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A41726 A sermon preached before the King at White-Hall on Christmas-Day, 1684 Humfrey Gower ... Gower, Humphrey, 1638-1711. 1685 (1685) Wing G1459; ESTC R3870 19,094 36

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A SERMON Preached before the KING AT WHITE-HALL ON Christmass-Day 1684. By HVMFREY GOWER D. D. and Master of St. John's College in Cambridge Published by His Majesties special Command LONDON Printed by S. Roycrost for Robert Clavell at the Peacock at the West-end of St. Pauls Church-Yard 1685. GALAT. III. 21 22. Is the Law then against the Promises of God God forbid For if there had been a Law given which could have given life verily Righteousness should have been by the Law But the Scripture hath concluded all under Sin that the Promise by Faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe WE cannot more properly celebrate the Memory of the Incarnation of our Blessed Lord the Pious purpose of our present Assembling than by fixing our Meditations on the Nature Reason and Design of that most wonderful Undertaking and Condescension of the Son of God This is a sure way to sanctifie our Feast and make it truly an Holy-Day Not that we are to neglect the History The bare Narrative of the thing done affords very proper and useful entertainment for this Season It refreshes the Memory in all the mighty particulars of this stupendious Transaction and so helps to settle them firmer in the Mind it raises and warms the Fancy excites and quickens the Affections of the Soul all which have very considerable influence upon Practice This is to keep Holy-day too to listen with the Shepherds to the Glad-tydings of the bright Ambassadour of Heaven and the triumphant Melody of the Celestial Choir which assisted at that Solemnity then to accompany the Eastern Sages conducted by a Light held out from Heaven to behold the place where the infinite Infant lay to read the wondrous History of the New-born-Babe as it was fairly written long before his Birth in the Prophecies of the Old Testament concerning the Tribe the Family the Name the Place the Time and the Manner of the Nativity of Him who was God as well as Man All this is the work of the Day and you have done it often and the Church hath taken care by the Psalms and Lessons and other parts of the proper Service that it should never be quite omitted But there is still further and more lofty matter of Meditation in the Mercies and Mysteries of this Day A Day contriv'd from all Eternity prefigur'd from all Antiquity which the Fulness of Time produc'd which Holy Church and Holy Men in all Ages gladly commemorate which Angels gaze at with Ecstasie and Rapture and which both Men and Angels shall eternally celebrate with shouts of Joy and everlasting Hallelujah's Some part of this abounding Theme is presented to you by the words of my Text in which is contain'd this principal Proposition That the Law was but an Introduction or Dispensation preparatory to the Gospel and the Proof of it taken from the Insufficiency of the Law to effect what God mainly propos'd to himself the eternal Happiness of Mankind For if there had been a Law given which could have given life verily Righteousness should have been by the Law But the Scripture hath concluded all under Sin that the Promise by Faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe In the whole Argument as it lies in these words there are at least four Particulars or Propositions First That Man of himself has no Title to Immortal Life This is implyed and supposed because God contrives a way to render him fairly capable of being saved Secondly God sincerely desires the Life that is the Salvation of Men and has propos'd Means regularly to Accomplish it Thirdly This was not could not be by the Law of Moses But Fourthly By the Grace and Mercy exhibited to the World in Jesus Christ or in the words of the Text by the Promise which by Faith of Jesus Christ is given to them that believe As for the first of these It is very evident that we are naturally without any plea for Eternal Life The promise of Immortality was free unmerited Bounty even to our First Parents whilst they stood adorned with all the beauties of a spotless Innocence The longest life of Man all spent in most unblemished uniform Obedience to his Creators Laws could merit nothing at all much less the inestimable reward of Everlasting Glory Death indeed is as we are told Rom. 6. 23. the natural and dearly earn'd wages of Sin but Eternal Life is the gift of God The first and perfectest of our Kind could at the best be but an unprofitable Servant to the Infinite Master that he served Nay it was the peculiar Privilege and Happiness of his Nature that he was able to perform a steddy and perpetual Obedience to all his Creators Will. Therefore the Psalmist prays for more degrees of such Spiritual Power and pleads his being a Creature to move his Maker to bestow them on him Psal 119. 73. Thy hands have made me and fashioned me give me understanding that I may learn thy Commandments Man 's own Being the excellent endowments of his Nature his very Meat and Drink are liberal and abundant Wages for that Service which is naturally due from the Creature to the Creator and is as duly paid by all Man only excepted who yet is most obliged to it as enjoying great Advantages and even an Imperial Prerogative above all the rest as if for Him alone the whole Fabrick of Heaven and Earth had been produc'd Esai 48. 13. Mine hand hath laid the foundation of the Earth and my right hand hath spann'd the Heavens saith the Lord by his holy Prophet when I call unto them they stand up together Good reason sure that they should stand up and be at the Call of Him who gave them and supports them in their Being Frogs and Locusts and all Vermin come and go as they are commanded off and on by the Sovereign Word of their Almighty Maker The Ravens feed one Prophet a Lion tears another but hungry and ravenous as they were those Lions chose to fast and starye rather than hurt a third A Fish swallows up a fourth and then harmlesly restores him to Dry-land and all at the Command of God Judg. 5. 20. The Stars in their courses fight against Sisera Psal 148. 8. Fire and Hail Snow and Vapour and Stormy Wind are fulfilling his Word These and all things else rejoyce in his Commandment are ready upon Earth when need is Ecclus. 39. 31. and when their time is come they shall not transgress his Word c. But Man only Man like a pamper'd Rebel grown great and insolent by the abus'd Indulgence of his Prince boggled at the first and easiest Trial of his Obedience and proudly disdain'd to acknowledge any Lord over him But what if he does his best What has he of his own to offer to his God Who hath first given to him and it shall be recompenced unto him again Adam himself had nothing but what was given him why should he glory