that, “ The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib, but my people know not me, saith the Lord; and they do not consider” their obligations to me.

Sin, robbed man of his light and sight. You know what befell Samson when he was taken captive by his enemies; they put out his eyes: so when we fell into the enemies' hands, they put out our eyes, and all mankind have been born blind since that time. Again, sin has robbed us of our very life, and laid us among the congregation of the dead.-All mankind are a dead and putrefied company, “dead in frespasses and sins,” Eph. ii. 1.--And then, sin has robbed man of his liberty to any thing that is spiritually good; and ever since we have become captives to the devil, the world, and our lusts. Again, sin has robbed us of our wisdom, and brought us to prefer folly to the wisdom of God. Every man by naturę is playing the fool. Who but a fool would “spend his money upon that which is not bread, and his labour

load upon the earth, through the curse of God, that ever since the whole creation has been crying in pain, seeking deliverance from that dead weight that has been lying upon it. So that, I say, by the sin of man there is a robbery committed; there are goods stolen from God and man, and the good creatures of God.

III. The third thing proposed was, to make it appear that our glorious Immanuel, makes a restilution of what was taken away both from God and from man. He restores to God his due, and restores to man his loss.

And, 1. He makes restitution of glory to God, and that in the highest measure and degree, as was intimated by the angels, at the nativity of our Lord, Luke ii. 14. The first note of the song of the angels is, “Glory to God in the highest,” It is just as if they had said, Glory hath been taken away from God, by the sin of the first Adam and his posterity ; but now there is a higher revenue of glory to be brought in to the crown of heaven, than the whole creation in innocence could afford. Accordingly, our blessed Lord declares, when his work was finished, after he had gone through his course of humiliation, he comes to his Father, (John xvii. 4,) and he says, Now, Father, “I have glorified thee on the earth.” Observe the phraseology, for there is something remarkable in it: “ I have glorified thee on the earth :" the earth was the theatre of rebellion where God was affronted, his law violated, and his sovereignty contemned; but, says he, “ I have glorified thee on the earth," where thou wast dishonoured. I ought to go through all the perfections of God, that were fobscured] by the sin of man, and tell how Christ restores glory to every one of them.

He restores glory to the divine sovereignty, bowing his royal neck to take on the yoke of the law which we had broken. He was “made of a woman, and made under the law,” that he might magnify it, and so maintain the honour of the great Lawgiver.

He restores glory likewise to the divine wisdom ; for Christ himself

, in his person and mediation, is just “ the wisdom of God in a mystery,” even his “ hidden wisdom, the manifold wisdom of God. Oh sirs! never were the treasures of divine wisdom and knowledge so much expended as in the person and mediation of our Lord Jesus Christ.

And then, he restores glory likewise to the divine power ; for Christ is “ the power of God:” and when he went forth to the great work of man's redemption, he went forth armed with infinite power to manage it; therefore he is called "the arm of God, and the man of God's right hand, whom he hath made strong for” the purpose of his glory. How gloriously

was the power of God displayed, when he "came from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah, glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength;" spoiling principalities and powers, who had spoiled God of his glory, and man of all that was valuable to him!

He restores glory to the holiness of God. This attribute was injured by the sin of man, but its glory is restored by Christ; and there is such a brightness of divine holiness shines in the person and mediation of Christ, that when the angels look upon him, Is. vi., they are dazzled, they are overwhelmed, not being able to behold it, they cover themselves, and cry, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory."

man' was robbed of all that was valuable to him, either for time or eternity.

First, The human nature was debased by sin, and sunk below the beasts that perish. Well, but the Son of God comes and takes the human nature into a personal union with himself, and thereby exalts the human nature above the angelical nature: Heb. ii. 16: “ Verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham." And, chap. i. 5: “ Unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee?”. And see what follows, “When he bringeth in the first-begotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.” Thus the glory of the human nature is restored and advanced to a far higher pinnacle of glory and honour, than when it stood in the first Adam before his fall, adorned with all its embroideries, in a state of innocency. Osirs, look up and see your nature exalted, taken out of the dunghill, and set on the throne of God. The throne of God is called “ the throne of the Lamb,” because our nature is there in a personal union with the great God.

But this is not all: he not only restores the glory of the human nature; but, to all who believe in him, he restores to advantage all the losses we sustain, either by the sin of the first Adam, or our own personal transgression; as will appear by running over the particular losses mentioned upon the former head.

First, Then, Did sin- rob us of our sight and light, and leave us in darkness? Well, Christ makes a restitution of that; for he comes forth as the bright and morning star, to give light to the darkened world, which may make us all sing and say with Zacharias, Luke i. 78: “Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the day-spring from on high hath visited

." Psal. cxvili. 27-29: “God is the Lord whicho hath showed us light; bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar. Thou art my God, and I will praise thee; thou art my God, I will exalt thee, O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good : for his mercy endureth for ever."

Again, Has sin robbed us of life, and left us among the congregation of the dead? Christ makes restitution of that; for he is “ the resurrection and the life:” and having recovered life by his own death, John 'xiv. 19, he keeps it in his hand and heart, and binds up our life with his: "Because I live, ye shall live also. Our life is hid with Christ in God.”

Again, Did sin rob us of our liberty ? Christ makes restitution of that; he buys our liberty at the hand of justice, and then takes the executioner and binds him, and spoils him of

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his power over the poor captive; and having purchased liberty, he goes forth and "proclaims liberty to the captives, and the opening the prison-doors to them that are bound.”

Again, Did Satan and sin spoil us of our wisdom, insomuch that ever since we are infatuated, and, like fools, spend our money for that which is not bread, and our labour for that which profiteth not ?? Well, Christ restores wisdom to fools and babes; he is “made of God unto us wisdom ;” and when we are determined to come to him, he “makes us wiser than our teachers;" wise to know the mysteries of the kingdom that are hid from the wise and prudent of the world, and revealed unto babes :" “Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven," &c.

And then, again, Did sin spoil and rob us of our original righteousness? Christ makes restitution of that; for he himself is “the Lord our righteousness,” and," he was made sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

Did sin spoil us of the beautiful image of God? Christ makes restitution of that; for the very moment that a poor sinner looks to him with the eye of faith, he gets the print of the second Adam drawn again upon his soul, and it is by “ beholding his glory, that we are changed into the same image."

Did Satan and sin rob us of, and take away our health? Well, Christ comes to make restitution of that: for he is the Physician of value, and there is no disease so obstinate as is able to stand the virtue and healing power of this Physician; so that, if we perish with our diseases, we need not do it with that word in our mouth, “ Is there no balm in Gilead, and no physician there?

Did Satan spoil us of our peace? Well, Christ makes restitution of that; for " he is our peace.” Peace on earth was one of the articles of the angels' praise, “ Peace on earth, and good will towards men." Sin robbed us of our peace with God. Christ restores that ; for "God is in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself.” Did sin rob us of our peace of conscience ? Christ restores that; “ Peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you," &c.

Did sin kindle a fire of war and of strife betwixt man and man ?

Well, when Christ comes with the sceptre of his power,

he makes them “ beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks;" he makes the wolf dwell with the lamb, and the leopard lie down with the kid."

Did sin rob us of our ornaments ? Christ restores these; he makes the King's daughter all glorious within; he brings us a far better garment, even the garment of salvation, and a robe of righteousness to adorn us.

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