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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A27499	The still-borne nativitie, or, A copy of an incarnation sermon that should have been delivered at St. Margarets-Westminster, on Saturday, December the five and twenty, 1647, in the afternoone, by N.B., but prevented by the committee for plunder'd ministers, who sent and seized the preacher, carried him from the vestry of the said church, and committed him to the fleet, for his undertaking to preach without the license of Parliament ...	Bernard, Nicholas, d. 1661.	1648 (1648)	Wing B2018; ESTC R18366	26,917	36

THE STJLL-BORNE NATIVITIE OR A Copy of an Incarnation Sermon that should have been delivered at St. Margarets-Westminster on Saturday December the five and twenty 1647. in the afternoone by N. B BUT Prevented by the Committee for Plunder'd Ministers who sent and seized the Preacher carried him from the Vestry of the said Church and Committed him to the Fleet for his undertaking to Preach without the License of Parliament NOW Published by the Authoritie of that Scripture which saith Preach the Word be instant in season out of season 2. Tim. 4. 2. Isaiah 37. 3. This is a day of trouble and of rebuke and of Blasphemy for the Children are come to the birth and there is not strength to bring forth LONDON Printed for their sakes who love our Lord Jesus and his Birth day Anno Dom. 1648. To the whole Congregation of Beleevers assembled at St. Margerets Church in Westminster on Saterday December the 25. 1647 in the afternoone Grace Mercy and Peace from God the Father and the Lord Iesus Christ Worthy Christians I Had at the appointed time of preaching the same judgment befell me which befell to Zacharias the Father of John Baptist Luke 1 20. When I thought to have spoken unto the people that waited for mee and marvelled that I tarried so long I was struck dumbe and not able to speak And could I conceive it had been done by an Angel I should as a cause of it suspect in my selfe the sin of unbeleife But as it is I am constrained to use Zacharias his way of expressing my meaning On the day of your meeting in the Temple I could only becken but remained speechles whence you all perceived I had seene a Vision in the Vestry and were not long in suspence what kind of one it was But whatsoever it was I was transported or carried away with it and am yet dumb by it But as the Angell though he strooke Zacharias speechlesse yet tooke not away his writing tables v. 63. So I conceive by the tenour of that order which commands a constraint both of my Tongu and Heeles I am not interdicted the liberty of Pen and Paper but I may lawfully use both without contempt And so by this meanes I shal saving my regard to authority now acquaint you with that message of God I should then viva voce have delivered in your hearing It is true I in this Sermon represent as in a Sciagraph all the Ioynts of the History of Christ but insist only on the blessed mistery of the Vnion of the two natures God and Man in one person without reaching unto his birth or so farre as his conecption by the wholy Ghost Nor indeede as it falls out is there any neede I should put forward to speake of his Nativity though that were properly opus diei the worke of the day For all the circumstances doe sufficiently proclame the Nativity and are now newly revived Was all tho World taxed Lukt 2. 1. when the Messiah was borne Alas for the day of the Lord It is so now Was their no roome for Christ in the Inne Luke 27 There is none for him now in the Churches Were there Wisemen that sought to worship him and a Herod that under pretence of worship sought to destroy him Mat. 2. 1 It was so now there were that came to Church to worship Christ and there were that came to apprehend his Ministers Was there a voice heard in Ramah lamentation and weeping and great mourning Mat 2 18. There is another Rachel whose child is not if the newes of Cornehill be true Doe these things cause a necessity of Christ his going into Aegipt the sonnes of Israel's quondam bondage Mat 2 18. There will I fear but O the good God prevent that necessity be such another violence to drive us to such another flight Lastly was that Herod not longliv'd Mat. 2 19 I prophesie no eternity to the men of his carriage Psalme 55 23. But beloved I must once more crave your patience for I must leave you and waite upon the Committee Whome as Gentlemen I respect as in Authority I Honovr as my Enemies I love blesse and pray for Mat. 5 44 and that I may performe all the duties I owe upon that score I shal labour to doe good to I must tel them that I have read a story of Tiberious the Emperour That he upon the relation which Pilate made unto him of our Saviour had an intention and to that purpose signified his meaning to have Jesus of Nazarath reputed and received among the Roman Gods But the Senate of Rome withstood it because that Honour had been given him by such as never asked their consents But after this I provoke any Historian to shew me where that great Councel did ever any act either Honestly Wisely or like true Romans but were made the properties instruments either of the Caesars lusts or Souldiers villanies And now I wish these men seriously to advise how much short this insolence is of the former When men may not Honor Ministers may not preach Christ without their Licence under paine of imprisonment without Baile or maine prise I speake not this out of Stomack for what I suffer but as hartily as I would beg pardon for my sinns doe I wish them a better exit hoping yet they may acquire a better and more glorious conclusion then these distempers can promise or the Roman Councell had And now I return to give you an account of that which otherwise migh seem strange Which is that way of application you shal meet with all revers'd upon my selfe I confesse it is not usuall nor indeed proper for one that speakes to others But first as it is the Minister of Christs part to appeare in innocence a Dove Math 10 16 So as the Doves feed their young ones with that which themselves have taken down ought Preachers to digest in their owne brests and be fore-tasters of that spirituall food they divide to others and this I had laboured to do Secondly these meditations being now to be read not heard I thought good so to dispose them that each Reader might as I have done suc● in the juice and influence of them and by reading as it were engage himselfe upon the practicall part of them Vnto both which no way so Organicall as prayer And I doe humbly pray that every Reader may be also a Beleever and have a heart open as well as an eye For I conceive with humble reverence that the Gospell if it go no further then the eye or eare is mortiferous and deadly a killing letter But if it be transmitted to the more noble and vitall parts it is Soveraigne Food and Physick Meat and Medicine Christ in the Flesh may vouchsafe to accept the Stable and the Manger but comming in the Spirit he must have a Temple to entertaine him And by so providing we shall supply what was wanting not at Bethlem onely but at Westminster also If any

of you should be so ignorant as not to understand what I would be at in all this I must tel you that though I cannot assent to the mind of them that would have the observation of this feast superstition yet you that give place to the Devill Eph 4. 27. are more injurious to Christ then any Sinne sinne that is it must be taken downe it was sinne and the Devill that snatch'd this bread of life out of your mouths that sent me to Prison Revel. 2. 10. Can you knowing what Christ is think to honour Christ in commemoration of the Nativity and at that season so shufle the cards that sinne shall be Trump in every dealing Remember Iohn Baptist must be born before Christ You must Repent if the Kingdome of God be at hand It is certaine that that Spirit which confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God 1. Iohn 4. 2. and so on the contrary the Non confessor therof is the {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} That Spirit of Antichrist vers. 3. I remember St. Augustin with a great deale of pains proves every Heretick to be a denyer of the comming of Iesus Christ in the flesh whatsoever his Heresie be But me thinks Origen with much more ease and plainesse shewes that the best way to confesse Iesus Christ to be come in the flesh is by not committing of sinne unto which purpose he layes that text 1. Iohn 3. 8. 9. to the forementioned 4. c. 2. v. where in 4 Chapter to Be of God is the Predicate to this Confession as the Subject And in the 3. Chapter to be borne of God is the Subject and not committing sinne is the Praedicate So that not to commit sinne is the remote and but once remoov'd definition of the confession of Christs Nativiny or comming in the flesh So that the commemoration or confession by way of Observation of the Day to the end is not Antichristian they were mistaken that advised the Parliament so But the Drunkenesse and Gluttony the Luxury Ryot c These are Antichristian so far Antichristian that where these are Men even when they would confesse do deny Christ Iesus to be come in the Flesh And of these since the secular magistrate distinguisheth not it behoveth us Ministers to be carefull For though I know not what State arguments there may be to prove the Holly Ivy superstitions yet when these things shall be set up sooted and smoked with the sins of Intemperance and Excesse I shall think them fitter Trophees of a Chimney-sweepers Birth day then a Saviours When we shall eat and drinke and rise up to play I must think these are Ceremonies fitter for the Golden-calfe which Aaron made in Horeb then the lamb of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world And verily let me be angry in it I judge it a cause of greater feare and danger then a Prison or a Goale lined with a good conscience This therefore was my first intention to perswade you all by renouncing sinne to celebrate the feast of Christs Nativity for then we best testifie the beleef of his comming when we most fear to offend him or his father And in this way I would be glad to keepe Christmas with any one Being very desirous that all you which would have heard me that Day had been both almost and altogether such as I am Except the Fleet Which I must confesse I take very pati●ntly blessing God that it overtook me not in any evill deed but in wel-doing or at least the intention of it Neither shall the errour of the Committee in sending me to it And O that it were the greatest they are guilty of make me forget the Ioy of Christs Incarnation or the Good will towards men the Angels sung They are Men so was my Redeemer for whose sake and through whose Grace I can suffer greater wrongs then these and yet never hate the Men Indeed there is somewhat in it that is not Man but Devill To make men Dumbe as to matters of Duty and Faith that is the Act of the Uncleane Spirit Math. 12 22 It is that hath in a sence made me lame so that I cannot walk But if it hath made me Dumb and Lame it hath made them Deafe and Blinde And truly Without a Miracle I feare neither of us are like to recover And because my infirmity is but an appendant to theirs I shall hartily pray for them that they may receive their sight even in this their day that they might see the things that belong to their the Churches and the Kingdomes Peace That Christ would say Epphata Be opened That they that have eares to heare may hear What Christ himselfe hath said himself to them to me to the Parliament and all Mat 22 21. Give unto Caesar the things that are Caesars unto God the things that are Gods And then I doubt not for I suffer but by simpathie but I shal be able with him Acts 38 to walke and to praise God Vnto which time whether it be the pleasure of God to prolong my dayes I know not for it hath some analogie to that time whereof our Saviour speakes when he saith many Kings Righteous men have desired to see and have not yet seene but this I resolve on While I live not to cease day and night praying for the hastening of it For the time we live in now I am confident is part of that mentioned Mat. 24 21 Except these days should be shortened no flesh can be saved and the Promise which closeth the same verse it revives me doubly in relation to the general with hope to my owne particular with care to give all dilligence to make my caling and Election sure 2 Pet 1 10. The Elect that is they that adde to their Faith Vertue and to Vertue Knowledg and to Knowledg Temperance and to Temperance Patience and to Patience Godlinesse to Godlinesse brotherly Kindnesse and to brotherly Kindnesse Charity have an interest in better times For their sakes these dayes shall be shortened VVherefore God stir up your hearts to endeavour be of that Number to increase it Neither is this spoken by way of Pharisaicall imposition to ease my self but what ever others intend it is my resolution and the good Lord Keepe it for ever in the purpose of my heart to begin this only saving health in stead of all others Psalme 116 18. For beleeve it I am very sensible wee live in the worst of times and that I am one Christ Jesus came into the World to save that is to say the Cheife of Sinners And From the Fleet Ianuary 8. 1647. Your Debtor in this service N. BERNARD THE STILL BORNE NATJVJTY OR A Sermon of the glorious Mystery of the Incarnation of our Lord and blessed Saviour Jesus Christ Both God and Man To have been delivered at St. Margaret's Church in Westminster on Saturday December the five and twenty 1647

And so O Lord thy charge Be a father to it And like Iacob cause't to returne to its Fathers House in peace Indeed in quality it is base of the linage of the man of sin and here the Crown is fallen from our heads Wo unto us that we have sinned The disherited may be restored the fatherlesse adopted the Stranger naturalized but the bastard hath his BEND SINISTER or BORDER GOBANY an Indeleble character or brand of Infamy which though amongst men it be an evill that knowes no remedy yet with thee O Lord with whom all things are possible easie to be cured Thou hast a fountaine of bloud to regenerate to a new man the infamous soule of siufull mankind Do thou therefore who once tookest away the reproach of Pharez the base Sonne of Iudah by making him a Lineall Progenitour to thine annointed By waking thy sonne to be progenitor genitrixq to my soule in the wombe of Baptisme to repentance take away the sinne of my birth conception that the Spirit of adoption may enable me with confidence to say Abba Father And yet O my God if in al these relations pardon me my Father if in these too far allusions my pen may seem irreverent my heart desires to honour thee I measure thee by the line of a man I may suspect the Vnity and feare a division For if I am a sheepe smite but the Shepheard and the Sheep will be scattered For this is the prophesie If I be a servant the yeare of Iubile may grant me an injurious liberty For this is the Law of servants If a Son on my marriage day I may forsake thee For that is the rule of Espousals O then so it must be thou must betroth me to thy selfe in faithfulnesse for so shal I in the day enjoy thee in the night embrace thee thy left hand shall bee under mee and thy right arme shall encompasse me The yeare of Iubile for joy shall never go out for liberty never come in How then O Lord shall I allure thee how shall I woo thee for my sinfull soule is like Thamar either a sad neglected Widdow or which is worse a prostituted Strumpet Once this is certain the Maiden innocency thereof is lost by the first transgression which to restore is in the World of Women the mock of Art Yet in thy Church the miracle of Grace for it is as easie with thee to purifie a spirituall Harlot to virginitie as to preserve a fleshly mother in virginitie Thus having breifely described and largly applyed the Nature of this Union and the Natures united I passe to speake of the Reason of the Incarnation with the bare mention whereof I shal conclude The Reasons of the Incarnation may be reduced to these heads such as concerne God Others that concerne us Lastly some that concerne the enemies of God and Man Sin and Sathan Of the reasons that concerne God these two are anciently given by the Fathers First That God whose counsel and purpose hath ever been the illustration and manifestation of his own glory might more eminently evidently and transcendently set forth before Men and Angels The super-excellency of his Goodnesse Wisdome Iustice Power Which no where so clearely shine as in the great worke of the incarnation As may appeare by a Particular consideration of the even now named artributes As first his goodnes is no where so manifest as in him in whome dwels the fullnes of the god-head Bodily The Best of Creatures before had but the footesteps And at the best but an image of God in them But here God himselfe not appears but dwells not his back parts onely but his fullnes in man Nor is that goodnesse here locked but treasured that of his fullnes we might all receive and grace for grace c. Or if we take it not only for holinesse but for loving-kindnesse also Where can we find a paralell to the goodnesse of the Incarnation Wherein that God who even humbles himselfe when he daines to behold things done not in Earth only but in Heaven also is pleased to communicate himselfe his love yea and his very nature too not to a creature only but an earthly creature nor so only but to a sinfull nature to an enemy the Son of his love to the Children of wrath so that as the Angel speaking of Christ his goodnes in the first sence calls him {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} That Holy so may we in the latter cal him {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} That Kind That loving That mercifull thing who hath so highly honoured and not despised the weaknesse of his owne workmanship Secondly his Wisdome is no where more apparent then in Him in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge And indeed the very Incarnation it selfe did reveale the wisdome of God in the contrivance of mans salvation so gloriously that if not only confounded the Divells and befooled the subtill Serpent as wee shall see anon but even posed the good Angells themselves Of whom St. Peter testifies that they did {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} stoope to peere into the mysterie For as the learned give the reason They could not conceive how man could ever be redeemed For the lawes rigour was so inexorable that Man could not be quit but by sufferings of infinite value and worth Now they knew that indeed Man could suffer But the sufferings of men and Angells could not merit or countervaile the Lawes rigour within any limits of time Againe they knew that if God interposed he could add value But he could not his very essence forbidding it suffer So that here God charged his Angells with folly who knowing Gods promise of redemption to Israel in the old Testament yet were nonplus't and to seek in the means Till God in the fullnesse of time made knowne the mystery by the Incarnation of Jesus Christ uniting God and Man together in one person for the accomplishing of his promise and covenant Thirdly his Iustice and that both in respect of the Law whose every iota and title stood firmer then Heaven for the Heavens gave way to the descending of Christ or earth which yeilded and trembled at his resurrection But the Law stood strong not suffering him to passe till all the percepts were obeyed the prophesies fullfilled and trespasses satisfied for Not condoning much lesse conniving at sin though but imputed and that to the Son of God And then wherein I pray doth the senerity of Gods Justice appeare more or equally Zaleucus his one eye And that Heathens selfe destroying besides their cruelty come infinitly short of this most strict yet aequable Justice And secondly in respect of the Subject yeilding and exacting satisfaction in the same nature that had sinned and then rendring the purchased inheritance to the nature that had merited by obeying And lastly in respect of Death it selfe who raigning over all by sinne lost not its dominion till Christ spoyled him