lowed all the Christmas holidays to find it out; but, fhould any of the fruit in this garden of nuts be found too hard for your teeth, send them back to the huekster, 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 feafon, which are, "A merry Christmas," fpringing from Chrift 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 poffeffion of the bleffings of the new covenant; namely, a new heart, and a new spirit, and the use of new tongues; much fervice in the newness of the Spirit, and a happy walk in newness of life; many comfortable fips of the new wine of the kingdom, and many pledges, earnefts, and foretaftes 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 righteoufnefs. This is the wifh and earneft defire of, Dear friends, Yours in the everlasting covenant, W. HUNTINGTON, S.S. A RIDDLE. His name fhall be called Wonderful. Ifaiah ix. 6. THIS world had been ftanding upwards of three thousand years before Mary brought forth her firft-born fon. Luke ii. 7. And yet that fon was brought forth ages of endless date before this world was made: "The Lord poffeffed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. I was fet 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 fettled; 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 duft of the world." Prov. vii. 22-26. Thus he that was brought forth, and fet up from everlasting, was not brought forth till this world had been standing upwards of three thoufand years. His name fhall be called Wonderful. He was the fon of Adam, the son of Noah, the fon of Shem, the fon of Abraham, the son of Ifaac, the fon of Jacob, the fon of Judah, the fon of David, the son of Solomon, the son of Rehoboam, &c. &c. and the fon of Jofeph 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 fon, nor would he suffer himself to be fo called. "What think ye of Chrift, whose son is he? They fay unto him, The Son of David. How then doth David in fpirit call him Lord, faying, The Lord faid 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 fon?" Matt. xxii. 42-44. His name fhall be called Wonderful. There were thousands of millions born before, him; that is wonderful; and yet he was the first that ever was born: "Alfo I will make him, my first-born, higher than the kings of the earth: my mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant fhall ftand faft with him." Pfalm lxxxix. 27, 28. His name fhall be called Wonderful. As he had many fathers, fo it is as plain that he had many mothers: he was the fon of Eve, 6 the the fon of Sarah, the son of Rebekah, the fon of Leah, the fon of Rahab, the fon of Ruth, the fon of Zion, the son of Mary, and the son of all believers: "For whofoever fhall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the fame is my brother, and fifter, and mother." Matt. xii. 50. Thus he hath many fathers, and thousands of mothers—and yet "he is without father, and without mother," Heb, vii. 3. His name fhall be called Wonderful. According to the genealogies written by Matthew and Luke, his defcent is traced from Adam; he defcended likewife from God, and he defcended from heaven; and yet he defcended neither from God nor man, for "he is without defcent, and without pedigree." Heb. vii, 3. His name fhall be called Wonderful. Elijah raised a child from the dead, and Elifh raised another; and even a young man just buried, when he touched the bones of Elifha, came to life; Chrift raised the widow of Nain's fon and Lazarus; all which were raised before the death of Chrift, and yet he was the first that was ever raised-" He is the firft-begotten from the dead." Rev. i. 5. "He is the firft fruits of them that fleep." 1 Cor. xv. 20. trod the path of life from the tomb: "Thou wilt not leave my foul in hell; neither wilt thou And the firft that ever fuffer thine Holy One to fee corruption; thou wilt fhew me the path of life: in thy prefence is fulnefs of joy, and at thy right hand there are pleafures for evermore." Pfal. xvi. 10, 11, His name fhall be called Wonderful. When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he fet a compafs upon the face of the depth: when he established the clouds above: when he ftrengthened the fountains of the deep: when he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters fhould not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth: then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him; rejoicing in the habitable parts of his earth; and my delights were with the fons of men," Prov, viii. 27-31, And, though he thus rejoiced in the habitable parts of his earth, yet there was no part of his earth then inhabited; and, though his delights were then with the fons of men, yet there were no fons of men to delight in. His name fhall be called Wonderful. Jefus, our Immanuel, never lived nor exifted before he was born of Mary; and it is plain that he was but thirty-three years of age when he died, " he had neither beginning of days, nor and yet |