punishment to be inflicted. What is to be done? His mercy inclines him to spare-his honour requires satisfaction. If he inflict punishment on his subjects, he opposes the merciful disposition of his heart; if he forego all punishment, he forfeits the honour of his throne. In this dilemma he determines to substitute his son, his only son, dear to his heart, and heir to his throne, in the room of his rebellious subjects, and to inflict on him the punishment due to their crimes; and having satisfied his law by the punishment of his son, he publishes an act of grace in favour of all who are willing to receive it.

If the history of any nation could furnish an instance like this, how would the annals of the world ring with it. The name of the monarch figure of all goodness. Arts

would stand for the

and sciences would lavish all their treasures on the memory of his grace. The historian would record it in the most flowing style. The orator would exhaust his stores of eloquence on the wondrous theme. The poet would sing of it in

lofty sounding lays." The painter and the statuary would employ their skill to hand down a representation of it to the latest period of time. Nor would the world refrain from raising temples and altars in memory of goodness so great and free.

But the history of the world furnishes no instance like this. The case supposed, however, is a real case in reference to the Divine Being. Though he was a Sovereign, holy, just and good, yet this world, as a province of his vast empire, broke its allegiance to Him, and rose in rebellion against Him. The whole race of man, not one exempt, rose in arms against the Deity. All were alike obnoxious to his wrath and exposed to perish. But the bowels of the Deity yearned over rebellious man. He was inclined to spare ; but the honour of his government required satisfaction. Punishment was requisite, or his glory must suffer. Not on man, however, must vengeance fall. God determined to substitute in the room of his rebellious creatures, his onlybegotten Son, to inflict on him the punishment due to their sins, and thus, having satisfied his law and secured the honour of his throne, to publish a full and free pardon to all who desire it. This is the wondrous fact which the Scriptures were designed to reveal. "For God so loved the world, that He gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

In this proceeding of God there is a display of love which exeeds the grasp of mortal minds. Respecting the love of God we may say, as of

his greatness, "It is high as heaven, and what canst thou do? deeper than hell, what canst thou know? The measure thereof is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea." Here is a subject on which the historian, the orator, the poet, the painter, and the statuary may employ their powers; but below the merit of which they must infinitely fall. Here is a theme which engages the attention of angels, and which will engage the hearts and harps of the redeemed while immortality endures.

God displayed his love to the world in the gift of his Son, emphatically styled in Scripture "his only-begotten Son." The title "only-begotten Son" is full of important meaning. Fully to explain its import is impossible; but it certainly implies that the person given, is in nature and perfection one with the Father. That He was of infinite dignity and worth may be inferred from the language of Isaiah, " For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace:" from what the Apostle said respecting him, " And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only-begotten of the Father,) full of grace and

truth:" and from the fact that his introduction to the world was celebrated by angels; that his progress through the world was marked by stupendous miracles; and that his exit from the world so impressed nature, as to cause the earth to tremble, the rocks to rend, the dead to rise, and the sun to withdraw his beams.

God has given to his creatures of mankind various displays of his love. He has endowed them with suitable powers of mind and body. He supplies them with food to eat and raiment to wear. He causes the sun to shine and the rain to fall for their benefit. To subserve their interests, He has appointed the constant succession of day and night, and of the seasons of the year. He has also afforded them his word, his means, and his ministers, to assist and direct them in the way of eternal life. But all these expressions of love are thrown into the shade by the gift of his only-begotten Son. In comparison of this, other expressions of love are but as drops to the ocean, or as stars which hide their diminished heads before the rising sun. "In this was manifested the love of God towards us, because that God sent his only-begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him."

The salvation of man was God's good plea-
It would have afforded a fine display of

sure.

his love, had He given to effect his purpose, upon the supposition that his purpose could thereby have been effected, one of the most exalted of the human race-Abraham the friend of God. It would have afforded a greater display of his love, had He, on the same supposition, given to effect his purpose, one of the highest order of the angelic hosts-Gabriel the favourite seraph of the Most High. But, as he knew that his purpose could not be effected by man or angel, He displayed his wondrous grace by giving, not a man, but the Lord of men; not an angel, but the Lord of angels. He gave his only-begotten Son, who in point of dignity infinitely surpassed not only the most exalted of the human race, but the highest order of intelligences in heaven; his only-begotten Son, in comparison with the brightness of whose essence the sun is darkness, and whose worth calls the astonishing magnificence of unintelligent creation poor.

But the love of God to the world appears not only in the gift of his Son, but in the manner in which He gave him. He gave him freely. The freeness of a gift enhances its value, and more exalts the bounty of the donor. If God had been moved to the gift of his Son by any merit to be found in man, or by any entreaty on the part of man, or by any expectation of a suitable