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forth in the order and beauty of the illimitable whole, sometimes can be felt in the mild luxuriance of a goodness that embraces in its care every living thing, and fills every thinking being with awe, admiration, and joy. But to-day, to-day, we celebrate a revelation of God, which comes to us and to our race nearer and in an altogether peculiar form; which has immediate regard to the improvement of our character, the most important of all benefits to every one; which cannot present itself to our view without causing us to feel the dignity of our natures, and to regard them with reverence and admiration, for God, God is manifested in the flesh.

"What a thought, my brethren, God is manifested in the flesh! The birth of Jesus, the Son of the highest, which we call to remembrance in these days, is a device by which God chose to be more fully known to us, by which he chose to accommodate himself to our weakness, to come into the most intimate connection with us, and open the way for us to attain the highest perfection. Let us not long hesitate in regard to the aspect in which we shall now look at this momentous event. Can anything be more worthy of our attention than the idea, that the birth of Jesus is a new, plain, unspeakably useful revelation of God to our race? Yea, let this be the theme which shall occupy our thoughts to-day and to-morrow. I propose to show that among all the revelations of God, the incarnation of his Son is the most desirable for us in our state of weakness. But how much is here to be considered, to be explained, to be proved! Let us, therefore, my hearers, divide our contemplations. I will to-day confirm this statement by the fact, that the humanity of Christ imparts the greatest light to our understandings; and tomorrow, if it please God, I will show that it also gives the greatest power to our hearts. Yet before we proceed further, let us draw near to him who became a man, like unto us, that he may make known unto us the Father, and conduct us to the Father, and with united veneration let us ask for his aid and blessing in silent prayer." Text, Luke 2; 1-14, the lesson of the day, which, having been read in the devotional service, is here repeated.

Having used the word Revelation in the statement of his theme, the preacher now defines it, dividing it into two kinds; ordinary, i. e. that by the works of nature, and extraordinary, i. e. that by special messengers; and subdividing this latter into two species; the one, given by created messengers, as angels, prophets; the other, given by an uncreated messenger, the God-man. After this unduly prolonged explanation, he subdivides his theme in the following regular and balanced manner:

First Head. Among all the revelations of God the incarnation of his son is the most desirable for us in our state of weakness, because it imparts the greatest light to our understandings.

A. It gives the most completeness to our religious knowledge; for

a. It enlarges our view of God's nature; the Son dwelleth in him. b. It vivifies our ideas of his feelings; he condescends to our low

estate.

c. It liberalizes our conceptions of his purposes; he designs to "give us all things."

B. It gives the greatest certainty to our religious knowledge; for a. It confirms every right judgment of our reason; we are pleased to find our individual deductions corroborated by the great

teacher.

b. It gives to us an eye-witness of the truth; and in our weakness as abstract reasoners, we are relieved by the testimony of one who speaks what he doth know.

c. It satisfactorily solves many difficulties, which had previously discomposed us; for some questions cannot be answered by natural religion.

C. It gives the greatest perspicuity to our religious knowledge; for a. It leads in the shortest way to the truth; the testimony of Jesus contains succinctly all needful doctrine.

b. It teaches truth in plain language; Christ not only instructs us by actions but by words, as a father his children.

c. It presents to us a visible image of the perfect infinite one; whoso hath seen Christ hath seen the Father also.

At the commencement of his second sermon on this theme, the preacher recapitulates the Subdivisions of the first, adds an earnest prayer, introduces a new text, Luke 2: 15-20, (the pericope requiring him to do so, at whatever expense to the unity of his discourses,) and then makes a neat transition to his

Second Head. The incarnation of Christ is, of all God's revelations, the most desirable for us in our state of weakness, because it gives the greatest power to our hearts.

A. It inspires them with a living confidence in God; for

a. It is the greatest proof of his condescension to our weakness; were it not for this visible evidence, we should not feel emboldened to believe in his willingness to dwell with us.

b. It is the most affecting pledge of his tender paternal love; it shows the oneness of our own nature with his, and the dependence of our hearts on his fatherly care.

B. It inspires our hearts with an earnest love to the good; for

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Discourse on the Incarnation.

329 a. It, more than all other causes, shows us the infinite worth of virtue; as something to be revered for its own excellence, and to be connected with eternal glory.

b. It, more than all other causes, illustrates the capacities of our nature for moral goodness; the shepherds found the Saviour as small as other infants, but he developed the capacities of the human spirit so as to encourage us in aiming at high attainments in virtue.

C. It inspires our hearts with animating consolations in trouble; for a. It shows that a wise government is exercised over all the events of our life; the sufferings of Christ afford an example of the benevolence of God in afflicting his children. b. It shows us that the events which we experience are expressly designed for our good. "Father of us all, who hast here subjected us to so much weakness, ah! this assurance, this assurance we most deeply need." After describing the manner in which Christ has sanctified the path of our affliction, he exclaims, "Blessed be to us, therefore, blessed be to us, thou rough, toilsome pathway through the dust! The footsteps of the Son of God have distinguished thee; thou hast been moistened with his blood. Canst thou conduct us elsewhere than to him? Oh! with silent resignation, with steadfast, manly firmness, will we pursue thee, so long as our Father commands. We know, from the example of our Redeemer, how thou endest; what a victory awaiteth the faithful ones who follow the Son of God."

D. It inspires our heart with a joyful hope; for,

a. It promises a happy future for our race on earth; the design of the atonement to bless all men will not be lost.

b. It promises a blessed eternity to the children of God.

"Fa

ther, Father of us all! Oh, how hast thou unveiled before our eyes thy glory; that glory of which we could not endure the brightness, because we are dust! How considerate of our frailty, how mild, how condescending hast thou been in the manifestation of thyself! How highly hast thou distinguished us among thy creatures! What feelings, what designs, what immeasurable kindness hast thou made known unto us. Oh,

1 Notwithstanding all the consecutiveness of Reinhard's style, it abounds with such abrupt apostrophes as the above. He sometimes, rarely however, indulges in those exclamations, so common among the French preachers, which border on profaneness; thus: "For, Oh, my God! how much pains do all men take to appear better than they are."-Predigten, herausgegeben von Hacker, B. IV. s. 262.

since he hath appeared, the Day-spring from on high, our earthly darkness hath been transformed into a bright day. Through Him hast thou changed our trembling into confidence, and doubt into certainty, our fear into hope. With the thankfulness, with the emotion, with the trustful sentiment of happy children, do we this day cast ourselves down before thee and send up our prayer. Our great leader whom thou hast sent to us, and who already hath gone before us, him do we follow unto thee, O Father, and to thy glory. We all follow him with joy and with him shall we one day go to thee, O Father, and to thy glory. Amen."

But although Reinhard's style is distinguished for the vital warmth which permeates its compact organization, this is not its most distinguishing trait. Let us, therefore, attend to the

§ 8. Fitness of his sermons to excite the curiosity of hearers or readers.

Their tendency to arouse the inquisitiveness of men comes, in part, from the novelty of their subject-matter; in part, also, from the ingenuity with which they are arranged; from the original, quaint, often paradoxical and questionable expressions in which many of their ideas are clothed; from the rapidity and vehemence with which their thoughts hasten after each other. His fondness for startling phrases, especially in his Propositions, is well illustrated in one of his sermons preached on Reminiscere Sunday, from Matt. 15: 21-28,1 of which the following is a meagre abstract.

No one can fail to notice that the last years of our Saviour's residence upon earth were filled up with beneficence, his days crowded with care, even his nights often spent in supplication. Common men, thus actively employed, are apt to overstep the mark and do too much; but with his amazing activity was combined an equally wonderful selfcommand, a considerate temperance, an occasional, judicious abstinence from that which was expected of him. He retired from the multitude when they were most interested in him; he did nothing in self-defence when his enemies seized him. A woman of Canaan cries to him for help; he answers her not a word. His disciples entreat him to send her away;2 he refuses. She again beseeches him

Predigten, 1800, Band I. ss. 210-228.

2 On the Reminiscence Sunday of 1788, Reinhard founded his discourse on the request of the disciples to be freed from this troublesome woman, and derived from it the following Proposition: The custom of doing good for the sake of avoiding personal uneasiness.

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in piteous tones; he replies to her severely, but does not grant her request, and thus at the right time discharges the duty of doing nothing. The result of his inaction was, that he called forth such noble feelings from the woman, as justified him in subsequently doing something for her. It is often difficult to regulate the impulses of our nature so as, on fitting occasions, to abstain from a course of action in itself desirable. The object of the present sermon is to show that a Christian exhibits true philanthropy in so tempering his spirit as, at the proper time, to do nothing.

First, let us consider what this duty of doing nothing implies.

A. It occasionally implies that we seem to be ignorant of the concerns of others. Their welfare sometimes depends upon their supposing that we do not know their state. It is useful for them to mortify their pride by communicating to us their necessities, and if they think that we are already apprized of their humiliating condition, they will not break down their pride in speaking to us concerning it. By officiousness, then, on our part, and appearing to know what it were useful for them to make known, we deprive them of some opportunities for self-discipline.

B. This duty implies that we seem to be doing nothing in reference to the concerns of others; that we seem to have no design of aiding them. An apparent indifference, on our part, to the state of those who desire our help, may sometimes fortify their moral principle. A man is often benefited by a favor which we confer upon him, if he is not aware of our agency in the deed; as he is often enervated by supposing that we stand ready to aid him. In order to promote his self-dependence, his resolution and energy, we must for a season appear either ignorant of his condition, or, as our Saviour in the text, indisposed to relieve him.

C. This duty often implies not only that we appear to do nothing, but that, at the proper times, we actually do nothing; that we leave a necessitous man to himself, and thus elicit his force of character. But, secondly, let us consider in what cases it is the dictate of philanthropy to do nothing, in the sense above explained.

A. In the education of the young, it is a frequent duty to refuse aid and compel the learner to work his own way into the truth. a) Whenever we find that our assistance makes him indolent, more disposed to rely on us than on his own effort, we should do nothing for him. Many a parent spoils his children by doing, himself, the work which he ought to require of them. So in moral education, whenever we discover that the youth does not cultivate his own conscience, but sluggishly waits for our instructions, warnings, reprimands, we may

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