December 29, 1764

Dec. 29, 17W.

All the blessings of this good season be with my dear friend. That man for whom Christ was born is the greatest, richest prince upon earth; his revenues, his honors, his mighty allies, his everlasting kingdom, are beyond all conception. Compared to what he is, and has, crowns and empires are but playthings for little children. And he comes to all his dignity by Jehovah’s taking flesh, through which wonderful event he can be made one spirit with him. He took our flesh that we might take his Spirit; He was born on earth, that we might have a new birth from heaven; He took our sins that we might take his righteousness — and our miseries, that we might be heirs with him of his happiness. O what an astonishing transaction is this! How full of the richest grace, flowing over with everlasting love! This great and blessed event lay in the breast of Jehovah in eternity. He ever had it in his heart; it was his beloved plan and purpose that he would take flesh, and display all the glories of his Godhead in the person of Jesus Christ. This was his gracious will and everlasting counsel, to which all his works have tended, and for the executing of which in its full perfection all things are now working together. When the fullness of time was come, O what joy was there in heaven among the angels who kept their first estate! They thought it a very high honor to he the messengers of it, even to poor shepherds, with whom they could rejoice that their God and our God was become incarnate. Behold, I

BRING YOU GLAD TIDINGS OF GREAT JOY glad

tidings, indeed; for they include all the good which Infinite mercy has to give, and the sinner can receive. Hereby light comes to them who are sitting in darkness, and life to them who are in the shadow of death — pardon to the guilty — comfort to the mourning — liberty to the captives — strength to the helpless — and heaven to the miserable. How blessed a change do they experience, when they know and can say, Unto us a child is hom, unto us a Son is given! For this is the saving truth, Jesus is the Christ, the man is Jehovah, God and man in one Christ, the child born is the mighty God, and the Son given is the everlasting Father; the Virgin’s Son is Immanuel, God with us, and her infant babe is her eternal Saviour. Except she had believed this she could not have been saved, nor can we; and yet it is a truth so far out of the reach of man’s understanding, that he could never have thought of it unless it had been revealed; nor can he now comprehend it, unless he be taught it of God, for no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, is Jehovah, but by the Holy Ghost. Here, then, my dear friend, is matter of thankfulness to you and me, that we are taught this of God. Happy Christmas to us, since we have lived to hear and understand the great mystery of godliness — God MANIFEST IN THE FLESH. Happier, Still, that Ave believe it; for whomsoever the Holy Ghost enlightens with the knowledge of this saving tmth, he also gives faith to receive it — to trust in Christ as God — to depend upon him as the almighty Saviour — to rely upon his finished work — and to lay no other foundation for any grace or glory, but the life and death of this ever-blessed God-man. This is the way in which the Holy Ghost glorifies Jesus. He gives the believer such views of the infinite fullness and everlasting sufficiency of Immanuel, that he is quite satisfied with him. His conscience is brought into sweet peace through the sprinkling of the blood of the Lamb of God; and when guilt would arise, and unbelieving fears disturb, he is enabled through faith in Jesus to maintain his peace; because whatever rendered him hateful to God, he sees it removed by his adorable surety; and whatever God could love him for, he finds himself interested in it through the infinitely precious obedience of the Lord our righteousness. Thus he enters into the promised rest; thus he maintains himself in it. He can desire nothing, but the Saviour has it; and when he asks he receives it from him: so that the Saviour more than fills up all his wants, for he satisfies all his wishes; he says, by sweet experience. This is all my salvation AND ALL MY DESIRE.

And what greatly adds still to this happiness is, that it is ever, ever growing: may you and I find it so! As the believer is made to see his absolute safety in Jesus, so does he partake more of his graces and blessings. In hearing and reading the descriptions of the Lord Christ in his Divine person, and in his most gracious offices, the Holy Spirit sets in with those descriptions, and presents the inestimably glorious Saviour before the eye of faith with the most attracting loveliness. All the sweets, and beauties, and joys, scattered throughout the universe, are only little drops out of the ocean of Jesus’ fullness. There is not any object made to gratify any sense, but the Holy Spirit shows the believer that very thing in its highest perfection in the infinitely rich Saviour, and gives him a delightful earnest, and by faith a foretaste of it; by which means his whole heart and soul grow entirely in love with that beauty of all beauties, and he says, and it is heaven to feel it. This is my beloved, and this is my friend.

I have more, far more to say, but is

waiting. Pray, my dear friend, leave forever out of your mind and writing — if I knew — IF I believe. Oh, why do you doubt? The good Lord keep you and yours. I am, in bonds which cannot be broken, yours in Jesus, W. R.