present another preacheth a third man standing by readeth heere is no order but confusion and God is not the God of confusion Let all things in the Church be done decently and in order Thus haue you seene Christ our Lorde entering into the Temple in deuotion and in zeale correcting the abuses that hee found there Teaching them withall the right vse of the Temple and what exercises of holines the place requireth that so they might not come together to condemnation Let it be considered what is sayd and the Lord giue vs vnderstanding in all thinges that hauing attained in some measure to the fulnesse of knowledge that is in Christ Iesus and beeing stablished in euery good worke and word our fruite may be holines and our end euerlasting life Let vs pray the spirit of Grace to enter into the temples of our harts and thence to purge and cast out all corruptions whatsoeuer To God onely wise our Sauiour be rendred all honor glory praise with thanksgiuing now and euer Amen ⧠The history of our Lords Birth ¶ A Sermon preached by the Authour at Shrewsburie vpon Christ his day MATH 2. 1. 2. When Iesus then was borne in Bethleem in Iudea in the dayes of Herod the King behold there came Wise men from the East to Ierusalem saying Where is hee that is borne King of the Iewes For wee haue seene his star in the East are come to worship him TWo principall motiues or reasons beloued in our Lord induced me to make choise of this Text. One vvas the occasion of our meeting at this time which is to solemnize keep in memorie the Natiuity of our Lord Sauiour Christ Iesus The other the great necessity of the doctrine in these wordes contained For they deliuer vnto vs the history full discourse of Christes Incarnation beeing one principall branch in the misterie of our Redemption So you see how both text time our meeting matter or cause of our meeting all conspire together and are alike sutable There shoulde be no matter of greater force to draw men together than this vvee haue nowe in hand for it is able to furnish vs with all necessary knowledge like the roule that Ezechiell tooke from the Angell which wheÌ„ he had eaten it filled both Ezch 3 belly and bowels hee straightwayes began to prophecy We liue not in those times wherein vve may offer rich presents vnto Christ like the Wisemen nor can wee nowe poynt at the bodily presence of Christ as Iohn did not can we feast him in our houses as Zacheus did nor can we embrace him in our armes as once Symeon did when hee came by inspiration into the Temple Christ nowe looketh not for these curtesies nor can we performe theÌ„ if we would But this and all this we do when we come to heare Christ preached vnto vs when we open our harts to entertaine the worde as Lydia did and when wee embrace with alacritie and cheerfulnesse the doctrine of Christ And as I haue told you one capitall branch of this doctrine is this concerning his natiuitie Men are carefull very diligent in calculating theyr owne byrth-dayes and theyr childrens natiuities for a more certaine account they kalender them vp to the end they may not be forgotten and thys they â—may doe for reason requireth it law alloweth it and ciuility commends the same But a thousand times more careful ought we to be both Prince prophet people to kalender and keepe in memory the natiuitie of our Lord Sauiour conscience â—inforceth it custome calls for it and vvhich is most of all Christâ—â—â—â—â—e commaunds it For vnto this name and to no other vnder heauen are we baptized Of Christ wee are called Christians We are his schollers his seruaunts his disciples and therefore very careful should we be to honour our Lord Maister in keeping holy his day For as Christ in earth sought nothing but the glory onely of his Father so his father now in heauen seekes nothing but the glory of his sonne And as the same sonne beeing here on earth humbly debased himselfe as a seruaunt vnder all men to obey his Fathers will so hath it pleased God his Father againe to exalt him not onely to surmount the glorie of all Princes and Potentates whatsoeuer but also with such power maiestie hath he aduaunced him that euen the very knowledge and beleese of his glorious Name is able to giue euerlasting life to all sinners be they neuer so greeuously burdened or laden whosoeuer will come vnto him to seeke any refreshing So proued by his oâ—n testimony in the 6. of Iohn verse 40. Thy is the will of him that sent mee that euery maâ— that beleeueth in him should haue euerlasting life and I will raise him vp at the last day Haue not wee great reason then to remember this day of Christ a day as Saint Augustine calls it of all dayes the beginning of all daies the beginning of eternitie to the beleeuers Hee was borne to make vs rich hee vvas layd in a stall euen among beastes to exalâ— vs to the company of Angels Hee was borne an exile a banished person from the cradle driuen to flie into Egypt as Moses did to Mydian to the end he might make vs free Vt Moses in vluas Hee came from heauen to the earth to the end hee might dravve vs from earth to heauen Hee tooke vppon him a naturall â—ody to make vs heauenly bodies He was made flesh to make vs spirits he was made the sonne of man to make vs the â—onnes of God To as many as receiued him â—o them gaue hee power that they might be the â—onnes of God Great reason haue wee then â—o remember him that did all this for vs. And this much shall briefely suffice to â—tirre vp your mindes to a carefull contemâ—lation of Christ and his glory Now let vs â—eare S. Mathew speaking When Iesus then was borne at Bethleem c. For the increase of our fayth and for an â—ndoubted certaintie heere is layd downe â—he true story of Christes birth with cirâ—umstances thereunto belonging The maner of our Lords birth is at large â—eliuered by this our Euangelist in the forâ—er chap afore my Text beginning at the 8. verse The other circumstances runne â—eere in these wordes as first The place â—here he was born In Bethleem 2. When â—n the dayes of Herod 3. Who came first to â—im The wise men 4. How did they know â—ee was borne or howe were they directed â—â— finde him They were guided by a starre 5. To what end came they to him Iâ— worship him This day and time was foretolde by the Prophets commended to men by Angels and celebâ—ated by the godly Fathers of the Church Esay long before the comming of Chrâ—â—â— prophecied saying Loe a virgine shall â—â—â—ceaue Esay 7 and beare a sonne and they shall 〈◊〉 name Emanuell And againe Vnto vs a â—â—â— Esay 9 is
things but thys is a reason beyond reason by no humaine reason to be comprized The hautie Astronomers that walke among the starres that send vp their typtoecoÌ„ceits beyond the clowdes as if they were the onely commaunders of the world and could measure the heauens with a span as they seeme to shut vp all in one globe let them trace it no more vpon the pinacles of planetary influences If they can be so humble as to walk with vs heere beneath vpon this earth the seely Cratch in Bethleem where our Lorde lay and the wombe of a virgin trauailing with the most glorious person of the worlde Christ Iesus at whose feete Kings Emperours must cast downe theyr crownes as before the chiefe and supreme King King of Kings and all Kings glory heere may they sinde I say matter enough to occupie theyr wits and senses withall and here they may rather contemplate thys Comet thys blazing starre as in vvhose presence the greatest starre Sunne Moone and all doe lose theyr light Here they may rather wonder at his so strange comming into the worlde as his Disciples wondered at his going out of the world vpoÌ„ his ascending We all acknowledge this loue of God in that he gaue vs his sonne to be borne for vs but where is that serious consideration where is that Isaac aâ—ong vs that will goe out into the fieldes to meditate of this so excellent a benefit S. Paule counted this world but dung in respect of the excellent knowledge of Christ yet with many nowe adaies dunge it selfe the basest thing is preferred before the deerest thing For what is siluer and gold the mammon of this world which the wicked doe so highly magnifie but very earth and vile dung This time wherin we celebrate our lords natiuity we make it a time of feasting and a time of merrie-making and tyme of reioycing but I feare too too fewe there are that reioyce that Christ was as at this tyme borne for them If thys true reioycing were planted in vs it would cut off much vanity and much reioycing in euill It would make vs fall into this holy parlee and angelicall conference Hath God performed this great worke for me and shall I be vnthankfull Shall I forget him that testified so great so vnspeakable kindnes for mee in not disdaining to take my flesh and nature vppon him to be borne for me to die for me to shed his hart blood for mee and to sustaine intollerable torments for mee which I should haue vndergone And all to the end I should lyue and not die If one man should die for another here were demonstration of great loue but in that Christ our Lord would die for vs beeing the sonne the onely sonne of God the brightnes of glory farre superior to the Angels this is yet greater loue such loue as no tongue nor pen can amplifie Expresse it we cannot rather wee may wonder at it and exclaime like Paule O the riches of Gods grace Was borne Heere we must also learne the obedience of Christ our Lord and his humility As it was loue in God the Father that sent forth Christ into the world so it was obedience in Christ the Sonne of God that brought him and presented him vnto the world God would haue him come and it was his will to come for so testifieth he of him selfe Loe I come to doe thy will ò God Hebr. 10. O that we could possibly pactise the like holy obedience that when by the motion of Gods Spyrit working in vs and calling vpon vs to doe any good thing wee might be ready to aunswere We are come to do thy will This was euer in Christ but it is sildome or neuer in vs As the Father hath Ioh 9 29. sent me so I doe alwayes the thinges that please him His humilitie is likewise testified in â—aking our flesh vpon him in beeing borne for vs and in deâ—ecting himselfe to sustaine in his glorious body our infirmities For it pleased him to become in all things like vnto vs sinne onely excepted Great was this humilitie it must beare downe our pride it must teach vs to bee humble and meeke if wee will passe from earth to heauen whether hee is now ascended Abraham bowed himselfe to the Angels to shew that there is no way to come neere vnto God or to the resemblance of Christ but by humility All do gape after honour as Eue thought to be equall with GOD her Maker shee would be higher then shee was and shee would needes from Paradice mount vp to heauen before her time But because she sought it by pride therefore by pride she lost both the one and the other heauen and Eden till Christ regayned them by his humilitie Humilitie is the first step to honour as pride is to basenes and therefore saith Saâ—omon Pride goeth before destruction and an â—igh minde before the fall Pryde before and shame behinde as â—ewys the French-King spake both pithily and pleasantly When pryde is on the horseâ—acke then is shame on the crooper Our Sauiour in the eyghteene of Mark chaulking the way that leades vnto honor saith He that humbleth himselfe shall be exalted but the proud he checketh when he saith thus Hee that exalts himselfe shall be brought low As heere we find humilitie in Christ so may we find it in all the holy men before since Christ Ioseph though he were the greatest Potentate in Egypt yet confessed he was but a shepheards sonne and this he vttered being Gen 46. in the ruffe and prime of his honour Yet Ioseph knew right well that the name of a sheep-keeper was odious to the Egyptians Moses is registred to be the meekest man vpon the earth Dauid beeing instaled into the kingdome humbly acknowledgeth his beginning Thou tookest Dauid when hee followed the Ewes great with young His honour made him not forget his peâ—gree That Prince who spake mildly humbly to Eliah was not consumed so if 〈◊〉 will not be consumed with the fire of Goâ— wrath we must be humble Saint Basill speaking of the creation 〈◊〉 man saith Cur accepit Deus 〈◊〉 Why did God take the dust of the earâ—â— Câ—m 〈◊〉 audis cur elâ—uaris Why should dust and ashes be proud then Surely neyther honour noâ— riches nâ—â— friendes nor apparrell nor ought else if â— the glory of the world were heaped vppâ— vs it should not make vs proude If theâ— mightest weare â—oth of gold remembeâ— couers but a â—oule â—â—rkaâ—â—e dust ashes Of all sorts of proude men they are â—o be most condemned that are proude of theâ— apparrell as if they should glory in thâ—â— shame for apparrell was made to coueâ— our shame When Adâ—â— had sinned and so knew thâ—â— hee was naked presently hee made himselfe breeches of â—â—g-leaues So sinne and shame were the first Taylors that shaped Adams garments The humble and proude are both noted â—â— Scripture by theyr diuersitie of apparell Iohn is noted
waâ—ed in a carefull consideration mâ—â—â— needes work mightily in the chyldren of God and driue them to acknowledge with S. Iohn in this place That â—eereâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 indeede These first words in the Text how bare and naked so euer they may seeme at the first front or blush do carry in them matter of moment they must run in our mouthes if we sound them rightly and significantlie with a kinde of Emphasis Thus if you require to know the loue of God why heere you may learne it Saint Iohn tels you that heeâ—e-in was the loue of God made manifest in that he sent his sonne c. You are bought with a price saith the Apostle the words make but a bare shewe but they are very significant as if hee shoulde haue sayd A price with a witnes So heerein is loue that is a loue vvith a witnes For God so loued vs that he spared not his onely Sonne but gaue him for vs all to death Him that knewe no sinne God made to be sinne for vs that we should be made the righteousnes of God by him It is not possible for vs to expresse the greatnes of this loue of God in this behalfe for it is infinite it is as great as God is great whose glory filleth the world the heauens the earth and the creatures No man can vnderstand this loue but they that haue the beneâ—â—â—e of it I meane the redeemed of the lord as no man could learne the Elders newe song â—uâ— the 〈◊〉 forty foure thousand which were brought from the earth Reuel 14. This loue of God we all doe behold like the brightnes of the Sunne whose fierie beames and christall rayes proceeding as from the Father of all lights passe forth to the ends of the world But where be they that in beholding this loue of God this sunne-bright cleerenesse of Gods rich grace will bee ready with the Wise-men to present vnto God all holie vvorshyp Where is the rich thankfulnes aunswerable to this rich grace VVee read of â—enne Lepers that vvere clensed and of the tenne but one returned to giue thanks So we are all clensed by the bloode of Christ but scarce one of ten returnes to giue thankes to him that clensed him thereby to testifie our dutifull affection to Christ as Christ testified his to vs in laying downe his life for the many sealing vp remission of sinnes by his blood The sicke is cured but he hath forgotten the Physition that cured him The diseased is deliuered and the mortall wounde is salued but the Patient now become a whole man remembers neyther his sore nor yet the Physition Heerein is loue not that we loued God Saint Iohn in speaking of this loue doth not presently acquaint vs with the particularitie of this loue but hee first suspendeth the matter the rather to drawe from vs attention and carefulnes Before I proceede to tell you what thys loue is I will first tell you what it is not A thing that is sought for being presently found is no longer thought on and so if the Apostle should vppon the sudden discouer to vs this so great a mistery of Gods loue it would be but lightly regarded Therefore hee offers it and yet drawes it backe againe and then presents it againe stil offering and yet with-holding to make vs the rather long after it with a more eager and feruent affection Like children in this respect vvho the more they be denyed of that they woulde haue the more they cry do neuer leaue crying till it be giuen them Not that we loued God The loue I meane sayth Saint Iohn is not the loue that you meane It is not vaine loue nor selfe-loue nor carnall loue nor the loue of the worlde nor the loue of honours nor the loue of pleasures nor the loue of riches it is none of all these for this is our loue but I am to tell you of Gods loue It was not loue in vs but in God was this loue that caused Christ to come vnto the world Nay there was in vs no loue at all the contrary was in vs euen hatred and enmitie therfore it is sayd cum hostes essemus And therefore well might the Apostle make this conclusion against vs not that we loued God And wee our selues doe iustifie the truth therof in our selues for we know that we loue our lusts and our vanities and the world more then God Adams corruption hath trans-fused it selfe into Adams children euen all his posteritie God had giuen him all the kingdoms of the earth and placed him in Paradice this worlds heauen heere God exhibited plentifull testimony of his loue but Adam could shewe forth no loue to God for this so prooued by his wilful disobedience The taste of one Apple made hym forget both himselfe and God his Maker And haue not our pleasures the same soueraigntie ouer vs. Iudas solde his Maister for thirtie pence he loued his mony better then his Maister and many Mammonites now whose cares are vppon theyr coffers and whose mindes are vppon the bagge as Iudas was if they would not be corrupted with mony to betray Christ yet they could be contented to betray the members of Christ theyr brethren and neighbours for fewer shekels of filuer then Delilah tooke from the Princes of the Philistims No man would willingly be leprous yet many worldlings that are carried away with the loue of riches could be coÌ„tented to buy a leprofie with lesse then two bags of siluer 2. Reg. 5. as Gehazie did Esau as hee had an earthly name so vvas he earthly minded his prophanenes is laid open to all eyes where it is registred of him that hee solde his birth-right for a messe of pottage And he is no lesse infamous for so dooing then hee that burnt Dianas Temple at Ephesus or that Tyrant who harped Nâ—â—o at Romes flames That Esau is long agoe dissolued into earth and dust but out of his ashes others like him are risen vp like Cadmus brood and the same prophannes that was in Esau is growne vp with them Many Edomites liue now that can be content to sell a better patrimonie then he did euen their spirituall inhearitance which they should haue in Christ and all for the transitory pleasures of this life To be short we should loue God onelie principally before all things We should loue God more theÌ„ our parents our countrey our friends our selues c. Hee that loueth Father or mother or sister or brother or wife or â—hyldren or kinsfolkes more then mee saith our Sauiour Christ is not woorthy to be my disciple This ought to be but wee cannot yet apply our selues to this loue which Christ doth here so necessarily require We are all like Demas loth to part with the world like the young rich man in the gospel who was vnwilling to leaue his possessions he loued his vvealth better than Christ And therefore vvhen Christ bad him folow him he chose rather to folow the
borne and vnto vs a child is giuen And in the ninth of Damel the very moment of time wherein Christ should come is sâ—gniâ—ied by Gaâ—riell Seuenty weekes saâ—â— Dan 9 2â— he are determiâ—ed vpon the people and 〈◊〉 the â—oly Câ—â—ty to finish the wickednes 〈◊〉 seale vp the sinnes and to reconâ—ile iniquiâ—â—â—â— to brinâ— in euerlâ—sting righteousnes to sâ—â— vp vision and propheâ—ie to annoynt theâ—â—holie To make vp the harmonie Micah poâ—teth to the very place vvhere our Loâ—â— should be borne And thou Bethleem Mica 5 2. little to bee among the thouâ—andes of Iuâ—â—â— yet out of thee shall â—ee come that must rule â—â—raell To produce proofes in so cleere a â—â—â—â—er were to poynt to the sunne being alreaâ—ie mounted to Zenith where it is perâ—ect day The legall the ceremoniall historical â—ropheticall Scriptures all prefigured Christ to come Christes own testimony agreeing to this â—earch the Scriptures for they testifie of mee Ioh 5 39 And againe Had ye belâ—eued Moses ye would â—lso haue beleeued me for Moses wrote of me Semen mulieris contret caput serpâ—ntis And â—â—â—thy seede shall all the nations of the â—arth be â—lessed Of this day and time Iacob prophecied â—lmost two thousand yeeres aâ—ore Christ â—hat he should come in the fulnes of time The scepter shall not depart from Iudah nor a â—aw-giuer from betweene his feete vntill Shiâ—oh come and the peoplâ— shall be gathered vnto â—im He shall binde his Assâ—-foâ—le vnto the vine â—nd his Aâ—â—es colt vnto the bâ—st â—â—â—e The Lord Goâ— will raiâ—e vp a Prophet from Deut 18. â—mong you out of your brethren vnto â—â—â— yee â—hall barken But all this is but to light a candle at â—oone day For wee all from the â—â—â—â— to the suckling from the gray head to the tenâ—â—â— babe all are trayned vp in this doctrine we receiue it from an autentique truth We all professe it and beleeue it that Christ â— at this time tooke our nature vpon him became flesh for our sakes and therefore â— will be the more sparing in amplifying thâ—â— point VVere it so that I were to speake before Infidels or before an vnbeleeuing sort â—â— Iewes vvhich are not yet resolued thâ—â— Christ is come because the vaile is not â—â— taken from them and theyr harts are hardned that they cannot beleeue the Scriptures then had I neede to produce all the testimonies that might be founde for confirmation of this doctrine and gayning â—â— them to the sayth And yet all this notwithstanding vvoâ—â—â— hardly preuaile since it appeares by Christes owne testimonie of theÌ„ that they â—â—â—â— giuen ouer to a repâ—obate sence Seeing â—â—â— shall see and not perceiue and hearing you 〈◊〉 heare and not vnderstand For had they not beene altogether hardned and solde to infidelitie so many scriptures and prophecies of Christ all which â—hey daily read in their Sinagogues would haue forced them to acknowledge Christ whom yet they denie VVee would haue thought that if wee had beene then liuing in that age of theyrs when Christ was borne among them conuersed with them wrought so many miracles before them vvee could not haue been so faithlesse All the chiefest Iewes both Priestes and Scribes beeing asked where Christ should be borne aunswered thus At Bethlehem in Iudâ—a Yea and they alleage this pregnant place out of the Prophets For it is written Thou Bethlem c. And againe which condemneth them further in the 7. of Iohn 42. Sayth not the Scripture that Christ shall come of the seed of Dauid out of the Towne of Bethleem Yet though they knew all this wheÌ„ Christ came among them they denied him so do they gore themselues in their owne sides â—ike the Baalites The reason vvhy the Euangelist so precisely layeth downe these circumstances of the manner time and place vvith other occurrences of our Sauiour Christ his birth is for that hee would take away all distrustfulnes and also to verifie the former prophecies of Christ that when it came to passe wee might acknowledge the truth therof since it fell out in the same sort time and place as was so long before fore-told Well let vs especially remember to giue God thanks for this grace giuen vs that we are not faithlesse like the Iewes who to this houre resist the truth in vngodlines Or like Thomas the Apostle that would in no wise beleeue till hee had put his fingers into the print of the nayles But wee not seeing doe beleeue and can say with an vndoubted testimony Thou art our Lord our God And a special blessing followeth this our faith for our Sauiour iustifies it Thou hast seene and beleeuest 〈◊〉 Iohn 20. say blessed are they that haue not seene â—â— haue beleeued When Iesus then was borne Here we are to learne the mercy of God in sending his sonne to the worlde for ouâ— good onely which mercy of GOD made S. Iohn exclaime with a rauishing kinde of admiration So God loued the world that hee sent his only begotten sonne into the world 〈◊〉 â—re might liue through him And in the tenth verse Heerein is loue in that God loued vs first and sent his sonne to be â—a reconciliation c. And in the 17. verse he makes the same repeticion in substance still expressing the mercy and loue of God This was so melodious a note in his eares when he strooke vpon loue that as a byrde beeing taught to record doth double and treble one and the same thing often so doth Iohn vpon this loue of God as if hee could neuer part from it So God 〈◊〉 the word And heerein appeared the 〈◊〉 of God And God loued vs first c. Iohn could no more part with this loue then Elisha could with Ehah â—â— the whirlewinde deuided them A Father of the Church 〈◊〉 vpon this loue of God saith that the 〈◊〉 â—n of the world and after that the creation of man did not argue a greater 〈◊〉 in God that this In giuing vs his Son to be borne for vs. All the other workes of God as the making of the heauens the 〈◊〉 and the creatures haue in them matter enough of admiration but this one surmounteth all the rest beeing as Nazianzen speaketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a worke that passeth all admiration they may wonder at this that wonder at nothing besides at this loue of God in sending his sonne to be borne for vs after such a supernaturall maner to be borne of a virgine to translate him from the heauens to the earth God and the Sonne of God whom the heauens nor the heauen of heauens could containe nowe to be included in so narrow a roome as the wombe of a Virgine They that passed by Hazaels corpes stoode still and wondered here may we rather wonder at a liuing body Let the foolish Philosophers henceforth burne their bookes as the Ephesians did their vaine bookes they build al vpon reason Acts 19. vpon the causes of
world to bee borne for vs and heere Saint Iohn in his Epistle commends vnto vs the like loue of God in sending his sonne into the world to die for vs. Iohn was hee of the Apostles who alone with a speciall appellation is termed the disciple of the Lord and the disciple whom Iesus loued whom our Lorde also seemed to carry as it were in his owne bosome Christ his Lorde for louing him must needes drawe like loue and like affection from him towards Christ And to expresse thys loue as if hee were wholy compounded of loue thys beloued Disciple soundeth nothing else almost throughout his Epistle but thys loue vvee speake of The loue of GOD towardes vs our loue againe towards God Gods loue first and ours after all is loue And therefore thys Text may well bee called The Louers Canticle For the Apostle begins the Text with loue and continues and endes the same with loue making loue as it were the burden of his song Heere-in is loue in that GOD loued vs and sent his sonne to reconcile vs Beloued if God so loued vs wee ought also to loue one anâ—ther All you that haue beene foolishly deuoted to fond loue that haue ill spent manie good howres in powring out your passionate complaynts in a vaine vaine of humorous conceytednesse haue taken great paynes to penne loues Poems idle toyes of adle-heads hence-foorth suspende both penne and poeme cast them from you as the Israelites hanged theyr harpes vpon the willowes Tyme that tryeth all thinges and is the mother of Truth can well assuâ—e you with infallible demonstrations that such lasciuious loue or rather such lawlesse lust vvill but leade you to vanitie and vanitie vvill seale vp iniquitie And so beeing bereaued of all grace and godlinesse you become in a moment vtterlie irreligious If you must and vvill needes loue if you haue made it your profession to bee amorous heere is loue euen that true loue that other to this is but an Idoll like Dagon to the Arke this loue how simply tyred sâ—euer is able to drawe all haâ—ts-con-ceits In eternizing her praises if so bee you make her the Mistres of your affections you shall sinde matter enough to vvorke vpon This loue calls vppon you as the cheefe commaunder of all your actions and the onely supreme Soueraigne vnto vvhich your tongues and pennes shoulde sacrifice theyr well-bestowed labours Heerein is loue c. VVhere-vnto shall I liken this loue of GOD This holy loue is like a golden chaine that by an inseparable vnion linketh together God and vs like Dauid aad Ionathan yoaked together by an inuiolable leagne of amitie VVhere-vnto againe may I liken thys loue It is like to Iacobs ladder which reached from the earth to the heauens on the Gene 28. which were Angels descending and ascending God himselfe slanding aboue vppon the top of it Yet once more to what shall I liken this loue or where-vnto may it bee compared It is like to the golden Censer in the hande of the Angell before the Altar which Censer was full of sweete odours the smoake whereof did ascend vp before God out of the Angels hand And it was a sweete sauour in Gods nosâ—rils for God accepted it so wee reade in the 8. of the Renel Now iâ— we will bee accepted with God we must vse this incense Loue must be the golden Censer of vvellsmelling odours to bee carried vp to the Lord and to be presented beâ—ore the Altar and before the throane by the ministery of the Angell that is Christ the holiest of all holies who alone shall be accepted for vs for that he alone hath reconciled vs. Iacobs ladder reached vp to heauen and this must be our ladder if we will learn like the Angels to ascend vp where God is A chaine consists of many linkes and all are fastned in so sure one in another that they cannot be sundred or deuided and he that drawes but the one linke drawes vnto him all the whole chaine Thys chavne is loue and we must of necessity be possest of this chayne if wee will haue to doe vvith god For God is not but where is vnitie this chayne is vnitie for vvhat is a chayne but many linkes in one First one link then another then a third to that and after that another and so the chayne is perfited Nay there is such a mutuall relation betweene GOD and vs if thys loue bee in vs whereof wee speake that wee can in no sort separate the one from the other no not in intellectu not so much as in conceit as the Schoole-men terme it The Apostle Saint Iohn proouing the same where he sayth GOD is loue and hee that dwelleth in loue dwelleth in God God in him c. Thys loue is two-sold consisting of two parts The loue of God towards vs and our loue to one another VVee ought first to consider of Gods loue and then to descend to our selues making a patterne first of his loue towards vs and out of it to frame a like loue in our selues one to another God goeth before vs in the example of thys loue and we must follow after as neere as wee can in practizing the like loue among our selues Heerein is loue The principall proposition handled by the Apostle in thys place is the generall doctrine of Christ who was sent foorth from the bosome of his Father vnto the vvorld to reconcile vs by the vertue of his death which doctrine is grounded vppon these arguments for strength like a brazen vvall against which sathan and the power of hell cannot preuaile The first argument is drawne from the mercie or loue of God in these vvordes Heerein is loue The second from his will beeing a speciall effect of his loue in these words And sent his sonne c. Many properties and attributes are in GOD vvhich it behooueth vs especially to take notice of First hee is omnipotent prooued by his Creation Wise by his daily gubernation Iust in his promises Mercifull for hee spareth sinners Louing to all for hee calleth all and is carefull for all But specially for the elect who do heare when he calleth His lone is heere iustified for that hee sent his sonne to the world that so many as beleeued might haue life euerlasting The fountaine of all graces is loue which drewe from him a greater worke then the Creation of the world euen the vvork of our Redemption a matter of so great mysterie that it caused all the Prophets from Adam the sonne of God to Iohn Baptist the sonne of Zacharie in all times and ages to speake and write of this superabundant grace and rich good will long before the foundations of the world determined but in the fulnesse of time reuealed vnto vs by the comming of his Sonne by whom wee â—â—he 1. 7. haue redemption through his blood euen the forgiuenes of our sinnes according to his rich grace This exceeding loue of GOD beeing deepely
into the world for then was the world redeemed from her olde silence Then began the true sonne of righteousnes to appeare who alone was able to expell all the clowdy mists of ignorance What greater ioy can be then for the prisoner to heare of liberty the sicke of his health the sinner of his saluation In the comming of Christ it is to be obserued that God sent his Angel he did not vse the ministerie of man to publish thys mesâ—age which shewes the dignity thereof This Angell was accompanied with heauenly souldiours who so soone as these tydings were published began to sing Glory to God on high Peace on earth Good will towards men Three notable wonders wrought in one day The first part of this heauenly song noteth that the benefite of Christes Incarnation was not in earth onely but in heauen also and therefore as there was peace on earth so there was glory in heauen among the Angels 2. Peace on earth This sheweth that â—e came as a Medratour to make peace betweene God and vs. 3. Good will towards men To shew that as hee was Fons Charitatis the fountaine of charitie so he would worke loue and charitie among men What day coulde bring foorth greater matters and therefore wee haue reâ—son to sing with Dauid This is the â—ay The day of our Creation is in no sort to be coÌ„pared to this day of our Redemption Gods mercy appeared in making vs but his greater mercy in sauing vs. Before thys day wee were in a state most miserable vnder the curse wherein Adam left vs vnder wretchednes vnder sinne the curse of the lawe and dominion of the deuill But nowe that Christ hath appeared hell is conquered sathan confounded sin put to flight and heauen set open to all beleeuers So is it verified Heauines may indure for a night but ioy commeth in the morning our comming in hath been with teares but our returne to Sion is with euerlasting ioy vppon our heads The first Adam brought into the worlde darknes fearefulnes and sorrowe but the last Adam brought comfort light 〈◊〉 fulnes All is changed in our seconde Adam mortalitie to immortalitie mourning to mirth misery to felicitie sadnes to solace now is the sinner iustified the law discharged the dead reuiued and the deuill vanquished according to his mighty power who hath subdued all things vnto himselfe The Iubilee yeere to the Israelites vvas not halfe so welcome as this day ought to be to vs when that yeere came it brought with it freedome and releasing of debts thys day and time this acceptable yeere of Christ hath brought vnto vs a greater freedome euen our soules freedome a greater releasing of debts our sinnes for vvee owe vnto God more than the cruel debter not ten thousand talents but ten thousand times tenne thousand talents Neyther was the day of theyr deliuerance from Pharao halfe so acceptable vnto them as this day of our deliuerance is to vs. For wee are set free from our spyrituall Pharao the deuill As Moses sayd to the Israelites Remember this day so I say Remember this day for it is the day of our deliuerance the day of our redemption the acceptable day of the Lord. This is a day wherein light first appeared to the Gentiles euen to vs that were aliants from God yet to vs hath the light appeared according to Symeons saying A light to lighten the gentiles We that once were not a people are now become a people wee are made through Christ to bee the sonnes of the liuing God For to the Israelites pertained the adoption and the glory and the couenaunt giuing of the law and the seruice of God and the promises of whom are the Fathers and of whom concerning the flesh Christ came Rom. 9. 4. A whole Sea of matter is heere laid open to mee if I woulde at large discourse of the inestimable good deriued vnto vs by Christes birth but the time will not permit this little that hath beene spoken may carry you to the consideration of all the rest As a certaine Geometrician finding Hercules foote vppon Olympus by that one foote drewe the proportion of the whole body so by this little beeing but as it were a foote in respect of the body of the matter included you may conceiue vvhat might further be amplified in this poynt the absolute fulnesse whereof wee cannot possibly be able to comprehend Onely let vs consider that as at this tyme God sent his sonne to be our Sauiour Hee hath giuen vs him and all things with him so that we may nowe say with the Apostle Saint Paule All is ours the world and the Creatures thinges present and things to come all is ours and wee are Christes and Christ is GOD. It followeth Let vs reioyce Abraham seeing Christes daies a farre of reioyced and yet hee was before Christ thrice foure-teene generations How may wee reioyce that liue to those daies alreadie determined Neyther Abraham nor the Patriarchs nor all the Prophets coulde say as we can They coulde say no more but Christ shall come vvee can say he is come Blessed are the eyes that see the thinges that you see and the eares that heare the thinges that you heare VVhere it appeareth vvee are rather blessed than all that vvere before Christ The Kinges of the earth haue desired to see that which you see c. All that vvere before Christ sawe but a glymse of that lyght the fulnesse whereof wee nowe behold like the Sunne in his strength Wee haue seene the righteousnes of Sion breake out like the light and the saluation thereof as a burning lampe Thus haue we a greater priuiledge than the Keysars and mighty Monarchs might be suffered to enioy For vs were these better things reserued euen we that now lyue in the time of the glorious Kingdome of Christ haue obtayned this so rich prerogatiue all to shew foorth the greatnes of our felicitie Great cause haue we then to reioyce As the babe sprang in Elizabeths wombe so shoulde our harts spring within our bodies for ioy of the presence of Christ If Annah reioyced for that GOD gaue her a sonne and so tooke away the rebuke of her barrennes much more cause haue wee to reioyce that God hath giuen vs his sonne to be borne for vs whereby our barrennes of fayth is taken away and vvee are made fruitefull in the workes of righteousnesse If Iephtah his daughter went out vvith Tymbrels to welcome home her Father how may we prepare to welcome a greater then Iephtah nay a greater then Salomon How should we prepare our minslrelsie to welcome home thys victorious Lyon of the Trybe of Iuda since by him we do returne in victorie and may tryumph as Iephtha did not ouer a sew faint-harted Gybeonits but ouer many millions of spirituall aduersaries Sin death and hell this worlde and the lusts thereof Wee haue then cause to reioyce and to prepare our musicall instruments VVee should say with
vs principally and before all thinges to glorifie him and serue him in holines all the daies of our sinfull pylgrimage he hath also for a secondarie purpose created vs euen to be helpfull and seruiceable one to another As we must be especially carefull howe wee runne into those sinnes that are offensiue to the maiestie of God and doe prouoke his displeasure so must we be carefull in like manner howe wee commit such offences and trespasses agaynst our brethren or neâ—ghbours whereby wee may incurre their hatred and displeasure God dooth looke into our carriage behauior among our selues that we offend not one another that so being created after the similitude of God in holines wee might also bee profited in holding on our course in the same holines by performing all Christian duties both towards God and man The vvhole duty of a Christian man consists but in two points viz. in holines towards God and in righteousnes towards man aunsvverable to that short diuision made by our Sauiour Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy hart c. And thy neighbour as thy selfe The one dooth necessarily imply the other and they cannot be seperated for S. Iohn prooues it If thou loue not thy brother whom thou hast seene howe canst thou loue God whom thou hast not seene Of the latter onely I am to speake in this place and of that but in a particularity neither as my Text doth leade me This portion of Scripture nowe to bee handled is one of the branches of the commandements in the second table inforcing righteousnes towards man It is one of the edges of that more than one edged sword to cut in sunder the very hart-strings of false witnes-bearing For a false tale is a false testimony and the secret accusing of our neighbours by bad reports whereby their name and fame may be impeached is a species or kind of false witnes bearing and it is such a trespasse as doth quite ouerthrow the peaceable state of all Christian societies Thou shalt not walke about with tales among my people God in this place vseth two principall arguments to inforce this coÌ„maundement The one taken froÌ„ the person of our selues in the word thou and the other from the person of God in the word shalt Thou being as thou art my creature the workmanship of my hands whom I haue formed and fashioned out of the clay and so by breathing into thee breath of life did make thee a lyuing soule Thou who art but vile earth very corruption and rottennes Thou shalt not c. The carefull remembrance of our selues in a dutifull remorce is a matter of such force that it is able to batter or at least to mollifie the most obdurate heart of anie Christian and to stirre him vp to a sincere obedience toward God his Creatour Nature it selfe hath stampt a reuerent impression euen in the vnreasonable creatures working a dutifulnes in them towards their benefactours Esay prooues it to reprooue men that somtimes shew theÌ„selues worse then beasts The Oxe knoweth his owner and the Asse his maisters crib yet Israel knoweth not me My people hauâ— forgotten him that made them Though it were practised by a prophane man yet was it a practise of Christianity that which we read of Phillip King of Macedon Hee caused this lesson of mortality to bee euery morning sounded at his dore Memento Philippe te esse hominem This lesson did hee learne euen in the morning in the beginning of the day least his kingly tytles and honours and magnificence might make him forget him selfe as Coruinus forgot his name Least hee might vvaxe insolent and proude against GOD lyke Nabuchadnezer when hee ietted it in his royall Pallace at Babell Or like Alexander Sonne to this King Phillippe who after this farre vnlyke his Father being rapt away with the high conceite of honour termed himselfe a God To verifie that which hath beene long agoe fore-tolde by the propheticall King Man being in honour may be compared to the beasts that perrish This consideration of a mans selfe it is the very eye of the soule vvhereby shee looketh and pryeth into her vvhole estate It is the very doore of humility and where it is soundly planted in any religious Christian it so beautiâ—ieth and inuesteth him that he shall seeme no other than a verie liuely resemblance of Christ our Lord svvadled vp in cloutes and layde in a manger This consideration was in Dauid when looking first vppon him-selfe hee after looked vp to GOD and exclaymed with a rauishing kinde of admiration O Lord what is man that thou shouldst be so mindfull of him or what is this mortall generation that thou shouldst so graciously visite it And agayne in a greater measure of humility in the two and twentieth Psalm hee calles hym-selfe a vvorme and no man I haue saide to corruption thou art my Father and to rottennes thou art my mother Moses the seruant of God and the meekest man vppon the earth thought there could be no greater argument of perswasion to draw the Israelites to the true seruice of God than this we now speake of being taken from the person of man I haue chosen thee from among all Nations vnder heauen to be a peculier people to my selfe therefore thou shalt obserue all my ordinances to doe them And againe in the 40. of Exodus Thou art my first borne c. Therefore I looke that thou obserue my commaundements A certaine deuoute man was woont to thanke God for three things First for that God had made him a reasonable creature not a beast 2. For making him a man and not a woman 3. For making him a Christian man Where this or the like coÌ„sideration goeth before there sinne and sathan following after can no more preuaile against thee than the Philistines could against Sampson wheÌ„ he brake the cords I say if wee doe but consider what wee are how weake and corruptible we are and what great thinges notwithstanding God hath done for vs in making vs of nothing giuing vs the whole worlde to commaund and the creatures in it the sunne to shine to vs the fire to warme vs the earth to beare vs beastes fowles and fishes to feede vs. These and a thousand times greater things than these beeing duly considered must needes produce in vs an effectuall operation for performance of this righteousnes we speake of God being so mindful of vs should force vs to bee mindfull of him in the carefull practise of his commaundementes And thus much for the first argument drawne from the person of our selues The second argument is taken from the person of God noted in the word shalt not Before God had published the commandements he pressed them with this speciall charge I am Lord that brought thee out of the land of Aegipt c. Wherein thou wast a staanger 400. yeares Therefore bee carefull to doe my commandements And the same againe is repeated in the second of Leuit. I