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spirit_n	body_n	holy_a	soul_n	16,669	5	5.2335	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A04618	The mysterie of Christes natiuitie A sermon preached in the parish church of All-Saints in Dorchester, within the countie of Dorset, the 25. day of December 1613. being Christmas Daye. By William Iones, Master of Arts, and preacher of Gods Word.	Jones, William, b. 1581 or 2.	1614 (1614)	STC 14739.2; ESTC S107860	16,531	38

one of the Sybils whether there were any where a greater person then himselfe saw in the Sunne a Virgin giuing an Infant sucke to whom afterwards hee dedicated an Altar and called it Aram Coeli the Altar of Heauen And thus yee see it proued that it was the fulnesse of time when he that as S. Ioh. saith full of grace truth was borne amongst vs. The Iewes expect yet a Messtas to come denying Iesus whom wee beleeue on to bee the Worlds Sauiour And the Turkes dare to compare him with their Mahomet But this doctrine of the fulnesse of time wherein Christ was born doth most plainly and forcibly confute them For sith all the promises and mercies of God sith the prophesies figures and desires of our famous forefathers and manie admirable Miracles met in the time of Christs Natiuitie and that neuer Mahomet had the like nor any Creature can haue the like wee are fully to bee resolued by this fulnesse of time the true Messtas to bee borne I could spend more time in discoursing vpon this time but that greater matters viz. The causes of Christs birth doe now offer themselues vnto mee in these wordes God sent his sonne Where the Efficient cause is God the formall cause his sending and the materiall cause his Sonne Christ himselfe God sent Who the Father the Sonne or the Holy Ghost Surely all three of them For know that opera a Trinitatis sunt in-diuisa and vnlesse in personall respects euermore in Essentiall actions what one doth they all doe as now in this worke of Christs birth the whole Trinitie shewed their industrie The Father sent mee saith Christ Ioh. 13. 20. Here the Father labours I went out from the Father and came into the World Here is the labour of the Sonne The Holy Ghost shall come vpon thee quoth the Angell Gabriel to the blessed Virgin when she was to conceiue Christ this is the labour of the Holy Ghost Thus the three persons being one GOD had each of them their action in CHRISTS Incarnation and that most fitly sith it being a worke of great power Wisdome and goodnes it was requisite that the Father with his power the Sonne with his Wisedome and the Holie Ghost with his Goodnesse should accomplish it What more powerfull a thing then to joyne two such extreamely distant Natures as the Creatour and the Creature together It is GODS especiall power in compound bodies to joyne the foure Elements together it is greater power to joyne our bodie to our created spirits that is to say our soules But to joyne all these to the increated spirit God this is a might aboue all measure Againe what more wise thing then that to the perfection and complement of the whole the beginning and the end of a worke should hang together And now note this mysterie The Word was the beginning of the VVorld for by it GOD made the World and Adam was the last Creature of the VVorld The Word then becomming Man the first and the last that is to say GOD and man were vnited together Againe what greater goodnesse can bee then that the Creatour should communicate himselfe to the Creatures It is his great kindnesse that God giues himselfe to his Creatures by his essence presence and power it is his greater kindnes that he giues himselfe to good men by his grace but that hee should giue himselfe to our nature by Vnion with it that is to say by assuming our Humanitic into his Diuinitie this surmounts all fauour that may bee said or thought vpon Thus I say the Fathers power the Sonnes wisdome and the Holy Ghosts goodnesse were all Actors in clothing Christ with our flesh To the doing whereof what moued them our merits no Brethren but their mercies according to that of Ioh. 3. God soloued the World that he sent his sonne c. Loue is manifested three wayes Dono passione opere in giuing suffering and working The Father shewed his loue when he gaue vs his Sonne the Sonne shewed his loue when hee suffered Death for our sinnes and the Holy Ghost shewes his loue in setting vs forward in good workes Thus the manifestation of the blessed Trinities power wisdome goodnesse and mercie are as it were the foure wheeles vpon which the Charriot of Gods prouidence brought Christ into this world Who came as sent God sent sayth my text Heere is a doubt worthie to be discust Christ was neuer separated from God his Father For when Saint Iohn saw him vpon earth hee yet acknowledged him to bee in the bosome of his Father secundum id 1. cap. vnigenitus quie st in sinis patris c. as also that hee was in Heauen secundumid tertio capite nemo ascendit c. qui est in coelo yea that hee was in the world before his birth sith hee made the World as it is cap. 1. and how then may it be said that God sent him when hee neuer went from him An Interpretation shall make euident all this Missio saith Thomas Aquinas commenting vpon this place fuit assumptio Carnis non depositio maiestatis Christ left not to bee God when hee became man but tooke more vnto his Godhead when hee became man viz. our Humanitie into his Diuinitie that through our visible nature assumed he might acquaint vs with his inuisible excelencies which els could neuer haue beene known of vs. As the Sun shining in his perfit brightnes can not be looked vpon but in a Cloud or mist hauing his beames refracted may bee beheld so God in his infinite and incomprehensible essence being considered of vs cannot be knowne of vs for he is too powerful an object for our weake vnderstanding but in our Nature by his sonne assumed hauing his glorie and Majestie contracted wee may take a full view of him And thus Christ his incarnating is his proper sending But why sent God his sonne the second person in Trinitie Wherefore had not the Father and the Holy Ghost come to be man aswel as the Sonne Brethren this is a high point in Diuinitie requiring judiciall and attentiue eares which if yee lend mee thus then I resolue yee Truely there wanted no power in any of those persons to performe this for they are all Omnipotent and able to doe what soeuer pleaseth them But yet why the sonne did it rather then the rest great reasons are to bee alleaged First It was meete that by what instruments God made the World by the same he should repaire the World But God by his sonne made the World as it is Heb. 1. and therfore as it is 2. Cor. 5. well was God in Christ by whom hee reconciled the World Secondly It was fit that hee who was the sonne in the Diuinitie should also bee the sonne in Humanitie least if the Father or the Holy Ghost had bin the sonnes of men they had then beene temporall sonnes to the Eternall sonne Thirdly the Father is of himselfe

THE MYSTERIE OF CHRISTES NATIVITIE A Sermon Preached in the Parish Church of ALL-SAINTS in DORCHESTER within the Countie of DORSET the 25. day of December 1613. being CHRISTMAS DAYE By WILLIAM IONES Master of Arts and Preacher of Gods Word BERNARD Puto me iam spernere non poterit Christus Os de offibus meis caro de carne mea How is it possible that the blessed Sonne of God should now reiect me sith by taking our nature vpon him he is become flesh of my flesh and bone of my bone LONDON Printed for Richard Hawkins and are to be sold at his Shop in Chancery-lane neere Seriants Inne 1614. To the Worshipfull M. THOMAS HVSSY Justice of Peace Master IASPER MELLER Esquire Master LAVRENCE MELLER M. THO. PAWLET M. Mathew Chubb M. Richard Blachford and M. THOMAS BLACHFORD Gentlemen of Dorset-shire my especiall kind and louing friends Grace and Peace bee multiplied through Christ Iesus our LORD AS the preaching of the Gospell of Christ was not nor is the least gift of grace that God gaue vnto his Church but euen the greatest miracle that euer Christ wrought hecre on earth for our Conuersion vnto the faith So the abuse of this grace is not the least but the greatest sinne that can be committed The which being truly considered I maruell not a little why Diotrephes with his Schollers will persist in resisting of this grace or Simon Magus with his Champions continue in purchasing of this grace or Iudas with his Successors perseuer in buying and selling of Christ Spouse the Church contrarie to the Gospell of grace But forasmuch as that I minde not in this ensuing Treatise to tax them or their wicked abuses Yet my prayers vnto God for them shal bee to turne their hearts from farther renting of the garments of Christ and his Church least they become like vnto these their predecessors partakers not of the least grace The subiect or matter wherewith I am now to present your Worships withall is touching the mysterie of Christ his Natiuitie The Text hath beene handed often and by manie Yea and of such men who for their great vnderstanding reading wittie inuention and profound Iudgement haue manie degrees exceeded my selfe Yet to satisfie the earnest and godly requests of some of my especiall good friends I haue enterprised and aduentured to set forth the same in print hoping that your Worshippes will vouchsafe to giue it the perusall and accept these the first fruits of my labours with the selfe-same affection wherwith it is offered how smal and simple soeuer it seeme to be And now the Lord Iesus giue it his grace that it may not be like firekinled on his Altar in vaine but that it may proue to bee as the morning Incense and as euening Sacrifice acceptable vnto God and profitable vnto this Church Vnto the same God will I pray alwayes to powre downe his mercies vpon you to enrich you with his graces and to preserue your Worships for the good both of Church and Common-wealth vnto his glorie AMEN Your worships to be commanded W. IONES THE MYSTERIE OF CHRISTES NATIVITIE GALAT. 4. 4. When the fulnesse of time was come God sent his Sonne made of a woman c. WIth what solemnitie wee are to celebrate this day of Christs Natiuitie Deerely beloued the many mysteries and excellencies therein contained may declare vnto vs. Now is Hee brought out of the Virgins wombe who before liued eternally in the bosome of his Father Now is the Word that made the world borne an Infant into the world Now the Ancient of dayes is become a Child Now Iudas Lyon rowsed himselfe to encounter the Red Dragon Now Iacobs starre arose to be the Gentles light and Israels glorie Now the Bridegrome came out of his Chamber to meet his Spouse Now the Sonne of God became man that men might be made the sonnes of God Now Christ came out clothed with our flesh that wee might bee inuested with his spirit Now the Lord took on him the forme of a seruant that we his seruants might be made partakers of his Lordship These great blessings doth this blessed day conueigh vnto vs. Wherfore to put you in mind that your vnderstadings may be enlightned to know them and your wils inclined to serue and praise GOD for them I haue made choice of this text which being indeed the Quintessence of the Golpell proposeth vnto vs concerning Christ his comming these circumstances First The time when the fulnesse of time c. Secondly The causes God sent his Sonne Thirdly The manner made of a Woman c. Fourthly The end that he might redeeme them c. These points are best be seeming this time which when breifly rudely I shall haue discoursed vpon I wil then end cōmend yee to God When the fulnesse of time was come c. Three things measure all durations Aeternitie Immortalitie Time Aeternitie hath neyther beginning nor end and is proper only to God who is euerlasting Immortalitie hath beginning but none end and is proper to Spirits as Angels and mens soules that once were not and yet now cannot die Time hath both beginning and end and is proper to all bodies such as are possible and corruptible substances of whom t is said omniaorta occidunt aucta senescunt Now then Christ consisting of Godhead soule and bodie hath these his three Natures limited by these three quantities his Godhead by Eternitie his soule by Immortalitie and his bodie by Time Thus in respect not of his Diuinitie but his Humanitie the maker of Time was made in time and Time saith Aristotle is the measure of motion but Paul here shewes vs more strange Philosophie that it is the measure of the first Mouer it selfe Would yee not wonder Deere Christians to heare that a Gyants foote should bee thrust into a childes shooe or that the Ocean Sea should bee intruded into a bottle and asmuch then may you maruell at this that God who is infinite should bee borne in a time finite but this doubt is thus dissolued three things vt supra c. And as our Apostle saith in the fulnesse thereof As places so time haue their fulnesse and emptinesse some places are emptie hauing nought but ayre in them and some are replenished with siluer with Gold Pearle Precious stones and such like treasure like so of times some are void of strange accidents and some are full of memorable and admirable occurrents in such a time was our Sauiour borne as the age of the world the yeare moneth day houre these parts of time may impart vnto vs Touching the Worlds age know that it was the sixth The first age was from Adam to Noah The second from Noah to Abraham The third from Abraham to Dauid The fourth from Dauid to the transmigration from Babylon The fifth from that to Christs Natiuitie which fell in the sixth age where note an excellent mysterie how correspondent Gods workes of

alone and the Sonne is of the Father Now then more seemely it is that he be sent who is of another then he that is of himselfe Fourthly the Sonne was sent to be man that wee might know how the father did loue man in sending so precious a thing to redeeme man therby thus to strengthen our languishing hope that sith God thought not his Sonne too good forvs how can wee doubt but that hee will bestow all other things on vs whatsoeuer wee begge of him Fiftly GOD bath predestinated vs saith Saint Paul Romans 8. to bee conformable to the Image of his sonne that therefore had hee not sent his Sonne how could wee bee like to his Sonne had not he come that was the Naturall sonne wee should neuer haue beene adopted sonnes The sonne of God therefore was made the sonne of man that we sonnes of men might bee made the sonnes of God Sixtly God the sonne is the middle person betweene God the Father and God the Holy Ghost and therefore was fittest to bee sent to bee the mediator betweene God and man Seuenthly He that was to worke our redemption was to be an intercessor and supplicator to God for vs. But these properties are more proper to a sonne then a Father for a sonne is to intreat the Father and not the Father the sonne And therefore did God best to send his sonne Last of all the Mediator betweene God and man was to pacifie so to teach and guide man to be obedient vnto God Now then Christ being the word of God and wisdome of God as Saint Iohn and Saint Paul affirme meetest was hee the sonne to be mans Teacher and Counsailor Why God sent his Son yee see the Reasons Now behold wee in what manner he sent him the third thing I am to speak of It is said made of a woman and made vnder the law What is written before in my text of him that in the fulnesse of time God sent him pointes to his Diuinitie and his glorie but that now Hee is made of a Woman and vnder the Law this shewes his Humanitie and Humilitie How the two Natures Godhead and Manhood were vnited together in the vnitie of his person Paul 1. Tim. 3. talkes of a great mysterie of pietie How God was manifested in the flesh iustified in the spirit was seene of Angels was preached to the Gentiles beleiued on in the World and assumed into glorie And heere behold this production of God to be made of a woman is the beginning of it opening as it were the doore to the other most admirable actions But what a strange thing is this that the maker of the World should thus bee made of a woman and that the Creatour should haue his being from a Creature This rightly to conceiue ye are to note this Christ in respect of his Godhead was increated in respect of his soule he was created and in respect of his bodie he was made of a woman As we Christians are borne first naturally of our Parents and afterwards are born spiritually of the Holy Ghost So Christ beeing God was begotten naturally of God and now being man was made temporally of a woman Verbum caro factum est c. saith Saint Iohn cap. 1. Paul affirmeth 2. Tim. 2. that he came of the seed of Dauid and Heb. 2. that no where hee tooke on him the Angels but the seed of Abraham tooke he on him and all this by being made of a woman Of a Woman ' yee will say what reason had God to effect so strange an action I will tell yee to aduance his glorie and doe vs the more good O how kind did God shew himselfe in taking vpon him our fraile nature Hee might haue come to vs as he did to Moses and the Israelites on Mount Sinay in thundering lightning fire and smoake hee might haue come to vs in the substance of an Angell assumed but yet because hee loued man to man he came in the estate of man O how just did God shew himselfe to bee made of a Woman The Deuill before had conquered all flesh in the first Adam and now the second Adam took flesh in it to subdue the Deuill O how wise did God herein shew himselfe that when one man by sinne had displeased him another man by his righteousnesse should pacific him I meane Iesus who being God therefore became man to be the mediatour betweene God and man Which office no other Creature neyther man nor Angell could possibly haue executed sith infinite being the Maiestie of him that by sinne was offended by no person but him that is of infinite goodnesse it could be appeased Christ therefore tooke God and man into the vnitie of his person to reconcile God and man into the vnitie of affection These such like inuisible excellencies of kindnesse Iustice Wisdome to make visible vnto vs he took on him our visible nature in mercie descending to vs sith wee in might could not ascend to him Secondly Christus factus est c. As for the promotion of his owne glorie so for the procurement of our good in many things to help vs to instruct our faith which could not but beleeue when she heard God himselfe to speake to comfort our hope which could not but bee cheered when she saw God vnited to our nature to kindle our charitie that could not but loue God sensibly perceiuing how God loued man to draw our actions to vertue that could not but imitate God giuing himselfe for an example and to make vs partakers of his Diuinitie that as God was the sonne of man so wee men should bee made the sonnes of God Againe Christus factus est c. to remoue many euils from vs that the deuill the author of sin though hee were an Angell should not be preferred before vs that man considering the dignitie of his nature how it is in vnion with God should not spot it with sinne that our presumption with the thought of Christes merites our pride with the remembrance of his humilitie and the feare of death and hell with the consideration of his person might bee daunted and abated Further Dei filius factus est c. to verifie his Incarnation Valentine held Christ to haue brought a body with him from heauen and to haue taken no flesh from his Mother Marcion Apelles Cerdonius and Manes affirmed Christ to haue but a phantastical body such as Angels and spirits assume The Turkes and Moores imagine Christ to bee the breath of God whom because God saw that the Iewes would crucifie he therefore suffered Christ to delude their eyes in seeming to doe and suffer what hee did not But these heresies are notably confuted in this That he was made of a woman For if a woman were his true Mother bearing him ten Monethes in her wombe bringing him forth giuing him sucke then vndoubtedly he was a true man and had a true naturall and not a celestiall