On the plains of Judea me thinks I hear The melting strains of the lonely shepherd's Midnight song, as it echoes among the hills And vales, and dies away in the distance. Its heavenly melody betokens A theme of joy such as the sons of earth Have seldom heard,--some heavenly theme as if The choirs of angels--mingling their music With the sons of earth, conspired to celebrate Some new event--some jubilee of rest-- Some grand release from servitude and woe. But see--ah see! the opening heavens around Them shine; a glorious train of angels bright, Ascending, fill the air:--it is indeed A more than mortal theme. But hark again-- Me thinks I understand the words,--they Celebrate the birth of king Messiah, The mighty prince who soon shall conquer death With all his legions, and reign triumphant Over all, as king of kings, and Lord of lords. Their chorus ends with peace on earth, good will To men. O monster death I now behold Thy conqueror! Jesus of Nazareth-- The babe of Bethlehem--the son of God. He comes to earth, and takes upon him flesh and blood,--even the seed of Abraham; and this for the express purpose of conquering sin and death, and restoring a lost and fallen world to its former perfection that it may be capable of eternal life and happiness. "As in Adam all die even so in Christ shall all be made alive." Now let the reader endeavour in particular to understand the precise object of the mission of Jesus Christ into our world; and what was to be accomplished by his death and resurrection. We have already endeavoured to show the effect of Adam's transgression in a physical as well as moral point of view; we have seen that sin materially affected the earth itself as well as all its animal and vegetable productions. Now the object of a Saviour to bleed and die as a sacrifice and atonement for sin, was not only to redeem man in a moral sense, from his lost and fallen state, but it was also to restore the physical world from all the effects of the fall; to purify the elements; and to present the earth in spotless purity before the throne of God, clothed in celestial glory, as a fit inheritance for the ransomed throng who are destined to inherit it in eternity. If the question be asked for what Christ died? the answer is, first, he died for all of Adam's race. Secondly, for all the animal and vegetable productions of the earth, as far as they were affected by the fall of man. The lion, the wolf; the leopard and the bear; and even the serpent, will finally feel and enjoy the effects of this great restoration, precisely in the same degree in which they were affected by the fall. Thirdly, Christ died for the earth itself, to redeem it from all the effects of the fall, that it might be cleansed from sin and have eternal life. Now this atonement which was made by Jesus Christ was universal, so far as it relates to the effects of Adam's transgression: and this without any conditions on the part of