Adwn, to undo all that evil which the first Adam ha done, and brought upon us all; and to impart to us all that good which the father of our flesh had deprived us of; that, cls by on man sin entered into this world, and by sin death, and so both sin and death passed upon all men, justice and grace should ip like manner enter into this world, by one man, in order to oui eternal life. Hence, in quality of our Father, he imparts to us? new generation, a second birth; by which we, w'ho, by our natu ral birth, (by which we descend from the first Adam,) aie chii • dren of wrath, corrupted by sin, and condemned to hell, are borp again by grace, cleansed from sin by his blood, incorporated in him, made children of God, aiid heirs of everlasting life. In quality of our Head, he communicates to us all manner of graces which, in virtue -of his merits, are derived from him upon all th<i members of his mystical body, who by faith and obedience adhere to him. St, John xv. 4, 5.

Consider, secondly, the other near relations, marked down in the word of God, which our Lord has been pleased we should have with him, by means of his incarnation; such as that of out being now his brethren, (as he has been pleased to call us, Ps. xxi I will declare thy name to my brethren,) by his taking our flesh and blood — a relation which gives us an honour not granted to the angels, of being near akin, even by consanguinity, to tjbe Son of God himself; for he never took upon him the nature of the angels, but took our nature, that he might be like to us in all things, excepting sin. For so it behoved him, that was to be our High-Priest, to make a reconciliation for our sins. Heb, it 16, 17. He is our elder Brother, in the order of God’s election, the FirstJiom amongst many brethren, (Rom. viii. 29,) in whom, and for whose sake, we also are elected; to be conformable to his image here by grace, and hereafter in glory, through him. In this quality of our eldest Brother, he is als<# our Priest, (as under the law of nature, before the written law, the first-lx m were priests,) to officiate for us in all things that appertain to God, (Heb. v. 1;) as also our Prince, our Leader, and Captain in our warfare, our Tutor and Governor, our truest Friend, to promote all our interest, to manage all our causes, to defend uf from all our enemies, and to bring us on in our pilgrimage, til he presents us to his Father, and our Father, in his eternal king dom. O, how happy are we in such a Brother!

Consider, thirdly, that, by means of the incarnation of the Son of God, we are related to him, not only as children to our Father, as members to our Head, and as brothers to our eldest Brother, but also as a holy building to our foundation, in which he is the Corner-stone; in whom all the building framed together grotoeth up into a holy temple in the Lord — a habitation of God in the spirit, (Eph. ii. 20, 21,22,) and as branches to the stock, into which we are ingrafted, and planted by baptism. Hence our Lord tells us {John xv. 4, 5,) Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine, so neither can you, except you abide in me. I am the Vine, you are the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit; for without me you can do nothing. But of all the relations we have to the Son of God, in consequence of his incarnation, there is none more endearing than that of our being made his spouse; the church being the bride, the wife of the Lamb, brought out of his side, as Eve was from the side of Adam, cast into the deep sleep of death upon the cross, and espoused to him by an everlasting and inviolable contract, of which Christian matrimony is the sacred and mysterious sign; and every particular soul, that is in the state of grace, partaking in the dignity and happiness of this near and dear relation of spouses to the Lamb of God. Christians, are you sensible how great this dignity and happiness is, for your souls to be espoused to the Son of God — in consequence of which you shall be one spirit with Christ, as Adam and Eve were one flesh? O, take care to be ever faithful and true to this divine Spouse; who has loved you, and delivered himself up for you, that he might sanctify you, and cleanse you for himself, with his own most precious blood.

Conclude to oehave, in Your whole life and conversation, agreeably, in all respects, to these sacred relations, which you now have with the Son of God; and never to degenerate from such a Father, such a Head, such a Brother, and such a Spouse, by any actions unworthy of either the dignity or sanctity of a Christian. 28f