And does not this goodness of God towards man, teach you the great obligation of loving God, with all your heart, and with all your soul? For what could God do more for you than He has here done? Consider this mystery yet again you say that you believe it; but have you ever seriously reflected upon what you believe? Have you ever thought how infinite must the love of God be, in sending His only Son to be made man, to expose Him to all that is here contemptible, and after cruel torments, to die upon a cross; and all this that man might be saved, that sinful dust and ashes might be exalted to glory? And is there not in this, even in your poor manner of considering it, something wonderful, and worthy of your love? Blush then and be confounded at all your past ingratitude and insensibility, who having so much to love in God, yet love Him so little. If all the moments of your life had been employed in giving your heart to Him, it would have been much short of what is due. But now, having given Him so very few, or none, what can you say, but bewail your misery, and profess that you stand in need of all the mercy of your God? Make some amends however now; and fix this thought so deeply within your soul, that you may be no longer capable of this stupidity.

But what hopes are there of your loving Jesus, if you have no regard to those lessons, which He teaches you? He is Lord of Heaven and earth; and yet, renouncing all the state and magnificence of the world, see in what an humble manner He comes. He has all the treasures of the earth at command, and see how great is His poverty. He has all the legions of angels to wait His pleasure, and see how He is exposed to contempt. There is no place for Him in the town; the best accommodation is taken up by others; a stable is His palace, an ox and an ass are His attendants. All this is what He chose, as most agreeable to the work which He had undertaken, and most proper for giving a true idea of the things of this world to such as desire to be His followers. Not that He requires all to renounce riches, and all manner of state; but that He would not have Christians to value themselves by their possessions or attendants, or place their satisfaction or happiness in them, or love them, or think those contemptible who have them not. For if one pretends to be a follower of Christ, and admires that only which Christ contemned, and undervalues that which Christ chose, it is plain that such a one has only the name, without the spirit of a Christian.

Behold then the model before you, and be assured that Christ chose what was best for Him, and safest for you. And since you find in Him solitude, poverty, want of comforts, hardships, and a separation from the world; you cannot question but that all the happiness of a Christian may be found in these. Though they are not sanctified in themselves, they are still the ordinary way which leads to all those interior virtues, in which the spirit of Christ resides. And if, upon serious consideration of what you here behold in Him, you afterwards cast your eye upon yourself, and see there not only inclinations, but affections and practices kept up, encouraged, and followed, which are quite contrary to what you are here taught; if you are ever solicitous to please yourself, seek whatever delights, are bent on your own ease, love to be admired, labour to be great in the world, are impatient at the want of every convenience, unhappy when contemned, and the like, can you be at peace with yourselves, and think that you love your Lord? Ah, Christian! deceive not yourself; you cannot love Christ, and have such a dislike for what He does: you cannot truly love Him, and yet forsake His ways. Pretend not, therefore, to this love, unless you can show it in your life, as well as in your words: unless you can give proof of a mortified and humble heart, and are either really poor, or poor in spirit.

If you are in earnest, give new proof of it; for you have now the opportunity before you. At this time, the world calls upon you to join with it in many extravagancies. It pretends to rejoice indeed for the birth of a Redeemer; but in general its joy is such as would better suit a pagan festival, than the commemoration of the birth of Christ; there being scarcely any sort of excess, which has not authority and custom to give it credit. The cover of all this is, because it is the time of Christ's Nativity. It is true that there is great reason for Christians to rejoice at the yearly commemoration of so great a mercy; but still it ought to be with a Christian joy, in giving praise and adoration to the Author of this mercy: Glory be to God on high. And if more than ordinary relaxation be then allowed, ought not everything to be done with moderation, decency, innocence, and good order? Certainly, when we renew the memory of the greatest blessing, it ought to be the Christian's care to avoid every thing that can be displeasing to Him, from whose bounty they flow. It must be criminal ingratitude to be then most wicked, when they ought to be most religious; and can it be considered less than madness, to celebrate the mercy of our being Christians, with the licentiousness of heathens? And what is it else, when at this, above other times, we see such a gate opened to all kinds of intemperance, in gluttony, drunkenness, revelling, and gaming, and a variety of disorders as the natural consequence of these? Can this be esteemed a Christian joy, an acknowledgment of blessings, a thanksgiving for mercies? And yet you are pressed to take part in this. Here then let the trial be of what you have professed: let this determine which shall command, Christ or the world, in your soul. The world will not be wanting in suggesting motives to prevail: it will pretend moderation and good; and under this cover decoy you into all excess. But prepare now against it, and beg grace to stand your ground. Beseech your Redeemer to be your strength, offer your heart for His abode, invite Him from the manger; but see that your soul be prepared for such a guest. The ox and the ass offend Him not but if you have any beast, and brutal passion within you, remember that the stable is much the fittest place for you.