то MR. AND MRS. DAVIDSON, POSTERN ROW, TOWER HILL. Beloved in God, grace and peace be multiplied to you through our Lord Jesus Christ. TIME IME has been when I could have sung a Christmas carol at your door; but the bellows which used to fill the pipes are much decayed by being much used, on which account I have been obliged for many years to lay by the melody of my songs, as Israel of old did of their viols; and, being incapable of producing these fruits of the lip, I here send you a Christmas offering, which is the fruit. both of the head and of the heart. They came promiscuously into my mind, and sweetly employed my thoughts as they came; and, though apparent contradictions in themselves, yet I brought them all into harmony through the anointing of the Holy One; nor was a little delighted while my mind was engaged in them. I call it a riddle upon ALL IN ALL, and you are allowed all the Christmas holidays to find it out; but should any of the fruit in this garden of nuts be found too hard for your teeth, send them back to the huckster, and he promises to lend you the use of his crackers. Accept of this as my Christmas-box, and take in good part the additions; I mean the compliments of the season, which are, 'A merry Christmas,' springing from Christ formed in the heart the hope of glory; for a merry heart doth good like a medicine, and he that hath a merry heart hath a continual feast. 'I wish you a happy new year,' and full possession of the blessings of the new covenant; namely, a new heart, and a new spirit, and the use of new tongues; much service in the newness of the Spirit, and a happy walk in newness of life; many comfortable sips of the new wine of the kingdom, and many pledges, earnests, and foretastes of those new enjoyments which are promised by the new thing to the new-born heirs of promise, in the new heaven and the new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. This is the wish and earnest desire of, Dear friends, Yours in the everlasting covenant, W. H. S. S. A RIDDLE. "His name shall be called Wonderful." Isaiah ix. 6. THIS World had been standing upwards of three thousand years before Mary brought forth her firstborn Son, Luke ii. 7. And yet that Son was brought forth ages of endless date before this world was made; "The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. When there were no depths, I was brought forth: when there were no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled; before the hills was I brought forth while as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world." Thus he that was brought forth and set up from everlasting, was not brought forth till this world had been standing upwards of three thousand years. "His name shall be called Wonderful." He was the son of Adam, the son of Noah, the son of Shem, the son of Abraham, the son of Isaac, the son of Jacob, the son of Judah, the son of David, the son of Solomon, the son of Rehoboam, &c. &c. and the son of Joseph the husband of Mary, and has been known and called the Son of Man from age to age; and yet he is no man's son, nor would he suffer himself to be so called. "What think ye of Christ, whose son is he? They say unto him, The son of David. How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand till I make thine enemies thy footstool. If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?" Matt. xxii. 42-44. "His name shall be called Wonderful." There were thousands of millions born before him; that is wonderful; and yet he was the first that ever was born: "Also I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth: my mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him," Psalm lxxxix. 27, 28. "His name shall be called Wonderful." As he had many fathers, so it is as plain that he had many mothers: he was the son of Eve, the son of Sarah, the son of Rebekah, the son of Leah, |