with Him, all will be well with thee, but if thou forsake Him, all will be evil. Cry to Him with thine inmost soul, and say, O Gracious JESU, Good Master, holy Pastor, King of Eternal Glory, I adore Thee, I bless and give thanks to Thee Who hast so loved me as to do such great things, and endure such miseries for me. Be propitious to me a sinner; cleanse, heal, conform me to Thyself; direct, teach, and enlighten me with Thy truth. O that I had not been hitherto so ungrateful to Thee! that I could now become well-pleasing to Thee! O that all evil passions and affections were dead in me, that I could stand before Thee truly humble and meek, truly sincere and tranquil! O that Thou wouldest alone possess my heart, so that I might lightly esteem all transitory things, and seek and delight in Thee, and cleave indissolubly to Thee! Alas, my LORD! when shall I worship Thee with a pure, simple, and cheerful mind? When shall I serve Thee with a calm, stedfast, and clear conscience? When will my soul be filled with Thy boundless love? What can I desire beside Thee, Who art all-sufficient for my soul? And what can all things profit me without Thee? Prayer. O LORD JESUS CHRIST, SON of the living GOD, my Refuge, my Desire, my Hope and Trust, my Saviour and Consolation! grant to me, a weak and miserable sinner, to have Thy Life and manners always before the eyes of my soul, and give me grace, as far as pos 6 THE LIFE OF THE LORD JESUS IS OUR PATTERN. sible, to imitate them; make me so to profit by them, that I may come to the knowledge of GOD, unto a perfect man, and be made a holy temple in the LORD. Enlighten my heart, I beseech Thee, with the light of Thy grace, and may it always prevent and follow me; that having Thee as a Guide in all my ways, I may do all things which shall please Thee. Direct, I beseech Thee, my thoughts, words, and actions, in the way of Thy law, and in the counsels and precepts of the Most High, that doing Thy will in all things here, I may be made worthy to enjoy eternal life with Thee in Thy blessed and glorious Kingdom. Amen. 7 CHAPTER II. THE INCARNATION OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. Prophecy. BEHOLD, a Virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son, and shall call his Name Immanuel. Isa. vii. 14. I have made a covenant with My chosen, I have sworn unto David My servant, Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations. Psalm lxxxix. 3, 4. dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife; for that which is conceived in her is of the HOLY GHOST: And she shall bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call His name JESUS, for He shall save His people from their sins. (Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the LORD by the prophet, saying, Behold, a Virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a Son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, GOD with us.) Then Joseph, being raised from sleep, did as the angel of the LORD had bidden him, and took unto him his wife; and knew her not till she had brought forth her first-born Son: and he called His name JESUS. at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary; for thou hast found favour with GOD. And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a Son, and shalt call His name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest; and the LORD GOD shall give unto Him the throne of His father David. And He shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of His kingdom there shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered, and said unto her, The HOLY GHOST shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee; therefore, also, that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of GOD. And behold thy cousin Elizabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren; for with GOD nothing shall be impossible. And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the LORD; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her. Reflections. Holy art Thou, O Eternal King, the true GOD from everlasting; Holy is Thine only-begotten Son, our LORD JESUS CHRIST, GOD the Word, the Firstborn of every creature, by Whom Thou hast made the world; Holy is Thy HOLY SPIRIT, Who searcheth all things, even the deep mysteries of Thy Godhead. Holy art Thou, Who alone art Almighty, a GOD of goodness, terror, and compassion, remarkably indulgent to the work of Thine own Hands. Thou madest man in Thine own Image, and after Thine own likeness; and when by disobedience he had forfeited his claim to happiness, Thou didst not abandon or despise him; but didst correct him in mercy as a Father, and reclaim him by the law, and instruct him by the Prophets, and last of all, didst send Thine only-begotten SON our LORD JESUS CHRIST into the world, for the renovation and revival of Thy lost Image. He Who was man's Creator, was pleased to become Man; the Priest to be Himself the Sacrifice, to reconcile the world to Thyself, and deliver all men from impending wrath. He came down from heaven, and was Incarnate by the HOLY GHOST, of the Virgin Mary. He Who forms all that are born in the world, was Himself formed in the womb of a Virgin, and became flesh, humbling Himself to the form of a servant, making Himself in His humiliation like unto us, that He might raise us to the likeness of the Image of His glory and He Who was begotten from Eternity was born in time. He conversed with mankind, : |