flavery, to fave me when I was loft. My being cot only a Fiat; but my redemption was purchased by thy Death. All that I have, is the effect of thy goodness; and all that I am, of thy power. What Can I return for fuch a crowd of favours, but an humble acknowledgment of my unworthinefs? but a refolution to devote every member to thy fervice? I am by thy power, and for the future I will only live to thy honour, that hereafter I may live eternally in thy glory.

GOSPEL of St. Luke, Chap. ii. Verfe

1. And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Cæfar Auguftus, that all the world fhould be taxed.

2. (And this taxing was first made, when Cyrenius zwas governor of Syria)

3. And all went to be taxed, every one into his. bwn city.

4. And Jofeph alfo went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem (because he was of the house and lineage of David)

5. To be taxed with Fiary his efpoufed wife, being great with child.

6. And fo it was, that while they were there, the days were accomplished that fhe should be delivered.

7. And he brought forth her firft-born fon, and wrapped him in fwadling cloaths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the

inn.

8. And there were in the fame country Shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

9. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord fhone round about them; and they were fore afraid.

10. And the angel faid unto them, Fear not: for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which hall be to all people.

11. For unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

12. And this fhall be a fign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in fwadling cloaths, lying in a

manger.

13. And fuddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly hoft, praifing God, and faying,

14. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards men.

A

The MORAL REFLECTION.

S God created man with one Fiat, so might he have pardoned his fin with one, I will, be thou clean. Yet he pitch'd upon an expedient, more painful to himself indeed, but more advantageous to men. He made himself man, to expiate man's faults, and efpoufed all his miferies upon earth (fin excepted) to entitle him to all his joys in heaven. This is a kindnefs fo fuperlative, that it is no less hard to believe, than to conceive it, did not thousands of martyrs confirm it with their blood, and God by as many prodigies. God feems too high to ftoop fo low; and man too low to foar fo high; but, with God all things are poffible. We will take a step to Bethlehem: but sense must stay behind; for our eyes will tell us, we fee a child, nothing different from others, but that he is more miferable.

Scarce were the Roman wars at an end, and civil diffenfions compofed, under the conduct of the

fortunate

fortunate Auguftus, when God, the prince of peace, refolved to unite man's bafeness to the immensity of his greatness, and to fanctify by his prefence the world, which a continual course of impiety had turned into a den of furies. And now the nine months, fince the virgin conceived, were almost expired, when God's goodness took occafion from man's ambition, to make his entrance into the world more glorious, because more abject.

There went out a decree from Augustus Cæfar, that the whole world should be taxed. Auguftus commanded all to repair to their respective cities, and register their names, that he might know the number of his fubjects, and the extent of his power. And Jofeph also went up from Galilee out of the city of Nazareth into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem. Chrift would fuffer at his first entrance into the world, as well as at his leaving it, and condemn mens pride at his birth, no less than through the whole courfe of his mortal life.

Had he been born at Nazareth, his mother's cottage had furnish'd him at least a cradle, or Jofeph's charity would have made one: he had not wanted the convenience of a fire; his relations, if unable to relieve his wants, had not failed to compaffionate his indigence; but being a stranger at Bethlehem, he was fure to be abandoned of all, and to fall under all those extremities that wait on ftrangers attended on by poverty.

Oh how ingenious is God in finding out ways to fuffer for man! And how induftrious is man in framing pretexts to fuffer nothing for God! One would think God laboured for his own intereft, he fo earnestly lays hold of every occafion; and we for another's, we are fo careless and negligent. The greatest fufferance is too little for his charity, and the leaft is too great for our lukewarmness; and

yet

yet our damnation takes away nothing from his happiness, and our falvation makes no addition to it. He had enjoyed himself, tho' we had loft him eternally; our fruitlefs lamentations had neither touch'd his heart with pity nor compaffion.

Jofeph used his utmost endeavour to procure fome accommodation for the virgin. But alas! There was no room in the inn. Unhappy Bethlehem! Didst thou know who begs admittance, thou wouldst receive him with a thousand Hofannahs to the Son of David: thou wouldst prevent the fuppliant, and intreat him to accept of what at prefent thou doft refufe with fo much cruelty.

We all blame the Bethlemites for refusing so small a charity, and fo immenfe a treasure, and yet a hundred times we have been guilty of the fame crime. How often has he fued for a lodging in our hearts? And how often have we put him off with a, There is no room in the inn. It was taken up by a crowd of thoughts, fome foolish, others vain, and most criminal. There was room for airy castles of grandeur, rais'd in the brain, and gilt with twenty gay illufions of the imagination, for traiterous defigns, and lewd intrigues; but no place for seriousness, for fobriety, or the thought of our duty.

But the time draws nigh; nine months hang on a few minutes. The virgin must be delivered: but where? In an abandoned ftable, fit only to defend beafts from the fcorching fun in fummer, and from the nipping froft in winter: here the holy Maid brought forth the divine Infant, and wrapped him in fwadling cloaths, and laid him in a manger. Let me cry out with St. Bernard, Divine Infant! Thou art a King, where is thy palace? Instead of embroidery, nothing appears but either the webs of Spiders, or the excrements of beasts. Where are thy gaudy courtiers? Thy palace is an open cottage, thy

throne

throne a manger, and thy whole retinue Jofeph and Mary.

But where are men, for whofe fake alone God has caft himself into fuch an abyss of abjection, poverty, and indigence? They flept their fleep, Pfal. Ixxv. 6. They seem as little touch'd, as if they had no concern in the mystery; they lie ftretch'd out in a deep fleep, unmindful of their falvation, and forgetful of their Saviour; every one courts those vain idols, that hereafter will damn them, without dropping one poor I thank you upon him, who has taken fo much pains to fave them. One would think the reasonable part of man was drowned in the fenfual, or metamorphofed into marble.

Ah! It is high time to awake from sleep, Rom. xiii. 11. from thy fatal lethargy, and to leave the trance that stupifies thy understanding. The angels congratulatory acclamations rend the air: be fo far curious as to enquire what they mean, or at least ftop not your ears, and you will hear: I bring you good tidings of great joy, for to you is born this daya Saviour. But this harmonious melody had not charms enough to draw men from their beds of down, nor to perfwade them to expose their health to the mid-night air; much lefs to enter into a stable, where they were fure to find nothing extraordinary, but want and poverty. But had Augustus invited them to Rome, they had pofted thither through a thousand fatigues, and as many dangers. Such a strange afcendant have the vain amusements of this world over the minds of men, and fo little are they moved by the pains or pleasures of the other!

How long, unfortunate children, will you fuffer yourselves to be deceiv'd by the fly infinuations of the world? How long will you doat on thofe deceitful objects, you must either hate here, or will eternally curfe hereafter? You wander in a maze

of