from the hands of the Creator, the morning ftars fang together, and all the fons of God fhouted for joy. In like manner, when these new heavens and this new earth appeared, all the angelic hoft broke forth into strains of gratulation, afcribing glory to God in the higheft, peace on earth, and good-will towards fallen man.

Unhappily, the Jews, who were a grofs and carnal people, misinterpreted the prophecies concerning the kingdom of the Meffiah, took the magnificent ftyle of prophecy for literal defcription, and fondly imagined that these glad tidings of great joy announced temporal and earthly bleffings. They looked for no better a country than the land of Canaan, and expected no other redemption than to be redeemed from the Roman yoke. The veil is now taken off from the Prophets, and we difcern the Gospel, not as meant to procure us poffeffion of the earth, and dominion over the nations, but as intended to make us partakers of eternal life, and to give us an inheritance in the heavens, which is incorruptible, undefiled, and fadeth not away.

The Gofpel, then, is a system of spiritual joy. And, in treating of it in this light, I fhall, in the first place, confider it as a method of inftruction, enlightening the darkness, and dispelling the ignorance of human nature: In the fecond place, As a plan of redemption from the guilt of fin: In the third place, As a scheme of comfort and relief during the afflictions of life; and, in the fourth place, As a fyftem of confolation against the fear of death. Here are comprehended all the evils of human life; and if we find that the Gospel brings us relief from all of them,

then it will appear to contain indeed, "Good ti dings of great joy."

I am to show you, then, in the first place, That, as a fyftem of joy, Christianity enlightens the natural darkness of the mind, and gives us all requifite information concerning the truths neceffary to our happiness.

Curiofity, or the defire of knowledge, is one of the earliest emotions of the human foul. No fooner does the mind arrive at the exercise of thought, than it proceeds to examine the objects around it, and to extend its researches wider and wider over the whole circuit of nature. One of the most obvious dictates of reason is the belief of a God. There are fo many indications of wisdom and contrivance in the works of nature; such striking displays of order and beauty; fuch splendid demonstrations of a plan established, that an intelligent Mind is at once recognised, and a Deity, though invifible in himself, is every where seen in his works. Accordingly, all nations have agreed in acknowledging and worshipping a fupreme Power, the Creator and Governor of all things. But although the light of nature reveals to us the existence of a God, it gives us no materials whereon to form an opinion concerning his attributes. A mixed difpenfation of things feems to prevail in the world. There are many indications of goodness, but there are alfo many appearances of evil. Providence feems equally to favour the good and the bad. All things come alike to all, and there is one event to the righteous and to the wicked. Reason is at a lofs what conclufion to draw from fuch contradictory appearances, and amidst the

clouds and the darkness that furround the paths of the Almighty, cannot discern that justice and judgment are for ever the habitation of his throne. But a state of uncertainty and suspense, especially about an object of fuch great importance, is the moft deplorable of all fituations. To live and to die in ignorance and uncertainty, whether the Governor of the world be a tyrant or a friend, whether we are under the mifrule of hate, or the government of love, must fit heavy upon the candid and inquifitive mind, and give additional fmart to all the forrows which imbitter human life. What beams of joy will break in upon fuch benighted minds, when the Sun of Righteousness appearing, fcatters the clouds of igno rance and error, and lets in the pure light of heaven upon the darkness of the human condition? To make the discoveries of the Gofpel to fuch persons, is to reveal to them a father and a friend. To difcover that God is love; that he is a God in Chrift reconciling the world unto himself; that he adminifters the affairs of the univerfe fo as to iffue in the general good; that he is for ever employing the attributes of his nature, his infinite wifdom, his boundlefs goodness, and his Almighty power, to favour the cause of righteoufnefs, and to promote the happiness of the good throughout the whole creation. Such views of Deity as these fill the mind with joy and with confolation. The weary traveller has now got a fhelter from the ftorm. He has found a fanctuary in the time of trouble; and he looks to the heavens from whence cometh his aid. The heart is fully at eafe while it refts on him that made it, and reposes with perfect peace under the protection of everlasting arms.

Further, Man in a state of nature is equally igno rant concerning himself. He finds himself here a ftranger in a wide world, where the powers and operations of nature are very imperfectly known; where both the caufes and the iffues of things are wrapt up in much darkness, and where he can only form uncertain conjectures from whence he comes, for what purpose he was brought into being, and whither he is to go when he departs from hence. If he looks back to his origin, he is loft in uncertainty. Born to be at the head of the inferior creation, and to be the masterpiece of the Almighty in this lower world, he hath at the fame time appetites and pas fions, the abuse of which degrades him below the level of the brutes that perish. His dignity and his meannefs; the excellence of his frame, and the degeneracy of his nature; the elevation of his understanding, and the corruption of his heart, form a contrast which the philofophy of ages could never reconcile. How could fuch a creature come into the world? If he be the work of a wife and good being, whence come the feeds of evil that are latent in his heart? If he be the production of malignant beings, whence the feeds of goodness, and the lineaments of t heaven, which, however obfcured, are to be found in his frame? Whatever fuppofition we take, we are beset with infuperable difficulties. But, change the fcene, and look forward to his future lot, and he is ftill more diftreffed and forlorn. He fees his friends and companions, one after another, continually dif appearing. But whither do they go when they depart? Have they withdrawn into everlasting darknefs, or do they ftill act in another fcene? Is the

beam of heaven for ever extinguifhed? Is the celef tial fire which glowed in their hearts for ever quenched, and naught but afhes left to mingle with the earth, and be blown around the world? Are their hopes limited to this life? Or, beyond the horizon which terminates their prefent profpects, does a more beautiful and a more perfect fcene prefent itself, where the wicked fhall ceafe from troubling, and where the weary fhall be at reft? If we confult our affections, we shall be inclined to believe in a future ftate. Nature is loath to quit its hold. The heart ftill wishes to be kind to the friends whom once it loved. Imagination takes the hint, and indulges us with the pleasant hopes of one day meeting again the companions which we dropped in life. The perfections of the Deity alfo favour these wishes of nature. If God be infinitely wife and infinitely good, he would not have brought us into being only to fee the light, and to depart for ever. Would a wife builder have erected fuch a noble ftructure, to last but for a moment? On the other hand, if we confult the analogy of nature, the horrors of annihilation furround us. The leaf that falls from the tree revives no more. The animal that mingles with the earth never rifes to life again.

Thefe doubts and horrors are now removed, and this darkness deftroyed, by the Gofpel of Christ. No fooner did the day-fpring arife from on high, but it became a light to lighten the Gentiles, and extended its radiance over the region and fhadow of death. The nature of man is now unfolded, the origin of evil accounted for, and life and immortality brought to light. Our Saviour did not propofe