meritorious whatsoeuer act done in his humanitie for the saluation of his Elect This title of dignity is giuen our Sauiour by Dauid The Lord said to my Lord sit thou at my right hand vntill I make thine enemies thy footstoole And by Thomas Thou art my Lord and my God Christ is our Lord by Power Purchase Hee hath bought vs with his owne bloud and therefore called Dominus Deus Dominus Electorum The Lord of the Elect. A comfort and honour to all true Christians that we haue so able so omnipotent a Sauior Against those vile Heretikes that mocke vs for making account of saluation by a crucified man If he be our Lord where is then his feare Mal. 1. 6. Many would haue him their Iesus but few will endure him their Lord. The Lord giue vs to follow him in piety in patience in grace in crosse that so wee may bee admitted to follow him in ioy glory euerlasting Now this Iesus this Christ this Lord knocketh at the doore of our hearts let vs not shut him out with the Bethleemites nor bid him packe out of our countrey with the Gadarens but be ye open ye euerlasting doores that this King of glory may come in that you hauing admitted his heauenly counsels into your consciences in this life hee may one day intertaine you all into his Fathers mansions of glory hereafter and that for the alone merits of the same our Lord Iesus to whom with the Father and Holy Spirit be returned all Glory and Power Praise and Dominion this day and for euermore Amen A PRAYER for a blessing vpon this Sermon MOST holy and heauenly LORD GOD for as much as thou hast taught vs from thy holy and heauenly Word that Paul may plant Apollos water yet all in vaine vnlesse thy grace bee annexed thereunto good Lord therefore we most humbly beseech thee in the Lord Iesus to blesse this portion of thy holy Word to euery soule of vs making it the sauour of life to saluation to euery of vs and to none of vs the sauour of death to damnation now if wee reverence thy Word delight in thy Word and make it the rule and square of all our actions then it is the sauour of life to heauen but if we remaine in wilful ignorance notwithstanding thy Word if we preferre the corrupt counsels of our vaine hearts aboue the sacred commands of thy Word then is it the witnesse of death to damnation therefore wee beseech thee giue vs thy grace that wee may follow not our owne waies or our owne wills for the end of this way will be death but grant that wee may follow the motions of thy blessed Spirit and the doctrines of thy holy Word from this time forth for euermore into all truth O Lord God we most heartily blesse thy heauenly Name for that thou hast appointed thine holy and heauenly Angels to guard vs safeguard vs attend vs defend vs from the malice mischief of men and deuils especially O God of all goodnes we thank thee for the gift of the Lord Iesus the only hope help of our saluation had not Christ Iesus assumed ou mature and satisfied for vs thy Iustice wee had all beene euerlastingly condemned ten thousand times blessed be thy holy name for that thou hast thus visited and redeemed thy people Now good Father seeing none are saued by the Lord Iesus but such as beleeue on his Name and walke after his Spirit we pray thee then giue vs grace to embrace him with the armes of our soules that we may receiue out of his fulnesse grace for grace for to so many as thus receiue him giues hee power priuiledge prerogatiue to be called and to be thy sonnes O God And as we are thus hopefully and happily redeemed by the bloud of Christ Iesus so grant wee may consider the end of this our redemption which is to serue him in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our liues As we are called and professed Christians so grant wee may euermore walke worthy of this glorious Name and title Lord make vs carefull to imitate this immaculate Lamb in whom was found no guile that we may follow him in innocency piety humility patience obedience temperance loue that it may be our greatest glory our neerest resemblance of him that we following him in holines in this life may bee admitted to follow him in euerlasting happinesse in the world to come The marke most gratious Lord God of the sheepe of Christ is to follow Christ making the holy life doctrine of the Lord Iesus the only paterne of all our actions therefore keepe vs holy Father from profanenes pride worldlines drunkennes fornication and all manner of vngodlinesse though wee be in the world yet grant wee may not be of the world but let our thoughts words actions euermore bee holy and heauenly Thus good Lord giue vs thy might of grace against sin that Satan may not deceiue vs nor corruption besmeere vs but beautifie vs with the graces of thy holy Spirit that thy name and Gospel may be honoured many things among vs by our holy examples conuerted the mouthes of the wicked stopped and in the end the soules and bodies of vs all euerlastingly saued and that for the alone merits of thy deare Son our blessed Sauiour and Redeemer Iesus Christ blessed for euer To whom with thee holy Father and thine al-glorious Spirit bee all glory and thanksgiuing ascribed and returned heartily and throughly now and for euer more Amen FINIS Mat. 3. 17. Iohn 1 2â— Iohn 1. 33. Mat. 2. 9. I. Hebr. 1. â— Gen. 19. 13 Mat. 9. 11. Luk 22. 43 Obser Psal 91. 12 Psal 8. 4. 2 Kings 2 Gen. 3. 14. Gen. 19. 24 2 Sam. 14. 16. Act. 12. 23. Gen. 40. Mat. 14. 6. 10. Ier. 20. 14. Iob 3. 3. 6. Obser Vse 1. Vse 2. Phil. 4. 7. Mat. 17. 2 Cor. â— Reu. 2 13. Iob Iohn 16. 3 Luk. 1. 14. Gen. 22. 18 Luke 2. 34 Mat. 2. 3. 1 Cor. 1 23 Iohn 1. Reuel 5. 9 Vse Luke 1. 2 Obser Vse Ioh. 20. 8. Obser 1. Cor. â— 30. Obser Obser Mal. 4. Iob 28. II. Esay 9. 6. Obser Vse 1. Vse 2. Phil. 2. 7. III. Mark 14. Iohn 21. Gen. 18. Gen. 19. 2 King 7. 9 Luke 12. 2 Cor. 6. â— IV. Mich. 5. 2. Ioh. 7. 4. â— Luke 2. 7. V Hos 13. 4 Esay 35. â— Iohn 1â— Acts Esay 7. 14 Psal 110. 1 Ioh 20. 28. Vse 1. Vse 2.
THE BLESSED'ST BIRTH THAT euer was OR The Blessed Birth of our Lord and Sauiour IESVS CHRIST Preached at the Fleet the 25. of Decem A. Dom. 1627. By HENRY GREENVVOOD Preacher of the Word of GOD. ESAY 9. 6. To vs a Child is borne to vs a Sonne is giuen LONDON Printed by Elizabeth â—urslow for H. Bell and M. Bell. 1634. TO THE RIGHT Worshipfull Sir Henry Lello Knight and Mr. Iames Ingram Esquire Wardens of his Maiesties Prison of the Fleet be this fleet and shallow Tractate commended RIGHT VVorthy and Worshipfull I hauing receiued from you in my present afflictions so great fauors such tender compassions and knowing how base an euill ingratitude is that it is inimica animae dispersio virtutum c. cannot but shew my gratefull heart in presenting that to your worships eyes that lately hath beene sounded in your eares a subiect most comfortable and so necessary to bee knowne delighted in and rested on as without it no saluation for this is life eternall to know God and him whom God hath sent the Lord Iesus The Lord of his infinite mercy giue you the sauing knowledge of Christ Iesus to embrace him as your chiefest Lord and King for to so many as receiue him giues he power priuiledge prerogatiue to be called and be the sons of God The Lord giue you to know him in his Person Office Power Merit Spirit In his Person God Man In his Office King Priest Prophet In his Power Mortifying corruptions Sanctifying affections In his Merit Redeeming to God by his bloud the elect of God Intitling by his righteousnesse the elect to blisse In his Spirit Discouering errour Conducting into all truth Perswading by faith confirming by holines saluation of your soules Blessed are you both being so ten thousand times happie are you if you haue thus the Lord for your God All these the very ground of all true comfort and happines are liuely set forth in this small present therefore let me intreat you to peruse the same at your best leasures Now the Lord make this and all other holy helps profitable and comfortable to your owne soules that sanctitie may bee your portions in this life and saluation in the life to come for Iesus Christs sake Amen Your Worships for euer to be commanded in the LORD HENRY GREENVVOOD From my house in Finsburyfields Ianâ— 20. 1627. THE BLESS ED'ST BIRTH THAT EVER WAS. LVKE 2. 10 11. Behold I bring you good tydings of great ioy that shall be to all people that is that vnto you is borne this day in the City of Dauid a Saâ—iour which is Christ the Lord. THe Lord our God hath only giuen vs a Christ for our redemption and saluation but blessed be his Maiesty he hath also discouered him to the world by many 1 By himselfe Mat. 3. 17. This is my beloued Son in whom I am well pleased By Iohn Baptist Ioh. 1. 29. Behold the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world By a Doue Ioh. 1. 33. Vpon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending and tarrying still vpon him that is he that baptizeth with the Holy Ghost By a Starre Mat. 2. 9. And loe the starre which they had seene in the East went before them till it came and stood ouer the house where the Babe was And here by his Angell hee discouers him to the Iewish shepherds féeding their flockes by night and that in full and ample maner by two notable circumstances of the place where of the time when this blessed Babe was borne Behold I bring you good tydings of great ioy that shall be to all people that is that vnto you is borne this day in the City of Dauid a Sauiour which is Christ the Lord. Which words as they are couched in two verses so will they afford two things obseruable 1 A merry message Behold I bring c. 2 An admired cause That vnto you is borne c. This mirth is amplified by two 1. By the magnitude 2. By the multitude 1. By the magnitude of it Great ioy 2. By the multitude of the sharers in it That shall be to all people In which heauenly message I obserue these thrée First the messenger and that is an Angell Behold I bring you good tydings Secondly the message and that is of great ioy Of great ioy Thirdly the extent or the parties to whom this ioy appertaineth and that is to all people That shall be to all people Behold I bring you good tidings behold I bring you good tydings of great ioy behold I bring you good tydings of great ioy that shall bee to all people But before I deale with this high and Heauenly Instrument a word or two of the word Behold Behold It is a note of attention six hundred times vsed in holy writ alwayes placed before matters of great weight and moment sometimes before inutterable iudgments as Amos 8. 11. Behold I will send a famine among you c. Sometimes before inexpressible mercies as Esay 7. 14. Behold a Virgine shall conceiue and beare a Sonne and his Name shall bee called Immanuel And here also in the words of my Text Behold I bring you good tydings of great ioy c. Hereupon Bernard calls it Notam stelliferam a starry note a note that doth point out some rare matter to be reuealed as the Starre stood ouer the house and pointed to the Wife-men where the Babe was For the exposition of the word doe but compare Mat. 6. 26. with Luke 12. 24. there the Lord hath giuen it Saint Matthew speaking of the prouidence of God ouer the fowles of the aire vseth the word Behold Behold the fowles of the Heauens c. Saint Luke speaking of the selfe-same subiect vseth another word the word Consider Consider the Rauens So that Behold is as much as Consider and seriously perpend what God will haue now deliuered to your selues I that is an Angell as it appeareth in the beginning of the Verse Then the Angell said vnto them Be not afraid for behold I bring you good tidings c. Angell it is as much as Messenger it is Nomen officij non naturae a name of office not of nature as you may reade Hebr. 1. 7. He maketh the Spirits his Angels or Messengers The Spirits there is their name of nature His Angels or Messengers there iâ— their name of office These high and heauenly Instruments were Messengers sometimes of Gods frowne sometimes of Gods fauour First of Gods frowne as was that Angell that slew of Senacherios Host in one night one hundred fourescore and fiue thousand And as were those Angels that destroyed the Citie of Sodome Secondly of Gods fauour as were those Angels that ministred to Christ in the Wildernesse For the Angels came and ministred to him And as was that Angel that comforted Christ in the Garden For an Angell came from Heauen and comforted him And as was this Angell that brings blessed
newes of the Birth of the Lord Iesus Behold I bring you good tidings c. The point of this part office of Angels is the last Verse of the first Chapter to the Hebrewes Angels are ministring Spirits sent forth to minister for their sakes that are and shall be heires of saluation And this their office they haue most frequently performed witnesse the fore-named places of Scripture and many other places also As an Angell bade Eliah flye from Iezabei and an Angell here brings excellent newes from Heauen of the Birth of a Sauiour Behold I bring c. That Angels are present with vs it is plaine by that of Saint Paul to the Corinths Let the women be couered because of the Angels The Angels behold the behauiour of man and woman in the Congregation in the worship of God If therefore women should be shorne as man to whom God hath giuen the hotter and stronger braine it would be a confusion of Sexes and a great displeasure to the Angels Againe the office and presence of Angels is séene in this A man taketh his Horse and trauelleth him his Horse falleth vpon him no bone broken how commeth this to passe By the prouidence of God in the watch of Angels This first sheweth the rare mercy of God to mortall miserable sinners that he will vouchsafe such high and heauenly instruments to attend vs in our out goings in commings that we dash not our foot against a stone Lord what is man that thus thou shouldest regard him or what is the best of the sonnes of men that thus in mercy thou shouldest visit him Secondly here note the prerogatiue of the children of God though they be in base estéem of the reprobate worldlings yet they are great in the fauour of the most high yea the heauenly Angels are appointed of God their waiting men as for the wicked it is not so with them but the black guard of Hell dogs them here to sinne hereafter to sinke them to perdition Thirdly here is matter of consolation to the people of God though man and deuill bee against vs wée néed not bee afraid the Angels of God shall fight our battels for vs as in Eighty Eight and as Elisha told his seruant vpon the host of Angels perceiued Feare not for there are more with vs than are or can bee against vs. The second thing obserueable in this merry message is the message it selfe wherein I note 1. The matter Ioy. 2. The measure Great Behold I bring you good tydings of great ioy First Ioy. This Angel brings not a brandisht sword as once against Adam This Angel brings not burning fire as once against Sodome This Angel brings not consuming pestilence as once against Dauid This Angell brings not sudden death as once against Herod But this Angel brings tidings of ioy and of great ioy that shall bee to all people Oh blessed day is Christs Birth-day the blessedst day that euer came a day of glad tidings a day of great ioy that shall be to all people O blessed bee the wombe that bare this Babe and the Paps that gaue this Babe sucke for this blessed Birth day of Christ Iesus brings Ioy and nothing but Ioy to all people Pharaohs banquetting birth-day yéelded much sorrow for then hee hanged vp his chiefe Baker Herods banquetting birth-day yéelded much sorrow for then he cut off Iohn Baptists head Ieremy though an holy man cried out of his birth-day Maledictus dies c. Cursed be the day wherein I was borne and let not the day of my birth be blessed Iob though a iust man cried out of his birth-day Pereat dies in quo natus sum c. Let the day perish wherein I was borne and let it not be ioyned to the dayes of the yeere But Christs Birth day brings ioy great ioy and nothing but ioy to all people And as ioy in Christs Birth is here by an Angell proclaimed so let vs know that we can haue no peace with God no ioy in soule no hope of blisse but in through and from this Lord Iesus Had not CHRIST come and assumed our nature what should haue become of vs oh we had béene all euerlastingly condemned Let vs therefore reioyce in the Lord alway againe let vs reioyce let our soules magnifie the Lord let our spirits reioyce in Christ our Sauiour Let vs kéepe this Feast with ioy and thanksgiuing lauding the Lord for his swéet Christ not with reuell rout gaming and prophanenesse knowing that Christ came not to make vs prophane or libertines but to sanctifie our natures and saue our soules that wee should serue him in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our life Againe if it be such ioy to sée Christ poore néedy and lying in a cratch oh what ioy shall it be to sée him in glorie triumphant in Heauen at the right hand of the Father This ioy who can comprehend this ioy the Lord vouchsafe vs all when wee shall bid these our mortall corps farewell Secondly as ioy so great ioy doth Christs Birth afford 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 you tydings of great ioy Hâ—◠〈◊〉 nato properanit gaudia tellus coelestis risit sedes gestijt orbis Great ioy Ioy in Heauen ioy on earth ioy to Angels ioy to men ioy to Iew ioy to Gentile ioy to rich ioy to poore Behold I bring you tydings of great ioy Great ioy Quia caeteris praefuturum Quia multos consolaturum Quia perpetuô duraturum Great for the excellency great for the vniuersality great for the sempiternity Behold I bring you tidings of great ioy First Great for the excellencie So excellent is this ioy as it passeth all vndeâ—standing So excellent is this ioy as it rauisht Peter on the mount So excellent is this ioy as it euen filled Paul with consolation So excellent is this ioy as if it be perfected in vs I know not what it should bee but life euerlasting great therefore is this ioy Secondly Great for the vniuersality It reacheth to all times past present and to come to all people Iewes Grecians Romans French English to Moses in flags to Ioseph in Egypt to Daniel in Babylon to Iob in Huz to Simeon in Ierusalem to the Canaanite in Sidon to some in Rome vnder the Popes nose for the Church of God dwelleth where the throne of Satan is great therefore is this ioy Thirdly Great for the sempiternitie The ioy of hypocrites and worldlings is short and momentanie it droops in aduersitie and droops in death as Iob speaketh They reioyce in the sound of Organs and suddenly goe downe to Hell But this ioy is permanent and lasting it stands in aduersity and mounts to perfection in death This your ioy no man nor deuill shall take from you for as the world cannot giue it so the world cannot take it away great therefore is this ioy so great as it cannot