But now, men and brethren, think of Christmas-tide, and all it tells and brings to us, and what a change is there! On this appalling picture, on this “day of darkness and gloominess, of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains,” {148a} “the Sun of righteousness hath arisen with healing in His wings;” {148b} “the day-spring from on high hath visited us; to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.” {148c} As we raise our eyes to the Christmas morning the light dawns not merely on our eyes but on our hearts. Here we find the “seed of the woman” who reverses our curse, and the curse upon the earth, by “bruising the serpent’s head.” He comes, He comes, the Saviour of the world, bringing “life and immortality to light through the Gospel,” {148d} because He is God and Man. “Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given: the government is upon His shoulder: His Name is called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” {148e} What can more declare His Godhead? But nevertheless He is “not ashamed to call us brethren;” {148f} nay, we are told, it even “behoved Him to be made like unto His brethren,” and this, that “He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.” {148g} Yes, and although He is such “a great High Priest, the Son of God passed into the heavens,” yet is He not one “which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” {149a} What can more declare His Manhood? Like unto us in all points, sin only excepted. Like unto us, with perfect manhood, human body and soul taken into the Godhead, so to be unto us “both a sacrifice for sin, and also an ensample of godly life.” As the new federal Head of the human race; as the one, and only one, of the descendants of Adam in whom sin found no place, and whose obedience was perfect, “He is able to save to the uttermost all them that come to God by Him.” Thus is God Incarnate our great High Priest and only Saviour. “To this end was He born, and for this cause came He into the world,” {149b} and such is the mercy which we this day commemorate. By this, the Incarnation of the Eternal Son, is the cloud of thick darkness rolled aside; by this, as the first manifested step (so to say) in our redemption, is the veil lifted; by this, is hope revived; by this, joy spread; by this, is Satan defied; by this, and by the consequences to which it led and leads, is he conquered; by this, is the sting taken from death, and victory wrested from the grave; this, is peace made for man with God, and peace brought to man within himself; by this, is he enabled to please God, for by the death of the Son made Man was the purchase and gift of the Spirit, whereby alone he can be sanctified. By Him, then, (“the great God and our Saviour,” as St. Paul terms Him,) are “we