Let us describe, next, who Christ was, and what were the consequences of his coming.  He is called in Scripture, “the Son of God;” and in some places, “God’s only Son;” which shows that there is no other being like unto him.  We know that a son, by his very birth, derives privileges from his father which belong to no other person; that he partakes of the same rank and inheritance with his father; and that he possesses also, in an especial manner, his father’s favor, and altogether differs from a stranger or a servant.  Christ, then, is to be considered, in all such senses as these, as the Son of God.  It is true, he is called also the Son of man, for he was born of a woman, namely, of the virgin Mary, and he took upon him our nature, dwelling on earth for thirty years.  We should take great care, however, that his appearance among us as a man, does not lead us to form any low and unworthy notions of him.

Suppose, now, that the son of a king was to travel, in the dress of a private subject, on some merciful and condescending errand to a distant and obscure part of his territory.  Surely it would be very ungenerous and ungrateful, if the poor villagers, whom he came to serve, were to deny to him the honors of a king’s son merely because they could not believe that so great a person could stoop so low as to come among them, especially if he brought proofs of his power and greatness along with him.

Just so, methinks, are all those persons ungenerous and ungrateful who refuse to Christ that divine honor which belongs to him, merely because he condescended to be made flesh and blood, and to dwell among us.  Let us, then, receive with simplicity and humility the scripture testimony concerning him.  It speaks of him in terms that are quite astonishing.  “His name,” says the prophet, foretelling his birth, “shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace; and the government shall be on his shoulders.”  The evangelist John tells us, that “the Word,” meaning Christ, “was with God”, and the “Word was God.”  “By him,” it is said in the Hebrews, “God made the world;” and again, “Let all the angels of God worship him.”  “All power hath been given him, both in heaven and earth,” and God “hath committed all judgment to the Son.”  “The hour also cometh when they that are in the graves shall hear the voice of the Son of man, and shall come forth:  they that have done good, to the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, to the resurrection of damnation.”

Such are a few of the expressions used in Scripture concerning Christ.  Let us learn from these to adore his divine Majesty, and trust his power, as well as to fear his wrath, and to account him able to fulfil all the purposes of his coming.

But let us next describe what these purposes were.  It may be said in general, that “it was for us men, and for our salvation, that he came down from heaven;” or, as the Scripture expresses it, “The Son of man came to seek and to save that which was lost, and to give his life a ransom for many.”