This Delay left room for many previous Passages and a preparative Dispensation which did help to introduce the Gospel with the more efficacy and glory Hence we have great confirmation of our Faith from many and plain Prophecies whereby we are enabled effectually to silence and shame both the Jewish and Heathen Adversaries of our Faith For none now can resist the force and clearness of the Evidence that ariseth thence but such who wilfully shut their Eyes and chuse Darkness rather than Light It is to the great advantage of the Gospel that it succeeds the burdensom Oeconomy of the Law the Pedagogy of which Discipline sets off the grace and sweetness of that Liberty with which Christ hath made us free But tho the Messias was not presently to appear yet the Providence of God so order'd it that almost every great Thing that hapned after the Fall should conduce to make up a more solemn Apparatus and Sacred Pomp as it were to Usher-forth the Great Bridegroom out of his Chamber and introduce him into the World The two first Notable Periods are from Mans banishment out of Paradise to the time of the Flood and from thence to the giving of the Law In the former Mankind had many sad Proofs and Experiences of the corruption of their own Natural Inclinations and consequently of the great Necessity of a Saviour Whilst Almighty God thus in times past suffer'd all Nations to walk in their own ways as St. Paul and Barnabas told the Men of Lystra he left not himself without Witness though they were without Excuse but sent unto them Enoch and Noah and other Preachers of Righteousness so that their Condemnation was most just and Death reigned from Adam unto Moses over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adams Transgression This was so Evangelical a Work that St. Peter according to a well grounded Interpretation of that somewhat obscure place seems to ascribe it to Christ himself who by the Spirit went and preached unto those that were disobedient when the Long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah Indeed Repentance and Mercy and pardon of Sins were the peculiar Conditions of the Gospel Therefore it was very fit that those gracious Indulgences should be tender'd to the World by the Author of the Gospel the Mediator of that Covenant even the Holy One of God But this bountiful Offer was obstinately rejected by that obdurate and irreclaimable Age. Upon this the Divine Justice proceeded to the long threatned Judgment opened the Floodgates of Heaven and showred down Vengeance on the Rebellious World in a Deluge of Waters as he will one day of Fire on unrepenting Sinners This was a serious and sad Period and must not pass without a new Intimation of a Saviour And accordingly we learn from St. Peter Pet. 3. 21. that the Ark floating on the surface of the Waters and so preserving Eight Persons from the Common Ruine was an early Type of Christian Baptism by which we are initiated into the Church signified by that Ark which contain'd in it all the Church God then had in the World He had destroyed the Enemies of this Little Flock by a mighty Ruine And so will it happen but more eminently and compleatly in the Antitype None will escape the All-devouring Gulph not of perishing Waters but of unquenchable Fire but those only that get into the Ark of God or at least put no wilful Obstacle or Bar against their admission thereinto This Parallel of the Ark and the Church together with the Doctrine that attends it runs through the Writings of many of the Ancient Fathers but I must not stay to trace it or to lament that so important a Point is no more consider'd than it seems to be in this Age. The next remarkable Adventure we meet with is that of Babel a fit Emblem and so received by the Church of what was afterwards transacted at Jerusalem For as God then by dividing the Languages of the daring Builders blasted the insolent Attempt of that Rebellious Crew so did He at the Feast of Pentecost by Cloven and Divided Tongues another wonderful multiplication of Languages baffle and confound the combined Opposition of Jews and Gentiles against himself and his Holy Child Jesus In the next place I may mention to you those two famous Types and Forerunners of Christ and the Christian Faith Melchisedek and Abraham One of which bore the express Character of our Saviour's Person and the Adventures of the Other together with those of his Family made up a long and large Exemplification of his Life and Doctrine Abraham desired to see the Day of the Messias and he saw it and was glad John 8. 56. Here then we have a Christmass in the Old Testament For Abraham saw this Day and kept it holy The Feast it seems rejoyc'd the Heart of that Great and Religious Prince He receiv'd an explicit Promise of the Messias Gen. 12. 3. 18. 18. 22. 18. and that more than once and had a Revelation made to him of the Gospel-state This was that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Apostle refers to Galat. 3. 8. when he tells us That the Scripture foreseeing that God would justifie the Heathen through Faith preached before the Gospel unto Abraham saying In thee shall all Nations be blessed Thus did Abraham become the Great Patriarch of the Christian Faith the Father of the Faithful an Honour not unworthy the Friend of God as he is stil'd by God himself The Types are still plainer as you descend lower As in Isaac his Son his only Son as he is stil'd the Son whom he loved the Son of the Promise born by Prophecy the Prediction of an Angel of a Womb that was dead as was that of Sarah then led to death with his Typical Cross on his back to be Sacrificed near the very place where his great Archetype our blessed Redeemer was afterwards actually Sacrificed upon the Cross The Day as well as your Patience would fail me if I should tell of Sarah and Hagar and the Twelve Patriarchs Indeed the whole succession of this Family seems designed for so many Types and Symbols of the Messias and the Gospel-state Jacob and Esau in the Womb and several Passages of their Lives signified that Great Event which was to come to pass in After-times that the Younger should be prefer'd before the Elder the Gentile should get the Blessing from the Jew the very thing we happily experience at this Day There was a famous Visit of Angels as they are stil'd made to Abraham long before this which I might have remembred to you of which One is universally concluded to be the Son of God even He of whom afterwards it is said Gen. 19. 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jehovah from Jehovah the Lord from the Lord rained upon Sodom and Gomorrha Brimstone and Fire out of Heaven And that Fire and Brimstone that Sodom and Gomorrha are Types sadly and certainly
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
it is most just for God so to do seems to be the main design of that so much disputed and mistaken Chapter the Ninth of the Epistle to the Romans But if God spared not the Natural branches on the like provocations most certainly he will not spare us And if they escaped not who refused him that spake on Earth much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaketh from Heaven The Promise was made unto Abraham and to his Seed not the Natural Seed of his Body but the Children of his Faith For they which are of the Faith the same are the Children of Abraham as we are told in this Chapter of my Text. And if we do the Works of Abraham then are we the Children of Abraham John 8. 39. according to the estimation of our Blessed Saviour who best could judge of such a matter It is greatly our concern then to clear up our Title to the Saviour of this Day which can no way be done but by the observation of his Laws the imitation of his Practice and walking worthy of him who hath called us with an holy Calling This is truly to keep Christmass the most Christian and to God the most acceptable way of celebrating the Nativity of our Lord. St. Paul does not only assure us Rom. 11. 4. that whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning but more particularly that the Punishments of the Jews were recorded 1 Cor. 10. 6. that they might be Examples to us nay that they hapned unto them for examples Ver. 11. and are written for our admonition Therefore that I may still use the words of that Apostle of the Gentiles Let not us tempt Christ as some of them also tempted and were destroyed 9. What can we imagine was the meaning of this Eternal Consultation of Heaven this operose Provision and almost unconceivable Condescension that was made to bring about this wondrous Day big and swell'd as it is with Miracles of Mercy We cannot conceive that God who never needlesly contradicts or discomposeth the Order that he himself hath establish'd in Nature would thus heap Wonder upon Wonder for mean and little purposes much less for any thing unbecoming the Purity and Perfection of his Nature He did not then descend from his Eternal Throne and step into the Womb of a poor Virgin become an impotent Infant and a Man as miserable as Earth and Hell could make him meerly that afterwards there might arise a Generation of Men who should be only stil'd Christians The Effect was to bear more proportion to the Cause The design of Heaven was upon our Natures not our Names God propos'd to himself the Salvation of our Souls and Tit. 2. 14. in order thereunto to redeem us from all iniquity and purisie to himself a People zealous of good works He took our Nature upon him that we might take his that is be made partakers of the Divine Nature and Eternal Glory For these great Purposes he liv'd and died for this he preach'd published and bequeath'd to the World the most perfect Precepts the most incomparable Example the most glorious Promises the most dreadful Threatnings together with all sort of the most inviting convincing and perswasive Arguments that the Wisdom Goodness and Power of Heaven could contrive and furnish out for the benefit of Mankind May we therefore all sincerely endeavour to cast away the Works of Darkness and put upon us the Armour of Light now in the time of this Mortal Life in which our Saviour came to visit us in great humility and let us purifie our selves even as he is pure that in the last day when he shall come again with power and great glory we may be made like unto him in his Eternal and Glorious Kingdom where he now liveth and reigneth with the Father and the Holy Ghost to which undivided and ever blessed Trinity be all Honour and Glory Power and Deminion now and for ever Amen FINIS