Fathers of former generations was preacht and pointed at in types and figures promises and prophesies sacraments sacrifices under the law That child whose day Abraham saw a farre off but dimly as it were through a perspective glasse and at a distance that child which was the joy of the world the expectation of the nations the hope of all the ends of the earth that 's the child which here the Prophet speakes off and in the Text presents to us as visibly as if with old Symion he had him in his armes Unto us A Child is borne And to this give all the Prophets witnesse Micah foretold long before the place where he should be borne at * The very name of it did prophesie and promise some singular good to us out of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies the home of bread and out of it did hee come that was the bread of life Bethlem Micah 5.2 little Bethlem in this Honourable above all the Cities of all the other tribes Act. 10.34 yea above Jerusalem it selfe in that it was the birth-place of our blessed Lord which therefore St Ambrose often calls Christi villula Christs little village Old Jacob 1000 yeares before that foretold the time when he should be borne Gen. 49.10 when the Scepter was departed from Judah and the Lawgiver from betweene his feet not before This our Prophet 19. Generations before he was borne foretels us out of what stocke tribe family he should come Isay 11.1 That hee should be a branch springing out of the roote of Jesse of the Tribe of Judah of the stocke and linage of David And in the 7th of this Prophesie and 14th verse hee comes nearer yet and describes the very woman of whom he should be borne tels us what manner of woman she should be and what manner of child he should be that was to be borne of her that his mother should be a Maid Behold a virgin shall conceive and beare a sonne and the child should be a twin and yet but one neither but that one consisting of two natures united together in one person and these natures as different one from the other as heaven is distant from earth and therefore had he a name assigned him from heaven suitable to them both and comprehending both of them in the signification of it His name shall be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Immanu-el So then you have the time when the place where the tribe and family out of which this child should be borne you have him described by two distinguishing properties besides the one in the mother that should beare him the other in the child that should be borne by which he may be knowne from all other children in the world Then wee need goe no further in this enquirie lay all these together and compare them with what you read in the first chapter of the Gospel by St Matthew Mat. 1. and the second by St Luke and you have found the child that we looke for Luk. 2. what here you have in the prophesie there you have in the history This day are all these Scriptures fulfilled in your eares There is no stronger prop to our faith to confirme us in the truth of those things which wee beleeve then when wee see that those things which are come to passe were so long before foretold that they should so come to passe and among all the great things which time hath brought forth since the creation of the world there is nothing wherein this hath beene so punctually made good as in the things concerning this child of whom there is scarce any passage in his conception birth baptisme life death buriall resurrection or ascention so small but wee can shew it you either in promise or prophesie or type or figure or sacrament or sacrifice long before many of them some thousands of years before foretold and foreshewed whence it is that you read so often in the Gospells such expressions as these That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the mouth of such a Prophet Matth 1.22 and that it might be fulfilled which was written by such a Prophet Matth 2.15 That you may see how in all things concerning the Messiah the Prophesie and the history agree and answer each other as in a glasse face to face Nor to be trembled at then the impudence of the Athist that dare call them into question In so much as there is nothing more to be wondered at or indeed to be lamented then the judiciall blindnesse of the Jewes which to this day doe not see these things nor acknowledge the Messiah come in the flesh but doe with great earnestnesse still looke for him out at the window when he is long since come in at the doore The Lord open their eyes that they may see him and that they may looke upon him whom they have pierced Zach. 11.9 and and mourne for him abundantly even as a mother mourneth for her sonne and as one that is in bitternesse for her first borne And that they may do so here it is necessary that we remove the scruple in the Text which they stumble at arising from the time wherein the Prophet gives you in his birth which here he expresseth in the praeter tense as a thing done already is borne is given whereas they say even the child that wee speake of was not borne till about 700 yeares after this prophesie uttered And it is true that they say for if we search the Chronologies of time and the Genealogies of this Child Mat. 1. we shall find there were 19 generations between this of Ahaz in which the prophet prophesied this and that of Mary wherein and of whom this child was borne which tooke up much about this time that they speake of But it is an usuall thing with the penmen of the Holy Ghost especially writing the historicall and propheticall parts of Scripture thus to expresse themselves and to speake of things to come as if present or past already by a figure usually found in Scriptures called Anticipatio Anticipatio But there is more in this expression here in this place then a bare figure the prophet hath a further meaning in it and would thereby teach us and point out unto us these three things 1. First the certainty of fulfilling the promise of his comming that it was as sure as if they had had him then amongst them what you have in hope grounded upon a promise from the all-sufficient God is as sure as if you had it in hand in whom all the promises are yea and Amen If the Lord hath said it shall be done write it done already it is as sure as if it were done Hab. 2.3 though the vision tarry wait for in the end it will surely come it will not tarry If the Lord hath said hee shall be borne the Prophet dares boldly write him borne already unto us A Child
receive it at the hands of a man infinitely meaner then himselfe one that profeseth he was not worthy to unloose the latchet of his shooe yet without disputing he goes into the water Matth. 3. and is baptised of him Behold A Child But looke up and you shall see the heavens opened unto him and the Spirit of God in the likenesse of a dove descending upon him and you shall heare a voyce from heaven giving testimony of him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased Behold A Sonne When his parents as the manner was went up to Jerusalem to the feast of the Passeover they tooke him along with them he was numbred among other children and as an ordinary child hee went in the multitude with the rest when his parents missing him rebuked him for it hee submitted to their reprehension and as the text tels us Luk. 2. He came downe and was obedient to them Behold A Child But do you not read how at the same time being but twelve yeares old he went into the Temple presented himselfe among the Doctors disputed with them both hearing them and posing them asking them questions resolving their doubts and that with such gravity such satisfactory resolution as raised astonishment and admiration in all that heard him Behold A Sonne Lastly to conclude this paralele at the time of his passion you see him under the hands and power of his enemies scourged crowned crucified hanging on the Crosse bowing downe his head sorrowing complaining weeping bleeding dying Behold the Child But do you not see at the same time the heavens grow blacke and darkned above and the earth trembling beneath him do you not see the graves open the rockes cleave in sunder the vaile of the Temple rent and the whole universe seeme to be troubled at the sadnesse of the spectacle Behold the Sonne And thus you see not only in my text but all along the history of the Gospell and throughout the whole course of our blessed Redeemers life the glory of the Lord appearing in the cloud the divinity of the Sonne of God breaking out through the cloud and veyle of his flesh and both of them clearly manifesting themselves in the person of our Mediatour And therefore as the Father hath observed when you see him crying in the cradle Ambrose or crucifyed on the crosse when you see him hungry and thirsty weary weeping sorrowing grieving bleeding dying Ecc◠homo Behold A man But when you see him casting out Devils raising the dead feeding of thousands with a few loaves and fewer fishes miraculously multiplyed when you see him reading the riddles of mens inmost thoughts forgiving sinnes commanding not onely winds and seas but uncleane spirits and devills unto obedience then Ecce Deus Behold A God Behold them both in my text in this child and in this sonne Infans vagiens in cunabulo filius tonans in Coelo Ambrose A child crying in the Cradle and hee at the same time A sonne thundering in heaven an Infant thrust out of doores to take up his harbour in a stable and he at the same time A Sonne disposing of Paradise and of the glorious mansions in heaven at the right hand of his Father And there was a reason for all this Reasons of this marvelous union of two natures in the one undivided person of our Mediatour yea there was a necessity of it on our parts or els he could never have reconciled us to God the Father nor have become for us a fit and perfect Mediatour Neither the child without the sonne nor the sonne without the child could have done it hee must be both A Child and A Sonne too both God and man that was to reconcile God and man heaven and earth together Had he beene only man he could never have laid downe a price which might have beene of sufficient value to ransome the sinnes of the whole world and had hee beene onely God he had not had what to lay downe to ransome them withall not a body to offer up in sacrifice for us nor blood to shed without which there is no redemption for the God head is impatible Had he beene onely man he could never have gone through the great worke of our redemption he could never have stood under the great weight of his Fathers wrath and the burden of the sinnes of the whole world which were to be laid upon him And had he beene onely God he could not have satisfied the justice of God for the sinne of man which required that satisfaction should be made in that nature that had offended and what satisfaction had it been for God to satisfie himselfe upon himselfe for the sinne and offence that was committed against him by another There was a necessity therefore that he should be both that the Child and the Sonne together the Humanity and the Divinity united in one might make up the person of a fit Mediatour 1 There was a necessity that hee should be man that so he might punctually satisfie the justice of God for the sinne of man answering for sinne in that nature that had committed it Therefore A Child And there was a necessity hee should be God too that by the dignity of his person hee might adde value to his sufferings and obedience to make them meritorious and of a sufficient price to ransome the sinne of thousands Therefore A Sonne 2 It was necessary he should be man that so hee might have what to offer up to God in sacrifice for us even a body capable of death and blood to be shed for remission of sinne for the taking off of the sentence of death that was gone out against us Therefore A Child And it was necessary hee should be God too that so by the power of his deity hee might support his humanity in that great conflict and under that great burden of his Fathers wrath and the sinne of the whole world that lay upon him and that in the end he might be able to rescue himselfe out of the hands and power of hell death and the grave and by his owne power to raise up his body from death to life and openly to triumph over it Therefore A Sonne Therefore both that hee might be a fit Mediatour betweene both neither as God so tendering the honour of the Deity offended as to forget the misery of the poore lost sonnes of Adam Nor yet as man so compassionating the misery of the lost sonnes of Adam as to neglect the honour of the Deity offended but as one that was partaker of both deare to both and both to him hee might lay an indifferent hand upon both and so become betweene both an aequall indifferent and impartiall Mediatour And here beloved you have the revelation of that great mystery the mystery of godlinesse the mystery of which Saint Paul writes to Tymothy 1 Tim 3.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without controversie great is
the mystery of godlinesse and what 's that 2 Cor. 5.19 God manifested in the flesh Joh. 1.4 God in Christ reconciling the world unto himselfe 2 Cor. 5. The Word made flesh Joh. 1. A mystery indeed which the Angels themselves desire to looke into 1 Pet. 1.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Originall to pry into to the very bottome implying that the farther they pry into it the farther they may and the more still they discover of the mysterie affording matter of admiration even to those Angelicall spirits And although wee are not able to looke so farre into this great mystery as those Angelicall spirits are nor to discover so much of it as they doe yet let it be seriously lookt into and the discerning spirit will easily perceive how in this high mystery all the most glorious Attributes of Almighty God doe meet together and worke together and in most eminent manner display themselves how his wisedome his power his justice and his grace are all set aworke in this great designe and the result of them all is just the burthen of the Angels song Glory to God on high peace on earth beneath Luk. 2.14 and towards men good will 1 First his wisedome in laying the plot in contriving the way how mankind lost should be restored and saved and yet he not suffer in the honour of his truth and justice which had past against them the sentence of death In quo die commederis morte morieris Gen. 2.17 In the day that thou eatest thou shalt die the death 2 Secondly his power in bringing this about being contrived against so great oppositions so many difficulties standing in the way and effecting it with such happy successe as he hath done though it cost him deare 3 Thirdly his justice in punishing sin so severely and that in his owne Sonne being but an undertaker for it and that meerly out of his love and compassion to poore soules lost and undone that they might not perish 4 Fourthly his grace in being at such cost to save and to restore sinfull men his enemies that had so highly offended him and undone themselves All these may he that runneth read in this mystery There s in the 85. Psalme and 10. verse a sweet passage of the Prophet David Mercy and truth are met together righteousnesse and peace have kissed each other Behold in this mystery they are met together and in this glorious designe they kisse each other His mercy such that rather then mankind shall perish his owne and onely sonne shall become a Child take their nature upon him and in that nature suffer all that mankind should have suffered and doe all that hee should have done that so all this being imputed unto him he might have the benefit of it that he might be excused from suffering and accepted in the sight of God as holy as innocent and as just as if he had never offended And yet his justice such that rather then sinne shall goe unpunished hee would punish it in his owne sonne yea and that with great severity too he would not spare him although in the extremity of the conflict he begg'd of him that he would he desired that that cup might passe from him Matth. 26.39 yet he would not heare him nor excuse him but laid on load of wrath and justice upon him gave him up to the bitternesse of death and lockt him up in the prison of the grave till hee had paid the uttermost farthing of our debt See here how in this mystery mercy and truth are met together righteousnesse and peace in this Child and in this Sonne kisse each other Behold how the wisedome and the power the justice and the grace of Almighty God all worke together and proclaime with loud voyce Glory to God on high And these make up the first part of the Angels song The second part of their song proclaimes good will unto men and declares the unspeakable good which by this mystery they receive and there are five great blessings and benefits which they receive by it 1 First the ennobling of their natures what an honour is this to our flesh to be taken into union with the divine nature in the person of the Sonne of God What an exaltation is this of our nature that the Prince of Glory should vouchsafe to cloth him selfe with it and in it to appeare and converse among the sonnes of men but how much more that in it hee hath victoriously triumphed over sinne death hell and the grave that in it he is ascended into heaven and there sitteth on the right hand of the Father in that part of our flesh which hee tooke hath taken possession of heaven for us and in our names of the heavenly mansions which hee hath purchased and provided for us Quid est homo Lord what is man that thou shouldest thus consider him Psal 8 4. or the sonne of man that thou shouldest thus regard him thou hast made him little lower then the Angels Nay in this respect higher then the Angels for he tooke not upon him the nature of Angels Hebâ— but hee tooke upon him the nature of Adam the seed of Abraham hence arises a nearer affinity consanguinity rather betweene Christ and us then is between Christ and the Angels he becoming flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone by this are wee made sonnes of God brethren of Christ and coheirs with him of an Inheritance in glory Gen. 2 23. Ephes 5.30 This is an high priviledge and a great benefit which wee receive by this mystery The enobling of our natures And 2 The second is like unto this The enabling of our natures to gratious and spirituall performances of holy and heavenly duties for by vertue of this union of our natures with his and his with ours thâ—re flowes from him into us an influence of grace by which he through his spirit lives in us and workes in us by which he informes actuates and animates us as the soule doth the body of which it is the forme hence followes the enabling of our natures to holy and spirituall performances by vertue of this influence of grace of Christ by his spirit living in us and working in us we are enabled to live that life which is according to godlinesse to mortifie our corruptions to deny our selves with all our corrupt lusts and passions to crucifie the flesh to despise the world with all the corruptions that are in it through lust to doe and to suffer for his name above the power of nature by a higher power and principle of grace received from above This is a second benefit derived unto us from this mystery 3. The third is an interest in the Lord Jesus and with him in all that is his in all his righteousnesse merits holinesse obedience in all that he hath done and suffered for us it is all ours wee have a right in it for from this
obtained and purchased unto his Church in so doing Let not the Jewe stumble at the Crosse of Christ by telling us that we beleeve in a crucified God nor let the Atheist stumble at the Cradle of Christ by telling us we embrace a Child for our God Nestorius his Blasphemy Nor let Nestorius reproach us with our bimestris aut trimestris Deus a God of two or three months old as hee blaspemously calls him If the Child seeme little in your eyes behold the Sonne if the Cradle offend you behold the Starre if the Crosse offend you behold the Heavens without a Sunne and the Starres withold their shining at the spectacle And be not faithlesse but believe and you shall see greater things then these You shall see this Sonne of man comming in the clouds Matth 25. with power and great glory Now you see him in the Cradle then you shall see him in a fiery Chariot riding upon the wings of the wind now he came in Virgine then hee shall come in Libra with a ballance in one hand to weigh the actions of the sonnes of men and a two edged sword in the other to cut them off and to be avenged on his enemies now he came attended with a few fishermen and others of the meaner sort that followed him but then he shall come attended with thousands and thousands of thousands of Angels and Arch-Angels now he came in humility then he shall come in glory now he came to be judged but then he shall come to judge both quick and dead yea to judge even them that judged him the souldiers shall looke upon him whom they have pierced Zach 11. and the Jew shall looke upon him whom they have rejected and the Arrians Eunomians Ebionites Corinthians Photinians Socinians and Mohomitans shall looke upon him whom they have denyed and despised and shall be confounded when they shall see him now armed with power and authority to be avenged on them for their contempts and injuries done to him and his for his sake And those that have confessed him shall say unto them by way of reproach and insultation Behold yee despisers and wonder and perish Act. 13.41 Luk 19.27 And the King shall say unto them as sometimes to those Rebels in the Gospell Those that would not that I should raigne over them bring them hither and slay them before my face Psal 2.12 Oh then kisse the Sonne lest hee be angry and so ye perish embrace the Child in the arms of your faith and best affections Ambrose that so hereafter he may embrace you in the armes of his mercy Infans est noli timere filius noli spernere Behold he is a Child that you should not be afraid to draw neare unto him and a Sonne that you may not dispise him Let the meditation of the former raise in you hope and confidence and of the latter beget in you feare and reverence and both together that saving comfort sound joy and settled peace that flowes from your reconciliation with God and your adoption to the honour to become the Sonnes of God brethren to this Child and coheires with this Sonne of an inheritance in glory the very end of this his Child-hood and of this his Sonship the very end why he was borne to us and given for us Lord let him have his end in us that we may have our fruit in him even the end of our hopes the salvation of our soules in blisse and glory that never shall have end Amen The end of the first Sermon COMFORT FROM THE CRADLE AS WELL AS from the Crosse of CHRIST The second SERMON ESAIAH 9.6 Vnto us a Child is borne Vnto us a Sonne is given I Have given you an account of the first generall part of the Text inquiring of the person who and what hee is of whom the Prophet speaketh this as he is here represented to us under the names and notions of A Child A Sonne Transitio and there in I have discovered unto you the stupendious mystery which lyes coucht under these two words and is clearly made out from them and that is tâ—â—â—wâ— really distinguisht natures united in the onâ— individed person of our Mediatour the Deity the Humanity of the Son of God both made good not only out of the text but all along throughout the whole course of his life from his birth to his baptisme from his baptisme to his death as in the severall passages of them all I have observed In his birth you had A Cradle for the Child and a Starre for the Sonne In his Baptisme water for the Child and a voyce from Heaven for the Sonne In his passion A Crosse and A Crowne of thornes nailes and a speare scourgings and whippings and stripes for the Child and thundrings and darknesse and an earth-quake and rocks cleaving in sunder and graves opening and the veyle of the Temple rent for the Sonne and generally throughout the whole course of his life in the severall eminent passages of it you saw the glory of the Lord appearing in the cloud infallible evidences of the Deity breaking out through the cloud and veile of his flesh I shewed you the reasons of all these wonders they were wonderfull things that he was to doe and therefore not to be transacted but by wonderfull means and by a wonderfull person even by him whose name is called VVonderfull And I shewed you the friuts issuing out of them all Glory to God on high peace on earth below and towards men good will I am now to examine the second generall proposed Luke 2. wherein we are to consider what it is which is here affirmed of this Child and of this Son and that is laid down in two words more Is borne Is given The Child is borne but the Sonne is given First The Child is borne That is was necessary that our Mediatour should be made man it is confest and we have shewed the reasons of it but why A Child why borne of a woman why to be conceived in the wombe this is much more and surely there is more of the mystery in it which yet we have not discovered when the first Adam was created he was made A man not A child created not begotten A man in full strength and perfection of life and so was excused all the impotencies and imperfections of Childhood and infancy And when the second Adam came to repaire and to restore what he had lost was it not reasonable and agreeable to his type that hee should be made a man too in perfect state stature and perfection of life as the first was and so have beene abated all those parts of his sufferings and degrees of his humiliation which in the wombe and from the wombe in his childhood and infancy hee past through must he needs become A Child be conceived in the wombe and borne what was the reason of this Yes surely there was reason for it
unfeined love to him that commanded it Now saith the Lord I know that thou lovest me Gen. 25. If that were evidence cleere enough of mans love to God how much stronger must it needs bee of Gods far greater love to man that did not only offer to offer up his sonne but offered him up indeed a sacrifice for their ransome No marvayle if St Iohn reporting this set it forth with a note of admiration Joh. 13.16 God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten sonne to the end that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have life everlasting Those foure circumstances in that Text tantus tantillos tâ—les and tanti That such a high Majestie as the Lord is should so value such wormes as we are as to give for us such a price as he did to redeem us out of misery and thraldome by the death of his owne sonne doe rayse this his love to such a heighth as is beyond the comprehension of men or Angells As therefore the Jews seeing Christ weeping over Lazarus his grave Joh. 11. tooke notice of it as a speciall evidence of this love that he bare him and whispered one to another as in that Text See how he loved him So when you see the Lord parting with his owne sonne out of his own bosome and freely giving him up to us to be borne and to dye for us say as these Jews and upon as infallible grounds and evidence See how he loved us And when you see the sonne taking leave of his father laying by all his robes of dignity and glory which hee did enjoy at the right hand of his father to come downe to the earth to be borne for us and to dye for us to take our nature upon him and in that nature to doe and to suffer such grievous things as he did and suffered When you see him reviled buffeted spit upon scourged crowned crucified when you see him upon the Crosse weeping bleeding dying for you say as those Jews did upon a lesse occasion 2. Sam. 1. See how he loved us surely his love to us was wonderfull passing the love of women 2. Secondly hence I conclude that henceforth the Lord will deny us nothing that is good for us what will the Lord deny us that hath not denied us his sonne to dye for us he that spared not his sonne but gave him up for us all how shall he not with him freely give us all things Rom. 8.32 The argument concludes strongly à majori from the greater to the lesse when Acsah the daughter of Caleb made suit to her father for a well of water Josh 15 thus she accoasts him Thou hast given me a South countrey give me also a well of water she was coÌ„fident that he that had given her the greater would not deny her this small re-request and she was not deceaved in it for the Text tells us he granted her request with advantage Hee gave her the upper springs and the neather springs so we may upon the same ground perswade our selves of our heavenly father he hath given us the greater he will not surely deny us the lesser mercies he hath given us Fields and Vineyards hee will not deny us a well of water but will give us the upper Springs and the neather Springs hee will not deny us supply in our wants comfort in our afflictions protection in dangers deliverance out of troubles the neather Springs nor will he deny us his spirit his grace remission of our sinnes life everlasting and an inheritance in glory the upper Springs Oh the happinesse of the Saints and people of God in this his favour hee hath nothing too deare for them thinks nothing too good for them with what boldnesse and confidence may they at all times draw neere the Throne of grace in assurance that they shall finde help in times of need And so I have done with the gift too the gift of the sonne The child was borne the sonn was given BUt there is no gift The third generall part nor giver but there is a receiver in this there are many wee must not overlook them it is very fit wee should reflect our eyes a little upon them too to let them knowe their engagement by so great a gift that so thanks may be given by many for the gift bestowed upon many And this pronoune tells us who they are to whom he was given Nohis To us and twise for failing Nobis To us Because indeed he is given to us in a twofold respect 1 First Nobis To us exclusivè exclusively 2 Secondly Nobis To us inclusive inclusively Nobis To us exclusivè excluding some And Nobis To us inclusivè including others Excluding first himselfe for hee was not borne for himselfe nor did he live to himselfe nor dye for himselfe but Nobis to Us and Nobis for Us for us men and for our salvation it was that he came down from heaven as the Nicaene Creed in our Church Liturgie puts us in minde He needed not have done nor suffered any of these things for himselfe nor did hee thereby merit for himselfe nor could there any addition be made to that glory and happinesse which from all eternitie he did enjoy at the right hand of his father unlesse it were this to see us happy with him which before were miserable that hee might doe so he is content to become miserable that wee might be happy exinanire se to emply himselfe saies one Text annihilare to annihilate saies another to emply himselfe that he might fill us to make nothing of himselfe that he might make something of us which were worse then nothing to become poore that we might be made rich naked that wee might be cloathed harbourlesse that we might have mansions in heaven a prisoner that we might be set free and at these great disadvantages to exchange conditions with us that we might be happy and therefore truely Nobis to us was he given and Nobis exclusivè exclusively to us not for himselfe 2. Secondly Nobis to us exclusively in respect of the Angels Heb. For he tooke not upon him the nature of Angells And therefore when an Angell preacheth this doctrine Luke 2.11 hee preacheth it not in the first person Nobis to us but in the second person Luk. 2.11 Vobus to you is borne this day in the Citty of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord. He was not given for the Angells whether it were because their sin was of a more higher nature then the sin of Adam was or whether it came within the compasse of the sin ag t the holy Ghost or whether it was because they sinned with an higher hand against God or that they sinned against greater light against greater grace and greater strength to subsist then Adam had or whether it were because their sin was more voluntary in that they sinned without a tempter wee dispute not This we have
Reasons why it was necessary Christ should not onely be made man but borne a Child nay there was a necessity of it it must needs be so and I will give you in three Reason for it 1 The first concernes the posterity of Adam in generall 2 The second concernes the daughters of Eve more specially 3 And the the third concernes the infants that are borne of them and issue from them both 1 First in respect of the posterity of Adam in generall it was necessary that our Mediatour should become a Child be conceived in the wombe and borne Psal 51. That he might begin the cure of our disease where our disease it selfe begins and that is in the very wombe Behold saies the Prophet David I was conceived in sinne and borne in iniquity Psal 51. Our blessed Lord becomming our Mediatour and undertaking to satisfie the justice of God for this sinne and to cure us of so grievous a disease that layes hold on us in the very wombe is faine to descend into the wombe of a daughter of Eve there to take our nature upon him and there to be conceived though without sinne and of her to be borne but without iniquity a pure birth that so by the purity of his humane nature imputed unto us the impurity of ours may be cured and cleansed and that by his Originall righteousnesse our originall sin may be done away There is beloved if you marke it A method observed by the second Adam in curing the evils we receive from the first and I pray do for it is well worth your marking and much comfort shall you reap by it when you apprehend it aright There is I say A method observed by the second Adam in curing the evills which we have received from the first it is a methodicall cure wherein the second Adam hath trac't the first step by step and where ever he saw that he had wounded us he prouided to heale us and prepared for us a remedy proportionable to our malady a salve suitable to the sore and proper for the cure of it To shew you this a little more plainly There are three things wherein the first Adam hath deadly and desperately wounded his posterity First by depraving their natures this is that which is called Originall sinne the corruption and depravation of our natures from that which we were by creation by this hee struck us dead in the very wombe by this we are wicked as soone as we are even before we have done good or evill wicked in the very roote because wee have in us a principle of all wickednesse and so become children of wrath by nature miserable from the very cradle from the very wombe even in our conception The second thing wherein hee undid us was by breaking Covenant with God in failing in the performance of the condition of it which said thus fac hoc vives doe this and thou shalt live and so breaking the Commandement in the mandatory part of it be forfeited to himselfe and his all that life and happinesse which upon the condition of obedience was made over to him and them And the third was by his actuall rebellion against God and positive disobedience by which he desperately brake the Commandement in the minatory part of it which said In quo die comederis morte morieris in the day that thou eatest thou shalt die the death and so made us liable to all the miseries of this life and of that which is to come By his privative disobedience breaking the holy Comandement in the mandatory part of it he forfeited to himselfe and us the inheritance of Paradise our right and title to the Kingdome of Heaven but by his positive disobedience transgressing the holy Law and Commandement in the minatory part of it he hath plung'd us all into the lowest hell Now for the relieving of us in all these desperate evils was our Lord faine to provide for us suitable remedies and to apply each of them to that malady for the cure whereof it was most proper and so he did though they cost him deare For 1 First for the cure of our Originall sinne he applies his Originall righteousnesse that he may punctually satisfie the justice of God for the depravation of our natures the sinne wherein wee are conceived and borne himselfe is conceived by the holy Ghost and borne of the Virgin Mary that he may begin the cure of our disease where our disease begins in the very wombe even thither is hee content to descend and there to take our nature upon him that in his person our natures might be sanctified and our birth-sinne cured and done away 2 Secondly for relieving of us in the second of these evills our failing in performance of the condition of the Covenant of workes he applyes unto us his active obedience by which he fulfilled the Law for us in every part and particle of it in the dayes of his flesh that so by this his obedience imputed unto us he might punctually satisfie the Justice of God for all our failings and sins of omission and so restore us againe to our right and title to the Kingdom of heaven our forfeited inheritance 3 And for the relieving of us in the third the transgression of the Law and holy Commandement in the minatory part by actuall sinnes and positive disobedience hee applyes unto us his passive obedience himselfe bearing our sinnes in his body upon the tree and by his death taking off from us that sentence of death that was gone out against us By this his passive obedience he hath satisfied the law in the minatory part of it and by his active in the mandatory by his passive obedience he hath satisfied the justice of God for all our sins of Commission and by his active for all our failings and our sins of omission by his passive obedience he hath freed us A poena sensus from the punishment of paine and by his active A poena damni from the punishment of losse by his passive obedience he hath rescued us out of the jawes of hell and by his active he hath opened unto us the gate of heaven his passive obedience was satisfactory and his active meritorious And thus by these three parts of his obedience the obedience of his birth the obedience of his life and the obedience of his death by the obedience of his birth in his incarnation of his life in his holy conversation and of his death in his passion hee hath fulfilled for us all righteousnesse he is become unto us A perfect Saviomr and hath wrought out for us plentifull redemption Had the sonne of God come downe from Heaven to earth and here beene made man for us taken our nature upon him in a body created as Adams was and in that body liv'd amongst us as long as he did and during all that time by his most holy conversation perfectly fulfilled the Law for us and performed the
condition of the Covenant of workes in our behalfe yet he had not wrought out for us plentifull redemption he had by this his active obedience onely fulfilled the Law in the mandatory part of it and so satisfied the justice of God for our sinnes of omission but still he had left us open to the justice and wrath of God for our sinnes of Commission and for our transgressions of the law in the minatory part of it and so left us to the curse of it even death and damnation Had hee not onely so fulfilled the law for us by his active obedience in the dayes of his life but in the end thereof laid downe his life for us and shed his blood for the ransome of our soules yet he had not wrought out for us plentifull redemption hee had indeed by this his passive obedience satisfied the justice of God for all our sinnes of commission too and by fulfilling the Law in the minatory part of it cleared us of all our transgressions committed against it but still hee had left us indebted unto God and in danger of his wrath and justice for the sinne of our nature our radicall pravitie and originall corruption in which wee are conceived and borne but that he might cleare us of this sin also and so become unto us a perfect Saviour and worke out for us Plentifull redemption it was necessary that hee should be incarnate that in the very wombe hee should take our nature upon him and be borne of a woman without sinne that so by the purity of his humane nature imputed unto us the impurity of ours might be cured and that in his person our natures might be sanctified in the wombe and from the wombe And so by grace derived from these three parts in the obedience of the second Adam we are perfectly cured of all the evill wee receaved from the first by the merit of his incarnation in his holy birth by his active obedience in his holy life and of his passive obedience in his bitter death and passion hee hath fulfilled for us all righteousnesse he is become unto us a perfect Saviour and hath wrought out for us plentifull redemption And this was the first reason why it was necessary that our Mediator should not onely be made man but borne a child The second reason of this part and passage in the obedience of our Mediatour and of this so low degree of his humiliation respects the Woman more especially even Eve with all her daughters for their sakes more peculiarly and unto them and of them was he borne that by his birth hee might repaire them in a losse and recover them out of a danger into which beyond and aboue the man they had cast themselves by being first in the transgression If you heedfully observe the story of the fall compared with other Scriptures commenting upon it you will finde it to be so Gen. 3. if you read but the processe made against her and the doome pronounc't upon her at the day of her tryall you will finde a heavier charge against her and a greater burthen laid upon her then upon Adam was laid but waving that the Scripture upon which this reason is grounded is that famous place of St Paul to Timothy 1. Tim. 2.16 vers 1.2.16 Yet neverthelesse through child-bearing she shall be savd if they continue in Faith and Charity with holinesse and sobroetie which because it is a very intricate Scripture one of those which are hard to be understood and so generally mistaken by most men so few have attained to the true meaning of it I will take some paines to examine it and to finde it out both for my own and others satisfaction which that I may doe I must intreat you to looke back with me to 2. or 3. verses going before there you shall finde the Apostle had laid 2 heavy yokes upon her Silence and Subiection V. 11. And that you may know what silence he meanes in the next verse hee interprets himselfe and tells you he meanes silence as t is put in opposition to teaching or publique preaching I permit not a woman to teach though I see not but by the grounds upon which most men take upon them to teach now adaies she hath as good a licence to teach as any of them all and that is meerely the inward calling or at least a conceipt of it but St Paul that had reason to knowe their gifts of ability well enough and their desire to exercise them in the Church yet directly silences them as to this intent she that preacht such false doctrine to her husband as whereby she had undone us all he thinks it fit she should be silence't from ever preaching more I permit not a woman to teach but let her be silent 2ly Subiection I permit not the woman to usurp authority over the man in the same verse if she doe t is usurpation shee hath no right so to doe Therefore let her be silent and let her be subiect v. 11.12 But verse 14. the Apostle shews the reason why the Lord laid this heavy burthen upon her and that was the deepnesse of her guilt in the matter of the first and great transgression For Adam was not in the transgression but Eve being deceived was in the transgression that is comparatiuely nothing so deeply as shee was hee was in it but as accessary she was the principall for first shee seduced him so became an Agent for Satan to prevaile with her husband to doe that which himselfe was confident he could never have perswaded him too 2ly She was first in the transgression A grievous aggravation if rightly considered for the meaning of it is she was first in the transgressiō not only because she first gave her consent to Satan tempting her nor because she tempted her husband to doe the like who of himselfe had no such thoughts nor desires that we read of till she suggested them but shee was first in the transgression because she did first actually eat of the forbidden fruit without the consent of her hurband or knowledge either for sure enough the iubtle Serpent watcht the advantage of such an opportunity to attempt her in the absence of her husband whom he might well imagine would have prevented her transgression and given her better counsell what a grievous errour was this in her to adventure upon such a fact of so infinite consequence as this was upon which depended the everlasting weale or woe of her selfe and all her posterity after her without the knowledge or consent of her husband who might have given her better counsell and whose advise in all reason she should have desired but she staid not for that she hearkned to the Serpent promising high things unto her to ensue upon her eating and she believed him and so without ever acquainting him with it she eat of it shee was first in the transgression this as it was the aggravation of
them by the studious and carefull practise of the contrary duties to make amends for their former folly and to take a holy revenge of themselves for their past error whereby they had so grievously offended And this is the second reason enforcing the necessitie of the child-birth in my Text in reference to the woman and all women kinde I have beene something large in opening this Scripture upon which this reason is grounded in regard of the difficulty of it and for justifying this interpretation and cleering it of those obje ions which might seeme to question it wherein I hope I have given you some reasonable satisfaction 3. The third reason for which it was necessary this child should be borne respects infants and children more peculiarly for infants sakes did he become an infant for childrens sakes was hee content become a child that by his birth hee might merit for them their New-birth hee was borne that they might be borne againe That from his very conception and incarnation they might draw virtue and derive grace to their spirituall regeneration and in his person their natures might be sanctified in the very wombe That in him the Lord might become not only the God of beleevers but of their seed also that the promise made to thē and to their childrē by this means might be made good they made capable of receiving it though as yet they knew him not nor their right hand from their left And this part of his humiliation as for this end it was most necessary so for our comfort it was not obscurely foreshewed and preacht to the world by the Prophets of old In the 49. of Genesis and the 10. verse we have a famous and ancient prophesie to this purpose The scepter shall not depart from Iudah nor a Law-giver from between his feet till Shiloh come It is cleere by all the circumstances in the Text and by the fulfilling of the prophesie since which is the best interpretation of it that by this Shiloh is meant none other but the Messiah Jesus Christ the Saviour of the world but why Shiloh rather then the Messiah Emanuel or any other of his names by which he is in scripture made knowne unto us why doth the Patriarch prophesie of him under so strange a name surely there is a mystery in it and if you consult the Hebrew it will give you some light to the finding of it out This word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with very little alteration either in sense or sound refers to a word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shiliah which in the originall signifies that part in a child-bearing woman which is called secundina the After-birth that filme which containes the Child in the womde after it is conceived and wherein it is nourished by the navell untill it be ripened for the birth so that in this expression there is a double figure first by a Metonimy naming the vessell containing for that which is contained in it by Shiloh here is signified a man child 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sonne and then by a synecdoche using a word more generall for that which is more particular and eminent in that kinde by this childe is meant none other but the holy Child Iesus the Christ the Messiah that was to come in whom this prophesie was evidently fulfilled This is that then which in this prophesie is so remarkable and speaks home to out purpose That this holy Prophet and Patriarch prophesiing of this great Prince the Messiah and preaching to the world the Saviour thereof hee doth not shew you Christ upon the Crosse suffering for our sinnes nor Christ in the pulpit preaching to the world the doctrine of salvation nor Christ working miracles going about and doing good though all these were necessary parts of his obedience and performances of the office of his Mediatorship respectively but hee prophesies of Christ in Shiloh he points at Christ in Shiloh he sends you to Christ in Shiloh to Christ in the wombe to Christ in his incarnation to Christ in his conception that you may knowe that you derive grace and vertue not only from Christ crucified but from Christ borne and incarnate not onley from his death but from his birth too not onely from his blood which he shed for you but even from the holy seed of which his body was formed for you not only from the Crosse of Christ but even from his cradle too not only from his passion and crucifixion but from his conception and incarnation Hence you shall observe that the holy pen-men of our blessed Lords life and death are as carefull and punctuall in giving you an account of his conception and incarnation as of his death and passion consult but the beginning of St Mathews Gospell for the one and of St Lukes for the other you shall finde it to be so And the Apostolicall Creed teaches you and tells you that it is not sufficient that you knowe and believe that he was crucified for you under Pontius Pilate but also that he was conceived for you by the holy Ghost and born of the Virgin Mary That the Infants even as yet unborne may have cause to praise him who out of a tender regard to them was content to take their nature and infirmities upon him in the wombe that he might cure them What once the Lord by way of reproach objected against his unthankfull people Ezek. 16. that may he by way of magnifying his compassion toward these little ones most suitably apply to them word for word ver 3. Thy Father was an Amorite and thy Mother an Hittite Vers 4. And in thy nativitie when thou wast borne thy navill was not cut thou wast not washt with water to soften thee thou wast not salted with salt nor swadled with clothes 5 None eye pitied thee to doe any of these unto thee for to have compassion upon thee but thou wast cast out in the open field to the contempt of thy person in the day that thou wast borne 6 And when I passed by thee I saw thee polluted in thine owne blood And I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood I said thou shalt live 8 Now when I passed by thee I had compassion on thee I spred my skirt over thee and covered thy nakednesse 9 I washed thee with water yea I washed away thy blood frous thee I annointed thee with oyle and I cloathed thee c. This was their case and this was their cure and such was his love to them and his compassion on them that to the end he might effect it he is content not only to be made man but to become a child too for their sakes And this is the third Reason why Unto us and unto them this Child is borne The Vses ANd now whar use shall we make of this Meditation surely very great It is of great use in the Church of God well-nigh all the errors that men have runne into concerning
your houses by Charity into your affections by Joy and Praise and into your practise too by imitation though he be given to us of the Father yet he is never actually ours till he be thus ours by a partciular reception application of him to our selves our own soules T is not the Universall Nobis that makes him ours that speaks him at too great a distance nor the Nationall Nobis that gives us an interest in him that 's yet too generall t is the Personall nobis that brings him home to us and gives us assurance nay nor that neither untill we come yet neerer home by changing the number the plurall into the singular when insteed of Nobis natus and Nobis datus we can with old Simeon take up this child and hugge him in our armes by a more speciall application and say mihi natus and mihi datus unto mee this child is borne and unto me this Son is given 3. The third duty charged upon us in consideration of this gift shall conclude this discourse And that followes ex congruo by way of congruity It is thankfulnesse It is very fit that thanks should bee given by many for the gift bestowed upon many Hitherto we have been of the taking hand all hath been to us to us the childe and to us the Sonn to us the birth and to us the gift all hath beene to us but what will there be nothing lookt for from us think you for all this good communicated to us No returne to bee made upon the receipt of so great a gift Nothing to the Father that gave him Nothing to the Sonne that was given Nothing to the child that was born for us and to us Yes surely something to them all 1. First thanks to the Father that gave the Son We thanke thee O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth that thou wert pleased to spare and part with thine owne Son out of thine own bosome for our sakes that by his merit and mediation of sons of wrath we might be made sonnes of grace sons of adoption and coheyers with this thy son of an inheritance in glory Now thanks be to God for this unspeakable gift 2. Secondly thanks to the Sonne that was willing to be given and content to submit to such hard conditions to rescue us out of that miserable thraldome into which we had cast our selves and under which without him helpes and hopelesse wee had lyen for ever 3. And thirdly thanks to the child for his love shewed to the Children of men in that for their sakes he was content to become a child to bee conceived in the wombe borne of a woman and in his person to beare all the infirmities of infancy childhood that so he might merit for them the sanctification of their natures and by the holinesse of his imputed to them purifie theirs and cure them of their Originall sin even in the wombe But what Nothing but thankes for all this Yes something more though it be not much that we can doe in compensation of so great love and kindnesse nor much that we can give by way of returne yet let us give what we can let us doe what we can Let us give up our selves soules and bodies a living sacrifice unto him which gave up his to be a dying sacrifice for us Let us love the Child reverence the Sonne honour the Father ever more admiring adoring the Philanthropie of the child the humility of the Sonne the wisdome power grace justice truth and mercy of the Father all set aworke in this great designe undertaken meerely for the good of mankind for us men and for our salvation For unto us the Child was borne And unto us the Sonne was given and therefore from us and from all the hoasts of Heaven from men and from Angels let there bee ascribed unto them all as is most due All glory honour power praise might Majestie thanksgiving obedience and dominion with Halleluiah For evermore Amen Amen FINIS