Rom. 9. Of them came Christ according to the flesh and therefore he is called the starre of Iacob the Lion of the tribe of Iudah the Rod of Isacke the seed of Dauid the sonn of the Virgin as of the greatest and royalest blood amongst them to these he came these were his owne and had foreknowledge of his comming from the beginning Adam in the 3. of Gen. Abraham in the 12. Isacke in the 20. in the 26. God told Iacob In thy seed shall all the nations of the world be blessed He bound the same with an oath to Dauid whereupon Dauid did relie preuailed and so haue all they no lesse benefite which beleeued in him promised then those that receyued him exhibited He came to Adam with the promise in the time of despaire to Abraham with supplie in time of sacrifice to Isacke with reliefe in the time of famine in time of exile with honour to Ioseph in time of persecution with comfort to Elias in time of battaile with a hand in Gedeons hilt in time of inuasion with triumph to Ezechias in the time of neede he came vnto euery one with some good or other promising to all life in Iesus Christ to wit all those Qui Christum pollicitum in carne venturum expectarunt in carne venientem crediderant in carne moriente◠coluerant He came vnto his owne He came vnto them in figure before he came in flesh he appeared vnto them tipically before hee came vnto them personally He came in Circumcision Rom. 3. he came in the Pascall Lambe Iohn 1.1 he came in Manna Iohn 6. hee came in the brazen Serpent Iohn 3. hee came in the Arke and on the Altar all these were figures of Christ He came tipically as our rest in Noah our increase in Ioseph our loue in Dauid our peace in Salomon our saluation prefigured in Iosuah All these were forerunners and foretellers of Christs comming Gal. 4. and when the fulnesse of time was that he should come as it is in the 4. to the Galathians then came hee vnto his owne and tooke flesh vpon him as the substance of the earth and became man for their sakes God became man that so he might make men to bee gods the Creator tooke vpon him the shape of the creatures that so they might become like to their maker Mortalitie put on immortalitie that it might so make that immortall incorruption put on corruption that it might so make that incorruptible the master came vnto his seruants that they might so become his fellowes yea felow heires with him in the kingdome of his father In all these kinds and in all this kindnes Iesus came vnto his owne to manifest and publish his vnspeakable and vnchangeable loue to those which he vouchsafeth to owne Thus hee came vnto his owne and thus I leaue CHRIST IESVS in loue with his owne and his owne in his loue which is the scope of my first part and goe to examine the fault of his owne who receiued him not which is my second part They receiued him not The course of his entertainment The 2. part course intertainment the kind of his receiuing vnkind receiuing the maner of his welcome vnmanerly welcome the forme of his vsage deformed vsage if wee bee not like horse and mule that haue no vnderstanding or like those people with the brasen bone that haue no feeling of the holy Ghost will teach vs for euer to enter into a due and dutifull consideration of receiuing so gracious and worthie a guest as our Lord and sauiour Iesus Christ is as he commeth vnto vs or into vs for who doth not blush with shame who doth not swound with griefe who doth not split with sorrow to thinke that man the Image of God the purchase of Iesus Christ an honorable creature inferiour only to the Angels crowned with honour and glorie which is much more deare then the finest gold of Ophir that he should be by the weaknes of the spirit so ignorant as not to know or by the wickednesse of the flesh so ingratefull as not to acknowledge or by the corruption of nature so malicious as not to welcome the Lord and giuer of all good gifts who can keepe their eyes from teares their heart from sighes their bodies from sackcloth and ashes to think that the Israelites which were so fauoured of God so renowmed amongst men so feared of their enemies so furthered by their friends so generally graced that nothing wanted they could wish for worldly power pompe and dignitie that they should be so gracelesse as to neglect or not receiue the founder of their graces that these people which were so neare and deare vnto Christ Iesus as the apple of his owne eye the signet on his right hand the soule of his delight that they should be so carelesse as not to entertaine the Lord of life in all solemnitie it is for a lamentation and will be for a lamentation to the end it is a caution and ought to be for a caution for euer for all succeeding ages to looke vnto the entertainment and receiuing of Christ Iesus Read the Euangelists there shal you see how our Lord was accepted At his birth they did not so much as giue him lodging in an Inne his best chamber was but a base stable his haule but a houel his cradle but a cratch and none came forth to welcome him nor any in to comfort him but a few poore sheepheards and those not of their owne accord but by the direction of an Angel Thus and no otherwise did they receiue him O hard harted Israelites And while he was yet in his swadling clouts Herod the tyrant sent forth an armie of men to kill all male childrē vnder two yeares of age that he might be sure to meete with Christ for his welcome hee made such a massacre of Infants that Bethlehem the place where Iesus was borne was made red with blood fresh blood of sucklings that were slaughtered Bethlehem was made white with the bodies bare bodies of babes that were murdered the earth was watered with the teares salt teares that were shed by the mothers heauē was filled with the cries outragious cries of the fathers heauen and earth did sound with the sobs and sighs and skreekes of kinsfolkes made for the children and there was none came forth to rescue him saue the Angel that made his parents pack him away into Egypt Thus and no otherwise did they receiue him O foule hearted Israelits The residue of his life as it increased in years so did it encrease in cares for as hee grew vp and came amongst them teaching and preaching disputing and instructing in their Synagogues and Temples they regarded him not but anon the Scribes and Pharisies infamed him Is not this the Carpenters sonne say wee not well that thou art a Samaritane and none came forth to comfort him thus and no otherwise did they receiue him O false hearted Israelites The whole
THE SONNE OF GODS entertainment by the sonnes of men Set forth in a Sermon at Paules Crosse the seauenth of October 1604. By Richard Iefferay of Magdalen Colledge in Oxford Iohn 1.11.12 He came vnto his owne and his owne receyued him not But as many as did receiue him to them he gaue power to be the sonnes of God euen to them that beleeue in his name AT LONDON Printed by T.P. for Henrie Tomes and are to be sold at his shop at Graies Inne new gate in Holborne 1605. IN the Temple of Praeneste amongest diuers other counterfeits most cunningly and curiously portrayed Deum quendam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reperiri ferunt They say there is a certaine mouthlesse God to be found whom the Aegyptians call Harpocrates the Gretians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Romans Deum silentij we the God of silence to whom they say vnlesse due sacrifice to wit dumbe silence carefully be offered there is no safetie for those that speake now while I am constraind to neglect the rights of this prophane God and enioynd to performe the dutie of this consecrated place for the seruice of the Lord God alone I may much feare into what dangers I may slippe or fall for I cannot but acknowledge my selfe with Moyses to be a man of a slowe speech and with Ieremie of polluted lippes nay with Dauid a worme and no man so that with Esay my heart of ashes and tongue of flesh must needs faile God vnlesse I be enabled by his holy spirit and assisted by your religious prayers and patience wherefore I beseech ye right Honourable Honourable right Worshipfull Worshipfull and the rest whome I reuerence and loue in the name of the Lord Iesus Ascendat oratio vt descendat gratia compareat patientia vt consurgat consolatio in salutis opere as Chrysostome sayth Let prayer ascend that grace may descend let patience appeare that consolation may be found in the worke of our saluation The sonne of Gods entertainment by the sonnes of men Iohn 1.11.20 He came vnto his owne and his owne receiued him not but as many as did receyue him to them he gaue power to be the Sonnes of God euen to those that beleeue in his name WHen Moyses declared the mercie of God and his louing kindnesse towards his people Israel then hee saith The Lord came from Sinai Deut. 33.2 and rose vp from Seir vnto them hee appeared clearly from the Mount and came with ten thousands of Angels When Abacuck reuealed the glorie of the highest and made his fauour knowne vnto the world then saith he God commeth from Mount Teman and the holy one from mount Paran Selah Abac. 3.3 His glorie couereth the heauens and the earth is full of his power When our Euangelist saint Iohn had shewed the goodnesse of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ in his Godhead and the greatnesse of his Godhead in his glorious goodnesse first by his eternitie equal with his father Secondly by the testimonie of Iohn the Baptist his forerunner hee commeth to the manifestation of Christ himselfe to the world And saith He came vnto his owne and his owne receiued him not He camâ— and was in the world but not knowne of them that were in the world for as a garden inclosed a treasure hid a fountaine shut vp so he remained Hee came and was known of the world but as the word by the voice the bodie by the Image the Godhead by the manhood so he appeared knowne and not knowne come and not welcome into the world and therefore vnwelcome because vnknowne to some yet welcome and knowne to other-some for some beleeued and receiued him and some were knowne and accepted of him and beleeuing in the Sonne of God were made themselues the sonnes of God He came vnto his owne c. Three things especially for your memorie and my methods sake are to be considered in this text First the comming of Christ vnto his owne a manifest token of his vnspeakable loue He came vnto his owne Secondly the course entertainment his owne gaue him an euident testimonie of their inexcusable fault They receâ—ued him not Thirdly the effect of Christs comming the certaine and soueraâ—gne benefite of our saluation But as many as did receiue him c. First touching the first He came Non venit qui aberat sed apparuit quilatebat as saint Bernard saith He came not as one that had been absent but appeared as one that was continually couertly present As the day starre that springeth from on high Luke 4. Mat. 4. hath visited vs As the Sun that neuer goeth downe As Emanuel the seale on Gods finger euen God with vs. Thus our Euangelist interpreteth his comming and that by the same phrase of speech which he vseth in his first Epistle Non tanquam maiestas impressa carne sed tanquă carne imbuta not as a maiestie imprinted in the flesh Ioh. 1. E. 1. ca. but as imbued with flesh Which plainly shewed the loue hee bare vnto man-kind that being God became man the worde became flesh glorie became infamie to make men Gods to bring flesh to heauen and shame to glorie according to that of the Apostle 1 Epi. Iohn 3. Iohn 1.3 For this purpose appeared the sonne of God that he might loose the workes of the Diuell And saint Paul saith Tim. 1.49 This is a true saying and by all meanes to be beleeued that Christ Iesus came into the world to saue sinners Tim. 1.4.9 And Christ himselfe sayth in the 15 of Luke Luke 1.5 The sonne of man is come to find that which is lost He came as a sheepheard to find the lost sheepe as the woman to find the lost groat as a father to find the lost sonne the lost sheepe to restore vs vnto perfection againe the lost groat to renue vs to the Image which before wee had lost the lost sonne to receiue vs into fauour againe For all this impacient of his glorie as vnworthy of his grace iniurious Arius and prophane to disgrace the gracious goodnes of Christ Iesus speaking of his comming saith He was sent before he came therby impairing his louing kindnesse in that hee came not before hee was sent whereto our Sauiour aunswereth directly himselfe in the 40. Psalm lo I come they be his owne words Wherupon S. Cyprian saith Cyprian though sent from the father yet willingly of himself because God coequall with the Father to will and to do one and the selfe sam eneuer diuided Sainâ— Basill Basil Venientem Christum propria benignitas inuitauit misericordia traxit veritas compulit puritas vteri suscepit potentia abduxit obedientia deduxit beneuolentia conduxit patientia armauit charitas verbis miraculis manifest auit When Christ came his benignitie inuited him his mercie drew him his truth compelled him the puritie of the wombe vndertooke him his power foorth led him his obedience past him his beneuolence guided him his
patience armed him his charitie reuealed him by wordes and miracles Gregor Cum tempus completum erat opus compertum sacrificio quo veniret Christus vltro venit sponte se hominibus videndum attusit occidendum obtulit mirandum contulit credendum transtulit When the fulnesse of time was that Christ should come and performe the worke of sacrifice he came willingly of his owne accord yeelded himself to be seene by men offered himselfe to bee slaine for men conuaied himselfe to bee wondred at amongst men translated him from men to be beleeued Cumplenitudo temporis erat tunc missus erat Christus Chrysost venit non compulsu patris sed consensu sui non ex necessitate mandantis sed ex voluntate venientis When the fulnesse of time was then Christ was sent and came not by compulsion of the father but by consent of himselfe not out of the necessitie of him that commanded but out of the willingnesse of him that was comming Which Saint Augustine vpon saint Iohn makes manifest August saying the father sent his sonne vnto vs where wee may not thinke he sent any thing lesse then himself for in that he sent his sonne he sent himselfe and so goeth further with the same maner of speach Why should we wrangle seeing the father in sending his sonne came himselfe The Sunne sendeth forth his beams yet separateth not his beames from him the Moone sendeth foorth her light yet separateth not her light from her the fire sendeth forth his heate yet separateth not his heate from him In euerie one of these there is a sending foorth but no separation much lesse in the sonne of God which is ioyned to the father in their indiuisible nature one God in glorie equall in maiestie coeternall neither confounded in persons nor diuided in substance but one God of the substance of the father begotten before the worlds man of the substance of his mother borne in the world one not by conuersion of the Godhead into flesh but by taking of the manhood into God one altogither not by confusion of substance but by vnitie of person And so he came equall to his father as touching his Godhead inferiour to the father as touching his manhood He came Appioâ— makes the comming of Christ three sold Venit ad homines venit in homines venit hominibus Christ commeth vnto men into men and to men vnto men in the flesh Iohn 1.14 and so hee came vnto his owne directly Iohn 1.14 Into men by the spirit Iohn 14.18 and so he commeth to his chosen continually Iohn 14 1â— to men in iudgement and so hee will come finally to all Acts. Acts. 7.31 A day there is which the Lord hath set wherein he wil iudge the world by that man Christ Iesus of whom he hath giuen vs assurance in that he hath raysed him vp from the dead made his enemies his footstoole S. Bernard maketh the comming of Christ as the numbers of Delphos fiue-sold Venit Christus saith he vel spiritu formante vel verbo informante vel cruce reformante vel sacramento conformante vel carne deformante Christ came by his forming spirit by his informing worde by his reforming crosse by his conforming sacraments by the deforming flesh He came Venit ad sua for ad suos as the Apostle saith in his sixt Chapter afterward Omne quod dat mihi pater for omnes quos dat mihipater All that my father hath giuen me for all those my father hath giuen me vsing one gender for another the Neuter for the masculine instructing vs thereby as Athenagoras makes glosse that neither Masculine nor Feminine male nor female man nor woman are happie without his comming alluding to that of the holy Ghost that without are withered branches without are dogges infidels pagans without hope without faith without loue without truth without grace without the spirit of God without the blessing of God all those that are without the compasse of Christs progresse or circuit of his visitation therefore he came vnto his owne that they might receiue allcomfort by his comming He came vnto his owne There be amongst our new-found now-fond Gospellers a sort I had almost said a sect that chalenge to themselues a great preheminence in this respect and take vpon them of themselues that they are these his owne to whom hee came forgetting the tence and sense of this purescripture For they themselues wil seeme so pure that all their Christian brethren must stand apart from them and rather then they will loose the propertie of this prerogatiue of being his owne they will be tear med brethren in Christ and brethren of Christ nay Christs nowne brethren they are so holy or so hollow in their puritie but surely I thinke they are traduced in their title as ill as seduced in their opinions by those that call them Puritanes vnlesse they take their names as Diogenes named his man Manes a manendo because he ran away from him or as we say lucus a lucendo quia minime lucet or Mons a mouendo because it stands still so they by the contrarie are tearmed Puritani a puritate quia minime puri which in his proper place anon shall be declared though they denie the Sunne to shine while as it dazeleth their eyes Where as the Prophet notes all people forth of all Nations and all kinreds of the world for Christ to make his owne of God gaue him heauen for his inheritance and the earth for his possession Psal 2. All are his but not all his owne we are all his by nature but not all his by grace we are all his by creation but not all his by election Omnium hominum dominus quibus quid dat sed Israliet arum Deus quibus praecipue prodest God is the Lord ouer all to whom he giueth any of his blessings but he is Israels especiall God to whom he giueth himselfe which he preferreth before all other people they were those which in the begining he called by his owne name I am the God of Israel Esay 43. If you will be my people I will be your God The great blessings he graced them withall declare they were his owne their wealth honour soueraigntie aboue all other shew they were his owne witnesse Moyses Deut. 15.28 Thou shalt lend to other Nations but of none shalt thou borrow Thou shalt seeme strong dreadfull terrible and glorious vnto others but none shall ouercome thee Esay 2. c. The Law God gauâ— them the couenant he made with them shew they were his owne Acts. 2. witnesse Esay a. God dwelt with them gaue the law to Sion and the word of the Lord to Ierusalem Witnesse Saint Peter Acts. 2. To them pertained the adoption the glorie the Testament the constitution of the law the Couenant the worshipping and the promises The descent of Christ shewed they were his owne witnesse Saint Paul
himselfe so they are not content to make good vse of their goods and enioy them but they will leape into the fire euen hell fire to encrease them I will not stay to argue this point how many come by their goods no how any vse their goods but this I say with saint Iames for their goods gotten by deceit they shall weepe and howle for the miserie that shall come on them their riches gathered by oppression extortion vsurie or any other indirect vnlawfull or dishonest meanes it shall corrupt and vanish from their vses and bee as venome to their soules their gold and siluer shall canker and the rust of them shall be a witnesse against them and shall eate their flesh as it were fire these do forget what Epiphanius sayth Aurum voluptas gaudium Opes honores prospera Quacunque nos inflant Sit mane nihil sunt omniaque Gold pleasure delight riches honour whatsoeuer things we account prosperous we find dangerous they puffe vs vp and while we thinke them all things they flie from vs as nothing They remember what Horace sayth Omnesenim res virtus fama decus diuina humanaque pulchris diuitiis parent quas qui contraxerit ille claruserit fortis iustus sapiens etiaÌ„rex quicquid voluit Euerie thing vertue fame renowne diuine and humane things obey faire riches which whosoeuer hath gathered he is in request he is valiant he is iust he is wise yea a king and what he list This is it that makes our worldlings so proude and pampers them so much that they neglect God and thinke not how straight their entrance is into the kingdome of heauen which is straighter then the passage of a Camell thorow the eye of a needle Our proude and pampered worldlings receyue not God They receyued him not But as mamy as did receiue him to them he gaue power to be the sonnes of God To conclude therefore if they onely that doe receiue Christ are made the sonnes of God they that receiue him not abide the children of wrath In the 23 of Mat they be our Sauiours owne wordes I would haue gathered you togither but you would not behold your habitation shall bee left vnto you desolate In saint Basill his Exametron they bee his wordes that whosoeuer receiue not Christ as he comes vnto men or into men they shall be sure to receiue him as he comes to men they that receyue not Christ in the flesh nor spirit shall vndoubtedly receiue him in iudgement A day their is appointed in which the Lord will iudge the world in righteousnesse by that man whom hee hath appointed whereof he hath giuen assurance to all men in that he hath raised him vp from the dead and set him at his right hand where he abideth with his eyes like fire his feete like burning copper his face more shining then all precious stones prepared for iudgement against the time which his father hath appoynted which time when it commeth then commeth he not riding on an Asse but on the Cherubins not with a few poore disciples but with legions of Angels not to sessions to be arraigned but to iudgement to iudge the tribes of Iudah for then is then he comes to folde vp the heauens togither like a scrowle to turne the dust of the earth into pitch and to put those people of the earth which receiued him not into scalding lime for then is then the moon shall be turned into blood the Sunne shall loose her light the starres shall change their course the vniuersall engine of the world shal be dissolued for then is then hee comes with a mightie tempest before him and a whirle wind round about him and then those miserable recusants that refused to receiue him as he came vnto them and would haue come into them cannot escape him as hee commeth to them for then they shall see and feele without them the world burning with fire within them the worme of conscience euer gnawing aboue them their vnapeasable iudge condemning them beneath them the horrible torments of hell prepared for them at their right hand their sinnes accusing them at their left hand enraged and blood-thirstie any soule-thirstie Sathan readie to execute Gods irreuocable iudgement against them and to giue them their portion with hypocrites which Du Bartis describes for bread the gall of serpents for meate the tongues of Adders for drinke the venome of Cockatrices for their habitation vtter darknesse where there is nothing but weeping wayling and gnashing of teeth for their comfort euer-liuing and neuer dying fire to burne yet not consume them for their ease euerlasting neuer-dying torments such torments as neither eye hath seene eare hath heard nor neuer entered into the heart of man And then as it wil be intollerabile apparere so will it be impossibile latere as it will be intollerable to appeare so it will be impossible to lie hid although they call vnto the mouÌ„tains to fall on them vnto the hilles to hide them the woods to shrowde them the deepe to swallow them vp it will not serue their turne although they come vnto him and say that they haue cast forth diuels in his name hee hath no more to say to them but depart from mee you wicked I know you not you knew not me in the flesh you clothed me not wheÌ„ I was naked amongst you you fed me not when I was hungrie you gaue me not drinke when I was thirstie you lodged mee not when I was harbourlesse you visited mee not when I was in prison and therefore I know you not I regard you not because you receyued not me you knew me not in the spirit you agreed to no holy motion whensoeuer I prouoked you to righteous you accepted no godly exercise when I mooued you to goodnesse either by my preaching practizing and perswading you receyued not me and therefore I refuse you depart from my presence where there is fulnesse of ioy prouided onely for those that receiue me no ioy no comfort no fauour no pittie no compassion but annoy discomfort disgrace contempt confusion for all that receyue not Christ Iesus this is the time of lamentation desolation destruction of all those that receiue not Christ this time how soone it may come vnto the sonnes of men no man knoweth no not the Angels of heauen sauing the father onely we all know that he will come and veniâ—s veniet non tardabit and comming hee will come quickly not linger The leaues of the figge tree are green can the spring theÌ„ be far of all things are come to passe that are spoken of by the Prophets and Apostles touching the comming of Christ to men All ye therefore that looke for peace in Sion and hope for ioy in Ierusalem let me intreat you euen in the name of him that sent mee which is Iesus Christ the righteous who is to come as Iudge of the quicke and the dead that you bee wise and wiser then the generation of
your fore-fathers that ye be so prudent and prouident seeing he will come and not linger come and not be knowne of his comming come and not be auoyded when he doth come to bee furnished with Oyle in your Lampes Frankensence and Myrrhe in your lappes Balsam in your Boxes clothed in white with the Lambe couered in gold like the Doue crowned in strength with the Lion bathed in blood with the Leopard that whensoeuer he come and howsoeuer he come you may boldly and gladly bid Christ Iesus welcome It is storied of those ruder people Gaffrani which are by nature barbarous by education hardly euer ciuill that when the time is that their Priests for such a custome they haue yearely amongst them visit their houses with their gods Colossi as they tearme them the people entertaine their gods with wonderfull reuerence and their priestes with great rewards Those ciuiler people Esseni which dwell to the west-ward of Iudea are noted to be so zealous in the entertainment of our God that when they saw the starre that was seene to shine at the birth of our Lord and sauiour Iesus Christ they did consecrate themselues vnto his seruice and haue euer sence beene deuoute obseruers of him so that prophane and hallowed rude and ciuill naturall and spirituall creatures exhort vs and direct vs to the entertainment of our God and shall we be more prophane or lesse holy more rude or lesse ciuill more natural or lesse spirituall thē these that saw but through a vaile not in a myrrour much lesse with open face the glorie of God as wee doe shall the naturall man shew deuotion and graue reuerence to the false god which is the worke of mens hands and shall not the spirituall man fall downe and worship the Lord God of hosts that made both heauen and earth in spirit and in truth shall the spirituall man be moued with the sight of a starre to serue God and shall the day starre from on high visit vs and not enlighten vs to perceiue and receiue our God Christ Iesus if neither the ruder Gaffrani nor purer Esseni preuaile with vs to entertaine our Lord and maister let hastie Zacheus liberall Nichodemus carefull Martha stirre vs vp vnto our duties if none of these let deuout Symeon zelous Nathaniell religious Marie that chose the best part when all the rest did their parts to entertaine our Lord and maister ioyfully If this be not inough to make vs looke about vs and cast about vs all to entertaine Christ Iesus I know not what to thinke nor what to say but euen to leaue you to the Ecchoing loue of Iesus Christ which alone must waken and quicken all deafe dull and drowsie spirits to their duties Lo I come come come ye to me because I come to you Thus he inuites vs that he may not loose his labour nor we his loue come I come come that you loyter not by fayth that you wander not to mee that yee stagger not to me all that ye straggell not come why stande you idle to me why stand you doubtfull to me all why stand you fearefull come here is the course of those that receyue Christ to me there is the way of their course to me al there is the end of their course that all those that receiue me may be made the sonns of God Which the Sonne of God grant for his mercies sake To whom with the Father and the holy Ghost bee all honour glory and prayse for euermore Amen FINIS