e be now more than sixteen hundred years
old, yet they are still recent to a believing heart. There is an
everlasting spring in them, that sends out every day fresh consolation to
souls, as refreshing as the first day this spring was opened. This is the
new wine that never grows old, nay, it is rather every generation renewed,
with the accession of some new manifestation of the love of God. Christ's
incarnation was the first manifestation of the Son, the very morning of
light and life, the dayspring visiting the world that was buried in an
hellish darkness of heathen idolatry, and even the church of God, in the
grave of superstition and corruption of doctrine and manners. Then did
that Sun of righteousness first set up his head above the horizon. But it
is but one day still. He hath been but coming by degrees to the meridian
and "shining more and more to the perfect day." That Sun hath not set
since, but made a course, and gone round about the world, in the preaching
of the gospel, and brought life and light about, by succession, from one
nation to another, and one generation to another. And therefore we ought
to entertain it this day with acclamations and jubilation of heart, as the
people that lie under the north do welcome the sun when it comes once a
year to them. "After that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward
man appeared," Tit. iii. 4, {~GREEK SMALL LETTER PHI~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER IOTA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER LAMDA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER ALPHA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER NU~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER THETA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER RHO~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER OMEGA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER PI~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER ALPHA~}, his kindly and affectionate love
to mankind. That is it that shines so brightly. The beams of grace and
love to men, are the rays that are scattered from this Sun of
righteousness. O the hardness of men's hearts, the impenetrable obstinacy
of man, that this cannot melt or pierce! How damnable and miserable a case
are they into who can neither be persuaded with the eternity of this
subject, to adore it, nor moved with the late appearance of the love of
God to the world, in sending of his Son--whom neither Christ's majesty nor
his humility can draw! Certainly this makes sinners under the gospel in a
more deplorable condition than Sodom, because if he had not come, they had
not had such sin, but now it is without excuse, &c.

Sermon III.

1 John i. 13.--"That which we have heard and seen of the Word