speaking of many but through her child-birth as meaning one which is Christ the Sonne of God made of a woman without man 13 It is vsuall with the Hebrewes to put the abstract for the concrete substantiues for adiectiues Cause our captiuitie to returne like the Rivers in the South that is bring home our captiues with speed so Salvation is often put for Saviour Glory for glorious Iustice for iust c. Now by the same priviledge which admitteth captivity for captiues or sanctificatio domini for domino sanctificatus must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 child-birth go in this place for as much as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is all one with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shee shall be saued by her child Briefly the womans child-birth is as much as the womans child the womans child is somewhat more than the womans seed For that the womans seed which was to crush the serpents head should become a child and be brought forth by his mother not conceiued only is no paradox of our invention It was the meaning of Gods promise when first he made it that this seed should be such a child so conceived and brought forth as might truely call a woman his mother but no man on earth his father 14 To giue you a more distinct view of Gods wisdome in contriuing the meanes of our salvation The first woman by yeelding her consent to the wicked spirit eares of the forbidden fruit in hope she and her husband should become Gods and their ofspring like young Gods knowing good and evill The issue of this adulterous compact with the serpent was that shee conceaued sinne and brought forth death before she was a mother of children And her children with their posteritie were by nature the sonnes of wrath the serpents seed and heires of his everlasting curse To cure this maladie by the contrarie God in his wisdome so ordaines that another of the weaker sexe of a temper quite contrarie to her mother Eue one as lowly as she was prowd whom the old serpent had never tempted with dreames of being a Queene much lesse of being a Goddesse on earth one whose spirit reioyced in the lowly estate of an handmaid should by yeelding consent to the blessed spirit conceaue him that was the sonne of God the tree of life in whom as many as beleeue receaue the adoption of sonnes and are co-heires with him of everlasting blisse No marvaile if the issues of their cōsents should be so cōtrary when as the principall agents with whom they contracted were such opposites the one was the SPIRIT of TRVTH the author of life and GOD of LIGHT the other the spirit of falshood the father of lies and prince of darknesse Lastly the first woman did thus adulterate her soule by contracting with Satan without advice or consent of her husband and this is that which made her estate the state of her sexe farre more desperate then Adams was For as Divines obserue the wicked Angels because they sinned wittingly and willingly without a tempter are left without all meanes of a mediatour or redeemer Now the woman in that she did partake more deeply of this their sin for being tempted by them she forthwith turn'd tempter with them was more liable to their remedilesse punishments then the man vntill the Lord in mercy found out the meanes here mentioned by our Apostle to releiue her The conclusion intended by him in that discourse is to assure woman kinde that Evahs assenting to Satan without the advise of her husband was not more available to condemne the sexe then the blessed Virgins bringing forth of her first borne whom she conceiu'd by meere reliance on Gods promise without the concurrence or furtherance of man was to redeeme it 15 This exposition of the place in Timothie is so cleere and naturall that not the meanest student here present so hee will marke the former references to the first creation but may well wonder how any professed interpreter could omit it Imagine with me that the whole tenour of this assurance devised in tearmes most exquisite for securitie and comfort of the weaker sexe were to be pervsed by any ordinarie Lawier but with halfe the diligence men vse to examine Leases or other Evidences concerning their private commodities The principall clause or demise it selfe would at first sight appeare to be contained in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It would likewise be as apparent that faith loue holinesse sobrietie and temperance did follow onely by way of condition or proviso Or to speake in our owne dialect Seeing faith loue c. are added as cōditions or qualificaons on the womans part who is the subiect or patient the meanes or meritorious cause of salvation being emphatically assigned vnder scholasticke character in the clause precedent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this hath alwaies seem'd to me a demōstration as evident as any can be ab effectu that the principall obiect or foundation of sauing faith the promised womans seed must needs bee comprised in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In Iesus Christ saith the Apostle neither circumcision availeth any thing nor vncircumcision but faith which worketh by loue But neither loue nor faith working by loue can availe more without Christ Iesus then circumcision in Christ Iesus And bootlesse it had beene to haue added this cōditional if they continue in faith c vnlesse the foundation of faith and salvation had beene comprised in the former words She shall bee saued by her child birth Now as fidelitie chastity practises of charitie are necessarie to all but in a peculiar and remarkable sort necessarie to those whose forefathers haue beene perfidious adulterours and oppressors so albeit none can be saued without these virtues here mentioned faith charitie holinesse temperance yet are these peculiarly necessarie to the weaker sexe in respect of the first womans sinne to the severall parts or degrees whereof they are most divinely and accurately suited and ranked by our Apostle One part of her transgression perhaps the first was infidelitie or distrust to Gods threats and promises therefore it is required as a condition necessarie to all women 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they be constant in faith Another part of the first womans sinne besides disloialtie was breach of that sociall loue which by order of creation was due vnto her husband For as shee had beginning of being from him so she was not to haue contracted any businesse concerning her estate without him Shee should haue knowne his consent before shee had presumed to haue passed hers and because shee did not so but brake the bond of sociall loue it is required of all women that they continue in loue 16 Againe the first womā polluted her soule with spiritual adulterie by listning to Satans impious suggestions Hence it is required of the weaker sexe that they continue in holinesse chastity The claspe that must keepe all these ornaments or spirituall habits close about
he could haue done by his Almightie power but what in his wisdome was most fit and convenient for our redemption Now this wee say that by the eternall rules of equitie which God obserues in all his waies it was not onely convenient but necessarie though not for our instruction yet for our redemption sanctification that his sonne should be not only man but man made of a woman and our Apostle in saying thus saith a great deale more then if hee had said borne of a woman 9 Every man except the first man Adam is borne of a woman but no man besides the sonne of God by whom man and all things were made was made of a womā The mysteries contained in this manner of speech cannot bee duely valued or vnfolded without some explication of that peculiar reference which these words in the Apostles intent and meaning haue to the first creation of man and woman 10 And here I must intreat you of the weaker sexe to obserue with me that our Apostle aswell to put you in mind of that duty which you owe to your husbands as also to stirre vp your thankfulnesse towards God for your redemption still referres you to the maner of your mother Eues creation and transgression Two testimonies shall at this time suffice for the establishing of this truth both taken from our Apostles writings Of which the one best expounds the true force meaning of this phrase Made of a woman The other vnfolds the mysterie therein contained The former is 1. Cor. 11. v. 7. c. For a man indeed ought not to couer his head for asmuch as he is the image and glory of God but the woman is the glory of the man for the man is not of the woman but the woman of the man neither was the man created for the woman but the woman for the man Thus he deriues your subordination to your husbands from the first originall of your sexe this methode manner of instruction hee learned from our Saviour who resolued the difficultie proposed concerning divorce from the Canon or Institution of Matrimonie enacted by God with Adams consent and voice whilst Eue was formed Neverthelesse to qualifie and moderate this authoritie which the man by priority of creation hath over the womā the Apostle adds Neither is the man without the woman nor the woman without the man in the Lord for as the woman is of the man even so is the man also by the woman but all things of God The first woman then was made of the first man all men since haue come into the world by the woman but the sonne of God came not only by the woman but was made of the woman as the first woman was of the first man This great mystery was precisely fore told by the Prophet Ieremie though not so plainly as many at the first sight would obserue it The Lord hath created a new thing in the earth a woman shall compasse a man or the female shall inclose the male or man of strength It is called a new creation with reference to the first creation wherein the woman was inclosed in the man as here quite cōtrary the man is inclosed in the woman by the immediate hand of God conceau'd and borne without any concurrence of man as the first woman was brought forth out of the substance of man without the helpe or consort of a woman 11 The second place in our Apostles writings which truliest explicates the meaning of the mysterie contained here in my Text or in the place of Ieremie last cited and best sets forth the incomprehensible wisdome of Gods proceedings in the admirable worke of mans redemption is 1. Tim. 2.11 Let the woman learne in silence with all subiection but I suffer not a woman to teach nor to vsurpe authoritie over the man but to bee in silence Why is her vsurpation of authoritie over the mā so insufferable the reason in the next words is given in part from the order of her creation for Adam was first formed then Eue. This proues that she should haue beene vnder mans authoritie though neither he nor she had sinned But the principall reason why shee is put to silence especially in the Church is from the manner of her transgression in the verse following And Adam was not deceaved but the woman being deceaued was in the transgressiō Because she had boldly adventured to hold partly with the old serpent without her husbands leaue and contracted with so great danger to all mankind without his instructions because this done she tooke vpon her to be the serpents agent to bring over her husband whom shee was to counsell when her advice was demanded not to lead into the same combination therefore is this modestie and silence which the Apostle speakes of inioyned the whole sexe by way of punishmēt or at least to put them in minde of their mothers first transgression For Eues disease or surfeit of the forbidden fruit vntill God in his infinite wisdome found out a soveraigne remedie by the contrarie was more dangerous preiudicious to the whole sexe then Adams was to his sonnes This truth is included in the last clause of our Apostles discourse concerning this point 1. Tim. 2.15 Neverthelesse she shall be saued This adversatiue particle Neverthelesse supposeth a tacite obiection this or the like But is there no meanes left for Eues salvation as well as for Adams though she only were seduced by the serpent or shall not the woman which is in subiection be saued as wel as the man which hath authoritie over her Yes she shall be saued too but by what meanes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 through child bearing but alasse what shall then become of the barren wombe or of her that beareth no children 12 Cornelius à lapide a late Iesuite would haue the paines of child birth to be in this place established as a Purgatorie without which this sexe could not enter into heauen Must then the excessiue or extraordinarie sufferings of some mothers supererrogate for other women that beare no children I shall not need to trouble my selfe with remouing this stone of offence which can stumble none but the daughters of the blind Church I will passe over it and proceed As this place of Timothie best expounds the words of my Text so may these words in it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 best be expounded by another place in this Epistle wherein the Apostle discoursing of that promise of God to Abraham In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed excellently obserues what the matter circumstance of the text not the grammatical singularity of number doth necessarily inferre this is not spoken to his seed as of many but as of one and to thy seede which is Christ To comment therefore vpon St Paule by the analogie of his Comments vpon Moses hee saith not in this place the woman shall be saued through bearing of children as
theÌ„ is Temperance For so the Apostle concludes Notwithstanding they shall be saued if they continue in faith charity and holinesse with temperance As if hee had said it was their mother Eues intemperate appetite of the forbidden fruit faire in shew which did quicken and giue life vnto the first transgression whose first seed perhaps was pride and for this reason continent eyes and temperate appetites are on the womans part required in the last place as subiection is in the first For conclusion of this point As this Catalogue of vertues in the last clause hath expresse reference to the severall parts of her transgression so haue these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as peculiar relation vnto the promise concerning the womans seed which was to bruise the serpents head 17 I shall not need to trouble this learned audience with a doctrine very frequent because most vsefull in the Primitiue Church A necessitie was laid vpon the Reverend Fathers of those times to vse this place as one amongst many most pregnant for refutation of such heretiques as held our Saviour did take only the shape and figure not the true flesh and substance of man from his mother But seeing their herisies haue for these many yeares slept with their bodies I hold it a sin to awake them by entertaining any solemne dispute with them or making lowd declamation against theÌ„ Taking the truth which these men are not able now to contradict for vnquestionable as being the principall subiect of all Christian knowledge Their observation is neither vnnecessarie for any time nor impertinent to this present occasioÌ„ who out of this phrase MADE OF A WOMAN would giue vs the true MEDIVM or causall demonstration of another conclusion essentially subordinate to the fore cited observation of the Ancient The conclusion is that our Saviour did with the substance or flesh of man take vpon him all the infirmities and weaknesses of our mortall flesh 18 The heathens although they feined Pallas to be a Goddesse yet conceiued her to bee of a masculine valour and true heroicall spirit as being wholy conceiued and borne of Iupiters substance not participating of Iunoes nature or disposition That wisdome in the Greeke tongue is of the feminine gender was to them a sufficient Hint thus to transforme the wisdome of God into a Goddess of wisdome What they spake of this Goddesse or daughter of Ioue was most true of the wisdome and Sonne of God He was begotten from all eternities of his Father without a mother very God of very God Geber el or the strong God And whilst He remained in the bosome of his Father onely sending forth wise men Prophets vnto his people he did in no wise participate of any infirmitie But that this wisdome and Sonne of God should bee conceiued and borne of a mother without a father and sent forth into the world vpon the same embassage thar hee had sent his servants was a ttuth farre remote from that hemisphere of darknesse wherein the heathen sat yet a common prenotion amongst Gods people And what better proofe can bee desired for evincing him to be a man as the Prophet tearmes him of infirmities then his taking his whole substance from the infirmer and weaker sexe The man that is borne of a woman saith Iob is of few daies full of trouble Intimating as some thinke that as life strength are from the Father so frailtie and mortality are from the Mother It is not then strange if He who took his whole substance from his mother were peculiarly capable of infirmities A drie and wearyish soile cannot naturally send forth goodly Cedars full of sap nor could the incredulous Iew haue expected his promised Messias should bee a Giant or man of strength had hee but duly considered that he was to be the womans seed flesh of her flesh and bone of her bone not so of Mans. And more particularly of this sprig of Iesse saith the Prophet He shall growe vp before him as a tender plant as a root out of a dry ground hee hath no forme nor comelinesse and when we shall see him there is no beautie that we should desire him hee is despised and reiected of men a man of sorrows and acquainted with griefe 19 Marriage well fitted is a kind of musicke and consists in a true consort of the stronger and weaker sexe But in this happie marriage betwixt HEAVEN and EARTH betweene the Divine Humane Nature the Sonne of God and the Seed of Abraham there is a consort of contrarieties of strength and weaknesse in their abstracts He that was Geberâ—el the strength of God is indissolubly linkt with the weaknesse of man with the flesh and substance of a womaÌ„ He of whom God might haue said as Iacob did of Reuben before his fall My first borne my might and the beginning of my strength the excellencie of dignitie and the excellencie of power is become sinne only excepted like vnto Reuben when his dignitie was gone vnstable as water The sonne of God not by adoption but by eternall generation is sent forth made of a woman and thereby subiected to more infirmities then any man before him had bin or after can bee Strength was thus to stoope to Weaknesse that weaknesse might become strong and Aeternitie to match with Mortalitie that our mortall bodies might be immortall For as Man and Wife are one flesh so much more the Sonne of God and the womans seed make but one Christ And in this consort the Spouse or weaker nature Coruscat Mariti Titulis is really dignified with these late mentioned or the like titles of her Lord and husband Strength is now become her girdle and immortalitie her wedding garment freedome ioy happinesse everlasting are made her ioynter whose former state was mortalitie charged with servitude and infirmities 20 The former observation concerning the importance of the word mulier here vsed though in my opinion not impertinent to our Apostles meaning may in better iudgements seeme rather to increase then diminish a common difficultie First were his meaning such as wee suppose it hee had said better 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 factum ex foeminâ rather then ex muliere For foeminâ being the proper name of the weaker sexe seemes to import fragilitie more directly then Mulier doth Besides this phrase factum ex foemine would haue well consorted with that principall article of our beleefe Hee was made and borne of a Virgin With which this forme of speech in my text factum ex muliere may seeme scarse compatible For virgo and foemina are subordinate every virgo is foemina but virgo and mulier or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are rather opposites Some learned Interpreters notwithstanding haue obserued the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be sometimes taken for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as mulier likewise in the Latine is for virgo And
seed of the womaÌ„ espoused though a virgin such as Eue was when she sinned shall crush the serpents head Yet the mouth of prophanes not herewith stopt is more ready to quarrell with the message it selfe as too vulgar for an embassadour of such state as the Angel Gabriel Behold what should shee behold thou shalt conceaue in thy wombe and bring forth a sonne Why doe not all women conceiue before they bring forth children or doe others conceaue in their aprons But to dismisse this audience of the Atheists false descant or division vpon this plaine song as he esteemed it Is the phrase in many profest interpreters iudgement any better then a tautologie or at the best then an Hebrew Pleonasme yet even tautologies in sacred language seldome want their weight or observation And Hebrew Pleonasmes in Propheticall or Evangelicall writings are oft times full of mysteries Or what if this phrase be sometimes vulgarly vsed in vulgar narrations yet in extraordinarie subiects it may and by the analogie of orthodoxall interpretation ought to bee taken in the most proper remarkable sence whereto it can literally be extended The expresse mention of the vsuall place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 excludes the ordinarie cause and implies an vnusuall maner of conception The interposition of the primitiue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which was emphatically exprest in the salutation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and must here bee repeated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will much alter the sence or importance of the phrase So doth the dependance which the demonstratiue ecce hath with the words which went before Feare not Mary for thou hast found favour with God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Behold thou shalt coÌ„ceaue in thy wombe not from without The importance is fully aequivalent to the Hebrew Tesâ—beb in my Text thy fruit shall be enclosed in thy womb yet shalt thou not bee lesse fruitfull then shee that conceaueth by a consort For thou shalt bring forth not a daughter not a male child only but such a sonne as may well brooke the name of Saviour for he shall be great and be called the sonne of the most high And is not this as much as Geber 15 And yet God in his wisdome would haue the blessed virgin her selfe to be for a while ignorant of this construction that her doubtfull reply might occasion the Angell to enlarge his Comments vpon my Prophets riddle Then said Mary vnto the Angell how shall this be seeing I knowe not a man And the Angell answered and said vnto her the holy Ghost shall come vpon thee and the power of the highest shall over shadowe thee As if he had said what hast thou to doe with a man who hast found this favour with God that it shall not bee with thee as with other women thy conception of this thy sonne is a worke new and vnheard of hetherto in Israel a worke not of generation but of creation it must be wrought by the immediate hand of God But let it not seeme so impossible as new and strange seeing he hath foretold it by his Prophets who is able to bring to passe what ever he fortells Nor would the Evangelist in my opinion haue beene so carefull to specifie the Angels name in these two stories of Iohn Baptists our Sauviours conceptions without reference to his principall message or office which was to annunciate his birth to whom this name Gabriel did best agree one that should bee Geber-ell the strong God or the strength of God Thus you see how this prophecie of the Females enclosing the mightie man or heroick by way of creation not of generation in the land of Israël is in due time fulfilled beyond her expectation that did conceaue him vntill the Angell did instruct her 16 And now it seemes shee apprehends as much as the Angell had told her and no more That the Lord would giue the throne of David to her sonne and whether from expresse notice of Ezechiels words or rather from the same spirit wherby he spake She makes part of his menacing prophecie a straine of her ioyfull song so inverting his words as the Lord had done the line of David making first last and last first Exalt him that is low saith the Prophet and abase him that is high He hath put downe the mightie from their seat saith the blessed Virgin and exalted them of lowe degree The abasing of the high and mightie was verified whilst Ezechiel liued in the sodaine deposition of Zedechiah so perhaps was the exalting of him that was lowe historically experienced in the exaltation of Iehoiakin but not fulfilled vntill this time wherein God from the wombe of his poore handmaid raised vp this light to Dauid vnto whoÌ„ the Diadem of right belonged Yet all this time she thinkes as little how Micahs prophecie should be fulfilled as shee had done before of Ieremies or Isaies she had gone indeed not long after this coÌ„ception into Iury to conferre with her Cousin Elizabeth but as the Evangelist tells vs she was returned againe to Nazareth whence shee and her husband departed a little after against their wills For vnlesse Augustus at this very time had giuen out his commandment for taxing al that were subiect to the Romane Empire there is no intimation of any purpose either in Mary or Ioseph to repaire to Bethlehem Ephrata the Citie of David But the lesse they minded it before the more they are confirmed by the experience of the event and the manner how Gods prophecies are fulfilled 17 Thus by the disposition of the Almighty not by any purpose of Augustus or consultation of man the sonne of God is come first into his owne Citie but his owne receaue him not hee hath not so much as house roome fit for man an ill omen that his subiects will not acknowledge their allegiance to him For as the Lord long since had complained of their more then brutish ignorance and stupiditie The Oxe knoweth his owner and the Asse his masters cribbe but Israël hath not knowne my people hath not vnderstaod What did not Israël knowe or what would not his people vnderstand It is the note of a iudicious convert Hebrew and I now remember not wether he giue any further reason of it that the verbs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there vsed are transitiues and must bee referred to that which went before Israël hath not knowne his owner my people will not acknowledge him for their master that lies swadled in a cratch or manger This is a stumbling blocke to the prowd haughtie Iew that fixeth his eies on loftie towers and stately palaces as if these were the places of his Messiahs birth who in his prime must come to Zion as one too meeke and humble to minde such matters as one that would testifie the place of his birth by riding vpon an Asse and vpon a colt the foale of an Asse But though Iudah
why might not the Apostle vse the like language Yet in saying thus much and no more they make the maner of his speech more capable of excuse then meritorious of admiration whereas to my apprehension there lies a mysterie in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as here it is vsed by the Apostle which had not been so well exprest either by the common name of the sexe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 foemina or by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 virgo For better notification of what I conceiue you are to consider that virgo and mulier as the words answering to them in the Greeke haue two significations or rather importances Virgo somtimes implies no more then foeminam intectam or viri ignaram a woman that knowes not a man somtimes it signifies foeminam intactam nec desponsatam a woman not betrothed Mulier likewise implies sometimes an opposition to the first importance or signification of virgo and signifieth as much as foeminam corruptam or viri gnaram sometimes it imports no more then foeminam viro desponsatam And this later vse or importance whether of the Latine mulier or of the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not opposite but coincident to the second vse or importance of virgo or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 One and the same foemina may be intacta and yet desponsata a wife or woman betrothed vnto a man yet a virgin So Eue is called by the septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the originall Ishah a wife at her first creation Matrimonie it selfe was established in her extraction out of Adams side In this sense she was mulier a wife when she committed the first transgression and yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or foemina intacta a virgin too for shee did not knowe her husband before shee had contaminated her soule with lusting after the serpents bayts And for this reason would the wisdome of God be made man of a virgin and yet withall ex muliere of a virgin betroathed vnto an husband that Eues miscariage might be regaind in her Eue was created to be a helpe to Adam but proued his ruine The blessed virgin must likewise bee solemnly consecrated for an helpe to Man but so consecrated becomes a comforter not to Ioseph only but to all his bretheren to all the Israel of God whether they be Iewes or Gentiles 21 For the wisdome of God thus solicitously and accurately to contriue and plot the meanes of mankinds redemption it was expedient and necessary in respect of that inbred superstitioÌ„ wherewith both Iewes and Gentiles were deepely tainted All of vs from our cradle from the wombe are sicke of our mother Eues disease prone vpon every light accidentall circumstance or want of ceremoniall references to pick occasion when none is offered to distrust Gods promises for our good The subtletie of the old serpent continues still the same rather increast by long experience then impaired by age No Sophister so captious no Lawier so cunning as He to misperswade men either that the instrumeÌ„ts of their assurance want words to carry the inheritance vnto all or that their Redeemer is vnable or vnwilling to instate theÌ„ in it or that some at least in respect of their particular conditioÌ„ or state of life are vncapable of the good intended For preveÌ„ting this his cuÌ„ning hath God in his wisdome incompast and hedged in all maÌ„kind with such a world of references and admirable alliances vnto his Sonne made man of a woman as no sort or condition of men that frame their aspect aright can suspect themselues to bee excluded Every circumstance of his person conception birth and life are suited as it were of purpose to giue checke vnto the vtmost curiositie of superstitious humane fancie 22 Had our redeemer beene onely man though a man much more after Gods own heart then his father Dauid was wee would haue said of him as we doe of a friend whose minde we knowe to be better then his meanes Surely hee wisheth me well and would lay downe his life to doe mee good but being once dead what dominion can he haue over death Or raised againe yet being farr absent in the highest heavens how shall he guard me against Sathan and his Angels still present to assault me here on earth Againe had he been only the Sonne of God wee would haue conceaued of him as we doe of many great ones whom we acknowledge to be honourably disposed but not so tenderly compassionate of poore mens cases as might bee wisht because they haue no acquaintance with povertie or the miseries that attend it To prevent these temptations to distrust God would haue his only Sonne to bee made a Man of sorrowes and of entire acquaintance with greefe a man subiect to greater bodily vexations then any in this life can tast And yet at last to be exalted according to his humane nature vnto glory that we might haue a solicitour in the Court of Heaven of our owne corporation and stocke one that could pittie our wants and compassionate our grievances by the liuely experience and never fading memorie of his owne more grievous sufferings whilst he liued on earth able withall to plead our deliverance from danger out of that infinite wisdome which He is and to procure it by that infinite favour and respect which hee hath with his father from everlasting 23 Or if the sonne of God had beene made man as Adam was of the earth or not thus miraculously made of a woman the old serpent might easily haue brought the weaker sexe into a relaps of their natiue distrust vnto Gods promises Feare if not despaire would in temptations haue overtaken them least Christ had beene sent forth to redeeme the Man onely whose sexe hee assumed not silly woman to whom hee had no speciall reference Or had he beene made MAN of a Virgin onely not of a wife or woman betroathed to an husband married persons might haue mistrusted least matrimonie had made them more capable of their first parents curse then of the blessing made in the promised seed or least the coniunction of twaine in one flesh might haue caused a divorce of both from him vnto whom whosoever is conioyned is made one spirit wâ—â—h him Now that the world might knowe marriage to bee honourable among all men and that the bonds of vndefiled wedlocke are no setters to the soule it pleased the wisdome of God to be conceiued in wedlocke borne of a virgin affianced to a man On the contrary least the Eunuch Hee I meane that either by nature is vnfit for marriage or out of iudicious resolution and discreet choice holds marriage vnfit or vnexpedient for him should take vp his complaint and say alasse I am a dry tree and can bring forth no fruit vnto eternall life it hath pleased the only begotten SONNE of God to grace sanctifie single life by his owne practise and example For though he were made man of a woman