and watereth their soules with the dew of saluation To you therefore a Sauiour is borne Is borne An old prophesie here fulfilled To vs a Childe is borne to vs a Sonne is giuen Is borne words full of admiration words full of consolation Words full of admiration Christ to be borne of a Virgin without an earthly father a birth most admirable Thrée things especially reported are miraculous Christs Incarnation Christs Resurrection A Christians Regeneration And as they are words full of admiration so they are full of consolation for if we be wise and learned Christians we must know that the mercy of God could not saue vs vnlesse in euery respect his iustice were satisfied Now that his iustice might be satisfied man offending true man must satisfie in the same nature that God was wronged in the same nature must his Law be righted And Christ satisfied in humane nature both the command of the Law by his life and the curse of the Law by his death Christ therefore of necessity must bée borne of a woman and must bee like to man in euery thing sinne only excepted Now the proprieties of our humane nature are thrée Essention as Dimension Circumscription Termination Accidentall as Sanctification Resurrection-Glorification Naturall as Mortalitie infirmitie Iniquitie All these were in Christ Iesus only iniquitie set aside All such Heretikes are here refuted that deny the humane nature of Christ affirming his body to bee a phantastike body but for their paines I will allow them a phantastike saluation O miranda bonit as ô miranda humilitas Christi Oh the wonderful humility of the Lord IESUS that being eternall and without beginning would of a poore Virgin take flesh vnto him bee borne and haue a beginning Who being equall with GOD would take vpon him the forme of a seruant and bee found in the shape of a man blessed bee his goodnesse for this his loue to man for euermore Amen This day The Angel did not say This night though it was in the night for the shepherds were féeding their flockes by night but this day and the reason was quia laetam rem nunciabat because he deliuered ioyfull newes Hee saith this day Non pro qualitate temporis Sed pro qualitate rei Not for the qualitie of the time but for the qualitie of the thing So wee finde in the holy Scriptures when heauy reports are mentioned the night is named but when ioyfull tidings are told the day as Ambrose well noteth vpon the 22. of Luke Peters deniall was in the night But his confession was in the day The friendly comming to Abraham of the Angels was in the day at noone but their fearefull comming to Sodome was at night in the euening The foure Lepers going in their famine to the tents Aramiticall the Aramites being gone fearing Israels pursuit finding meat drink and gold and goodly refreshing called it a good day though indéed it was night This day said they is a day of good tidings That foole in the Gospel threatned with death had the night not the day accompanying his sorrowes Thou foole this night shall thy soule be taken from thee c. So here an Angel bringing swéet and ioyfull newes the day naturally being cheerefull and the night fearefull vseth the word Day not Night To you is borne this day c. As it is in the Corinths also Ecce nunc dies salutis Behold now the day of saluation Worthily called a day because then the true light was come into the world and turned the night of all feare into the day of all ioy and saluation In the Citie of Dauid which was Bethleem It is called the City of Dauid for two respects 1. for Distinction 2. for demonstration 1. For Distinction there were two Bethleems one in the Tribe of Zabulon Ios 19. 15. one in the Tribe of Iudah where Dauids father dwelt and where Dauid himselfe was borne So the Prophecie is fulfilled And thou Bethleem Ephratah that art little among the thousands of Iudah out of thee shall hee come that shall rule in Israel 2. For Demonstration To shew that hee should come of the séede of Dauid Hée was conceiued and liued in Nazareth but was borne in Bethleem Dauid Bethleem signifieth the house of Bread the Bread of life is borne in the house of Bread not in a Palace there but his house was a thorow-fare and his bed a cratch This makes not onely for the Iewes refutation that would not receiue him though the Prophets thus rightly had pointed him out but sheweth also both the truth of all Prophecies concerning Christ and the Lords faithfulnesse in their performance A Sauiour which is Christ theLord A Sauiour Oh heauenly word whose worth and comfort passe all expression A Sauiour not a temporary but an euerlasting Redéemer and there is no Sauiour besides this Sauiour as the Prophet speaketh Here is another swéet Prophecie fulfilled Behold your God will come and saue you He saues vs from sinnes guilt and punishment and that by his imputatiue passions Hee saues vs from sins regiment and that by grace deriued vpon vs for out of his fulnesse we receiue grace for grace And by his imputatiue holinesse he presents vs spotlesse to life and glorie euerlasting Christ that is Anointed For the worke of our Redemption Iesus was anointed into a triple Office to be a King a type whereof was Solomon to be a Prophet a type whereof was Dauid to bee a Priest a type whereof was Melchisedech Melchisedech not Aaron Aaron a Priest but not a King Dauid a King but not a Priest Melchisedech both King and Priest therefore a notable type of Iesus Anointed to bee a King to rule his Elect and protect them Anointed to be a Prophet to teach his Elect and direct them Anointed to be a Priest to ransome his Elect and redeeme them If Christ bee thy Christ as King then the Deuill reignes not in thee but Christ If Christ bee thy Christ as Prophet then his Word not thy will is the rule and square of all thine actions If Christ be thy Christ as Priest then thine affections are slaine concerning sinne and thy whole man sacrificed to God Our Lord. Lord a name of power giuing to God his essence and being shewing that the Lord hath his being from none but from himselfe alone as all thinges else haue their beings from him for in him wee liue and moue and haue our being Here is his Deity described and here is another sweet prophecie fulfilled Behold a Virgin shall conceiue and beare a Sonne and his Name shall bee called Immanuel that is God with vs. God with man conioyned A necessary and as happy a coniunction Our blessed Sauiour must not only be Man but also God and that for two causes 1. To ouercome and deliuer his humanity from death and misery 2. To dignitie and make
meritorious whatsoeuer act done in his humanitie for the saluation of his Elect This title of dignity is giuen our Sauiour by Dauid The Lord said to my Lord sit thou at my right hand vntill I make thine enemies thy footstoole And by Thomas Thou art my Lord and my God Christ is our Lord by Power Purchase Hee hath bought vs with his owne bloud and therefore called Dominus Deus Dominus Electorum The Lord of the Elect. A comfort and honour to all true Christians that we haue so able so omnipotent a Sauior Against those vile Heretikes that mocke vs for making account of saluation by a crucified man If he be our Lord where is then his feare Mal. 1. 6. Many would haue him their Iesus but few will endure him their Lord. The Lord giue vs to follow him in piety in patience in grace in crosse that so wee may bee admitted to follow him in ioy glory euerlasting Now this Iesus this Christ this Lord knocketh at the doore of our hearts let vs not shut him out with the Bethleemites nor bid him packe out of our countrey with the Gadarens but be ye open ye euerlasting doores that this King of glory may come in that you hauing admitted his heauenly counsels into your consciences in this life hee may one day intertaine you all into his Fathers mansions of glory hereafter and that for the alone merits of the same our Lord Iesus to whom with the Father and Holy Spirit be returned all Glory and Power Praise and Dominion this day and for euermore Amen A PRAYER for a blessing vpon this Sermon MOST holy and heauenly LORD GOD for as much as thou hast taught vs from thy holy and heauenly Word that Paul may plant Apollos water yet all in vaine vnlesse thy grace bee annexed thereunto good Lord therefore we most humbly beseech thee in the Lord Iesus to blesse this portion of thy holy Word to euery soule of vs making it the sauour of life to saluation to euery of vs and to none of vs the sauour of death to damnation now if wee reverence thy Word delight in thy Word and make it the rule and square of all our actions then it is the sauour of life to heauen but if we remaine in wilful ignorance notwithstanding thy Word if we preferre the corrupt counsels of our vaine hearts aboue the sacred commands of thy Word then is it the witnesse of death to damnation therefore wee beseech thee giue vs thy grace that wee may follow not our owne waies or our owne wills for the end of this way will be death but grant that wee may follow the motions of thy blessed Spirit and the doctrines of thy holy Word from this time forth for euermore into all truth O Lord God we most heartily blesse thy heauenly Name for that thou hast appointed thine holy and heauenly Angels to guard vs safeguard vs attend vs defend vs from the malice mischief of men and deuils especially O God of all goodnes we thank thee for the gift of the Lord Iesus the only hope help of our saluation had not Christ Iesus assumed ou mature and satisfied for vs thy Iustice wee had all beene euerlastingly condemned ten thousand times blessed be thy holy name for that thou hast thus visited and redeemed thy people Now good Father seeing none are saued by the Lord Iesus but such as beleeue on his Name and walke after his Spirit we pray thee then giue vs grace to embrace him with the armes of our soules that we may receiue out of his fulnesse grace for grace for to so many as thus receiue him giues hee power priuiledge prerogatiue to be called and to be thy sonnes O God And as we are thus hopefully and happily redeemed by the bloud of Christ Iesus so grant wee may consider the end of this our redemption which is to serue him in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our liues As we are called and professed Christians so grant wee may euermore walke worthy of this glorious Name and title Lord make vs carefull to imitate this immaculate Lamb in whom was found no guile that we may follow him in innocency piety humility patience obedience temperance loue that it may be our greatest glory our neerest resemblance of him that we following him in holines in this life may bee admitted to follow him in euerlasting happinesse in the world to come The marke most gratious Lord God of the sheepe of Christ is to follow Christ making the holy life doctrine of the Lord Iesus the only paterne of all our actions therefore keepe vs holy Father from profanenes pride worldlines drunkennes fornication and all manner of vngodlinesse though wee be in the world yet grant wee may not be of the world but let our thoughts words actions euermore bee holy and heauenly Thus good Lord giue vs thy might of grace against sin that Satan may not deceiue vs nor corruption besmeere vs but beautifie vs with the graces of thy holy Spirit that thy name and Gospel may be honoured many things among vs by our holy examples conuerted the mouthes of the wicked stopped and in the end the soules and bodies of vs all euerlastingly saued and that for the alone merits of thy deare Son our blessed Sauiour and Redeemer Iesus Christ blessed for euer To whom with thee holy Father and thine al-glorious Spirit bee all glory and thanksgiuing ascribed and returned heartily and throughly now and for euer more Amen FINIS Mat. 3. 17. Iohn 1 2â— Iohn 1. 33. Mat. 2. 9. I. Hebr. 1. â— Gen. 19. 13 Mat. 9. 11. Luk 22. 43 Obser Psal 91. 12 Psal 8. 4. 2 Kings 2 Gen. 3. 14. Gen. 19. 24 2 Sam. 14. 16. Act. 12. 23. Gen. 40. Mat. 14. 6. 10. Ier. 20. 14. Iob 3. 3. 6. Obser Vse 1. Vse 2. Phil. 4. 7. Mat. 17. 2 Cor. â— Reu. 2 13. Iob Iohn 16. 3 Luk. 1. 14. Gen. 22. 18 Luke 2. 34 Mat. 2. 3. 1 Cor. 1 23 Iohn 1. Reuel 5. 9 Vse Luke 1. 2 Obser Vse Ioh. 20. 8. Obser 1. Cor. â— 30. Obser Obser Mal. 4. Iob 28. II. Esay 9. 6. Obser Vse 1. Vse 2. Phil. 2. 7. III. Mark 14. Iohn 21. Gen. 18. Gen. 19. 2 King 7. 9 Luke 12. 2 Cor. 6. â— IV. Mich. 5. 2. Ioh. 7. 4. â— Luke 2. 7. V Hos 13. 4 Esay 35. â— Iohn 1â— Acts Esay 7. 14 Psal 110. 1 Ioh 20. 28. Vse 1. Vse 2.
newes of the Birth of the Lord Iesus Behold I bring you good tidings c. The point of this part office of Angels is the last Verse of the first Chapter to the Hebrewes Angels are ministring Spirits sent forth to minister for their sakes that are and shall be heires of saluation And this their office they haue most frequently performed witnesse the fore-named places of Scripture and many other places also As an Angell bade Eliah flye from Iezabei and an Angell here brings excellent newes from Heauen of the Birth of a Sauiour Behold I bring c. That Angels are present with vs it is plaine by that of Saint Paul to the Corinths Let the women be couered because of the Angels The Angels behold the behauiour of man and woman in the Congregation in the worship of God If therefore women should be shorne as man to whom God hath giuen the hotter and stronger braine it would be a confusion of Sexes and a great displeasure to the Angels Againe the office and presence of Angels is séene in this A man taketh his Horse and trauelleth him his Horse falleth vpon him no bone broken how commeth this to passe By the prouidence of God in the watch of Angels This first sheweth the rare mercy of God to mortall miserable sinners that he will vouchsafe such high and heauenly instruments to attend vs in our out goings in commings that we dash not our foot against a stone Lord what is man that thus thou shouldest regard him or what is the best of the sonnes of men that thus in mercy thou shouldest visit him Secondly here note the prerogatiue of the children of God though they be in base estéem of the reprobate worldlings yet they are great in the fauour of the most high yea the heauenly Angels are appointed of God their waiting men as for the wicked it is not so with them but the black guard of Hell dogs them here to sinne hereafter to sinke them to perdition Thirdly here is matter of consolation to the people of God though man and deuill bee against vs wée néed not bee afraid the Angels of God shall fight our battels for vs as in Eighty Eight and as Elisha told his seruant vpon the host of Angels perceiued Feare not for there are more with vs than are or can bee against vs. The second thing obserueable in this merry message is the message it selfe wherein I note 1. The matter Ioy. 2. The measure Great Behold I bring you good tydings of great ioy First Ioy. This Angel brings not a brandisht sword as once against Adam This Angel brings not burning fire as once against Sodome This Angel brings not consuming pestilence as once against Dauid This Angell brings not sudden death as once against Herod But this Angel brings tidings of ioy and of great ioy that shall bee to all people Oh blessed day is Christs Birth-day the blessedst day that euer came a day of glad tidings a day of great ioy that shall be to all people O blessed bee the wombe that bare this Babe and the Paps that gaue this Babe sucke for this blessed Birth day of Christ Iesus brings Ioy and nothing but Ioy to all people Pharaohs banquetting birth-day yéelded much sorrow for then hee hanged vp his chiefe Baker Herods banquetting birth-day yéelded much sorrow for then he cut off Iohn Baptists head Ieremy though an holy man cried out of his birth-day Maledictus dies c. Cursed be the day wherein I was borne and let not the day of my birth be blessed Iob though a iust man cried out of his birth-day Pereat dies in quo natus sum c. Let the day perish wherein I was borne and let it not be ioyned to the dayes of the yeere But Christs Birth day brings ioy great ioy and nothing but ioy to all people And as ioy in Christs Birth is here by an Angell proclaimed so let vs know that we can haue no peace with God no ioy in soule no hope of blisse but in through and from this Lord Iesus Had not CHRIST come and assumed our nature what should haue become of vs oh we had béene all euerlastingly condemned Let vs therefore reioyce in the Lord alway againe let vs reioyce let our soules magnifie the Lord let our spirits reioyce in Christ our Sauiour Let vs kéepe this Feast with ioy and thanksgiuing lauding the Lord for his swéet Christ not with reuell rout gaming and prophanenesse knowing that Christ came not to make vs prophane or libertines but to sanctifie our natures and saue our soules that wee should serue him in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our life Againe if it be such ioy to sée Christ poore néedy and lying in a cratch oh what ioy shall it be to sée him in glorie triumphant in Heauen at the right hand of the Father This ioy who can comprehend this ioy the Lord vouchsafe vs all when wee shall bid these our mortall corps farewell Secondly as ioy so great ioy doth Christs Birth afford 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 you tydings of great ioy Hâ—◠〈◊〉 nato properanit gaudia tellus coelestis risit sedes gestijt orbis Great ioy Ioy in Heauen ioy on earth ioy to Angels ioy to men ioy to Iew ioy to Gentile ioy to rich ioy to poore Behold I bring you tydings of great ioy Great ioy Quia caeteris praefuturum Quia multos consolaturum Quia perpetuô duraturum Great for the excellency great for the vniuersality great for the sempiternity Behold I bring you tidings of great ioy First Great for the excellencie So excellent is this ioy as it passeth all vndeâ—standing So excellent is this ioy as it rauisht Peter on the mount So excellent is this ioy as it euen filled Paul with consolation So excellent is this ioy as if it be perfected in vs I know not what it should bee but life euerlasting great therefore is this ioy Secondly Great for the vniuersality It reacheth to all times past present and to come to all people Iewes Grecians Romans French English to Moses in flags to Ioseph in Egypt to Daniel in Babylon to Iob in Huz to Simeon in Ierusalem to the Canaanite in Sidon to some in Rome vnder the Popes nose for the Church of God dwelleth where the throne of Satan is great therefore is this ioy Thirdly Great for the sempiternitie The ioy of hypocrites and worldlings is short and momentanie it droops in aduersitie and droops in death as Iob speaketh They reioyce in the sound of Organs and suddenly goe downe to Hell But this ioy is permanent and lasting it stands in aduersity and mounts to perfection in death This your ioy no man nor deuill shall take from you for as the world cannot giue it so the world cannot take it away great therefore is this ioy so great as it cannot