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of the New Teftament are apt to break out, and enlarge, when they are confidering or commending the myflery of redemption. One is, the glory of God, as it appears in it; the lustre of divine power, wisdom, and grace, which reigns through the whole. The fecond is, the unfpeakable intereft which we have in it, from the danger escaped on the one hand, and the exalted hopes to which we are raised by it, on the other. I cannot help putting you in mind, that these two things are fo infeparably joined, that none can forget or be infenfible of any one of them, without in reality despifing both. And as a view of the divine glory seems most immediately calculated to affift and continue a proper worshipping frame, I intend, that this fhall lead the way in our meditations on this occafion. The facrament of the Lord's fupper is called the Eucharift, or facrifice of praife; and therefore very fit for adoring contemplation.

The words which I have read are the conclufion of the apoftle Peter's account of the gradual unfolding of this great defign of Providence; and they contain a striking and extraor. dinary fentiment, That the angels themselves are filled with a holy curiofity to fearch into the my. stery of redemption. Few commentators have failed to observe, that the word here tranflated to look into, properly fignifies, to floop or bend down, and examine with the ftricteft attention. This, my brethren, gives us a very exalted view of the scheme of redemption, as a leading defign in the government of God, that thefe pure and exalted fpirits,

fpirits, not only adore it as a part of their creator's will, but that they are loft and swallowed up in the contemplation of it, and fee fuch a feries of wonders, as they are not able to comprehend. If this is fo, let us no longer poftpone the following reflection: How much more are we, the interested parties, called to adore and dwell on this mystery of love, on which our falvation from deserved wrath, and poffeffion of infinite felicity to all eternity is fufpended! I cannot find a more proper fubject for an introduction to the facred and folemn fervice of this day; and therefore I beg your attention, while I endeavour, in dependence on divine grace, to illuftrate the affertion in the text, by mentioning fome particulars in the mystery of redemption, which are probably the fubject of adoring inquiry, and perhaps holy astonishment, to those celeftial fpirits. Having done this, I will conclude with fome improvement of the subject, for affisting you in your prefent duty.

I. FIRST, then, we are to mention thofe circumstances in the mystery of redemption which are probably the fubject of adoring inquiry, or perhaps holy astonishment, to the angels of God. The angels, though they are exalted creatures, are yet plainly of limited capacity. There are many things of which they are ignorant: Matth. xxiv. 36. "But of that day and "hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of "heaven, but my Father only." And as their employment is to be meffengers and minifters of God, with fome inferior agency, in the conduct

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of his providence; fo it is not to be doubted that much of their happiness confifts in the contemplation of the nature and glory of God, as discovered in his works. They are reprefented in the book of Job as joyful witneffes of the creation and birth of this lower world: Job xxxviii. 6. 7. "Whereupon are the "foundations thereof faftened? or who laid "the corner-ftone thereof? when the morn"ing-ftars fang together, and all the fons of 66 God fhouted for joy." The ftate of the church is also represented as difcovering to them the divine wisdom : Eph. iii. 10. " To the in"tent that now unto the principalities and 66 powers in heavenly places might be known by "the church the manifold wisdom of God."

Let us therefore confider what circumstances in the mystery of redemption may be supposed to ftrike them most with astonishment and wonder. This we cannot do without finding our. felves greatly interefted, and called to the deepeft humility, and at the fame time the highest exercise of gratitude and love. And,

1. The first thing I fhall mention is the incarnation of the Son of God; the union of the divine and human nature, by the Word's being made flesh. This is indeed the first thing to be confidered, both in order and in rank. wonderful union indeed! Well might the apoftle fay, Tim. iii, 16, " Without contro"verfy, great is the mystery of godliness: God

was manifeft in the flesh, juftified in the Spirit, "feen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, "believed

"believed on in the world, received up into glo"ry." But what view muft the angels have of this event? thofe glorious and active beings, who are thus defcribed, Pfal. civ. 4. "Who ma"keth his angels fpirits, his ministers a fla"ming fire." Their knowledge of the nature of God, as a pure and immaculate fpirit, as the eternal, uncreated, felf-exiftent Father of fpirits, and of the Son, as one with the Father, who "thought it no robbery to be equal with "God," muft deeply aftonish them at this marvellous humiliation; that he should become one perfon with a creature, and that with a creature lower than themselves; for it is exprefsly faid, that he was made a little lower than the an"gels." How astonishing, that he who is the Lord of angels, and whofe distance from the highest of all created fpirits is not great only, but infinite, fhould become a man, by taking to himself a true body and a reasonable soul !

It is more than probable from our text, especially when compared with the context, and other paffages of fcripture, that this discovery was made to the angels only gradually, as it was to men. They could not but have intimations of God's purpose of mercy, which was begun and carried on immediately after the fall; this howver was done in a manner comparatively dark and obfcure. There have been indeed fome who seem to me to have gone a little beyond their depth; and who have fuppofed, that God difcovered to the angels, even before the creation of man, the fall, which he forefaw, and the method by

which he proposed to recover a chofen remnant, viz. the incarnation of his own Son; that the fuperior honour done to an inferior creature, stirred up the pride and envy of Lucifer, and his affociates; and that in this confifted their guilt and apoftafy, for which they were punished with an immediate banishment from the abodes of blifs, and are now reserved in chains under darkness to the day of judgement.

This at beft is but mere conjecture. It feems much more probable, that they learned the feveral parts of this great defign of mercy in their gradual accomplishment. It cannot indeed be doubted, that the angels who were concerned in the ministry of providence, must have known early of the intended redemption, and the redeemer. Yet when they are faid, as in the text, to look into the things preached in the go. fpel, it gives reafon to conclude, that the incarnation and fufferings of Christ was, with regard to them, as well as us, a mystery hid from ages and generations. Now, how could thofe holy angels who retained their integrity, but be filled with amazement at the depth of divine councils, when they faw themselves obliged to worship a man, to worship a feeble infant, born in a stable, and lying in a manger? when they found themselves charged with publishing the glad tidings? as in Luke ii. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. "And the angel faid unto them, Fear not: " for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which fhall be to all people. For unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a

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66 Saviour,