on the Mothers side man and no God and yet both God and Man For Eternity had begotten man but once because begotten from Eternity his Father begot him equall to God his Mother bare him like to Man he was man besides God and therefore Man and no God and yet God and Man for when he was made man he ceased not to be God which he was before like as the Sun loseth not its brightnesse though shadowed in the clouds so not Christ his glory though obscuted in flesh he was not so conceived in his Mother as to be separated from his Father Christ was not lesse equal to his Fathet by being like his Mother the Word was made flesh St. John 1.14 and not lesse Word then Flesh by an assumption of the flesh not consumption of the Word the Word that God by flesh did present to our sight was real Flesh and was not lesse God still for he is no lesse God now that he is clad in humane clay then when onely clothed with deified Glory he remaines God and Man in one person very God and very Man in one singular subsistence he took the person of Man and the substance by converting the person to his proper being and that this may not altogether seeme strange to your understandings please to turn your eyes inward and an example thereof will be presented for if man hath the life of Plants and the sense of Beasts and both in conjunction with the reasonable soul in an individual being why may not Christ take the Soul of man into union with himself and yet consist in his Divinity making a Trinity in the union of his Person For as he was God and Man in the humane nature he consisted of a Deity a soul and a body there a Trinity in unity here unity in Trinity he was one person not divided a person of the Trinity distinguished not divided for every person in the Sacred Trinity is perfect God distinguished into persons but not divided in substance for all take propriety each with the other the Father God the Son God and the holy Ghost God and yet not three but one God as we are taught by the holy Catholick Faith to beleeve yet that God might redeeme us from our iniquities he that was perfect God equal with the Father took upon him our flesh and therefore it is that God was said to suffer what man himself should have borne onely here is the admired union of natures but not natural of persons But what were the reasons why he whose name is I am should be borne so as to say of himself To this end was I borne and for this cause came I into the world to bear witnesse to the truth 1. To make God and Man one by atonement and therefore it was necessary he should be of both natures whose office is to reconcile both persons 2. He was to doe that for us which was impossible for man to doe and to suffer what was unmeet for God to undergoe and that he might both doe and suffer for us he took the blessed Virgin Mary for his mother that from her he might receive a body capable of suffering but it was his Divinity which enabled his Humanity to suffer what our Souls deserved 3. He was to undergoe for an infinite offence for man had sinned and none but God could satisfie for an infinite offence it being reasonable that the same nature that broke the Law should pay the Debt and therefore it was necessary for him to be God as well as Man that did undertake to make God and Man to be reconciled and made one 4. Had he been God and not Man man could not have been redeemed had he been onely man and not God the Devils would have boasted but he was both God and man that our redemption might be finished and the Devils malice silenced whence wisely was our redemption shared between God and man because the arbitrement was such that a mere man could not undertake to appease a God offended neither one nor the other nature would have or could have relieved us single because he must be God that will be mediator from God to man and he must be man that he may be an intercessor to God for man and this mystery though our reason cannot fathom yet our belief must reach it our faith must believe what our hearts and tongues cannot expresse our faith is then proficient when it hath attained so high and not before for we can say more by silence then by words when we find him in our souls by Hallelujahs and praise we shall then know thee O Saviour not for thy self but our selves and it is our faith to believe that as thou art so shall we be though not so fully therefore let every one make it his request O that thou wouldst come down from heaven and dwell in our hearts by faith and love who out of love to mankind came in flesh when faith and truth were banished out of the earth and that thou shouldst so come as to say To this end was I born and for this cause came I into the world c. And so much may suffice for that part of his incarnation the end of his coming I now come to that of his Nativity his coming into the world and here three things are to be considered 1. The Dignity of his person 2. The Humility of his condescention 3. The Place of his entertaintainment 1. The Dignity of his person in that he was the Sonne of God 2. The Humility of his condescention in that he would clothe himself with the rags of our mortality 3. The Place unworthy of his enterment being the world Of these in their order 1. The Dignity of his person and that as he is the Sonne of God by nature and as in his Birth the most noble person that ever was on the Fathers side he is God very God the very God of one substance with the Father as you have heard and which to deny is no lesse then blasphemy for when he calls God Father the Iewes knew that thereby he made himself equall with God St. John 10.33 He as Gods Sonne was alwayes with the Father and so everlastingly great as he was God and not onely so but he was full of dignity on his Mothers side as he was descended from the Patriarchs and Royal Kings of Iudah so he was a Prince renowned 1. For his authority because he doth what he will both in heaven and in earth Psal 13.5 6. in the sea and in all deep places 2. For his power St. Mar. 4.41 he commands the wind and the waves and they obey him 3. For the largeness of his dominions heaven and earth is his Psal 72.8 and the fulness thereof his dominion is from one part of heaven and earth unto the other 4. For multitude of Subjects Angels Saints and Kings yea and those that depose Kings are his Subjects either voluntarily
racketed from one temptation to another till at last he hazard eternal ruine reeling from one extreme to another untill he fall into perpetual misery Therefore to conclude let me implore every soul that expects and looks for eternal life as who doth not to get cleansed from all your iniquities whether secret or open latent or revealed before you come unto the brink of misery from whence is no return before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains wherein is no security let no iniquity ever have any more dominion over you get all your actions salted with true grace that God may smell a sweet savour in your holy devotions and pious services knowing that your best performances are but gilded appearances and glittering abominations if God should with severity inspect them so that we must all say with holy David in the words of my Text If thou Lord shouldst be extreme c. FINIS SERM. III. LUKE 2.7 And she brought forth her first-born son and wrapped him in swadling-clothes and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the Inne Introduction GOd is a most pure Act never was he idle but alwaies in being even when this world was not in being he was in himself love and nigh enough to himself yet when he was so he thought of some eminent act of bounty wherein to produce an Idea of his goodness and accordingly wills thoughts to himself of shewing mercy to mankind for yet he would do good to all therefore all his wayes are good his being and well-being envied as yet by none no not by Satan the first parent of malice and grand enemy both of Gods unspeakable glory and mans eternal felicity not enduring to entertain the least thought of seeing humane nature deified yet God to shew the freedome of his love in rich mercy stamps his own Image upon man for it was his goodness as well as his power that he made us good as well as men but what was at first made good we soon made sin for God made man upright but he hath sought out many inventions so that had not God redeemed us we had been miserable to all eternity much rather had our souls not been then not be happy When man was made holy and had sinned though such iniquity deserved the ruine of what he was before having defaced that image yet God is prone to mercy when provoked goodness would rescue that part of himself from ruine for scarce one had sinned but one was promised to save the Son of God was promised and presented to the Patriarchs being revealed to them by his promises and foretold by his Prophets that God would send his Son he saw a fit vessel wherein he would inclose his son viz. the Blessed Virgin and therefore he sends his Angel to provide a lodging telling her that she was highly honoured of God Luke 7.3 and she shall conceive in her womb and bring forth a Son and shall call his name Iesus that God would give him a name above every name and of his kingdom there shall be no end she examined and believed the Angels Message and and was found with child of the holy Ghost Luke 1. the power of the highest over-shadowing her But loe she is summoned to another travel for there is a decree from Augustus Caesar and behold she takes no small pains to obey for though her appearance might have been excused yet she would not disobey the lawful magistrates command the custome of women is on Mary but alas desolate Virgin she is driven to that pass that having no room in the inne necessity compels her to make a chamber of the stable and to turne the manger the place wherein is laid the food of beasts into a Cradle the now onely receptacle for the bread of life and at once both mother and midwife for she brought forth her first-borne son and wrapt him in swadling-clothes and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the Inne In which words consider with me these four general parts 1 A Virgins travail 2 A mothers tenderness 3 A childs poverty 4 The peoples inhospitality 1 A Virgins travail She brought forth her first-borne sonne 2 A mothers tenderness She wrapped him in swadling-clothes 3 A childs poverty laid in a manger 4 The peoples inhospitality There was no roome in the Inne I begin with the first 1. The virgins travail she brought forth her first-born son Wherein consider 1. The person she 2. The birth brought forth 3. The fruit her first-born child 1. For the woman she was a virgin but what a virgin to bear to bring forth a son a wonder and she her self cryes out I know not a man well might the Prophet Ierem. say Behold a Virgin and the Prophet Isai likewise yet she is the same Isa the 7.14 vers but that Christ was conceived of the holy Ghost and born of the Virgin Mary is an article of our faith not of our understanding best known is the manner to him that hath the power virgins are not usually pregnant yet the spirit ingenders flesh we take it not from his nature but power the Holy Ghost produces the man Christ not of himself but by his power Christ begotten of himself as one with the Father sending him on the great errand of mans salvation for all the three Persons in the sacred Trinity have a share in this great work the Father begetting the Son begotten and the Holy Ghost produced him at the fulness of time I call the Holy Ghost Father as his shadow the virgin his mother as his substance or the matter of his person whereby he is called the son of man that by this means he might be joyned to our nature and so become surety for us as for example we christians are born of water of the spirit are not called the sons of water but of the spirit because of the spirit we are made one with Christ and are thereby become the sons of God that Christ was conceived of the Holy Ghost and of Mary is most certain but for our sakes called the son of Mary and not of the Holy Ghost yet hath the son an equality with the spirit and is perfect God as well as man therefore is it that the Holy Ghost concurs with Mary in the conception both agree to make Christ but not one way for t is his the shadow hers the substance hers the carkase his the quintessence how could it be but a holy thing being of the Holy Ghost though she had sin yet Christ took none from her because he would expel it from her for had Christ been born of an Harlot of Mary Magdalen yet she could not have contaminated his integrity but commended his power and mercy he could have sanctified the most sinful person and unhallowed womb Being conceived of the holy Ghost he took our flesh but not our corruption can the sun shine untainted on the
truth Introduction AN imprudent discourse attended with ambitious thoughts was the first occasion of Adams misery and the mercie of God in making the New Covenant is the principal cause of the Serpents ruine whose mischeivous head was early broke by the promised Seed the true Messiah whom the Patriarchs foresaw and the Prophets foretold The Patriarchs foresaw him Genesis 49.10 The Prophets foretold him under diverse representations Esay Esay 7.14 Jer. 23.5 Dan. 9.25 26. Zachary 6.12 Haggai 2.7 by the Emanuel Ieremy the Branch Daniel the Messiah Zachary By him that riseth on high Haggai The desire of all Nations That God should be Incarnate that sinners should be saved that a despicable man should save a World was thought so incredible that the Prophet Esay cryes out Who hath beleeved our report which was in time fulfilled But when the fulnesse of the time was come God sent forth his Son made of a woman c. Gal. 4.4 though the newes was true and proclaimed from Heaven by an Angel and that of great Joy for that on this day was born a Saviour Christ the Lord what was in the Prophets prophesied concerning his coming was by himself fulfilled in time what they pointed at he pointed out and by a Miracle shewed it to the Wise Men saying Where is he that is borne King of the Iewes for we have seen his Star in the East and we are come to worship him St. Matthew 2.2 Yet when he came to his own they received him not but rejected the counsels of God as they did that slew the Prophets who declared the coming of the just One for when he was come he was forced to be gone and flie for the safety of his life into a forraign Country to avoid the fury of that mighty Nimrod whose pretended worship was onely the dark vizour of an inhumane murder disguising his wicked purposes under the beautiful mask of a desired amity no wonder therefore that there are some amongst us that call themselves Christs when there are those that call themselves Christians that would and doe disown Christs Nativity and this old Simeon by inspiration calculated at his Nativity saying This child is set for a signe which shall be spoken against St. Luke 2.34 And wicked people make it good as if he had not been foretold by Prophets nor come into the world in the fulnesse of time at an appointed day and that for us men and for our Salvation Christ came down from Heaven and was incarnate in the womb of the blessed Virgin Mary it is a work that many would not believe saith God Hab. 1.5 which was fulfilled Acts 13.41 Behold ye despisers and wonder and perish for I work a work in your dayes a work which you shall not beleeve c. For so would they have hindred the Author and finisher of our Faith from working that which he had wrought and what God had set down should be done which wâ—… accordingly fulfilled that he should not be borne but to witnesse to the truth 〈◊〉 he himself saith so much of himself To this end was I borne and for this cause came I into the world that I should bear witnesse to the truth In which words you may remember I have formerly observed these three parts 1. An Action 1. The End 3. The Object 1. The Action Christs Incarnation He was borne he came into the world 2. The End and that pointed at and pointed out 1. Pointed at To this end and for this cause 2. Pointed out To bear witnesse 3. The Object was the truth To this end was I borne and for this cause came I into the world to bear witnesse to the truth And since the end is the first thing in the intention though last in execution I did begin with the end Pointed at and that was to this end and for this cause But I shall now proceed to the proper work of this day Christs Nativity I was born I came into the world and here at the first step of our discourse we are plunged into an unfathomed depth of mystery for this he that was here borne is the same he that calls himself I am that I am Exodus 3.14 That Socinian that saith he was not very God is a blasphemer I am that I am it is the Name of God whose Essence is from everlasting to everlasting and to be born notes his humanity and how this work was that he that is I am should be borne and close with the Deity tongue cannot expresse and heart cannot conceive we can conceive how nothing is but what is in and of our selves and not that neither but with much imperfection for the first of us that was so desirous of knowledge left us nothing but a penury of what we were and if we know not our selves we cannot possibly conceive how God was made man and at the same time remain incommunicable or how he being incommunicable did vouchsafe to partake of humane Nature yet thus was Christ both God and Man in the same person as man he had a mother that bare him and as God a Father that begat him but who can without admiration speak of such a Sonne or tell of such a generation that was like both yet like neither like neither for consider him as Man and so he hath no similitude of an ineffable Essence look upon him as God and so he bears no proportion with the Virgins Womb and yet like both as God like his Father as man like his mother God and yet the sonne of a woman Man and still the Image of his Father and that from Eternity being without beginning of dayes or end of time Gods Son and Motherlesse a Virgins Babe and Fatherlesse without a Father as borne of a Woman and without a Mother as begotten of God Thus was he God and motherlesse as begotten and not borne a man and Fatherlesse because borne and not begotten we must beleeve both beyond enquiry because more is possible with God then is conceiveable with man and divine Mysteries should perswade us to beleeve that they are undoubted truths though our reason cannot comprehend them for what we cannot understand by beleeving we must believe beyond understanding and of all the divine Mysteries this of our blessed Saviours Incarnation especially whose very mystery heightens Faith to no lesse then a Miracle and where a Miracle is wrought wonder must needs be created and both these two meet in this one act of Faith exercised about the hypostaticall union for beleeving we wonder and marvelling we beleeve and make our blessed Saviours Incarnation the object of both we beleeve what we marvell at and yet wonder at our Faith still doubling the Miracle by marvelling that we can at once both wonder and beleeve it is a wonder and yet this wonder is the object of our Faith for how can we doe lesse then marvell when we consider that on the Fathers side he should be God and no man
bear witness to himself when he said I am from him and he hath sent me Saint John 7.29 And 3. The holy Ghost in Scripture testifies of him yea all the Scriptures St. Iohn 5.8 And all the testimonies therein that speak of him whether it be by way of promise or prophesie you shall finde them all meeting as so many lines in this one centre Saint Luke 1.31 Yea the Scriptures of the New Testament especially clearly set down all the parts of his incarnation both as to the divine and humane nature 1. His Nativity Saint Matthew 1.18 2. His Majesty 1 Saint Iohn 1 2 3 4. 3. His Life in the story of all the Gospels 4. His Death St. Mat. 27.35 Saint Marke 15.24 Saint Luke 23.35 Saint Iohn 19.18 5. His Resurrection Saint Luke 24.1 c. 6. His Ascension into Heaven Acts 1.10 Nay Saint Iohn Baptist was sent before him as a witness to prepare his way and to bear witness of that light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world and that all men through him might beleeve Saint John 1.6 7. For truth musâ— have its testimony from Heaven and by the Scriptures besides the witness of men and that for these reasons 1. Because that man is such a flatterer of his own reason and knowledge that he is apt to have a better conceit of himself then Divine rules and principles he thinks to guide himself well enough without the assistance of Almighty God and therefore it is that many are so studious to finde out some unheard of thing and endeavour to make themselves the authors and inventers of something that may make them seeme wiser then their brethren and at last to lay aside the rules of God as if they knew what was fitter and better for them then he and much if not all of this is to be found in those innovations and reformations which have been made upon the worship and service of God men have itching eares devising new opinions and professing extraordinary lights and revelations such strange stuffe as our Fathers never knew nor we ever heard of before and being Authors thereof themselves they highly extol their own conceptions looking upon well-ordered and religious discipline as no better than popish zeal and superstitious worship proceeding even to the questioning of the Truths of God and the Principles of Christian Religion whether plainly or covertly laid down in his holy Word 2. Nothing is more loud than errors and the more false the matter the more loud the clamour getting more voices for its entertainment than truth can find for every illiterate tongue is ready to cry out Great is Diana and with the noise of their new erected goodness quite stop their ears against all religious serving of the true God yea we find this project to have been practised of old where we read of their inhumane zeal in burning their children and making them passe through the fire to Moloch that the people might not be incensed against them for their cruelty nor themselves moved to pitty they had the noise of Instruments to drown the cryes of their children that their voice might not be heard And in allusion to this I may say that the loud cry of error and heresie may be so great in a Nation that the voice of one man or more that is faithful and would plead in defence of truth cannot possibly be heard but may be over-born by a multitude because each man will have his vote and as much if not more talk than he yet know this that one Micaiah speaking from the Oracle of God is better than many Balaams offering sacrifices and cursed devotions from inchanted Altars whose great conspiracy is only to work the ruine of Gods people yea such is the wickedness of ungodly men that if a Micaiah speak the truth he must presently suffer and be buffeted on the cheek with a contumelious reproof saying as that wicked one did Which way went the Spirit of God from me to speak unto thee 2 Chron. 18.23 the truth is none are more ready to boast of the Spirit of God than they that have it not 3. The wickedness of mens lives is such that Gods glory loses much honour by them and therefore he is pleased to vindicate himself by bearing witness to the truth by his own Word Many saith St. Peter shall follow their pernicious wayes by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of 2. St. Peter 2.2 not so much neither by the blasphemy of tongues and Jewish calumnies as by those that have the confidence to call themselves Christians the wickedness of whose actions causeth Gods glorious Name to be dishonoured and those sacred Truths that ought to be prized and valued above gold and silver or any earthly treasure so much as in them lies is disgraced by their unholy conversations who prefer lying vanities before them the consideration whereof should make those that are Christians indeed to defend truth against the loud noise of errors and preserve it against the malice of those that study nothing so much as to contradict it for this end are we made Christians for this cause do we receive a second birth for this end are we made members of the holy Catholick Church namely that we should defend the Truths of God with our lives and estates though it must be granted that truth lyes not within the power of men or the malice of Devils that they should harm it Truth is not lesse glorious in it self for being contradicted but only in the worlds estimation Truth is of the nature of God whose Glory is not capable of augmentation or diminution though God is said to be glorified by his creatures serving of him now you must not suppose it to arise from any addition we can make to his Glory but only a satisfaction he is pleased to take in beholding our obedience to his Will for though we be never so wicked yet we must continually conclude thou art holy O thou holy One of Israel that art the same for ever and changest not and as is God himself the same is his Truth whose Excellency lies in this that it is unchangeable in its being it is that Verity unto which nothing can be added or substracted for if the one were found the other would necessarily follow as we find it by daily experience that those things that may be extended may also be contracted and where there is room for addition there will be also place found for substraction but God and his Truth can have nothing added or taken from them the highest part of our greatness being unable to reach the lowest part of his Glory and when we have said all that can be expressed we can say nothing more than this that he is infinite for when we magnifie God we only express him great but do not thereby make him great when we blaspheme him we indeavour our utmost to lessen his Glory but no harm