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 MAR 1 1911 *j 
 
 BV 4257 .A6 1887? 
 Andrewes, Lancelot, 1555- 
 
 1626. 
 Seventeen sermons on the 
 
 nat i vi t V 
 
 <■ 
 
ANDREWES' 
 
 SERMONS ON THE NATIVITY. 
 
 The Ancient and Modern Library of Theological Literature. 
 
SEVENTEEN SERMONS 
 
 NATIVITY 
 
 BY THE 
 
 MAR 1 1911 
 
 RIGHT HONOURABLE AND REVEREND FATHER IN GOD 
 
 V 
 LANCELOT ANDREWES 
 
 Sometime Lord Bishop of Winchester- 
 
 A NEW EDITION 
 
 LONDON 
 
 GRIFFITH FARRAN OKEDEN & WELSH 
 
 NEWBERY HOUSE CHARING CROSS ROAD 
 
 AND SYDNEY 
 
The rights of translation and of reproduction ai-e reserved. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 T ANCELOT ANDREWES was born in Thames Street, 
 ■^ London, in the year 1555 ; educated at Cooper's 
 Free School, Radchffe, and at Merchant Taylors. His 
 industry and ability attracted the notice of Dr Watts, 
 Canon of St. Pauls, who had lately founded some scholar- 
 ships at Pembroke Hall, Cambridge, to one of which he 
 presented this promising scholar. In the year 1576 he 
 became a fellow of his college, and about the same time 
 was made fellow of the newly founded Jesus College 
 at Oxford. His reputation as a scholar was very high, 
 and he is said to have been master of no less than fifteen 
 languages, and to have been thoroughly acquainted with 
 the writings of fathers, schoolmen, casuists, and jurists. 
 
 After some few years' occupation at the University he 
 accepted the invitation of the Earl of Huntingdon, 
 " President of the North," to visit him ; and his preaching 
 in various places attracted much notice. The favour of Sir 
 Francis Walsingham, minister of Queen Elizabeth, obtained 
 for him preferment first to the parsonage of Alton, then to 
 St Giles', Cripplegate, London ; to which was shortly added 
 a stall at St. Pauls, and another at Southwell, and the 
 mastership of Pembroke Hall at Cambridge. He found 
 this college at a low ebb, and raised it by his diligence to 
 a much better position, leaving it at last with ;^iooo in 
 its coffers, which had been empty at his entry upon the 
 office. 
 
vi Preface, 
 
 His next step upwards was his promotion to be chaplain 
 in ordinary to Queen Elizabeth, who greatly admired his 
 preaching, and caused offers of a mitre to be made to him 
 more than once. These offers, however, he was con- 
 strained by his conscience to refuse, as they were hampered 
 with some conditions as to alienation of revenues, which he 
 was unable to accept. The spoliation of the monasteries 
 by Henry VIH. had greatly disturbed the settlement of 
 church property, and Andrewes was for a time excluded from 
 the position to which his qualities entitled him by his rigid 
 determination not to injure the heritage of the church. 
 In 1 60 1 he was made Dean of Westminster, and the 
 accession of James opened to him afresh the channels of 
 high preferment. In i6ovj he was consecrated Bishop of 
 Chichester, translated to Ely in 1609, and to Winchester in 
 16 18, when he was also made Dean of the Royal Chapel. 
 He continued to hold a high place in the regard of 
 James I., whom he outlived by a couple of years only, 
 and died at Winchester, on his birthday, in 1626, aged 
 seventy-one years. Charles I. esteemed him so highly 
 that after his death he commanded Bishops Laud and 
 Buckeridge to collect and publish his sermons \ and it is 
 to their care that we owe the preservation of them to us. 
 
 The private character of Andrewes was marked by a 
 peculiar sanctity, charity, and integrity, upon which in this 
 brief preface it is impossible to dweU. His place in the 
 history of the English Church is of deep interest and high 
 importance. When Andrewes obtained his fellowship, Laud 
 was but three years old, and he had attained to the highest 
 dignity of his life, namely, the see of Winchester, three years 
 before Laud's consecration as Bishop of St. Davids. In 
 the teaching and religious practice of Lancelot Andrewes, 
 however, we find all those doctrines and customs for which 
 Laud contended, and which some seem to fancy he forced 
 upon the Church. It cannot, however, fail to amend 
 
Preface, vii 
 
 notions of this kind, to find what were the doctrines and 
 ritual of this Elizabethan court chaplain and Jacobean 
 bishop; and an interest apart from that which must be 
 created by his genius, learning, and character, belongs to 
 him as the exponent of the mind and practice of the English 
 Church in the years that intervened between the Reforma- 
 tion and the Revolution. The noisy faction of the Puritans 
 was beginning to be troublesome even in the later years of 
 Elizabeth ; and their controversial clamour has seemed to 
 drown other voices of the time, fuller of a truer harmony ; 
 but in the pages of Andrewes we find a clear and lucid ex- 
 position of sound Church doctrine, while the puritan 
 description of his chapel, when Bishop of Ely, with its 
 " credence, lavabo basin, altar candles, censer, &c.," and his 
 ritual notes upon the Prayer Book (printed in Nicholls' 
 Commentary on the Book of Common Prayer), show us 
 with what reverent and ceremonious circumstance the 
 worship of that time was rendered. 
 
 In this volume of sermons preached upon Christmas Day, 
 his firm grasp of the Doctrine of the Incarnation is clearly 
 manifested ; and the close relation between the apprehension 
 of this Verity, and the place in worship of the Blessed 
 Eucharist, is particularly illustrated. To treat with fresh- 
 ness the same topic on seventeen difierent occasions is, as 
 most preachers will allow, no mean test of power ; but in 
 these sermons of Bishop Andrewes no reader can fail to be 
 charmed with the constant variety of treatment displayed 
 in them, the great wealth of Scriptural illustration, and 
 the profound depth of insight, which detects in the 
 most seemingly insignificant details, matter of rich dog- 
 matic truth. He cuts and polishes a text, like a jeweller 
 a diamond, and the rays of truth from its heart of light flash 
 from every facet. As models of division and treatment, and 
 as mines of learning and eloquent illustration, these sermons 
 are invaluable to a preacher, and with a view to specially 
 
viii Preface. 
 
 emphasising this value, an index of Scriptural references has 
 been added to this edition. To the general reader they 
 appeal as devout homilies, which gather many truths about 
 the central doctrine of the Holy Incarnation, and build up 
 Christian conduct and temper upon the sure foundation of 
 dogmatic instruction. 
 
 As for the Puritan charge that his puns and quips made 
 the sermons worthless, it may be said that it is easier to 
 attack the manner than the matter of his discourses ; and 
 that in common with the men of his day he had a quick 
 ear to detect similarities of sound, and made use of this 
 skill to display similarities and dissimilarities of sense. 
 But no one who has read the sermons could assert that 
 they are marred by the slightest levity of expression. The 
 pithy, balanced phrases would dwell in the memories of 
 those that heard them, but would be the despair of those 
 too dull to imitate them j especially when we remember 
 that the Bishop's delivery was extolled by his contemporaries 
 as highly as his composition. The church at any time 
 would be enriched by the genius of such a preacher ; and 
 both preachers and congregations of to-day may learn 
 much from him. That these, his Christmas day sermons, 
 may influence an ever widening audience with their 
 practical, devotional, and doctrinal teaching, is the hope 
 of the Editor. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 Sermon I. 
 
 Preached before King James, at Whitehall, on Tuesday, the 
 Twenty-fifth of December, a. d. mdcv. 
 
 For He in no wise took the Angels' j but the seed of 
 Abraham He took.— Hebrews ii. i6. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 I 
 
 Sermon II 
 
 Preached before King James, at Whitehall, on Wednesday, the 
 Twenty-fifth of December, a.d. mdcvi. 
 
 For unto us a Child is born, and unto us a Son is given ; 
 and the government is upon His shoulder ; and He shall 
 call His Name Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the 
 Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.— Esay ix. 6. 
 
 i8 
 
 Sermon III . , 
 
 Preached before King James, at Whitehall, on Thursday, the 
 Twenty-fifth of December, a.d. mdcvii. 
 
 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness, 
 which is, God is manifested in the flesh, justified in the 
 Spirit, seen of Angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed 
 on in the world, and received up in gloiy.— I Timothy 
 iii. 1 6. 
 
 32 
 
 Sermon IV. 
 
 Preached before King James, at Whitehall, on Monday, the 
 Twenty-fifth of December, a.d. mdcix. 
 
 When the fulness of time was come, God sent His Son, 
 made of a woman, made under the Law. That He might 
 redeem them that were under the Law, that we might 
 receive the adoption of sons.— Galatians iv. 4, 5. 
 
 44 
 
\ 
 
 X Contents. 
 
 PAGB 
 
 Sermon V 63 
 
 Preached before King James, at Whitehall, on Tuesday, the 
 Twenty-fifth of December, a.d. mdcx- 
 
 The Angel said unto them, Be not afraid ; for behold I 
 bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all 
 people. That there is born unto you this day a Saviour, 
 Which is Christ the Lord, in the city of David. — Luke iu 
 10, II. 
 
 Sermon VI 84 
 
 Preached before King James, at Whitehall, on Wednesday, the 
 Twenty-fifth of December, a.d. mdcxi. 
 
 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us 
 (and we saw the glory thereof, as the glory of the only- 
 begotten Son of the Father), full of grace and truth. — 
 John i. 14, 
 
 Sermon VII. 100 
 
 Preached before King James, at Whitehall, on Friday, the Twenty- 
 fifth of December, a.d. mdcxii. 
 
 At sundry times and in divers manners, God spake in the 
 old time to our Fathers, by the Prophets : In these last 
 days. He hath spoken to us by His Son, Whom He hath 
 made Heir of all things ; by Whom also He made the 
 worlds ; Who, being the Brightness of His glory, and the 
 engraved Form of His Person, and bearing up all things 
 by His mighty word, hath by Himself purged our sins, and 
 sitteth at the right hand of the Majesty in the highest 
 places.— Hebrews i. 1-3. 
 
 Sermon VIII. . . . , . . .115 
 
 Preached before King James, at Whitehall, on Saturday, the 
 Twenty-fifth of December, ad. mdcxiii. 
 
 Your Father Abraham rejoiced to see my day : and he 
 saw it, and was glad. — ^JOHN viii. 56. 
 
 Sermon IX .132 
 
 Preached before King James, at Whitehall, on Sunday, the 
 Twenty-fifth of December, a.d. mdcxiv. 
 
 Behold a Virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son, and she 
 shall call His name Immanuel. — Isaiah vii. 14. 
 
Contents. y/ 
 
 PAGS 
 
 Sermon X 150 
 
 Preached before King James, at ^Vhitehall, on Monday, the 
 Twenty-fifth of December, a.d. mdcxv. 
 
 And thou Bethlehem Ephratah art little to be among the 
 thousands of Judah ; yet out of thee shall He come forth 
 unto Me That shall be the Ruler in Israel ; Whose goings 
 forth have been from the beginning, and from everlasting. 
 — MiCAH V. 2. 
 
 Sermon XI. . , 172 
 
 Preached before King James, at Whitehall, on Wednesday, the 
 Twenty-fifth of December, a.d. mdcxvi. 
 
 Mercy and Truth shall meet ; Righteousness and Peace 
 shall kiss one another. Truth shall bud out of the earth ; 
 and Righteousness shall look down from Heaven. — Psalm 
 Ixxxv. 10, :i. 
 
 Sermon XII 193 
 
 Preached before King James, at Whitehall, on Friday, the Twenty- 
 fifth of December, A.D. MDCXVII. 
 
 And this shall be a sign unto you ; ye shall find the 
 Child swaddled, and laid in a cratch. And straightway 
 there was with the Angel a multitude of Heavenly soldiers, 
 praising God, and saying, glory be to God on high and 
 peace upon earth, and towards men good-will. — Luke 
 ii. 12-14. 
 
 Sermon XIII. 212 
 
 Preached before King James, at Whitehall, on Saturday, the 
 Twenty-fifth of December, a.d. mdcxix. 
 
 Glory be to God in the high Heavens, and peace upon 
 earth, and towards men good-will. — Luke ii. 14. 
 
 Sermon XIV. , . 229 
 
 Preached before King James, at Whitehall, on Monday, the 
 Twenty-fifth of December, a.d. mdcxx. 
 
 When Jesus then was born at Bethlehem in Judea, in the 
 days of Herod the King, behold, there came wise men, 
 from the East to Jerusalem, saying, Where is the King of 
 the Jews that is born ? For we have seen His star in the 
 East, and are come to worship Him. — Matthew ii. i, 2. 
 
xii Contents, 
 
 PAGB 
 
 Sermon XV 245 
 
 Preached before King James, at Whitehall, on Wednesday, the 
 Twenty-fifth of December, a.d. mdcxxii. 
 
 Behold there came wise men from the East to Jerusalem, 
 Saying, Where is the King of the Jews that is born? For 
 we have seen His star in the East, and are come to worship 
 Him. — Matthew ii. i, 2. 
 
 Sermon XVI. . . . . , . . 260 
 
 Preached before King James, at Whitehall, on Thursday, the 
 Twenty-fifth of December, a.d. mdcxxiii. 
 
 That in the dispensation of the fulness of the times, He 
 might gather together into one all things, both which are 
 in Heaven, and which are in earth, even in Christ. — 
 Ephesians i. 10. 
 
 Sermon XVII 278 
 
 Preached before King James, at Whitehall, on Saturday, the 
 Twenty-fifth of December, a.d. mdcxxiv. 
 
 I will preach the Law, whereof the Lord said to Me : 
 Thou art My Son, this day have I begotten Thee. — 
 Psalm ii. 7. 
 
Sermons on the Bativit^. 
 
 SERMON I. 
 
 A Sermon Preached before the King's Majesty, at 
 Whitehall, on Tuesday, the Twenty-fifth of 
 December, a.d. mdcv., being Christmas-day. 
 
 For He in no wise took the Angels ; but the seed of Abrahajn 
 He took. Hebrews ii. i6. 
 
 [Nusquam enim Angelas apprehendit ; sed semen Abrahcz 
 apprehendit, Latin Vulg.] 
 
 AND even because this day He took not the Angels' 
 nature upon Him, but took our nature in " the seed 
 of Abraham," therefore hold we this day as a high feast ; 
 therefore meet we thus every year in a holy assembly, even 
 for a solemn memorial that He hath as this day bestowed 
 upon us a dignity which upon the Angels He bestowed not 
 That He, as in the chapter before the Apostle setteth Him 
 forth, That is " the brightness of His Father's glory, the 
 very character of His substance, the Heir of all things, by 
 Whom He made the world," (Heb. i. 3) ; He, when both 
 needed it — His taking upon Him their nature — and both 
 stood before Him, men and Angels, "the Angels He took 
 not," but men " He took ; " was made Man, was not made 
 an Angel ; that is, did more for them than He did for the 
 Angels of Heaven. 
 
 Elsewhere the Apostle doth deliver the very point posi- 
 tively, and that, not without some vehemency ; " Without 
 all question great is the mystery of godliness : God is mani- 
 fested in the flesh." (i Tim. iii. 16.) Which is in effect the 
 
 A 
 
2 Of the Nativity. 
 
 same that is here said, but that here it is dehvered by way of 
 comparison ; for this speech is evidently a comparison. If 
 He had thus set it down, ' Our nature He took/ that had 
 been positive ; but setting it down thus, * Ours He took, the 
 Angels' He took not,' it is certainly comparative. 
 
 1. Now the masters of speech tell us that there is power 
 in the positive if it be given forth with an earnest assevera- 
 tion, but nothing to that that is in the comparative. It is 
 nothing so full to say, ' I will never forget you,' as thus to 
 say it ; " Can a mother forget the child of her own womb ? 
 well, if she can, yet will not I forget you." (Isa. xlix. 15.) 
 Nothing so forcible to say thus, ' I will hold my word with 
 you,' as thus, " Heaven and earth shall pass, but My word 
 shall not pass." (Luke xxi. 33.) The comparative express- 
 ing is without all question more significant ; and this here is 
 such. Theirs, the Angels', nusquam^ 'at no hand' He took, 
 but ours he did. 
 
 2. Now the comparison is, as is the thing in nature where- 
 unto it is made ; if the thing be ordinary, the comparison is 
 according ; but then is it full of force, when it is with no 
 mean or base thing, but with the chief and choice of all the 
 creatures as here it is, even with the Angels themselves \ for 
 then it is at the highest, i. That of Elihu in Job, that God 
 ''teacheth us more than the beast, and giveth us more 
 understanding than the fowls of the air," (Job xxxv. 11) ; 
 that is, that God hath been more gracious to us than to 
 them, being made of the same mould that we are ; that yet 
 He hath given us a privilege above them— this is much. 2. 
 That of the Psalmist, ''He hath not dealt so with every 
 nation," (Ps. cxlvii. 20) nay, not with any other nation, in 
 giving us the knowledge of His heavenly truth and laws ; 
 even, that we have a prerogative, if we be compared w4th 
 the rest of mankind ; — more than the beasts, much ; more 
 than all men besides, much more. 3. But this here nusquam 
 Angelas^ &c., that He hath given us a pre-eminence above 
 the Angels themselves, granted us that that he hath not 
 granted the Angels — that is a comparison at the very highest, 
 and farther we cannot go. 
 
 3. One degree yet more; and that is this. As in com- 
 parisons making it skilleth much the excellency of the 
 thing wherewithal it is compared, so doth it too the manner 
 how the comparison is made, the pitch that is taken in it. 
 
Sermon L 3 
 
 It is one thing to make it in tanto, another, in toto. One 
 thing wlien it is in degrees— that more, this less ; this not 
 so much as that, yet that somewhat though— another, 
 when one is, the other is not at all. So is it here; 
 Assumpsit; non assumpsit ; 'us He did take ; the Angels, 
 ouS^^Tou, not in any wise ; ' not in a less, or a lower degree 
 than us, but them ' not at all.' So it is with the highest, and 
 at the highest. So much is said here : more cannot be said. 
 
 The only exception that may be made to these compari- 
 sons is, that most-what they be odious ; it breedeth a kind 
 of disdain in the higher to be matched with the lower, 
 especially to be overmatched with him. We need not fear 
 it here. The blessed Spirits, the Angels, will take no 
 offence at it ; they will not remove Jacob's ladder for all 
 this, or descend to us, or ascend for us, (Gen. xxviii. 12) 
 ever a whit the slower because He is become "the Son of 
 Man." (John i. 51.) There is not in them that envious 
 mind that was in the elder brother in the Gospel, when the 
 younger was received to grace after his riotous course. 
 (Luke XV. 28.) 
 
 When the Apostle tells us of the " great mystery," that 
 " God was manifested in the flesh," immediately after he 
 tells that He was "seen of the Angels," (i Tim. iii. 16); 
 and lest we might think they saw it, as we do many things 
 here which we would not see, St Peter (i Pet. i. 12) tells us 
 th^t desidej-ant prospicere^ that with ' desire and delight ' they 
 saw it, and cannot be satisfied with the sight of it, itpleaseth 
 them so well. And even this day, the day that it was done, 
 an Angel was the first that came to bring news of it to the 
 shepherds ; and he no sooner had delivered his message, 
 but " presently there was with him a whole choir of Angels," 
 singing, and joying, and making melody, for tliis ivhoxia sv 
 av9pu!-7roig, this "good-will of God towards men." (Luke 
 ii. 9-14.) So that, without dread of any disdain or ex- 
 ception on the Angels' parts, we may proceed in our text. 
 
 I. Wherein first, of the parties compared ; Angels and 
 Men. 
 
 II. Then, i. of that, wherein they are compared, 'assump- 
 tion,' or 'apprehension;' in the -word 'taking:' 2. And 
 not every ' taking,' but apprehensio seminis^ ' taking on Him 
 the seed/ 
 
 III. Lastly, of this term, " A!jraham's seed ; " the choice 
 
 2 a 
 
4 Of the Nativity. 
 
 of that word, or term, to express mankind by, thus taken on 
 by Him. That He saith not, ' but men He took ; ' or ' but 
 the seed of Adam,' or ' the seed of the woman He took ; ' 
 "but the seed of Abraham He took." 
 
 I. Of the parties compared, Angels and men. These 
 two we must first compare, that we may the more clearly 
 see the greatness of the grace and benefit this day vouch- 
 safed us. No long process will need to lay before you, how 
 far inferior our nature is to that of the Angels ; it is a com- 
 parison without comparison. It is too apparent ; if we be 
 laid together, or weighed together, we shall be found viinus 
 habentes, ' far too light.' They are in express terms said, 
 both in the Old and in the New Testament, " to excel us in 
 power," (Ps. ciii. 20, and 2 Pet. ii. 11) ; and as in power, 
 so in all the rest. This one thing may suffice to shew the 
 odds ; that our nature, that we, when we are at our very 
 highest perfection — it is even thus expressed — that we come 
 near, or are therein like to, or as an Angel. Perfect beauty 
 in St Stephen ; " they saw His face as the face of an Angel." 
 (Acts vi. 15.) Perfect wisdom in David; "my Lord the 
 King is wise, as an Angel of God." (2 Sa. xiv. 20.) Perfect 
 eloquence in St. Paul ; " Though I sjmke with the tongues of 
 men, nay of Angels." (i Cor. xiii. i.) All our excellency, 
 our highest and most perfect estate, is but to be as they ; 
 therefore, they above us far. 
 
 But to come nearer ; What are Angels ? Surely, they are 
 Spirits, (Heb. i. 14); — Glorious Spirits, (Heb. ix. 5); — 
 Heavenly Spirits, (Mat. xxiv. 36) ; — Immortal Spirits. (Luke 
 XX. 36.) For their nature or substance. Spirits ; for their 
 quality or property, glorious ; for their place or abode, 
 Heavenly ; for their durance or continuance, immortal. 
 
 And what is " the seed of Abraham " but as Abraham 
 himself is? And what is Abraham? Let him answer 
 himself; "I am dust and ashes." (Gen. xviii. 27.) What 
 is " the seed of Abraham ? " Let one answer in the persons 
 of all the rest ; dicens putredini, &c. " saying to rottenness. 
 Thou art my mother; and to the worms. Ye are my 
 brethren." (Job xvii. 14.) i. They are Spirits ; now, 
 what are we — what is " the seed of Abraham ? " (Gal. vi. 8.) 
 Flesh. And what is the very harvest of this seed of flesh ? 
 what, but corruption, and rottenness, and worms ? There 
 is the substance of our bodies. 
 
Sermon I. 5 
 
 2. They, glorious Spirits ; we, vile bodies — bear with it, 
 it is the Holy Ghost's own term; "Who shall change our 
 vile bodies/' (Phil. iii. 21) — and not only base and vile, but 
 filthy and unclean ; ex immundo conceptiun semt?ie, ' con- 
 ceived of unclean seed.' (Job xiv. 4.) There is the metal. 
 And the mould is no better; the womb wherein we were 
 conceived, (Ps. li. 5) vile, base, filthy, and unclean. There 
 is our quality. 
 
 3. They, Heavenly Spirits, Angels of Heaven ; that is, 
 their place of abode is in Heaven above. Ours is here 
 below in the dust, inter pulices, et culices, tineas, araneas, et 
 vermes ; Our place is here ' among fleas and flies, moths 
 and spiders, and crawling worms.' There is our place of 
 dwelling. 
 
 ^ 4. They, immortal Spirits ; that is their durance. Our 
 time is proclaimed in the Prophet : flesh ; " all flesh is 
 grass, and the glory of it as the flower of the field," (Isa. 
 xl. 6) ; — from April to June. The scythe cometh, nay the 
 " wind but bloweth and we are gone," withering sooner 
 than the grass which is short, nay " fading " sooner than the 
 " flower of the grass " which is much shorter ; nay, saith 
 Job, " rubbed in pieces more easily than any moth." (Job 
 iv. 19.) 
 
 This we are to them, if you lay us together. And if you 
 weigh us upon the "balance," we are " altogether lighter 
 than vanity itself," (Ps. Ixii. 9) ; there is our weight. And 
 if you value us, " Man is but a thing of nought," (Ps. cxliv. 4) ; 
 there is our worth. Hoc est omnis homo, this is Abraham, 
 and this is " Abraham's seed ; " and who would stand to 
 compare these with Angels? Verily, there is no com- 
 parison ; they are, incomparably, far better that the best 
 of us. 
 
 Now then, this is the rule of reason, the guide of all 
 choice ; evermore to take the better and leave the worse. 
 Thus would man do ; Hcbc est lex hominis. Here then 
 cometh the matter of admiration : notwithstanding these 
 things stand thus, between the Angels and "Abraham's 
 seed ; " — they, Spirits, glorious. Heavenly, immortal ; — yet 
 " took He not" them, yet " in no wise took He them, but 
 the seed of Abraham." " The seed of Abraham " with their 
 bodies, " vile bodies," earthly bodies of clay, bodies of 
 mortality, corruption, and death ;— these He took, these He 
 
6 Of the Nativity, 
 
 took for all that Angels, and not men ; so in reason it 
 should be. Men, and not Angels ; so it is ; and, that 
 granted to us, that denied to them. Granted to us, so base, 
 that denied them, so glorious. Denied, and strongly 
 denied ; o-o, ohhri'Trov, " not, not in any wise, not at any hand," 
 to them. They, every way, in every thing else, above and 
 before us ; in this, beneath and behind us. And we, un- 
 worthy, wretched men that we are, above and before^ the 
 Angels, the Cherubim, the Seraphim, and all the Princi- 
 palities, and Thrones, in this dignity. This being beyond 
 the rules and reach of all reason is surely matter of astonish- 
 ment ; ToZro, &c. saith St. Chrysostom, ' this it casteth me 
 into an ecstacy, and maketh me to imagine of our nature 
 some great matter, I cannot well express what.' Thus it is ; 
 '' It is the Lord, let Him do what seemeth good in His own 
 eyes." (i Sam. iii. i8.) 
 
 II. And with this, I pass over to the second point. This 
 little is enough, to show what odds between the parties 
 here matched. It will much better appear, this, when we 
 shall weigh the word s'xiXafj.^dvsTat, that therein they are 
 matched. Wherein two degrees we observed; i. Appre- 
 hendit, and 2. Apprehendit semen. 
 
 1. Oi apprehendit, ^rst Many words were more obvious, 
 and offered themselves to the Apostle, no doubt ; suscepif^ 
 or assumpsit, or other such like. ' This word was sought for, 
 certainly, and made choice of/ saith the Greek Scholiast ; 
 and he can best tell us it is no common word, and tell us 
 also what it weigheth ; A»jXo^^£, saith he, on rjfiiTg s<ps'jyof/.sv, 
 6 di sdicfj'yii, xa} diojKuv s(pdaas, %al (p&daag s'7riXd(3sTO, * this 
 word supposeth a flight of the one party, and a pursuit of 
 the other— a pursuit eager, and so long till he overtake ; ' 
 and when he hath overtaken, I'TriXa/j^fSavofisvog, apprehendens, 
 ' laying fast hold, and seizing surely on him.' So two 
 things it supposeth ; i. a flight of the one, and 2. a hot 
 pursuit of the other. 
 
 I. It may well suppose a flight. For of the Angels there 
 were that fled, that kept not their original, but forsook and 
 fell away from their first estate. (Jude, ver. 6.) And man 
 fell, and fled too, and " hid himself in the thick trees " 
 (Gen. iii. 8.) from the presence of God. And this is the 
 first issue. Upon the Angels' flight He stirred not, sat still, 
 never vouchsafed to follow them ; let them go whither they 
 
Sermon I. y 
 
 would, as if they had not been worth the while. Nay, He 
 never assumed aught by way of promise for them ; no 
 promise in the Old, to be born and to suffer ; no Gospel in 
 the New Testament, neither was born nor suffered for them. 
 
 But when man fell He did all ; made after him presently 
 with UMes? (Gen. iii. 9.) sought to reclaim him, 'What 
 have you done ? Why have you done so ? ' Protested 
 enmity to him that had drawn him thus away, made His 
 assumpsit of " the woman's seed." (Gen. iii. 14, 15.) 
 
 And, which is more, when that would not serve, sent 
 after him still by the hand of His Prophets, to solicit his 
 return. 
 
 And, which is yet more, when that would not serve 
 neither, went after him Himself in person ; left His " ninety- 
 and-nine in the fold," and got Him after the " lost sheep j" 
 never left till He "found him, laid him on His own 
 shoulders, and brought him home again." (Luke xv. 4-5.) 
 
 It was much even but to look after us, to respect us so 
 far who were not worth the cast of His eye ; much to call 
 us back, or vouchsafe us an Ubi es ? 
 
 But more, when we came not for all that, to send after us. 
 For if He had but only been content to give us leave to 
 come to Him again, but given us leave to " lay hold " on 
 Him, to "touch but the hem of His garment "—Himself 
 sitting still, and never calling to us, nor sending after us — 
 it had been favour enough, far above that we were worth. 
 But not only to send by others, but to come Himself after 
 us ; to say. Corpus apta Mihi, Ecce venio ; " Get Me a 
 bod}.', I will Myself after Him," (Ps. xl. 7) ;— this was ex- 
 ceeding much, that we fled, and He followed us flying. 
 
 2. But yet this is not all, this is but to follow. He not only 
 followed, but did it so with such eagerness, with such 
 earnestness, as that is worthy a second consideration. To 
 follow is somewhat, yet that may be done faintly, and afar 
 off; but to follow through thick and thin, to follow hard 
 and not to give over, never to give over till He overtake- 
 that is it. 
 
 And He gave not over His pursuit, though it were long 
 and laborious, and He full weary ; though it cast Him into 
 a "sweat," a " sweat of blood." Angelis suis non pepercit, 
 saith St Peter, "The Angels offending, He spared not 
 them," (2 Pet. ii. 4): man offending, He spared him, and 
 
8 Of the Nativity. 
 
 to spare him, saith St Paul, " He spared not His own Son." 
 Nor His own Son spared not Himself, but followed His 
 pursuit through danger, distress, yea, through death itself. 
 Followed, and so followed, as nothing made Him leave 
 following till He overtook. 
 
 3. And when He had overtaken, for those two are but pre- 
 supposed, the more kindly to bring in the word IrsXa/Ssro. 
 when, I say. He had overtaken them, cometh in fitly and 
 properly s-s-zXa/AjSavgra/. Which is not every " taking," not 
 siiscipere or assumere, but manum injicere, arripere, appre- 
 hendere ; *'to seize upon it with great vehemency, to lay 
 hold on it with both hands as upon a thing we are glad we 
 have got, and will be loath to let go again." We know 
 assumpsit and apprehendit both 'take'; but apprehendit 
 with far more fervour and zeal than the other. Assumpsit, 
 any common ordinary thing ; apprehe?idit, a thing of price 
 which we hold dear, and much esteem of. 
 
 Now, to the former comparison, of what they, and what 
 we, but specially what we, add this threefold consideration ; 
 I. That He denied it the Angels, oh-, denied it "peremp- 
 torily," ovdyj'TTov, neither looked, nor called, nor sent, nor 
 went after them ; neither took hold of them, nor suffered 
 them to take hold of Him, or any promise from Him ; 
 denied it them, and denied it them thus. 2. But granted 
 it us, and granted it how ? That He followed us first, and 
 that, with pain; and seized on us after, and that, with great 
 desire : we flying and not worth the following, and lying 
 and not worth the taking up. i. That He gave not leave 
 for us to come to Him; or sat still, and suffered us to 
 return, and take hold : yet this He did. 2. That he did 
 not look after us, nor call after us, nor send after us only : 
 yet all this He did too. 3. But Himself rose out of His 
 place, and came after us, and with hand and foot made 
 after us — followed us with His feet, and seized on us with His 
 hands ; and that, per viam, non assicmptionis, sed appre- 
 hensionis, the manner more than the thing itself. All these 
 if we lay together, and when we have done weigh them 
 well, it is able to work with us. Surely it must needs 
 demonstrate to us the care, the love, the affection, He had 
 to us, we know no cause why ; being but, as Abraham was, 
 *'dust," (Gen. xviii. 27); and as Abraham's seed Jacob 
 saith, " less/' and not worthy of any one of these ; no, not 
 
Sermon I. 9 
 
 of the "meanest of His mercies." (Gen. xxxii. to.) 
 Especially, when the same thing so graciously granted us 
 was denied to no less persons than the Angels, far more 
 worthy than we. Sure He would not have done it for us, 
 and not for them, if He had not esteemed of us, made more 
 account of us than of them. 
 
 2. And yet, behold a far greater than all these ; which is, 
 apprehendit semen. He took not the person, but "He took 
 the seed," that is, the nature of man. Many there be that 
 can be content to take upon them the persons, and to 
 represent them, whose natures nothing could hire them 
 once to take upon them. But the seed is the nature; yea, 
 as the philosopher saith, natures intimimi, * the very internal 
 essence of nature is the seed.' The Apostle showeth what 
 his meaning is of this ' taking the seed,' when the verse next 
 afore save one he saith, that " Forasmuch as the children 
 were partakers of flesh and blood, He also would take part 
 with them by taking the same." (Heb. ii. 14.) To take 
 the flesh and blood he must needs take the seed, for from 
 the seed the flesh and blood doth proceed ; which is noth- 
 ing else but the blessed 'apprehension' of our nature by this 
 day's nativity. Whereby He and we become not only " one 
 flesh," (Eph. v. 31, 32), as man and wife do by conjugal 
 union, but even one blood too, as brethren by natural 
 union ; per offinia similis, saith the Apostle, in the next verse 
 after again, sin only set aside ; " Alike and suitable to us in 
 all things" (Heb. ii. 17), flesh and blood, and nature and 
 all. So taking " the seed of Abraham," as that He be- 
 came Himself " the seed of Abraham ; " so was, and so 
 is truly termed in the Scriptures. Which is it that doth 
 consummate, and knit up all this point, and is the head of 
 all. For in all other 'apprehensions' we may let go, and 
 lay down when we will ; but this — this ' taking on the seed,' 
 the nature of man — can never be put ofl". It is an ' assump- 
 tion ' without a deposition. One we are. He and we, and 
 so we must be ; one, as this day, so for ever. 
 
 And emergent or issuing from this, are all those other 
 * apprehendings,' or seizures of the persons of men — by 
 which God layetli hold on them, and bringeth them back 
 from error to truth, and from sin to grace — that have been 
 from the beginning, or shall be to the end of the world. 
 That of Abraham himself, whom God laid hold of, and 
 
lO Of the Nativity. 
 
 brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans, (Gen. xv. 7), and 
 the idols he there worshipped. That of our Apostle St. 
 Paul, that was 'apprehended' in the way to Damascus. 
 (Acts ix. 4.) That of St. Peter, that in the very act of sin 
 was ' seized on' with bitter remorse for it. (Luke xxii. 61, 
 62.) All those, and all these, whereby men daily are laid 
 hold of in spirit, and taken from the bye-paths of sin and 
 error, and reduced into the right way ; and so their persons 
 recovered to God, and seized to His use. All these * appre- 
 hensions of the branches ' come from this 'apprehension of 
 the seed,' they all have their beginning and their being from 
 this day's 'taking,' even semen apprehendit ; our receiving 
 His spirit, for ' His taking our flesh.' This seed wherewith 
 Abraham is made the son of God, from the seed wherewith 
 Christ is made the Son of Abraham. 
 
 And the end why He thus took upon Him " the seed of 
 Abraham " was, because He took upon Him to deliver 
 " the seed of Abraham." Deliver them He could not except 
 He destroyed "death, and the lord of death, the devil." 
 (Heb. ii. 14.) Them He could not destroy unless He died; 
 die He could not except He were mortal ; mortal He could 
 not be except He took our nature on Him, that is, " the 
 seed of Abraham." But taking it He became mortal, died, 
 destroyed death, delivered us ; was Himself ' apprehended,' 
 that we might be let go. 
 
 One thing more then out of this word apprehendit. The 
 former toucheth His love, whereby He so laid hold of us, 
 as of a thing very precious to Him. This now toucheth 
 our danger, whereby He so caught us, as if He had not it 
 had been a great venture but we had sunk and perished. 
 One and the same word, apprehendit, sorteth well to express 
 both His affection whereby He did it, and our great peril 
 whereby we needed it. We had been before laid hold of 
 and ' apprehended ' by one, mentioned in the fourteenth 
 verse,_ he that hath " power of death, even the devil ; " we 
 were in danger to be swallowed up by him, we needed one 
 to lay hold on us fast, and to pluck us out of his jaws. So 
 He did. And I would have you to mark, it is the same 
 word that is used to St. Peter in like danger, when, being 
 ready to sink, s'7rsXd(3sro, Christ "caught him by the hand," 
 (Matt. xiv. 31), and saved him. The same here in the 
 Greek, that in the Hebrew is used to Lot and his daughters 
 
Sermon I. 1 1 
 
 in the like danger, when " the Angels caught him, and by 
 strong hand plucked him out of Sodom." (Gen. xix. i6.) 
 One delivered from the water, the other from the fire. 
 
 And it may truly be said, inasmuch as all God's promises, 
 as well touching temporal as eternal deliverances, and as 
 well corporal as spiritual, be "in Christ yea, and Amen " (2 
 Cor. i. 20)— yea, in the giving forth, Amen in the performing 
 — that even our temporal delivery from the dangers that daily 
 compass us about, even from this last ^ so great and so fearful 
 as the Hke was never imagined before; all have their ground 
 from this great ' apprehension,' are fruits of this Seed here, 
 this blessed Seed, for Whose sake and for Whose truth's sake 
 that we (though unworthily) profess, we were by Him caught 
 hold of, and so plucked out of it ; and but for which Seed 
 facti essemus sicut Sodojna, " We had been even as Sodom," 
 (Rom. ix. 29), and perished in the fire, and the powder 
 there laid had even blown us up all. 
 
 And may not I add to this apprehendit tit liber aret^ the 
 other in the eighth chapter following, (Heb. viii. 9), appre- 
 hendit ut manu duceret ; to this of ' taking us by the hand 
 to deliver us,' that ' of taking us by the hand to guide us ;' 
 and so out of one word present Him to you, not only as 
 our Deliverer, but as our Guide too ? Our Deliverer to rid 
 us from him that hath " power of death," our Guide to Him 
 that hath ' power of life.' To lead us even by the way of 
 truth to the path of life, by the stations of welldoing to 
 " the mansions in His Father's House." (John xiv. 2,) 
 Seeing He hath signified it is His pleasure not to let go our 
 hands, but to hold us still till He hath brought us, ''that 
 where He is, we may also be." (John xiv. 3.) This also is 
 incident to apprehendit^ but because it is out of the compass 
 of the text I touch it only, and pass it. 
 
 And can we now pass by this, but we must ask the ques- 
 tion that St. John Baptist's mother sometime asked on the 
 like occasion? Unde mihi hoc? (Luke i. 43) saith she; 
 Unde 7iobis hoc ? may we say. Not, quod mater Domini, but 
 quod Dof?ii?tus Ipse venit ad nos : ' Whence cometh this unto 
 us, that the Lord Himself thus came unto us and took us, 
 letting the Angels go ? ' Angels are better than the best of 
 us, and reason would ever the better should be taken ; how 
 then were we taken that were not the better ? 
 i[The Gunpowder Conspiracy.] 
 
12 Of the Nativity. 
 
 Sure, not without good ground, say the Fathers, who 
 have adventured to search out the theology of this point ; 
 such reasons as might serve for inducements to Him that is 
 pronus ad miserendum, ' naturally inclined to pity ; ' why 
 upon us He would rather have compassion. And divers 
 such I find ; I will touch only one or two of them. 
 
 1. First, Man's case was more to be pitied than theirs, 
 because man was tempted by another— had a tempter. The 
 Angels had none — none tempted them ; none but them- 
 selves. £t levius est alietia mente peccasse quam propria^ 
 saith Augustine ; ' the offence is the less if it grow from 
 another, than if it breed in ourselves;' and the less the 
 offence, the more pardonable. 
 
 2 . Again, Of the Angels, when some fell, other some stood, 
 and so they all did not perish. But in the first man all men 
 fell, and so every mother's child had died, and no flesh 
 been saved, for all were in Adam ; and so, in and with 
 Adam, all had come to nought. Then cometh the Psalmist's 
 question, Nunquid in vanum, &=€. ? " What hast Thou 
 made all men for nought?" (Ps. Ixxxix. 47.) That cannot 
 be, so great wisdom cannot do so great a work in vain. 
 But in vain it had been if God had not shewed mercy, and 
 therefore was man's case rather of the tv/ain matter of com- 
 miseration. (This is Leo.) 
 
 3. And thus have they travailed, and these have they found, 
 why He did ' apprehend ' us rather than them. It may be 
 not amiss. But we will content ourselves for our unde nobis 
 hoc ? ' whence cometh this to us ? ' with the answer of the 
 Scriptures. Whence, but from " the tender mercies of our 
 God, whereby this day hath visited us?" (Luke i. 78.) 
 Ze/tis Domini, saith Esay, " the zeal of the Lord of Hosts 
 shall bring it to pass." (Isa. ix. 7.) Propter nimiam chari- 
 tatetn, (Eph. ii. 4), saith the Apostle ; Sic Deus dilexit^ (John 
 iii. 16), saith He — He Himself; and we taught by Him to 
 say, '* Even so, Lord, for so it was Thy good pleasure thus 
 to do." (Luke x. 21.) 
 
 IIL AH this while we are about " taking the seed," — the 
 seed in general. But now, why " Abraham's seed ? " Since 
 it is Angels in the first part, why not men in the second but 
 seed ? Or, if " seed " to express our nature, why not " the 
 seed of the woman," but *' the seed of Abraham ? " It may 
 be thought, because he wrote to the Hebrews, he rather 
 
Sermon I. 13 
 
 used this teiiii of " Abraham's seed," because so they were, 
 and so loved to be styled, and he would please them. But 
 I find the ancient Fathers go farther, and out of it raise 
 matter both of comfort and direction, and that, for us too. 
 
 1. Of comfort, first, with reference to our Saviour, Who 
 taking on Him " Abraham's seed," must withal take on 
 Him the signature of Abraham's seed, and be, as he was, 
 circumcised. There is a great matter dependeth even on 
 that. For being circumcised, He "became a debtor to 
 keep the whole Law of God," (Gal. v. 3) ; which bond we 
 had broken, and forfeited, and incurred the curse annexed, 
 and were ready to be apprehended and committed for it. 
 That so, He keeping the Law might recover back the 
 chirographum contra 710s, " the handwriting that was against 
 us," (Col. ii. 14), and so set us free of the debt. This bond 
 did not relate to " the seed of the woman," it pertained 
 properly to "the seed of Abraham;" therefore that term 
 fitted us better. Without fail, two distinct benefits they 
 are: i. Facttis homo^ and 2. Fadus sub lege; and so doth 
 St. Paul recount them. " Made man," that is, " the seed 
 of the woman ; " and " made under the Law," that is, " the 
 seed of Abraham." (Gal. iv. 4.) To little purpose He 
 should have taken the one, if He had not also undertaken 
 the other, and as " the seed of Abraham " entered bond for 
 us, and taken our death upon Him. This first. 
 
 2. And besides this, there is yet another ; referring it to 
 the nation, or people, whom He took upon Him. It is sure 
 they were of all other people the most " untoward ; " both 
 of the " hardest hearts," and of the " stiffest necks," (Deut. 
 ix. 6) \ and as the heathen man noteth them, of the worst 
 natures. God Himself telleth them so ; it was no virtue of 
 theirs, or for any pure naturals in them, that He took them 
 to him, for they were that way the worst of the whole earth. 
 And so then the taking of "Abraham's seed" amounteth to 
 as much as that of St. Paul, no less true than " worthy of all 
 men to be received," that He "came into the world to 
 save sinners," (e Tim. i. 15), and that chief sinners, as it is 
 certain they were ; even " the seed of Abraham," of all the 
 seed of Adam. 
 
 2. But not for comfort only, but for direction too doth He 
 use Abraham's name here. Even to entail the benefit com- 
 ing by it to his seed, that is, to such as he was. For, " for 
 
1 4 Of the Nativity, 
 
 his sake were all nations blessed." (Gen. xxii. i8). And 
 Christ, though He took " the seed of the woman," yet doth 
 not benefit any but " the seed of Abraham," even those that 
 follow the steps of his faith. For by faith Abraham (Gen. 
 XV. 6) took hold of Him by Whom he was in mercy taken 
 hold of: Et tu mitte fideni et tenuisti, saith St Augustine. 
 That faith of his to him was " accounted for righteousness." 
 (Rom, iv. 3.) To him was, and to us shall be, saith the 
 Apostle, if we be in like sort ' apprehensive ' of Him. Either 
 as Abraham, or as the true " seed of Abraham " Jacob was, 
 that took such hold on Him as He said plainly, JVom dimit- 
 tam Te, nisi benedixeris mihi ; "without a blessing he would 
 not let Him go." (Gen. xxxii. 26.) Surely, not the Hebrews 
 alone ; nay, not the Hebrews at all, (Rom. ix. 7), for all their 
 carnal propagation. They only are " Abraham's seed," 
 that lay hold of the word of promise. And the Galatians so 
 doing, though they were mere heathen men as we be, yet 
 he telleth them they are " Abraham's seed," and shall be 
 blessed together with him. (Gal. iii. 9.) 
 
 But that is not all ; there goeth more to the making us 
 "Abraham's seed," as Christ Himself, the true Seed, 
 teach eth both them and us. Saith He, '' If ye be Abraham's 
 sons, then must you do the works of Abraham," (John viii. 
 39), which the Apostle well calleth "the steps" (Rom. iv. 
 12), or impressions of "Abraham's faith;" or we may call 
 them the fruits of this seed here. So reasoneth our Sav- 
 iour : Hoc non fecit Abraham ; " This did not he ; " if ye do 
 it, ye are not " his seed." ' This did he ; — do ye the like, 
 and his seed ye are.' So here is a double ' apprehension ; * 
 I. one of St. Paul, 2. the other of St. James (James ii. 22)^ 
 work for both hands to apprehend. Both i. chaiitas quce ex 
 fide ; and 2. fides quce per chaj'itatem operatur. (Gal. v. 6.) 
 By which we shall be able, saith St. Paul, " to lay hold of 
 eternal life," (i Tim. vi. 12); and so be " Abraham's seed " 
 here at the first, and come to " Abraham's bosom " there at 
 the last. So have we a brief of semen Abrahce. 
 
 Now what is to be commended to us out of this text for 
 us to lay hold of.? Verily first, to take us to our meditation, 
 the meditation which the Psalmist hath, and which the 
 Apostle in this chapter voucheth out of him at the sixth 
 verse. " When I consider," saith he, " the Heavens " (Ps. 
 viii. 3) — say we, the Angels of Heaven— and see those 
 
Sermon /. 15 
 
 glorious Spirits passed by, and man taken, even to sigh with 
 him, and say, " Lord, what is man," either Adam or Abra- 
 ham, " that Thou shouldest be thus mindful of him, or the 
 seed, or sons of either, that Thou shouldest make this do 
 about him ! " The case is here far otherwise — far more 
 worth our consideration. I'here, " Thou hast made him a 
 little lower ; " here, * Thou hast made him a great deal higher 
 than the Angels.' For they, this day first, and ever since, 
 daily have and do adore our nature in the personal unity 
 with the Deity. Look you, saith the Apostle, " when He 
 brought His only-begotten Son into the world, this He pro- 
 claimed before Him, Let all the Angels worship Him," 
 (Heb. i. 6) ; and so they did. And upon this very day's 
 " taking the seed " hath ensued, as the Fathers note, a great 
 alteration. Before, in the Old Testament, they suffered David 
 to sit upon his knees before them, (i Chron. xxi. 26); since, 
 in the New, they endure not St. John should fall down to 
 them, (Rev. xxii. 9), but acknowledge the case is altered now, 
 and no more superiority, but all fellow-servants. And even 
 in this one part two things present themselves unto us ; i. 
 His Jmmility, Qui 7ion est confusus, as in the eleventh verse 
 the Apostle speaketh, "Who was not confounded" thus to 
 take our nature. 2. And withal, the honour and happiness 
 of Abraham's seed, ut digni haberentur^ that were ' counted 
 worthy to be taken so near unto Him,' (Luke xx. 35.) 
 
 The next point ; that after we have well considered it we 
 be affected with it, and that no otherwise than Abraham was. 
 "Abraham saw it," even this day, and but afar off, " and he 
 rejoiced at it," (John viii. 56) ; and so shall we on it, if we 
 be his true seed. It brought forth a Benedidus and a Mag- 
 nificat^ from the true seed of Abraham; if it do not the 
 like from us, certainly it but floats in our brains — we but 
 warble about it ; but we believe it not, and therefore neither 
 do we rightly understand it. Sure I am, if the Angels had 
 such a feast to keep, if He had done the like for them, they 
 would hold it with all joy and jubilee. They rejoice of our 
 good, but if they had one of their own, they must needs do 
 it after another manner, far more effectually. If we do not 
 as they would do were the case theirs, it is because we are 
 short in conceiving the excellency of the benefit. It would 
 have surely due observation, if it had his due and serious 
 meditation. 
 
1 6 Of the Nativity. 
 
 Farther, we are to understand this, that " to whom much 
 is given, of them will much be required," (Luke xii. 48) ; 
 and as Gregory well saith, Ctim crescimt dona, crescunt et ra- 
 tiones donorum, * As the gifts grow, so grow the accounts 
 too j' therefore, that by this new dignity befallen us, Neces- 
 sitas qucedam nobis imposita est, saith St. Augustine, * there is 
 a certain necessity laid upon us' to become in some mea- 
 sure suitable unto it ; in that we are one — one flesh and one 
 blood — with the Son of God. Being thus "in honour," 
 we ought to understand our estate, and not fall into the 
 Psalmist's reproof that we " become Hke the beasts that 
 perish." (Ps. xlix, 12.) For if we do indeed think our 
 nature is ennobled by this so high a conjunction, we shall 
 henceforth hold ourselves more dear, and at a higher rate, 
 than to prostitute ourselves to sin, for every base, trifling, 
 and transitory pleasure. For tell me, men that are taken to 
 this degree, shall any of them prove a devil, as Christ said 
 of Judas? (John vi. 70); or ever, as these with us of late, 
 have to do with any devilish or Judasly fact ? Shall any 
 man, after this * assumption,' be as " horse or mule that have 
 no understanding," (Ps. xxxii. 9), and in a Christian profes- 
 sion live a brutish life ? Nay then, St. Paul tells us farther, 
 that if we henceforth "walk like men" (i Cor. iii. 3), like 
 but even carnal or natural men, it is a fault in us. Some- 
 what must appear in us more than in ordinary men, who are 
 vouchsafed so extraordinary a favour. Somewhat more 
 than common would come from us, if it were but for this 
 day's sake. 
 
 To conclude ; not only thus to frame meditations and re- 
 solutions, but even some practice too, out of this act of 
 'apprehension.' (Phil. iii. 12.) It is very agreeable to rea- 
 son, saith the Apostle, that we endeavour and make a prof- 
 fer, if we may by any means, to ' apprehend ' Him in His, 
 by Whom we are thus in our nature * apprehended,' or, as 
 He termed it, ' comprehended,' even Christ Jesus ; and be 
 united to Him this day, as He was to us this day, by a 
 mutual and reciprocal ' apprehension.' We may so, and we 
 are bound so ; vere dignum et justuin est. And we do so, 
 so oft as we do with St. James lay hold of, * apprehend,' or 
 receive insitimi verbum, the " word which is daily grafted 
 into us." (James i. 21.) For " the Word" He is, and in the 
 word He is received by us. But that is not the proper of 
 
Sermon I. 17 
 
 this day, unless there be another joined unto it. This day 
 Verbwn caro factum est, (John i. 14), and so must be ' appre- 
 hended' in both. But specially in His flesh as this day 
 giveth it, as this day would have us. Now " the bread 
 which we break, is it not the partaking of the body, of the 
 flesh, of Jesus Christ?" (i Cor. x. t6.) It is surely, and 
 by it and by nothing more are we made partakers of this 
 blessed union. A little before He said, " Because the chil- 
 dren were partakers of flesh and blood, He also would take 
 part with them," (Heb. ii. 14) — may not we say the same? 
 Because He hath so done, taken ours of us, we also ensuing 
 His steps will participate with Him and with His flesh which 
 He hath taken of us. It is most kindly to take part with 
 Him in that which He took part in with us, and that, to no 
 other end, but that He might make the receiving of it by us 
 a means whereby He might " dwell in us, and we in Him ;'' 
 He taking our flesh, and we receiving His Spirit ; by His 
 flesh which He took of us receiving His Spirit which He 
 imparteth to us ; that, as He by ours became consors hu- 
 majice naturce, so we by His might become consortes Diviftce 
 natures, " partakers of the Divine nature." (2 Pet. i. 4.) 
 Verily, it is the most straight and perfect ' taking hold' that 
 is. No union so knitteth as it. Not consanguinity j 
 brethren fall out. Not marriage ; man and wife are severed. 
 But that which is nourished, and the nourishment where- 
 with — they never are, never can be severed, but remain one 
 for ever. With this act then of mutual ' taking,' taking of 
 His flesh as He hath taken ours, let us seal our duty to 
 Him this day, for taking not " Angels," but " the seed of 
 Abraham." 
 
 Almighty God, grant, &c. 
 
1 8 Of the Nativity. 
 
 SERMON II. 
 
 A Sermon Preached before the King's Majesty, at 
 Whitehall, on Wednesday, the Twenty-fifth of 
 December, a.d. mdcvi. being Christmas-Day. 
 
 For unto us a Child is born, a?id unto us a Son is given; 
 and the government is upon His shoulder; and He shall 
 call His Name Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, 
 the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Esay ix. 6. 
 
 {Puf-vulus enim natus est nobis, et Films datus est nobis, et /actus est 
 pi'incipatus stiper humerum ejus : et vocabiturnomen ejus, Admira- 
 bilis, Consiliarius, Deus, fortis, Pater futiiri sceculi, Princeps 
 Pads. Latin Vulg. ] 
 
 THE words are out of Esay ; and, if we had not heard 
 him named, might well have been thought out of one 
 of the Evangelists, as more like a story than a prophecy. 
 " Is born," " is given," sound as if they had been written at, 
 or since the birth of Christ ; yet were they written more 
 than six hundred years before. 
 
 There is no one thing so great a stay to our faith, as that 
 we find the things we believe so plainly foretold so many 
 years before. "Is born," "is given?" nay — 'shall be;' 
 speak like a Prophet: nay — ''is;" loquens de futuro per 
 7nodum prceieriti, ' speaking of things to come as if they were 
 already past.' (Rom. iv. 17.) This cannot be but of God, 
 " Who calleth things that are not as if they were," and 
 challengeth any other to do the like. (Isa. xli. 23.) It is 
 true, miracles move much ; but yet even in Scripture we 
 read of "lying miracles," (2 Thess. ii. 9), and the possi- 
 bility of false dealing leaveth place of doubt, even in those 
 that be true. But for One, six hundred years before He is 
 born, to cause prophecies, plain direct prophecies to be 
 written of Him, that passeth all conceit; cannot be ima- 
 gined, how possibly it may be, but _by God alone. There- 
 fore Mahomet and all false prophets came — at least boasted 
 to come — in signs. But challenge them at this ; not a word, 
 no mention of them in the world, till they were born. True 
 therefore that St. John saith ; " The testimony," that is, the 
 great principal testimony, " of Jesus, is the spirit of pro- 
 phecy." (Rev. xix. 10.) It made St. Peter, when he had 
 recounted what he himself had heard in the Mount (yet as 
 
Sermo7t IT. 19 
 
 if there might be even in that, deceptio sensus), to add 
 Habemus etiafft ftnniorem sermonem prophetics (2 Pet. i. 19), 
 " We have a word of prophecy besides ; " and \hdX fir77iiorem^ 
 the "surer" of the twain. 
 
 This prophecy is of a certain Child. And if we ask of 
 this place, as the Eunuch did of another in this Prophet, 
 "Of whom speaketh the Prophet this?" (Acts viii. 34), we 
 must make the answer that there Philip doth, " of Christ ; " 
 and " the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of this prophecy." 
 The ancient Jews make the same. It is but a fond shift to 
 draw it, as the latter Jews do, to Ezekias ; it will not cleave. 
 It was spoken to Ahaz, Ezekias' father, now King ; and that 
 after the great overthrow he had by the kings of Syria and 
 Israel, in the fourth of his reign. But it is deduced by plain 
 supputation out of the eighteenth of the second of Kings, 
 Ezekias was nine years old before Ahaz his father came to 
 the crown. It was by that time too late to tell it for 
 tidings then that he was born, he then being thirteen years 
 of age. 
 
 Beside, how senseless is it to apply to Ezekias that in the 
 next verse ; that " of His government and peace there 
 should be none end," that " His throne should be estab- 
 lished from thenceforth for ever," (Isa. ix. 7) ; whereas his 
 peace and government both had an end within few years. 
 
 To us it is sufficient that the fore-part of the chapter is 
 by St. Matthew expressly applied to our Saviour, (Mat iv. 
 14); and that this verse doth inseparably depend on that, 
 and is alleged as the reason of it ; " For, unto us." Of Him, 
 therefore we take it, and to Him apply it that cannot be 
 taken of any, or applied to any other but Him. 
 
 But how came Esay to speak of Christ to Ahaz? Thus : 
 Ahaz was then in very great distress ; he had lost in one day 
 eighty thousand of his people, and two hundred thousand 
 of them more, carried away captives. And now the two 
 Kings were raising new power against him, the times grew 
 very much overcast. And this you shall observe. The 
 chiefest prophecies of Christ came ever in such times, that 
 St. Peter did well to resemble the word of prophecy to a 
 candle in loco caliginoso, "a dark room." (2 Pet. i. 19.) 
 Jacob's of Shiloh, in Egypt, a dark place, (Gen. xlix. 10); 
 Daniel's of Messias, in Babylon, a place as dark as Egypt, 
 (Dan. ix. 24, 25); this of Esay, when the ten tribes were on 
 
20 Of the Nativity. 
 
 the point of carrying away, under Hoshea. That of Jeremy, 
 " a woman shall enclose a man," (Jer. xxxi. 22), when Judah 
 in the same case, under Jechonias. Ever in dark times, 
 who therefore needed most the light of comfort. 
 
 But what is this to Ahaz' case ? He looked for another 
 message from him, how to escape his enemies. A cold 
 comfort might he think it to be preached to of Immanuel. 
 Indeed, he so thought it ; and therefore he gave over Esay, 
 and betook him to Shebna, who wished him to seek to the 
 King of Ashur for help, and let Immanuel go. Yet for all 
 that, even then to speak of Christ, being looked into, it is 
 neither impertinent, nor out of season. With all the Pro- 
 phets it is usual in the calamities of this people, to have re- 
 course still to the fundamental promise of the Messias. For 
 that, till He were come, they might be sure they could not 
 be rooted out ; but must be preserved, if it were but for 
 this Child's sake, till He were born. And yet, if they could 
 believe on Him, otherwise it is no match, (Isa. vii. 9) : Nisi 
 credideritis. Then — thus the Prophets argue — He will not 
 deny you this favour, for He will grant you a far greater 
 than this, even His own Son, and by Him a far greater 
 deliverance ; and if He can deliver you from the devour- 
 ing fire of hell, much more from them ; and if give you 
 peace with God, much more with them. So teaching those 
 that will learn, the only right way to compass their own 
 safety is by making sure work of " Immanuel, God with us." 
 To the true regard of Whom God hath annexed the " pro- 
 mises as well of this, as of the other life." (i Tim. iv. 8.) 
 All are as lines drawn from this centre, all in Him " yea 
 and Amen." (2 Cor. i. 20.) Which all serve to raise Ahaz 
 up, and his people, to receive this Child, and " to rejoice in 
 His day," as their " father Abraham " (John viii. 56) did. 
 
 Thus the occasion you have heard. The parts, ad 
 oculum, ' evidently,' are two ; I. a Child-birth, and II. a 
 Baptism. I. The Child-birth in these, " For unto you," &c. 
 II. The Baptism in these, " His Name," &c. 
 
 In the former ; I. First of the main points, the Natures, 
 Person, and Office; i. Natures in these, "Child" and 
 "Son." 2. Person in these, " His shoulders," ''His name." 
 3. Office in these, " His government." II. Then of the 
 deriving of an interest to us in these, — " to us," two times. 
 And that is of two sorts: i. By being "born;" a right 
 
Sermon II. 21 
 
 by His birth. 2. By being " given ; " a right by a deed of 
 gift. 
 
 In the latter, of His Baptism, is set down His^ style, con- 
 sisting of five pieces, containing five uses, for which He was 
 thus given \ each to be considered in his order. 
 
 I. It is ever our first care to begin with, and to settle the 
 main point of the mystery ; i. Nature, 2. Person, and 3. 
 Office ; and after, to look to our own benefit by them. To 
 begin with the natures, of God and Man, they be super hanc 
 petram, (Mat. xvi. 18); upon them heth the weight of all 
 the rest, they are the two shoulders whereon this government 
 doth rest. 
 
 We have two words, " Child," and "Son ;" neither waste. 
 But if no more in the second than in the first, the first had 
 been enough ; if the first enough, the second superfluous. 
 But in this Book nothing is superfluous. So then two 
 diverse things they import. 
 
 Weigh the words : " Child " is not said but in humanis, 
 ' among men.' " Son " may be in diimis, ' from Heaven ; ' 
 God spake it, " This is My Son," (Mat. xvii. 5) ; may, and 
 must be, here. 
 
 Weigh the other two ; i. " born," and 2. " given." That 
 which is born beginneth then first to have his being. That 
 which is given presupposeth a former being ; for be it must 
 that it may be given. 
 
 Again, when we say " born," of whom ? of the Virgm His 
 mother ; when we say " given," by whom ? by God His 
 Father. 
 
 Esay promised the sign we should have should be from 
 the "deep" here "beneath," and should be from the 
 "height above," (Isa. vii. 11); both "a child" from " be- 
 neath," and " a Son " from " above." To conclude ; it is 
 an exposition decreed by the Fathers assembled in thf 
 Council of Seville, who upon these grounds expound this 
 very place so ; the Child, to import His human ; the Son, 
 His divine nature. , . 
 
 All along His life you shall see these two. At His birth; 
 a cratch for the child, a star for the Son ; a company of 
 shepherds viewing the Child, a choir of Angels celebrating 
 the Son. In His life ; hungry Himself, to shew the nature 
 of the Child ; yet " feeding five thousand," to shew the 
 power of the Son. At His death ; dying on the cross, as 
 
22 Of the Nativity. 
 
 the " Son of Adam ; " at the same time disposing of 
 Paradise, as the " Son of God." 
 
 If you ask, why both these ? For that in vain had been 
 the one without the other. Somewhat there must be borne, 
 by this mention of shoulders ; meet it is every one should 
 bear his own burden. The nature that sinned bear his own 
 sin ; not Ziba make the fault, and Mephibosheth bear the 
 punishment. Our nature had sinned, that therefore ought 
 to suffer ; the reason, why a Child. But that which our 
 nature should, our nature could not bear ; not the weight 
 of God's wrath due to our sin : but the Son could j the 
 reason why a Son. The one ought but could not, the other 
 could but ought not. Therefore, either alone would not 
 serve; they must be joined, Child and Son. But that He 
 was a Child, He could not have suffered. But that He 
 was a Son, He had sunk in His suffering, and not gone 
 through with it. God had no shoulders; man had, but 
 too weak to sustain such a weight. Therefore, that He 
 might be liable He was a Child, that He might be 
 able He was the Son ; that He might be both, He was 
 both. 
 
 This, why God. But why this Person the Son? Be- 
 hold, " Adam would " have " become one of us," (Gen. iii. 
 22) — the fault; behold, one of Us will become Adam, is 
 the satisfaction. Which of Us would he have become? 
 Sicut Dii scientes, 'the Person of knowledge,' (Gen. iii. 5). 
 He therefore shall become Adam ; a Son shall be given. 
 Desire of knowledge, our attainder ; He in " Whom all the 
 treasures of knowledge," (Colos. ii. 3), our restoring. Flesh 
 would have been the Word, as wise as the Word — the cause 
 of our ruin ; meet then the " Word become flesh," (John i. 
 14), that so our ruin repaired. There is a touch given in 
 the name " Counsellor," to note out unto us which Person, 
 as well as the " Son." 
 
 One more ; if these joined, why is not the "Son " first, 
 and then the " Child ; " but the " Child " is first, and then 
 the " Son." The Son is far the worthier, and therefore to 
 have the place. And thus too it was in His other name 
 Immanuel. (Isa. vii. 14.) It is not Elt?nanu ; not Detis 
 nobiscum, but nohiscum Deus. We in His Name stand 
 before God. It is so in the Gospel ; the " Son of David " 
 first, the "Son of God" (Luke iii. 31-38) after. It is but 
 
Sermon II. 23 
 
 this still, zelus Domini exercituum fecit hoc, (Isa. ix. 7) ; but 
 to shew His zeal, how dear He holdeth us, that he pre- 
 ferreth and setteth us before Himself, and in His very name 
 giveth us the precedence. 
 
 The Person, briefly. The " Child," and the " Son ; " 
 these two make but one Person clearly; for both these 
 have but one name, " His Name shall be called," and both 
 these have but one pair of shoulders, " Upon His shoulders." 
 Therefore, though two natures, yet but one Person in both. 
 A meet person to make a Mediator of God and man, as 
 symbohzing with either, God and man. A meet person, if 
 there be division between them, as there was, and " great 
 thoughts of heart " for it, to make an union ; ex utrogiie 
 unuin, (Eph. ii. 14), seeing He was tmum ex utroque. Not 
 man only \ there lacked the shoulder of power. Not God 
 only ; there lacked the shoulder of justice ; but both to- 
 gether. And so have ye the two Supporters of all, i . Justice, 
 and 2. Power. A meet Person to cease hostility, as having 
 taken pledges of both Heaven and earth — the chief nature 
 in Heaven, and the chief on earth ; to set forward comm-erce 
 between heaven and earth by Jacob's ladder, " one end 
 touching earth, the other reaching to Heaven," (Gen. xxviii. 
 12); to incorporate either to other, Himself by His birth 
 being become the " Son of man," by our new birth giving 
 us a capacity to become the " sons of God." (John i. 12.) 
 
 His office ; " The kingdom on His shoulders." For 
 He saw when the child was born, it should so poorly be 
 born, as, lest we should conceive of Him too meanly. He 
 teils us He cometh cu7n priftcipafu, ' with a principality,' is 
 born a Prince ; and beautifieth Him with such names as 
 make amends for the manger. That He is not only Fuer^ 
 "a Child;" and Filius, "a Son;" but Princeps, "a 
 Prince." 
 
 Truth is, other offices we find besides. But this you 
 shall observe, that the Prophets speaking of Christ, in good 
 congruity ever apply themselves to the state of them they 
 speak to, and use that office and name which best agreeth 
 to the matter in hand. Here, that which was sought by 
 Ahaz, was protection ; that we know is for a King ; as a 
 King therefore he speaketh of Him. Elsewhere He is 
 brought forth by David as a Priest ; and again elsewhere by 
 Moses, as a Prophet. If it be matter of sin for which 
 
24 Of the Nativity. 
 
 sacrifice to be offered, He is ** a Priest for ever after the 
 order of Melchizedek." (Ps. ex. 4.) If the will of God, if 
 His great counsel to be revealed, " A Prophet will the Lord 
 raise, &c. hear Him." (Deut. xviii. i'^,) But here is matter 
 of delivery only in hand ; here therefore he represented 
 Him ciun pri7icipatu^ * with a principality.' 
 
 " A principality, not of this world." Herod need not 
 fear it, nor envy it. If it had, his officers, as they would 
 have seen Him better defended at His death, so would they 
 have seen Him better lodged at His birth, than in a stable 
 (Luke ii. 7) with beasts ; for if the inn were full, the stable 
 we may be sure was not empty. Of what world then ? of 
 that He is YdSh^x.futuri sceculi. Of that He is Father, and 
 He is a Prince of the government That guideth us thither. 
 
 Yet a Prince He is, and so He is styled ; " born " and 
 " given " to establish a " government," that none imagine 
 they shall live like libertines under Him, every man believe 
 and live as he list. It is Christ, not Belial, that is born 
 to-day. He bringeth a government with Him ; they that be 
 His must live in subjection under a government ; else 
 neither in Child nor Son, in Birth nor Gift, have they any 
 interest. 
 
 And this " government " is by name a principality, 
 wherein neither the popular confusion of many, nor the 
 factious ambition of a few, bear all the sway, but where One 
 is Sovereign. Such is the government of Heaven, such is 
 Christ's "government." 
 
 With a principality, or government, and that upon His 
 shoulders ; somewhat a strange situation. It is wisdom 
 that governs j that is in the head, and there is the crown 
 worn ; what have the shoulders to do with it ? Certainly 
 somewhat by this description. The shoulder as we. know 
 is the bearing member, and unless it be for heavy things, 
 we use it not. Ordinary things we carry in our hands, cr 
 lift at the arms' end ; it must be very heavy if we must put 
 shoulders and all to it. Belike, governments have their 
 weight — be heavy ; and so they be ; they need not only a 
 good head, but good shoulders, that sustain them. But 
 that not so much while they be in good tune and temper, 
 then they need no great carriage ; but when they grow un- 
 wieldly, be it weakness or waywardness of the governed, in 
 that case they need ; and in that case, there is no governor 
 
Sermon 11. 25 
 
 but, at one time or other, he bears his government upon 
 his shoulders. It is a moral they give of Aaron's apparel ; 
 he carved the twelve tribes in his breast-plate next his heart, 
 (Ex. xxviii. 29), to shew that in care he was to bear them ; 
 but he had them also engraven in two onyxstones, and those 
 set upon his very shoulders, (Ex. xxviii. 12, &c.), to shew, 
 he must otherwhile bear them in patience too. And it is 
 not Aaron's case alone; it was so with Moses too. He 
 bare his government as a 'nurse doth her child,' as he 
 saith, (Numb. xi. 12); that is, full tenderly. But when 
 they fell a murmuring, as they did often, he bare them upon 
 his shoulders, in great patience and long-suffering. Yea he 
 complained, No7i possum portare, " I am not able to bear 
 all this people," &c. (Numb. xi. 14.) 
 
 It were sure to be wished that they that are in place 
 might never be put to it. Bear their people only in their 
 arms by love, and in their breast by care. Yet if need be, 
 they must follow Christ's example and patience here, and 
 even that way bear them; not only bear with them, but 
 even bear them also. 
 
 Yet is not this Christ's bearing, though this He did too ; 
 there is yet a farther thing. He hath a patience paramount, 
 beyond all the rest. Two differences I find between Him 
 and others, i. The faults and errors of their government, 
 others do bear, and suffer— indeed suffer them ; but suffer 
 not for them. He did both ; endured them, and endured 
 for them heavy things ; a strange superhumeral, the print 
 whereof was to be seen on His shoulders. The Chaldee 
 Paraphrast translateth it thus, 'The Law was upon His 
 shoulders ;' and so it was too. A burden, saith St. Peter, 
 neither he, nor the Apostles, nor their " fathers, were able 
 to bear." (Actsxv. 10.) This He did, and bare it so evenly 
 as He brake, nay bruised not a commandment. But there 
 is another sense, when the Law is taken for the punishment 
 due by the Law. It is that which our Prophet meaneth 
 when he saith, Posiiit super humefvs, " He hath laid upon 
 his shoulders the iniquities of us all." (Isa. Hii. 6, &c.) 
 And not against His will ; " Come," saith He, " you that 
 are heavy laden, and I will refresh you," (Matt. xi. 28), by 
 loading Myself; take it from your necks, and lay it on 
 Mine own. Which His suffering, though it grew so heavy 
 as it wrung from Him plenty of tears, a strong cry, (Heb. v. 
 
26 Of the Nativity. 
 
 7), a sweat of blood, (Luke xxii. 44), — such was the weight 
 of it ; — yet would He not cast it off, but there held it still, 
 till it made Him " bow down His head and give up the 
 ghost." (John xix. 30.) If He had discharged it, it must 
 have light upon us ; it was the yoke of our burden, as in 
 the fourth verse He termeth it : if it had light upon us, it 
 had pressed us down to hell, so insupportable was it. 
 Rather than so. He held it still and bare it ; and did that 
 which never Prince did — died for His government. It was 
 not for nothing, we see, that of the Child born no part but 
 the shoulders is mentioned ; for that, we see, in this Child, 
 is a part of special employment. 
 
 2. The other point of difference between Him and other 
 governors. When we say, " On His shoulders," this we 
 say ; on no other shoulders but His. For others, by Moses' 
 example upon Jethro's advice and God's own allowance, 
 (Ex. xviii. 23), may, and do lay off and translate their 
 burden, if it be too heavy, upon others, and so ease it in 
 part. Not so He. It could not be so in His. He, and 
 He alone; He, and none but He: upon His own shoulders, 
 and none but His own, bare He all. He " trod the wine- 
 press," and bare the burden solus ^ "alone;" et vir de 
 gentibiLs^ " and of all the nations, there was not a man with 
 Him." (Isa. Ixiii. 3.) Upon His only shoulders did the 
 burden only rest. 
 
 3. Now from these two doth the Prophet argue to a 
 third, to the point here of principal intendment. That if, 
 for His government sake. He will bear so great things; 
 bear their weaknesses as the lost sheep (Matt, xviii. 13, 14), 
 bear their sins as the scapegoat, (Lev. xvi. 8, 9) ; He will 
 over the government itself, as in Deut. xxxii. (11). He 
 maketh the simile, stretch forth His wings, "as the eagle 
 over her young ones," and take them, and bear them between 
 His pinions — bear them, and bear them through. They 
 need take no thought ; " No man shall take them out of 
 His hands," (John x. 28), no man reach them off His 
 shoulders. He had begun so to carry them, and through 
 He would still carry them ; at least-wise, till this Child Im- 
 manuel were born. Till then He would ; and not wax 
 weary, nor cast them off. And, like the scape-goat, bear 
 their sins ; and like the eagle, bear up their estate, " till the 
 fulness of time came," (Gal. iv. 4), and He in it, with the 
 
Sermon 11. 27 
 
 fulness of all grace and blessing. And this point I hold so 
 material as Fue?- 11a tus, nothing, and Films datus, as much, 
 without Frinceps oiicratus ; for that is all in all, and of the 
 three the chief. 
 
 II. And now, what is this to us ? Yes — " to us " it is ; 
 and that, twice over, for failing. We come now to look 
 another while into our interest to it, and our benefit by it. 
 Nobis is acquisitive positus ; we get bv it — we are gainers by- 
 all this. 
 
 ^ " To us ; " not to Himself For a far more noble Nati- 
 vity had He before all worlds, and needed no more birth. — 
 Not to be born at all ; specially, not thus basely to be born. 
 Not to Him therefore, but to us and our behoof 
 
 " To us," as in bar of Himself, so likewise of His Angels. 
 Nusquavi Angelas, not to the Angels (Heb. ii. 16) was He 
 "born," or "given;" but "to us" He Avas both. Not an 
 Angel in Heaven can say nobis. Vobis they can, the Angels 
 said it twice. (Luke ii. 11.) Nobis naUis ox: datiis ^X^^y (z?a\- 
 not, but we can, both. 
 
 Nobis exclusive, and nobis inclusive. Esay speaks not of 
 himself only, but taketh in Ahaz. Both are in nobis ; Esay, 
 an holy Prophet, and Ahaz, a worse than whom you shall 
 hardly read of Esay includeth himself as having need 
 though a saint, and excludeth not Ahaz from having part 
 though a sinner. Not only Simeon the just (Luke ii. 25), 
 but Paul the sinner (i Tim. i. 15), of the quorum, and the 
 first of the quorum. 
 
 Inclusive, not only of Esay, and his countrymen the Jews, 
 it is of a larger extent. The Angel so interpreteth it this 
 day to the shepherds, Gaudiuin quod erit omni populo, " Joy 
 that shall be to all people." (Luke ii. 10.) Not the people 
 of the Jews, or the people of the Gentiles, but simply " to 
 all people." His name is Jesus Christ, half Hebrew, halt 
 Greek ; Jesus, Hebrew ; Christ, Greek ; so sorted of pur- 
 pose to shew jews and Greeks have equal interest in Him. 
 And now, so is His Father's name too, " Abba, Father," 
 (Mark xiv. 36 and Rom. viii. 15); to shew the benefit 
 equally intended by Him to them that call Him Abba, 
 that is, the Jews ; to us that call Him Father, that is, the 
 Gentiles. 
 
 But yet, it is inclusive of none but those that include 
 themselves— "that believe," (Rom. iii. 22), and therefore 
 
28 Of the Nativity. 
 
 say, nobis^ ' to us He is born, to us He is given.* Which 
 excludes all those that include not themselves. St. Ambrose 
 saith well, J^aa't multoruvi i?ifidelitas ut non omnibus nasce- 
 retur qui ovmibus natiis est ; ' Want of faith makes that He, 
 That is born to all, is not born to all though.' The Turks 
 and Jews can say, Puer natus est ; the devil can say, Filius 
 natus est, too ; but neither say nobis, but Quid nobis et Tibi ? 
 They have not to do with Him ; and for lack of it, of this, 
 neither Child nor Son, Birth nor Gift, doth avail them : we 
 must make much of this word and hold it fast, for thereby 
 our tenure and interest groweth. Which interest groweth 
 by a double right, and therefore is nobis twice repeated. 
 I. The one, of His birth, natus ; 2. the other, by a deed of 
 gift, datus. Of which the one. His birth, referreth to Him- 
 self; the other, the gift, to His Father; to shew the joint 
 consent and concurrence in both, for our good. *■■ So 
 Christ loved us, that He was given," (Eph. v. 2) ; "so God 
 loved us, that He gave His Son." (John iii. 16.) 
 
 By His very birth there groweth to us an interest in Him, 
 thereby partaker of our nature, our flesh, and our blood. 
 That which is de nobis, He took of us, is ours ; flesh and 
 blood is our own, and to that is our own we have good 
 right. 
 
 His humanity is clearly ours ; good right to that. But no 
 right to His Deity. Therefore His Father, Who had best 
 right to dispose of Him, hath passed over that by a deed of 
 gift. (John iii. 16.) So that, what by participation of our 
 nature, (Gal. iv. 4), what by good conveyance, both are ours. 
 Whether a Child, He is ours ; or whether a Son, He is ours. 
 We gave Him the one ; His Father gave us the other. So 
 both ours ; and He ours, so far as both these can make 
 Him. Thus, " God, willing more abundantly to shew to 
 the heirs of promise the stableness of His counsel," (Heb. 
 vi. 17), took both courses ; that, by two strong titles, which 
 it is impossible should be defeated, we might have strong 
 consolation, and ride as it were at a double anchor. 
 
 I want time to tell of the benefit which the Prophet 
 calleth the "harvest" or "booty" (Isa. ix. 3) of His Na- 
 tivity. That it is in a word : if the tree be ours, the fruit 
 is ; if He be ours. His birth is ours. His life is ours, His 
 death is ours ; His satisfaction, His merit, all He did, all 
 He suffered, is ours. Farther, all that the Father hath is 
 
Serino7i IT. 
 
 29 
 
 His, He is Heir of all, (Heb. i. 2, John iii. 35, Matt, xxviii. 
 18); then, all that is ours too. (i Cor. iii. 22, and Rom. viii. 
 32.) St Paul hath cast up our account. Having given Him, 
 there is nothing but He will give us with Him ; so that by 
 this deed we have title to all that His Father or He is 
 worth. 
 
 And now, shall we bring forth nothing for Him That was 
 thus born? No Quid retribuam, (Ps. cxvi. 12) — no giving 
 back— for Him That gave Him us ? Yes— "thanks to the 
 Father for His great bounty in giving." (2 Cor. ix. 15, and 
 Col. i. 12.) Sure, so good a giving, so perfect a gift, there 
 never came down "from the Father of lights." (Jas. i. 17.) 
 And to the Son, for being willing so to be born, and so to 
 be burdened as He was. For Him to condescend to be 
 born, as children are born, to become a child— great 
 humility; great, ut Verhun infaiis, ut to?ians vagiens, ut 
 immetisus pat-vulus ; ' that the Word be not able to speak a 
 word, He that thundereth in Heaven cry in a cradle. He 
 that so great and so high should become so little as a child,' 
 and so low as a manger. Not to " abhor the Virgin'? 
 womb," not to abhor the beasts' manger, not to disdain to 
 be fed with " butter and honey ; " all, great humility. All 
 great, and very great ; but that is greater is behind. I'uer 
 natus, much j Princeps ojteratus, much more ; that which he 
 bare for us, more than that He was born for us : for greater 
 is mors cruets (Phil. ii. 8) than naiivitas prcesepis ; worse to 
 drink vinegar and gall, than to eat butter and honey ; worse 
 to endure an infamous death, than to be content with an 
 inglorious birth. 
 
 Let us therefore sing to the Father with Zachary, Bene- 
 dictus, (Luke i. 68) -, and to the Son, with the blessed Virgin, 
 Mag7iificat, (Luke i. 46) ; and, with the Angels, Gloria in 
 excelsis, (Luke ii. 14), to the Prince with His "government 
 on His shoulders." 
 
 Nothing but thanks ? Yes, by way of duty too, to render 
 unto the Child, confidence ; Fuer est, nemetuas: to the Son, 
 reverence ; Filius est, ne spernas : to the Prince, obedience ; 
 Princeps est, ne offendas. And again, to natus ; Is He bom? 
 then cherish Him. I speak of His spiritual birth wherein 
 we, by hearing and doing His Word, are, as Himself saith, 
 His mothers. (Matt. xii. 49, 50.) To datus ; Is He given? 
 
30 Of the Nativity. 
 
 then keep Him. To oneratus ; Is He burdened? favour 
 Him, lay no more on than needs you must. 
 
 This is good moral counsel. But St Bernard gives us 
 politic advice ; to look to our interest, to think of making 
 our best benefit by Him. De nobis nato et dato faciamus id 
 ad quod 7iatus est et datus ; utamiir nosiro in utilitalem nos- 
 tra?n, de Servatore nostro salutem operemur ; ' with this bom 
 and given Child, let us then do that for which He was born 
 and given us ; seeing He is ours, let us use that that is ours 
 to our best behoof, and even v/ork out our salvation out of 
 this our Saviour.' His counsel is to make our use of Him ; 
 but that is not to do with Him what we list, but to employ 
 Him to those ends for which He was bestowed. Those are 
 four : 
 
 1. He is given us, saith St Peter, s/'s u-roy^a/x/^o!/, " for an 
 example " (i Peter ii. 21) to follow. In all ; but — that which 
 is proper to this day — to do it in humility. It is that 
 which the Angel set up for a sign and sample, upon this 
 very day. It is the virtue appropriate to His birth. As 
 faith to His conception, beata qiice credidit ; so humility to 
 His birth, et Hoc erit sigjium. Fieri voliiit in vita priniuin, 
 quod exhibiiit in ortu vitcB^ (it is Cyprian ; ) that ' He would 
 have us first to express in our life, that He first shewed us 
 in the very entry of His life.' And to commend us this 
 virtue the more, Placuit Deo niajora pro nobis operari, ' It 
 hath pleased Him to do greater things for us in this estate ' 
 than ever He did in the high degree of His Majesty ; as we 
 know the work of redemption passeth that of creation by 
 much. 
 
 2. He is given us in pretium, 'for a price.' A price 
 either of ransom, to bring us out de loco caliginoso, (2 Peter 
 i. 19); or a price of purchase of that, where without it we 
 have no interest — the Kingdom of Heaven. For both He 
 is given ; offer we Him for both. We speak of quid retri- 
 huam ? we can never retribute the like thing. He was given 
 us to that end w^e might give Him back. We wanted, we 
 had nothing valuable; that we might have, this He gave 
 us as a thing of greatest price to offer for that which 
 needeth a great price — our sins, so many in number, and 
 so foul in quality. We had nothing worthy Godj this 
 He gave us that is worthy Him, which cannot be but 
 accepted, offer we it never so often. Let us then offer Him 
 
Sermon IT. 31 
 
 and in the act of offering ask of Him, (Matt. vii. 7, 8), what is 
 meet ; for we shall find Him no less bounteous than Herod 
 (Mat. xiv. 6, 7 ), to grant what is duly asked upon His birth-day. 
 
 3. He is given us, as Himself saith, as " the living Bread 
 from Heaven," (John vi. 51), which bread is His ''flesh" 
 born this day, and after "given for the life of the world." 
 For look how we do give back that He gave us, even so 
 doth He give back to us that which we gave Him, that which 
 He had of us. This He gave for us in Sacrifice, and this 
 He giveth us in the Sacrament, that the Sacrifice may by 
 the Sacrament be truly applied to us. And let me com- 
 mend this to you ; He never bade, accipite, plainly " take," 
 (Mat. xxvi. 26, I Cor. xi. 24), but in this only; and 
 that, because the effect of this day's union is no ways more 
 lively^ represented, no way more effectually wrought, than 
 by this use. 
 
 4. And lastly, Heis given us in prceviiiun ; not now to be 
 seen, only in hope, but hereafter by His blessed fruition to 
 be our final reward, when ' where He is we shall be,' and 
 what He is we shall be ; in the same place, and in the same 
 state of glory, joy, and bliss, to endure for evermore. 
 
 At His first coming, you see what He had " on His 
 shoulders." At His second He shall not come empty, 
 Ecce ve?iw, &'c. " Lo, I come, and My reward with Me," 
 (Rev. xxii. 12); that is, a "kingdom on His shoulders." 
 And it is no light matter ; but, as St. Paul calleth it, aluv/ov 
 ^dpog, "an everlasting weight of glory." (2 Cor. iv. 17.) 
 Glory, not like ours here feather-glory, but true ; that hath 
 weight and substance in it, and that not transitory and soon 
 gone, but everlasting, to continue to all eternity, never to 
 have end This is our state in expectancy. St. Augustine 
 put all four together, so will I, and conclude; Sequamur i. 
 exemphnii ; offeramus 2. pretiiim ; suniamiis 3. viaticufn ; 
 expedeiims 4. prcemium ; * let us follow Him for our pattern, 
 offer Him for our price, receive Him for our sacramental 
 food, and wait for Him as our endless and exceeding great 
 reward/ &c. 
 
32 Of the Nativity. 
 
 SERMON III. 
 
 A Sermon Preached before the King's Majesty, at 
 Whitehall, on Thursday, the Twenty-fifth of 
 December, a.d., mdcvil, being Christmas-day. 
 
 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness, 
 which is, God is manifested in the flesh, Justified in the 
 Spirit, seen of Angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed 
 on in the worlds and received up in glory, i Tim. iii. i6. 
 
 \Et manifest e magnum est pietatis sacramentwn, qtiod manifestatum est 
 in came, justification est in Spirit u, apparuit Angelis, pocedicatutn 
 est Gentibus, C7'editum est in micndo, assumptum est in gloria. 
 Latin Vulg.] 
 
 " 'T'^HE mystery " here mentioned is the mystery of this 
 J- feast, and this feast the feast of this mystery ; for as 
 at this feast " God was manifested in the flesh." In that it 
 is a great mystery, it maketh the feast great. In that it is a 
 mystery of godhness, it should make it Ukewise a feast of 
 godhness ; great we grant, and godly too we trust. Would 
 God, as godly as great, and no more " controversy " of one 
 than of the other ! 
 
 The manifestation of God in the flesh the Evengelists set 
 down by way of an history ; the Apostle goeth farther, and 
 findeth a deep mystery in it, and for a mystery commends 
 it unto us. Now there is difference between these two, 
 many — this for one ; that a man may hear a story, and 
 never wash his hands, but a mystery requireth both the 
 hands and heart to be clean that shall deal with it. 
 
 Speaking of it then as a mystery, the Apostle doth here 
 propound two things; I. First, that it is one; "without 
 controversy," &c. II. Then, what it is ; " God manifested," 
 &c. III. And out of these a third will grow necessarily, 
 because mysteries will admit a fellowship, how to order the 
 matter that we may have our '' fellowship in this mystery." 
 (Eph. iii. 9.) 
 
 In the first part, four things he afifirmeth ; i. that it is a 
 '' mystery ; " 2. a " mystery of godhness ; " 3. that it is a 
 '' great " one ; 4. a " great one without controversy." 
 
 Then doth he, as it were, rend the veil in sunder, and 
 
Sermon III, 33 
 
 shew us what it is ; i. " God manifested;" 2. "manifested 
 in the flesh." 
 
 Which mystery, how it may concern us, will be our third 
 and last consideration. And that two ways: i. by the 
 operation of it in us ; 2. by the initiation of us into it. 
 
 A mystery it is, presented to us in that term by the 
 Apostle to stir up our attention. Omnes homines natura 
 scire^ desiderant, ' all men even by nature love to be know- 
 ing.' The philosopher hath made it his ground, and set it 
 in the front of his metaphysics. So saith philosophy. 
 
 And even to this day, saith divinity, doth the " tree of 
 knowledge" (Gen. iii. 6) still work in the sons of Eve; we 
 still reckon the attaining of knowledge a thing to be desired, 
 and be it good or evil, we love to be knowing, all the sort 
 of us. Knowing ; but what ? Not such things as every 
 one knoweth that goeth by the way, vulgar and trivial; 
 tush, those are nothing. But metaphysics that are the 
 arcana of philosophy; mysteries that are the secrets of 
 divinity; such as few besides are admitted to ; those be the 
 things we desire to know. We see it in the Bethshemites, 
 they longed to be prying into the Ark of God, (i Sam. vi. 19); 
 they were heathen. We see it in the people of God too, 
 they pressed too near the Mount, (Ex. xix. 12); rails were 
 fain to be set to keep them back. It is because it is held 
 a point of a deep wit to search out secrets, as in Joseph. 
 (Gen. xli. 45.) At least of special favour to be received so 
 far, as Vodis datum est nosse mysteria. (Luke viii. 10.) All 
 desire to be in credit. The mention of mysteries will make 
 us stand attentive ; why then, if our nature Hke so well of 
 mysteries, Ecce ostetido voMs mysterium^ " Behold I shew you 
 a mystery," (i Cor. xv. 51), saith the Apostle. 
 
 A *^' mystery of godhness." The world hath her mys- 
 teries in all arts and trades, (yea, mechanical, pertaining to 
 this life ;) which are imparted to none but such as are //// 
 scientice, ' apprentices to them.' These have their mysteries ; 
 have them, nay are nothing but mysteries. So they delight 
 to style themselves by the name of such and such a mys- 
 tery. Now Fietas est qucesius, and ad omnia tttilis, a " trade 
 of good return" (i Tim. vi. 6), to be in request with us; 
 whether we look " to this life present," saith he, " or to that 
 to come." (i Tim. iv. 8.) Therefore to be allowed her 
 mysteries ; at least as all other trades are. The rather, for 
 
 B 
 
34 Of the Nativity, 
 
 that there is inysteriwn iniquitatis. (2 Thes. ii. 7.) And it 
 were somewhat hard that there should not be mysteriwn 
 pietatis, to encounter and to match it ; that " Babylon " 
 should be allowed the name of a " mystery," (Rev. xvii. 5), 
 and Sion not. It were an evident non sequitiir, that there 
 should be profomda SataricB, " deep things of Satan," (Rev. 
 ii. 24) ; and there should not be " deep and profound things 
 of God and godliness, for the Spirit to search out." (i Cor. 
 ii. 10.) But such there be — mysteries of godliness. And 
 we will, I trust, stand affected as in all other trades, so in 
 this, to be acquainted with these; and^, as the Apostle 
 speak eth, to pierce ad interiora velaminis, " to that which is 
 within the veil," (Heb. vi. 19), to the very "mystery of 
 godliness." 
 
 3. It is not only a " mystery of godliness," but a "great" 
 one. The Apostle, where he saith, " If I knew all mys- 
 teries," (i Cor. xiii. 2), giveth us to understand, there be 
 more than one ; there is a plurality of them. And here in 
 this place telleth us, they be not all of one scantling ; there 
 is magis and minus in them ; some little, some great, i. 
 Some great, if you will, according to all the dimensions, 
 length and breadth, (Eph. iii. 18), &c. 2. Or great, virtute, 
 non mole, 'of greater value, more precious than other.' 
 (2 Pet. i. 4.) 3. Or great, a third way, that is, gravida 
 mysteriis, ' one mystery, but hath many mysteries with it.' 
 That such there are, and that this here is one of them, 
 "great." Now that which leadeth us to make account of 
 mysteries, will likewise lead us to make great account of 
 great mysteries, such as this is. 
 
 Yet have we not all — one point further. It is a " great " 
 one — a "great one without controversy." For even of those 
 mysteries that are great, all are not great alike. Many 
 great there are, yet is not the greatness of all generally 
 acknowledged in confesso. Doubts are made, questions 
 arise about them ; all are not iiiajiifeste magna. We see in 
 our days how men languish about some points, which they 
 would have thought to be great; and great controversies 
 there be, and great books of controversies about them. 
 Well, howsoever it is with other, it is not so with this. 
 This is hiMoXoyo-jijAvcfjg, taken pro confesso, "great;" "great 
 without controversy ; " the manifesting of God in the flesh 
 is a mystery manifestly great. Being then one of the mys- 
 
Sermon III. 3^ 
 
 teries of religion, a great one among them; so great, as though 
 questions grow about the greatness of others, none may 
 about this ; I hope there will be no more question, or con- 
 troversy of our account, and our great account of it, than 
 there is of the mystery itself, and the greatness of it. 
 
 But before we go any further to remove the veil, and shew 
 what It is, let us pause here awhile, till we have rendered 
 thanks to God, and said with Nazianzen, Xdpig rj fj^axapiuj 
 esOj, &c. Now yet, blessed be God That, among divers 
 other mysteries about which there are so many mists and 
 clouds of controversies raised in all ages, and even in this 
 of ours, hath yet left us some clear and without controversy ; 
 manifest and yet great ; and again, great and yet manifest.' 
 So great as no exception to be taken ; so manifest, as no 
 question to be made about them. 
 
 Withal, to reform our judgments in this point. For a false 
 conceit is crept into the minds of men, to think the points of 
 religion that be manifest to be certain petty points, scarce 
 worth the hearing. Those— yea those be great, and none but 
 those, that have great disputes about them. It is not so; Ta 
 lAv (ivay7.ara, &c. Those that are necessary He hath made 
 plain; those that [are] not plain not necessary. What 
 better proof than this here ? This here a mystery, a great 
 one— religion hath no greater— yet manifest, and t?t confesso, 
 with all Christians. Zachary's prophecy and promise touch- 
 mg Christ, wherewith he concludeth his Benedictiis, (we 
 hear it every day,) shall not deceive us for this mystery ; 
 He came " to guide our feet into the way of peace." (Luke 
 i. 79.) A way of peace then there shall be whereof all 
 parts shall agree, even in the midst of a world of con- 
 troversies. That there need not such ado in complaining, 
 if men did not delight rather to be treading mazes than to 
 walk in the ways of peace. For even still such a way there 
 is, which lieth fair enough, and would lead us sure enough to 
 salvation ; if leaving those other rough labyrinths, we would 
 but be " shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace." 
 (Eph. vi. 15.) 
 
 Yea further the Apostle doth assure us, that if whereunto 
 we are come and wherein we all agree, we would constantly 
 proceed by the rule, those things wherein we are '' other- 
 wise minded," (Phil. iii. 15), even them would God reveal 
 unto us. That is. He maketh no controversy but con- 
 
 B 2 
 
36 Of the Nativity. 
 
 troversies would cease, if conscience were made of the 
 practice of that which is out of controversy. And I would to 
 God it were so ; and that this here, and such other 7na7iifeste 
 magna were in account. With the Apostle himself it was 
 so. He sheweth plainly what reckoning he made of this 
 plain mystery ; in that having been " ravished in spirit up 
 to the third heavens, and there heard wonderful high 
 mysteries, past man's utterance," (2 Cor. xii. 2); yet reckoned 
 he all those nothing, in comparison of this plain mystery 
 here, nay " esteemed himself not to know any thing at all," 
 (i Cor. ii. 2), but this. 
 
 And as he esteemed it himself, so would he have us. It 
 is his express charge we see in the verse next before, where 
 he tells his Bishop Timothy how he would have him, his 
 Priests, and Deacons, occupy themselves in his absence. 
 This he commends to them ; wills them to be doing with 
 this mystery. That you may know what to do, saith he, 
 what ? do but deal with this point \ thoroughly deal with it. 
 Howsoever it is manifest, it is great ; great regard to be had 
 to it, great pains to be bestowed about it. And even so 
 then let us do, and see now another while this mystery what 
 it is. 
 
 II. "God is manifested in the flesh." Being one of the 
 mysteries of godliness, it cannot be but God must be a part, 
 and a chief part of it. And God's being a part maketh it 
 great. For great must that needs be whereof He is a part, 
 of ' Whose greatness there is no end.' And mark first, that 
 it is not aliquid Dei, but Deus ; not any thing divine, or of 
 God, but God Himself. Divers things, divers "invisible 
 things of God" (Rom. i. 20) had been formerly made mani- 
 fest • His etP»Tii power. v'i^Jom, providence, in and since 
 the creation. They be no mysteries, but this is ; that not 
 the things of God, but God's own self; not the a-rau- 
 ydafjjara, * the beams of His brightness,' (Heb. i. 3), but the 
 very character of His Substance, the very Nature and Person 
 of God. This is a great mystery. 
 
 Of God the Prophet Esay saith, Vere Deus absconditus es 
 tu, (Isa. xlv. 15) ; God is of Himself a mystery, and hidden; 
 and, that which is strange, hidden with light, (i Tim. vi. 16), 
 which will make any eyes past looking on Him. But a 
 hidden God our nature did not endure. Will you hear 
 them speak it plainly? Fac nobis deos^ " make us visible 
 
Sermon III. 37 
 
 gods who may go before us" (Ex. xxxii. i), and we see 
 them. Mystical, invisible gods we cannot skill of. This 
 we would have ; God to be manifested. Why then, " God 
 is manifested." 
 
 " Manifested " wherein ? Sure, if God will condescend 
 to be manifested, there is none but will think it is meet to 
 be, and it would be, in the most glorious creature that is 
 under or above the sun; none, good enough. Yea, in 
 what thing soever, be it never so excellent, for God to 
 manifest Himself in, is a disparagement too. What say 
 you to flesh? is it meet God be manifested therein? 
 " Without controversy " it is not. Why, what is flesh ? It 
 is no mystery to tell what it is; it is "dust," (Gen. xviii. 
 27), saith the Patriarch Abraham. It is "grass," (Isa. xl. 
 6), saith the Prophet Esay ; fcBJium, " grass cut down, and 
 withering." It is "corruption," (i Cor. xv. 54), not cor- 
 ruptible, but even corruption itself, saith the Apostle Paul. 
 There being then, as Abraham said to him, •/^doij.a f/^sya, 
 ' so great a gulf, so huge a space, so infinite a distance ' 
 (Luke xvi. 26) between those two, between God and dust, 
 God and hay, God and corruption, as no coming of one at 
 the other; si/eat ovinis caro, "talk not of flesh." (Zech. ii. 
 13.) Were it not a proud desire and full of presumption, 
 to wish things so remote to come together ? to wish that 
 the Deity in the flesh may be made manifest ? Yet we see 
 wished it was, by one in a place in reasonable express terms; 
 " O that thou wert as my brother, that sucked the breasts 
 of my mother!" (Cant. viii. i.) That is, O that He might 
 be "manifested in the flesh !" O that He might be ! and 
 so He was. Not only manifest at all ; that is great : but 
 manifest in the flesh ; that is greater. For if gold mixed 
 though it be with silver is abased by it, what if it be mixed 
 with the rust of iron or dross of lead ? This must needs be 
 great in itself, but greater with us ; with us especially that 
 make such ado at any though never so little disparagement ; 
 and that if any, though not much our inferior, be ranked 
 with us, take ourselves mightily wronged. We cannot 
 choose but hold this mystery for great, and say with St 
 Augustine, Deus ; quid gloriosius? Caro; quid vilius? 
 Dens in came; quid mirahilius? 'God; what more 
 glorious? flesh ; what more base? Then, God in the flesh; 
 what more marvellous?* 
 
38 Of the Nativity, 
 
 But I ask further, "manifested in the flesh?" what flesh? 
 or how manifested? In what flesh? What! in the pride 
 and beauty of our nature ? No ; but in the most disgrace- 
 ful estate of it that might be. And how manifested ? Ad 
 gloriam, ' for His credit or glory ? ' No ; but ad ignominiamy 
 ' to His great contempt and shame.' So to have been 
 manifested as in the holy mount, " Hi§ face as the sun," 
 His garments as "lightning," (Matt. xvii. 2); between Moses 
 and Elias, in all glory and glorious manner — this had not 
 been so great an impeachment. Was that the manner? 
 No ; but how ? In clouts, in a stable, in a manger. The 
 God Whom " the heavens and the heaven of heavens cannot 
 contain," in a little child's flesh not a span long ; and that 
 flesh of a child not very well conditioned, as you may read 
 in the sixteenth of Ezekiel. (Ezek. xvi. 4, 5, &c.) 
 
 So to-day, but after much worse. To-day, in the flesh of 
 a poor babe crying in the cratch, in medio aniinaUiinij after, 
 in the rent and torn flesh of a condemned person hanging 
 on the Cross, in medio latronum, in the midst of other 
 manner persons than Moses and Elias ; that men even hid 
 their faces at Him, not for the brightness of His glory, but 
 for sorrow and shame. Call you this manifesting? Nay, 
 well doth the Apostle call it the "veil of His flesh," (Heb. 
 X. 20), as whereby He was rather obscured than any way 
 set forth; yea eclipsed in all the darkest points of it. 
 Verily the condition of the flesh was more than the flesh 
 itself, and the manner of the manifestation far more than 
 the manifestation itself was. Both still make the mystery 
 greater and greater. 
 
 And now to weigh the word "manifested" another 
 while ; because that may seem to be teri7iinus diminuens, 
 ' a qualified term,' rather abating than any way tending to 
 make great the mystery ; in that a thing may be manifested 
 and not be that for which it is manifested, be manifested 
 for one thing and be another. Would to God we had not 
 too plain examples of these even in that we are about, in 
 godliness itself; that there were not that manifested them- 
 selves sv fj.op(p(jj(jsi, " in the vizor or mask of godhness," (2 
 Tim. iii. 5), but be nothing less. Well this, how or where- 
 soever it may be with men, with God it is not ; He is not 
 like to us ; and howsoever, not here in this. For first, it is 
 not in the shadow, show, or shape of flesh, but in very flesh 
 
Sermon HI. 39 
 
 itself. Then it is not, saith the Greek Scholiast, <pavhig, 
 but (pavipuhig: (pavhig, which importeth but 'an apparition, 
 transitory, for a season, and then vanisheth again;' but 
 (pavspojdeig, 'a manifestation;' such as is, say they, per- 
 manent, which passeth not, but lasteth for ever. And to 
 put all out of question that here is nihil personatum^ but 
 even persona^ He that here is said to be " God manifested 
 in the flesh," is in another place said to be Verbum caro 
 factum^ "the Word made flesh." (John i. 14.) So mani- 
 fested that made ; so taking our nature, as His and it are 
 grown into one person, never to be severed or taken in 
 sunder any more. And in sign thereof that flesh wherein 
 He is manifested in the beginning of the verse, in the end 
 of the verse in the very same flesh He is " received up into 
 glory," and in the same shall appear again at His second 
 manifestation. 
 
 And yet to go further ; I say that this word " manifested " 
 is so far from being terminus dimiiiuens, that it doth greatly 
 ampliate and enlarge the mystery yet still. To be and to 
 be manifested, esse and videri, did de and esse in, are two 
 things. And as in some cases it is more to be than to be 
 manifested, so in some other it is more to be manifested 
 than to be ; and namely in this here. More for God to be 
 manifested, than to be in the flesh. It is well known, when 
 a great high person doth fall into low estate, he careth not 
 so much for being so, as for appearing such ; manifest him 
 not, and you do him a pleasure. More it is for him to be 
 made known, than to be that he is. O it is naturally given 
 us to hide our abasing what we can. Our misery must be 
 kept in a mystery, and that mystery not manifested in any 
 wise. " Blow a trumpet in Sion," (Joel ii. i), if any good 
 come to us ; but whist, " let it not be heard in Gath, nor in 
 Ascalon," (2 Sam. i. 20), if any evil fall upon us. Not so 
 much as Naomi, we see, but when she was fallen into 
 poverty, she could not endure to be called by that name 
 (Ruth i. 20) ; no, her name was Mara, as if she had 
 been some other party; so loath was she to have her 
 misery made manifest. Humility intrinsical is not so much ; 
 it is the manifesting our humility that poseth us. That 
 David should have been humble in heart before God and 
 His Ark, that Michal could have borne well enough. This 
 was the grief; that David must make it manifest, " uncover 
 
40 Of the Nativity, 
 
 himself, wear an ephod," and thereby as she thought 
 mightily disgrace and make himself " vile in the eyes of his 
 servants." (2 Sam. vi. 20.) That was it she took so ill ; not to 
 be so much as to be manifest ; that same manifesting marred 
 all. And why would Nicodemus come to Christ but not but 
 by candlelight, (John xix. 39), but that to be seen mani- 
 festly to come, was with him a far greater matter than to 
 come. By all which it appeareth, that in case of abasement 
 to seem is more than to be ; did de than esse in ; and so here 
 nosci more than nasci. And I make no question but we may 
 reckon these two as two distinct degrees, i. He abhorred 
 not to become flesh. 2, He abhorred not to have it mani- 
 festly known. It was not done, this, in a corner, (Acts xxvi. 
 26), in an out-corner of Galilee; but in the city of David. 
 His poor clouts manifested by a star, (Matt. ii. 10, 11); 
 His shameful death published by a great eclipse ; yea that it 
 might be manifest indeed, (as it followeth after in the verse), 
 He would have it preached over all the world. 
 
 But when we have done and said all that ever we can, if 
 we had all mysteries and no love, (i Cor. xiii. i), the Apostle 
 tells us it is nothing. We can have no mystery except love 
 be manifest. So is it. Two several times doth the Apostle 
 tell us, I. apparuit gratia^ (Tit. ii. n) ; 2. apparuit amorerga 
 homines. (Tit. iii. 4.) At the opening of this mystery there 
 appeared the i. grace of God, and the 2. love of God toward 
 mankind. Velaiio Deifafis, revelatio charitatis ; ' as manifest 
 as God was in the flesh, so manifest was His love unto 
 flesh.' And then, because great love a great mystery, Dil- 
 exit goeth never alone, but with sic ; so Christ, (John iii. 
 16); ecce quantain charitateni ; so St. John, (i John iii. i.) 
 Sure, how great and apparent humility, so great and apparent 
 love. And His humility was too apparent. So we have "God 
 manifested in the flesh," Deus charitas^ (i John iv. 8) ; for 
 if ever He were love or shewed it, in this He was it, and 
 shewed it both. God that is " love " was " manifested in the 
 flesh." 
 
 To make an end, one question more. To what end ? 
 Cuibojiol * who is the better for all this?' God that is mani- 
 fested, or the flesh wherein He is manifested ? Not God ; 
 to Him their groweth nothing out of this manifestation. It 
 is for the good of the flesh, that " God was manifested in 
 the flesh." i. For the good present : for we let go that of 
 
Sermon III. 41 
 
 the Psalmist now, " Thou that hearest the prayer, to Thee 
 shall all flesh come," (Ps. Ixv. 2); and much better and 
 more properly say, ' Thou that art manifested in the flesh, 
 to Thee shall all flesh come ; with boldness entering into 
 the holy place, by the new and living way prepared for us 
 through the veil, that is, His flesh.' (Heb. x. 19, 20.) 2. 
 And for the good to come ; for we are put in hope that the 
 end of this manifesting God in the flesh will be the mani- 
 festing of the flesh in Him, even as he is ; and that which 
 is the end of the verse be the end of all, " the receiving us 
 up into His glory." To this haven arriveth this mystery of 
 the manifestation of it. 
 
 in. The end of this second part is but the beginning of 
 the third. For hearing that it is so great and of so great 
 avail rising by it, that it is qucestus midto tiberrimus, ' a trade 
 so beneficial ; ' it makes us seek how to incorporate our- 
 selves, as in the third of the Ephesians he speaketh, how to 
 have our part and fellowship in this trade or mystery. 
 (Eph. iii. 6, 9.) And that may we do, saith he in the same 
 place, si operetur in 7ioMs, (Eph. iii. 7), that is, 'if it prove 
 to us, as it is in itself, a mystery.' I know it were a thing 
 very easy for a speculative Divine to lead you along, and 
 let you see that this mystery is the substance of all the 
 ceremonies, and the fulfilling of all prophecies; that all 
 Moses' veils, and all the Prophets' visions, are recapitulate 
 in it. But it is a point of speculation; we hear those 
 points too often, and love them too well : points of practice 
 are less pleasing, but more profitable for us ; namely, how 
 we may get into the partnership of this mystery. 
 
 There is this difference between a ceremony and a 
 mystery. A ceremony represents and signifies, but works 
 nothing ; a mystery doth both. Beside that it signifieth, it 
 hath his operation; and work it doth, else mystery is it 
 none. You may see it by the mystery of iniquity ; that 
 doth operari, 'was at work' (2 Thes. ii. 7) in the Apostles' 
 time ; and it is no way to be admitted, but that the " mys- 
 tery of godliness " should have like operative force. 
 
 If you ask what it is to work ? It is to do, as all other 
 agents; ut assimulet sibi passtim, 'to make that it works on 
 like itself;' to bring forth in it the very same quahty. This 
 the rather, for that this day being a birth-day, and the 
 mystery of it a birth or generation ; - in that, we know, the 
 
42 Of the Nativity, 
 
 natural and most proper work is sui sifnile procreare, * to 
 beget and bring forth the very like to itself/ And what 
 should the " mystery of godliness " beget in us but godli- 
 ness? What the " mystery of godUness" in this chapter, 
 but the exercise of godliness in the next? (i Tim. iv. 7.) 
 To shew, we must make St. Basil's (^(rxjjr/xa of it ; for his 
 a<SK7iTixu and St. Paul's yuij^vacnxa I take to be all one. 
 
 First within, after the manner of a mystery, by entering 
 into ourselves and saying with St. Peter, '* Seeing then God 
 hath so dealt with us, what manner of persons ought we to 
 be, in all holy conversation and godhness ? " (2 Pet. iii. 11.) 
 How ought we to esteem Him that so esteemed us ? How 
 to esteem ourselves whom He hath so esteemed? How 
 without soil or spot (Jam. i. 27) to keep that flesh wherein 
 God hath " manifested " Himself, that nothing come from 
 it but such as may become that flesh which is now all one 
 with the flesh of the Son of God. 
 
 Provided that it be not all within ; for we deal not with 
 a mystery alone, but with a manifestation too. That there- 
 fore our godliness be not only mystical but manifest, as God 
 was. As the mystery, so the godhness of it ; " great " and 
 conspicuous, both. For that is the complaint, that in our 
 godliness, nowadays, we go very mystically to work indeed ; 
 we keep it under a veil, and nothing manifest but opera 
 carnis. (Gal. v. 19.) Which maketh St. James cry, ostende 
 jmhi, "shew it me," (Jam. ii. 18); and St. Paul tells us, 
 that the life of Jesus must not only be had in our spirit, but 
 manifest in our flesh. (2 Cor. iv. 10, 11.) For godliness is 
 not only faith, which referreth to the mystery as we have it 
 directly at the ninth verse, the " mystery of faith ; " but it is 
 love too, which referreth to the manifestation. For in hoc 
 cognoscinms, saith St. John, " by this we know, ourselves," 
 (i John iii. 14, and iv. 13); and, in hoc cognoscent onines, 
 saith Christ, " by this shall all men know" (John xiii. 35) 
 that we are His. And if faith work by love, the mystery 
 will be so manifest in us, as we shall need no prospective 
 glasses, or optic instruments, to make it visible; all men 
 shall take notice of it. 
 
 And yet remaineth there one point, than which there is 
 not one more peculiar to a mystery. That which the 
 Apostle calleth initiating, (Heb. x. 20); whereby we grow 
 into the fellowship of this and what mysteries soever. For 
 
 \ 
 
 \ 
 \ 
 
Sermofi III. 43 
 
 this we are to understand, that mysteries go not all by hear- 
 ing ; no, they be dispensed also : and men are to esteem of 
 us, saith he, not only as of the unfolders, but, as of " the 
 stewards," or dispensers " of the mysteries of God." (i Cor. 
 iv. I.) Operari mysteriis is a phrase well known to the very 
 heathen themselves ; that mysteries, as they work, so they 
 are to be wrought. That they are to be handled, and 
 that our hands are to be clean washed yet we offer to 
 touch them. 
 
 By which I understand the mystery of godliness, or exer- 
 cise of godhness — call it whether ye will— which we call the 
 Sacrament ; the Greek hath no other word for it but Mt;<rrf 
 pm^ whereby the Church offereth to initiate us into the 
 fellowship of this day's mystery. Nothing sorteth better than 
 these two mysteries one with the other ; the dispensation of 
 a mystery with the mystery of dispensation. It doth mani- 
 festly represent, it doth mystically impart what it repre- 
 senteth. There is in it even by the very institution both a 
 manifestation, and that visibly, to set before us this flesh ; 
 and a mystical communication to infeoffe us in it or make 
 us partakers of it. For the elements ; what can be more 
 properly fit to represent unto us the union with our nature, 
 than things that do unite themselves to our nature ? And 
 if we be to dispense the mysteries in due season, what 
 season more due than that His flesh and blood be set before 
 us that time that He was ''manifested in flesh and blood" 
 for us ? Thus we shall be initiate. 
 
 You look to hear of a consummation of it too ; and con- 
 summate it shall be, but not yet ; not till the days of the 
 voice of the seventh Angel. Then shall the mystery of God 
 be finished. (Rev. x. 7.) So we find it directly, but not 
 before. When He that was this day "manifested in the 
 flesh," shall manifest to the flesh the fulness of this mystery, 
 His eternity, glory, and bhss. So, still it remain eth a 
 mystery in part; a part thereof there still remaineth behind 
 to be manifested. What He is appeareth ; what we shall 
 be doth not yet appear, but shall at the second appearing. 
 Two veils we read of: i. The veil of His flesh, (Heb. x. 
 20); 2. And the veil where our hope hath cast anchor, 
 even within the veil, meaning Heaven itself. The first is 
 rent ; these mysteries are remembrances of it. The second 
 also shall be, as we also with it ; and as He, in the end of 
 
44 Of the Nativity. 
 
 the verse, so we with Him in the end shall be " received up 
 into glory." To the consummation of which great mystery, 
 even that great manifestation, He vouchsafe to bring us all, 
 That was this day for us all "manifested in the flesh," 
 "Jesus Christ the righteous," (i John ii. i), &c. 
 
 SERMON IV. 
 
 A Sermon Preached before the King's Majesty, at 
 Whitehall, on Monday, the Twenty-fifth of 
 December, a.d. mdcix., being Christmas-day. 
 
 When the fulness of tiine was co?Jie, God sent His Son, made 
 
 of a woman, made under the Law. 
 That He might redeem them that were under the Law, that 
 
 we 7night receive the adoption of sons. Gal. iv. 4, 5. 
 
 \At ubi venit pleniUido iemporis, inisit Deus FiliMin suuni factum ex 
 
 muliere, fachim sub Lege, 
 Ut eos, qui sub lege erant, redimeret, ut adoptionem filio7-iim reciperemus. 
 
 Latin Vulg.] 
 
 IF, when the " fulness of time " cometh, " God sent His 
 Son," then when " God sent His Son," is " the fulness 
 of time" come. And at this day "God sent His Son." 
 This day therefore, so oft as by the revolution of the year it 
 cometh about, is to us a yearly representation of " the ful- 
 ness of time." So it is ; and a special honour it is to the 
 feast that so it is. And we ourselves seem so to esteem of 
 it. For we allow for every month a day — look how many 
 months so many days — to this feast, as if it were, and we so 
 thought it to be, the full recapitulation of the whole year. 
 
 This honour it hath from Christ who is the Substance of 
 this and all other solemnities. Peculiarly, a Christi missa, 
 ' from Christ's sending.' For they that read the ancient 
 writers of the Latin Church, Tertullian and Cyprian, know 
 that 77iissa and missio, and remissa and remissio, with them 
 are taken from one. So that Christi missa, is the sending of 
 Christ. And when then hath this text place so fit as now ? 
 Or what time so seasonable to entreat of it as this ? of the 
 
Sermon IV. 45 
 
 semiing of His Son, as when '' God sent His Son ; " ot 
 " the fulness of time," as on the yearly return and memorial 
 of it? 
 
 To entreat of it then. The heads are two : I. Of " the 
 fulness of time." II. And of that wherewith it is filled. I. 
 Time's fulness in these, " When the fulness of time came." 
 II. Time's filling in the rest, " God sent His Son, made of 
 a woman, made under the Law," &c. 
 
 In the former, Qtiando venit plenitudo temporis, there be 
 four points: i. Plenitudo temporis, 'that time hath a ful- 
 ness ; ' or, ' that there is a fulness of time.' 2. Venit pleni- 
 tudo, ' that that fulness cometh by steps and degrees ; ' not 
 all at once. 3. Qiiando venit ; that it hath a quando, that 
 is, ' there is a time when time thus cometh to this fulness.' 
 4. And when that when is ? and that is " when God sent 
 His Son.'" And so pass we over to the other part in the 
 same verse, Misit Deus; " God sent His Son." 
 
 For the other part, touching the filling of time. There be 
 texts, the right way to consider of them is to take them in 
 pieces, and this is of that kind. And if we take it in 
 sunder, we shall see as it is of fulness so a kind of fulness 
 there is in it, every word more full than other ; every word 
 a step in it whereby it riseth still higher, till by seven 
 several degrees it cometh to the top and so the measure is 
 full. T. "God sent," the first. 2. "Sent His Son," the 
 second. 3. " His Son made," the third. 4- And that 
 twice made; "made of a woman," the fourth. 5. " Made 
 under the law," the fifth ; every one fuller than other, still. 
 
 And all this, for some persons, and some purpose ; the 
 persons ut nos, '' that we." The purpose, reciperemus, " that 
 we might receive." Nay, if you mark it, there be two uts, 
 I. ut ilk; 2. ut nos, "• that He might," and that "we might." 
 He might redeem, and we might receive ; that is. He pay 
 for it, and we reap the benefit. 6. A double benefit, of i. 
 Redemption, first, from the state of persons cast and con- 
 demned under the Law, which is the sixth. 7. And then, 
 of 2. Translation into the state of adopted children ol 
 God, which is the seventh, and very fiUing up of the measure. 
 All which we may reduce to a double fulness : God's as 
 much as He can send; ours as much as we can desire. 
 God's in the five first, i. "God sent." 2. "Sent His 
 Son." 3. " His Son made." 4. " Made of a woman." 5. 
 
46 Of the Nativity. 
 
 " Made under the Law." And ours in the two latter ; 6. 
 " We are redeemed," the sixth. 7. " We receive adoption/' 
 the seventh. 
 
 In that of God's every point is full. The thing sent, full; 
 the sending, and the manner of sending, full. The making, 
 and the two manners of making, i. "of a woman," and 2. 
 " under the Law," both full. And our fulness in the two 
 latter, the effects of those two acts or makings, i. " of a 
 woman," 2. "under the Law," redemption and adop- 
 tion, which make up all. That when we were strangers 
 from the adoption, and not that only, but lay under the 
 Laws, as men whom sentence had passed on; from this 
 latter we are redeemed — He " under the Law," that we from 
 under the Law — that being so redeemed we might further 
 " receive the adoption of children," and as He the " Son of 
 Man," so we might be made the " sons of God " — vhich two 
 are as much as we can wish. And this is our fulness. 
 
 And to these I will crave leave to add another fulness of 
 ours, rising out of these, and to make a motion for it. 
 That as it is the time when we from God receive vhe ful- 
 ness of His bounty, so it might be the time also when He 
 from us may likewise receive the fulness of our duty. The 
 time of His bountifulness, and the time of our thankfulness : 
 that it may be plenitudo temporis, qua ad illum^ qua ad 
 nos ; 'downward and upward, from Him to us and from 
 us to Him again ; ' and so be both ways " the fulness of 
 time." 
 
 Quando venit plenitudo temporis. 
 
 I. First there is a fulness in time. The term " fulness " 
 carrieth our conceit to measure straight from whence it is 
 borrowed ; which is then said to be full when it hath as 
 much as it can hold. Now " God hath made all things in 
 measure," (Wis. xi. 20) ; and if all things then time. Yea 
 time itself is by the Apostle called mensura temporis, " the 
 measure of time." (Eph. iv. 13.) As then all other 
 measures have theirs ; so the measure of time also hath 
 his fulness, when it receiveth so much as the capacity will 
 contain no more. So time is a measure ; it hath a capacity; 
 that hath a fulness. That there is such a thing as " the 
 fulness of time." 
 
 But nothing is full at first ; no more is time by and by. 
 
Sermon IV. 47 
 
 Venif plenitudo, it cometh not at once or straightways, but 
 by steps and paces, nearer and nearer ; fills first a quarter, 
 and then half, till at last it come to the brim. And degrees 
 there be by which it cometh. Ecce palmares yosuisti dies 
 meos, (Ps. xxxix. 5) ; from which word [palmares^ it is an 
 observation of one of the Fathers, "a man may read his 
 time." In his own hand visibly there is an ascent, the 
 fingers rise still till they come to the top of the middle 
 finger ; and when they be come thither, down again by like 
 descent till they come to the little which is the lowest of all. 
 So is it in our time. It riseth still by degrees till we come 
 to the full pitch of our age, and then declineth again till we 
 grow to the lower end of our days. But, howsoever it may 
 be — as it oft falls out — the descent is sudden, we go down 
 headlong without degrees, go away in a moment; yet 
 ever this holdeth, to our fulness we come not but by 
 degrees. 
 
 Now thirdly, this coming hath a quando vejiit, *a time 
 when it cometh thither.' As a time there is a great while 
 when we say, nondu?n venit hora, "the time is not yet 
 come " (John vii. 8), while the measure is yet but in filHng ; 
 so at the last a time too that we may say venit hora, " the 
 time is now come," (John xii. 23), when the measure is full ; 
 that is, a time there is when time cometh to the full. As 
 in the day, when the sun cometh to the meridian line ; in 
 the month, when it cometh to the point of opposition with 
 the moon ; in the year, when to the solstice ; in man, when 
 he cometh to his full years; for that is the " fulness of time" 
 the Apostle allegeth in three verses before. 
 
 And when is that w/ien that time thus cometh to his ful- 
 ness ? Qiiando misit Deus, ' when God sends it ; ' for time 
 receives his filling from God. Of itself time is but an empty 
 measure, hath nothing in it. Many days and months run 
 over our heads. Dies tJianes, (Ps. Ixxviii. 33), saith the 
 Psalmist; Menses vacui, (Job vii. 3), saith Job, "empty 
 days," "void months," without any thing to fill them. 
 
 That which filleth time is some memorable thing of God's 
 pouring into it ; or, as in the text, of His sending to fill it 
 withal. Misit Dens is it ; and so cometh time to be more or 
 less full, thereafter as that is which God sends to fill it. 
 
 Now many memorable missions did God make before 
 this here, whereby in some measure He filled up certain 
 
48 Of the Nativity. 
 
 times of the year under Moses and the Prophets ; all which 
 may well be termed, The implements of time. 
 
 But for all them, the measure was not yet full ; — filled 
 perhaps to a certain degree, but not full to the brim ; full it 
 was not, seeing it might be still fuller, till God sent That 
 than Which a more full could not be sent. 
 
 And That He sent when "He sent His Son," a fuller 
 than Whom He could not send, nor time could not receive. 
 Therefore with the sending Him when that was, time was 
 at the top, that was the qua^ido venit, then it was plentitudo 
 teinporis indeed. 
 
 And well might that time be called "the fulness of 
 time." For when He was sent into the world, " in Whom 
 the fulness of the Godhead dwelt bodily," (Col. ii. 9) ; in 
 Whom " the Spirit was not by measure," (John iii. 34); in 
 Whom was "the fulness of grace and truth," (John i. 
 14); "of Whose fulness we all receive," (John i. 16) j — 
 when He was sent That was thus full, then was time at the 
 full. 
 
 And well also might it be called " the fulness of time " 
 in another regard. For till then all was but in promise, in 
 shadows and figures and prophecies only, which fill not, God 
 knows. But when the performance of those promises, the 
 body of those shadows, the substance of those figures, the 
 fulfilling or filling full of all those prophecies came, then 
 came " the fulness of time," truly so called. Till then it 
 came not ; then it came. 
 
 And well might it be called " the fulness of time " in a 
 third respect. For then the heir, that is, the world, was 
 come to his full age ; and so that the fittest time for Him to 
 be sent. For to that compareth the Apostle their estate 
 then j that the former times under Moses and the Prophets 
 were as the nonage of the world, stib pcedagogo, (Gal. iii. 24), 
 uTo aror/iTa^ at their A. B. C. or rudiments, (as in the very 
 last words before these). Their estate then, as of children 
 in their minority, little differing from servants. For all this 
 while, nondiim venit^ "the fulness of time" has not yet come. 
 But a time there was, as for man, so for mankind to come to 
 his full years ; that time came with Christ's coming, and 
 Christ's coming with it, and never till then was " the fulness 
 of time ; " but then it was. 
 
 And let this be enough for this point ; more there is not 
 
Sermofi IV, 49 
 
 in the text. But if any shall further ask why then, at that 
 age of the world the world was at his full age, just then and 
 neither sooner nor later ? I know many heads have been full 
 of devices, to satisfy men's curiosity in that point. But I 
 hold it safest to rest with the Apostle, in the second verse, 
 on God's xjTrokGiua. Let that content us. Then was the 
 time, for that was femptis prcEfinitiun a Fafre, "the time ap- 
 pointed of the Father." For even among men, though — 
 the father being dead — the law setteth a time for the son to 
 come to his heritage ; yet the father living, no time can be 
 prefixed, but only when it Hketh him to appoint ; and the 
 Father here liveth ; and therefore let His cr^o^fc/x/a stay us. 
 " The times and seasons He hath put in His own power, 
 it is not for us to know them." (Acts i. 7.) This is for us to 
 know, that with His appointment, we must come to a full 
 point. So doth the Apostle, and so let us, and not busy 
 ourselves much with it ; time is but the measure or cask, 
 that wherewith it is filled doth more concern us. To that 
 therefore let us come. 
 
 IT. The degrees are seven, as I said. To take them as 
 they rise. Misit Dens, " God sent." That standeth first, 
 and at it let our first stay be. That will fall out to make the 
 first degree. For even this, that God sent at all, ipswji 
 mittare Dei, this very sending itself is a degree. It is so; 
 and so we would reckon of it, if we knew the Sender, and 
 Who He is; the Majesty of His presence how great it is, 
 and how glorious, how far surpassing all we can see on earth. 
 
 For Him — for such an one as He — to condescend but to 
 send, is sure a degree. For enough it had been, and more 
 than enough for Him, to be sent to ; and not to send Him- 
 self. To have sit still, and been content that we might send 
 to Him, and have our message and petition admitted, and 
 not He send to us. That had been as much as we could 
 look for, and well if we might have been vouchsafed but 
 that. But it was He that sent ; not we to Him first, nay not 
 we to Him at all, but He to us. 
 
 He to us ! And what were we that He to us? Us, as 
 elsewhere He termeth us, "mere aliens" (Eph. ii. 12) from 
 Him and His Household ; not that only, but us, in case ot 
 men whom the law had passed upon. So is our estate 
 described in the end of the text. For Him to send to us, 
 so great as He to such as we ; to think us tantt, ' so much 
 
50 Of the Nativity, 
 
 worth,' as to make any mission, or motion, or to disease any 
 about us — this may well be the first. Be it then so ; that 
 to us, or for us, or concerning us, God would trouble Him- 
 self to make any sending; a fulness there is in this. Full 
 He was ; a fulness there was in Him — even the fulness of 
 compassion in His bowels over our estate — else such a 
 Sender would never once have sent. 
 
 "God sent;" "sent," and "sent His Son." That I 
 make no question will bear a second. Others He might 
 have sent; and whosoever it had been He had sent, it 
 might well have served our turns. If sent by the hand of 
 any His servants, any Patriarch, Prophet, any ordinary mes- 
 senger, it had been enough. So hitherto had been His 
 sending. So, and no otherwise, ever till now. 
 
 Then, if to send by any may seem sufficient, to send 
 "His Son" must needs seem full. For ever the more ex- 
 cellent the person sent, the more honourable the sending ; 
 the greater he, the fuller it. Now greater there is not than 
 " His Son," His first, His only-begotten Son, " in Whom 
 the fulness of the Godhead dwelt, (Col. ii. 9) ; in sending 
 Him He sent the greatest, the best, the fullest thing He 
 had. 
 
 To heap the measure up yet more with the cause of His 
 sending, in the word sga'Trstrrs/Xs. It was voluntary. He 
 sent him not for need ; but for mere love to us, and nothing 
 else. There was no absolute necessity that he should have 
 sent Him. He might have done what He intended by the 
 means and ministry of some besides. God could have 
 enabled a creature; a creature enabled by God, and the 
 power of His might, could soon have trod down Satan 
 under our feet. But if it had been any other He had sent. 
 His love and regard to us had not shewed so full. It had 
 been, Ostendit Dens chafifatem, but not Ecce quantaju chari- 
 tatem ostendit Dens, (i John iii. i.) Whomsoever He had 
 sent besides. His love had not been full ; at least, not so 
 full as it should have been, if He had sent His Son. That 
 therefore it might be full, and so appear to us for full, Misit 
 Deus Filium suwn. Enough it was, in compassion of our 
 estate, to have relieved us by any. Men that are in need 
 to be relieved care not who they be that do it. Enough 
 then for compassion ; but not enough to manifest the ful- 
 ness of His love unless to relieve us He sent His own Son. 
 
Sermon IV. 51 
 
 This is full one would think; yet the manner of His 
 sending Him is fuller still. Mt'sii Filiimi ; Filium factum. 
 "Send His Son; " " His Son made." Sent Him, and sent 
 Him " made." This is a third. For if He would have 
 sent Him, He should not have sent Him *' made ; " but as 
 He was, " neither made nor created," but like Himself in 
 His own estate, as was meet for the Son of God to be sent. 
 To make Him anything is to mar Him, be it what it will 
 be. To send Him made, is to send Him marred, and no 
 better. Therefore I make no doubt Christ's sending is one 
 degree. His making is another; so to send as withal to 
 make are two distinct measures of this filling. As He is, 
 He is a Maker, a Creator. If God make Him any thing, 
 He must be a thing made, a creature, and that is a great 
 disparagement. So that howsoever the time is the fuller for 
 this. He is the emptier; irXripojiJ.a ^povov xsvu/Ma XpiGTov, 'the 
 fulness of time is His emptiness ; ' the exalting of that, His 
 abasing. And this very exinanivit setpsiwi, " emptying 
 Himself" (Phil. ii. 7) for our sake, is a pressing down the 
 measure ; and so even by that still the measure is more full. 
 
 Yea the very manner of this making hath his increase 
 too, addeth to it still. In the word /si/o/xsvov, which is not 
 every making, but ' making it His nature.' To have made 
 Him a body and taken it upon Him for a time till He had 
 performed His embassage, and then laid it off again, that 
 had been much ; but so to be made as once made and ever 
 made ; so to take it as never lay it off more, but continue 
 so still, ysnaliat, 'it to become His very nature;' so to be 
 made is to make the union full. And to make the union 
 with us full. He was content not to be sent alone but to be 
 made ; and that yivsGQa.1, ' to be made so as never unmade 
 more.' Our manhood becoming His nature, no less than 
 the Godhead itself. This is Filiiwi factum indeed. 
 
 "Made," and twice "made," for so it is in the verse. 
 I. Factum ex, and 2. Factum sub ; "made of," and "made 
 under ; " " of a woman," " under the Law." So two makings 
 there be ; either of them of itself a filling to the measure, 
 but both of them maketh it perfectly full. 
 
 " Made," first, " of a woman ; " that I take it clearly to be 
 one. For if He, it the Son of God must be made a creature, 
 it were meet He should be made the best creature of all. 
 And if made 01 anything, if any one thing better than an- 
 
52 Of the Nat ivity. 
 
 other, of that; made some glorious Spirit, some of the 
 orders of the Angels. Nay '* made," but made no Spirit; 
 Verhum caro faduui est, " The Word became flesh," (John 
 i. 14); "made," but made no Angel; mcsquam AngeloSy 
 " He in no wise took the Angels' nature upon Him." (Heb. 
 ii. 16.) 
 
 But " made " man. First I will ask with David, Domine, 
 quid est homo ? " Lord, what is man ? " And then tell you 
 his answer. Homo quasi res nihili, " Man is like a thing of 
 nought." (Ps. cxliv. 3, 4.) And this He was " made," this 
 He became '* made " man, " made of a woman ; " " did not 
 abhor the virgin's womb," as we sing daily to the high praise 
 of the fulness of His humility, to which His love brought 
 Him for our sakes. For whatsoever else He had been 
 " made," it would have done us no good. In this then was 
 "the fulness " of His love, as before of His Father's — that 
 He would be made, and was made, not what was fittest for 
 Him, but what was best for us ; not what was most for His 
 glory, but what was most for our benefit and behoof 
 
 " Made of a woman." For man He might have been 
 "made," and yet have had a body framed for Him in 
 Heaven, and not "made of a woman." But when He 
 saith, Factum ex muliere, it is evident He passed not through 
 her as water through a conduit pipe, as fondly dreameth the 
 Anabaptist. " Made of," Factum ex ; ex dicit materiafu. 
 " Made of her ; " she ministered the matter, " flesh of her 
 flesh." Semen mulieris, "the seed," (Gen. iii. 15); and 
 semen intimum substantice, * that is the principal and very 
 inward chief part of the substance.' Made of that, made of 
 her very substance. 
 
 And so have we here now in one both twain His natures. 
 "God sent His Son" — there His divine; "made of a 
 woman " — here His human nature. That, from the bosom 
 of His Father before all worlds ; this, from the womb of 
 His mother in the world. So that as from eternity God His 
 Father might say that verse of the Psalm, Filius Meus es 
 Til, hodie genui Te, " Thou art My Son, this day have I 
 begotten Thee," (Ps. ii. 7): so, in "the fulness of time " 
 might the Virgin His mother no less truly, Filius meus es 
 Tu, hodie peperi Te, ' Thou art my Son, this day have I 
 brought Thee into the World.' 
 
 And here now at this word, " made of a woman," He 
 
Sermon IV. 
 
 53 
 
 beginneth to concern us somewhat. There groweth an 
 alliance between us ; for we also are made of a woman. 
 And our hope is as He will not be confounded to be 
 counted t^?fer natos mulierum, (Heb. ii. 1 1) : no more will 
 He be, saith the Apostle, to say, in medio fratrum, (Rom. 
 viii. 29), "to acknowledge us His brethren." And so by 
 this time He groweth somewhat near us. 
 
 This now is full for the union with our nature, to be 
 "made of a woman." But so to be "made of a woman" 
 without He be also " made under the Law," is not near 
 enough yet. For if He be out of the compass of the law 
 that the law cannot take hold of him, factum ex muliere will 
 do us small pleasure. And He was so born, so " made of 
 a woman." As the verity of His conception is in this 
 factum ex muliere, so the purity is in this, that it is but ex 
 muliere, and no more ; of the Virgin alone by the power of 
 the Holy Ghost, without mixture of fleshly generation. By 
 virtue whereof no original soil was in him. Just bom He 
 was, and Justo non est lex posita, " no law for the just," (i 
 Tim. i. 9) — no law could touch Him. And so we never the 
 better iox factum ex muliere. 
 
 For if one be in debt and danger of the law, to have a 
 brother of the same blood, made of the same woman, both 
 as we say lying in the one belly, will little avail him, except 
 he will also come " under the law," that is, become his 
 surety, and undertake for him. And such was our estate. 
 As debtors we were by virtue of chirographum contra nos, 
 *' the handwriting that was against us." (Col. ii. 14.) Which 
 was our bond, and we had forfeited it. And so, f actus ex 
 muliere, to us, without factus sub Lege, would have been to 
 small purpose. 
 
 No remedy therefore, He must be new made ; made again 
 once more. And so He was, cast in a new mould ; and at 
 His second making " made under the Law ; " under which 
 if He had not been made, we had been marred ; even quite 
 undone for ever, if this had not been done for us too. 
 Therefore He became bound for us also, entered bond 
 anew, took on Him not only our nature but our debt, our 
 nature and condition both. Nature as men, condition as 
 sinful men, expressed in the words following, " them that 
 were under the Law ; " for that was our condition. There 
 had indeed been no capacity in Him to do this, if the 
 
54 Of the Nativity, 
 
 former had not gone before, factum ex nmliere ; if He had 
 not been, as we " made of a woman." But the former was 
 for this ; " made of a woman " He was, that He might be 
 " made under the Law : " being ex muliere, He might then 
 become sub Lege, which before He could not, but then He 
 might and did ; and so this still is the fuller. 
 
 And when did He this? When was He ''made under 
 the Law ? '' Even then when He was circumcised. For 
 this doth St. Paul testify in the third of the next chapter, 
 "Behold, I Paul testify unto you whosoever is circumcised," 
 factus est debitor universes. Legis, " he becomes a debtor to 
 the whole Law." (Gal. v, 3.) At His Circumcision then He 
 entered bond anew with us \ and in sign that so He did He 
 shed then a few drops of His blood, whereby He signed the 
 bond as it were, and gave those few drops then, tanquam 
 arrham universi sanguinis effundendi, ' as a pledge or earnest,' 
 that " when the fulness of time came," ' He would be ready 
 to shed all the rest ; ' as He did. For I would not have 
 you mistake ; though we speak of this sub Lege, being 
 " under the Law," in the terms of a debt sometimes, yet 
 the truth is this debt of ours was no money debt ; we were 
 not sub Lege pecuniarid, but capitali; and the debt of a 
 capital law is death. And under that, under death He 
 went, and that the worst death law had to inflict, " even 
 the death of the cross," the most bitter, reproachful, cursed 
 death of the cross. So that upon the matter, factus sub 
 Lege, dind factus in cruce, come both to one; one amounts 
 to as much as the other. Well, this He did undertake for 
 us at His circumcision, and therefore then and not till then 
 He had His Name given Him, the name of Jesus, a Saviour. 
 (Luke ii. 21.) For then took He on Him the obligation to 
 save us. And look, what then at His Circumcision He 
 undertook, at His Passion He paid even to the full ; and 
 having paid it, delevit chirographum, " cancelled the sentence 
 of the Law" (Col. ii. 14) that till then was of record and 
 stood in full force against us. 
 
 Howbeit, all this was but one part of the Law ; but He 
 was made sub Lege universd, ' under the whole Law ; ' and 
 that not by His death only, but by His life too. The one 
 half of the Law, that is, the directive part — He was made 
 under that, and satisfied it by the innocency of His hfe, 
 without breaking so much as one jot or tittle of the Law ; 
 
Sermon IV. 55 
 
 and so answered that part, as it might be the principal. The 
 other half of the Law, which is the penalty — He was under 
 that part also, and satisfied it by suffering a wrongful death, 
 no way deserved, or due by Him ; and so answered that, as 
 it might be the forfeiture. So He was made under both, 
 under the whole Law. Satisfying the principal, there was 
 no reason He should be Hable to the forfeiture and penalty ; 
 yet, under that He was also. And all, that the whole Law 
 might be satisfied fully, by His being under both parts ; and 
 so no part of it light upon us. 
 
 These two then, i. " Made of a woman," 2. " Made 
 under the Law," ye see, are two several makings, and both 
 very requisite. Therefore either hath a several feast, they 
 divide this solemnity between them. Six days apiece to 
 either; as the several moieties of this "fulness of time." 
 This day, Verbuin caro factum, " the Word made flesh," (John 
 i. 14); that day, "Him that knew no sin. He made sin," 
 (2 Cor. v. 21), that is, made Him undertake to be handled 
 as a sinner, to be " under the Law," and to endure what the 
 Law could lay upon Him. And so now the thing sent is 
 full ; and fully sent, because made ; and fully made, because 
 made once and twice over ; fully made ours, because fully 
 united to us. " Made of a woman," as well as we ; " made 
 under the Law," as deep as we ; both ex imdiere and sub 
 Lege. So of our nature " of a woman," that of our condition 
 also "under the Law." So, fully united to us in nature and 
 condition both. 
 
 And so we are come to the full measure of His sending. 
 And that we are come to the full ye shall plainly see by the 
 overflowing, by that which we receive from this fulness, 
 (Gal. iv. 5) j which is the latter part of the verse and is our 
 fulness, even the fulness of all that we can desire. For if 
 we come now to ask. For whom is all this ado, this sending, 
 this making, over and over again ? It is for us. So is the 
 conclusion, ut 710s, that we might from this fulness receive 
 the full of our wish. For in these two behind, i. Redemp- 
 tion, and 2. Adoption; to be redeemed and to be adopted 
 are the full of all we can wish ourselves. 
 
 The transcendent division of good and evil is it that 
 comprehendeth all. And here it is. Our desire can extend 
 itself no farther than to be rid of all evil, and to attain all 
 that good is. By these two, being redeemed and being 
 
56 Of the Nativity, 
 
 adopted, we are made partakers of them both. "To be 
 redeemed from under the Law," is to be quit of all evil. 
 " To receive the adoption of children," is to be stated in 
 all that is good. For all evil is in being " under the Law " 
 from whence we are redeemed, and all good in being in- 
 vested in the Heavenly inheritance whereunto we are 
 adopted. Thus stood the case with us, 'aliens we were 
 from God, His covenant, and His Kingdom.' (Eph. ii. 12.) 
 More than that, prisoners we were, fast laid up under the 
 Law. From this latter we are freed ; of the former we are 
 seized ; and what would we more ? 
 
 Only this you shall observe that in the idiom of the 
 Scriptures it is usual, two points being set down, when they 
 are resumed again, to begin with the latter and so end with 
 the former. So is it here. At the first, " made of a woman, 
 made under the Law." At the resuming. He begins with 
 the latter, "made under the Law, that He might redeem 
 them that were under the Law.'' And then comes to the 
 former, "made of a woman," made the Son of man, "that 
 we by adoption might be made the sons of God." But this 
 we are to mark, it is He that is at all the cost and pain ; 
 and we that have the benefit by it. At the redeeming it is, 
 ut ille ; at the receiving it is, /// nos. 
 
 Briefly of either. And first, of our redeeming. Re- 
 deeming, as the word giveth it, is a second buying, or buy- 
 ing back of a thing before aliened or sold. Ever, a former 
 sale is presupposed before it. And such a thing there had 
 gone before. A kind of alienation had formerly been 
 whereby we had made away ourselves, for a sale I cannot 
 call it, it was for such a trifle ; our nature aliened in Adam 
 for the forbidden fruit, a matter of no moment. Our 
 persons likewise ; daily we ourselves alien them for some 
 trifling pleasure or profit, matters not much more worth. 
 And when we have thus passed ourselves away, by this 
 "seUing ourselves under sin" (Rom. vii. 14), the Law 
 seizeth on us, and under it we are <s\)y%v^\iiC{Lhoi, even 
 "locked up" (Gal. iii. 23) as it were in a dungeon, "tied 
 fast with the cords of our sins," (Prov. v. 22); the sentence 
 passed on us, and we waiting but for execution. What evil 
 is there not in this estate, and on every soul that is in it ? 
 Well then, the first ut^ the first end is to get us rid from 
 under this estate. 
 
Sermon IV. 57 
 
 He did it ; not by way of entreaty, step in and beg our 
 pardon ; that would not serve. Sold we were, and bought 
 we must be ;— a price must be laid down for us. To get 
 us from under the Law it was not a matter of intercession, 
 to sue for it and have it. No, He must purchase it and 
 pay for it. It was a matter of redemption. 
 
 And in redemption or a purchase we look to the price. 
 For if it be at any easy rate, it is so much the better. But 
 with a high price He purchased us ; it cost Him dear to 
 bring it about. JVo/i auro, nee argento ; neither of them 
 would serve : at an higher rate it was, even pretioso sa7iguine, 
 *'His precious Blood was the price we stood Him in." (i 
 Pet. i. 18, 19.) Which He paid, when "He gave His life 
 a ransom for many." (Matt. xx. 28.) 
 
 It stood thus between Him and us in this point of re- 
 demption. Here are certain malefactors under the Law, to 
 suffer — to be executed. What say you to them ? Why, I 
 will become " under the Law," suffer that they should, take 
 upon Me their execution, upon condition they may be quit. 
 In effect so much at His Passion He said, Si ergo Me 
 qiiceritis, " If you lay hold on Me," if I must discharge all, 
 sinite hos abire, "let these go their way." (John xviii. 8.) 
 Let the price I pay be their redemption, and so it was. 
 And so we come to be " redeemed from under the Law." 
 
 And this is to be marked, that " them that were under 
 the Law " and " we that are to receive " are but one, one 
 and the same persons both ; but being so redeemed, then 
 we are ourselves. Till then the Apostle speaks of us in the 
 third person, " them that were under the Law," as of some 
 strangers, as of men of another world, none of oui own. 
 But now being redeemed, the style changeth. He speaketh 
 of us in the first person tit nos, ' that we.' For till now, we 
 were not our own, we were not ourselves ; but now we are. 
 Till this it was the old year still with us, but with the new 
 year cometh our new estate. 
 
 Being thus redeemed, we are got from under the Law ; 
 and that is much. Till a party come to be once under it 
 and feel the weight of it, he shall never understand this 
 aright ; but then he shall. And if any have been under it, 
 he knows what it is, and how great a benefit to be got 
 thence. But is this all ? No, He leaves us not here ; but 
 to make the measure complete, yea even to flow over. He 
 
58 Of the Nativity. 
 
 gives us not over when He had rid us out of this wretched 
 estate, till He have brought us to an estate as good as He 
 Himself is in. After our redemption we stood but as 
 prisoners enlarged \ that was all : but still we were as 
 strangers ; no part nor portion in God or His Kingdom, 
 nor no reason we should hope for any. He now goetb one 
 step farther, which is the highest and farthest step of all. 
 For farther than it He cannot go. 
 
 " That we might receive the adoption," that is, from the 
 estate of prisoners condemned be translated into the estate 
 of children adopted. Of adopted, for of natural we could 
 not. That is His pecuhar alone, and He therein only above 
 us ; but else, fully to the joint fruition of all that He hath, 
 which is fully as much as we could desire. And this is our 
 fieri out of His factum ex muliere. We made the sons of 
 God, as He the Son of man ; we made partakers of His 
 divine, as He of our human nature. (2 Pet. i. 4.) To pur- 
 chase our pardon, to free us from death and the law's sen- 
 tence, this '' seemed a small thing " (2 Sam. vii. 19) to Him, 
 yet this is lex hominis. Man's goodness goeth no farther, 
 and gracious is the prince that doth but so much. For who 
 ever heard of a condemned man adopted afterward, or that 
 thought it not enough and enough if he did but scape with 
 his hfe? So far then to exalt His bounty to that fulness as 
 pardon and adopt both, no7i est lex hominis hcec " no such 
 measure amongst men ; " zelus Domini exercittnim, " the 
 zeal of the Lord of Hosts" was to perform this, (Isa. ix. 7) ; 
 " the fulness of the Godhead dwelt in Him " that brought 
 this to pass. 
 
 For, to speak of adopting, we see it daily ; no father 
 adopts unless he be orbe, have no child ; or if he have one, 
 for some deep dislike have cast him off. But God had a 
 Son, " the brightness of His glory, the true character of His 
 substance." (Heb. i. 3.) And no displeasure there was ; no, 
 in Quo complacitiwi est, " in Whom He was absolutely well 
 pleased," (Matt. xvii. 5) ; yet would He by adoption for all 
 that " bring many sons to glory." (Heb. ii. 10.) Is not 
 this full on His part? 
 
 We see again no heir will endure to hear of adoption, nay, 
 nor divide his inheritance ; no, not with his natural brethren. 
 Then, that "the Heir of all things" (Heb. i. 2) should 
 admit " joint-heirs" (Rom. viii. 18) to the Kingdom He was 
 
Sermon IV. 59 
 
 born to ; and that admit them not out of such as were near 
 Him, but from such as were strangers ; yea, such as had 
 been condemned men under the law — is not this full on His 
 part ? To purchase us, and to purchase for us, both at 
 once ? And not to do this for us alone, but to assure it to 
 us. For as His Father in this verse sends Him, so in the 
 next verse " He sends the Spirit of His Son " to give us 
 seisin of this our adoption ; whereby we now call Him, the 
 Jews Abba, the Gentiles Pater, as children all and He our 
 Father, which is the privilege of the adoption we here receive. 
 
 III. And now are we come to the fulness indeed. For this 
 adoption is the fulness of our option ; we cannot extend— 
 we our wish, or He — His love and goodness any farther. 
 For what can we ask, or He give more, seeing in giving this 
 He giveth all He is worth ? By this time it is full sea ; all 
 ♦.he banks are filled. It is now as Ezekiel's waters that he 
 saw " flow from under the threshold of the Temple \ " that 
 took him to the ancles first, then to the knees, after to the 
 loins j at last, so high risen there was no more passage. 
 (Ezek. xlvii. 3-5.) 
 
 I. From the fulness of His compassion, He "sent "to 
 release us. 2. From the fulness of His love, " He sent His 
 Son." 3. In the fulness of humility, " He sent Him made." 
 4. " Made of a woman," to make a full union with our 
 nature. 5. " Made under the Law," to make the union yet 
 more perfectly full with our sinful condition. 6, "That 
 we might obtain a full deliverance from all evil, by being 
 redeemed." 7. " And a full estate of all the joy and glory ot 
 His Heavenly inheritance, by being adopted." So there is 
 fulness of all hands. And so much for the fulness of the 
 benefit we receive. 
 
 IV. Now, for the fulness of the duty we are to perform 
 this day. For, " in the fulness of time " all things are to be 
 full. Plentitiido teinporis, tempus pleititudinis. And seeing 
 God hath suffered us to live, to see the year run about to 
 this plenitudo temporis ; if it be so on God's part, meet also it 
 be so on ours ; and that we be not empty in this " fulness of 
 time." It is not fit, if He be at the brink that we be at the 
 bottom. But, as we be willing to yield Him of ours again, 
 of our duty, I mean ; that it to Him in a measure and pro- 
 portion be like full, as His bounty hath been full above 
 measure toward us. That so from us, and on our parts, it 
 
6o Of the Nativity. 
 
 may be plenitudo iemporis, or tempus plenitudinis^ " the ful- 
 ness of time," or * time of fulness,' choose you whether. 
 
 1. And a time of fulness it will be, I know, in a sense \ of 
 fulness of bread, of fulness of bravery, of fulness of sport 
 and pastime ; and this it may be. And it hath been ever a 
 joyful time in appearance, for it should be so. " With the 
 joy," saith Esay a verse or two before Puer natus est nobis ^ 
 " unto us a Child is born," " that men rejoice with in 
 harvest." (Isa. ix. 3.) Not to go from our text here, with 
 the joy of men that are come out of prison, have escaped 
 the law ; with the joy of men that have got the reversion of 
 a goodly heritage. Only, that we forget not the principal ; 
 that this outward joy eat not up, evacuate not our spiritual 
 joy proper to the feast ; that we have in mind in the midst 
 of our mirth the cause of it, Christ's sending, and the 
 benefits that come thereby. And it shall be a good sign 
 unto us if we can thus rejoice, if this our joy can be full, 
 if we can make a spiritual blessing the object of our 
 mirth. Beatus populus qui scit juhilationem^ " Blessed is the 
 people that can rejoice on this manner." (Ps. Ixxxix. 15). 
 
 2. And after our joyfulness or fulness of joy, our fulness 
 of thanks or thankfulness is to ensue ; for with that fulness 
 we are to celebrate it likewise. Our minds first, and then 
 our mouths, to be filled with blessing, and praise, and 
 thanks to Him, That hath made our times not to fall into 
 those empty ages of the world, but to fall within this " ful- 
 ness of time," which " so many Kings and Prophets desired 
 to have lived in," (Luke x. 24), but fell short of; and lived 
 then when the times were full of shadows, and promises, 
 and nothing else. How instantly they longed to have held 
 such a feast, to have kept a Christmas, it is evident by 
 David's Inclina CcbIos, (Ps. cxliv. 5), by Esay's Utinam 
 disrumpas Ccelos, (Isa. Ixiv. i), " Bow the Heavens," and 
 " Break the Heavens : " how much, I say, they longed for 
 it ; and therefore, that we make not light account of it. 
 
 To render our thanks then, and to remember to do it 
 fully, to forget none ; to Him that was sent, and to Him 
 that "sent;" ''sent His Son" in this, "the Spirit of His 
 Son " in the next verse. To begin with Osculamini Filiu77t^ 
 it is the first duty enjoined us this day, to " kiss the Babe," 
 (Ps. ii. 12), new born, That when His Father would send 
 Him, said, Ecce venio, (Ps. xl. 7), so readily ; and when He 
 
Sermon IV. 6i 
 
 would make Him, was content with Corpus aptasti Mihi, to 
 have a body made Him, meet for Him to suffer in ; who 
 wiUingly yielded to be our Shilo, (Gen. xhx. lo) — to this 
 ttTsffrg/Xs here ; yea, to be not only Christ but an Apostle 
 for us, even " the Apostle of our profession." (Heb. iii. i). 
 
 And not to Him that was sent and made alone ; but to 
 the Father that sent Him, and to the Holy Ghost that made 
 Him, as by Whom He was conceived. To the Father for 
 His mission, the Son for His redemption, the Holy Ghost 
 for His adoption ; for by Him it is wrought. He that made 
 Him Son of Man, doth likewise regenerate us to the state 
 of the sons of God. And this for our thankfulness. 
 
 3. And to these two, to make the measure full, to join 
 the fulness of duty, even whatsoever dutiful-minded persons 
 may yield to a bountiful-minded and a bountiful-handed 
 Benefactor. And with this to begin, to consecrate this first 
 day of this fulness of time even with our service to Him at 
 the full ; which is then at the full when no part is missing, 
 when all our duties of preaching, and praying, of hymns, of 
 offering, of Sacrament and all, meet together. No fulness 
 there is of our Liturgy or public solemn Service, without 
 the Sacrament. Some part, yea the chief part is wanting, if 
 that be wanting. But our thanks are surely not full without 
 the Holy Eucharist, which is by interpretation, thanksgiving 
 itself. Fully we cannot say. Quid retribuam Domino P but 
 we must answer, Calicem saltutaris accipiani, " we will take 
 the Cup of salvation," (Ps. cxvi. 12, 13), and with it in our 
 hands give thanks to Him, render Him our true Eucharist, 
 or real thanksgiving indeed. In which Cup is the Blood 
 not only of our redemption, of the covenant that freeth us 
 from the Law and maketh the destroyer pass over us ; but 
 of our adoption, of the New Testament also which entitles 
 us and conveys unto us, testament-wise or by way of legacy, 
 the estate we have in the joy and bliss of His Heavenly 
 Kingdom whereto we are adopted. (Mat. xvi. 28). We are 
 then made partakers of Him, and with Him of both these 
 His benefits. We there are made " to drink of the spirit," 
 (i Cor. xii. 13), "by which we are sealed to the day of our 
 redemption," (Eph. iv. 30), and adoption both. So that our 
 freeing from, under the Law, our investiture into our new 
 adopted state, are not fully consummate without it. 
 
 And what? Shall this be all? No, when this is done, 
 
62 Of the Nativity. 
 
 there is allowance of twelve days more for this ''fulness of 
 time ; " that we shrink not up our duty then into this day 
 alone, but in the rest also remember to redeem some part 
 of the day, to adopt some hour at the least, to bethink our- 
 selves of the duty the time calleth to us for ; that so, we 
 have not Job's dies vacnos, " no day quite empty " in this 
 fulness of time. Hereof assuring ourselves, that what we 
 do in this " fulness of time " will have full acceptance at His 
 hands. It is the time of His birth, which is ever a time, as 
 accepted, so of accepting, (2 Cor. vi. 2); wherein, what is 
 done will be acceptably taken to the full — fully accepted, 
 and fully rewarded by Him, " of Whose fulness we all re- 
 ceive," (Joh. i. 16); with this condition *' of grace for 
 grace," ever one grace for another. 
 
 And so, growing from grace to grace, finally from this 
 " fulness " we shall come to be partakers of another yet be- 
 hind, to which we aspire. For all this is but " the fulness 
 of time." But that, the fulness of eternity, when time shall 
 be run out and his glass empty, et tempiis non erit amplius, 
 (Rev. X. 6), which is at His next sending. For yet once 
 more shall God send Him, and He come again. At which 
 coming we shall then indeed receive the fulness of our re- 
 demption, not from the Law — that we have already — but 
 from corruption to which our bodies are yet subject, and 
 receive the full fruition of the inheritance whereto we are 
 here but adopted. And then it will be perfect, complete, 
 absolute fulness indeed, when we shall all be filled with " the 
 fulness of Him that filleth all in all." (Eph. i. 23.) For so 
 shall all be, when nothing shall be wanting in any ; for 
 "God shall be all in all." (i Cor. xv. 28,) Not as here 
 He is, something and but something in every one ; but then, 
 omnia in omnibus. And then, the measure shall be so full 
 as it cannot enter into us, we cannot hold it. We must 
 enter into it; Intra iji gaudium Domini tui. (Mat. xxv. 21.) 
 
 To this we aspire, and to this in the fulness appointed of 
 every one of our times Almighty God bring us by Him, and 
 for His sake. That in this " fulness of time " was sent to 
 work it for us in His Person; and work it in us by the 
 operation of His blessed Spirit. To Whom, &c. 
 
Sermon V. 63 
 
 SERMON V. 
 
 A Sermon Preached before the King's Majesty, at 
 Whitehall, on Tuesday, the Twenty-fifth day of 
 December, a.d. mdcx., being Christmas-day. 
 
 The Angel said unto them, be not afraid ; for behold, I bring 
 you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 
 
 That there is born unto you this day a Saviour, Which is 
 Christ the Lord, in the city of David. Luke ii. 10, 11. 
 
 [Et dixit illis Angelus : Nolite H?nere : ecce enim evangelizo vobis 
 
 gaudium niagntun, qnod erit omni popiilo : 
 Quia natus est vobis hodie Salvator, Qui est Chris tus Donmius vi 
 
 civitate David. Latin Vulg.] 
 
 THERE is a word in this text, and it is hodie, by virtue 
 whereof this day may seem to challenge a special 
 property in this text, and this text in this day. Christ was 
 born, is true any day ; but this day Christ was born, never 
 but to-day only. For of no day in the year can it be said 
 hodie natus but of this. By which word the Holy Ghost 
 may seem to have marked it out, and made it the peculiar 
 text of the day. 
 
 Then it will not be amiss, donee cognominatur hodie, as the 
 Apostle speaketh, "while it is called to-day," (Heb. iii. 13), 
 to hear it. To-morrow the word hodie will be lost ; this day 
 and not any day else it is in season. Let us then hear it 
 this day which we can hear no day besides. 
 
 It is then the first report, the very first news that came, 
 as this day, of that which maketh this day so high a feast ; 
 the birth of Christ. 
 
 It came by an Angel then ; no man was meet to be the 
 messenger of it. And look, how it came then so it should 
 come still, and none but an Angel bring it, as more fit for 
 the tongues of Angels than of men. Yet since God hath 
 allowed sinful men to be the reporters of it at the second 
 hand, and the news never the worse ; for that good news is 
 good news and welcome by any, though the person be but 
 even a foul leper that brings it, (2 Kings vii. 9) ; yet, that 
 the meanness of the messenger offend us not, ever we are 
 to remember this ; be the party who he will that brings it, 
 the news of Christ's birth is a message for an Angel. 
 
 This had been news for the best prince in the earth. 
 
64 Of the Nativity. 
 
 That these Hits here, these parties were shepherds, that this 
 message came to them, needs not seem strange. It found 
 none else at the time to come to ; the Angel was glad to 
 find any to tell it to, even to tell it the first he could meet 
 withal j none were then awake, none in case to receive it 
 but a sort of poor shepherds, and to them he told it. 
 
 Yet it fell not out amiss that shepherds they were ; the 
 news fitted them well. It well agreed to tell shepherds of 
 the yeaning of a strange Lamb, such a Lamb as should 
 "take away the sins of the world," (John i. 29); such a 
 Lamb as they might " send to the Ruler of the world for 
 a present," mitte Agmim Domiiiatori terra. — Esay's Lamb. 
 (Isa. xvi. I.) Or, if ye will, to tell shepherds of the birth of 
 a Shepherd, Ezekiel's Shepherd ; Ecce sitscitabo vobis Pas- 
 torem, " Behold, I will raise you a Shepherd," (Ezek. xxxiv. 
 23); "the Chief Shepherd," (i Peter v. 4), "the Great 
 Shepherd," (Heb. xiii. 20), and "the Good Shepherd that 
 gave His life for His flock." (John x. 11.) And so it was 
 not unfit news for the persons to whom ifc came. 
 
 For the manner ; the Angel delivereth it evangelizando, 
 * church-wise,' and that was a sign this place should ever be 
 the exchange for this news. Church-wise, I say, for he doth 
 it by a sermon, here at this verse ; and then by hymn or 
 anthem after, at the 14th verse. A sermon; the Angel 
 himself calls it so, evangelizo vobis, ' I come to evangelize, 
 to preach you a gospel ; ' that first. And presently after he 
 had done his sermon, there is the hymn, Gloria in excehis^ 
 taken up by the choir of Heaven. An Angel makes the 
 one ; a multitude of Angels sing the other. The whole 
 service of this day, the sermon, the anthem, by Angels, all. 
 
 Now the end of both sermon and anthem, and of the 
 Angels in publishing it, and of the shepherds and us in 
 hearing it, is gaiidium, "joy," for the benefit and honour; 
 gaudiimi magmifn, "great joy," for the great benefit and 
 great honour vouchsafed our nature and us this day. "Joy " 
 is in the text, and if joy be in the time, it is no harm. We 
 keep the text, if we hold the time with joy, for so the Angel 
 doth warrant us to hold it. 
 
 Of this angelical or evangelical message, or, as not I but 
 the Angel calleth it, sermon, these two verses I have read 
 are a part. Whereof the former is but an ecce, exciting them 
 to hear it by magnifying the message as well worth their 
 
Sermon V. 65 
 
 hearing, " Be not afraid, for behold I bring you good tidings 
 of great joy, which shall be to all people." The latter 
 is the very message itself, " that there is born unto you 
 this day a Saviour, Which is Christ the Lord, in the city of 
 David." 
 
 I. In the former are these points ; i. '' Fear not," it is no 
 ill news I bring you. 2. Nay, it is "good news." 3. Good, 
 for it is "news of joy." 4. Joy, and that no ordinary but 
 " great joy." 5. Not to some few, but " to the whole 
 people." 6. And not toH populo^ * to all one people,' but 
 omni populOj " to all people whatsoever." 7. And them, not 
 for the present, but quod erit omni populo^ "that is and so 
 shall be to all, as long as there shall be any people upon 
 earth." And by virtue of this qziod erit, to us here this day. 
 Ecce, " behold," such is the news I bring. 
 
 II. In the latter, the message itself. The sum whereof is 
 the birth of a Child, a Child is born. Three things are pro- 
 posed of Him. I. This Child is "a Saviour." 2. "A 
 Saviour, Which is Christ." 3. " Christ the Lord," Christus 
 Domi?ius. For every saviour is not Christ, nor every christ 
 Christus Domimis, " Christ the Lord, or the Lord Christ." 
 He is all three. 
 
 Then have we besides three circumstances, of the i. 
 Persons, 2. Time, and 3. Place, i. The persons for whom 
 all this is, twice repeated; i. evangelizo vobis in the first 
 verse, 2. natus vobis in the second. But this I make some 
 doubt of whether it be a circumstance or no ; I rather hold 
 it a principal part of the substance, as the word of convey- 
 ance whereby it passeth to us. And sure there is no joy 
 either in evangelizo ' the message,' or natus ' the birth ' .with- 
 out it, without vobis. But if the message and the birth 
 itself both be ours, then it is gaudiimi magnum indeed. 
 Specially, if we add 2. the time when, not many days 
 hence, but even this very day. And 3. the place where, 
 that it is in no remote region far hence, but " in the city 
 of David," even here hard by. 
 
 III. And then lastly in a word ; what our parts are to 
 perform, to these two parts, i. this day's message, and 2. 
 this day's birth of our " Saviour Christ the Lord." 
 
 I. "Be not afraid." Here is a stop, that the message 
 cannot proceed ; for the sight of the messenger hath almost 
 marred the hearing of the message. The parties to whom 
 
66 Of the Nativity. 
 
 it comes be in such fear as they be not in case to receive it. 
 "They were afraid," and that "sore afraid," as is said in the 
 verse before, at the sight of the Angel that came with the 
 news. 
 
 And this was not the case of these poor men only ; 
 others, and other manner of people were so, as well as they. 
 This Gospel of St. Luke is scarce begun, we are yet but a 
 little way in the second chapter, and we have already three 
 noli timeres in it; and all, as here, at the coming of an 
 Angel. I. " Fear not, Zachary." (chap. i. 13.) So he was 
 afraid. 2. "Fear not, Mary." (chap. i. 30.) So she was 
 afraid. 3. And now " Fear not " these here, that it seems 
 to be general to fear at an Angel's appearing. 
 
 What was it? It was not the fear of an evil conscience ; 
 they were about no harm. Zachary was at Church at his 
 office ; the blessed Virgin, I doubt not, blessedly employed ; 
 these here doing their duty, " watching over their flocks by 
 night ; " yet feared all. What should the matter be ? It is 
 a plain sign our nature is fallen from her original ; Heaven 
 and we are not in the terms we should be, not the best of 
 us all. 
 
 Angels are the messengers of Heaven. Messengers ever 
 come with tidings, but whether good or bad we cannot tell. 
 Here comes an Angel with news from Heaven ; what news 
 he brings we know not, and therefore we fear because we 
 know not. Which shews all is not well between Heaven 
 and us, that upon every coming of an Angel we promise 
 ourselves no better news from thence, but still are afraid of 
 the messages and messengers that come from that place. 
 
 That the message then may proceed, this fear must be 
 removed. In a troubled water no face will well be seen, 
 nor by a troubled mind no message received, till it be 
 settled. To settle them then for it; no other way, no 
 other word to begin with but nolite tifuere, " fear not," and 
 that is ever the Angel's beginning. Such is our infirmity, 
 ever he must begin with these two words, no/i timere^ " fear 
 not ; " and so he doth seven times in this Gospel. 
 
 But fear will not be cast out with a couple of words, till they 
 see some reason to quiet them. And no better reason, than 
 to shew they have no reason to fear. For fear is the ex- 
 pectation of evil, and there is no evil toward them ; and so 
 they have no reason to fear, quod trepidaverunt timore nbi 
 
Sermon V, 6y 
 
 non erat iimor. (Ps. liii. 5.) As if he should say, Angels 
 have come with weeping news, as Judges ii. i. If I were 
 such an one, if I came with sad tidings, ye had reason, ye 
 might fear. But now your terror groweth out of error. 
 You are mistaken in me, I am no such Angel ; I am Angelus 
 evangelizans, ' an Angel with a Gospel,' one that comes with 
 no bad news. " Fear not " then. There is no evil toward. 
 
 No evil ; and that were enough for " fear not." But here 
 is a farther matter ; not only privative^ ' I bring no ill,' but 
 positive^ "I bring you good news." And good news is 
 nolite timere and somewhat besides, that is, " fear not " but 
 be of good cheer. They be two degrees plainly, though 
 one be inferred of the other. Fear no ill, there is none to 
 fear ; there is no ill, nay there is good towards. For good 
 news is good, in that it represents the good itself to us 
 before it come. It is but words. True — but such words 
 made Jacob "revive again," (Gen. xlv. 27) when he was 
 more than half dead, even the good news of Joseph's wel- 
 fare. " If I might but hear good tidings," saith David, 
 when his bones were broken, "it would make me well 
 again," (Ps. li. 8) ; that Solomon said well, " A good 
 messenger is a good medicine." (Pro. xiii. 17.) 
 
 Specially, this here which is so good as it carrieth away 
 the name from the rest, to be called the Gospel or the glad 
 tidings, as if none so glad, nay none glad at all without it. 
 It is, saith the Apostle, odor suavitatis, " sl comfortable 
 sweet savour." (2 Cor. ii. 15.) It is, saith the Wise Man, 
 didcedo ani7ncB, et sanitas ossiwn, " the sweetness of the soul, 
 the very health of the bones." (Pro. xvi. 24.) It is such, 
 saith the Prophet, (Isa. lii. 7), "as the lips are precious, and 
 the feet beautiful, of them that bring it," that a Saviour is 
 born, as by Whom " things in Heaven and things in earth," 
 (Col. i. 20), men and Angels — which were in fear one of 
 another — *• are set at peace, and love j " and " love casteth 
 out fear," (John iv. 18), giveth the true noli timere. 
 
 Good news of joy; for of good news there are more sorts 
 than one. Good news it had been, if it had been but evan- 
 gelizo vobis spem^ ' news of good hope ; ' that had been enough 
 for noiite timere. This is more, it is of joy. I wot well there 
 is a joy in hope, Spe gaudentes, (Rom. xii. 12), saith the 
 Apostle ; but that joy is not full, (John xvi. 24), " till the 
 fulness of time come." (Gal. iv. 4.) Nor it is not perfect, 
 
 c 2 
 
68 Of the Nativity. 
 
 for it is allayed somewhat with an unpleasing mixture, which 
 is spes differtur, and that, as the Wise Man saith, affigit ani- 
 majH, ''hope deferred afflicteth the soul." (Pro. xiii. 12.) 
 Gaudium spei is nothing to gauditmi ret ; the hope de 
 futuro, of a thing to come hereafter, nothing to the actual 
 fruition of a thing present. 
 
 And indeed, this day's news it was ever evangelium spei^ 
 ever in the future tense before. Even the very last before 
 this to the blessed Virgin, Ecce concipies, (Luke i. 31), "Thou 
 shalt conceive " — "Shalt." So it was yet to come. This is 
 the first in the present tense ; not, ' is to be born,' * is to be 
 sent,' * is to come,' but natus est, missus est, venit, " is born," 
 "is sent," "is come." Hodie, even "to-day" takes no 
 time; "in the city of David," not far hence, but even hard 
 by. This is evangelizo gaudium, " this is joy indeed." 
 
 But even in joy there be divers degrees. All are not of 
 one size. Some there are lesser; some as this here, gaudiu7n 
 magniLm. The fire is as the fuel is, and the joy is as the 
 matter is. There is not like joy to a shepherd when his ewe 
 brings him a lamb as when his wife brings him a son ; yet 
 that of a lamb is a joy, such as it is. But then if that son 
 should prove to be princeps pastorum, * the chief shepherd in 
 all the land,' that were somewhat more. But then, if he 
 should prove to be a Cyrus, or a David, a prince, then cer- 
 tainly it were another manner oi )Qy , gaudium magnu7n in- 
 deed. As the matter is, so is the joy. If great the benefit, 
 great the person, then great the joy. And here the benefit 
 is great, none greater ; as much as the saving of us all, as 
 much as all our lives and souls are worth ; therefore great. 
 And the person great, none so great — it is the Lord Him- 
 self — therefore primce magnitudinis, 'great even as He is.' 
 Indeed so great it is, that the Prophet bids us plainly " re- 
 member no more former things, nor regard matters of old." 
 (Isa. xliii. 18.) This passeth them all, the joy of it puts them 
 all down ; so that none of them shall once be mentioned with 
 it. Therefore well said the Angel, Evangelizo gaudium 
 magnum. ^ 
 
 And great it may be intensive, in the parties themselves ; 
 yet not great extensive, nor extend itself to many, not be 
 gaudiu?n magnum populo. Yes, even that way also it is great; 
 it is public joy, it is "joy to the people." And well fare 
 that joy where it is merry with all. It is added purposely 
 
Sermon V. 69 
 
 this, that they might not mistake when he said, Evangelizo 
 voMs, " he brought them good news ; " that though he 
 brought it them, yet not them only ; it was not appropriate 
 to them it was common to others. They had their parts in 
 it, but so should others have no less than they. And every 
 good shepherd will like it the better for that, will be pro 
 grege, and still prefer the joy of the whole flock. 
 
 In other joys it falls out as Esay tells, " multiply the 
 nation, and ye shall not increase their joy," (Isa. ix. 3) ; for 
 that which one wins another loses : but this joy, the joy of 
 Fuer natus est nohis^ in it " they shall all rejoice before Thee, 
 as men make merry in harvest, and be joyful as men that 
 divide the spoil." "In harvest;" and a good harvest all 
 the country is the better for. " At a spoil ; " wherein every 
 one hath his share. That is gatidium popidi, and such is 
 this. Well figured in the place of His birth, an inn, which 
 is dojniis populi, ' open to all passengers' that will take it up ; 
 juris picbiici^ ' wherein every one hath right.' Yea, and the 
 most common part of the inn. For though they sort them- 
 selves and have every one their several chambers, in the 
 stable (Luke ii. 7) all have interest; that is common. And 
 as the place public, so is the benefit, and so is the joy public 
 of His birth : Christmas joy right ; all fare the better for 
 this day. Salus popidi is the best, and so is gaudhwi populi 
 too ; and every good mind will like it so much the better 
 that all the people have their part in it. 
 
 And this were much, toti populo, 'to the whole people,' if it 
 were but one ; but it is onmi populo, say Theophylact and 
 Beda, that is, " to all people," which is a larger extent by far. 
 And if ye speak of great joy, this is great indeed, for it is 
 universal, it is as great as the world is great ; when not the 
 Jew only but the Gentile, nor the Gentile but the Jew, not 
 one people but all, keep a feast. And at this word onmt 
 populo, nee vox Jionii?ie77i sonat, ' it is not man that speaketh 
 now,' whose goodness commonly when it is at the greatest 
 extendeth no farther but to one nation ; but with God it is 
 never great, till it come to omni populo. " It is but a 
 small thing (saith He by Esay) to raise the tribes of Jacob, 
 or to restore the decays of Israel ; I will give a light to 
 the Gentiles, and a salvation to the end of the world." 
 (Isa. xhx. 6.) 
 
 As we said of the inn even now the place ^f His birth, so 
 
yo Of the Nativity, 
 
 say we here of the time of it. '■ It is well set down by St. 
 Luke to have been at the description of the whole world, 
 (Luke ii. i) ; for that was a meet time for the Saviour of 
 the whole world to be born, " the dew of Whose birth is of 
 the womb of the morning," (Ps. ex. 3) — the Psalmist in pas- 
 sion of joy misplacing his words, the meaning is, " His birth 
 from the womb- is as the morning dew" which watereth and 
 refresheth the face of the whole earth ; not Gideon's fleece 
 alone, (Judg. vi. 37), but the whole earth; not one part, 
 not the Jews only, no partition now but utraque unum, 
 (Eph. ii. 14), "one of two;" nay, one of all, (Eph. i. 10), 
 all recapitulate in Himself, and from Him as a centre lines 
 of joy drawn to all, and every part of the circle. 
 
 And we may not pass by quod erit, "which shall be," 
 which not only is but shall be. For by this word we hold ; 
 it is our best tenure. Not only to all that then were — then 
 had we been out — but that were or ever should be to the 
 world's end. 0?nni populo, "all people," is the latitude or 
 extent ; qtiod erit, " that shall be," is the longitude or con- 
 tinuance of the joy. Quod erit, that it should be a feast of 
 joy, so long as any people shall be to hold a feast on the 
 face of the earth. In a word, that same evangelium cetemuni 
 that St. John saw in the Angel's hand we now hear from the 
 Angel's mouth, " to be preached to every nation, kindred, 
 tongue, and people," (Rev. xiv. 6), that be, or shall be while 
 the world endureth. 
 
 So, if we read quod erit with omni populo. But some read 
 gaudiutn with quod erit, [gaudium quod erit)^ and make a note 
 of that ; the joy qicod erit, " that is and shall be." For com- 
 monly all our earthly joy is gaudium quod est, et non erit, 
 "that is for the present, but continued! not;" is, but shall 
 not be, like the blaze of a brush faggot, all of a flame and 
 out again suddenly in a moment. (Eccl. vii. 6). Gaudiimi 
 quod erit, " the joy that so is as it shall be still," is grounded 
 upon the joy of this day — Christ and His birth. Without 
 which our joy is as the joy of men in prison, merry for a 
 while, but within a while sentence of death to pass upon 
 them. Without which extrema gaudii luctus occupat, "the 
 end of all our mirth will be but mourning." (Pro. xiv. 13.) 
 All joy else is, but shall not be within a while ; at leastwise, 
 erit quando non erit, a time shall be when it shall not be. 
 Sed gaudium ^Meuvt nemo toilet a vobis ; "but My joy" — 
 
Sermon V, yi 
 
 Mine, grounded qn Me — " none shall ever take from you," 
 (Joh. xvi. 22); not sickness, not death itself. Other it shall, 
 this it shall not ; but now ye shall this day, and evermore 
 ye shall rejoice in the holy comfort of it. 
 
 And this is the magnifying of the message, i. No evil 
 news, " fear not." 2. Nay " good," be of good • cheer. 3. 
 '' Good news of joy," 4. " Of great joy." 5. " Public joy," 
 fo/t popiilo. 6. " Universal joy," ovmi populo. 7. " Joy to 
 all " that are or shall be ; and again, "joy which now is, and 
 shall be so for ever." 
 
 Now upon all these he setteth an ecce^ and well He may ; 
 and that is never set by the Holy Ghost but super res magnce 
 entitatis, ' upon matters of great moment.' But upon this 
 hill, upon the top of it that hath so many ascents, a beacon 
 would do well. For look, how many ecces in the Scriptures, 
 so many beacons ; and between them, as between these, ye 
 shall observe a good correspondence still. This ecce here, 
 to the last, Ecce coiicipies (Luke i. 31) of the blessed Virgin; 
 that, to Esay's Ecce concipiet Virgo, (Isa. vii. 14); that to 
 T>ZN\^s Ecce de fructu ventris tut, (Ps. cxxxii. 11); that to 
 Abraham's Ecce i?i semine tuo, (Gen. xxii. 18); and so up 
 till ye come to sei?ien mulieris. (Gen. iii. 15.) There they 
 first begin, and take light one from another, till they come 
 to the Ecce natus est hodie, the ecce of all ecces, the last and 
 highest of them all. And as a beacon serveth to call up 
 and stir up men to have regard, so is this here to excite 
 them, and in them us all, with good attention to hear and 
 to heed these so great good tidings. And indeed, who is 
 not excited with it? whose eye is not turned to behold this 
 ecce ? whose ear standeth not attent to hear this evangelizo ? 
 whose heart doth not muse, " what manner of message this 
 should be?" (Luke i. 29.) 
 
 IL This it is then, qttod natus est. The Birth of a 
 Child, "That there is One born this day" the cause of all 
 this joy. 
 
 There is joy at every birth. "Sorrow in the travail," 
 saith our Saviour, ''but after the delivery the anguish is no 
 more remembered, for joy that a man is born into the world." 
 
 But the greater he is that is born, and the more bene- 
 ficial his birth, the greater ado is made. And among men, 
 because there are none greater than princes, and great 
 things are looked for at their hands ^heir births are ever 
 
72 Of the Nativity. 
 
 used to be kept with great triumph. Pharaoh's in the Old, 
 (Gen. xl. 20), Herod's in the New, (Mark vi. 21); both 
 their tiaius ests days of feasting. 
 
 Now of him that is born here it may truly be said, Ecce 
 major hic, " Behold a greater is born here." (Matt. xii. 42.) 
 One, whose birth is good news even from the poorest 
 shepherd to the richest prince upon the earth. 
 
 Who is it ? Three things are said of this Child by the 
 Angel. I. He is "a Saviour." 2. "Which is Christ." 3. 
 " Christ the Lord." Three of His titles, well and orderly 
 inferred one of another by good consequence. We cannot 
 miss one of them ; they be necessary all. Our method on 
 earth is to begin with great ; in Heaven they begin with 
 good first. 
 
 First then, "a Saviour;" that is His name, Jesus, Soter ; 
 and in that Name His benefit, Saliis, * saving health or 
 salvation.' Such a name as the great Orator himself saith 
 of it, Soter ^ hoc quantum est ? Ita magnum est ut latino una 
 verbo exp7'imi non possit. * This name Saviour is so great 
 as no one word can express the force of it.' 
 
 But we are not so much to regard the ecce how great it 
 is, as gaudium what joy is in it ; that is the point we are to 
 speak to. And for that, men may talk what they will, but 
 sure there is no joy in the world to the joy of a man saved ; 
 no joy so great, no news so welcome, as to one ready to 
 perish, in case of a lost man, to hear of one that will save 
 him. In danger of perishing by sickness, to hear of one 
 will make him well again ; by sentence of the law, of one 
 with a pardon to save his life ; by enemies, of one that will 
 rescue and set him in safety. Tell any of these, assure 
 them but of a Saviour, it is the best news he ever heard in 
 his life. There is joy in the name of a Saviour. And even 
 this way, this Child is a Saviour too. Potest hocfacere, sed 
 hoc no7i est opus Ejus, * This He can do, but this is not His 
 work ; ' a farther matter there is, a greater salvation He 
 came for. And it may be we need not any of these ; we 
 are not presently sick, in no fear of the law, in no danger 
 of enemies. And it may be, if we were, we fancy to our- 
 selves to be relieved some other way. But that which He 
 came for, that saving we need all ; and none but He can 
 help us to it. We have therefore all cause to be glad for 
 the Birth of this Saviour. 
 
Sermon V. 73 
 
 I know not how, but when we hear of saving or mention 
 of a Saviour, presently our mind is ^carried to the saving of 
 our skin, of our temporal state, of our bodily Hfe, and 
 farther saving we think not of. But there is another life 
 not to be forgotten, and greater the dangers, and the de- 
 struction there more to be feared than of this here, and it 
 would be well sometimes we were remembered of it. Be- 
 sides our skin and flesh a soul we have, and it is our better 
 part by far, that also hath need of a Saviour ; that hath her 
 destruction out of which, that hath her destroyer from which 
 she would be saved, and those would be thought on. In- 
 deed our chief thought and care would be for that ; how to 
 escape the wrath, how to be saved from the destruction to 
 come, whither our sins will certainly bring us. 
 
 Sin it is will destroy us all. And to speak of a Saviour, 
 there is no person on earth hath so much need of a Saviour 
 as hath a sinner. Nothing so dangerous, so deadly unto 
 us, as is the sin in our bosom ; nothing from which we have 
 so much need to be saved, whatsoever account we make of 
 it. From it cometh upon us all the evil of this life, and 
 from it "all the evil of the life to come; in comparison 
 whereof these here are not worth the speaking of. Above 
 all then we need a Saviour for our souls, and from our sins ; 
 and from the everlasting destruction which sin will bring 
 upon us in the other life, not far from us, not from him of 
 us that thinketh it farthest off. 
 
 Then if it be good tidings to hear of a Saviour, where it 
 is but a matter of the loss of earth, or of this life here ; 
 how then, when it cometh to the loss of Heaven, to the 
 danger of hell, when our soul is at the stake, and the well- 
 doing or un-doing of it for ever ? He that could save our 
 souls from that destroyer — were not the birth of such an one 
 good news trow ? Is not such a Saviour worth a hearken- 
 ing after? Is He not? Is it then because we have not that 
 sense of our souls and the dangers of them, that we have of 
 our bodies ; nor that fear of our ghostly enemies, nor that 
 lively apprehension of the eternal torments of that place, 
 and how near we are to it, nothing being betwixt us and it 
 but this poor puff of breath which is in our nostrils. Our 
 carnal part is quick and sensible, our spiritual is dead and 
 dull. We have not the feeling of our sins that we have of 
 our sickness; if we had, we would hear this news with 
 
74 Of the Nativity. 
 
 greater cheerfulness, and hold this day of the birth of such 
 a Saviour with joy indeed. We cannot conceive it yet, this 
 destruction is not near enough to affect us. But in novis- 
 simo ifitelligetis platie^ " in the end," when the destroyer shall 
 come and we shall find the want of a Saviour, " we shall 
 plainly understand this," (Jer. xxx. 24), and value this 
 benefit and the joy of it as we ought, and find there is no 
 joy in the earth to the joy of a Saviour. 
 
 "There is born a Saviour," is the first. The Angel 
 addeth farther, " A Saviour Which is Christ." For, many 
 saviours had been born, many had God sent them that at 
 divers times had set them free from divers dangers of their 
 enemies ; Moses, from the Egyptians \ Joshua, from the 
 Canaanites \ Gideon, from the Midianites ; Jephtha, from 
 the Ammonites; Sampson, from the Philistines. And in- 
 deed, the whole story of the Bible is nothing else but a 
 calendar of saviours that God from time to time still stirred 
 them up. 
 
 But these all were but petty saviours, there was One yet 
 behind that was worth them all. One, that " should save 
 His people from their sins," (Mat. i. 21); save not their 
 bodies for a time, but their souls for ever, which none of 
 those saviours could do. One therefore much spoken of, 
 wished for, and waited for, a Saviour Which was Christ. 
 When He came they looked for great matters, as said the 
 woman at the well's side, (John iv. 25), for he was the most 
 famous and greatest Saviour of all. And this is He, "a 
 Saviour Which is Christ." He, of Whom all the promises 
 made mention, and He the performance of them all; of 
 Whom all the types under the Law were shadows, and He 
 the substance of them all ; of Whom all the prophecies ran, 
 and He the fulfiUing of them all ; He, of Whom all those 
 inferior saviours were the figures and forerunners, and He 
 the accomplishment of all that in them was wanting. This 
 is He; Jacob's "Shiloh," (Gen. xlix. 10), Esay's "Im- 
 manuel," (Isa. vii. 14), Jeremy's " Branch," (Jer. xxiii. 5), 
 Daniel's " Messias," (Dan. ix. 25), Zachary's Oriens ab alto^ 
 (Zech. vi. 12), Aggei's desideratus cimctis gentibus^ "the 
 desire of all the nations," (Hag. ii. 7), then, and now the 
 joy of all nations, a Saviour Which is Christ. 
 
 And what is meant by this term Christ? a Saviour 
 anointed ; iPr. fj,s m another place it is said more agreeable 
 
Sermon V. 75 
 
 to our phrase of speaking, a Saviour " sealed," (John vi. 27) 
 —a Saviour under God's Great Seal. That is, not as those 
 other were, saviours raised up of a sudden upon some occa- 
 sion, to serve the turn for the present, and never heard of 
 till they came j but a Saviour in God's fore-counsel resolved 
 on, and given forth from the beginning ; promised and fore- 
 told, and now signed and sent with absolute commission 
 and fulness of power to be the perfect and complete Saviour 
 of all. 
 
 And to be it, ex officio ; His office, His very profession, 
 to be one, that all may have right to repair unto Him, and 
 find it at His hands. Not a Saviour incidentally, as it fell 
 out ; but one ex pivfesso, anointed to that end, and by virtue 
 of His anointing appointed, set forth, and sent into the 
 world to exercise this function of a Saviour ; not for a time, 
 but for ever; not to the Jews, as did the rest, but even to 
 all the ends of the earth. So runs His bill, Venite ad Me 
 omnesj " come all," (Mat. xi. 28) ; and qui ad Me veneritnon 
 ejiciai7tforas, *'of them that come to Me, I will cast none 
 out." (John vi. 37.) Seruator omnium hominuni, "the 
 Saviour of all men," (i Tim. iv. 10), and as the Samaritans 
 said of Him, Servator inundi, " the Saviour of the world," 
 (John iv. 42), of Samaritans, Jews, Gentiles ; of kings, of 
 shepherds, and all. 
 
 And there is yet more particularity in this word Christ : 
 three offices did God from the beginning erect to save His 
 people by ; and that by three acts — the very heathen took 
 notice of them — i. Furgare, 2. Illumina7'e, 3. Ferjicere. i. 
 Priests, to purge or expiate ; 2. Prophets, to illuminate or 
 direct them ; 3. Kings, to set all right, and to keep all right 
 in that perfection which this world admitteth. And all these 
 three had their several anointings. Aaron the Priest, (Lev. 
 viii. 12), Elisha the Prophet, (i Kings xix. 16), Saul the King. 
 (i Sam. X. I.) In the Saviour Which is Christ, His will was 
 all should meet, that nothing in Him might want to the per- 
 fecting of this work. That He might be a perfect Saviour 
 of all. He was all. " A Priest after the order of Melchizedek," 
 (Ps. ex. -4) ; a Prophet to be heard when Moses should hold 
 his peace, fDeut. xviii. 18) ; a King to save His people, 
 " Whose name should be Je/iova Justitia nostra.'^ (Jer. 
 xxiii. 6.) David's Priest, Moses' Prophet, Jeremy's King. 
 
 And these formerly had met double, two of them in some 
 
76 ' Of the Nativity. 
 
 other ; Melchizedek, King and Priest ; Samuel, Priest and 
 Prophet ; David, Prophet and King. Never all three but 
 in Him alone ; and so, no perfect Christ but He ; but He 
 all, and so perfect. By His Priesthood to purge, expiate, 
 and " save us from our sins, being a propitation to God for 
 them," (i John ii. 2) ; by His prophecy to illuminate and 
 save us from the by-paths of error, '' guiding our feet in the 
 way of peace," (Luke i. 79); by His Kingdom protecting 
 and conducting us through the miseries of this life, till He 
 perfect us eternally by Himself in the joys of His Heavenly 
 Kingdom. Rightly then, " a Saviour Which is Christ." 
 
 Now, as in the name Saviour there was, so is there like- 
 wise joy in this name Christ ; and that, many ways : i. First, 
 that we shall hang no more in expectation, we shall be no 
 longer, Vihcti spei, "Hope's prisoners." (Zech. ix. 12.) 
 He that should come is come. The promised Saviour, the 
 Saviour Which is Christ is now born, and when spes becomes 
 res then our joy is full. 2. That now there is a saving office 
 erected. One anointed to that end, a professed Saviour to 
 Whom all may resort. We shall not be to seek, " there is 
 a name given under Heaven " (Acts iv. 12) whereby we may 
 be sure of salvation, the Name of Christ. 3. That to this 
 our saving we have the joint consent and good-will of all 
 parties, in this name Christ. Christ, that is, the Anointed, 
 what Person is He? The Son, the second Person. 
 Anointed by whom ? By the Father ( Quern unxisti) (Acts 
 iv. 27) the first Person. Anointed with what? With the 
 Holy Ghost, (Acts x. 38), the third Person. So a concur- 
 rence of all Persons in this Name, all willing and well-pleased 
 with the work of our salvation. 4. If we would be saved, 
 we would be saved undione^ ' by oil,' not by vinegar. Et 
 unguentum effusum Nomen ejus ; " and His name is Christ, 
 one that saveth by anointing." (Cant. i. 3.) 5. And if by 
 oil — there be hot oils — with a gentle lenitive oil. And the 
 oil which He useth, wherewith He is anointed, is the oil of 
 gladness. Gladness therefore must needs go with this 
 Name. Which oil of gladness is not for Himself but for us, 
 not for His use but for ours. So He saith Himself in His 
 first sermon at Nazareth, upon His text out of Esay. (Isa. 
 Ixi. i). The anointing, this oil of gladness, was upon Him 
 to bestow it upon us, and of us ; upon them especially that 
 through a wounded conscience were troubled with the spirit 
 
Sermon V. 77 
 
 of heaviness, to turn their heaviness into joy. Glad then 
 that He is come that by His office is to save, and come with 
 the good Hking of all; to save us by oil, and that the oil of 
 gladness. 
 
 And yet to make our joy more full the Angel addeth the 
 third. " A Saviour Which is Christ, Christ the Lord." For 
 neither is this all. He is not Christ only. We must not 
 stay there. For the name of Christ will agree, hath been, 
 and may be imparted to others besides. Many a king in 
 Scripture hath had the honour to carry the name of Christ, 
 but with a difference. The king, christus Domini, 'the 
 Lord's Christ ; ' He Christus Dominus, " the Lord Christ," 
 or " Christ the Lord." Consider then, how great this Child 
 is, (Heb. vii. 4), Whose anointed kings themselves are. 
 For if they be christi Domini, * the Lord's anointed ; ' His 
 they are, for He is the Lord. The Lord absolute, without 
 any addition ; ye may put it to what ye will — Lord of men 
 and Angels, Lord of Heaven and earth, and all the hosts of 
 them, Do7ninus Christorum, and Dominus Dominorum, 
 " Lord paramount over all." 
 
 But why the Lord? Because this name of Christ will 
 sort with men. Nay, as He is Christ, that is anointed, He 
 is man only. It is His name as Man, for God cannot be 
 anointed. But He that should save us would be more than 
 Man; and so, more than Christ Indeed, Christ cannot 
 save us. He that must save us must be the Lord. For 
 "such a Saviour it behoveth us to have," (Heb. vii. 26), as 
 might not begin the work of our salvation and leave it in the 
 midst, but go through with it and make an end too, which 
 the former saviours could not do. Formerly, ever their 
 complaint was, that their saviours, their christs died still, 
 and left them to seek ; their kings, and priests, and prophets, 
 dropped away still, for " they were not suffered to endure by 
 reason of death." (Heb. vii. 23, 24.) But this Saviour, this 
 Christ, because He is the Lord, " endureth for ever, hath 
 an everlasting Priesthood," Kingdom, and Prophecy, and so 
 " is able perfectly to save them that come to God by Him." 
 This is one reason,- why hither we must come at the last to 
 Christ the Lord, and till we be at it we be not where we 
 should. Else, our saviours will die and leave us destitute. 
 
 But the main reason is set down by Esay, Ego sufn. Ego 
 sum, saith God Himself, et prceter Me nan est Servator ; " It 
 
y^ Of the Nativity, 
 
 is I, I that am the Saviour, I am, and besides Me there is 
 no Saviour," (Isa. xHii. ii) ; none indeed, no true Saviour 
 but the Lord. All other are short, Vana salus hominis, saith 
 the Psalm, " Man's salvation is vain," any salvation is vain 
 if it be not the Lord's, i. Those christs that were not the 
 Lord could save but the body, and not one of them quicken 
 his own soul ; Christ that is the Lord can save souls and 
 bodies. His own and others both. Those christs that were 
 not the Lord, could save but from carnal enemies, with 
 arms of flesh ; He, from our ghostly enemies, even " spiritual 
 wickednesses in heavenly places," from Abaddon the great 
 destroyer of the bottomless pit; 3. They that were not the 
 Lord could save but from worldly calamities, could but 
 prune and take off the twigs, as it were ; He, from sin itself, 
 and so plucketh it up by the roots. 4. They that were not 
 the Lord, put it off but for a time, and after it came again 
 — temporal only. He for ever, once for all ; and is become 
 "Author of eternal salvation" (Heb. v. 9) to all that depend 
 on Him. And mark that word " eternal," for none but the 
 Lord can work eternal salvation. 5. They all had need of 
 a Saviour themselves, and of this Saviour ; He needs none, 
 receives of none, imparts to all, as being not a Saviour only 
 but Salus ipsa in abstracto, " Salvation itself," (Luke ii. 30) 
 as Simeon calleth Him " of Whose fulness we all receive." 
 (John i. 14.) To save may agree to man ; to be salvation 
 can agree to none but to Christ the Lord. To begin and 
 to end j to save soul and body from bodily and ghostly 
 enemies ; from sin the root, and misery the branches ; for a 
 time and for ever ; to be a Saviour and to be salvation 
 itself ; Christ the Lord is all this, and can do all this. Now 
 then we are right, and never till now. " A Saviour Which 
 is Christ the Lord." 
 
 But the name " Lcwrd " goeth yet further, not oniy to save 
 us and set us free from danger, to deliver us from evil ; but 
 to state us in as good and better condition than we forfeited 
 by our fall, or else though we were saved we should not save 
 by the match. To make us then savers, and not savers only 
 but gainers and that great gainers by our salvation, He doth 
 further impart also the estate annexed of this last title, even 
 whatsoever He is Lord of Himself. And He is " Lord of 
 Hfe," (Acts iii. 15), saith St. Peter; life then He imparts. 
 And He is "Lord of Glory," (i Cor. ii. 8), saith St. Paul; 
 
Sermon V. 79 
 
 glory then He imparts. And He is Lord of joy, ifitra in 
 gaudium Domini^ " enter into the joy of the Lord," (Mat. 
 XXV. 21); joy then He imparts. Life and glory and joy; 
 and makes us lords of them, and of whatsoever is within 
 the name and title of Lord. For having thereto a double 
 right, I. by inheritance as the Son, (Heb. i. 2), 2. and by 
 purchase as a Redeemer, (for " therefore He died and rose 
 again, that He might be Lord of all,"), (Rom. xiv. 9) ; con- 
 tenting Himself with the former, He is well pleased to set 
 over the latter to us, and admit us with Himself into His 
 estate of joint-purchase of Heaven, or whatsoever He is 
 owner of; that in right of it we may enter into the life, glory, 
 and joy of our Lord, and so be saved and be savers, and more 
 than savers every way. This also is in the word " Lord," 
 this benefit farther we have by it. 
 
 And now, if we will put together natus and Servafor, 
 Servator and Christus, Chris tus and Domimis, Dominus and 
 natus ; * born and Saviour, Saviour and Christ, Christ and 
 the Lord, the Lord and born ; ' take them which way you 
 will in combination, any of the four, then have we His two 
 natures in one Person. In Servator, His Godhead ; none 
 but God is a Saviour. In Christus^ His Manhood; God 
 cannot be anointed, man may. In Do7niniis, His Divine 
 again, "the Lord from Heaven." In Natus, His human 
 nature directly, born of a woman ; both ever carefully joined, 
 and to be joined together. When St. Matthew had begun 
 His Gospel thus, " The Book of the Generation of Jesus 
 Christ the Son of David," (Mat. i. i) — one nature. His 
 humanity ; St. Mark was careful to begin his thus, " The 
 beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God," 
 (Mark i. i) — the other nature, His divinity. But St. John 
 he joins them, Verbum caro factum est, "the Word became 
 flesh." (John i. 14.) Verbum, "the Word," there is Domi- 
 nus ; and caro, "the flesh," that is natus. 
 
 And even this very conjunction is a new joy. For that 
 such an one, that the Lord would condescend to be born, 
 besides the benefit there is also matter of honour. Even 
 that He, so great a person, would become such as we are, 
 would so esteem our nature as to take it upon Him — this 
 certainly is a great dignity and exaltation of our nature, and 
 it is matter of new joy that He would so highly value it 
 as to assume, associate, and unite it into one Person with 
 
8o Of the Nativity. 
 
 the Son of God. By this we see why *' a Saviour," why 
 ** Christ," why "the Lord." "A Saviour," His name of 
 benefit whereby He is to deliver us \ " Christ," His name 
 of office whereby He is bound to undertake it ; " the 
 Lord," His name of power whereby He is able to effect it. 
 We see also why Man, and why God. First, so it should 
 be, for of right none was to make satisfaction for man but 
 man ; and in very deed none was able to give satisfaction 
 to God but God. So that being to satisfy God for man. He 
 was to be God and man. Secondly, so we would wish it 
 ourselves : if we would be saved, we would be saved by one 
 of our nature, not by any stranger. He is born, and so one 
 of our own nature. Again, if we would be saved, we would 
 be saved by no inferior, but by the best ; He is the Lord, 
 and so the very best of all. And so, our desire is satisfied 
 every way. 
 
 This blessed birth of this " Saviour Which is Christ the 
 Lord " thus furnished in every point to save us throughly, 
 body and soul, from sin and destruction, and Satan the 
 destroyer of both, and that both here, and for ever— this 
 blessed and thrice blessed birth is the substance of this day's 
 solemnity of the Angel's message, and of our joy. 
 
 And now to the circumstances ; and first of the persons, 
 vobis ; " I bring you good tidings, that to you is born," &c. 
 
 We find not any word through all but there is joy in it, 
 and yet all is suspended till we come to this one word, 
 voMs ; this makes up all. This word therefore we shall do 
 well ever to look for, and when we find it to make much of 
 it. Nothing passeth without it; it is the word of applica- 
 tion. But for it, all the rest are loose ; this girds it on, this 
 fastens it to us, and makes it ours. But for it, we are but 
 in their case, Qtdd nobis et Tibi, " What have we to do with 
 Thee?" (Matt. viii. 29.) This "Saviour Christ the Lord," 
 in this good time and fit place, quid ad nos ? " what 
 are we the better ? " Omni populo, is somewhat too 
 general, and the hundredth part of them shall not be 
 benefited by Him. We would hear it in more particu* 
 larity. Why vobis^ "for you it is," born for you. Yea, 
 now ye say somewhat. 
 
 And twice it is repeated for failing, in either verse once. 
 Evangelizo vobis , and naius vobis, that ye may know the 
 message is yours, and the birth is yours; therefore the 
 
Sermon V. 8i 
 
 message is sent to you, because the birth concerneth you. 
 But yours they be, both. 
 
 May we then be bold to change the person, and utter it 
 in the first which he doth in the second, and say, nobis/ We 
 may sure — Fuer natus est nobis ; Esay hath said it before 
 us. (Isa. ix. 6.) And thereby heth a mystery. The Angels 
 they say, vobis : the Prophets were men; men say, nobis. 
 Bid the Angel say, nobis, he cannot — neither sing nor say 
 it ; Angelis he cannot, * to Angels,' {Nusqua?n Ange/os,) 
 (Heb. ii. i6); but /lominibus "unto men," (Luke ii. 14), he 
 can and doth. And this is a special high prerogative; 
 that which the Angels can neither sing nor say, we can 
 do both. 
 
 If then He be born to us, it is to some end. Esay tells 
 us what it is, when he expoundeth naius by datus, *' born 
 to us " by "given us." Born, to be bestowed upon us. And 
 if given us, bestowed upon us, then He is ours. Ours His 
 benefit. His office. His power. His benefit to save us. His 
 office to undertake us. His power to assure us. Ours, His 
 salvation as Jesus, His anointing as Christ, His dominion as 
 the Lord. And if He be ours, then all His are ours ; Omnia 
 Ejus nostra sunt, (Luke xv. 31); His birth ours, and if His 
 birth, all that follow His birth, ours too. 
 
 Now then, seeing He and they be ours, will it not be well 
 done to make our entry, to take seisin of Him and them, 
 and dispose them to our best benefit ? And how can we do 
 that better than as God hath offered Him to us this day 
 that He was born for us, so we reciprocally this day that He 
 is born offer Him again to God as the best pleasing oblation 
 that we can offer Him. To-day, as in the Temple alive for 
 our morning oblation ; and when the time cometh of His 
 death, offer Him as on the Cross slain for our evening 
 sacrifice. So shall we, as Bernard wisheth us, uti Nostra in 
 utilitatem nostram, et de Salvatore salutem operari, ' employ, 
 or make use of Him for our best behoof; draw His proper 
 extract from Him, and work salvation out of this our 
 Saviour.' 
 
 in. Now a word only, what is to be done on our parts 
 and that respectively to these two points, what we are to 
 return to them; what to this message, and what to this 
 birth. 
 
 To the message, Evangelizo vobis, this we are to return ; 
 
82 Uf the Nativity. 
 
 this is due to a message — to liear it. And that we do, and\ 
 this is all ; we come to the Sermon, we hear it, and little \ 
 we do besides. But we hear it but heavily, with a faint \ 
 affection, God knoweth ; we hear it not as an ecce^ as matter \ 
 of high admiration \ we hear it not as gaudium viagniim^ 
 with that alacrity and cheerfulness we should. We hear it ' 
 not as nobis^ as if it nearly touched us, but as a matter that 
 little concerned us, it skilled not much whether we heard it 
 or no. Many meaner things affect us more, but this should 
 be the joy fullest hearing that we ever heard. 
 
 And shall we not likewise perform some duty to natiis 
 est? Yes, even to that also. And not hear of Him, and 
 let Him alone ; hear His tidings, and let Himself go. 
 
 He was "born for us and given us," natus nobis and 
 donatiis nobis — both go together in the Prophet. To a gift 
 the duty that belongeth properly, is to receive it. If He 
 be 7iatus nobis and donatus nobis, I trust we will take order 
 He be acceptus a nobis. If " born for us, and given us," it 
 is our part then, we can do no less than receive Him. We 
 evacuate the gift, disgrace both the Giver and it, if we 
 vouchsafe not to accept of it. 
 
 How is that? how shall we receive Him? who shall give 
 Him us ? That shall One That will say unto us within a 
 while, Accipite, "Take, this is My Body," "by the offering 
 whereof ye are sanctified." (Heb. x. lo.) "Take, this is 
 My Blood," by the shedding whereof ye are saved. Both 
 in the holy mysteries ordained by God as pledges to assure 
 us, and as conduit pipes to convey into us this and all other 
 the benefits that come by this our Saviour. 
 
 Verily, upon His memorable days, of which this is the 
 first, we are bound to do something in memory, or remem- 
 brance of Him. What is that ? Will ye know what it is ? 
 Hocfacite, " Do this in remembrance of Me." 
 
 Something would be thought on " to return Him for all 
 His benefits," and this day for this first, the fountain of all 
 the rest — His birth. Some thanks would be rendered Him 
 for it. And how can we do that better than as we are 
 taught by him that studied the point of quid retribuam, and 
 resolved it thus ; no way so well as by accipiam Calice?n, 
 "I will take the Cup of salvation." (Ps. cxvi. 13.) And so 
 do it ; so, with it taken into our hands, " give thanks to the 
 name of the Lord." And when better than to-day, hodie^ 
 
Sermon V. 83 
 
 as we are here directed? What better day than on this 
 day, the very day He was bestowed on us ? To defer Him 
 no longer than He did us. He deferred not us at all, but 
 as soon as He was born sent us word the same instant ; 
 and shall we defer Him to hear of us another time, and not 
 be as ready on our part to receive Him instantly as He 
 was on His to bestow Himself; even presently, as soon as 
 He was born ? Sure, somewhat would be done more than 
 ordinary this day of His birth ; the day itself is more than 
 ordinary. 
 
 And le t this move us. If ever there be a day of salva-\) 
 tion, ecce hic est dies saiutis^ behold this is it when a Saviour 
 is born unto us. If ever an accepted time ecce tempus^ 
 acceptum^ behold, now it is, this is that time. The birth- 
 day hath ever been a time accepted. Then, one Idng 
 forgave the trespass of his servant and received him to 
 grace. (Gen. xl. 21.) Another^_being pleased, was ready 
 in his bounty to have given away the one half of his king- 
 dom. (Mark vi. 23.) Our Saviour Christ, our Lord, on 
 His birth-day will be no worse than they. His bounty then 
 no less than theirs. 
 
 Let us then make this so accepted a time in itself twice 
 acceptable by our accepting, which He will acceptably take 
 at our hands. Let us honour this day with our receiving, 
 which He hath honoured by His first gjving ; yielding Him 
 evermore (but this day, the day of it, chiefly,) our unfeigned 
 hearty thanksgiving for this so good news, for this so great 
 a gift, both of them this day vouchsafed us ; in Him and 
 for Him, Who was Himself the gift, our " Saviour, Christ 
 the Lord." To Whom, with the Father, and the Holy 
 Ghost, three Persons, one immortal, ever-living, invisible, 
 only wise God; be all honour, glory, blessing, praise, and 
 thanksgiving, this day and for ever. 
 
84 Of the Nativity, 
 
 SERMON VI. 
 
 A Sermon Preached before the King's Majesty, at 
 Whitehall, on Wednesday, the Twenty-fifth of 
 December, a.d. mdcxi., being Christmas- day. 
 
 And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, {and we 
 saw the glory thereof, as the glory of the only-begotton Son 
 of the Father), full of grace and truth. John i. 14. 
 
 \Et Verhum caro factum est, et habitavit in nobis : et vidimus glorlam 
 ejus, gloriam quasi unigeniti a Patre plenum gratia, et veritatis, 
 Latin Vulg.] 
 
 THERE is in the Old Testament, in the tenth of Ezekiel, 
 (Ezek. X. 14), and in the New, in the fourth of the 
 Revelation, (Rev. iv. 6, 7), a vision of four sundry 
 shapes, a man, a lion, an ox, and an eagle. It hath been 
 usually received, to apply these four to the four Evangelists, 
 and of them the eagle to St. John. The nature of the eagle 
 is by God Himself described by two properties, i. elevare ad 
 ardua, (Job xxxix. 27), no fowl under Heaven towereth so 
 high ; 2. and ubicunqite fuerit cadaver statim adest, (Matt, 
 xxiv. 28) ; none so soon or so suddenly down upon the body 
 as he. Both these do lively express themselves in St. John, 
 and no where more lively than in this Gospel. Wherein, as 
 an eagle in the clouds, he first mounteth wonderfully high 
 beyond Moses and his in principio, with an higher in principio 
 than it; beyond Genesis and the world's creation, (Gen. i. 
 i) : and "the Word was then with God, and was God." 
 (John i. I.) This may well be termed the eagle's flight, so 
 exceeding high as the clearest eye hath much ado to follow 
 him. Yet so far as they can follow him, the very philoso- 
 phers have been driven to admire the penning of this 
 Gospel. But after this, as an eagle again, {iibi corpus, ibi 
 aquila,) (Luke xvii. 37), down he cometh directly from the 
 height of Heaven, and lights upon the body of His flesh, 
 the mystery of his incarnation ; and tells us, that He that 
 "in the beginning was apud JDeum and Deus " — He " in the 
 fulness of time " was apud homines and hotfw. He dwelt not 
 long aloft, He knew it was not to purpose ; Verbmn Deus 
 is far above our reach. Verbum caro that concerns us. No 
 
Sermon VI, 85 
 
 time but it concerns us, but this time above others. This 
 feast is held, this assembly met, for no other end but to 
 celebrate the contents of the text, that the Word being made 
 flesh this day came to dwell among us. 
 
 Two parts there be in the text, sensibly parted by a par- 
 enthesis. I. That without the parenthesis is that he would 
 have us beHeve Verhum caro, &^c. II. That within is the 
 affidavit, vidimus &"€. In the former three things are 
 affirmed of the Word. i. Faduin a nobis ; 2. habitavit in 
 nobis ; 3. flenum pro nobis ; i. that the Word was made 
 flesh of us ; 2. dwelt with us ; 3. was full for us. 
 
 Then followeth the affidavit of these. That St. John, and 
 other more besides, saw, and so spake no more than they 
 knew ; nor testify no more than they had seen, (i John i. 2.) 
 The best proof that can be. They saw (though not the 
 Word Himself, yet) His glory : we saw His glory. And 
 that glory such as would suit with none but Him ; and so, 
 every way sufficient to demonstrate Him the only Son of 
 God. 
 
 And, after all this one more there is without which His 
 making, dwelling, and seeing, were to little purpose ; that 
 is, that as He came not obscurely but was seen, so He came 
 not empty but "full of grace and truth." (John i. 14.) 
 This fulness was not for Himself, but for us ; et de plenitu- 
 dine Ejus onines accepimus. 
 
 There is not any thing that concerneth this mystery, but 
 is within this text. His two natures, "the Word," and 
 "flesh:" I. "Word," divine; 2. "flesh," human. The 
 union of them in factum est ; union into a Person, in 
 habitavit ; habitare^ est personce. 3. Then, His office also — 
 sGK'/imGs, which is not only habitavit, but castrametavit in 
 nobis ; not only, took a house, but " pitched a pavilion in 
 us;" not. only, f actus incola, 'made our neighbour,' but 
 made a champion for us to undertake our quarrel and to 
 fight a combat. 4. And last, the benefit; "made," that 
 He might " dwell ; " and " dwell," that He might impart to 
 us, and w^e derive from Him, that whereof He was full, and 
 we were empty — we had need, and He had store ; " grace 
 and truth." 
 
 All reducible to these three: I. Quod Verbum caro; II. 
 Quid Verbmn carni ; III. Quid caro Verbo. I. ' That the 
 Word became flesh;' the mystery. II. 'What the Word 
 
86 Of the Nativity. 
 
 did for flesh j' the benefit. III. ' And what flesh is to do 
 to the Word again ; ' the duty. 
 
 I. We are in a deep point, and a dangerous. It will not 
 be amiss to pause a little on the three terms, Verbum, caro, 
 2ind, factum est. " The Word." i. There be that take this 
 name to be given Him, as who should say ; He, of Whom 
 so many excellent words are spoken all along this book, so 
 many words of promise and prophecy, and all of Him — so 
 the word, objective. 2. Others ; for that He discloseth to us 
 all God's counsel, even as the word openeth the mind of 
 man ; by Whom as His Word, we know whatsoever we know 
 of the Father's mind : so the word effective. 3. A third \ for 
 that he cometh not only as Jesus to save us but as the Word 
 to teach us, we as to honour Him so learn His word as the 
 way to our salvation : so the word prceceptive. 
 
 4. These are all well and true all, but all short. We may 
 have use of them, but there is a farther matter than all 
 these. This Word, as we find in the affidavit, is " the Only- 
 begotten of the Father." These two are one and the same, 
 but need to be set in two terms, that what is wanting in the 
 one may be supplied by the other ; (so high is the divine 
 nature above our reach as no one term is able to express 
 it ; it is well if divers will do it). In this they agree ; as 
 the Son is to the Father, so is the word to the mind. The 
 Son, Proles parentis; the word, proles mentis. They pro- 
 ceed both. The Son from the Father, the word from the 
 mind; and so note out unto us a party proceeding, a 
 second Person from the first; from Him that begetteth, 
 the Son; from Him that speaketh, the word; against 
 Sabellius. 
 
 The Son referreth to a living nature, the Word addeth 
 farther an intellectual nature ; generare est viventium., loqui 
 intelligentium ; that there is in Him not only the nature and 
 life, but the wisdom of the Father. 
 
 Both proceed. The Word sheweth the manner ; the Son, 
 the truth of His proceeding. With us the son is not begot 
 but by flesh, by propagation ; the Word therefore requisite 
 to shew His proceeding was after no carnal manner, but as 
 the word from the mind. A better term could not be 
 devised. For there is not in all the world a more pure, 
 simple, inconcrete procreation than that whereby the mind 
 conceiveth the word within it, by dixit in corde. For in 
 
Sermon VL 87 
 
 itself and of itself doth the mind produce it without help of 
 any mixture of ought, without any passion stirring or agita- 
 tion at all. Such was the issue of the Word eternal. But 
 then, lest we might imagine God's Word to be to Him no 
 other than ours is to us, not of our substance ; He makes 
 amends for that and tells us He is " the Only-begotten," 
 and so of the substance of His Father, (" very God, of very 
 God "), as all begotten sons be. The Word, to shew His 
 proceeding pure and merely spiritual; the Son, to shew 
 that for all that it is true and substantial. Truly consub- 
 stantial with the Father, as the Son ; but in all clean and 
 pure manner conceived, as the Word. 
 
 The Son though He be consubstantial, yet the Person of 
 His Father may have a being long before Him. The Word 
 makes amends for that. For the mind's conceiving and the 
 mind cannot be severed a moment ; if one be eternal, both 
 are. So then as the Son He is consubstantial, as the Word 
 He is coeternal. 
 
 But He begins with the Word. His care being first to tell 
 us of the pureness of His generation before of His generation 
 itself; but after, by Httle and little unfoldeth Himself and 
 tells. He is so the Word as the Son also. Indeed, it was best 
 beginning with the Word. That term the heathen wise 
 men, the philosophers, would never stumble at, but brook it 
 well enough ; as indeed they did not with approbation only, 
 but with high admiration, read and magnify the beginning 
 of this Gospel. Witness Tertul. in Apol., Euseb. in Prsepar., 
 August, de Civit. 10., and Theodoret. It was conform to 
 their reason. Quod Deus ab (zterno intelligit, and that N0D5 
 and Ao/o^, ' the conceiving of the mind,' and ' the mind ' 
 must needs be coeternal — the mind never without it; as 
 the Prophet saith, Egressus Ejus a diebus ceternitatis. 
 (Mic. v. 2.) This for the Word of much more that might 
 be said of it. 
 
 As the Word and the Only-begotten refer to One, so doth 
 caro and in nobis, flesh and in us; that is, such flesh as is in 
 us, human flesh, i. To express the union fully, a better 
 word could not be chosen. It is a part for the whole, and 
 the worser part for the whole of purpose. For in this case 
 our nature is best set out by the worser part. For this we 
 know; if the worse be taken, the better will not be left 
 behind. If He abhor not the flesh, of the spirit there will 
 
88 Of the Nativity, 
 
 be no question. More forcible it is to say, " He was made 
 flesh," than " He was made man ; " though both be true. He 
 vouchsafed to become man, nothing so much as to become 
 flesh, the very lowest and basest part of man. 
 
 Besides, from the flesh, as from Eve, came the beginning 
 of transgression — longing after the forbidden fruit, refused 
 the Word quite ; so, of all other, least likely to be taken. 
 The Word not refusing it, the rest have good hope. 
 
 But there is a kind of necessity to use the term flesh. If 
 He had said ' man,' man might be taken for a person. He 
 took no person, but our nature He took. Flesh is no 
 person but nature only, and so best expresseth it. And if 
 soul, it might have been taken, as if He took not the flesh 
 but mediante anima ; but so He did not but as immediately 
 and as soon the flesh as the soul, in one instant both. 
 
 Yet one more. It will not be amiss to tell you ; the word 
 that is Hebrew for flesh the same is also Hebrew for good 
 tidings — as we call it, the Gospel ; sure, not without the 
 Holy Ghost so dispensing it. There could be no other 
 meaning but that some incarnation, or making flesh, should 
 be generally good news for the whole world. To let us 
 know this good tidings is come to pass He tells us, The 
 Word is now become flesh. 
 
 Thus, why flesh; now, why the Word, flesh. Caro 
 Verbum was our bane. Flesh would be the Word; nay, 
 wiser than the Word, and known what was evil better than 
 it. If caro Verbum our bane, then Verbutn caro our remedy. 
 
 Surely, if the Word would become flesh, it were so most 
 kindly. The Word was Pars Icesa, * the Party that was most 
 offended.' If He would undertake it, if He against Whom 
 the offence was would be Author of the reconciliation, there 
 were none to that. It were so most proper. 
 
 But in another respect He were fit too. He had said 
 above, " all things were made by Him," (John i. 3) ; a kind 
 of meetness there were ut per qitein facta 07nnia per eumdem 
 refecta, (Colos, i. 16, 17), 'He that first made them should 
 restore them ; He that built, repair ' — so is best ever. 
 
 And indeed, sic oportet implere omnem Justitiam, "that 
 were the way to fulfil all justice," (Matt. iii. 15); if the 
 Word would take flesh. He might make full amends for the 
 flesh's fault in rejecting the Word. So is justice ; that flesh 
 for flesh, and not the. flesh of oxen and sheep but even that 
 
Sermon VI. 89 
 
 flesh that sinneth (our flesh) should sufi'er for it, and so 
 suff"ering make satisfaction to justice. 
 
 Why then, factum est caro, " the Word is made flesh ; " 
 this makes up all. Y or, factum est, ergo est; *He is made 
 flesh, therefore is flesh.' Fieri terminatur ad esse, * the end 
 of making is being.' And/^r modum naturce, (so is sysvsro, 
 the Greek word :) ' this being is natural ;' et nativitas est via 
 ad naturam, ' and nativity is the way to nature.' So, to be 
 born ; as this day He was. Veiiit per car7iem, sanat per 
 verbum, " that all flesh may see the salvation of God." 
 (Luke iii. 6.) '' Made" it was ; against Manicheus holding 
 that He had no true body; as \i factum had h^Qiifictum, or 
 making were mocking. Made it was, but how made ? Not 
 convertcTido, ' the Word converted into flesh,' as Cerinthus ; 
 or ' flesh converted into the Word,' Verbum caro facta est, as 
 Valentinus ; for the Deity cannot be changed into any thing, 
 nor any thing into it. Nor made concilia?ido, as friends are 
 made, so as they continue two several persons still; and 
 while the flesh suffered the Word stood by and looked on, 
 as Nestorius. That is cmn came, not caro; 'made with 
 flesh,' not ' flesh ; ' and never was one person said to be 
 made another. Nor made by compounding; and so a 
 third thing produced of both, as Eutyches. For so, He 
 should be neither of both. Word nor flesh, neither God 
 nor man. 
 
 But " made " He was ; St. Paul tells us how ; assumendo, 
 " by taking the seed of Abraham." (Heb. ii. 16.) His genera- 
 tion eternal, as Verbum Deus, is as the inditing the word 
 within the heart. His generation in time, Verbum caro, is 
 as the uttering it forth with the voice. The inward motion 
 of the mind taketh unto it a natural body of air, and so 
 becometh vocal : it is not changed into it, the word re- 
 maineth still as it was, yet they two come one voice. Take 
 a similitude from ourselves. Our soul is not turned into 
 nor compounded with the body, yet they two though 
 distinct in natures grow into one man. So, into the God- 
 head was the Manhood taken ; the natures preserved without 
 confusion, the person entire without division. Take the 
 definition of the fourth General Council : Sic factu7n est 
 caro ut ma7ieret Verbum, non immuiando quod erat, sed susci- 
 piendo quod non erat ; nostra auxit, sua non minuit ; nee 
 Sacramentum pietatis detrimentum Deitatis ; ' He was so 
 
90 Of the Nativity. 
 
 made flesh that he ceased not to be the Word, never 
 changing that He was, but taking that He was not ; we 
 were the better, He was never the worse ; the mystery of 
 godliness was no detriment to the Godhead, nor the honour 
 of the creature wrong to the Creator.' 
 
 And now, being past these points of beUef I come to that 
 which I had much rather stand on, and so it is best for us ; 
 that which may stir up our love to Him That thus became 
 flesh for us. 
 
 First, comparing factum with dictmn. For if we were so 
 much beholden for verbum dictum^ " the word spoken," the 
 promise ; how much more for Verbum factum^ * the per- 
 formance ? ' If for factum carni, * the word that came to 
 flesh,' how then iox factum caro, ' became flesh ? ' • 
 
 Then, taking factitni absolutely. The Word " by Whom 
 all things were made," (John i. 3), to come to be made 
 Itself. It is more for Him, fieri, ' to be made ' anything, 
 than facere, * to make ' another world, yea many worlds 
 more. There is more a great deal in this factum est, than 
 in omnia per Ipsum facta sunt; in ' He made,' than in " All 
 things by Him were made." 
 
 Factum est, with what He was made. For if made, made 
 the most complete thing of all that ever He had made ; made 
 a Spirit, for God is a Spirit, (John iv. 24) — some degree of 
 nearness between them ; but what is man that He should be 
 made him, or the son of man that He should take His 
 nature upon Him ! (Ps. viii. 4, and Heb. ii. 7.) 
 
 If man, yet the more noble part, the immortal part, the 
 soul ; what else ? There are some points of His image in 
 that ; it understandeth, it loveth, hath a kind of capacity of 
 the word. So hath not the flesh. It is res bruta, * common 
 to them with us ; ' neither able to understand, or love, or in 
 any degree capable of it. Make it the soul, " the precious 
 soul," (Prov. vi. 26) — so calleth it Solomon ; not the body, 
 "the vile body," (Phil. iii. 21) — so the Apostle calleth it. 
 Of the Word He said ever, vidimus gloriam Ejus, " we saw 
 the glory of It." Of the flesh we may say vidimus sordes 
 ejus, * we daily see that comes from it ; ' as non est vilius 
 sterquilinium, *on the dung-hill worse is not to be seen.' 
 Set not so precious a stone in so base metal. 
 
 But this is not all. If He must be made, for love of God 
 make Him something wherein is some good, for " in our 
 
Sermon VL 91 
 
 flesh " St. Paul saith " there dwelleth no good," (Rom. vii. 
 18) ; yea, " the very wisdom of the flesh at flat defiance with 
 the word." (Rom. viii. 7.) Make it somewhat else. For 
 there is not only a huge distance, but main repugnancy 
 between them. Yet for all this non potest' solvi Scriptura, 
 (John X. 35), "the Word was made flesh." 
 
 I add yet farther ; what flesh ? The flesh of an infant. 
 What, Verbum infans^ the Word an infant ? The Word, and 
 not be able to speak a word ? How evil agreeth this ! This 
 He put up. How born, how entertained ? In a stately 
 palace, cradle of ivory, robes of estate ? No ; but a stable 
 for His palace, a manger for His cradle, poor clouts for His 
 array. This was His beginning. Follow Him farther, if 
 any better afterward; what flesh afterward? Stidans et 
 algens, in cold and heat, hungry and thirsty, faint and weary. 
 Is His end any better ? that maketh up all : what flesh then ? 
 Cujus livore sanati, (Isa. Hii. 5), black and blue, bloody and 
 swollen, rent and torn, the thorns and nails sticking in His 
 flesh ; and such flesh He was made. A great factum cer- 
 tainly, and much to be made of. To have been made caput 
 Angelorum had been an abasement ; to be made minoratus 
 Angelis (Heb. ii. 7) is more ; but, to be novissiffius viroruni^ 
 " in worst case of all men," (Isa. liii. 3), nay, " a worm and 
 no man," (Ps. xxii. 6) ; so to be born, so arrayed, and so 
 housed, and so handled — there is not the meanest flesh but 
 is better. So to be made, and so unmade ; to take it on 
 and lay it off, with so great indignity : weigh it and wonder, 
 at it that ever He would endure to be made flesh, 
 and to be made it on this manner. What was it 
 made the Word thus to be made flesh ? Non est lex 
 ho77iinis tsta, ' flesh would never have been brought to it.' 
 It was God, and in God nothing but love ; dilexit with sic^ 
 (John iii. 16) charitas with an ecce, (i John iii. 1) ; fecit 
 amor ut Verbum caro fieret ; Zelus Domini exercituum fecit 
 hoc. (2 Kings xix. 31.) Love only did it. Quid sit, possit^ 
 debeat, no7i recipit jus amoris, * That only cares not for any 
 exinanivit, any humiliavit se, any emptying, humbling, loss 
 of reputation ; love respects it not, cares not what flesh He 
 be made, so the flesh be made by it' 
 
 '' And dwelt." Factum est is the word of nature ; habi- 
 tavit of person ; habitare est personce. And two there are 
 not. It is not habitaverunt ; therefore, but one person. 
 
92 Of the Nativity. 
 
 And habitavit is a word of continuance j that which was 
 begun m. factum, is continued in Jiabitavit. Not only made, 
 but made stay, made His abode with us ; not appeared and 
 was gone again straight, but for a time took up His dwell- 
 ing ; /<7^//^i- caro, factus incola. And this word concerns 
 this day properly. This is the day, the first day of habitavit 
 in nobis. Incarnate He was in the Virgin's womb, His 
 taking flesh could not be seen. But this draweth after it a 
 vidimus, dwelt and was seen visibly. 
 
 And this leadeth us to a third, conversatus est. Factum, 
 2C0i^ factum fa^niliare ; that He withdrew not Himself into 
 some solitary place, but was Verbu?n prope 7ios, " near us," 
 (Rom. X. 8), near neighbours to us. Habitu inventus ut 
 homo, "in His habit, and in His habitation, found as a 
 man." (Phil. ii. 7.) One might ask Him as they at verse 
 38, ubi habitas, "Sir, where dwell you?" and He invited 
 them to come and see. 
 
 And sGx,y}vu(js is not every dwelling, but a dwelling in 
 (f'/.7ivri, 'a tent' that is but for a time. Not a house to 
 stand for ever, but a tent to be taken down again. Which 
 as it sheweth His Tabernacle of the nature of ours, mortal ; 
 so withal, that He came but of an errand, to sojourn till 
 He had done it. A work He had for which He was sent ; 
 that being done. He laid His Tabernacle off again. 
 
 And even that work itself is in a/trivuffai, for it is a word 
 militare. Soldiers dwell in tents. As if He were now 
 factus caro, incola, miles, as if some battle were toward. 
 And indeed from the beginning, the very third of Genesis, 
 there was war proclaimed between the woman's Seed and 
 the serpent's. (Gen. iii. 15.) An enemy we had, strong 
 and mighty; had, and have still; not one, but many, a 
 whole camp of them. They had prevailed, and led us 
 away "captive under the law of sin." (Rom. vii. 23.) Dux 
 nobis opus est, ' a champion we stood in need of to rescue 
 us. And here we have One now, even Dux Messias (Dan. 
 ix. 25) as Daniel calleth Him. He, as this day, came into 
 the camp, set up His pavilion among us. The Tabernacle 
 of God was with men. He might not stay eight days in 
 the camp but He must take Sacra??ie7itu??i militare ; -so He 
 did. And the ceremony of it was to be stricken, and to 
 bleed some small quantity. So He was at His Circum- 
 cision, and after He performed the battle at His Passion. 
 
Serino7i VL 93 
 
 Where, though It cost Him His life, yet the victory fell on 
 His side ; " captivity was led captive," (Eph. iv. 8), and we 
 were delivered. His tent was but a forerunner to His 
 combat. This for His dwelling. Now the affidavit. 
 
 As the word habitavit pointeth us to this first day of the 
 feast, and His tent to the middle day when He undertook 
 our quarrel ; so vidimus now is proper to the last day, the 
 day of manifestation, or Epiphany. He dwelt; and not 
 invisibly or obscurely, but so as He might be and was seen. 
 Even this very first day, vidi77tus, might the shepherds say, 
 * we saw ' His Angels and heard them sing, and then went 
 to Bethlehem and saw Himself. Vidimus, might the wise 
 men say ; " we saw His Star in the East," (Matt. ii. 2), and 
 we are come to see Himself. This they might say, and 
 truly ; for these things were not done in obscuro. (Acts xxvi. 
 26.) But, as we said, this clause is the affidavit, it is 
 inferred as a proof. You tell us of His making, and His 
 dwelling ; quoinodo co7tstat ? How shall it appear ? Vidi- 
 mus is the best proof that can be ; " He saw it, was an eye- 
 witness of what He testified." (John xix. 35.) 
 
 And it is not vidi, but vidimus ; more eyes than one. 
 Not he alone, others more saw it besides him. " In the 
 mouth of two or three witnesses" — Peter, James, and he, 
 {vidimus) were in the holy Mount together, and saw Him 
 transfigured. (Matt. xvii. i, 2.) Nay, a whole "cloud of 
 witnesses," (Heb. xii. i), one hundred and twenty, saw 
 Him taken up into Heaven out of their sight, in the Mount 
 of Olives, (i John i. 3, and Acts i. 9.) Well might he say, 
 vidimus. 
 
 And that not per transennam^ * at a blush,' passing by ; 
 but had a full sight, looked well upon Him, at leisure ; did 
 it throughly, for a good time together. It is not o^c'v, but 
 kdacccQai^ the word whence a theatre is derived : as men 
 with good heed behold things there, so did we intentively 
 all the acts and scenes of His life. 
 
 But I ask, what saw they ? The flesh peradventure ; the 
 Word they could not see. He is God, and '' God hath no 
 man ever seen." (St. John i. 18.) True; that they could 
 not, yet His Glory they might and did. Which glory was 
 an infallible demonstration of His Presence there. " Through 
 the veil of His flesh " (Heb. x. 20) such beams He cast, as 
 behind those clouds they might know there was a sun ; as 
 
94 Of the Nativity. 
 
 that way only could He be made visible to the eyes of flesh, 
 which otherwise could not behold Him. 
 
 But it may be it was some wrong, this ; but such as was 
 seen in Moses', or in Stephen's countenance. He answers 
 that and tells us, It was not quasi servi, ' like a servant ; ' 
 nay, nor quasi fillip * like any adopted sons ; ' but this glory 
 was every way such as well might it beseem the Word or 
 only Son, but could agree to.no creature, though never 
 so glorious. To none but Him ; and so being pro- 
 priu77i quarto modo might be a medius terminus in a 
 demonstration. 
 
 And if you ask what that glory might be ? With a word 
 to say to the wind and storm, Obmutesce, (Mark iv. 39); and 
 to diseases, Volo. Mundare^ (Matt. viii. 3) ; and to death 
 itself, Tibi dicOy Surge. (Luke vii. 14.) His miracles they 
 shewed His glory, is expressly said in the next chapter, ver. 
 II. The star at His birth, the eclipse at His death, the 
 glory of His changing in the Mount; but above all, His 
 glorious Ascension, and receiving up into Heaven. All 
 which they saw, as being in the theatre all the while from 
 the epitasis to the very catastrophe. Therefore he tells us 
 here and again in his Epistle, he writes nothing but " what 
 he saw and beheld and even his hands had handled of the 
 Word of Life." (i John i. 3.) We may believe him ; he and 
 his contestes suffered many things for the truth of their 
 witness, and the whole world since hath believed this their 
 affidavit. Now are we past the parenthesis. 
 
 But what, is all that a vidimus ? nothing but a mask to 
 be seen ? came He only to make a glorious show to them 
 all ? No ; but as He came not obscure but was seen, so 
 He came not empty but full and was felt of them that 
 saw Him not. Vidimus is not all — a verse after there is 
 accepimus ; to see His glory they receive of His fulness, 
 they and we. 
 
 Many are the perfections whereof He is full. Two only 
 here chosen out, as two streams, i. Grace, and 2. Truth. 
 With them He cometh, with the fulness of them ; not of one 
 of them, but of both. Grace referreth to the Son, truth to 
 the Word ; grace is to adopt us, truth to beget us anew ; 
 for " of His own will He hath begotten us by the Word 
 of truth." (James i. 18.) 
 
 And these do very fitly follow after glory. Glory of itself 
 
Sermon VI. 95 
 
 terrifies and makes stand aloof, grace invites ; and His glory 
 is such as is full of grace. His mercy, as great as His 
 Majesty full out. A blessed thing it is when these two meet, 
 and they that are in glory are full of grace, too. It is not so 
 with every one that is in glory; but though there be grace, 
 unless there be truth too, all is nothing. For grace, because 
 it is plausible and pleaseth the people, it is affected ; there is 
 a taking on grace in face and phrase, but when all is done, it 
 wanteth sound truth. That is right grace that hath truth 
 joined to it. Verbum grattce^ and verhum charitatis both, and 
 it is both. Yea, verbum caro^ His word is not wind, it hath 
 flesh on it ; His truth is, as it were, the flesh of His grace. 
 Thus may be the consequence. 
 
 But of these two choice is made, as of those our nature 
 stood most in need of. Out of grace we were and without 
 grace, as sinners and in errors wandering up and down ; as 
 even the best of our nature did at His coming into the 
 flesh. This is the state He found us in when He came 
 among us. 
 
 Against the first, graiificavit 7ios in Dilecto, " He brought 
 us in grace again through His beloved Son." (Eph. i. 6.) 
 Gratiam pro gratia, (John i. 16), He saith after straight, 
 " For the grace His Son had with Him, He received us to 
 grace." 
 
 Against the latter, He brought us truth to set us in the 
 right way. Via, Veritas, et Vita, (John xiv. 6) — Veritas 
 between both — Via et Veritas, or Veritas Vice, ' the true 
 Way ; ' Vita et Veritas, or Veritas Vitce, the true Life that is 
 Life eternal. We cannot be without either. 
 
 This for our need. But within a verse after I find these 
 two set in opposition to the Law, and the Law to them ; as 
 if St. John pointed us whereto we should refer them. The 
 Law full of rigour, many threats, and curses in it — Christ 
 bringeth the word of grace, opposeth to that. (John i. 17.) 
 The Law full of empty shadows and ceremonies which truth is 
 set against ; Corpus autefn Christus, " Christ the very Body," 
 (Col. ii. 17), to Lex habens umbra7fi, (Heb. x. i) ; so, 
 requisite to quit us of the Law — the Law, the Word that 
 married flesh. 
 
 The bringing of these two together is a great matter ; and 
 
 together they must be. Grace, take it from truth, and it is 
 
 fallax, * but a vizor,' but a mere illusion. Truth, sever it 
 
g6 Of the Nativity. 
 
 from grace, and it is ingrata, * but an unpleasing thing.' 
 Grace and truth kept in sunder, and never met before ; but 
 when the Word and flesh met, then " did they meet and kiss 
 each other," (Ps. Ixxxv. lo), saith the Prophet, and doth with 
 a whole Psahii celebrate this meeting. 
 
 They must meet, and grace be first, as here. We shall 
 never endure the severity of His truth, unless grace come 
 before and allay it. But when grace hath brought us to Him, 
 truth will hold us with Him. By grace we shall accomplish 
 what truth requireth at our hands ; that so, receiving grace, 
 and walking in truth, we may come to the third and reward 
 of both, glory. 
 
 " Full " of them ; and the word would not be passed. We 
 find others full of grace, as His blessed Mother, (Luke i. 28), 
 and as St. Stephen. (Acts vii. 55.) Theirs reacheth not to 
 us ; none of them have more than serves for themselves. 
 For, the Spirit is given them but by measure, (John iii. 34) ; 
 \>Ml plenitudo vasis in them, * the fulness of a vessel ; ' if ye 
 take anything out to pour into another, it is the less for it. 
 But His is plenittido fontis, ' the fulness of a fountain,' which 
 is never drawn dry ; qui implet abyssuvi et non minoraiur^ 
 'fills a great pool and itself never the less.' Of which ful- 
 ness they all received, and He never the emptier. We shall 
 not need to go to any other storehouse, or help to supply 
 or fill up Christ with any other, as if He were but half full. 
 He is full, full of both. Our care is to be to make ourselves 
 fit vessels, and there is all. 
 
 II. Thus far, quod Verbum factum caro. Now, quid 
 Verbuni carni, the benefit, and that which the benefit ever 
 draweth with it, the duty, quid caro Verbol i. Factus caro 
 benefaciet carni, ' being made flesh He will be a benefactor 
 to it.' " No man ever hated his flesh," (Eph. v. 29), and 
 no more can He us, who are ' flesh of His flesh,' or rather, 
 He of ours. He seeth us daily in Himself, He cannot look 
 upon His flesh but He must think upon us. And God the 
 Father cannot now hate the flesh which the Word is made ; 
 which is now taken into one Person with His only Son, and 
 united to the Deity itself. If He love the Word, He must 
 love it too, for the Word is become it ; either love both, or 
 hate both. But love it certainly ; for, as this day, " when 
 He brought His Son " clothed with it " into the world, He 
 gave express commandment all His Angels should worship 
 
Sermon VL 97 
 
 Him," (Heb.i. 6), so clothed, and our flesh in Him — anew 
 dignity which is this day accrued to our nature, to be adored 
 of the blessed Angels. Our nature questionless is set in 
 high favour with God : God send our persons so too, and 
 all shall be well. 
 
 Besides, good hope we now have that He being now flesh, 
 all flesh may come to Him to present Him with their re- 
 quests. Time was when they fled from Him, but adfadtmi 
 carnemjavi veniet omnis caro. (Ps. Ixv. 2.) For since He 
 dwelt amongst us, all may resort to Him — yea, even sinners ; 
 and of them it is said. Hie recipit peccatores, et coinedit cuin 
 eis ; "He receiveth them, receiveth them even to His 
 table." (Luke xv. 2.) 
 
 A second hope, that seeing He hath made our flesh His 
 Tabernacle, He will not suffer this of ours — the same with 
 that of His — to fall down quite and come to nothing; the 
 same He dwelleth in Himself not to perish utterly; but 
 repair it again and raise it out of the dust. So that insuper 
 caro nostra requiescet in spe, " our very body may rest in 
 hope," (Ps. xvi. 9), to be restored again, and " made like to 
 His glorious Body." (Phil. iii. 21.) 
 
 A third ; that where it was, " Flesh and Blood shall not 
 inherit the Kingdom of God," (i Cor. xv. 50), it is reversed ; 
 flesh and blood shall, for flesh and blood already doth. It 
 is that St John is about to infer the former verse out of 
 this, viz., " to them gave He power to be made the sons of 
 God," (John i. 12): for, jEx quo hoc veruin est Filiwn Dei 
 Filium hominis fieri potiiisse^ nan est incredibile, 6^^. * Since 
 sure it is that the Son of God is made the Son of man, it is 
 not incredible but that the sons of men may be made the 
 sons of God.' Not incredible — nay, securitas nobis data est, 
 ' a kind of bond is entered, security given.' Seeing this 
 verse is true, so is the last, dedit potestatem, " He gave 
 power ; " and well might. Why ? For " the Word is made 
 flesh," and therefore flesh may have reciprocal hope to 
 be regenerate by the Word and adopted through grace, 
 and so exalted to the glorious dignity of the sons of 
 God. 
 
 And because grace and truth do this, we shall fail of 
 neither of them. He is full, and not for Himself; He 
 needs them not. He hath them for us, and hath sufficient. 
 Neither shall be wanting, if we be not wanting to ourselves. 
 
 D 
 
98 Of the Nativity. 
 
 His grace shall prevent us, and His truth follow us all the 
 days of our life. (Ps. xxiii. 6.) 
 
 III. So we see quid Verbum carni, what He hath done 
 for us : now our duty reciprocal, quid caro Verbo, what we 
 for Him again. If the Word become flesh, we to take 
 order that flesh of ours that the Word hath taken, we take 
 it not and make it ufia caro with you know whom, (i Cor. 
 vi. 1 6), or may read. God forbid ! Know ye not, "the 
 Word is become flesh " ? That flesh is then so be preserved, 
 that as he saith, ' We saw the glory,' so may we, * We saw 
 His flesh as the flesh of the only-begotten Son of God.' 
 Kept with such care, and in such cleanness, as it might be- 
 seem His flesh to be kept. And as much may be said for 
 habitavit, the house would be somewhat handsome, as hand- 
 some as we could, that is to receive Him. We blame them 
 that this day received Him in a stable ; take heed we do not 
 worse ourselves. 
 
 But the Fathers press a farther matter yet out of Verbum 
 caro factum; that we also are after our manner verbum 
 carnem facere, ' to incarnate the word.' We have a word — 
 we may do it too — which is the type or abstract of the very 
 Word, or wisdom of God ; and that is the word which is 
 preached unto us. That word we may, and are to incarnate 
 according to this day's pattern. That we so do. That 
 word is then incarnate, quando verbum in opus, Scripturas in 
 opei-as coiivertimus , ' when we do what is spoken or written, 
 and turn the vocal word into a real work.' The word with 
 us turneth to nothing but wind. To give it St. John's flesh, 
 and St. James' (J as. ii. i8) vidimus, make it both be felt and 
 seen. Especially, since our Saviour Himself saith, " He 
 reckoneth of this as His second birth, and of everyone that 
 so doth esteemeth as His Mother." (Mat. xii. 48, 49.) 
 That is the duty properly belonging to this day, the day 
 of His birth. 
 
 And to look also to habitavit as well as factum est. Fit 
 sometimes, sometimes somewhat * is done ; ' but Jton habit- 
 avit, it vanisheth again, it hath no state in us, it continueth 
 not in us, nor we in it. That it be not only, but remain. 
 By faith factum est ; dwell, by perseverance, the true free- 
 hold indeed. 
 
 And that this we may, to provide for the fourth ; to use 
 means, to draw from Him that whereof He hath such plenty, 
 
Sermon VI. gg 
 
 *' grace and truth." The breasts that are full have as great 
 pleasure in being drawn, as the child that draweth them. 
 Assure ourselves, it is so here. There is ?;iajus desiderium 
 deplendi in Him, than replendi in us ; more in Him to part 
 with, than in us to receive. And what means are those ? 
 To go to the word and flesh together. The word itself doth 
 well, and of the twain the word hath less cause to complain ; 
 but this at other times. But at this now, we are not to 
 content ourselves with one alone ; but since He offereth to 
 communicate Himself both ways, never restrain Him to 
 one. The word we hear is the abstract of Verbwn ; the 
 Sacrament is the antetype of caro, His flesh. What better 
 way than where these are actually joined, actually to partake 
 them both ? Not either alone, the word or flesh ; but the 
 word and flesh both, for there they are both. If we regard 
 habiiavit, this is a sure way, we have a plain text for it ; Qin 
 7nanducat cartiem in Me ?nanei et Ego in Illo^ " He abides in 
 Me, and I in Him." (John vi. 56.) If it be grace and truth 
 we respect, how may we better estabHsh our hearts with 
 grace, or settle our minds in the truth of His promise, than 
 by partaking these the conduit-pipes of His grace, and seals 
 of His truth unto us ? Grace and truth now proceeding 
 not from the Word alone, but even from the flesh thereto 
 united ; the fountain of the Word flowing into the cistern of 
 His flesh, and from thence deriving down to us this grace 
 and truth, to them that partake Him aright. 
 
 But setting them aside, the day " the Word was made 
 flesh " it is most kindly that a memorial be kept, as well of 
 the flesh as the Word. On the feast of their union, they 
 would be united ; the day they were joined by Him they 
 would not be sundered by any ; but we to celebrate both, 
 in honour of both. For, judge with yourselves how incon- 
 venient it is to keep a feast in honour of His taking flesh, 
 and even that day abandon His flesh, and never once take 
 it. Verbum et caro if ever to be joined, this day, the day of 
 their joining. Accordingly then, as well by the act to testify 
 and represent the Word's making flesh, as to procure He 
 may dwell in us ; and dwelling replenish us with His grace 
 and truth. And lastly, that we may hold this feast aright, 
 and do the duty that properly belongs to it, let us by both 
 do honour to both, that from both we may receive the 
 fruit of both ; — grace, to enable us ; truth, to guide us to 
 
 D 2 
 
lOO Of the Nativity. 
 
 the hope of glory. Not to that in the parenthesis^ that is 
 but vidimus quasi ; but to the other, videbimus sicut est, " to 
 see Him as He is," (i John iii. 2), and by seeing to be 
 transformed into the same image of glory. 
 
 SERMON VH. 
 
 A Sermon Preached before the King's Majesty at 
 Whitehall, on Friday, the Twenty-fifth of 
 December, a.d. mdcxil, being Christmas Day. 
 
 At sundry times and in divers manners, God spake in the old 
 time to our Fathers, by the Prophets : 
 
 In these last days, He hath spoken to us by His Son, Whom 
 He hath made Heir of all things; by Whom also He 
 ^ made the worlds ; 
 
 Who, being the Brightiiess of His glory, and the engraved 
 For?7i of His Person, and bearing 7ip all thi^igs by His 
 mighty word, hath by Himself purged our sins, aud 
 sitteth at the right hand of the Majesty in the highest 
 places. Hebrews i. 1-3. 
 
 [Miiltifariam, multisque modis olim Detis loqttens patribus in 
 
 Prophetis. 
 Novissime diebus istis lociitus est nobis in Filio, Quern constituit Here- 
 
 deni zmiversoriiin, per Qiiem fecit et sacula; 
 Qui cum sit Splendor gloricc, et Figura substanticB Ejus, portansqne 
 
 omnia verbo virtutis Snce, piirgationem peccatorunt faciens, sedet ad 
 
 dexteram majestatis in excelsis. Latin Vulg.] 
 
 JOT erunt novissimi primi, saith our Saviour, " And the 
 ■^ last shall be first," (Mat. xix. 30). And this text tells us 
 of a great prerogative of these last days above the first. Of 
 which last days, this is the first day ; the day of Christ's 
 birth. For, make a partition of the two times, oli7n, and 
 dies novissimi; and this day will be found to end olim, and 
 to begin dies Jiovissi??ii; to be the first day of these last 
 days; the very Kalends of Christianity, from whence we 
 begin our era, or Christian computation. 
 
 The dignity of this day, and ours in it, is here set out 
 two ways. First by a case of comparison— of comparison 
 between the times past and these now; between the Fathers 
 
Sermon VII. loi 
 
 and us. The point wherein is God's speaking, speaking to 
 both ; but in a more excellent manner, and by a far more 
 cfxcellent Person to us, than to them. The end ; that so we 
 might know, know and acknowledge, quce a Deo data sunt 
 nobis, " what God hath done for us," and done for us this 
 day. For all the diiference is in this day ; all the dignity 
 we have above them is by it ; that so we may be highly 
 thankful to God for it, and hold the day itself as an high 
 feast. 
 
 God is the same in both, He that speaketh to both. i. 
 Of old to them, 2. of late to us. Thus far, even ; they and 
 we. One God, one Speaker, to both. The odds; both 
 spoken to, but not both spoken to alike : not alike in 
 three points, i. Not in the matter, or parts, of which ; 
 2. not in the form, or manner, after which ; 3. not in the 
 persons ,by whom. i. To the Fathers He spake '7ro\\j- 
 fispuiy " by many pieces ; " not entirely. 2. To them, <7roXv- 
 rpo'rrcag, "after sundry fashions;" not uniformly. 3. To 
 them, by His servants, the Prophets ; not by His Son. 
 
 But when the Apostle cometh to rejoin upon these three, 
 he repeateth not the two first, but pitcheth only on the 
 Person ; that He, that the Person by Whom, is without all 
 comparison more honourable and excellent than the 
 Prophets, His servants ; (He will do as much to the 
 Angels by and by after;) that look, how much a son is 
 better than a servant, so much our estate above theirs. 
 
 II. This for the comparative. But then, fearing it 
 might be we would not conceive high enough of this Son, 
 or weigh Him as He is worthy, he goeth to it, positive; 
 and as it were sets up His arms, consisting of eight several 
 coats ; or proclaimeth His style, of as many several titles. 
 Which we may reduce to four several combinations, i. 
 "Son and Heir;" 2. "the Brightness and Character;" 3. 
 "Maker and Supporter of all things;" 4. "That purgeth 
 our sins, and That is set down in the throne." And these 
 again may be abridged to these two : i. what He is in Him- 
 self, 2. and what to us. i. In Himself, all the rest; 2. to 
 us. I. "Made Heir," 2. "purgeth our sins," 3. and so 
 cleanseth our nature, that, being so cleansed. He may exalt 
 it. For it is for us, and not for Himself, He taketh up the 
 place m.entioned, " at the right hand on high." 
 
 III. Then our duty ; bona si sua norint, * if we can skill 
 
102 Of the Nativity. 
 
 of our own good,' to find our estate greatly dignified by it ; 
 and, to honour this day, the beginning of this dignity to 
 us, wherein God gave His Son to speak viva voce unto 
 us, to purge our sins, and to exalt us to His throne on 
 high. 
 
 *' God in times past spake to the Fathers;" and His 
 speech was 'voXvfisprig, of many several parcels ; to several 
 persons, at several times ; some at one time, some at 
 another. And as the time grew, so grew their know- 
 ledge, piece and piece, of the great mystery this day 
 manifested. 
 
 *' God in times past," &c. " in many parts spake " con- 
 cerning His Person. First, one piece ; Man He should be 
 " of the woman's seed," That " should bruise the serpent's 
 head," (Gen. iii. 15); and, there was all. Then another 
 piece ; of what nation He should be, " of the seed oj 
 Abraham." (Gen. xxii. 18.) Then another yet; of what 
 tribe, " of the tribe of Juda." (Gen. xlix. 9, 10.) Then 
 again, a fourth piece, of what family; ''of the house of 
 David." (Ps. cxxxii. 11, 12, &c.) 
 
 So likewise God, in times past, spake of His offices. To 
 Moses one piece; He should be "a Prophet." (Deut. xviii. 
 18.) To David another; He should be "a Priest." 
 (Ps. ex. 4.) To Jeremy, a third ; He should be "a King, 
 and His "^dimQ, Jehova Jicstitia 7iostra" (Jer. xxiii. 5, 6.) 
 
 And, not to hold you long in this, " God, in times past, 
 in sundry parts spake " concerning this day's work. That 
 came by pieces too. One parcel to Esay, of His birth, (Isa. 
 ix. 6) : to Mica, the place of it, (Mic. v. 2) : to Daniel, the 
 time of it by weeks. (Dan. ix. 25, 26, &c.) So you see it 
 was by pieces, and by many pieces, they had it. Well 
 said the Apostle that "prophesying is in part," (i Cor. 
 xiii. 9); one may now in a few hours come to as much 
 as came to them in many hundred years. This for the 
 matter. 
 
 Now, for the manner. It was multiformis. " God," &c. 
 "many manner ways." 
 
 One manner, " by dreams in the night," (Job xxxiii. 15) ; 
 another manner, by visions. And those again of two 
 manners. i. Either presented to the outward sense, as 
 Esay vi. (Isa. vi. i.) Or in an ecstasy represented to the 
 inward, as Dan. x. (Dan. x. 7, &c.) Another yet, by 
 
Sermon VII. 103 
 
 Urifiiy in the breast of your Priest. And yet another, by a 
 small still voice, (i Kings xix. 12), in the ears of the Pro- 
 phet. And sometime by an Angel speaking in him. (Zecb 
 i. 9.) But most-what by His Spirit. And to trouble you 
 no more, very sure it is that as for the matter in many 
 broken pieces, so for the manner in many divers fashions, 
 spake He to them. 
 
 But then, if in rroX-oTpo-'ug you understand fropos, figures ; 
 then were they yet many more. The Paschal Lamb, (Exod. 
 xii. 4, 5, &c.), the Scape-goat, (Lev. xvi. 10), the Red Cow, 
 (Numb. xix. i, 2, tSic), and I know not how many, even a 
 world of them. Many they were, and tropes they were ; 
 shadowed out darkly, rather than clearly expressed. Theirs 
 was but candle-light to our day-light, but vespertina cognitio 
 in comparison of ours, whom the '' day hath visited sprung 
 from on high." (Luke i. 78.) This for the matter and 
 manner. Now for the men. 
 
 " God in times past spake by Prophets ; " and but by Pro- 
 phets He spake not, from Moses to John Baptist who was 
 the horizon of the Law and Gospel. I will not stand to run 
 through them all. And now, the Apostle when he is to come 
 to us " in the last days " — when he should oppose three more 
 to match the former three, he doth not ; but passeth by the 
 two first, the parts and the manner ; leaveth out To>vy/y.fpws 
 and '^roXvTpo'zog, and so insinuates thereby thus much ; that 
 He hath spoken to us entirely without reservation, and 
 uniformly without variation. But those two He waveth, and 
 insisteth only on this last, as the fairest mark of difference, 
 the Prophets and His Son. 
 
 The Prophets were "holy men," (2 Pet. i. 21), but men. 
 And there is a nature more perfect than that of man, even 
 the nature of God. And in the House of God they were 
 faithful servants, but yet, servants, (Heb. iii. 5, and Mat. 
 xxi. 35)'; and that we know, is but an imperfect condition 
 in comparison of a son. To us in the last days is given, 
 that what we have we have not from any Prophet, though 
 never so excellent, but from the Lord of the Prophets ; not 
 from any servant, though in never so great place, but from 
 the Son ; and, not from any of the sons of men, but from 
 His own Son, (Mat. xxi. 38), the Son of God. From His 
 mouth we have received notice of God's will ; He Himself, 
 ore temcs, imparted it to us. 
 
104 Of the Nativity, 
 
 But then, if any ask ; seeing " God in times past," and 
 " God in these last days," is the same God ; He that " spake 
 to the Fathers," and He that " to us," but one Speaker ; 
 why not by His Son at first ? I will give a reason, fit for 
 this place. A decorum was to be kept, and some kind of 
 correspondence with state. That as, at the proceeding of 
 a great Prince before he himself cometh in sight, many there 
 be that go before him, and those of divers degrees, and at 
 last himself doth appear; so, this Prince that sits in the 
 Throne should not start out at the first and show Himself, 
 but be allowed His train of Patriarchs, and Prophets, to be 
 His ante amhulones ■; and " in the fulness of time," (Gal. 
 iv. 4), Himself should come with ''the fulness of grace and 
 truth," (John i. 14, 16), and establish one entire uniform 
 way to continue for ever. 
 
 From this comparison these are the points we learn ; we 
 must ferri ad perfectionem. And these are notes of imper- 
 fection ; there be too many parts and too many manners in 
 that, to be a perfect state. If the matter were full, no more 
 would be added; if the manner were perfect, it would no 
 more be altered. Never then to rest in these. Moses him- 
 self pointeth us to One after him, by his Ipsum audite. 
 (Deut. xviii. 18.) Who is that? God Himself in the Mount 
 tells us by His Ipsum audite. (Matt. xvii. 5.) And when God 
 said it, Moses and Elias were there in the Mount, and re 
 signed up both their several audiences ; Moses for himself, 
 and Elias as well in His own name as in the name of all the 
 Prophets. 
 
 This, against the Jews, that will no farther than Moses; 
 that will rest in the Law. For, nihil ad perfectum adducit 
 Lex, ' the Law brings nothing to perfection ; ' hut fnis Legis 
 Christus. (Rom, x. 4.) And all prophecy hangs in sus- 
 pense as imperfect, till the fulfilling of it ; which was done 
 by Christ, to Whom they all gave witness. Now " when 
 that is perfect is come, that that is imperfect must away." 
 (i Cor. xiii. 10.) Not to rest in them then, but to Christ; 
 and never rest till we come to Him. 
 
 And, as never to rest till we come to Him, so there to 
 rest, when we are come to Him. As soon as His voice hath 
 sounded in our ears, that they itch no more after any new 
 revelations. For, " in Him are all the treasures of wisdom 
 and knowledge." (Col. ii. 3.) 
 
Sermon VII. 105 
 
 "God spake once and twice" (Ps. xxvi. 11) — a third 
 time He will not speak. This is His last time ; He will 
 speak no more. Look for no more pieces, nor fancy no 
 more fashions; Consumtnatum est, (John xix. 30), there are no 
 more to look for. He is '' the Truth ;" and he that hath 
 found the truth and seeks farther, no remedy he must needs 
 find a lie ; he can find nothing else. To get us therefore to 
 Christ, and never be got from Him, but there hold us. 
 
 We cannot follow a better pattern than the Apostle here, 
 we see what haste he makes. For as if he were upon thorns 
 till he were with Christ, without any exordium or preamble 
 here in the beginning of his Epistle he hits on the points 
 straight ; as if all time were lost till he were there. Yea 
 having named the parts and manners of the times past, for 
 very haste to be at Him he forgets both parts and manners, 
 only for desire to be with Him the sooner. 
 
 n. And so, with him I haste and pass to the second posi- 
 tive part. Wherein being careful we should take perfect 
 notice of Him, and fearing we would not weigh these words 
 " by His Son " as were meet but hear them slightly and 
 pass them lightly over, the rest of the text he spends in 
 making a commentary of this word Son ; that we may con- 
 sider how great this Party is, and consequently how much it 
 imports us to regard His speech, and to esteem of His feast 
 with no mean account. And to say truth, it was more than 
 needful — considering the meanness of His birth to-day — that 
 He should thus proclaim His style of eight titles, and over 
 the place of it stick them up as so. many scutcheons, to give 
 us true notice of the greatness of the Party. 
 
 But withal, his meaning was to describe Christ in all 
 points ; as indeed these eight contain a perfect description 
 of His natures. His Person, His offices. His agency. 
 
 His natures, in the very beginning ; Quem fecit is man. 
 Per Quem fecit is God. Not quem only, man alone ; but 
 Per Quem scecula^ God also. But, for His Divine nature 
 He is more full yet ; that He is " His Son, the Splendour of 
 His glory, the Character of His substance, the Maker and 
 Upholder of the world and all in it." 
 
 His Person, in this word semet ipso ; He did it Him- 
 self, that is, in His own Person. Himself is ever said of a 
 person. 
 
 His offices, in His speaking — His prophecy, by which He 
 
lo6 Of the Nativity, 
 
 unfoldeth the mysteries of God. In His purging our sins is 
 His Priesthood ; and His Kingdom, in the throne of Majesty 
 wherein He sits. 
 
 His agency, or quid ad nos, in locttts est nobis, " to us 
 He speaketh ; " and, purgans peccata nostra, " our sins He 
 purgeth." Nobis, and nostra ; to us, and for us. He is that 
 He is. AH His spea.king and doing, propter nos homines, et 
 propter saliitem nostram, ' for us men and for our salvation,' 
 and our part in Him and His. 
 
 We reduced all these eight to two. i. What in Himself; 
 and what, referendo to us. In Himself ; what by nature ? 
 Son and Heir. What by excellency ? Splendour and Cha- 
 racter. What by power ? Maker and Upholder of all. To 
 us ; what in love already performed ? " He hath purged our 
 sins." In hope yet expected ? He is set and in possession 
 of the throne of glory ; which is in our names and to our 
 behoof, and not His own. 
 
 His Divine nature hath no less than three to express it. 
 I. Son, 2. Brightness, and 3. Character. And two to prove 
 it the I. making, and 2. supporting of all, 
 
 I have heretofore remembered you that the high perfec- 
 tions of that nature are such and so many, as no one term 
 will suffice to set it forth ; we are glad to borrow from many 
 to do it, and yet but brokenly too. And that though there 
 be not any resemblance translated from the creatures though 
 never so excellent that will hold full essay, yet withal this we 
 are to think, that since the Holy Ghost hath made choice of 
 these terms, they are no idle speculations that are drawn 
 from them. 
 
 Ofthese three then; i. "Son," 2. "Brightness," 3. "Char- 
 acter." I. In " Son " there is a true identity of nature ; 
 upon it is grounded oiMoovatov, ' being of one substance,' even 
 as the Son is with the Father. 2. But the Son cometh after 
 the Father in time, and that a good time : amends is made 
 for that in the next term, " Brightness." For, it is not to be 
 imagined that there ever was or could be a light body, but 
 in the very same instant there must stream from it a bright- 
 ness. So, upon this is grounded coeternal. 
 
 3. But then, there is some inequality between the light 
 body itself and the beam of brightness of it ; the beam not 
 full out so clear. This is the imperfection in the term 
 "Brightness." But that is supplied by the next, "Char- 
 
Sermon VI F. 107 
 
 acter j" for that is ever just equal, neither bigger nor lesser 
 than the type or stamp that made it. Upon this then is 
 grounded coequal, and \\\iQ per o^jinia, 6/zoiov(rtoi : so like, as 
 " Shew us the Father," (John xiv. 8), saith Philip ; why, he 
 that sees the character never desires to see the stamp ; if 
 ye see the one ye see the other ; " He that seeth Me 
 seeth the Father," (John xiv. 9), Whose express Form 
 I am. 
 
 Agreeable to these three, we believe of Him that He is 
 consubstantial, as the "Son;" coeternal, as "the Bright- 
 ness;" coequal, as " the Character ;" against the new heads 
 of the old hydra sprung up again in our days. 
 
 This term, " son of God," is sometime communicated to 
 Saints ; sometime to Magistrates. Lest we might under- 
 stand it as we do in Saints, or as we do in Magistrates, he 
 addeth two words; i. the one, "glory;" 2. the other, 
 " substance." Of which, glory is imparted to others ; sub- 
 stance, to none but Him. His glory on earth He imparteth 
 to Magistrates, and they are called "the sons of the Most 
 High." (Ps. Ixxxii. 6.) His Heavenly grace, which is glory 
 inchoate. He imparteth to His Saints; and "to them gave 
 He power to be sons of God." (John i. 12.) 
 
 But His substance is in neither. For the first. Magis- 
 trates, are by ego dixi ; but He by Ego genui. (Ps. ii. 7.) 
 And the second. Saints, to them He giveth privilege, or 
 prerogative, so to be. So they xar' s^ovffiav, but He xar' 
 ovGiav ; per prcEstantiam they, per siibsta7itiam He. 
 
 He, " the Brightness of His glory, and Character of His 
 substance ;" that is, not in glory only which may be im- 
 parted to another, but even in His very substance too 
 itself. 
 
 And again, not in substance of the Deity alone, but in 
 that which belongeth to it, the glory also. "Substance" 
 is Deus^ " glory " is Dei. All that He is, and all that He 
 hath — "substance" and "glory," both. 
 
 "The Brightness of His glory." He was such a son, as 
 did no way eclipse His Father's glory, but as a beam made 
 it shine more bright. " The Character," the true stamp of 
 His substance; nor He rendered not a broken image as if 
 the stamp had been set on or driven away, but was His 
 very true express Form. 
 
 Another mystery yet. These three note a proceeding; 
 
I o^ Of the Nativity. 
 
 the " Son," from the Father ; the " Brightness," from a light; 
 " the Character," from the Type ; and so, a second Person. 
 " I proceeded, and came from the Father/' (John xvi. 28) ; 
 — He saith it Himself. 
 
 First, a true and natural proceeding from Him as the 
 Son. Secondly, to take away all conceit of gross or carnal 
 generation, by a pure and clean proceeding, as de luce luXj 
 in which there is nothing but pure and undefiled. Thirdly, 
 characterwise from His hypostasis — it is the word in the 
 text, mark it well ; — not from His oyc/a, that is, not from 
 His substance at large, but from His determinate personal 
 Essence ; (for so is hypostasis properly ;) — that is, not from 
 the Deity or Essence of it which neither begets nor is 
 begotten, but from a Person in the Deity. 
 
 Now these three, if we refer them to oHm, " the times 
 past ;" then, as the Son, He is opposed to His servants, 
 that is, the Prophets. As He is a Beam of light, to the 
 many parts, as it were many sparks ; — that was all the light 
 before. As " the Character," or firm impression, to the 
 many vanishing shadows under the Law. 
 
 But if to the present we refer them ; as He is the " Son," 
 we shall find no estate but servitude, no adoption but in 
 Him. As "the Brightness;" no clear light of knowledge, 
 nothing but mists and darkness, but by Him. And, as 
 "the Character;" no true soundness or sound truth, but 
 figures and flitting shadows without Him. From Him as 
 the " Son " receive we grace, whereby we are adopted, 
 (Eph. i. 5) ; as " the Beam," the clearness of faith whereby 
 lightened, (John i. 9) ; as " the Character," the true signature 
 of charity whereby stamped to know ourselves, and be 
 known of others, that we have heard Him aright, and are 
 His true disciples. 
 
 These three express His Divine nature; two more, to 
 prove it. In them His excellency, in these His power. 
 Which is set out two ways; i. in the creation; omnia per 
 Ipsum facta, et sine Ipso nihil, "all made by Him, nothing 
 without Flim." (John i. 3.) 2. And again, in the preserva- 
 tion, by virtue of His et Ego usque operor, (John v. 17), which 
 is His work to this day ; to continue and uphold in their 
 being all that He hath made to be. One by His word 
 spoken; so, made. The other, by His Law given; so, 
 made fast to continue. (Ps. cxlviii. 5, 6.) In a word, all had 
 
Sermon VII. 109 
 
 beon nothing but for Him ; and all would fall to nothing 
 without Him. 
 
 Now, in that He thus made all and makes all to last, the 
 meetest person He was to make all new — to restore that He 
 had made. And it was a convenience that He should, and 
 it was an inducement that He would undertake the business 
 and go through with it. 
 
 All this He is in Himself; yet not so, but in all His 
 splendour and glory He mindeth us. And that, so as He 
 is desirous to bring us to the joint partaking of His inherit- 
 ance, as "Son;" of His glory, as "the Brightness;" yea, 
 of the very Divine nature, as " the Character of His sub- 
 stance." The ground whereof is laid in Que7n fecit Hcersdem, 
 *' Whom He made Heir ; " and that was as Man ; for per 
 Quem fecit we said is God, Qtmn fecit is Man. 
 
 " Made Him Heir." Heirs are either born or made; so 
 born by nature, or so made by purchase. He was His Son, 
 and His only Son, and so born His Heir. He was born, 
 and yet He would be made. There is a mystery in this 
 — we are to look to it ; it will fall out to concern us. 
 Heir born He was, and so claimeth all as His inheritance, 
 by due of birthright. But it is farther here said. He was 
 "made;" what means this? Quem fecit '^ Nay, Qiiem 
 gemiit. That is true ; but Quem fecit is true likewise. Fecit 
 HcBredem Qui prius fuit Hceres, so born and so made too ; 
 Hceres natus, and Hceres factus. So cometh He to a double 
 right— two titles. How so? He needed but one; He 
 would have two. To what end?. Not for Himself; for 
 Himself one was enough. BeHke, His meaning was to have 
 two, that He might set over one to somebody else. There 
 is the point. He was born Heir for Himself; but " made 
 Heir " for us. Hceres nattis, that serveth Him ; that He 
 retains to Himself Hceres f actus, that He disposeth of to 
 us. By this we hold, even by Qtiem fecit ; that is our 
 tenure and best hope. He is, and ever was, in the bosom 
 of His Father, as Hceres natus. He now is but on our 
 behalf and to our behoof "at the right Hand of His 
 Father," as Hceres f actus. And now followeth, " He purged 
 our sins." 
 
 For He could not bring us to sit with Him in His throne 
 thus purchased, being so spotted and foul as we were, by 
 means of the pollution of our sins. He was then to purge 
 
1 10 Of the Nativity, 
 
 and make clean our nature first, that He might exalt it to 
 partake His purchase, being so cleansed. Where first our 
 case is set down wherein He found us, and wherein we are 
 without Him. A sinner's case, how glorious soever he or 
 she glister in the eyes of men, being in God's eyes as the 
 case of a foul diseased person ; and we thereby taught so 
 to conceive of sins as of foul spots without, or of such 
 humours within as go from us by purging. Jnquifiamenfa 
 carnis ef spiritus^ as St. Paul terms them right, " defiling 
 both flesh and spirit," (2 Cor. vii. i); which unless they be 
 purged, there is no entering into the heavenly Jerusalem 
 where the throne is; into which nihil inquinatum^ "no 
 polluted thing shall ever enter." (Rev. xxi. 27.) 
 
 Exalt us He could not, being in that plight ; for love or 
 pity therefore purge us He would. And here now is the 
 top, or highest point of elevation, in this text. "Who 
 being the Brightness," — or, " though He were the bright- 
 ness," that is, a Party so excellent in nature, glory. Person, 
 and power ; nature as " Son," glory as " Brightness," Per- 
 son as " Character," power " as Maker and Supporter of 
 all ; " Who, though He were all this, did not abhor to come 
 and visit us being in that foul and wretched case. This 
 will teach us, Domine quid est homo ? " What is man, that 
 Thou shouldest visit him?" (Ps. viii. 4.) Visit him; — not 
 as "the day-spring from on high," (Luke i. 78), doth the 
 earth ; but visit him, as if a great prince should go into an 
 hospital, to visit and look on a loathsome diseased creature. 
 
 2. And not only visit him, but not refuse the base ofiice 
 to look to his "purging " from that his uncleanness. 
 
 3. And thirdly, not cause it to be done by another, but 
 to come and do it in semet Ipso^ " by His Own Self, in 
 Person." 
 
 4. And fourthly, in doing, not to stand by and prescribe, 
 but Himself to minister and make the medicine. 
 
 5. And fifthly, to make it Himself, and make it of 
 Himself; ijt semet ipso, and de semet ipso; 'to make the 
 medicine, and be the medicine.' 
 
 6. And how, or of what? Spots will out with water; 
 some will not with any thing but with blood ; " without 
 shedding of blood, there is no taking away sin." (Heb. ix. 
 22.) And not every blood will serve, but it must be lamb's 
 blood; and "a Lamb without spot." (i Pet. i. 19.) And 
 
Sermoji VIL III 
 
 not every lamb neither, but " the Lamb of God," (John i. 
 29); or, to speak plainly, a Lamb that is God. His blood, 
 and nothing else, will serve to do this. 
 
 7. And seventhly, not any Blood of His ; not of a vein — 
 one may live still for all that— but His best, most precious, 
 His heart-blood, which bringeth certain death with it. With 
 that Blood He was to make the medicine. Die He must, 
 and His side be opened, that there might issue both the 
 Water and the Blood that was to be the ingredients of it. 
 By Himself, His Ownself, and by Himself slain ; by His 
 death, and by His. Blood-shedding, and by no other means; 
 quis audivit talia ? The Physician slain, and of His Flesh 
 and Blood a receipt made, that the patient might recover ! 
 
 And now, we may be at our choice whether we will con- 
 ceive of sin as of some outward soil in the soul ; and then, 
 the purging of it to be per viam balnei, ' needs a bath ' with 
 some cleansing ingredients, as the Prophet (Jer. ii. 22) 
 speaks of the herb Borith, and this way purged He us; 
 made a bath of the water that came out of His side to that 
 end opened, that from thence might flow " a Fountain for 
 sin, and for uncleanness " (Zech. xiii. i) — Water, and mixed 
 with His Blood ; as forcible to take out the stains of the 
 soul, as any herb Borith in the world to take away the soil 
 of the skin. 
 
 Or, whether we will conceive of sin as of some inward 
 pestilent humour in the soul and conscience, casting us into 
 peril of mortal, or rather immortal, death ; then, the purging 
 of us to be by way of electuary or potion; — and so He 
 purgeth our sins too. To that end He hath made an elec- 
 tuary of His own Body, " Take, eat it " — and tempered a 
 Cup with His own Blood, " Drink ye all of it" (Mat. xxvi. 
 26, 27) — which by the operation of His eternal Spirit in it 
 is able effectually to "purge the conscience from dead works" 
 (Heb. ix. 14) or actual sins, and from the deadly effect of 
 them ; no balsam or medicine in the world like it. 
 
 The sum of all is ; there be two defiling sins, and two 
 ways He purgeth them. Clean we are from the first, as 
 washed from the original uncleanness of our nature, and 
 that, by the laver of regeneration." (Tit. iii. 5.) And whole 
 we are, as purged within from the actual sins of our persons ; 
 and that, by " the Cup of the New Testament, which we 
 bless in His Name," (i Cor. x. 16); and the Blood of 
 
112 Of the Nativity. 
 
 Jesus Christ purgeth us from our sins." (i John i. 7.) By 
 both He purgeth us from both. And this for His purging. 
 
 " And is set down." Of which we are not to conceive as 
 of a thing merely touching Him, that His labour being 
 done He took His rest, and there is all ; but that this His 
 sitting down is a taking possession of that His dear-made 
 purchase : and that, not in His own Name, He had it 
 before ; He was in glory, and in the self-same glory with 
 His Father, before ever the world /was. 
 
 This hceres f actus pertaineth to us, as done for us ; not for 
 Himself Who needed it not, nor could have any use of it. 
 
 These two between them comprehend all, even all we can 
 wishj I. to be purged of the one, 2. and to be seized of 
 the other. They follow well ; for to what end purged He 
 us ? To leave us there ? No ; but for some farther matter, 
 which though it be last in execution, was first in intention. 
 Having so cleansed us — not content with that, it was His 
 purpose farther to bring us to glory ; to no less matter than 
 to sit on His throne with Him, purchased by Him for no 
 Other end. 
 
 And these two, "purging," and "sitting down in the 
 throne," as the alpha and omega, the first and the last of that 
 He doth for us. And so, in them is all well represented ; 
 " purging our sins," the first ; " sitting in the throne," the 
 last. To purge our sins He began this day, the first day, 
 the day of His birth ; wherein He purified and sanctified, by 
 His holy Nativity, the original uncleanness of ours. And 
 * sit in the throne ' was His last work, on the last day of His 
 Ascension; then took He possession in our names, wg 
 'TTpohpo^mg, saith the Apostle, "as forerunner for us." (Heb. 
 vi. 20.) 
 
 The degrees of this exaltation be these, i. First, a 
 throne it is, and that is not every seat, but a special, and 
 chief, and honourable seat. 2. And secondly, of thrones 
 there be some inferior, as the thrones of justice. This is 
 the highest, for it is a throne of majesty. 3. Thirdly, it is 
 in exceisis, and that maketh up all. For the thrones here 
 below, even of majesty, sooner or later they that sit in them 
 must come down from them. But "the throne on high. 
 Thy seat, O God, is for ever and ever," (Ps. xlv. 6) ; not 
 fading and transitory, as ours here. 4. Fourthly, in this 
 throne set He is ; and sitting is the site or position of rest, 
 
Sermon VII. 113 
 
 that is, rest in glory. Here, where most glory, least rest. 
 5. And fifthly, "on the right hand," (Heb. i. 3), which is 
 on the throne the best and next place to God Himself. 
 And by this are we above the angels ; for " to which of 
 them," as the Aposde after deduceth, "said He at any 
 time, Sit on My right hand?" (Heb. i. 13.) No; but, 
 stand before Me, as ''ministering spirits," all. Or when 
 they rest, it is on the other hand ; the right hand is kept 
 for us, and possessed already by One in our nature. Who in 
 this seat will not sit alone, sed consedere nos secum fecit in 
 cvslestibus. (Eph. ii. 6.) Even now, we sit there in Him, 
 and shall there sit with Him in the end. So He promiseth 
 in express terms that "we shall sit with Him in His throne," 
 (Rev. iii. 21), as He doth in His Father's. And so, not in 
 the throne will He be above us, but only that He in the 
 midst, and we on His right hand. 
 
 III. Our duty then is, for His excellency to honour 
 Him ; for His power to fear Him ; for His love shewed, 
 reciprocally to love Him again; for His hope promised, 
 truly to serve Him. God, for His part, would have His 
 servants the Prophets well used ; but however they in times 
 past were regarded by them, this He makes full account of, 
 " if He send His Son, we will not fail but reverence Him," 
 (Matt. xxi. 37.) Specially, such a Son; of such glory, such 
 power, and above all of such love towards us, to provoke 
 ours again. And again, of such ability to reward with 
 eternal glory, as He will even buy our service at. Who gives 
 more ? and pay us for it to the full with no less wages than 
 a throne of glory. 
 
 This is general. More particular, in three terms He is 
 set out to us here in the text; i. Speaking, 2. Purging, and 
 3. Sitting. As a Prophet, He speaks ; as a Priest, purges ; 
 as a King, sits speaking. Our duty is to hear Him, to lay 
 up His sayings in our hearts. Two marks His word hath 
 here, i. y^r//, and 2. sustinet; "made," and "makes con- 
 tinue." Let it have the same in us. In the sermon-time 
 something is begun to be made in us, but it continueth not; 
 which sheweth, it is not verhum virtutis to us. Again, let 
 it not be as a "brightness," only to be seen by us; but as 
 a " character " too, to leave a mark behind it to be seen on 
 us ; and then it is right. 
 
 Now, hodie si vocevi^ '* to-day if ye will hear His voice " 
 
114 Of the Nativity, 
 
 (Ps. xcv. 7), ye can hear none but vagitum infantis^ * such 
 a voice as useth to come from a new-born babe.' And even 
 so He speaks to us, if we can understand. For, even this 
 Verbum to be tnfans, and Toftans to be vagiens ; He to send 
 forth such a voice — it speaketh humility, I am sure, and 
 great love that so would humble itself, if we have ears to 
 hear it ; when He, That was " the brightness of His Father's 
 glory," should be so eclipsed, He that sits on the throne 
 thus be thrown in a manger. 
 
 Prophets spake, but purged not. Purging was ever the 
 Priest's office. It is true, the word He speaks hath a mun- 
 difying virtue, jam mundi estis, " now ye are clean." It 
 cleanseth then. But, not that only, nor principally. For 
 the medicine which purgeth ex proprieiate. His flesh and 
 Blood go to it. " By which will we are sanctified, even by 
 the offering of the Body of Jesus." (Heb. x. 10.) ''That 
 Blood of Jesus Christ, cleanseth us from all sin." These, 
 the true ingredients into this medicine. But better yet, if 
 both go together. And this day they first came together, 
 the Word and flesh; therefore, of all days, this day they 
 would not be parted. For, will you sever the flesh from 
 the Word that day on which God joined them? God 
 forbid ! There is a correspondency between the word and 
 His brightness, and between the Sacrament and His char- 
 acter. The word giveth a light, and His brightness sheweth 
 in it ad horam^ and not much longer. The parts of the 
 Sacrament they are permanent, and stick by us ; they are a 
 remembrance of the characters made in His skin and flesh. 
 And if ye seek to be rid of your sins — " this was broken for 
 you," and " this was shed for you," for that very end, " for 
 the remission of sins." And so ye receive His Person, 
 even Semet Ipsum ; and in Semet Ipso, in His Person it was, 
 " He purged our sins." And so, that a sure way. 
 
 Lastly, for sitting ; that is His Kingdom, that is kept for 
 dies novissimorum novissimus, ' the last day indeed.' That 
 is yet in hope only. The same flesh that cleansed our 
 sins, the same now sitteth on the throne, and so hath both 
 virtues ; for the present a power to purge, for the future a 
 power likewise to exalt. The same blood is the blood of 
 Sacrifice for remission of sins, and the blood of the New 
 Testament for the passing to us the bequest, which is the 
 right of His purchase for which He was made Heir. And 
 
Sermon VIIL 
 
 115 
 
 the very angels who this day adored Him in our flesh and 
 it in Him, thereby shewed plainly not the purging only but 
 the exalting of it also by this day's work. And that to-day, 
 wherein they sang aloud in the sky, we have cause to make 
 much of, and to rejoice in it; the day of the greatest 
 "glory to God, peace to the earth, and good-will towards 
 men," (Luke ii. 13, 14), that ever rose upon the world. 
 ^ God grant that we may so hold this first feast with Chris- 
 tian joy, as we may hold that last with like joy, and be 
 found as cheerful in it ! 
 
 SERMON Vni. 
 
 A Sermon Preached before the King's Majesty, at 
 Whitehall, on Saturday, the Twenty-fifth of 
 December, a.d. mdcxiii., being Christmas-day. 
 
 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day : and he sa7v it^ 
 a?id was glad. John viii. 56. 
 
 [Abraham pater vestcr extdtavit ut videret diem Meum : vidit et 
 gavisus est.'Y 
 
 HERE is joy, joy at a sight, at the sight of a day, and 
 that day Christ's. It is Christ that calleth it here, 
 diem Meum^ " His day ; " and no day so properly His, as 
 His birth-day. So the text comes full upon the day. 
 
 But to deduce it point by point. 
 
 First, Christ hath a day proper to Him, which in express 
 terms He calleth here diein Metim, " My day." 
 
 Secondly, this day to be seen is a day of joy. Double 
 joy ] I. Exultavit, and 2. Gavisus est, both in the text. 
 
 And thirdly, which is somewhat strange, it was so to the 
 Patriarch Abraham. Him we find here doing that which we 
 now are about ; seeing and rejoicing at the sight of Christ's 
 day; taking notice of it, and taking joy in it. 
 
 Lastly, all this nothing displeasing to our Saviour Christ ; 
 for it is spoken by Him to the praise of Abraham that did 
 it, and to the dislike of the Jews that did it not. To them 
 is this speech ; Christ tells them of AbrahaHi's doing it, and 
 blames them for not doing the like 
 
1 1 6 Of the Nativity. 
 
 And what are we now disposing ourselves to do, but even 
 the very same that is in the text here, to rejoice to see 
 Christ's day? 
 
 And a three-fold warrant we have in this verse to do as we 
 do. I. The Patriarch's doing it. 2. Christ's allowance of 
 the doing of it. 3. And His dislike of the Jews for not 
 doing it. 
 
 We have Abraham for our example ; we do but as he did. 
 In his time, Christ's day was a day of joy ; and a day of joy 
 is a feast, and so holden by him we see. Which falls out 
 much to our content. For the same feasts, the same religion. 
 So we find by this, that he and we are of one religion. One 
 in substance, which is Christ ; one in circumstance, which is 
 His day. Christ Himself, Abraham's joy; nay, His day 
 Abraham's joy too. The same Meu??i, that is, Christ ; the 
 same diej?i, that is, Christmas. 
 
 Then, which is another degree, Abraham's example ap- 
 proved of by Christ, and that after somewhat a strange man- 
 ner ; for it is not here if you mark it, Exiiliavit ut videret 
 Me, but ut videret diem Mmm. He makes His day the object 
 of all this exultation and joy. His day, I say, and not Him- 
 self; commends Him, that He rejoiced at the sight not of 
 Himself, but of it. Verily, this speech of His is much to, the 
 honour of His day ; and the very solemnity of the feast, and 
 all the joy and gladness thereon, may well be thought to have 
 been founded upon this speech of His. Always, \i Exult avit 
 ut videixt, were a praise to Him ; we may be sure, Exultavit 
 cum videret, can be no dispraise to us. 
 
 Add thirdly, Abraham's example approved by Christ. Not 
 so approved as He leaves it at liberty, they that will may do 
 the like ; but that He reproves them that do it not. For He 
 blames the Jews here for not doing herein as Abraham ; 
 'Your father Abraham did it, you do it not.' Which is 
 against them that have a spleen at this feast, that think they 
 can joy in Him well enough, and set His day by ; nay, and 
 abrogate it quite ; and in so doing they joy in Him all the 
 better. Nay, love Him, love His feast. Joy not in it, nor in 
 Him neither. 
 
 You shall see how they are mistaken. Therefore they do 
 so they tell us, lest " observing days and times " (Gal. iv. 
 10) they should seem to Judaize. It falls out quite con- 
 trary. For who are they whom Christ here blameth ? Are 
 
Sermon VI IT. 117 
 
 they not Jews ? And wherefore blameth He them ? for not 
 doing as Abraham. And what did Abraham ? rejoice on His 
 day. So upon the point it will fall out that not to rejoice on 
 His day, that is indeed to Judaize, and they little better than 
 these Jews that follow them in it. 
 
 Nay, here is another thing yet will grieve them more. 
 Jews they shall be, but none of Abraham's children ; no 
 more than these were. Observe it well. It is the occa- 
 sion of this speech, the very issue Christ takes with them. 
 Pater noster Abraham (John viii. 33, 39, 53) was still in 
 their mouths ; if, saith Christ, you were his children, (mark 
 that if^ ye would patrissare ; desire what he desired, and 
 joy what he joyed in. Now, My day he so highly esteemed, 
 as glad he was that he might see it ; and you that would so fain 
 father yourselves upon him are so far from that, as what he 
 desired absent, ye despise present ; what he would have 
 been the better to see, ye are the worse that ye see it. Now 
 then, how are these Abraham's children that have nothing of 
 Abraham in them ? Before, at the fortieth verse, *' Ye seek 
 to kill Me for telling the truth. This did not Abraham," 
 (John viii. 40), and ye do it. Here now again; "he re- 
 joiced in My day," and ye do it not. Do that he did not, 
 do not that he did — how can these be Abraham's sons? 
 Verily, as it is in Esay, Abraham nescivit nos ; "Abraham 
 would never know them for his." (Isa. Ixiii. 16.) None of 
 his sons, these. Those are his sons that do as he did. And 
 here now come in we. They Jews, but not Abraham's 
 children ; we Abraham's children, but not Jews ; for as he 
 did, so do we. There is joy with us at the sight of His day ; 
 we renew our joy so oft as by the revolution of the year it 
 Cometh about. And for this very point we find ourselves the 
 nearer to Abraham, even for the joy of His day. Always sure 
 we are, since i. Abraham did it, and 2. Christ allowed it, 
 and 3. disallowed the contrary; — by these three we have 
 good warrant to do as we do. To make it a time of joy. 
 And so, a time of joy God make it to us ! 
 
 Thus it stands for the order. There be in the text three 
 acts specified, from one issuing — from Abraham all. All 
 directed to one mark ; falling all upon one object. That 
 object is diej?i Meiim, " My day." Of that then first. The 
 three acts be, i. Exultavit utvideret; 2. Vidit; and 3. Gavisus 
 est I. First, would be glad ut viderei, " that he might see ;" 
 
1 1 8 Of the Nativity. 
 
 that is, was desirous to see it. 2. Then, had his desire ; 
 "did see it." 3. And lastly, seeing, "took joy" of his 
 sight. 
 
 Of which three the first and last, desiderium and gaudium, 
 * desire' and *joy,' are two affections attending upon love, 
 and are ever sure signs of it. Desire, when we want and 
 have not what we love. And joy, when we now possess, 
 or as the term is, enjoy it. The middle which is sight, that 
 pertains to faith ; faith's light it was he saw it by. So here 
 is fides per charitatem operans^ (Gal. v. 6), Abraham's faith 
 right. 
 
 But I keep the order in the text, I change it not — it 
 cannot be mended. All goes by a right line. i. Desire 
 first, that is the way to see. 2. Seeing next, that brings 
 joy. 3. And joy is the end, and a good end it is to end 
 in joy. 
 
 These three with reference ; first, to Abraham, and then 
 after, to ourselves. 
 
 I. To find our mark first, that all this desire is to see, all 
 this joy when it is seen ; it is diem Meum^ " Christ's day." 
 Christ is God and Man, Son to both. His day as the Son 
 of God, or as the Son of man, which of these ? 
 
 Not as the Son of God — as the Son of God He hath no 
 day. Day and night are parts of time ; and egressus Ejus, 
 " His goings out are from all eternity." (Mic. v. 2.) 2. If 
 we would improperly call it a day, no day to be seen : " The 
 light of it is inaccessible," (i Tim, vi. 16), not to be ap- 
 proached to \ it would strike any man blind to behold it. 
 3. If we could see it, and Him in His Deity, yet there is 
 small joy to see Christ so ; small joy to see Him, but by 
 the lightfiof this day. All the desire was that He might be ; 
 all the joy, that He was to be seen as the Son of man. As 
 the Son of man then ; His day so. 
 
 But as the Son of man He hath more days than one : so 
 He saith, " They shall desire to see one day of the Son of 
 man," (Luke xvii. 22) ; one of many, any one of them. But 
 this here notes some one eminent day, above the rest. It 
 is a day with a double article, t7\v rnj.kpav ttjv £fjJ,v, " that 
 day," " that same day ; " That, if any one day Mine more 
 than other, I would by special prerogative call, rriv l/t^yiv, 
 " Mine indeed." 
 
 Now, there be but two such eminent days to stand for 
 
Sermon VIII. 119 
 
 this; I. The first, and the 2. last. First, of His Genesis; 
 or last, of His Exodus. Genesis, His coming into the 
 world ; or Exodus, His going out. That is, the first of His 
 Nativity, or the last of His Passion. Which of these ? 
 
 Not of His Passion. First, that was none of His. For 
 He saith to them that took Him, Hcec est hora vestra^ (Luke 
 xxii. 53), " Yours ; " — so theirs it was, not His. Secondly, 
 it was not His day ; nay, it was no day neither, but iene- 
 brarum, as he there addeth : so night rather than day. But 
 thirdly, without all question, no day of joy. The Heavens 
 are darkened, the earth quaking, the stones renting, every 
 one going their ways, " beating their breasts " for sorrow. 
 That was no sight to rejoice at, that no day to rejoice in. 
 
 Then is it of necessity to be His birth-day ; that was a 
 day, the Angel calls it to-day ; " To-day is born." (Luke ii. 
 II.) And His day it was, for every man claims a kind of 
 property in His birth-day. Men, in the day of the begin- 
 ning of their life. As kings, in the day of the beginning of 
 their reigns ; as cities, their palilia when the trench is first 
 cast ; as Churches, their enccenia when they are first dedi- 
 cate ; so men their ysi/s^X/a, when they first come into the 
 world. It is too plain, this. His day then \ and sure, a 
 day of joy withal. Joy in Heaven, joy in earth. In 
 Heaven, for a day of "glory to God on high," (Luke ii. 14); 
 in earth, for a day of " peace here below, and for good-will 
 towards men," (Luke ii. 10) — as ever, nay more than ever 
 was any. The Angel so proclaimed it, Gaudiuin omnipopulo^ 
 a day of " joy to all people ; " and proclaimed, why ? Quia 
 hodie flatus est. And this om?ii populo^ (Luke ii. 11), as ap- 
 pears now by this text, was not only all people then in being, 
 or after to be ; but as Leo well expresseth it, iii prceteritas 
 se refudit cetates, * the joy of it went back up to the ages 
 past,' up even to Abraham's time, two thousand years and 
 more before ever it came. I know well, this day may be 
 taken for the whole time of His life ; but it must be by a 
 figure then. And no man but seeth, that a day doth more 
 literally and properly signify a day, than the time of one's 
 whole life at large. Yet that time too had his beginning on 
 a day ; and that day, even for that very beginning, may 
 well challenge a better right, and nearer property in this 
 word " day " than any longer time whatsoever ; as the very 
 day whereon He was first seen, first shewed to the world, 
 
120 Of the Nativity. 
 
 as the Son of man \ as the very day whereon the first-fruits 
 of all the joy then, and ever since. Sure I am the Fathers 
 fix it all upon one day, and upon this day by name. So 
 Irenaeus, Augustine, Cyril set it down, that this day it was. 
 This day then be it, the day of His birth. So have ye the 
 object. 
 
 II. Now to the three acts ; and first, of desire. Exultavit 
 ut; that ut\s desire. Glad and fain, ut, "that" he might 
 see j that is, he desired, he longed much to see it. Gaudere 
 ut and vellem ut expound one another. This day then is 
 dies desiderii, or desiderabilis. To be desired, even of 
 Abraham ; and, if of him, of all. Of the cause, first. Why ? 
 and then, of the manner. How he desired it. 
 
 The Cause ; why should Abraham so desire to see this 
 day, two thousand years and more after his days were at an 
 end, and he in his grave? What was it to him? How 
 was he concerned in it ? We say, Omnia bonum appetunt 
 — what good had he by it? We say again, Indigentia 
 desiderii parens — what need had he of it that he should so 
 desire it ? Yes, Christ's birth he needed ; he had good by ; 
 and consequently. His birth-day. 
 
 Ye remember Job's Easter ; that in all his heaviness this 
 was spes in simi, his ''only comfort and joy," that well yet 
 — "his Redeemer should rise again" (Job xix. 25) one day. 
 The joy of Job's Easter, the same is the joy of Abraham's 
 Christmas; even, that a day should come, wherein his 
 Redeemer should come into the world. For Abraham's 
 case was not such, but that a Redeemer he stood in need 
 of. One he stood in need of, and One he had. You may 
 read it toiidem verbis, " Thus saith He that redeems Abra- 
 ham." (Isa. xxix. 22.) That Party — Him, he needed; and 
 Him he desired. And desired His day for His sake ; die?n 
 for Meum ; the day, for Him That was born on the day. 
 
 Will ye hear it from his own mouth ? Thus he setteth 
 down his own case. That very time when he had this day 
 first shewed him, the first glimpse of it ; thus complains he 
 there of his need, and complaining implies his desire ; Et 
 ecce ego pulvis et cinis, "And lo, I am but dust and ashes." 
 (Gen. xviii. 27.) "Dust" is plain ; it refers us \.o pulvis es^ 
 et inpulverem, (Gen. iii. 19); he was that by nature, by his 
 very creation. But why "ashes?" how come they in? 
 Ashes he was not made of, that is not natural ; that, sure, 
 
Sermon VIII. 121 
 
 refers to somewhat else. Ashes, we know, come of fire ; 
 without it they are not made — ever presuppose a fire pre- 
 cedent. So that, besides death to resolve him into dust, he 
 saw a fire to turn him into ashes. He saw it in his vision : 
 " When the sun was down, and it was night, and a great 
 fear or horror fell upon him, he saw clibajuwi fumantem, a 
 fiery furnace." (Gen. xv. 17.) Blame him not, if after such 
 a night he desired to see day, and this day ; dies contra 
 noctem, "a day to visit him from on high," (Luke i. 78), 
 after so fearful a night as this. But this was but a vision of 
 the night. But when all days and nights should be at an 
 end, he saw there was yet a day to succeed that day, which 
 Enoch taught the world, wherein the " Lord should come 
 with thousands of His saints, to execute judgment upon 
 sinners/' (Jude, ver. 14, 15.) Which day, it seems, Abra- 
 ham took notice of. For speaking to God in the same 
 chapter, he calleth Him by this title, ''Judge of the world." 
 (Gen. xviii. 25.) Of which day a visible sign he had before 
 his eyes, waking, in the consuming of the five cities im- 
 mediately after. No marvel then, though he desired dies 
 contra diem, ' a day that should quit him of the fear of that 
 day.' Inasmuch then as dust he was, and ashes he was to 
 be; dust by creation, ashes by condemnation, and both 
 these he confesseth himself liable unto ; he needed One, as 
 to restore the ruins of the first, so to prevent the danger of 
 the second. Being in need, he desired ; desiring, he was 
 glad to hear of; but more glad would be to see that day 
 that should bring Him into the world. And O, when shall 
 that day be ? And sure, the sun must go down with us too? 
 and what fear we shall then be in, or whether we shall see 
 the furnace, I know not; but sure I am, that joyful it will 
 be then to have a comfortable sight and apprehension of 
 the benefit and beginning of this day. When the world 
 shall bid us good-night, then, as St. Augustine expresseth 
 it, videre in nocte scecidi diem Christi. 
 
 This for the cause why Abraham himself should desire 
 this ut, to see this day ; why, but for this day Abraham had 
 been but ashes of the furnace. Which sheweth it is a 
 benefit to see this day, and as a benefit desired by him ; 
 and as a benefit, and no small benefit, vouchsafed him — 
 the sight of this day. Now for his manner how, how greatly 
 he desired it. We may take measure of the greatness of 
 
122 Of the Nativity. 
 
 the day by the greatness of his desire. It was no " day of 
 small things," for exultavit ut is no small desire ; there is 
 vigour, there is both passion and action in it. The nature 
 of the word exultavit is, ** he did even fetch a spring for 
 joy" that he should see it. And it is not ^^///// neither, 
 but exultavit. And that is a frequentative ; and so he did 
 it more than once. To give a spring, and not once but 
 often ; this was much, if all be well considered. For one 
 to do it, one in years, fast upon an hundred as Abraham 
 then was, for such an one to do it, it was very much. 
 
 1. Much. First, that he should not contain his affection; 
 not keep it in, but out it must ; even break forth into an 
 external act — into a bodily gesture, that all that stood by 
 must see him do it. 
 
 2. Into a bodily gesture, I say. But then again, that 
 into such a bodily gesture ; a gesture on this fashion. It 
 must needs be he was greatly, yea strangely affected with 
 it, that it made him forget his gravity, and put a kind of 
 indecorum upon his age, at those years to fall on springing. 
 All men will easily know that such as he was, staid, discreet, 
 grave men will never be so exceeding moved as to be 
 brought to fetch a spring, but upon some very exceeding 
 great occasion. 
 
 3. Thirdly ; to do all this but only in desire and nothing 
 but desire, is yet more strange than the rest. In the fruition, 
 to joy is kindly; but in the desire, altogether unusual. 
 Exultavit cum videret, may well be understood ; exultavit 
 ut videret^ not so well. For desire of itself is a restless 
 thing, unquiet, and complaining ; but a very affliction of 
 the soul. It makes men, yea the very creature itself saith 
 the Apostle, ingemiscere, (which is far from exultare,) "to 
 groan for grief," (Rom. viii. 22), not to spring for joy; sad 
 rather than glad, in that way they want their desire. Judge 
 then how great a good is the good of this day that not in 
 the enjoying, but even in the desiring and that against the 
 nature of desire, did put old father Abraham into this 
 passion ; and brought from him this act, the act of exulta- 
 tion, and made him even young again. 
 
 But I will tell you yet of another as strange. For the 
 same word you shall observe is used of the Baptist, while 
 he was yet but an embryo and in his mother's belly. That 
 at the interview and voice of the blessed Virgin Mary, he 
 
Sermon VIII. 123 
 
 then a babe " gave a spring in the womb of Elizabeth his 
 mother." (Luke i. 44.) So that we see both old and young, 
 Abraham and John Baptist, from the eldest in years to the 
 child unborn, it concerns all. All need it, all are bound 
 to be glad of it, all is for the joy and honour of this 
 day. 
 
 And this for his first act and first joy, joy of desire, for 
 there be two. There is another in the last word £%a^>j. 
 As there be two sights, i. ut videref, and 2. et vidit, so two 
 joys answerable ; either hath his joy. And this first is but 
 John Baptist's forerunner to the second. For all this is but 
 the Apostle's spe gaiidentes (Rom. xii. 12) yet; but the joy 
 of hope only anticipating the other before it come, and 
 joying as it were that it shall joy when that joyful time shall 
 be. 
 
 And with this we must begin, even with desire, and seek 
 to possess our souls of it. This carrieth the next, the eye. 
 For where the desire is, there will the eye be also ; and 
 where it is not, no prospect thitherward, no window open 
 that way. Therefore set that, as the needle point, right, 
 and all the rest will follow. For the truth is, therefore we 
 joy not because we see not, and therefore we see not be- 
 cause we desire not. True it is, and pity it is; millions 
 there be never have true sight of Him. Why? they have 
 no desire to Him. We must then begin there with desire, 
 with ut videret^ or we shall never come to et vidit. And 
 for our comfort, the very desire of this day or of any good 
 thing else, if it be true and uncounterfeit, a first degree it 
 is, and it is not lightly to be accounted of. It is not nothing 
 to say — if one can say and say it true, exultareni et viderem. 
 For of this desire, exultarem ut is, among other one 
 character. Three there be besides; and lightly they go 
 together, and they be succedanea as we call them to any 
 good thing which we have not but wish that we had, or 
 that we might have. As, if we cannot repent, cannot 
 abstain, cannot believe, or live as we ought, these come in 
 place, and express yet how we stand inwardly affected 
 toward them — even these four : i. exultaretft or gauderem si; 
 2. vellem ut; 3. metuo ne; 4. doleo quod non. Gauderem si, 
 * glad I would be if it were ; ' velle7n ut, ' and I heartily wish 
 that it were ; ' metuo Tie, ' but sure I doubt it be not ; ' and 
 doko quod non, ' sorry I am that it is not.' Characters they 
 
124 Of the Nativity. 
 
 be all ; and if they be hearty and true, a sign it is the flax 
 
 smoketh yet. Et linum fumiga?is, so gracious He is, *' the 
 flax if it do but smoke. He will not quench it." (Isa. xlii. 3.) 
 But all the rest, specially if it be this. For there is vigour 
 and vehemency in exultarem ut. It is a fervent desire, a 
 kind of hunger and thirst, a desiderio desideravi — this exul- 
 tarem ut — I would do any thing, I would give any thing to 
 have a sight of it. And such a desire shall never be 
 frustrate ; it shall see certainly. 
 
 Of exultare ut videas^ the reward shall be videre ut exultes ; 
 of desiring that we see not, to see that we desire. We 
 have Abraham, the father, in the text; take Zachee, the 
 son, for an example of it too. He, out of a desire to see 
 Christ at His coming to Jericho, "and could not for the 
 press," (Luke xix. 3), exultavit * gave a spring,' " got him up 
 into a tree," so as to have a sight of Him. It was so well 
 taken, this very desire, as he not only saw Him, but received 
 Him to his house. And our Saviour pronounceth, this text 
 was fulfilled in him; "He was even thereby become the 
 son of Abraham." (Luke xix. 9.) For howsoever in things 
 temporal it may be and is oft defeated, in things pertaining 
 to Christ and His sight, exultavit ut videret shall ever end, 
 as here it doth, in et vidit. And so we pass to the next 
 point of et vidit. 
 
 It is here first directly avouched, the Patriarchs (and 
 Abraham by name) they did not only desire to see this 
 day, but see it they did. See it, though they did but see it 
 and salute it 'iroppta ''afar off," (Heb. xi. 13); or, wg sv 
 xaTo'TTTpu) "as in a perspective glass," (i Cor. xiii. 12); yet 
 see it they did. It is but vidit, vidit, i?t genere. Any sight, 
 any descrying will serve to verify the text. I say not they 
 did precisely know the very day of the month, I would not 
 so be understood. But this they did ; they knew and saw 
 in genere such a day there should come; and then come 
 when it would, or what day of the year it would, all joy they 
 wished to that day for the joy it was to bring them. This 
 was enough for them in their estate ; and more particular 
 notice had they had of the month and day, this I am sure, 
 they would never have scraped it out of their Kalendar. 
 
 " He saw it." But then, if you ask how he saw it ? Sure, 
 not (as they were mistaken in the text) as if Abraham could 
 not see His day, unless Christ had been in the flesh in the 
 
Sermon VIII. 125 
 
 days of Abraham. That is one kind of seeing indeed. For 
 so Simeon saw, "for mine eyes have seen." (Luke ii. 30.) 
 But this text must be true ; vidit Abraham. Then another 
 there is beside. This is sure ; what Simeon saw, the same 
 saw Abraham. What Simeon saw I say, but not as Simeon 
 saw. The same Christ both, and the same day, though not 
 both in the same manner. 
 
 But let me tell you, this of Abraham's was the better. 
 And if Simeon had not seen Him in the same manner 
 Abraham did, for all his viderunt oculi, (Luke ii. 30), he had 
 been never the nearer. No more than were the Jews here 
 that hurled stones at Him, and so saw Him; but to no benefit, 
 no matter of exultation at all ; of condemnation, rather. 
 
 Then, if not with his eyes, how ? Yes ; with his eyes too, 
 though not of the body. Which to conceive, we are to 
 take notice that there is in every man of us two men : 
 (Plato had seen so much and set it down, and it is thought 
 the Apostle took it from him ;) i. an outward, and 2. an 
 inward man. (Rom. vii. 22, and 2 Cor. iv. 16.) Now if 
 there be an inward man, we must allow him senses as a 
 man ; he must have eyes. So he hath ; " having the eyes 
 of your understanding lightened." (Eph. i. 18.) Here are 
 eyes ; by them did Abraham, and even by them and by no 
 other do we see Him. 
 
 Those eyes many have beside, but see Him not for want 
 of light. By what light saw he? He was a Prophet, and 
 as a Prophet he might be in the Spirit and have the vision 
 clearly represented before him, in luce Prophetm. But 
 without all question a " faithful" (Gal. iii. 9), man he was, and 
 so certain it is he saw it in lumine Jidei, ' the light of faith,' 
 which "faith is the clearness or evidence of things not 
 seen," (Heb. xi. i) ; (ye know the place ;) not seen — nay 
 even of things invisible. In the 27th verse of the same 
 chapter it is said, " Moses was as if he had seen the In- 
 visible." (Heb. xi. 27.) By faith, that was ; and in Abraham 
 "the father of the faithful," (Rom. iv. 11), the same faith 
 was. Both saw by the same light, and by it Christ was as 
 verily present unto them, as if they had seen Him this day 
 in the manger with the shepherds ; or with Simeon had 
 had Him in their arms, and beheld Him. Thus he, and 
 thus we. For it is all the light he had, or we have to see 
 Him by. 
 
1 26 Of the Nativity, 
 
 But where was this, and when? The text is enough, so 
 it was, if we rest not in that but would know what the 
 Fathers have conceived of the place and time. This they 
 hold ; that he saw His birth at the valley of Mamre, (Gen. 
 xvii. 19) ; and he saw His Passion in the mount of Moriah. 
 (Gen, xviii. 10.) But this day he saw at Mamre. Then 
 was Christ in Person there, one of the Three ; then made 
 Abraham the confession we before spake of. Then is twice 
 mention made of the time of life, which is this time, if ever 
 any. Then Isaac was delivered as a gage, and then was 
 his first feast of joy; down went his fat heifer; so all met 
 at the time just. 
 
 And so certainly he then saw it there, as after we see he 
 sware his servant on his thigh. His thigh became adsancia 
 Dei evangelia ; he bade his servant " lay his hand on his 
 thigh, and swear by the God of Heaven." (Gen. xxiv. 2, 3.) 
 Et quid villi Deus Cosli ad femur Abrahce ? ' What hath the 
 God of Heaven to do with Abraham's thigh?' saith St. 
 Augustine ; and his answer is, nisi quia, ' but only because 
 he saw certainly the Son of God was from thence to take 
 flesh ' — semen Abrahce defemore Abrahce, and so to make us 
 this blessed day. And this of Christ's visus ; and now of 
 Abraham's gavisus, the end of his sight and desire both. 
 
 He that was glad he should see it, must needs be glad 
 when he did see it. If exultavit ut videref, then ut vidit, ut 
 exultavit! when he saw, how glad a man was he now his 
 desire was accomplished! And "the desire accomplished," 
 saith Solomon, "is a tree of life," (Prov. xiii. 12) ; and "the 
 tree of life " we know " is in the midst," (Gen. ii. 9), is the 
 very centre of all the joys of Paradise. Now we cannot 
 possibly take a view of these his joys better than out of the 
 promise, which was the very list or brief of all he was either 
 to see or to joy in. 
 
 We begin with the blessed joy of Benedicentur omnes 
 gentes in semine tuo. (Gen. xxvi. 4). Benedicentur, "shall 
 be blessed." And that is of two sorts. 1. Blessed from; 
 and 2. blessed with : and either hath his joys. 
 
 Blessed from, from piilvis et cinis, "dust of the grave and 
 ashes of the furnace." His soul blessed from the cliiafius 
 fumans which he saw. Moreover also " His flesh should 
 rest in hope," (Ps. xvi. 9), hope of rising again from the dust. 
 Else how could God be called " the God of Abraham " ? 
 
Sermon VII L 127 
 
 " God is not the God of the dead, but of the living." (Mat. 
 xxii. 32.) Abraham then being dead should live again, and 
 then Nu7ic dhnittis, (Luke ii. 29), may he say no less than 
 Simeon. These two joys first. And these two fit well the 
 words of joy in the verse, i. Exultavit, that is a motion of 
 the body, for the body's deliverance from dust. 2. Gavisus, 
 that is a fruit of the spirit, for the spirit's redemption from 
 the furnace. These are his two first joys. 
 
 Then two more, in blessed with or concerning. Concern- 
 ing first his two gages, Isaac and Canaan : Isaac, of Christ ; 
 Canaan, of the Kingdom of Heaven. And this joy was 
 surely great; and if the joy of the pledge or gage were 
 great, far greater was the joy of the inheritance itself which 
 he so greatly desired. For both he was, saith the Apostle, 
 and " he bare himself like a stranger here upon earth," (Heb. 
 xi. 13) ; shewing thereby that he sought for another, a better, 
 " an abiding City, whose Builder is God," and that in 
 Heaven. For that it was no earthly thing which was the 
 object of his joy, nothing but Heaven, thence it may ap- 
 pear, that when God promised him, " his seed should be as 
 the dust of the earth," (Gen. xiii. 16), it never moved him; 
 it was no object that of his faith or desire, not so much as 
 a credidit follows upon it. But after, in the fifteenth chapter, 
 when God bade him look up, and told him, " they should 
 be as the stars of Heaven," (Gen. xv. 5, 6) ; then presently 
 follows, Credidit Abraham Deo, he caught hold of that ; 
 " believed " that straight, and " it was counted to him for 
 righteousness ; " even that his faith touching no dust of the 
 earth, but touching Heaven and Heavenly blessings. And 
 these are the two next joys of blessed with ; and these two 
 answer the two sights ; ut videret the pledge, and et vidit the 
 inheritance. 
 
 Now these four, had they been granted to himself and to 
 his. own house, well might it have been gavisus with him ; 
 how much more then, that it should by him have his extent 
 and stretch to omnes familice, omnes gentes, " all kindreds, all 
 nations of the earth," (Gen. xxvi. iv.); be gaudium omni 
 populo, " be a day of joy to both hemispheres," the joy of 
 generality ; that all the world should be the better for him ? 
 And this his fifth, the joy of otJiftes gentes. 
 
 And glad might he have been to have received all these by 
 whomsoever, yea though a mere stranger. That all these 
 
128 Of the Nativity. 
 
 then should come to him, not by any strange party but by 
 one to come out of his own bowels ; that his Seed should be 
 his Saviour, and out of his root should rise his Redeemer; 
 all this joy should grow from the fruit of his own body; 
 that He That nusquai7i angelos^ " in no wise them," (Heb. 
 ii. i6); would take on Him "the seed of Abraham;" this 
 may I doubt not be reckoned for the sixth, even the joy of 
 in se?nine tuo. 
 
 Now to in seinine Abrahce. add in sinu Abrahce, and so 
 have we seven complete ; that " his bosom " should be the 
 receptacle of all that should enter into bliss. Whosoever 
 there entertained, in sinu AbrahcB it is to be. (Luke xvi. 23.) 
 This is the last, that semen Abrahce shall bring us to sinus 
 Abrahce, and make us partakers of his Heavenly joys there. 
 But we must begin with in semine to-day, that after in His 
 good time in sinu may follow. And this for gavisus est, and 
 for Abraham. 
 
 Now to ourselves. And the first point is, whether we will 
 be out with the Jews, or in with Abraham, in the fellowship 
 of this day's joy. In with Abraham we sure. If all be well 
 weighed, we have greater cause to desire the day than he ; 
 we have more need of it I am sure. Dust as he, but more 
 in danger to be made ashes than he, by Manasses' argument 
 in his prayer. The benefit of his day and the like, they do 
 nothing so much concern the just such as Abraham, as 
 they do sinful Manasses and such as he. And such are 
 we ; and ever the more sinner, the more it imports him 
 to love the dawning of this day. Greater cause we have 
 than he. 
 
 And for our sight, we have that clearer than he by much. 
 For though we see as he, and he as we, both by the light of 
 faith ; yet he in the faith of prophecy yet to come, we in the 
 faith of history now past ; and there is great odds between 
 these two. We have the record of human writers many, but 
 of Divine all, that this day is come and gone ; even of such 
 as saw Him with the eyes both of the inward and outward 
 man. 
 
 The greater cause and the better sight : then is our joy 
 also to abound, and be above his. So it should, sure. And 
 we would seem as if it so were ; we multiply the days, and 
 where he had but one we hold twelve together, as if we 
 would exceed him twelve to one in this joy. Being then so 
 
Sermon VIII. 129 
 
 bound, joy agreeth well with us at this time. The text 
 invites us to it, the whole strain from the first word to the 
 last. It begins with exultavif, and ends in gavisus est. 
 
 Only, that from whence we take our joy, from thence we 
 take the rules of it, which be three, i. One of the two 
 parts, exultavit and gavisus est. 2. One of the end, diem 
 Meuin. And 3. the last of our pattern, sicut Abraham pater 
 noster, to express it as he did. 
 
 Here be two sorts; i. One, exultation, a motion of the 
 body. 2. The other joy, a fruit of the spirit : I am for both. 
 I speak not against exultavit ; let the body have his part. 
 Reason would the body and the flesh should be allowed 
 their parts, since all the joy is for corpus aptasti Mihi, and 
 that Verbum caro factum est, " the Word is become flesh ; " 
 that Christ hath gotten Him a body. But let not exultavit 
 be all, whole and sole. Then we joy but by halves ; we 
 lose half our joy, and the better half; for the joy of the 
 spirit is the better part, when all is done. The flesh fades 
 daily ; so do the joys of it : the spirit's is " the better part 
 that shall not be taken from us." (Luke x. 42.) That of the 
 spirit should exceed the joy of the outward man, as far as 
 et vidit to which it is joined doth exceed ut videret. It 
 should so. Well, in the meanwhile I would they might but 
 part equally ; at least, not to stay so long, not to make so 
 large allowance of time and cost for the flesh, as we leave 
 little or nothing for the spirit's part. Sure somewhat would 
 be done, some special use of this feast that may tarry by us, 
 when these of the flesh we shall either have forgotten, or 
 remember but with small joy. Time will come, that one 
 lesson in this kind, learned this day and laid up well, will 
 do us more pleasure than all the sports we shall see the 
 whole twelve days after; that we come not behind Abraham 
 half in half. 
 
 Our next caveat vfoxAd be, that we look this our joy be for 
 diem Meum, and that our joy in diem be for Meum. For 
 Meum is here the substantive, it is Christ ; and diem but an 
 accident or adjective to it. That is, that we joy in it, as it 
 is His — Christ's. As His, do we not so ? As whose else ? 
 To speak plainly, the common sort generally all, some few 
 except, wish for it and joy in it, not as it is Christ's, but 
 as it is somewhat else ; that is, as it is a time of cheer and 
 feasting, as it is a time of sports and revelling. Exultavit 
 
 E 
 
1 30 Of the Nativity, 
 
 ut videret — what? why that we shall now fare well. Look 
 you, that is it, as it is dies epulis not Christi. What farther ? 
 that we shall now see pastimes ; that is, as it is dies ludi^ not 
 Christi. Put both together ; " down they sat to feast, Uj) 
 they rose to play," (Exod. xxxii. 6) ; so have you the golden 
 Calf's holiday right. As it is dies viftdi^ not Christi. This 
 is not dieffi for Mewn : in very deed, this is to desire Him 
 for the day, not the day for Him. Christ's day is not 
 desired for Christ, Christ is the least part of His own feast* 
 If it be but matter of the belly, the Jews here could have 
 been entreated to have kept this day so as dies epuli. For 
 before, at the sixth chapter, when their bellies were filled, 
 then and never but then, " This is the Prophet, This is He 
 that should come into the world." (John vi. 14.) This was 
 all they then made, all that many now do make of Christ's 
 coming into the world ; — that they may fill their bellies. 
 Never care for benediceiitur no more than Esau, but for bene 
 vescentiir ; and \i bene vestientur too, then all is well. 
 
 Or, if it be but shows and matter of sight, Herod he was 
 glad to see Christ too. And it is the same word which is 
 here, glad, and very glad, ?a'av l')(d(>yi. But why was it? 
 Because " he hoped to have seen him done some strange 
 feats." (Luke xxiii. 8.) This pertaineth rather to Sarah's 
 laughter than Abraham's joy. There is a difference be- 
 tween Sarah's laughter and Abraham's joy. Take heed 
 that we change not Abraham's joy into Sarah's laughter. 
 
 Now last, sicut Abraham. He is propounded here to us 
 as our pattern ; we to express our joy as he did his upon 
 the day of his sight at the plain of Mamre. So we shall 
 begin right. Two things he did ; first, he got them, the 
 Three, to turn in to him. (Gen. xviii. 3.) The same would 
 Christ do to us this day. That our joy may be suitable, to 
 turn in hither. The beginning of the joy of His day would 
 be in His house \ so the place and the time would agree 
 well. So He saith Himself, Lmtificabo eos in domo Mea ; 
 the first thing I will do, " I will make them joyful in Mine 
 house." (Isa. Ivi. 7.) There first, to satisfy us with the 
 pleasure of His house, wherewith God He knows we are 
 soon satisfied. Well, this is done ; here we are, and much 
 ado too and long it is first, but here we are. 
 
 The next was, when they were turned in Abraham said, 
 " Let me set somewhat before you," ideo enim dedindstisy 
 
Sermon VIII. 131 
 
 "for even for this are ye turned in hither," (Gen. xviii. 5) ; 
 and so made his feast. There is indeed no solemn enter- 
 tainment or joy without a feast. Christ will be in all respects 
 as courteous as Abraham. He saith, Let Me set something 
 before you too, for therefore are you turned in hither ; He 
 invites us to His feast. His Church so doth in His name ; 
 even this day prepares and sets Christ's feast before us, 
 wherein He offers Himself to us. Not as the object of one 
 sense only — of sight, as to Abraham in the text ; but as the 
 object of two, sight and taste ; gustate et videte, (Ps. xxxiv. 
 8), both. And we may not take the one and leave the other, 
 but since both be offered, receive both. For we are come 
 hither for this cause ; here then shew your joy in His feast- 
 day by partaking His feast on His day, the only feast of all 
 the rest for which the soul is the better. Thus shall we 
 with joy keep this day aright. 
 
 And here now, one day calls another ; this day of His 
 calls to mind another day of His, called so in twenty places 
 " His day," and called " that day " in plain preference to 
 this. So to joy this day, as that day we may joy also. 
 As this His day, because it is the day of His first coming ; 
 so that His likewise, because it is the day of His coming 
 again. A day, howsoever we do with this, which we must 
 all see ; Abraham, the Jews, we, and all. Only, that we see 
 that day with joy ; that we so demean ourselves in this, as 
 that also may prove a festival with us, even " the last and 
 greatest day of the feast " now begun in this. All will be, 
 how to make that a day of joy to us when we see it : to 
 have that day rise clear and cheerful to us, will be the 
 joy of all joys. For here first, as '* we see but in part," so 
 we can joy but in part. As our sight, so our joy, imperfect. 
 But there "we shall see as we are seen," (i Cor. xiii. 12) ; 
 our sight being perfect, so shall our joy be ; perfect sight, 
 and perfect joy. And besides, that is another manner of 
 day than this or any day here, a day that shall never go 
 down ; no more shall the joy of it. And it shall not endure 
 for twelve days, or be a feast of a fortnight ; but shall be 
 from month to month, from jubilee to jubilee, for ever and 
 ever. To the joy of which feast, or to the feast of which 
 joy, by &c 
 
 E a 
 
1 32 Of the Nativity. 
 
 SERMON IX. 
 
 A Sermon preached before the King's Majesty at 
 Whitehall, on Sunday, the Twenty-fifth of 
 December, a.d. mdcxiv., being Christmas-day. 
 
 Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son, and she 
 shall call His name ImmanueL- — Isa. vii. 14. 
 
 \Ecce virgo concipiet, et pariet Filium, et vocabitur nomen Ejus 
 ImmanueL'l 
 
 OF all the writers of the Old Testament, the Prophet 
 Esay hath the honour to be the first that is vouched 
 in the New. And of all the places this place the honour to 
 be the first of all, even in the first EvangeHst, St. Matthew, 
 and in the very first chapter of him. (Matt. i. 23.) We may 
 well think St. Matthew would be careful to make choice of 
 a very prime and pregnant place, to set it as it were in the 
 front of his Gospel. This is much honour St. Matthew 
 doth it. 
 
 But the Angel Gabriel doth it more, who takes this verse 
 as it stands, (Luke i. 31), word for word, and makes it serve 
 for his annunciation or message to the Blessed Virgin with- 
 out any alteration ; not so much as the ecce left out. 
 
 The tenor of it is all about a Child to be born, a Child 
 with an ecce ; in Whom, and in Whose birth, God should be 
 with us — so with us as never before. On Whose so being 
 with us depends all our well or evil being here, and for ever. 
 For better not to be at all than be without Him ; and having 
 Him we need nothing else, for in Ipso omnia, " in Him is 
 all." (Col. i. 17.) 
 
 The Eunuch's question falls fitly in here ; " Of whom 
 speaks the Prophet this?" (Acts viii. 34.) Who is His 
 m.other ? Who the Child ? St. Matthew will be as good to 
 us as St. Philip was to him : who, where he enrols it, tells 
 us who the mother, the blessed Virgin ; who the Child, our 
 blessed Saviour. Who else ? No virgin ever bare child but 
 she ; no child ever nohiscum Deus, and so Deus, but He. 
 There is none other to lay claim to it but they. 
 
 Ecce hath in it two powers, i. One for the ear, to awake 
 
Sermon JX, 133 
 
 it to some matter more than ordinary. 2. Another for the 
 eye, to direct it by pointing to some certainty ; as here to 
 two certain persons, the mother and the Child. And shews 
 us two strange sights in them, mater virgo, and Deus homo ; 
 * a virgm to become a mother,' ' God to become man.' A 
 virgin to bear ; God to be born. In both, and in either of 
 them, three points are offered to us. i. Ecce concipiet ; 
 2. Eccepariet ; 3. Ecce vocabit nomen. Our Saviour Christ's 
 first tripHcity : i. The mystery of His holy Incarnation, in 
 concipiet ; 2. His holy Nativity, mpariet ; 3. His Circum- 
 cision, in vocabit nomen. And every one of these three 
 makes a several feast. Ecce concipiet, the Annunciation ; et 
 panet, this feast of the birth of our Lord ; et vocabit nomen 
 New-year's day, when His name was given. ' 
 
 But we apply it to this feast. So doth St. Matthew in his 
 tnspeximus of it to the birth of Christ. " The birth ot 
 Christ," saith he, "was on this fashion," (Matt. i. 18), and 
 then brings in this record out of Esay. As if this ecce did 
 in particular point at this day. As in truth we stand not 
 much upon His conceiving now He is born specially as born 
 He is, eccepariet is the point. For then we see Him, take 
 Him in our arms, then He is " with us" indeed. And when 
 was that ? Eccepariet saith the text ; Ecce peperit saith the 
 day, this very day. This is the chief. 
 
 But finding them here all, we will deal with them all. 
 i.^ Christ as embryo, in His conception. 2. Christ as aprl 
 yewnrov iSpsfiog, a new-born babe, but yet dvuivvjuog, ' without 
 a name.' 3. And Christ with his full Christendom, as 
 named ; and named with this name here in the text the 
 name of " Immanuel." ' 
 
 Of which three, ye may reduce the first two "con- 
 ceived " and " born " to His nature ; and to make two, to 
 two of the latter make two more, vocabit and nomen, His 
 name and His vocation— for in His name is His vocation. 
 To bring God to us, to make God with us ; Him to be with 
 us, that we may be with Him for ever. Nobiscum Deus, the 
 way ; nos cum Deo, the end ; which is, and so may be* the 
 end of the text, and of the day, and of us all. Nothing 
 more worthy our sight than this birth, nor more worth our 
 hearing than this name. 
 
 I. Ecce spreads itself over the whole text— may be repeated 
 at every point of it ; but it first points to ecce Virgo, There 
 
1 34 Of the Nativity, 
 
 we may make a stay, there is a block in our way by the Jews. 
 In no one place doth that of the Apostle's speech appear, 
 that " at the reading of the prophecies of Christ the veil is 
 laid over their hearts," (2 Cor. iii. 15); nowhere how true 
 the Proverb is, that ' malice will even blind a man,' as here 
 in this. This verse so dazzles them, as fain would they turn 
 another way, and not see that they do. They see no virgin 
 here : Esay's word Alma, say they, is but " a young woman," 
 and not " a virgin " properly. But they say against their 
 own knowledge, in so saying. For first, beside the nature 
 of the word, the very energy gives as much. For it is of 
 AlafH, and that is '* to cover ; " and so properly is one that 
 is yet covered, and never yet known ; opposed to them that 
 have been uncovered and known, after the Hebrew phrase. 
 
 And beside, the use of the word for a virgin in other 
 places. Rebecca then a virgin, called by this name. (Gen. 
 xxiv. 43, 55, 57.) And Miriam then but six years old, called 
 by it hkewise. (Exodus ii. 8.) 
 
 And beside their own taking of the word, they themselves, 
 the more ancient of them^ so in their Targum — this very 
 word Alamoth (Cant. ii. 2) they gloss and paraphase it by 
 Betuloth, the proper word for virgins j where it stands this 
 day to be seen. 
 
 Besides all this, see whither their malice carrieth them by 
 denying this, even to overturn prophecy, and Prophet, and all. 
 For he calls us to see a sign, and that with an ecce ; and 
 what is that ? if it be but a young woman to conceive, and 
 no virgin, where is the sign ? what is became of the ecce ? It 
 is no sign or wonder, unless it be beside the course of 
 nature ; and is it any whit beside the course of nature for a 
 young woman to be with child ? Therefore take away VirgOj 
 and away with the ecce ; down with the sign. Thus, rather 
 than to bear witness to the truth, sticked they not to expose 
 the word of God, and so God Himself to scorn ; make the 
 Prophet, or, as St. Matthew well saith, "God by the Pro- 
 phet," (Matt. i. 22), to speak idly ; give them a sign that is 
 no sign ; tell them of a marvel not to be marvelled at. 
 
 Reject them then, and read confidently as St. Matthew 
 doth, "Behold a virgin." (Matt. i. 23.) With him rest 
 hardly on the skill and integrity of all the seventy, that more 
 than an hundred years before it came to pass turned it cra^- 
 &m^ in Greek, that is "^ yir^in ;" who CQuld skill of thei? 
 
Sermon IX, I3S 
 
 own tongue better than any Kimchi, or Albo, or any 
 Rabbin of them all. This, iox Ecce Virgo. 
 
 And look, what work we had with the Jew about Ecce 
 Virgo, the like shall we have with the Gentile about Virgo 
 concipiet. To conceive this conceiving, to join these two, a 
 virgin, and yet conceive or bear ; or, conceive and bear, and 
 yet be a virgin. For before the birth, yea before the con- 
 ceiving come, the virginity is gone. True — in nature ; but 
 this is a sign, and so above nature. And in reason so. But 
 this is nisi credideritis non intelligetis^ " to be believed, other- 
 wise not to be understood," as a little before was said. For 
 what God can do faith can believe, reason cannot compre- 
 hend. But this it can ; that we do God no great favour as 
 well saith St. Augustine, Si Deumfafef?mr, d^c. ' If we con- 
 fess God can do somewhat, which we confess our reason 
 cannot reach.' 
 
 The blessed Virgin herself while she stood upon a reason, 
 upon quia non cognosco viruin, asked, " How it might be ? " 
 (Luke i. 34), but rested in the Angel's resolution, and so 
 let us. Which was of two sorts ; first, that the Holy 
 Ghost should be Agent in it, and " the power of the Most 
 High bring it to pass." (Luke i. 35.) That which of itself 
 seemeth not credible, put the Author to it, put to ex Spiritu 
 SanctOy and it will seem not incredible. 
 
 Specially, and that is the second, if we set another by it 
 as unlikely as it, and done though ; as this ecce of the 
 Virgin's the Angel exemplifies by another ecce of Zachary's, 
 in a manner as hard, which yet fell out at the same time. 
 For Elizabeth being barren, first by nature, then by age, and 
 so wanting power to conceive — she was then "gone six 
 months with child." (Luke i. 36.) Now the want of power 
 to conceive is no less material to hinder the conception 
 every way, than want of the soil no less than the want of 
 seed. He that could supply that could also this. He that 
 do it without one, do it without the other. They were cousins, 
 the blessed Virgin and she ; and their signs were so too. 
 One of them made credible by the other. 
 
 But I ask St. Paul's question, " Why should it be thought 
 a thing incredible," (Acts xxvi. 8), this to the Gentiles ? If, 
 as their religion taught them, they admitted of Minerva's 
 birth, or Pyrrha's progeny, they need not make strange at 
 this. If they say, The God of nature is not bound to the 
 
I ^6 Of the Nativity. 
 
 rules of nature, we say the same. And yet, even in nature, 
 we see it made not altogether incredible. The light passing 
 through a body, the body yet remaining whole — and it is 
 put therefore into the verse to pattern this, Luce penetratur, 
 &'c. ' The light cometh through the glass, yet the glass is 
 not perished.' No more than the light of Heaven passing 
 through breaketh the glass, no more did the God of Heaven 
 by His passage violate any whit the virginity of His mother ; 
 if we will allow God the maker of the light to do as much as 
 the light He hath made. 
 
 But I hold ever best to let every thing rest upon his own 
 base, or bottom ; natural upon reason, supernatural upon 
 faith. And this is supernatural ; in which tota ratio facti est 
 in potentid facientis, ' the power of the doer is the reason of 
 the thing done.' God is the Doer, Cujus dicere est facere^ 
 ' to Whom it is as easy to do it as to say it.' As the Angel 
 concluded, so do I; "With God is nothing impossible." 
 (Luke i. 37.) And that of Christ's, " To faith all things are 
 possible." (Mark ix. 23.) And here are both. And where 
 they meet, they make no less a miracle than Mater and 
 Virgo^ or Deus and Homo — &vQn fides and ratio. And this, 
 for Virgo concipiet. 
 
 II. Now to the three particulars j and first, concipiet. To 
 make Him man, it is well known there wanted not other 
 ways : from the mould, as Adam ; from a rib of flesh, as 
 Eve. No need then of concipiet. Yes — for He was not to 
 be man only, but to be " the Son of Man ; " the name in 
 the text, Filiusy and the name that for the most part He 
 giveth Himself, and seemeth most to delight in. But Adam 
 was not son to the mould, nor Eve daughter to Adam. 
 And " a Son " no way but by concipiet. And howsoever of the 
 body of man there may engender that which is not of the 
 same kind, yet by way of conception there cometh of man 
 nothing but man ; nothing but of the same nature and sub- 
 stance with that he was conceived of. 
 
 This we are to hold ; to conceive is more than to receive. 
 It is so to receive as we yield somewhat of our own also. A 
 vessel is not said to conceive the liquor that is put into it. 
 Why ? because it yieldeth nothing from itself. The blessed 
 Virgin is, and therefore is because she did. She did both 
 give and take. Give of her own substance whereof His 
 body was framed; and take or receive power from the 
 
Sermon IX. 137 
 
 Holy Ghost, whereby was supplied the office and the 
 efficacy of the masculine seed. This is concipiet. 
 
 And this word is the bane of divers heresies. That of 
 the Manichee that held He had no true body. That had 
 been virgo decipiet, not concipiet ; not — conceive Him, but 
 deceive us. And that of the Valentinian, revived lately in 
 the Anabaptist, that held He had a true body, but made in 
 Heaven and sent into her. That had been recipiet, but not 
 concipiet; received Him she had, conceived she had not. 
 
 From which His conceiving we may conceive His great 
 love to US-ward. Love, not only condescending to take our 
 nature upon Him, but to take it by the same way and after 
 the same manner that we do, by being conceived. That, 
 and no other better beseeming way. The womb of the 
 Virgin is surely no such place, but He might well have 
 abhorred it. He did not ; pudorem exordii nostri non recu- 
 savitf saith Hilary; *He refused not that ourselves are 
 ashamed of;' sed naturce nostrcB contumelias transcurrit^ 
 * but the very contumelies of our nature {transcurrit is too 
 quick a word) He ran through them ; ' nay He stayed in 
 them, in this first nine months. I say the contumelies of 
 our nature not to be named, they are so mean. So mean 
 indeed as it is verily thought they made those old heretics 
 I named, and others more who yet yielded Him to be Man, 
 to run into such fancies as they did ; only to decline those 
 foul indignities as they took them, for the Great God of 
 Heaven to undergo. 
 
 This therefore, even this, would He have set down in 
 terms terminant, of concipiet and pariet. Trusting we 
 would wisely judge of them, and love Him never the less, 
 but the more even for these. My; ha tovto ccTifiog on bid cz 
 ra'Tsivos : * Honour Him nevertheless, because He laid down 
 His honour for thy sake.' No ; but quanto ille minus debita, 
 tanto ego magis debitor; ' the less due He took on Him, the 
 more due from me to Him.' In a word, quanto pro me 
 vilior^ tanto mihicharior; *the lower for me, the dearer to me.' 
 It brings to mind King David's vilior adhuc fiam, (2 Sam. 
 vi. 22), and how God even for that regarded him the more. 
 Concipiet et pariet^ to conceive and bring forth in us love, 
 honour, and due regard, even for them. It reaches both. 
 
 This sure is matter of love ; but came there any good to 
 us by it ? There did. For our conception being the root 
 
138 Of the Nativity, 
 
 as it were, the very groundsill of our nature ; that He might 
 go to the root and repair our nature from the very founda- 
 tion, thither He went; that what had been there defiled 
 and decayed by the first Adam, might by the second be 
 cleansed and set right again. That had our conception 
 been stained, by Him therefore, pri'mum ante 07nnia, to be 
 restored again. He was not idle all the time He was an 
 embryo — all the nine months He was in the womb ; but 
 then and there He even eat out the core of corruption that 
 cleft to our nature and us, and made both us and it an 
 unpleasing object in the sight of God. 
 
 And what came of this ? We that were abhorred by God, 
 filii irce. (Eph. ii. 3), was our title, were by this means made 
 beloved in Him. He cannot, we may be sure, account evil 
 of that nature, that is now become the nature of His own 
 Son — His now no less than ours. Nay farther, given the 
 privilege to the children of such as are in Him, though but 
 of one parent believing, that they are not as the seed of 
 two infidels, but " are in a degree holy," eo ipso ; and have 
 a farther right to " the laver of regeneration," to sanctify 
 them throughout by " the renewing of the Holy Ghost." 
 (Titus iii. 5.) This honour is to us by the dishonour of 
 Him ; this the good by Christ an embryo. 
 
 Et pariet; and this no more than needs. There may be 
 concipiet, and no pariet follow. Venerunt filii adparttwi, &>€., 
 saith the Prophet, "The children came to the birth, and 
 no strength to dehver." (Isa. xxxvii. 3.) Pariet makes all 
 sure. 
 
 And pariet makes all appear. We could not tell it was 
 Filium; knew not what it was, or what it would be. Till 
 He came into the world He was as thesaurus abscof?ditus ; 
 though we had it, we had it not. But when He was born, 
 when come into the world, we see Him and handle Him ; 
 then He was "with us" indeed. " With us " — not as con 
 ceived of the same nature with us, but as born and now a 
 Person among us. That which was potential in coficipiet, 
 made actual hy pariet. 
 
 So that this is the 0so<pav!a, when He came forth " as a 
 Bridegroom out of His chamber, or as the Sun from His 
 tabernacle to run His race." (Ps. xix. 5.) And it was with 
 a visitavit ab alto. (Luke i. 78.) Thence an angel cried 
 Ecce, and sounded it on earth \ and a star cried Ecce^ and 
 
Sermon TX. 
 
 139 
 
 proclaimed it from Heaven. Poets in the West write of 
 It; and wise men in the East saw it, and came a long 
 journey upon it to see Him. And what did this pariet 
 brmg forth ? No sooner born, but a multitude of heavenly 
 soldiers sung— "Peace to the earth," (Luke ii. 13)— behke 
 there had been war before, but " peace " now. Nay, more 
 than peace, £-j5ox/a : that God had conceived a good liking, 
 was well pleased with men. The same term to men that 
 He useth to Christ Himself, " in whom I am well pleased," 
 (Mat. iii. 17)— -£u5ox/a to both. And what would we more? 
 What lack we now ? His name. 
 
 And now He is born, might we not leave here, and go no 
 farther ? Re7n te7iemus; what care we for the name ? Yes, 
 we must \ for Christus a?ionymus will not serve. Therefore 
 Esay, therefore the angel are careful to bear Him to His 
 baptism, to add His name ; the Prophet to intimate it, St. 
 Matthew to interpret it. For though we have said much of 
 Christ an embryo, and Christ a new-born nameless babe, 
 yet nothing to that that followeth— to the Ecce of His 
 name. 
 
 This name, if it had been of man's giving, I wot well little 
 heed had been to be taken of it. Men set great titles upon 
 empty boxes. Nay, many times the names given by wise 
 men fall out quite contrary. Solomon called his son 
 Rehoboam, " the enlarger of people ; " he enlarged them 
 from ten to two. But .His name, St. Matthew tells us the 
 Prophet but brought, it was God that sent it. (Mat. i. 22.) 
 And the names of His imposing, there is no surer place in 
 logic than from them. His nominals be reals. As His 
 dicerejacere, so His did, fieri; what is said in them comes 
 surely to pass. 
 
 Now there were divers names given Him at divers times. 
 To express all His perfections, no one name was enough. 
 There was Jacob's name, Shiloh, (Gen. xlix. 10); that was 
 in respect of His Father, by Whom and from Whom He 
 was sent. There was Paul's name, Messias, Christ; that 
 was, regard had to the Holy Ghost, by or Wherewith He 
 was anointed. (Heb. i. 9.) But what were these? quid ad 
 nos ? We have no part in them. In this we have ; and till 
 this came all was in nubibus, as they say. But in this, 
 Immanuel, Nobiscum Deus, here come we in first. For in 
 Immanu is anu, and in Nobiscwti nos. And this is the first 
 
140 Of the Nativity. 
 
 Nobis^ and the first cum we find in any name of His ; and 
 therefore of all other we are to make much of it. A virgin 
 to bear, God to be born — matter of wonder, but no benefit 
 at all. But when we hear, it is " with us," and for us, that 
 Ecce makes us look up to it. 
 
 Before I come to it, I would clear a doubt or two of it. 
 I. One of the name itself; 2. the other of the interpretation, 
 or meaning of the name. 
 
 1. It will be said, this was not His name in the end for 
 all this, but Jesus. True : and St. Matthew knew that well 
 enough, for he sets it down so. Yet even in that place he 
 sets it so down, presently he vouches this of Esay of Im- 
 manuel, as if Immanuel and Jesus both came to one, as 
 indeed they do ; one infers the other. Immanuel, " God 
 with us." Why ? to what end ? To save us from our sins, 
 and from perishing by them. If there be any odds, it is in 
 Immanuel, which is of larger compass. " God with us " 
 to save us, though that be worth all, yet not that way 
 only, but " with us " other ways besides ; and all in Im- 
 manuel. 
 
 2. "God with us;" why, was He not also with the 
 Patriarchs and Prophets, and Esay himself, as well as with 
 us ? He was ; but not as well. Some prerogative we must 
 allow this name, if it be but for this ecce. No ecce belongs 
 to these. Somewhat more to St. Matthew's gospel than to 
 Esay's prophecy. This name must needs imply a secret 
 antithesis to His former being with us. We say nothing in 
 saying, He is now with us, if He be not so with us now as 
 never before. With them in types and. figures of Himself; 
 His shadow was with them ; but now He Himself. With 
 them He was even thus, in this very Immanu ; but how ? 
 in the future tense, concipiet pariet ; as things to come are 
 made present to hope. But now, coticeptus est, partus est ; 
 re, not in spe ; all is past and done. So that now ita nobis- 
 cum ut de nobis ; nay, ut ipsi nos, * So " with us " as even of 
 us now ; ' of the same substance, nature, flesh and bone 
 that we. "With us" in concipiet, conceived as we; "with 
 us " in pariet, born as we. Now true as never till now ; 
 now so as never so before. 
 
 And now, to look into the name. It is compounded, 
 and to be taken in pieces. First, into Immanu and El ; of 
 which. El the latter is the more principal by far ; for El is 
 
Sermon IX. 141 
 
 God. Now, for any thing yet said m concipiet zxi^ pariet, 
 all is but man with us ; not " God with us " till now. By 
 the name we take our first notice that this Child is God. 
 And this is a great addition, and here, lo, is the wonder. 
 For, as for any child of a woman to " eat butter and honey," 
 (Isa. vii. 15), the words that next follow, where is the Ecce'i 
 But for El, for God to do it— that is worth an Ecce indeed. 
 
 El is God ; and not God every way, but as the force of 
 the word is, God in His full strength and virtue ; God, cum 
 plenitudine potestatis as we say, ' with all that ever He can 
 do ;' and that is enough I am sure. 
 
 For the other, Immanu ; though El be the more prin- 
 cipal, yet I cannot tell whether it or Immanu do more 
 concern us. For as in El is might, so in Immanu is our 
 right to His might, and to all He hath or is worth. By 
 that word we hold, therefore we to lay hold of it. The 
 very standing of it thus before, thus in the first place, 
 toucheth us somewhat. The first tiling ever that we look 
 for is nos,, nobis, and noster, the possessives ; for they do 
 mittere in possessionem, 'put us in possession.' We look for 
 it first, and lo, it stands here first ; nobiscum first, and then 
 Deiis after. 
 
 I shall not need to tell you that in nobiscum there is 
 7necum; in nobiscum for us all a meciun for every one of us. 
 Out of this generality of " with us," in gross, may every one 
 deduce his own particular — with me, and me, and me. For 
 all put together make but nobiscum. 
 
 The Wise Man out of Immanuel, that is nobiscum Deus, 
 doth deduce Ithiel, (Prov. xxx. i), that is jnecum Deus, 
 " God with me "—his own private interest. And St. Paul 
 when he had said to the Ephesians of Christ, " Who loved 
 us, and gave Himself for us," (Eph. v. 2), might with good 
 right say to the Galatians, " Who loved me and gave Him- 
 self for me." (Gal. ii. 20.) 
 
 This Immanu v^ a compound again ; we may take it in 
 sunder into nobis and cum; and so then have we three 
 pieces, i. El, the mighty God j 2. and anu, we, poor we, — 
 poor indeed if we have all the world beside if we have not 
 Him to be with us ; 3. and hti, which is cum, and that cu7n 
 in the midst between nobis and Deus, God and us — to 
 couple God and us ; thereby to convey the things of the 
 one to the other. Ours to God ; alas, they be not worth 
 
142 Of the Nativity, 
 
 the speaking of. Chiefly, then, to convey to us the things 
 of God. For that is worth the while ; they are indeed 
 worth the conveying. 
 
 This CU771 we shall never conceive to purpose, but carendo; 
 the value of " with " no way so well as by without, by strip- 
 ping of CU771 from 7iobis. And so let nobis^ " us," stand by 
 ourselves without Him, to see what our case is but for this 
 Immanuel; what, if this virgin's Child had not this day 
 been born us : nobiscu77i after will be the better esteemed. 
 For if this Child be " Immanuel, God with us," then without 
 this Child, this Immanuel, we be without God. *' Without 
 Him in this world," (Eph. ii. 12), saith the Apostle ; and if 
 without Him in this, without Him in the next; and if 
 without Him there — if it be not I77i77m7zu-el, it will be I771- 
 7na7iu-hell ; and that and no other place will fall, I fear me, 
 to our share. Without Him, this we are. What with Him? 
 Why, if we have Him, and God by Him, we need no more ; 
 Im77ia7iu-el and l77ia7iu-alL All that we can desire is for us 
 to be with Him, with God, and He to be with us ; and we 
 from Him, or He from us, never to be parted. We were 
 with Him once before, and we were well ; and when we left 
 Him, and He no longer " with us," then began all our 
 misery. Whensoever we go from Him, so shall we be in 
 evil case, and never be well till we be back with Him again. 
 
 Then, if this be our case that we cannot be without Him, 
 no remedy then but to get a cu77i by whose means nobis and 
 Deus may come together again. And Christ is that Cuf7t 
 to bring it to pass. The parties are God and we ; and now 
 this day He is both. God before eternally, and now to-day 
 Man ; and so both, and takes hold of both, and brings both 
 together again. For two natures here are in Him. If con- 
 ceived and born of a vroman, then a man ; if God with us, 
 then God. So Esay offered his "sign from the height 
 above, or from the depth beneath," (Is. vii. 11) : here it is. 
 "From above," El ; " from beneath," a7iu ; one of us now. 
 And so, His sign from both. And both these natures in 
 the unity of one Person, called by one name, even this 
 name Immanuel. 
 
 Vocabit 110771671, I told you, in His name is His vocation 
 or office — to be ciwi^ to come between that is, to be a 
 Mediator, to make Him that was contra 710$^ nobiscu7n again. 
 " A mediator is not of one, but God is One." (Gal. iii. 20.) 
 
Sermon IX. 143 
 
 God and man are two ; and they were two, as they say. 
 Were two, and two will be, till He make them one ; recapi- 
 tulate and cast up both into one sum ; to knit anu, that is 
 " we," and El, that is " God," with His /;;/, into one— one 
 word and one thing, univoce again. 
 
 So upon the point, in these three pieces there be three 
 persons ; so a second kind of Trinity — God, we, and Christ. 
 El is God, anu we ; for Christ nothing left but Ini, that is 
 Cum, or "with." For it is He that maketh the unity in 
 this Trinity ; maketh God with us, and us with God ; and 
 both, in and by Him, to our eternal comfort and joy. 
 
 Thus is He " with us ;" and yet all this is but nature still. 
 But the nobiscum of His name bodeth yet a farther matter. 
 For indeed the " with us " of His name is more than the 
 " with us " of His nature. If we make a great matter of 
 that, as great it is and very great, behold the ecce of His 
 name is far beyond it. " With us " in His nature, that is 
 "with us" as man — that is short. We are more — sinful 
 men ; a wretched condition added to a nature corrupt. 
 Will He be " with us " in that too ? Else this of nature 
 will smally avail us. 
 
 What, in sin ? Nay, " in all things, sin only except." 
 (Heb. iv. 15.) Yea, that is in being " like us," but not in 
 being " with us." For in being " with us " except sin, and 
 except all ; the ridding us of our sin is the only matter, saith 
 Esay after. Therefore to be with us in all things, sin itself 
 not except. St. John's caro factum est will not serve, (John 
 i. 14), St. VdivXs fuit peccatu7?i (2 Cor. v. 21) must come too. 
 In " with us " there too. I say it over again : unity of 
 nature is not enough, He is to be *' with us " in unity of 
 Person likewise. So He was. The debtor and surety 
 make but one person in law. That He was, and then He 
 was Cum, " with us " thoroughly, as deep in as we. 
 
 And this is the proper Iminanu of His name. And this 
 the Immanu indeed. And till He was thus " with us," no 
 name He had; He was Christus ano?iymus, 'Christ un- 
 christened,' as it were. For His name came not till He 
 became One "with us" in person; not till His Circumci- 
 sion ; not, till for us and in our names. He became debtor 
 of the whole Law, principal, forfeiture, and all. To " the 
 hand-writing" (Col. ii. 14) He then signed with the first- 
 fruits of His blood. And then, name the Child, and give 
 
144 Oj the Nativity, - 
 
 Him this name, "Immanuel." For thus He was a right 
 ** Immanuel," truly '' with us." " With us " as men ; " with 
 us " as sinful men ; " with us " in all things, sin itself not 
 excepted. 
 
 May I not add this ? It is said in the text, " She shall 
 call"— "She," that is. His mother. Why "She"? To 
 let us understand, that she might give Him the name while 
 He undertook this for us. But His Father, till all was 
 discharged and the " hand-writing cancelled," till then He 
 suspended, He gave it Him not. His mother she did, when 
 He dropped a little blood at the seahng of the bond. But 
 He was fain not to drop blood but to sweat blood, and to 
 shed His blood, every drop of it, ere this " with us " were 
 full answered. And then His Father did it too, dedit IIH 
 nomen super omne f7ome?i, (Phil. ii. 9) ; then, and not before. 
 His mother now. His Father not till then. But then He 
 had proved Himself fully " with us " per omnia, when neither 
 womb nor birth, cratch nor cross, cross nor curse, could 
 pluck Him away from us, or make Him not to be " with 
 us." Then vocabit illi nomen, both she and He ; mother. 
 Father, and all. "With us" to eat " butter and honey" (Isa. 
 vii. 15) seemeth much ; and it is so for God. What say ye 
 to drink "vinegar and gall "? (Ps. Ixix. 21, and Mat. xxvii. 
 48.) That is much more, I am sure ; yet that He did I 
 cannot here say "with us," but for us. Even drunk of the 
 cup with the dregs of the wrath of God, which passed not 
 from Him, that it might pass from us and we not drink it. 
 
 This, this is the great " with us ; " for of this follow all the 
 rest. " With us " once thus, and then " with us " in His 
 Oblation on the Altar of the Temple ; " with us " in His 
 Sacrifice on the Altar of the Cross ; " with us " in all the 
 virtues and merits of His life ; " with us " in the satisfaction 
 and satispassion both of His death; "with us" in His 
 Resurrection, to raise us up from the earth ; " with us " in 
 His Ascension, to exalt us to Heaven ; " with us," even 
 then, when He seemed to be taken from us — that day by 
 His Spirit, as this day by His flesh. Et ecce vobiscum, and 
 lo, I am true Immanuel " with you " by the love of My 
 manhood ; " with you " by the power of My Godhead, still 
 "to the end of the world." (Mat. xxviii. 20.) 
 
 One more yet. He won it, and he wears this name ; and 
 in it He wears us. And it is both a comfort to us and a 
 
Sermon IX, 145 
 
 glory that so He wears us. That He is not, cannot be 
 named without us ; that when He is named, et nos una 
 Tecum Domine^ ' we also are named with Him.' In Immanu 
 is a7iu^ and that is we. This is not it, but this ; that He 
 hath set us in the forepart of it ; immanu before El^ Nobiscum 
 before Deus, This note is not out of place in this place, 
 where precedence is made a great matter of; that Immanu 
 is before El ; that is, we first, and God last. 
 
 Good manners would in a name compound of Him and 
 us, that He should have stood before us, and it have been 
 Elimmanu at least — Deus nobiscum^ and Deus before 
 nobiscum; not Immanuel, nobiscum before Deus, He 
 before us \ He the priority of the place in all reason. Booz 
 he placed them so, (Ruth ii. 4), and so should we I dare 
 say, if it had been of our imposing, Elimmanu. It had been 
 great arrogancy otherwise. But He giving it Himself would 
 have it stand thus ; us set before Him. There is a meaning 
 in it. And what can it be but this ? That in the very name 
 we might read that we are dearer to Him than Himself; 
 that He so preferred us, and that His own name doth prce 
 seferre no less, but give out to all the world the ecce of St. 
 John's Gospel, Ecce quoniodo dilexit I (John xi. 36), the ecce 
 of his Epistle, Ecce quantam charitatem habuit I (i John iii. 
 i), " See, how He loved them ! " " Behold, how great love 
 He bare to them ! " See it in His very name. We are a 
 part of it ; we are the forepart of it, and He the latter ; He 
 behind, and we before — before Himself, and that by order 
 from Himself : He would have it Immanuel. O ! whether 
 was greater, humility or charity in Him ! Hard to say 
 whether, but both unspeakable. 
 
 Let us examine this sine nobis, a little. How came God 
 from us ? Nay, ask not that ; but how we came from Him. 
 For we went from Him, not He from us ; we forsook Him 
 first. Jonas tells us how ; " By following lying vanities, we 
 forsook our own mercy." (Jonah ii. 8.) 
 
 If we went from Him first, then should it be in reason nos 
 cum Deo, not nobiscum Deus; we to Him, not He to us. Did 
 we so? No indeed. We sought not Him, He was fain to 
 seek us. Nos cum Deo, that would not be ; it must be nobis- 
 cum Deus first, or 710s mm Deo will never be. This second 
 then ; that we began the separation — that long of us ; but 
 He begins the reconciliation. 
 
146 Of the Nativity. 
 
 Who hath the hurt if God be without us ? We, not He. 
 Who gets by nohiscum ? What gets God by ftobisacm ? No- 
 thing He. What get we ? Multiim per omneTn modum. 
 (Rom. iii. 2.) Why then doth He begin, doth He seek to 
 be with us ? No reason but sic dilexit^ and no reason of 
 that. 
 
 But when He sought and offered to be with us, did we 
 regard it? Nor that neither. You see, the Prophet here 
 offers Ahaz a sign, bids him ask it; Ahaz would none. 
 (Isa. vii. 12.) And as he to the sign, so we to the signatum^ 
 ' the thing signified ; ' care as little for Him or His being 
 " with us," as Ahaz did for His sign. We can be content 
 He in any sort will cease from us, come not at us so long as 
 the world can be with us or we with it ; care not for His 
 being with us, till world and all forsake us. How He 
 was fain even to force it on him ! 
 
 Cast up these then ; that He forsakes not, but being for- 
 saken first. That being forsaken, yet He forsakes not though. 
 That He Which should be sought to, seeks first, (Isa. vii. 
 14), and seeks us by whom He shall get nothing. Yea, 
 when we neglect Him so seeking, when Ahaz will no sign, 
 tells him He will give him one, whether he ask or ask not ; 
 that is, will do us good not only without our seeking, but 
 even in a manner against our wills. And tell me, if there be 
 not as much love in nobiscum^ as in all the rest. 
 
 "With us," how we see. Now, "with us" why, or to 
 what end ? To more than I have now time to tell you of. 
 Two only I name. i. One, that of the place — " to save them 
 from their enemies ; " as them, so us. Them from Razin and 
 Romely's son ; us from the son of Romely, or Romulus, or 
 whomsoever. If He " with us " on our side, then will He be 
 against them that are against us ; and that let us never fear 
 neither our own weakness, nor the enemies' strength. For 
 though we be weak and they be strong, yet Immanuel I am 
 sure That is " with us " is stronger than they. 
 
 Our fear most-what groweth, both in sin and in danger, 
 that we look upon ourselves as if it were only nobis ; as if 
 never a cu?)t ; or that cuifi were not El, " the mighty God." 
 As if with that great El all the inferior els were not atten- 
 dant, Micha-el, and Gabri-el ; and if He will, " twelve legions 
 of Angels." (Matt. xxvi. 53.) Or as if He alone with one 
 word of His mouth, one Ego smn, could not blow them all 
 
Sermon IX, 147 
 
 down, (John xviii. 5), could not make them all as those in 
 the text, as the tails of a couple of firebrands that have spent 
 themselves, smoke a Uttle, and there is all. No j if He be 
 "with us," we need not fear what these two, nay not what 
 all the fire-brands in hell can do against us. 
 
 And sure strange it is, the saints of God what courage and 
 confidence they have taken, from this very name Immanuel. 
 Go to, saith Esay in the next chapter, " Take your counsel, it 
 shall be brought to nought ; pronounce a decree, it shall not 
 stand." (Isa. viii. 10.) Why? For Immanuel, "God is with 
 us ; " nothing but this name. For as it is a name, so it is a 
 whole proposition, if you will. And after, in the fiftieth 
 chapter, he seeks for enemies ; calls them out, " Who will 
 contend with me?" (Isa. 1. 8.) Where is my adversary? let 
 him come near ; — so little doth he fear them. And these 
 were ghostly enemies ; and this was in the point of justi- 
 fication. This for the Prophet. 
 
 Now for the Apostle. Never did champion in more 
 courageous manner cast his glove than doth he to his ghostly 
 enemies, to " height," to " depth," to " things present," to 
 " things to come," to all, that none of them " shall be able to 
 sever him " (Rom. viii. 39) from this Cum, from His love. 
 And in all confidence of si Deus nohiscum ; in Whom He 
 makes full account to conquer ; nay, conquer will not serve 
 — more than conquer he, b-7rspvi7tc!j>j,sv. (Rom. viii. 37.) 
 
 The reason is set down. Proverbs xxx., (v. i), where he 
 betakes himself to Ifhiel first, which is but a slip of Imman- 
 uel, Deus mecum ; and then to Ith'ei straight joins Uca/, "I 
 shall prevail ; " not I, but £/ with me. Mi'e/ goeth never 
 alone; Ucal attends it still. Get Ifhiel — if/M/^/be with 
 us, C/cal will not be away, for If/iie/ and U'cal part not. 
 
 Is this all ? No ; there is another in the very body of 
 the word itself. " With us"— to make us that to God that 
 He was this day made to man. And this indeed was the 
 chief end of His being " with us ; " to give 11 s a posse fieriy 
 a capacity, "a power to be made the sons of God," (John i. 
 12), by being " born again of water and of the Spirit ; " for 
 Originein quam sumpsit ex utero Virginis posuit in fonte 
 Baptisinatis, 'the same original that Himself took in the 
 womb of the Virgin to usward, the same hath He placed for 
 us in the fountain of Baptism to God-ward.' Well therefore 
 called the womb of the Church ffvaror/^ov to the Virgin's 
 
1 48 Of the Nativity. 
 
 womb, with a power given it of concipiet et pariet filios to 
 God. So His being conceived and born the Son of man 
 doth conceive and bring forth (filiation piliationem,) our being 
 born, our being the sons of God. His participation of our 
 human, our participation of His Divine nature. 
 
 And shall He be " with us " thus many ways, and shall 
 not we be with Him — as many I say not, but some, as many 
 as we can? We with Him, as He with us? Specially, 
 since upon this issue the Prophet puts King Asa, "The 
 Lord is with you, if you be with Him," (2 Chron. xv. 2) — 
 with you to save you, if you with Him to serve Him. It 
 holds reciproce, in all duties of love, as here was love if ever. 
 " Immanuel, God with us," requires Immelanu, * us with 
 God,' again. 
 
 He " with us " now I hope, for " where two or three are 
 gathered together in His Name, there is He with them." 
 (Matt, xviii. 20.) But that is in His Godhead. And we 
 are with Him ; our prayers, our praises are with Him ; but 
 that is in our spirits whence they come. 
 
 These are well, but these are not all we can ; and none 
 of these, the proper * with Him ' of the day. That hath a 
 special Cum of itself, peculiar to it. Namely, that we be so 
 with Him, as He this day was " with us ; " that was in flesh, 
 not in spirit only. That flesh that was conceived and this 
 day born, (Corpus aptasti Mihi), (Ps. xl. 6, and Heb. x. 5), 
 that body that was this day fitted to Him. And if we be 
 not with Him thus, if this His flesh be not *' with us," if we 
 partake it not, which way soever else we be with Him, we 
 come short of the Im of this day. Ifn otherwise it may be, 
 but not that way which is proper to this feast. " Thy land, 
 O Immanuel," (Isa. viii. 8), saith the Prophet in the next 
 chapter ; and may not I say, This Thy feast, O Immanuel ? 
 Sure no being with Him so kindly, so pleasing to Him, so 
 fitting this feast, as to grow into one with Him ; as upon 
 the same day, so the very same way He did " with us." 
 
 This, as it is most proper, so it is the most straight and 
 near that can be — the surest being withal that can be. 
 Nihil tarn nobiscum tarn nostrum, quam ali??ientum nostrum, 
 ' nothing so with us, so ours, as that we eat and drink down,' 
 which goeth, and groweth one with us. For alimentiim et 
 aiitum do coalescere in unum, ' grow into an union ; ' and 
 that union is inseparable ever after. This then I commend 
 
Sermon IX. 149 
 
 to you, even the being with Him in the Sacrament of His 
 Body — that Body that was conceived and bom, as for other 
 ends so for this specially, to be " with you ; " and this day, 
 as for other intents, so even for this, for the Holy Eucharist 
 This, as the kindliest for the time, as the surest for the 
 manner of being with. 
 
 And this is the farthest ; and this is all we can come to 
 here— here upon earth. But this is not all; there is a 
 farther to come still. For we are not together; we are 
 parted. He and we. He in Heaven, and we in earth. But 
 it shall not always so be. Beside this day Immanuel hath 
 another day, and that day will come; and when it doth 
 come, He will come and take us to Himself. That as He 
 hath been our Immanuel upon earth, so He may be our 
 Immanuel in Heaven ; He with us, and we with Him, there 
 for ever. 
 
 This of the Sacrament is a preparative to that ; will con- 
 ceive and bring forth the other. For immediately after He 
 had given them the Holy Eucharist, He prayed straight that 
 they that had so been with Him in the blessed Sacrament 
 — " Father, My will is," My prayer, My last prayer, " that 
 where I am they may be also." (John xvii. 24.) 
 
 And He is in Heaven, in the joy and glory there ; and 
 there He would have us. So 7iobiscum Deus in terris brings 
 us to 710S cum Deo in Cmlis, even thither. Thither may it 
 bring us, and thither may we come and there be — He " with 
 us," and we with Him for ever ! " Immanuel " is the end of 
 the verse : the same be our end, that so we may be happy 
 and blessed without end 1 
 
1 50 Of the Nativity. 
 
 SERMON X. 
 
 A Sermon preached before the King's Majesty at 
 Whitehall, on Monday, the Twenty-fifth of 
 December, a.d. mdcxv., being Christmas-day. 
 
 And thou Bethlehem Ephratah art little to be among the 
 thousafids of Jndah ; yet out of thee shall He come forth 
 unto 7ne That shall be the Ruler in Israel ; Whose goings 
 forth have been from the beginnings andfrofti everlasting. 
 — MiCAH V. 2. 
 
 [Et tu Bethlehem Ephrata^ parvulus es in millibtis Juda : ex te mihi 
 egredieiuj' Qui sit Dominator in Israel ; et egressus Ejus ab initio a 
 diebus crternitatis.} 
 
 THE Prophet Esay (Isa. vii. 14) had the honour to be 
 the first that is vouched, and whose words are enrolled 
 in the New Testament. The Prophet Micah hath the 
 honour to be the second. That of Esay, £a-e virgo, &^c. in 
 the end of the first chapter, (Matt. i. 23, 26) ; this of Micah, 
 Et tu Bethlehem^ 6^^. in the beginning of the second of the 
 first of all the Evangelists, St. Matthew. 
 
 They follow one the other ; and they follow well, one on 
 the other. That of Esay, His birth ; this of Micah, the 
 place of His birth. " Behold a Virgin shall bear," saith 
 Esay ; and Bethlehem shall be the place where she shall do 
 it, saith Micah. His Name, saith Esay, " shall be God with 
 us ;" with us, saith Micah, "to be our Guide" and conduct 
 us. He with us in Bethlehem in the beginning of the verse, 
 that we with Him in eternity in the end of it. 
 
 We have first a most sure word and warrant of the Evan- 
 gelist, that " the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of this pro- 
 phecy," (Rev. xix. 10); that "this day this Scripture was 
 fulfilled," when " He was born at Bethlehem." (Matt. ii. i.) 
 In St. Matthew's steps we tread when we so apply it, and 
 so treading always sure we are we tread safely. No Ih'ia, 
 s'TTiXvasi, "private interpretation" (2 Pet. i. 20) of our own 
 head ; but Micah by Matthew, the Prophet by the Evan- 
 gelist — ever the best. 
 
 To say truth, there is no applying it to any but to Christ, 
 none to give it away to from Him. 
 
Sermon X. 151 
 
 I. From David to the Son of David, that is to Him, we 
 read not of any other " born at Bethlehem." No record to 
 be shewed but of them two. 
 
 But whatever become of that, this is sure ; none had ever 
 " His out-goings from everlasting " but He. None, of 
 whom those words can be verified but of Him only, as VVho 
 only is the Son of the ever-living God. 
 
 3. These might serve ; but it is yet more clear, this. For 
 howsoever about Esay's Ecce virgo the Jews and we are not 
 of one mind, yet for this here of Micah the coast is clear — 
 the Jews will not quarrel us, touching it ; there is on all 
 sides between them and us good agreement. 
 
 For upon the coming of the wise men from the East, 
 (Matt. ii. 4), there was a synod of the High-priests and 
 Scribes called at Jerusalem — the very first that we read of 
 in the New Testament — and called by the king, to resolve 
 the point about the place of Christ's birth. (Matt. ii. 5.) 
 And then and there it was resolved Cofidliariter, that at 
 Bethlehem ; and resolved from this very place, for that these 
 words were a known prophecy of the birth of Christ. 
 
 Upon which so famous an occasion, this resolution grew 
 so notorious as it did 7?ianare in vulgus ; the very people 
 could tell this. They argue in the seventh of John (John 
 vii. 42) against our Saviour by it, that He could not be the 
 Christ ; for Christ was to come out of Bethlehem, (that was 
 taken as granted,) and He came out of Galilee, as they in 
 error thought, but that was plain ignoratio elenchi. For 
 though He were there brought up, He might be born at 
 Bethlehem ; and so He was. But so. Priest and people 
 both knew Bethlehem was Christ's natale sohim^ and that 
 this prophecy was the evidence for it. 
 
 4. Though these be enough, yet have we a greater witness 
 than all these from Heaven — even the star. For whether 
 this Scripture doth send us thither, the star doth lead us to 
 Bethlehem straight. Never stood still till it came thither, 
 and there it stood directly over the place, (Matt. ii. 9,) as 
 much to say as, "Lo, there He is born." (Ps. Ixxxvii. 4.) 
 And in this will we rest, since Micah and Matthew, Prophet 
 and Apostle, Priest and people. Christians and Jews, Heaven 
 and earth are all with us; all testify this text pertains to 
 Christ's birth, and so to this day properly. 
 
 It is of a place ; and place and time are held weighty 
 
152 Of the Nativity, 
 
 circumstances, specially in matter of fact or story — Ubi et 
 Quando, material questions. The Apostles asked them 
 both; Ubi Domine? "Where Lord?" (Luke xvii. 37.) 
 Qtiando, et quod erit signum ? " When and what shall be 
 the sign ? " (Mark xiii. 4.) 
 
 Of the time when, some other time may give occasion, if 
 it so please God. Now, of Ubi Domine ? the place where. 
 There we are to-day; whereto this is a direct answer, 
 Bethlehem is the place. That first. 
 
 But then secondly, this circumstance leads us farther, to 
 matter of substance. The place of the birth to the birth 
 itself, and the birth to the Party bom, Who is here set forth 
 as a person. He comes forth once and again ; He leads, 
 He feeds ; all acts of a person entire. 
 
 Thirdly, this Person is here said to have two comings 
 forth. I. Egreditur ex te, one. 2. Egressus Ejus ab ceterno^ 
 the other. In which two are expressly set down His two 
 natures, i. Ex te, from Bethlehem, on earth ; thence He 
 came according to His manhood. 2. A diebus ceternitatis, 
 "from everlasting or from eternity;" thence He came 
 according to His Godhead. 
 
 And last, to make it a full and complete Christmas in 
 text, besides His place, Person, and natures in these two 
 comings forth, here is His office also, to be ' Hyovfj^ivog oarig 
 'jtaifjjdvit, (so doth St. Matthew turn ^jj^io the Prophet's word; 
 I follow no other, for sure I am I cannot follow a better 
 translator :) Dux qui pascet. (Mat. ii. 6.) One to i. lead us 
 and to 2. feed us, and so to conduct us from Bethlehem 
 where this day we come first acquainted with Him, to the 
 state of eternity whence He came out to bring us in ; there 
 to live and reign with Him for ever. 
 
 So, I. of the Place ; II. Person ; III. Natures ; and IV. 
 Office of Christ. I. The place of His birth, Bethlehem ; 
 with her two epithets or twins as it were, i. Parvula, 
 "little;" and 2. Ephratah, "fruitful." II. Then, of His 
 Person That did come forth. III. After, of both His 
 natures; i. As man from Bethlehem ; 2. As God from ever- 
 lasting. IV. Last of His office, i. To be our guide, to 
 lead us, saith Micah; 2. Dux, qui pascet, (Mat. ii. 6); lead 
 us and feed us, saith Matthew, both. And so leading and 
 feeding us, to conduct and bring us to the joys and joyful 
 days of eternity, whither without Him we can never come , 
 
Sermon X. 153 
 
 and whither till we come, we shall never be as we would 
 be, that is, truly happy indeed. This is His office. And 
 as His office to lead and to feed us, so our duty to be led 
 and to be fed by Him. That follows of itself. 
 
 Et tu Bethlehem. A word of the character or manner of 
 the speech. For this verse hath no dependance at all on 
 that went before. The Prophet breaks off the discourse he 
 was in, and breaks into this of Bethlehem here, all of a 
 sudden. This we call an Apostrophe, and it is one of the 
 figures that be stirrers of attention. 
 
 For this we find, that while one goes on still with a tale 
 in a continued tenour of speech, attention grows dull, and 
 no readier way to awake it, as the masters of that art tell us, 
 than suddenly to break off the point we were in hand with, 
 and turn us to quite another matter, which with the strange- 
 ness will affect the hearer, and make him listen afresh, 
 whether he will or no. 
 
 The Prophet doth so in this. He was but the verse 
 before mustering garrisons and laying siege to Jerusalem, 
 and in the midst of his tale falls from that, and presently is 
 at Bethlehem ; tells us of a new matter about a Child to be 
 born there. This must needs move attention. Any Apos- 
 trophe will do it more or less. 
 
 But of all, none to that which is framed in the second 
 person as this is. For it is not a speech of or con- 
 cerning Bethlehem in the third person, (as that of Esay, 
 " Behold, a Virgin ; " so here, * Behold, out of Bethlehem 
 shall come : ') not enuntiative. But it is a speech to 
 Bethlehem in the second person ; et tu, " and thou Bethle- 
 hem, out of thee shall there come" — annuntiative, which 
 hath more vigour in it. If Esay had said, * And thou Virgin 
 shalt conceive,' it had been more effectual than " Behold a 
 Virgin shall conceive ; " more a great deal. 
 
 But more specially yet, if in the second person we turn 
 our speech ad ina?iimata, to things that can neither hear 
 nor understand. Not, that we hold them capable of that 
 which is spoken ; but that if in any degree they were so, it 
 is such as surely would move them. Such is the Prophet's 
 here ; turns him to the town-walls of Bethlehem, makes a 
 set speech to them, tells them of all this matter; "And 
 thou Bethlehem," to thee be it spoken, **out of thee shall 
 there come." And this is very forcible, and full of life; for 
 
I S4 0/ the biatkii^'. 
 
 it intends that if the very walls and stones in them could 
 hear or could rejoice, there is good cause they should do 
 both ; in that there should come out of them One, for 
 Whom Jerusalem and all the cities of Judah, nay, all the 
 world should be the better. Weigh it well, and you shall 
 find there is more in this et tu, than is or can be in any ecce 
 of them all. And this for et ttc, the manner of the speech. 
 
 I. For the matter, it is an answer to the question, ubi 
 natus est of the wise men, "Where is He that is bom?" 
 Born He was, that they knew ; where born, that they knew 
 not. The star told them one, the Prophet the other. Et 
 daritas claritatem darificat^ and a clear star is made more 
 clear by a prophecy as clear, or clearer than it. For very 
 clear it is, the prophecy, without all circuity noting, naming, 
 and in a manner pointing to it; "And thou Bethlehem." 
 
 And because there were two Bethlehems, one in the tribe 
 of Zebulon, (Jos. xix. 15), another in the tribe of Judah ; he 
 saith it was " Bethlehem Ephratah " which is that in the 
 tribe of Judah, as St. Matthew, (Matt. ii. 6), rather giving 
 the sense than standing on the words cites it. There can 
 be no error, Rachel's sepulchre was there by, " Rachel was 
 buried at Ephratah — Ephratah, the same is Bethlehem," 
 (Gen. XXXV. 19, and Gen. xlviii. 7), Moses tells us more 
 than a thousand years before. As plain this as plain may 
 be. No oracle of Delphos ; — without any equivocation at 
 all. 
 
 We have the place. Now what manner place is it ? Et 
 tu Bethlehem^ parvula. Farvula, this " little " doth a little 
 trouble us. Why, it is a sorry poor village, scarce worth an 
 Apostrophe ; specially to turn from Jerusalem to turn to it. 
 And as little likelihood, that so great a State as the Guide 
 of the whole world should come creeping out of such a 
 corner — Locus, et locatum ever are equal. That birth is 
 sure too big for this place. The Prophet dissembles it not, 
 saw what flesh and blood would except straight; as ever 
 they carry a conceit against some places and persons. And 
 can any great matter come from them? (John vii. 52, and 
 John i. 46.) What, from Bethlehem ? What, out of Gali- 
 lee ? Nay, if so great a State, He would come from another 
 manner place than that. Et tu Jerusalem, from Jerusalem, 
 Damascus, Caesarea ; from some stately city, much better 
 beseeming Him. These are didata carnis. 
 
Sermon X. 155 
 
 First, He denies not "little" it was; and not oX/yog but 
 hXiyiGTog, not parva, hut _paf villa ; " diminutively little." So 
 little, saith the Prophet, that it was not to be reckoned una 
 demillibus, not " one of a thousand," for the meanness of it. 
 And the Evangelist makes it rather worse than better ; for 
 the Prophet's word parvula he turns ikayJCTyi^ that is 
 7ninUna^ (Matt. ii. 6), even the " very least of all." 
 
 This he confesses ; but then joins this issue, that though 
 the tu be little the ex te may be great. Ex te parva egre- 
 dietur non Parvus. As little as it is, no little Person shall 
 come out of it. Though it be not una de millibus for the 
 meanness, as saith Micah ; notwithstanding. He That is to 
 come out of it may be and is, electus Unus de millibus^ 
 "One of a thousand" (Cant. v. 10) for His choice, for His 
 excellency. Though it not worthy to be "one of the 
 thousands of Judah," it should send forth One That should 
 rule the thousands of Judah, and the ten thousands of 
 Israel. And not of Israel only after the flesh but a handful 
 in comparison of them He should lead, but " the Israel of 
 God," His faithful chosen people all the world over. In- 
 deed, He had answered the objection before He made it, 
 in Ephratah ; that " little " it was but " fruitful," and not a 
 little fruitful. 
 
 Which two counterpoints make in shew a conflict or con- 
 tradiction between the Prophet and the Evangelist. The 
 Prophet saith, " Thou art the least ;" the Evangelist citing 
 Him saith the clean contrary, " Thou art not the least." 
 (Matt. ii. 6.) Bethlehem^ 7)iini?Jia, et non mifiima ; "least" 
 and " not least " — how may both be ? Well enough, 
 both ; so both be not said, regard had to one and the 
 same thing. 
 
 " Least " saith Micah, and saith true ; for the compass of 
 the territory, " least ; " for the small number of the inhabi- 
 tants, " least ;" for the thinness and meanness of the build- 
 ings, as was seen at Christ's Birth, not able to give lodging 
 to any number, (Luke ii. 7); so "least." But then again, 
 '* not least" saith St. Matthew, and saith truly too. Not, in 
 regard of any of the three now mentioned, but of another, 
 able of itself alone to weigh them all down ; in that it 
 should yield Alu7nnu7n ta7n gra7tde7n, ' so great a birth ' as 
 the great Messias of the world. One, Whose only coming 
 forth of it was able to make it not the least, nay the greatest 
 
156 Of the Nativity, 
 
 and most famous of all the dwellings of Jacob, of the 
 whole land, nay of the whole world then. And thus, not 
 " the least." Though minima for the tu, non minima for 
 the ex te; non minima if it were but for Him, and for 
 nothing else. 
 
 What shall we make of this ? Nothing but what cometh 
 from it of itself without straining. That with God it is no 
 new thing, (nay very familiar as even the heathen have ob- 
 served, so familiar as God seems to take delight in it), to 
 bring maxima de minimis ; 'great out of little,' Christ out of 
 Bethlehem. Which is plain even in nature. How huge an 
 oak from how small an acorn ! But that asks great time. 
 From how little a grain of mustard-seed, the very Bethlehem 
 minima^ "the least of all seeds," (Matt. xiii. 32), how large 
 a plant ! of how fair a spread ! and that in a little time, a 
 month or two at most. 
 
 But we are not in nature now ; in this very point here of 
 guides and rulers, therein too it hath been no unusual thing 
 with Him out of small beginnings to raise mighty states. 
 Their first guide, Moses, whence came he ? out of a basket 
 of bulrushes, forlorn and floating among the flags, (Exod. 
 ii. 3), taken up even by chance. The great beginner of 
 their monarchy, and not of theirs alone but the two begin- 
 ners of the two mighty monarchies of the Persians and 
 Romans, Cyrus and Romulus — from the shepherd's scrip, 
 from the sheepcot, all three ; those great magnalia from 
 parva mapalia. And as the kingdoms of the earth from a 
 sheepcot, so His own of the Church from a fisherboat. We 
 may well turn to them with this Apostrophe : And thou 
 sheepcot, out of thee have come mighty monarchs. And 
 thou fisherboat, out of thee four of the chief and principal 
 Apostles. (Matt. iv. 18, 21.) 
 
 " Even so Lord," saith our Saviour, " for so is Ihy plea- 
 sure." (Matt. xi. 26.) And since it is His pleasure so to 
 deal, it is His farther pleasure, and it is our lesson out 
 of this Bethlehem minima^ even this, ne mi?iima mini?niy 
 'that we set not little by that which is little,' unless we will 
 so set by Bethlehem, and by Christ and all. He will not 
 have little places vilified. " Little Zoar," (Gen. xix. 20), 
 will save the body, " little Bethlehem " the soul. Nor have, 
 saith Zachary, dies parvos, "little times," (Zech. iv. 10), 
 despised; unless we will despise this day, the feast ol 
 
Sermon X. 157 
 
 humility. Nor have " one of these Httle ones " (Matt, xviii. 
 6) offended. Why? for Ephratah may make amends for 
 parvula, ex fe for tu. 
 
 This is on God's behalf. On Christ's yet farther, to stay 
 a little upon this " little." For though there want not divers 
 other good congruencies why Christ should come from 
 Bethlehem, rather than from another place, i. For that it 
 was the town of David, (John vii. 42), and He was the Son 
 of David; and so a place not unmeet for Him to come 
 from even in that respect, being sedes aviia. Out of thee 
 came David, and well therefore out of thee shall come 
 David's Son ; David's Son and David's Lord, both. 
 
 2. The surname of Ephratah puts me in mind of another; 
 "Lo, we heard of it at Ephratah," saith the Psalm, (Ps. 
 cxxxii. 6) — there, the first news of the Templa And, ' Lo, 
 we heard of Him at Ephratah' to-day by the Angel, (Luke 
 ii. 11), — there the first word of the Lord of the Temple. 
 The Temple was the type of the Church, and that was heard 
 of at Ephratah first ; and no ways incongruent that where 
 the Church, there the Head of the Church ; Christ, and 
 Christ's Church both at one place. 
 
 3. There is a third in the very name of Bethlehem, that 
 is, "the house of bread." For He that was born there 
 was " Bread." But that will be more proper anon at Qui 
 pascet. 
 
 But these, though they agree well, yet none of them so 
 well as this, that it was fninima — the very miniminess as I 
 may say of it. For in so being, it was a place well suiting 
 with His estate now at His egredietur ex te, which was the 
 state of humility, eminent in His, if ever in any birth. 
 Bethlehem was not so " little," but He as " little " as it. 
 Look, what Apostrophe Micah made to the town may we 
 make to Him, and that with better reason ; and Thou Beth- 
 lehemite. Thou wert as little among the sons of men, as ever 
 was Bethlehem among the villages of Judah. So, novissi- 
 mum oppidorum^ as Micah calls it, suits well with novisswms 
 virorum, (Isa. liii. 3), as Esay calls Him. 
 
 And it was not the place alone, but all were little then. 
 The time, in solstitio drumali, * the deep of winter,' when 
 the days are at the shortest and least. And the people He 
 came of " little." Amos saith, " Who shall raise up Jacob, 
 for he is small ? " (Amos vii. 2, 5.) Small ever ; but never 
 
1 58 Of the Nativity, 
 
 so small, never so low brought, as at His coming forth. 
 Then at the lowest and the very least, as being then brought 
 under the bondage of a stranger ; and he, one of " the 
 children of Edom " that cried " Down with them, down to 
 the ground." (Ps. cxxxvii. 7.) One that made Rachel 
 mourn in her grave, (Mat ii. 18), (her grave was there hard 
 by) for the slaughter of the poor innocents, within a while 
 after. So place and time, and people and all, " litde ; " and 
 He Himself less than all. 
 
 For even in the place, Micah hath not said all ; for He is 
 less yet. If " little Bethlehem " offended, what could have 
 been said if he had gone farther, and yet not farther than 
 St. Luke ? And thou, the stable in the inn at Bethlehem, 
 and thou the manger in the stable, (Luke ii. 7), ex te 
 egredietur^ " out of thee shall He come." These are be- 
 yond Bethlehem parva^ — less yet ; yet thence did He come 
 too at His entrance into the world. And all these, nothing 
 to His going out ; another manner of diminution there 
 than all these. Such was His humility on this feast of 
 humility. 
 
 And O thou little Bethlehem, and O thou litde Beth- 
 lehemite, how do you both, both place and person, con- 
 found the haughtiness of many that yet would be called 
 Christians, and even near Christ Himself. There is in 
 both of you, if it were well taken to heart, enough to prick 
 the swelling, and let out the apostumed matter of pride 
 from a many of us, whose look, gesture, gait, and swelling 
 words of vanity are too big for Bethlehem — whose whole 
 carriage and course is, as if they were to be saved by one 
 who came out of the great city Niniveh or Grand Cayre, 
 rather than out of the little hamlet of Bethlehem. 
 
 But all this was done to bring that virtue in credit. I 
 find no reason rendered of it but this • that by what manner 
 of place He made choice of to be born at. He would teach 
 us what manner of spirits He doth affect, to take up His 
 residence and to rest in. " The High and Excellent," saith 
 Esay, "That inhabits eternity, He also will rest with the 
 lowly," (Isa. Ivii. 15) — with those that be no higher than 
 Bethlehem in their own eyes. "To them He looks," 
 (Isa. Ixvi. I, 2) ; " gives grace to them," (Prov. iii. 34) ; "to 
 them He reveals what He keeps from the great ones of 
 tbi3 world." (Mat. xi. 2^.) And when H^ shall sit in aU 
 
SerlJion X. 1 59 
 
 Mis glory He shall say, Quod ininimis /ii's, ei Mlhi. Say 
 it forward affirmative, and say it backward negative; Quod 
 lion minimis his^ nee Mihi; "What to these minims to 
 Me ; " " what not to them, not to Me neither." (Matt. xxv. 
 40) 45') 
 
 To end this point then. For little Bethlehem's sake to 
 love the virtue that is like it, and for the virtue's sake to 
 honour it. Honour it — there is a star over it, there is a 
 Saviour in it. Honour it for That which comes out of it, 
 for the fruit it yields. More good com ^'''' forth out of that 
 poor town, {mihi saith the Prophet, "i le;" nobis^ may 
 we say, "to us all,") than from all the g Vand glorious 
 cities in the world. What good, Nazianzen S us ; Beth- 
 lehem honora parva77i^ quce te inducit in Paradi^. % ' it gives 
 us our introduction to Paradise — Bethlehem;' it gives us 
 a Guide to-day, if we will follow Him, will bring us thither 
 to our original happiness ; nay, farther than so, to the days 
 of eternity. And Him we must follow, and it we must 
 honour — even this virtue, if ever w^e mean to come 
 there. 
 
 II. This for the place. Now for the Person that cometh 
 from this place. For being in speech of a place, he con- 
 tinues in local terms fit for a place, egredietur ex te. Egredi 
 is * to come forth,' and that is properly from or out of a 
 place. And the rather he doth it, because withal it is a 
 term that fitteth His birth well. So the Scripture saith, 
 "Naked came I forth," (Job i. 21), that is, was I born. 
 ** The child that first comes forth," (Gen. xxxviii. 28), that 
 is, the first is born. This word is twice repeated, i. Once, 
 "out of Bethlehem," ex te. 2. Another, "from everlasting," 
 ab cBterno. These two set out to us His two comings forth, 
 that is. His two Nativities ; — nativity is nothing but a 
 coming forth. Those two. His two natures ; since nativitas 
 est adnaturam via^ * Nativity is but the way that leads to 
 nature.' i. Egredietur ex te as the Son of man, as David's 
 Son; 2. Egressus Ejus ab ceterno as the Son of God, as 
 David's Lord. 
 
 III. Egredietur ex te. Egredietur is the tense of the time 
 to come. To come, when Micah wrote this, and in the 
 future ; but come, when St. Matthew cited it, and in the 
 prseter — " When Jesus was born at Bethlehem." But future 
 and prseter both are in time, so this His birth in time. 
 
1 6o Of the Nativity. 
 
 But the other hath neither future nor prseter, neither 
 mood nor tense : nay, no verb at all. It is expressed by a 
 substantive, to shew His subsistence before all time, from 
 all eternity. 
 
 2. Ex is a place. Out of it He came, so in it He was. 
 And this birth local, as before temporal. So was not His 
 order. That hath no ex ; that is ab, ab ceter?io. For as 
 eternal, no place contains Him ; He is every where — fills 
 both Heaven and earth. 
 
 3. Te ; that pl^-^e is Bethlehem, a place upon earth. 
 According to w,^ it is said, '^ There shall come a root out 
 of Jesse," (Es?" term, chap. xi. ver. i), and out of it "a 
 branch," (Je /'s, chap, xxiii. ver. 5), \htnc& germen^ "a 
 flower," or oiossom," (Zachary's, chap. vi. ver. 12), and 
 from it this fruit of Ephratah, the fruit of the virgin's womb. 
 (Luke i. 42.) "Root," "branch," "blossom," and "fruit" 
 — all of the earth, earthly. But there came forth at the 
 same time a star too, to shew He had another more high 
 and heavenly being. 
 
 For this of Bethlehem was not His first flight as we say ; 
 the other, though it stand behind in the verse, was before 
 that by far, Ex utero ante luciferum : ante luciferum^ 
 "before the star of His birth — nay, before any morning 
 star came forth," (Ps. ex. 3), He was come forth. A prin- 
 cipio saith Micah, and it is St. John's In principio^ the two 
 first words of his Gospel, long before Moses' In principio^ 
 the two first words of Genesis. But, to leave no place to 
 doubt of his meaning, he glosseth his a principio with ab 
 ceterno^ that is "from everlasting." By which very words, 
 " from eternity," Arius' error of erat quando non erat falls to 
 the ground. For nunquatn erat quando non erat ceternitas, 
 ' never was there, call it what you will, when eternity was 
 not.' For as "everlasting" forwards is to quando tempus 
 non erit amplius, " there shall be no more time," so " ever- 
 lasting" backward is to quando tempus non erat adhuc^ 
 * when there was yet no time at all.' 
 
 Now, let it not trouble you, that this His eternal is the 
 plural number — "outgoings" — as if they were more than 
 one. It is but the Hebrew phrase. They use to express 
 the superlative ever by the substantive of the plural number ; 
 to call that man nSJ'K blessings, whom they mean to be 
 most blessed. So that " outgoings " which is but one, but 
 
Sermon X. i6i 
 
 so high, after such a manner, so past our reach as Esay asks, 
 Gene7'ationem Ejus quis enarrabit^ " Who shall declare His 
 generation?" (Isa. liii. 8), no one, no singular will reach it; 
 and so it is expressed plurally. 
 
 So use they also to note out continuance. And so, it 
 sets out to us, the continual emanation or proceeding of 
 Him from His Father wg a-Tra-jyaGixa, the Apostle's word, as 
 a "beam of brightness" (Heb. i. 3) streaming from Him 
 incessantly. Never past — " His generation " — but, as the 
 schoolmen call it, actus commeiisuratus cefernitati. For hodie 
 ge7iui Te (Ps. ii. 7) is true of every day; yet, because it hath 
 coexistence with many revolutions of time, though it be 
 indeed in itself but one drawn out along, yet according to 
 the many ages it lasteth, it seemeth to multiply itself into 
 many ; and so is expressed plurally. 
 
 Though, the principal sense always saved, we may refer 
 this plural to both His " outgoings ;" both as Son of God 
 before all times, and as Son of man " in the fulness of 
 time." For this latter, though executed in time, had his 
 outgoing (that is the decree for it went forth) ab cBterno. 
 Even that " out of Bethlehem " He should come ; be " the 
 Son of man," " the Saviour of mankind," and their " Guide " 
 to eternity. Even that way also in a sense it may be said, 
 as man He came forth a principio, a diebus mternitatis ; a 
 principio for the efficacy, ab cBterno for the decree. From 
 the beginning there went virtue forth of Him, which wrought 
 even then when He was but forthcoming as we say, and not 
 yet come forth. His life. His death, ab engine mundi. 
 (Rev. xiii. 8.) So, for the efficacy, a principio. As for the 
 decree, that was gone forth from before the foundations of 
 the world, (Eph. i. 4), from all eternity. 
 
 IV. So now have we this Party, twice come forth, com- 
 pound of Bethlehem and eternity. And now we have Him, 
 what shall we do to Him ? But first, what shall He do to 
 us ? With God, Officium fundatur in beneficio ; ' He first 
 doth for us, before He require aught of us.' This He shall 
 do for us ; He shall be to us,— ^^'o is the word of the text, 
 St. Matthew turns it 'Uyobinvog. i. Which in the first and 
 native sense is a guide for the way. Dux vice to lead us : 2. 
 In a second, is a Captain, Diix militicB, to guard us. 3. 
 And to these two by way of paraphrase St. Matthews adds, 
 Oerig mi/jbavsT, Qui pascet, " a Guide That shall feed us." 
 
 F 
 
1 62 Of the Nativity, 
 
 I. To lead us in the way. 2. To guard us in the way. 3. 
 To feed us in the way. In these three, His office. From 
 a place, He came to be our Guide to a place. Still he holds 
 on with his local terms he began with. For a guide serves 
 properly to bring one to a place. There is in that word 
 both the office He to perform to us, and the benefit we to 
 receive by Him guiding. And it implieth also our duty 
 to Him again. For if He to lead, we to be led by Him; 
 " He is become the Author of eternal salvation," saith the 
 Apostle, "to them as will obey Him and be guided by 
 Him," (Heb. v. 9), and to none other. 
 
 Will ye see, first, the necessity of both those "His 
 comings forth " for this office to be our Guide ? Egredietur 
 ex te, first. He was to be of us, being to guide us; for 
 being of us, He would the better understand our wants, and 
 have the more compassion on them. (Heb. iv. 15.) There- 
 fore if a Prophet, " A Prophet shall the Lord raise up unto 
 you, from among your brethren," (Deut. xviii. 18); — Moses' 
 egredietur ex te. If a Prince, " your noble Ruler shall be of 
 yourselves, even from the midst of you;" — Jeremy, (xxx. 21.) 
 So he, egredietur ex te. If a Priest, then " to be taken from 
 men, and be ordained for men, in things pertaining unto 
 God," (Heb. v. i) ; the Apostle's egredietur ex te. To be 
 every one of these; and these three be the three great 
 guides of mankind. 
 
 And again ; as meet He should come forth " from 
 eternity," if thither He to bring us. None can bring to a 
 place so well as He that hath been there. There He had 
 been, had "inhabited eternity" saith Esay. (Ivii. 15.) 
 Thence He came, and coming thence best knows the way 
 thither again. So neither of His " outgoings " more than 
 needs. 
 
 Now to our " Guide." Where the terms of way and of 
 walking and leading meet us so thick, are so frequent all 
 along the Scripture, as plain it is our very life is held as a 
 journey ; and we, as the schoolmen term us, viator es, * in 
 state of way-faring men or travellers ' all, from our coming 
 into the world to the going out of it again, still going on in 
 the way or out of the way, the one or the other. If so, in a 
 journey two things we have to look to; i. our quoy and 2. 
 oyxx qua, i. quo^ our end 'whither;' 2. qua^ our way 'by 
 which.' St. Thomas said well, " Lord, we know not whither 
 
Sermon X, 163 
 
 Thou goest ; and how then can we know the way? " (John 
 xiv. 5.) Right; for ig7ioranti quern portum petat nullus 
 secundus est vefitus, * no wind is good for him that knows not 
 for what port he is bound.' He that knows not whither he 
 goes, wanders, and is never in his way ; is never in it, for he 
 hath none to be in. 
 
 First then, quo, * whither ? ' Now the end of the verse is 
 our journey's end, "eternity." Where if we may arrive, 
 happy we j that is agreed on presently. So is not the way 
 thither. 
 
 But yet, this I take is agreed ; that if it be a ready way, we 
 care the less for a guide ; but if hard to it, then dux ?iobi^ 
 opus^ * we need one.' 
 
 And sure, the way is not ready to hit; not so easy a 
 fool may find it. It is a foolish imagination so to ween 
 of it. 
 
 By-ways there be divers, many cross paths and turnings 
 in and out ; and we like enough to miss it, if we venture on 
 it without a guide. If there be not one to call to us ever 
 and anon, as Esay (xxx. 21.) Hcec est via, ambulate in ea, 
 " This the right way, keep it ; " — if not, you go you know 
 not whither. 
 
 The first point then is to find our own want, to think we 
 are in case to need a guide. For if we need none, this text 
 is superfluous ; "and thou Bethlehem," and Thou Christ, 
 ye may both well be spared. If we be able to go the way 
 without a guide, to be guides to ourselves, nay to be guides 
 to our guides, then : — the world is come to that now. 
 
 Well, he was a wise man and a great counsellor that said 
 when time was, " How can I without a guide ? " (Acts viii. 
 31) ; and the wise men at this feast were not so well per- 
 suaded of their own skill, but they sought and took direc- 
 tions. (Matt. ii. 2.) Let us follow them. 
 
 To get us one then. And not any one, but one that is 
 skilful in the way : no one thing need we so to be advised of 
 as this. For strange it is, but true it is; even they that be 
 blind themselves will take upon them to be guides to others. 
 You know who said. Si ccecus ccecum. (Matt. xv. 14.) That 
 si was no vain si, no idle supposition ; usque hodie, it is done 
 daily. But the end there is infoveam, a place we would not 
 come to ; and God keep us from it ! 
 
 One then that is skilful. And where shall we have any 
 
 F 2 
 
1 64 Of the Nativity. 
 
 so skilful as This, This of ours ? He cannot but be so. It 
 is sure, there were no better guide than the way itself, if the 
 way could speak to us, and tell us when we were right or 
 wrong in it. Now He, '' He is the Way," (John xiv. 6) ; 
 the Way and the End both. As God, He is the End ; — the 
 fruition of the Godhead, the end of our journey. As man. 
 He is the Way ; both Way and Guide too. His doctrine, 
 our guide ; His example, in the whole tract of His life, the 
 very way thither. 
 
 Nothing remaineth but that we now set forward in this 
 way. For as we daily sing in the Benedictus^ He came, not 
 to whet our wits or to file our tongues, but to " guide our 
 feet into the way." (Luke i. 79.) And into what way? Not 
 of questions and controversies whereof there is no end, about 
 which we languish all our life long, but "into the way of 
 peace," even of those duties about which there is no dis- 
 agreement. Look but to this feast, it is St. Augustine's 
 note, didicermit Magi, et abierunt ; docueru7it Scribes et re- 
 manseru7it^ ' The wise men they learnt the way and they 
 went ; the Scribes they taught the way, but they tarried still 
 behind.' O do as did the wise men, dimittunt Scribas 
 inaniter lectifare, ipsi pergunt fideliter adorare, ' Let the 
 Scribes sit still, and scan and read lectures of the way ; on 
 went the wise men on their way, and performed their wor- 
 ship, the end of their journey' — and so let us. This for 
 dux vice. 
 
 And this would serve for the way, if there were nothing 
 but the way, if that were all. But if there be enemies 
 beset the way to stop our passage, then will not dux, " a 
 guide," serve our turn ; we must have dux, " a captain " 
 then, (the second sense of the word yiyovfjbsvog,) one to guard 
 us and to make way for us. For we are not only to be led 
 surely without error, but safely without danger also. Such 
 a guide we behove to have, as will see us safe at the place 
 we would be at. And Bethlehem breeds such. Out of little 
 Bethlehem came he that fetched down great Golias. (i Sam. 
 xvii. 49.) And again, out of it this day He That "shall 
 tread down Satan under our feet." (Rom. xvi. 20.) Dux 
 Messias, Captain Messias, as the Angel in Dan. ix. 25, calls 
 Him. 
 
 And for Qui pascet, we may not miss that neither. For 
 say we be guarded from enemies ; yet shall we go our 
 
Sermon X. 165 
 
 journey but evil, if we faint by the way for hunger or thirst, 
 and have not to relieve us. He is not a good guide that in 
 that case cannot lead us where we may be purveyed of 
 necessary food for our relief. It is all one to perish out of 
 the way by error, and to perish in the way by want of need- 
 ful refreshing. St. Matthew therefore, to make Him a com- 
 plete Guide by way of supply, adds Qui pascet ; such an 
 One as shall lead more pastoritio, ' as a shepherd doth his 
 flock ;' not lead them the way only, but lead them also to 
 " good green pasture, besides the waters of comfort," (Ps. 
 xxiii. 2) ; see they want nothing. Dux Qui pascet, or Pastor 
 Qui ducet: choose you whether, for He is both. 
 
 Of all the three, the name of the place He was born in 
 seems to favour this most ; to be ominous toward Qui pascet. 
 Beth is a house, lehein bread, and Ephratah is plenty ; 
 " bread," " plenty." And there was in Bethlehem a well of 
 such water as King David, we read, longed for it, (i Chron. 
 xi. 17) — the best in all the country. Bethlehem then sure a 
 fit place for Qui pascet to be born in, and Qui pascet as fit a 
 Person to be born in Bethlehem. He is not meet to be 
 ruler, saith Esay, that saith in domo mea non est panis. (Isa. 
 iii. 7.) He can never say that Bethlehem is his house, and 
 that is domus panis, and in doi?io panis se?nper est panis. 
 Never take Him without bread. His house is the house of 
 bread, inasmuch as He Himself is Bread ; that in the house 
 or out of it — wheresoever He is, there is Bethlehem. There 
 can no bread want. 
 
 These three abilities then are in Christ our Leader. 
 I. Skill to be a Guide; 2. valour to be a Captain ; 3. and 
 for Qui pascet, Bethlehem, the house of bread, is His house. 
 Of which, I. skill serves for direction; 2. strength for de- 
 fence ; 3. food for refreshing. 
 
 1. Luce sacerdotalis sciefitice, * by the light of His priestly 
 knowledge ;' — so He guides us, " For the priest's lips are to 
 preserve knowledge." (Mai. ii. 7.) 
 
 2. And brachio regalis pote7itice, ' by the arm of His royal 
 power;' — so He guards us, for power pertains to the prince 
 principally. 
 
 3. And for Qui pascet, He is Melchizedek, King and 
 Priest ; ready to bring forth as he did bread and wine. 
 (Gen. xiv. 18.) But in another manner far than he did. 
 The bread and wine Melchizedek brought forth were not 
 
1 66 Of the Nativity. 
 
 his body and blood; Christ's are. Both Qui pascet and 
 Quo pascet. As before Dux et Via^ "the Guide and the 
 Way ; " so now here Pastor et Pabulum^ " the Feeder and 
 the Food," both. 
 
 You may see all this represented in the shadows of the 
 Old Testament. There is a book there called Exodus, of 
 Israel's egredietur out of Egypt. Therein they had Moses 
 for their guide ; and he led them to the borders of the Holy 
 Land, and there he left them ; to shew " the law brought 
 nothing to perfection." (Heb. vii. 19.) Then comes 
 Joshua, whom the Epistle to the Hebrews calls Jesus, 
 (Heb. iv. 8), the figure of ours here, and by his con- 
 duct they were led and put in possession of the land of 
 promise. 
 
 All this but in type of another Testament " after to be 
 made,'* saith Jeremy, (Jer. xxxi. 31); and "upon better 
 promises," saith the Apostle, (Heb. viii. 6); namely, our 
 spiritual leading through this vale of vanity to the true land 
 of promise, "the Heavenly Jerusalem that is from above," 
 (Gal. iv. 26) ; whither This our Jesus undertakes to bring 
 all those that will be guided by Him. 
 
 Observe but the correspondence between the type and 
 the truth. Moses, when he came to lead the people, found 
 them how ? " scattered over all the land of Egypt, to seek 
 stubble for brick," (Exod. v. 12), to build him a city that 
 sought the ruin of them all. Our case right the very pattern 
 of it ; when our Guide finds us wandering in vanity, picking 
 up straws, things that shall not profit us ; " seeking death in 
 the error of our life," (Wis. i. 12), till we be so happy as to 
 light into His guiding. 
 
 Secondly, Moses was to them not alone dux vice, *a guide 
 for the way ; ' but when enemies came forth against them, 
 dux militice, ' a captain for the war.' Christ was so too, and 
 far beyond Moses. For He made us way with the laying 
 down of His life. (Isa. liii. 12.) So did neither Moses nor 
 Joshua. Would die for it, but He would open us a passage 
 to the place He undertook to bring us to. Was Dux, a 
 Guide, in His Life ; Dux, a Captain, in His death. 
 
 Thirdly, Moses when they fainted by the way obtained in 
 their hunger manna "from Heaven," (John vi. 32), and in 
 their thirst " water out of the rock for them." Christ is 
 Himself the "true Manna;" Christ, the spiritual Rock. 
 
Sermon X, 167 
 
 (i Cor. X. 4.) Whom He leads He feeds j carries Bethlehem 
 about Him. 
 
 Plain, by the ordaining of His last Sacrament, as the 
 means to re-establish " our hearts with grace," (Heb. xiii. 9), 
 and to repair the decays of our spiritual strength ; even 
 " His own flesh, the Bread of life," (John vi. 33, 48), and 
 "His own blood" "the Cup of salvation." (Ps. cxvi. 13.) 
 Bread made of Himself, the true Granum frumentt, "Wheat 
 corn." (John xii. 24.) Wine made of Himself, "the true 
 Vine." (John xv. i.) Went under the sickle, flail, millstone, 
 and oven, even to be made this Bread ; " trod, or was 
 trodden, in the wine-press alone," (Isa. Ixiii. 3), to prepare 
 this Cup for us. 
 
 And in this respect it may well be said, Bethlehem was 
 never Bethlehem right, had never the name truly till this 
 day this birth, this Bread was bom and brought forth there. 
 Before it was the house of bread, but of the bread that 
 perisheth ; but then of the " Bread that endureth to ever- 
 lasting life." (John vi. 27.) That it might seem inter alia^ 
 to have been one of the ends of His being born there to 
 make it Bethlehem veri nominis, ' Bethlehem truly so called.' 
 
 And this is His office. Now all the doubt will be how 
 He can perform this office to us, go before us and be our 
 Guide, seeing He is now in Heaven at His journey's end, 
 and we in earth by the way still. No matter for that. He 
 hath left us first the way traced by the steps of His blessed 
 life, which we keeping us to, sure we are we cannot go 
 amiss. And then, as before He came in the flesh " He 
 led them by the hand of Moses and Aaron," (Ps. Ixxvii. 20) 
 — guides chosen and sent by Him — so doth He us now by 
 the hands of those whom the Apostle three several times in 
 one chapter calleth by this very name, 'H7ou/a£i/ou&, our 
 " guides," (Heb. xiii. 7, 17, 24), by whom He leads us if He 
 lead us at all. And other leading we are not to look for 
 any; only to pray they may lead us right, and then all 
 is well. 
 
 And they cannot but lead us right, so long as they but 
 teach us to " follow the Lamb whither He goeth." (Rev. 
 xiv. 4.) For their office is but to lay forth before us the 
 way traced by the steps that He went. Those steps, when 
 all is done, are ever our best directions. And I mean to do 
 but so now. As here, not to go a step out of the text, there 
 
1 68 Of the Nativity. 
 
 are four or five of these steps, as many as we shall well 
 carry away at once. And these they be. 
 
 The main point is ; it is a place, and so to be gone to. 
 We take this from the Shepherds directed thither by the 
 Angel, to resolve of transea?nus usque Bethlehem, " that we 
 get us to Bethlehem." (Luke ii. 15.) There is the rendez- 
 vous to-day, there He will be first seen and saluted, there 
 He began with us, there we to begin with Him ; where He 
 set forth, there our setting forth to be also. Indeed, there 
 is no finding Him but there, this feast. There the shepherds 
 found Him this day the first; there the wise men on twelfth- 
 day, the last. But thither they came both ; both the shep- 
 herds directed by the Angel (Luke ii. 12), and the wise men 
 guided by the star. (Mat. ii. 9.) The shepherds — in them, 
 the Jews ; the wise men — in them the Gentiles. The shep- 
 herds — in them unlettered persons. The wise men — in 
 them the profoundest clerks. The shepherds — in them 
 mean men. The wise men — in them great states. Be 
 what we will be, at Bethlehem to begin, all. Thither to go 
 to Him, thence to set out after Him. Transeamus usque 
 Bethlehem, 
 
 How shall we do that ? What, shall we go in pilgrimage 
 to the place ? We learn a shorter course of the Apostle, 
 "The righteousness of faith," saith he, "speaketh on this 
 wise ; say not thou in thy heart. Who shall go over the sea 
 for me ? that were to bring Christ again into earth. But 
 what saith it ? The word is near thee, in thy mouth, and 
 in thy heart." (Rom. x. 6, 8.) And this it is. Bethlehem 
 hath here two twins — an epithet, a virtue or two. Get but 
 them, get your souls possessed of them, it will save you a 
 journey. You shall never stir hence, but be at Bethlehem 
 standing where you do. 
 
 Parvula is the first; you know, Bethlehem is "little." 
 And look, what little and low is in quantity, that is little 
 in our own eyes and lowly in quality. Get that first, 
 humility, it is the Bethlehem of virtues where He in great 
 humility was found this day. If we begin not there, we 
 lose our way at the first setting out. For this is sure ; 
 where eternity is the termimis ad quern, there humility is 
 the terminus a quo. Humility is the first comma of the 
 sentence, where eternity is the period, as in this verse it is. 
 And even here now at the first is Christ like to lose 
 
Sermon X. 169 
 
 a great part of His train. The Pharisees are gone, all 
 too big for Bethlehem they ; and with them all that are r/ 
 /asya, '' some great matter," (Acts viii. 9), in their own sight. 
 Touching whom we may use the Apostrophe ; " And thou 
 Bethlehem" are too " little " for these great conceits. None 
 of them will come out of thee, or come at thee by their 
 will— every one of them is a cunning guide himself; and no 
 guide they, but sequuntur spiritum suum, " their own bold 
 spirit," (Ezek. xiii. 3), bid Bethlehem farewell; at it they 
 come not. \Nt[\,parvula is the first. 
 
 The next station is to the next virtue, and that is 
 Ephratah, " fruitfulness ; "—so it signifies : little it is, but 
 fruitful. Fruitful, first, that it brought forth Him ; for He 
 hath brought forth, seen come of Himself saith Esay, 
 longcBvum semen, " a lasting seed," (Isa. liii. 10) ; the fruit 
 whereof to this day "shaketh Hke Libanus, and as the green 
 grass covereth all the earth." (Ps. Ixxii. 16.) I mean the 
 Christians that were, are, or ever shall be. How great an 
 Ephratah of how little a beginning ! It is not only little, 
 but Ephratah too ; and by that know it. For indeed, good 
 heed would be taken that we go not to the wrong Beth- 
 lehem; not to Bethlehem Zebulon, that is Bethlehem on 
 the sands, (so lay Zebulon by the sea,) " Bethlehem the 
 barren;" but to "Bethlehem Judah," "Bethlehem Ephratah," 
 that is " Bethlehem the Fruitful." That is, to humility to 
 add fruitfulness, I mean plenteousness in all good works. 
 Else it is not Ephratah, not right. Not right repentance 
 unless it be Ephratah, " bring forth fruits of repentance," 
 (Luke iii. 8); nor faith, without "the work of faith;" nor 
 love, "without the labour of love," (i Thes. i. 3); nor 
 any other virtue without her Ephratah. Ephratah is not the 
 surname of humility only, but even of the rest too — re- 
 pentance Ephratah, and faith Ephratah ; et sic de cceteris, if 
 they be true. Else be they but vites frojtdosce, " leaves and 
 nothing else," (Hos. x. i) ; simulachra virtutum^ and not 
 virtues indeed ; of Zebulon, not of Judah ; and so, not the 
 right. 
 
 Fruitful then, and of what fruit ? That is in the very 
 name itself of Bethlehem. Not the fruit of the lips, a few 
 good words, but " the precious fruit of the earth," (James 
 V. 7), as St. James calleth it — lehem, " good bread ;" that 
 fruit. Such fruit as St. Paul carried to the poor saints at 
 
1 70 Of the Nativity. 
 
 Jerusalem, (Rom. xv. 28), " alms and offerings." That is 
 the right fruit ; cum signavero fructum hunc, " it hath the 
 seal on it " for right. Such as tiie Philippians sent him for 
 supply of his want, whereby he knew they were alive again 
 at the root j in that they thus fructified, yielded this fruit of 
 a " sweet odour and wherewith God was highly pleased," 
 (Phil. iv. 10, 18), as there He tells them. 
 
 It was not sure without mystery, that the Temple was first 
 heard of at Ephratah, (Ps. cxxxii. 6), at this "fruitful" 
 place. No more was it, that which the Fathers observe of 
 the trees, that were used about it. Not a post of the Temple, 
 not a spar, nay not as much as a pin, but was made of the 
 wood of a fruit-bearing tree ; no barren wood at all in it. No 
 more was it, that the Altar of the Temple was founded on a 
 threshing-floor (2 Sam. xxiv. 25) (Araunah's) where good 
 corn was threshed. All to shew, it would be plenteous in 
 feeding and clothing, and such other pertaining to this of 
 Ephratah. Which, however, they be with us, will be the 
 first and principal point of inquiry at the day of doom ; even 
 about feeding and clothing, and other works of mercy. 
 (Matt. XXV. 35, 36, 42, 43.) 
 
 Now if we could bring these two together, make a con- 
 junction of them in Gemini, it were worth all. For I know 
 not how but if there be in us ought of Ephratah, if we happen 
 to be any thing fruitful but in any degree, away goes par- 
 villa straight. Straight we cease to be little j we begin to 
 talk of merit and worth, and I wot not what. Indeed, if we 
 be all barren and bare, it may be then and scarce then 
 neither, but peradventure then we grow not high-minded. 
 But so we fall still upon one extreme or other. If fertile, 
 then proud ; if humble, then barren. We cannot get to be 
 humble yet not fruitless, or to be fruitful yet keep our 
 humility still. Not Ephratah oxid. parvula together. But 
 that is the true Bethlehem, and " there was He born." (Ps. 
 Ixxxvii. 4.) And thus far I hope we have been led right, 
 and are in our way. 
 
 But leading is not all. Here is Qui pascet too, and we 
 may not pass it. For to that He leads us also. Dux Qui 
 pascet. We followed a false guide at first that led us to the 
 forbidden fruit, the end whereof was morte moriemini. 
 This now will lead us to a food of the nature of the Tree of 
 Life, (Gen. iii. 6), even the Bread of Ufe, (John vi. 48), by 
 
Sermon X, 171 
 
 eating whereof we shall have life^in ourselves, even life im- 
 mortal. That is His food He leads us to. And if we would 
 forget this, both the Person and the place — the Person, Qui 
 pascet, " That shall feed ; " and the place, Bethlehem, " the 
 house of bread," would serve to put us in remembrance of 
 it. Even of the breaking of bread, which the Church as 
 this day ever hath, and still useth as the Childhouse feast. 
 
 We speak of the transeajiius usque Bethlehem^ "going 
 thither." That may we even locally do and never go out of 
 this room, inasmuch as here is to be had the " true Bread 
 of life that came down from Heaven." (John vi. 51.) 
 Which is " His flesh " this day born, which " He gave for 
 the life of the world," (John vi. 32, 41, 31), called by Him 
 so, the true Bread, the Bread of Heaven, the Bread of Hfe — 
 and where that Bread is, there is Bethlehem ever. Even 
 stride loquendo^ it may be said and said truly, the Church in 
 this sense is very Bethlehem no less than the town itself. 
 For that the town itself never had the name rightly all the 
 while there was but bread made there, bread {pants homi- 
 nuin) * the bread of men.' Not till this Bread was born there, 
 which is Panis Angelorum, as the Psalm calleth it, " and 
 man did eat Angels' Food." (Ps. Ixxviii. 25.) Then, and 
 never till then, was it Bethlehem ; and that is in the Church, 
 as truly as ever in it. And accordingly the Church takes 
 order we shall never fail of it. There shall ever be this day 
 a Bethlehem to go to — a house wherein there is bread, and 
 this bread. And there shall be Bethlehem, and so near us, 
 and shall we not go to it ? Or, shall we go to it, to the 
 House of Bread, this Bread, and come away without it? 
 Shall we forsake our Guide leading us to a place so much 
 for our benefit ? 
 
 Ubi Domine^ was the Apostle's question ; and his answer 
 Ubi corpus^ ibi aquilce^ " where the body is, there the eagles 
 will be." (Luke xvii. 37.) Let it appear we are so, for here 
 is the "body." 
 
 Else do we our duty to Him but by halves. For as our 
 duty to Dux is to be led, so our duty to Qiii pascet is to 
 be fed by Him. To end. And thus ducendo pascit, and 
 pascendo ducit, ' Leading He feeds us, and feeding He leads 
 us ' till He bring us whither ? Even to a principio^ back 
 again to where we were at the beginning ; and at the 
 beginning we were in Paradise. That our beginning shall 
 
172 Of the Nativity. 
 
 be our end. Thither He will bring us — nay, to a better 
 estate than so ; to that whereunto, even from Paradise, we 
 should have been translated, to the state of eternity, to the 
 joys and joyful days there ; even to glory, joy, and bliss 
 eternal. To which He bring us, even our blessed Guide, 
 That this day was in Bethlehem born to that end, " Jesus 
 Christ the righteous !" (i John ii. i.) 
 
 SERMON XI. 
 
 A Sermon preached before the King's Majesty at 
 Whitehall, on Wednesday, the Twenty-fifth of 
 December, a.d. mdcxvl, being Christmas-day. 
 
 Mercy and Truth shall meet ; Righteous fiess and Peace shall 
 
 kiss one another. 
 Truth shall bud out of the earth; and Righteousness shall look 
 
 down from Heaven. Psa. Ixxxv. lo, ii. 
 
 [Misericordia et Veritas obviaverunt sibi ; Justitia et Pax osculates sunt. 
 Veritas de terra orta est ; et Justitia de Ccelo prospexit.l 
 
 I HAVE here read you two verses out of this Psalm, 
 which is one of the Psalms selected of old by the 
 primitive Church, and so still retained by ours as part of 
 our office or service of this day, as being proper and perti- 
 nent to the matter of the feast, and so to the feast itself. For 
 the meeting here specified was to be at the birth of the 
 Messias : so saith Rabbi Moses, and other of the Jews. 
 Was at the birth of our Saviour : so say the Fathers with 
 uniform consent, and eo nomim have made this a Christmas- 
 day Psalm. 
 
 As his manner is, the Psalmist in it under one compriseth 
 the type and the truth both ; by those things which befell 
 the people of the Jews, the Church typical, shadowing out 
 those things which were to befall the Antitype of it, Christ 
 and His Church. For, priffid et propria intentione, it cannot 
 be denied but the Psalm was first set according to the letter 
 upon the turning back of the captivity of Babel. But the 
 Prophet knew well that was not their worst captivity, nor 
 
Sermon XL 173 
 
 should be their best delivery. There was another yet 
 behind concerned them more, if they understood their own 
 state aright, which was reserved to the Messias to free them 
 from. To that he points. Even that the Apostle complains 
 of wherein " the soul is led away captive under sin and 
 Satan," (Rom. vii. 23), the very true Babel indeed as which 
 bringeth with it everlasting confusion, from which Christ, the 
 true Zerubbabel, is to set us free — us and them both. 
 
 There is a meeting here. A meeting at a birth. A birth 
 that did them in Heaven, Righteousness by name, good to 
 behold. The meeting in obviaverunt, the birth in orta est, 
 the pleasure to behold it in prospexit de Coelo. Prospexit is 
 to see with delight, as when we look into some pleasant 
 prospect. 
 
 A meeting qualified, for the manner. For they do not 
 meet and pass by, but meet and salute as friends with an 
 osculatce sunt, a sign of love begun or renewed. 
 
 This meeting is of four. Four which of themselves, /r^- 
 prie loquejido, are nothing but attributes or properties of the 
 Divine nature, but are here by the Psalmist brought in and 
 represented to us as so many personages. Personages, I say, 
 inasmuch as they have here personal acts ascribed to them. 
 For to meet, to kiss, to look down, are all of them acts per- 
 sonal. And look, how the Psalmist presents them so we 
 treat of them, in the same terms the text doth. 
 
 At a birth, at orta est, these four meet here ; at orta est 
 Veritas, " the birth of Truth " de terra, " from the earth." 
 For two ortus there were ; and this, not His antescECula^'is 
 ortus de Coelo, ' His birth before all worlds from Heaven,' 
 but His ortus de terra, ' His temporal birth from the earth.' 
 
 Lastly, the birth of this birth as I may say, the effect it 
 wrought. Of which more there are in the neighbouring 
 verses. Here in these, besides the meeting occasioned by 
 it, there is but one ; that such a spectacle it was as it drew 
 Righteousness itself from Heaven to look at it. Time was 
 when Righteousness would not have done so much ; not 
 have vouchsafed a look hitherward ; therefore respexit nos 
 Justitia is good news. That then and ever since she has 
 beheld the earth and the dwellers in it with a far more 
 favourable regard than before. And all for this birth's sake. 
 
 And when was all this ? When He that saith of Himself 
 " I am the Truth," (John xiv. 6) — when He \ as born upon 
 
174 Of tJte Nativity, 
 
 earth ; for orta est Veritas^ and natus est Chnstiis will fall 
 out to be one birth. What day soever that was, this meet- 
 ing was upon it. And that was this day, of all the days of 
 the year. The meeting and the day of this meeting here 
 all one, and the birth of Christ the cause of both. So being 
 this day's work, this day to be dealt with most properly. 
 
 Onward we have here four honours of this day, every one 
 of the four giving it a blessing, i. It is the day of ortus 
 Veritatis, 'Truth's birth;' 2. and the same, the day of 
 occursus Misericordice^ *the meeting here mentioned;' 3. 
 and of osculum Pacis^ * the kiss here expressed ; * 4. and of 
 prospectus Justitice^ ' Righteousness ' gracious respect of us.' 
 These from each of them in several. And generally, the 
 day of reconciling them all. 
 
 Holding us to these, we are to speak of the i. Meeting, 
 the 2. Parties, the 3. Birth, and the 4. Effect here specified 
 to come of it. [I.] Of this meeting in Christ ; then, [II.] 
 in Christianity, not to broken off by us but to be renewed, 
 and specially this day. 
 
 I. Here is a meeting, and that is no great matter if it be 
 no more. How many meet we as we pass to and fro daily, 
 and how little do we regard it? But that meeting is 
 casual. 
 
 Somewhat more there is in set meetings. It was not by 
 hap, not obviaverunt simply but obviaverunt sibt. Sibi 
 sheweth they had an intent; they came forth on both 
 sides, not to meet any fifth person, but to meet one 
 another. 
 
 But not every set meeting is memorable ; this is. I find 
 a Psalm here made in remembrance of it. And lightly 
 songs be not made, but de raro contingeniibus ; not of 
 ordinary, but of some special great meetings. 
 
 The greatness of a meeting groweth three ways. i. By 
 the parties who ; 2. the occasion whereon ; and 3. the end 
 whereto they meet. All three are in this. The parties in 
 the first verse, the occasion and end in the second. The 
 occasion a birth, an occasion- oft of making great persons 
 meet ; and the end that comes of it, that Righteousness, 
 who is to be our Judge and to give the last sentence 
 upon us, beholds us with an aspect that promises favour. 
 
 The occasion and the end we shall touch anon. Now of 
 the parties. If the parties great, the meeting great. The 
 
Sermon XL 175 
 
 conjunction of the great lights in Heaven, the interview of 
 great States on earth, ever bodes some great matter. Who 
 are the parties here ? Four as high, as excellent attributes, 
 as there be any in the Godhead. Or, to keep the style 
 of the text, four as great States as any in the Court of 
 Heaven. 
 
 These meet, and in what manner? Great states meet 
 otherwhile in a pitched field. Not so here. This is an 
 obviaverunt with an osculatce sunt: they run not one at 
 another as enemies ; they run one to another, and kiss as 
 loving friends. And that which makes it memorable indeed 
 is, that these parties in this manner thus meet, who if all 
 were well known were more like to turn tail than to meet. 
 One to run from another ; nay, one to run at another to 
 encounter, rather than run one to another to embrace and 
 kiss. Not meet at all ; at least not meet thus, standing in 
 such terms as they did. 
 
 Mercy and Peace if they two had met, or Truth and 
 Righteousness, they two, it had not been strange. But for 
 those that seem to be in opposition to do it, that is it — that 
 makes this meeting marvellous in our eyes. 
 
 Will ye stay a little and take a view of the Parties ? Four 
 they are. These four, i. Mercy, and 2. Truth, 3. Righteous- 
 ness, and 4. Peace. Which quaternion at the first sight 
 divides itself into two and two. Mercy and Peace, they 
 two pair well ; they be collectanecd, as Bernard saith of them 
 in one place, * bed-fellows,' sleep together; collactanece, as in 
 another place, * sucked one milk, one breast ' both. And as 
 these two, so the other two, Truth and Righteousness, seem 
 to be of one complexion and disposition, and commonly 
 take part together. Of these Mercy seems to favour us; 
 and Peace no enemy to us nor to any (seeing we must 
 speak of them as of persons) mild and gentle persons both. 
 For Righteousness I know not well what to say : gestat 
 gladiuniy and I fear non frustra. (Rom. xiii. 4.) Nor of 
 Truth, who is vera and severa, 'severe' too otherwhile. 
 These I doubt are not like affected. The reason of my 
 doubt. One of them. Righteousness, it is told here for 
 great news, that she but " looked down hitherwards from 
 Heaven." Before then she would not have done that. A 
 great sign it is of heart-burning, when one will not do so 
 much as look at another — not endure his sight. We can- 
 
176 Of the Nativity. 
 
 not promise ourselves much of her. No, nor of Truth. 
 One was so bold in a place to say, omnis homo mendax, 
 (Rom. iii. 4), and feared no challenge for it. By that it seems 
 all stands not well with her neither. So then two for us, two 
 against us. 
 
 For their order. Mercy is first, and Peace last. With 
 both ends we shall do well enough. God send us to do 
 but so with the midst ! Yet this is not amiss that they 
 which favour us less are in the midst ; hemmed in on both 
 sides, closed about with those that wish us well ; and they 
 between us and them. On the one side, Mercy before ; on 
 the other. Peace behind. 
 
 Another; that in this double meeting Mercy sorts not 
 herself, goes not to Righteousness ; nor Righteousness to 
 her but to Peace. A kind of cross meeting, as it were, 
 there is— the better hope of accord. Mercy and Righte- 
 ousness have no symbolizing quality at all, no hope of them ; 
 but Truth with Mercy hath. There is Truth as well in the 
 promise of Mercy as in the threat of Justice. 
 
 And it stands yet better between the other two. Righte- 
 ousness and Peace. Melchizedek, which is by interpretation 
 " King of Righteousness," the same is '' King of Salem, that 
 is, of peace." (Heb. vii. 2.) He That "is after the order of 
 Melchizedek," (Heb. vi. 20), King of both, like enough to 
 set accord between them two — both of them His lieges. 
 This for the view of the Parties. 
 
 These meet here ; but what is obviaverunt without osculafce 
 sunt? Better let them stand in sunder still, and never meet. 
 There seems to be two meetings implied. One obviaverunt 
 without, and another with osculatcE sunt. 
 
 Before they met here, they were parted the one from the 
 other. For they that meet come from divers coasts. Before 
 this meeting they have been in divers quarters, one from the 
 other, and not come together thus a good while. 
 
 Their distance in place grew from their distance in affec- 
 tion, estranged one from the other. That they meet not I 
 will not say ; but that they meet not thus, ever before. Else, 
 what remarkable thing were there in this meeting, or worth 
 the composing of a Psalm, if it had been famiHar with them 
 thus to meet every other, nay any other day. 
 
 How came they then asunder that it should be a marvel 
 to see them meet ? Since naturally they are not strangers. 
 
Sermon XL 177 
 
 all four in the bosom of God from all eternity — attributes 
 all four of His undivided Essence. So, not divided of 
 themselves ; not of themselves then. That they were 
 divided, it was about us ; the quarrel ours, that made them 
 part company. Thus I gather it : if at Christ's birth they 
 met, at Adam's fall they parted ; if when Truth was born 
 on earth they came together, when Truth perished from the 
 earth they fell in sunder. That was when the first lie was 
 told, and believed — and that was nequaquam ?norie7mm, 
 (Gen. iii. 4) — by Adam, and thereby God much wronged. 
 So that Adam's cause it was, and so ours that first divided 
 Heaven, yea the very attributes in God we see, and so in a 
 sort God Himself. So they parted first. It could not be 
 said by the Apostle that Christ "pacified all things in 
 Heaven and in earth," (Col. i. 20), if there had not in 
 Heaven been somewhat to be taken up. 
 
 For all this yet, I deny not but they might and did meet 
 once before. But it was an obviaverunt without an osadatcz 
 sunt ; never both these till now. Out of Christ and before 
 His birth, they met in opposition ; in Christ and at His 
 birth, did these four lights come to meet and to be in con- 
 junction now. They met before, obviaverunt ; but instead 
 of osculatcB it was altercatce. sunt. While Mercy and Peace 
 would have Adam's and our case relieved. Righteousness 
 and Truth would by no means endure it. The plea is 
 drawn up and reported at large by Bernard in his first 
 Sermon upon the Annunciation. Mercy began, for out of 
 her readiness to do good she is here, she is ever foremost. 
 Her inclination is, or rather she herself is an inclination, to 
 pity such as are in misery, and if she can to relieve them, 
 yea though they deserve it not. For, which is the comfort 
 of the miserable sinner, she looks not to the party, what he 
 is or what he hath done or deserved, but what he suffers, in 
 how woeful and wretched a case he is. And her plea is, 
 munquid in vamcm ? " What hath God made all men for 
 nought ?" (Ps. Ixxxix. 47.) " What profit is in their blood ?" 
 (Ps. XXX. 9.) It will make God's enemies rejoice. (Ps. 
 Ixxiv. 18.) Thither it will come, if God cast them clean off. 
 What then, *' will He cast them off for ever, will He be no 
 more entreated ? Hath God forgotten to be gracious ? " 
 (Ps. Ixxvii. 7, 8,) With these and such like/// siisurri, as he 
 calls them, did she enter into God's bowels, and make them 
 
I yS Of the Nativity, 
 
 yearn and melt into compassion. And certainly, if there 
 were none to stand against us, there were hope Mercy had 
 prevailed. 
 
 But Truth must be heard too, and she lays in just matter 
 of exception; pleads, Deus erat Verbum^ (John i. i)j what 
 is God but His Word ? and his word was — as to Adam, 
 morte morieris^ (Gen. ii. 17), so to his sons, anima qua 
 peccaverit, " the soul that sinneth that soul shall die." (Ezek. 
 xviii. 20.) God may not falsify His word ; His word is the 
 truth. Falsify the truth ? That may not be. 
 
 And then steps up Righteousness and seconds her. That 
 God as He is " true in His word," so is He " righteous in 
 all His works." (Psa. cxlv. 17.) So, to reddere suum cuique^ 
 " to render each his own," to every one that is his due ; 
 and so to the sinner, stipendium peccati, " the wages of sin," 
 that is " death." (Rom. vi. 23.) God forbid, the Judge of 
 the world should judge unjustly ! That were, as before to 
 make truth false, so here to do right wrong. 
 
 Nay, it went farther, and they made it their own cases. 
 What shall become of me ? said Righteousness. What use 
 of justice if God will do no justice, if He spare sinners ? 
 And what use of me, saith Mercy, if He spare them not ? 
 Hard hold there was, inasmuch as perii nisi homo fnoriatur^ 
 said Righteousness, ' I die, if he die not.' And perii nisi 
 misericordiam consequafur, said Mercy, * if he die I die too.* 
 To this it came ; and in those terms brake up the meeting, 
 and away they went one from the other. Truth went 
 into exile, as a stranger upon earth : — Terras Astrcea reli- 
 quit^ she confined herself in Heaven, where so aliened 
 she was as she would not so much as look down hither 
 upon us. 
 
 Mercy, she stayed below still. Ubi enim Misericordia 
 essetf saith Hugo well, si cum misero non esset ? * Where 
 should Mercy be, if with Misery she should not be ? ' 
 
 As for Peace, she went between both, to see if she could 
 make them meet again in better terms. For without such a 
 meeting, no good to be done for us. 
 
 For meet they must, and that in other terms, or it will go 
 wrong with us ; our salvation lies a bleeding all this while. 
 The plea hangs, and we stand as the prisoner at the bar, and 
 know not what shall become of us. For though two be for 
 us, there are two against us, as strong and more stiff than 
 
Sermon XL 179 
 
 they. So that much depends upon this second meeting, 
 upon the composing or taking up this difference. For these 
 must be at peace between themselves, before they be at 
 peace with us, or we with God. And this is sure ; we shall 
 never meet in Heaven, if they meet no more. 
 
 And many means were made for this meeting many times, 
 but it would not be. Where stayed it ? It was not long of 
 Mercy, she would be easily entreated to give a new meeting 
 — no question of her. Oft did she look up to Heaven, but 
 Righteousness would not look down. Not look ? not that ? 
 small hope she would be got to meet that would not look 
 that way-ward. 
 
 Indeed, all the question is of her. It is Truth and she 
 that hold off, but especially she. Upon the birth you see 
 here is no mention of any in particular but of her, as much 
 to say as the rest might be dealt with ; she only it was that 
 stood out. And yet she must be got to meet, or else no 
 meeting. 
 
 All the hope is, that she doth not refuse simply never to 
 meet more, but stands upon satisfaction ; else Righteousness 
 should not be righteous. Being satisfied, then she will j re- 
 maining unsatisfied, so she will not meet. 
 
 All stands then on her satisfying \ how to devise to give 
 her satisfaction to her mind that so she may be content 
 once more not to meet and argue as ere-while, but to meet 
 and kiss ; meet in a joint concurrence to save us, and set 
 us free. 
 
 And indeed, hoc opus ^ * there Hes all ;' how to set a song 
 of these four parts in good harmony, how to make these 
 meet at a love-day, how to satisfy Justice upon whom all the 
 stay is. 
 
 And this, say I, no religion in the world doth or can do 
 but the Christian. No choir sing this Psalm but ours, none 
 make justice meet but it. Consequently, none quiet the 
 conscience soundly but it j consequently, no religion but it. 
 With all religions else at odds they be, and so as they are 
 fain to leave them so ; for means in the world have they 
 none how to make them meet. Not able for their lives to 
 tender Justice a satisfaction, that will make her come in. 
 The words next before are, " that glory may dwell in our 
 land." (Psa. Ixxxv. 9.) This glory doth dwell in our land 
 indeed. And great cause have we all highly to bless God 
 
1 80 Of the Nativity. 
 
 That hath made " our lot to fall in so fair a ground." (Psa. 
 xvi. 6.) That we were not born to inherit a lie; that we 
 were born to keep this feast of this meeting. For bid any 
 of them all but show you the way how to satisfy Justice 
 soundly, and to make her come to this meeting ; how God's 
 word may be true, and His work just, and the sinner find 
 mercy and be saved for all that — they cannot. The Christian 
 only can do it, and none else. All beside for lack of this 
 pass by the wounded man, and let him lie still and bleed to 
 death. (Luke x. 31, 32.) 
 
 Bid the Turk. All he can say is, Mahomet's prayer shall 
 be upon you. Mahomet's prayer, what is that? Say he 
 were that he was not — a just man, a true prophet ; what can 
 his prayers do but move Mercy ? But God's justice, how is 
 that answered ? Who shall satisfy that ? Not prayers ; — 
 Justice is not moved with them, hears them not, goes on to 
 sentence for all them. He can go no further ; he cannot 
 make Justice meet. 
 
 Bid the Heathen. He says better yet than the Turk. 
 They saw "that without shedding of blood" there was no 
 satisfying Justice, and so " no remission of sin." (Heb. ix. 
 22.) To satisfy her, sacrifices they had of beasts. But 
 " it is impossible," as the Apostle well notes, " that the 
 blood of bulls or goats should satisfy for our sins." (Heb. 
 X. 4.) A man sin, and a beast die ! Justice will none of 
 that. What then, will ye go as far as some did, " the fruit 
 of my body for the sin of my soul"? (Mic. vi. 7.) Nor 
 that neither. For if it were the first-born, the first-born 
 was born in sin ; and sin for sin can never satisfy. This 
 meeting will not be there. 
 
 Bid the Jew. He can but tell you of his lamb neither. 
 And while time was, that was not amiss ; while it stood in 
 reference to St. John Baptist's Lamb, " the Lamb of God," 
 (John i. 29), this day yeaned, as having the operation, the 
 working, in the virtue of That. That being now past, there 
 is no more in the Jews' than in the Gentiles' sacrifice. 
 Beasts both ; both short of satisfying. So for all that these 
 can do or say, no meeting will there be had. 
 
 Only the Christian religion that shows the true way. 
 There is One there thus speaketh to Justice ; " Sacrifice 
 and sin-offerings Thou wouldst not have ; then said I, Lo, I 
 come." (Psa. xl. 6.) He, "of Whom it was written in the 
 
Sermon XL i8i 
 
 volume of the book that He should do that feat," corpus 
 autein aptasti Mihi, " make Him a body to do it in," and 
 He will do it. Give Him an ortus est^ let Him be but born, 
 He will make them meet straight ; — Justice and all. For 
 all the world sees, if order could be taken that He^ that the 
 Son of God, the Word and Truth eternal would say, " Lo, 
 I come ; " would take our nature upon Him, and in it " lay 
 down His soul an offering for sin ;" there were good hope 
 of contenting Justice, and that the meeting would go for- 
 ward. Deus sanguine in suo, " God with His blood ;" — 
 what sin in the world would not that serve for? What 
 justice in Heaven or earth would not that satisfy ? If ye 
 speak of an expiation, a ransom, an ai/raXXa/yaa — Christ's 
 own word — a perfect "commutation," (Matt. xvi. 26), there 
 it is. This had. Justice will meet, embrace, kiss Mercy, 
 shake hands, join now friends ; Inveni enim in quo repro- 
 pitier^ " I have found that now, wherewith I hold myself 
 fully content and pleased." (Job xxxiii. 24.) This way ye 
 shall make them meet, or else let it alone for ever. 
 
 Ver. II. "Truth shall bud out of the earth; and Righte- 
 ousness shall look down from Heaven." 
 
 And this is it the Christian religion sets before us ; how 
 the Son of the Most High God of Heaven and earth took 
 on Him our nature, that in our nature, for our nature, He 
 might make to God (even stando in terminis JustiticB stice, as 
 the schoolmen speak, ' standing on the terms of His most 
 exact strict justice,') a complete, full, every way sufficient 
 satisfaction. And this, lo, makes the meeting. This hon- 
 our hath the Christian religion above all other ; this glory 
 doth dwell in our land ; that these four by Christ's birth in 
 it are brought not only to obviaverunt sibi^ but even to et 
 osculaice. sunt. 
 
 And if this be the glory, be not they the shame of 
 Christian profession that cherish in their bosoms, and 
 entertain with stipends such as are come to this phrenzy I 
 will call it, to say, what needs any satisfaction ? What care 
 we whether Justice meet or no ? that is in effect what needs 
 Christ? Cannot God forgive offences to Him made, of 
 His free goodness, of His mere mercy, without putting His 
 Son to all this pain ? Fond men ! if He would quit His 
 justice or waive His truth. He could ; but His justice and 
 truth are to Him as essential, as intrinsically essential, as 
 
1 82 Of the Nativity. 
 
 His mercy ; of equal regard, every way as dear to Him. 
 Justice otherwise remains unsatisfied ; and satisfied it must 
 be either on Him or on us. For with beasts or prayers it 
 will not be, and it will hold off till it be. If Justice be not so 
 met with, it will meet with them ; and they had better 
 *'meet a she-bear robbed of her whelps," (Prov. xvii. 12), 
 than meet Justice out of Christ's presence. 
 
 To us they meet this day at the Child-house. For these 
 great lights could not thus meet but they must portend some 
 great matter, as it might be some great birth toward. The 
 astrologers make us believe, that in the horoscope of Christ's 
 Nativity there was a great trigon of I wot not what stars 
 met together. Whether a trigon or no, this tetragon I am 
 sure there was, these were all then in conjunction, all in the 
 ascendant, all above the horizon at once at orta est " the 
 birth of" Veritas " the truth " de terra " from the earth," the 
 occasion of drawing these four together. 
 
 Veritas will fit Christ well Who of Himself said. Ego sum 
 Veritas, " I am the Truth." (John xiv. 6.) So is He — not 
 that of the former verse which is but Veritas secunda, the 
 truth spoken or uttered forth ; He the Veritas prima, " the 
 first Truth " within. That depends upon this. Then are 
 the words uttered true, when there is an adequation between 
 them and the mind. So * the first Truth ' He is. 
 
 The first and last both. For now by His coming He is 
 the adequation of the Word and the Work, the Promise and 
 the Performance. That way He is truth too, the truth of all 
 types, the truth of all prophecies ; for " in Him are all the 
 promises yea and Amen," (2 Cor. i. 20) — yea, in the first 
 truth ; Amen, in the last. The actual verifying is the truth 
 when all is done, and that He is by His birth. 
 
 And as the truth fits His nature, so doth earth man. Of 
 whom God, "earth thou art," (Gen. iii. 19) ; to whom the 
 Prophet thrice over, " Earth, hear the Word of the Lord," 
 (Jer. xxii. 29) ; by whom the wise man. Quid superhis ? 
 "Why should earth be proud ? " (Ecclus. x. 9.) Germinet 
 terra Satvatorem, "Let this earth bring forth a Saviour," 
 (Isa. xlv. 8) — be the terra promissionis, the blessed Virgin, 
 who was in this the land of promise. So was this very place 
 applied by Irenaeus in his time, who touched the Apostles' 
 times ; so by Lactantius ; so by St. Hierom and St. Augus- 
 tine. Those four meet in this sense, so do the four in the 
 
Sermon XL 183 
 
 text. Qiiid est Veritas de terra orta ? est Christus defcetnind 
 natus. Quid est Veritas ? Filius Dei. Quid terra ? Caro 
 nostra. ♦ What the truth? Christ. What the earth? our 
 flesh.' In those words they find this feast all. 
 
 For orta est, it is double ; therefore de terrain well added. 
 Another ortus he had de CceIo ; to wit, His heavenly Divine 
 nature which as "the day sprung from on high," and He in 
 regard of it called oriens by Zachary in the New Testament. 
 (Luke i. 78.) But this here is de terrd; for the word 
 properly signifies " the shooting forth of a sprig out of the 
 ground," and He in regard of this ortus called " the Branch " 
 (Zech. iii. 8) by Zachary in the Old. 
 
 2. And there is more in orta. For, it is Rabbi Moses' 
 note, that is properly when it springeth forth of itself, as the 
 field flowers do, without any seed cast in by the hand of 
 man; so, saith he, should the Messias come, take His 
 nature not only in, but de, *of' the earth. Not bring it 
 with Him from Heaven, the error of the brain-sick Ana- 
 baptist, but take it of the earth ; be " the woman's seed," 
 "made of a woman," (Gal. iv. 4), "out of the loins of 
 David ; " Virga de radice Jesse, " the root of Jesse," (Isa. xi. 
 i) — nothing more plain. 
 
 3. And yet more from orta est. For that the truth, while 
 it is yet unaccomplished but in promise only, it is but as the 
 seed under ground, hid and covered with earth, as if no 
 such thing were : as soon as ever it is actually accomplished 
 as this day, then does it spring forth as it were, is to be seen 
 above ground ; then orta est de terra, in very deed. 
 
 Of the effect. Now births are and have been divers times 
 the ending of great dissensions, as was this here. For by 
 this birth took end the two great houses; an union of 
 them by it. 
 
 First, by this Truth is gained; Truth will meet now. 
 That truth will come to this Truth, tanquam minus dignum 
 ad magis dignum, ' as the abstract to the archetype.' And 
 Truth being now born of our nature, it will never, we may 
 be sure, be against our nature ; being come of the earth, it 
 will be true to his own country ; being made man, will be 
 for man now all he can. 
 
 By this means one of the opposites is drawn away from 
 the other ; got to be on our side. It is three to one now. 
 Righteousness is left all alone ; and there is good hope she 
 
1 84 Of the Nativity, 
 
 will not stand out long. For, lo, here is good news ; first, 
 that respexitde CcbIo, "she yet looks down from Heaven now." 
 
 So as this birth in earth you see works in Heaven, and 
 by name upon Righteousness there. For though there were 
 none in Heaven but it wrought upon them, yet the Psalm 
 mentions none but Righteousness. For of all, she the least 
 likely ; and if she be wrought on, the rest there is no doubt 
 of. How can there? they are all won to us already. 
 
 With Righteousness it works two ways ; first, " down she 
 looks." Whether it was that she missed Truth, to see what 
 was become of her, and not finding her in Heaven cast her 
 eye to the earth. But there, when she beheld Verbum caro 
 factum, "the Word flesh," (John i. 14), the truth freshly 
 sprung there where it had been a strange plant long time 
 before, aspexit and respexit, she looked and looked again at 
 it. For a sight it was to move, to draw the eye ; yea a sight 
 for Heaven to be a spectator of, for the Angels to come 
 down and look at, for Righteousness itself to do so too. 
 UapaKh-^ai is the Angel's word in St. Peter, (i Peter i. 12); 
 hia7(,\j-^ai is the Septuagint's word here. Both mean one 
 thing. The Greek word is to " look," as we say, " wishly " 
 at it, as if we would look hia, even "through it." The 
 Hebrew word, — that is as if " Righteousness did beat out a 
 window," so desirous was she to behold this sight. 
 
 And no marvel ; for what could Righteousness desire to 
 see and satisfy herself with, that in Him was not to be seen ? 
 A clean birth, a holy life, an innocent death ; a Spirit and 
 a mouth without guile, a Soul and a body without sin. In 
 Him she beheld them all. Them, and whatsoever else 
 might yield her full satisfaction. "Lay Judgment to the 
 rule and Righteousness in the balance," nothing oblique 
 will be found in Him, nothing but straight for the rule; 
 nothing minus habens, but full weight for the balance. 
 
 Thus when " Truth from the earth," then " Righteousness 
 from Heaven." Then, but not before. Before Righteous- 
 ness had no prospect, no window open this way. She 
 turned away her face, shut her eyes, clapped to the case- 
 ment, would not abide so much as to look hither — at us, a 
 sort of forlorn sinners ; not vouchsafe us once the cast of 
 her eye. The case is now altered. Upon this sight she is 
 not only content in some sort to condescend to do it, but 
 she breaks a window through to do it. And then, and ever 
 
Sermon XL 185 
 
 since this orta est, she looks upon the earth with a good 
 cTspect ; and a good aspect in these celestial lights is never 
 without some good influence withal. 
 
 But then within a verse after, not only " down she looks," 
 but "down she comes." (Ps. Ixxxv. 13.) Such a power 
 attractive is there in this birth. And coming, she doth two 
 things. I. Meets first; for upon the view of this birth they 
 all ran first and "kissed the Son." 2. And that done, 
 Truth ran to Mercy and embraced her ; and Righteousness 
 to Peace, and " kissed " her. They that had so long been 
 parted, and stood out in difference, now meet and are made 
 friends ; howsoever before removed, in ortu Veritatis ohvia- 
 verimt sibi ; howsoever before estranged, now osculatce sunt. 
 
 And at that birth of His well met they all, in Whom they 
 meet all : the Truth He is, and per viscera Misericordice He 
 came, " through the tender mercies of our God," (Luke i. 
 78) ; and He is made to us Righteousness, (i Cor. i. 30), 
 and He is our Peace. (Eph. ii. 14.) All meet in Him, for 
 indeed all He is ; that no marvel they all four meet where 
 He is That is all four. 
 
 And at this meeting Righteousness she was not so off- 
 ward before but she is now as forward, as forward as any of 
 the rest. Mark these three. 
 
 1. Lets not Peace prevent her, as Mercy did Truth ; but 
 as Mercy to Truth first, so she first to Peace — as forward as 
 Mercy every way. 
 
 2. Nay more forward than Mercy, for Mercy doth but 
 meet Truth, and there is all; but she as more affectionate 
 not only " meets Peace," but " kisses her." And indeed 
 Righteousness was to do more, even to kiss, that it might 
 be a pledge of forgetting all former unkindness, that we may 
 be sure she is perfectly reconciled now. 
 
 3. And one more yet, to shew her the most forward of 
 them all, out of the last verse. At this meeting she follows 
 not, draws not behind, she will not go with them ; she is 
 before, leaves them to come after and bear the train ; she, 
 as David, is before the Ark, puts St. John Baptist from his 
 office for the time ; Righteousness is his forerunner, 
 "Righteousness shall go before," (Ps. Ixxxv. 13), tread the 
 way before Him, the foremost now of all the company. By 
 all which ye may know what a look it was she looked with 
 from Heaven. 
 
1 86 Of the Nativity. 
 
 Thus ye see Christ by His coming "hath pacified the 
 things in Heaven." (Col. i. 20.) A peace of Hosannah is 
 pax in Ccelis. There cannot be pax in terris till there it be 
 first. But no sooner there it is, but it is peace in earth 
 straight, which accordingly was this day proclaimed by the 
 Angels. (Luke ii. 14.) So by the virtue of this birth, 
 Heaven is at Peace with itself; and Heaven with earth is 
 now at peace. So is earth too with itself, and a fulfilling of 
 the text by this meeting is there too. 
 
 The Jews, they represent Truth; to them it belongeth 
 properly. (Rom. ix. 4.) For Truth was where were eloquia 
 Dei, " the oracles of God ; " and they were with the Jews. 
 The Gentiles they claim by Mercy, that is their virtue. 
 Where was Mercy but where was Misery ? and where was 
 Misery but with them that ** lay in darkness in the shadow 
 of death"? (Luke i. 79.) And that was the Gentiles' case 
 before this orta est. But when "the partition wall was 
 broken down " and the two met in one, then also in a sense 
 Mercy and Truth met together. So these two. 
 
 And so the other two likewise. For Righteousness she 
 was where the Law was — for that the rule of Righteousness 
 where the Covenant of the Old Testament was, " Do this 
 and live," the very voice of Justice. But Peace was where 
 Christ was, in the Gospel. Ipse est Fax nostra, for "He is 
 our Peace;" Peace and Peace-maker both. Qui fecit ut- 
 rumque unum, That hath made the Law and the Gospel, the 
 Old Testament and the New, to be bound together now 
 both in one volume. 
 
 IL Thus we have done with Christ. I would now apply 
 this meeting to ourselves another while. For I ask, did 
 this hold, did these meet only in Christ ? Do they not in 
 Christianity likewise ? Yes, there too. With Christ came 
 Christianity ; look, what in His birth now, in the new birth 
 of every one that shall be the better by it, even the same 
 meeting c f the very same virtues all. 
 
 Mercy and Truth first to meet. Truth of confession ; 
 confession of our sins ; which if with fig-leaves we seek to 
 cover and confess not, "there is no truth in us." (i John i. 
 8.) And some truth there is to be, at least this truth, or no 
 meeting with Mercy. But when this truth cometh forth, 
 Mercy meeteth it straight. Will ye see the meeting ? Fec- 
 cavi, said David — there is Truth. Transtulit Dominus pec- 
 
Sermon XL 187 
 
 catum, saith Nathan, (2 Sam. xii. 13)— there is Mercy; 
 Mercy and Truth met together. Homo in terris per Veri- 
 tatem stimulatus peccasse se confitebatur, et Deus in Coelis per 
 Misericordiam fiexus confite?itis 7niserebatur. ' Truth pricked 
 man to confess his sins ; and Mercy moved God to pity him 
 confessing,' and sends Mercy to meet Truth. 
 
 Will ye go on to the other verse? It holds there too, 
 this. For where a true confession is by man made, Veritas 
 de terra orta est, " Truth is budded out of the earth." And 
 so it must ere " Righteousness will give us a good look from 
 Heaven." But will, as soon as it is : for when this truth 
 springs freely from the earth to our own condemnation, 
 immediately upon it, Righteousness shews herself from 
 Heaven to our justification. Will ye see this too ? " Lord 
 be merciful to me a sinner," (Luke xviii. i3)_there is truth 
 from the earth. Descendit domuni suam justijicatus, — there 
 is Righteousness from Heaven. 
 
 But will ye mark, here are two truths, and in either verse 
 one. This latter is the truth of Veritas orta est, of Christ's 
 religion. And in this treaty it was an article of hnprimis, 
 Mercy not to meet any but them that profess the truth of 
 Christ's birth from the earth. Both these were born to- 
 gether ; by and by upon the birth of Christ the truth, the 
 other birth also of Christian truth, did flourish and spread 
 itself all over the earth. The whole world before given 
 over, and even grown over with idolatry, quite covered with 
 the mist of error and ignorance, began then to entertain the 
 Christian profession, and by it to " worship God in spirit 
 and truth " — the true religion which is never true, if it have 
 not this meeting. And this" meeting it cannot have, if it 
 have not the means of it, ortus Veritatis de terra. 
 
 The same say we likewise for the " Righteousness which 
 looked down " and shewed herself. It was not that of the 
 Law which never came past the top of Mount Sinai, but a 
 new Righteousness cast in a new mould ; a Heavenly one 
 which never saw the earth nor the earth it before, before this 
 birth— which is the righteousness of Christ revealed in His 
 Gospel ; when that truth sprang, this righteousness looked 
 down upon it. 
 
 Now as this of Mercy and Truth enter us ; so Truth— not 
 Truth alone, but Truth with Truth's pair— with Righteous- 
 ness, carry us forward to God. Truth is not enough ; not 
 
1 88 Of the Nativity. 
 
 the truth of religion never so known, never so professed ; 
 not without Righteousness. Truth is but the hght to guide 
 us, Righteousness is the way to bring us thither. A hght 
 is to see by ; a way is to go in ; so is Righteousness. It 
 follows straight, ponet gressus in via, " Righteousness shall 
 set us in the way " (Ps. Ixxxv. 13) of His steps. Steps, that 
 is the course of life. For scienti, by knowledge of the 
 truth and not facienti by the practice of righteousness, 
 peccatum est illi, saith St. James, (J as. iv. 17); and //<^^^ 
 multcB, saith St. James' Master. (Luke xii. 47.) Sin in that 
 man that serves these two is less pardonable, and more 
 punishable than in any other. 
 
 And then, turn Righteousness to Peace, and they will 
 not meet barely but more than meet, "kiss" in sign there 
 is between them more than ordinary affection. Fac Jiisti- 
 tiam et habebis Pacem ; St. Augustine stands much on this. 
 ** Eschew evil and do good," (Ps. xxxiv. 14), saith he — 
 there is Righteousness. And then " seek Peace," and ye 
 shall not be long in seeking it ; she will come forth herself 
 to meet Righteousness and kiss her. And this he assures 
 us as a certain sign to know on the one side true Righte- 
 ousness, for that tends to Peace not to questions and 
 brabbles whereof there never will be end ; so on the other 
 side true Peace that kisses Righteousness comes not to- 
 gether hke Samson's foxes by the tails, (Jud. xv. 4), by in- 
 direct means, but clearly and fairly ; such means as all the 
 world will confess to be right and good. 
 
 Now mark the order how they stand. Mercy leads to 
 Truth, and the knowledge of it ; and Truth to Righteous- 
 ness, and the practice of it ; and Righteousness to Peace, 
 and the ways of it — " guides our feet " first " into the way 
 of Peace." (Luke i. 79.) And such a way shall there 
 always be, do all the controversy-writers what they can, a 
 fair way agreed upon of all sides, questioned by none, in 
 which whoso orders his steps aright " may see the salvation 
 of our God." Even the way here chalked out before us ; 
 to shew Mercy, and speak Truth ; do Righteousness, and 
 follow Peace. And by this rule proceeding in the points 
 whereto we are come already, even those truths wherein we 
 are otherwise minded would in due time be revealed unto 
 us. 
 
 This is Zachary's peace ; and this of his well followed in 
 
Sermon XL 189 
 
 the end will bring us Simeon's i!>eace, nunc dimittis in pace, 
 (Luke ii. 29) ; to be dismissed, "to depart hence in peace." 
 And pax in novissimo, " peace at the latter end/' is worth 
 all. Peace in the end is a blessed end, and the beginning 
 of a peace which never shall have end. Mercy our be- 
 ginning, and Peace our end. This for the meeting ; as in 
 Christ, so in Christianity or the course of a Christian man's 
 life. 
 
 Now a word for the continuance of this meeting. For I 
 ask again, met they to part ? By no means ; but as they 
 be together now, so to continue still. We had much ado 
 to get them together thus. Now we have them so, let us 
 keep them so in any wise. For as this meeting made 
 Christianity first ; so there is nothing mars it but the break- 
 ing it off again ; no greater bane to it than the parting of 
 these. 
 
 Let me tell you this : St. Augustine is very earnest upon 
 this point of the keeping of Righteousness and Peace upon 
 this Psalm and this verse, and of Truth and Mercy together 
 in the next, upon Misericors and Verax against them that 
 would lay hold on Mercy and let go Truth. O, saith he, 
 that will not be ; they met together, they will not part now ; 
 either without either will not be had. And so of the two 
 others. There be that would have Peace, and pass by 
 Righteousness. Tu forte una?n habere vis, et alteram non 
 vis, saith ye, ' you would gladly have one — Peace ; and for 
 Righteousness you could be contented to spare it. Ask 
 any, would you have Peace ? With all my heart, he will 
 answer. There is no having one without the other; 
 osculantur hcB, aniant hcs, why they kiss, they love together.* 
 Si amicam Pads ?ion amaveris, non afuabit te Fax, * if ye 
 love not her friend, that is Righteousness, she will none of 
 your love.' Take that from St. Augustine. 
 
 Set this down then ; Christianity is a meeting. One can- 
 not meet. Two there must be, and they may. But it is 
 not a meeting of two, but of two with two ; so, no less than 
 four. As Christ Himself was not one nature, so neither 
 doth Christianity consist in any one virtue ; not under four. 
 There is a quaternion in Christ; His i. Essence and His 
 2. Person, Ouff/a and Hypostasis, in Divinis. His 3. Flesh 
 and His 4. reasonable Soul, in humanis. Answerable to 
 these four are these here, these four to His four. 
 
IQO Of the Nativity, 
 
 And as it is a meeting, so a cross meeting of four virtues 
 that seem to be in a kind of opposition, as hath been 
 noted. No matter for that. They will make the better 
 refraction ; the cool of one allay the heat, the moist of one 
 temper the drought of the other. The soft virtues need to 
 be quickened, the more forward to be kept from altum 
 sapere. So are the elements of which our body, so are the 
 four winds of which our breath doth consist which gives us 
 hfe. And these in the text have an analogy or correspond- 
 ence with the elements, observed by the ancients, i. Truth 
 as the " earth, which is not moved at any time." (Ps. xciii. 
 I.) 2. Quasi fluvius pax^ saith Esay, ** peace as a water- 
 stream," (Isa. Ixvi. 12), "the quills whereof make glad the 
 City of our God." (Ps. xlvi. 4.) 3. Mercy we breathe and 
 live by, no less than we do by air ; and 4. Righteousness, 
 she Ventura est judicare sceculum per ig?iem (Isa. Ixvi 16), in 
 that element. 
 
 You may happen to find one of these in Scripture stood 
 much upon, and of the other three nothing said there, but 
 all left out. Conceive of it as a figure, Synecdoche they 
 call it. As ye have here man called earth ; yet is he not 
 earth alone, but all the other three elements as well. No 
 more is Christianity any one but by Synecdoche, but in 
 very deed a meeting of them all four. 
 
 It deceived the Gnostic, this place ; " This is eternal life, 
 to know Thee." (John xvii. 3.) Knowledge, saith he, is it, 
 as if it were all ; and so he bade care for nothing else but 
 to know, and knowing live as they list. The Encratite, 
 he was as far gone the other way ; he lived straightly, 
 and his tenet was, Non est curandum quid guisque credat^ 
 id curandu?n modo quod quisque faciat^ * So that ye hold a 
 straight course of life, it skills not what ye hold in point of 
 faith.' No meeting with these, single virtues all. 
 
 Yes, it skills. For both these were wrong, both go for 
 heretics. Christianity is a meeting, and to this meeting there 
 go pia dogmata as well as bona opera — Righteousness as well 
 as Truth. Err not this error then, to single any out as it were 
 in disgrace of the rest ; say not, one will serve the turn, — what 
 should we do with the rest of the four ? Take not a figure, 
 and make of it a plain speech ; seek not to be saved by 
 Synecdoche. Each of these is a quarter of Christianity, you 
 shall never while you live make it serve for the whole. 
 
Sermon XI. 191 
 
 The truth is, — sever them, and farewell all. Take any 
 one from the rest, and it is as much as the whole is worth. 
 For, as Bernard well observed, non sunt virtutes si sepa- 
 rentur, ' upon their separation they cease to be virtues.' 
 For how loose a thing is mercy, if it be quite devoid of 
 justice ! We call it foolish pity. And how harsh a thing 
 justice, if it be utterly without all temper of mercy ! 
 Sumnia injuria then, that is ' injustice at the highest.' 
 Mercy, take Truth away, what hold is there of it ? Who 
 will trust it? Truth, take Mercy from it, it is severity 
 rather than verity. Then Righteousness without Peace, 
 certainly wrong is much better — better than perpetual 
 brabbling. And Peace without Righteousness, better a 
 sword far. This, if you sunder them. But temper these 
 together, and how blessed a mixture ! Set a song of all 
 four, and how heavenly a melody ! 
 
 Entertain them then all four ; i. hope in Mercy ; 2. faith 
 in Truth ; 3. fear of Righteousness ; 4. love of Peace ; O 
 quam pr(Bclara concordia 1 O how loving a knot ! how 
 by all means to be maintained ! how great pity to part 
 it! 
 
 A little of the time now, when this meeting would be. 
 No time amiss, no day in the year but upon entreaty they 
 will be got to meet. Yet if any one day have a prerogative 
 more than another, of all the days in the year on this day 
 most kindly ; the day we hold holy to the memory of this 
 meeting ; the day of orta est, the occasion of it. In remem- 
 brance of the first meeting then, they are apt and willing to 
 meet upon it again ; forward ever to meet the day they first 
 met of themselves. But Christ this day born, this day to 
 meet of course. One special end that He was born was 
 that at His birth this meeting might be. If to-day then 
 they should not meet, that were in a sort to evacuate 
 Christ's birth, if there should be a Veritas orta without an 
 obviavermit sibi; so that if we procure it not, we had as good 
 keep no feast at all. 
 
 What is then the proper work of this day, but still to 
 renew this meeting on it? For Christ's birth we cannot 
 entertain, but all these we must too, necessary attendants 
 upon it every one. They be the virtues of His Nativity, 
 these. At His birth Christ bethought himself of all the 
 virtues which He would have to attend on Him then ; and 
 
1 92 Of the Nativity. 
 
 these He made choice of then, and for ever, to be the 
 virtues of this feast. 
 
 The sooner and the better to procure this meeting, the 
 Church meets us, as Melchizedek did Abraham, "with bread 
 and wine," but of a higher nature than his far ; prepares 
 ever this day a love-feast, whereat they may the rather meet. 
 Where Truth from the earth may look up to Heaven and 
 confess, and Righteousness from Heaven may look down to 
 earth and pardon; where we may shew Mercy in giving 
 where need is; and offer Peace in forgiving where cause is; 
 that so there may be an obviaverunt^ a " meeting " of all 
 hands. 
 
 And even so then let there be. So may our end be as 
 the end of the first verse, in peace ; and as the end of the 
 second, in Heaven ! So may all the blessings that came to 
 mankind by this meeting, or by the birth of Christ the 
 cause of it, meet in us and remain upon us, till as we now 
 meet together at the birth, so we may then meet in a 
 " perfect man in the measure of the fulness of the age of 
 Christ," (Eph. iv. 13) ; as meet now at the Lamb's yeaning, 
 so meet then at the Lamb's marriage ; " be caught up in 
 the clouds then to meet Him," (i Thes. iv. 17), and theie 
 to reign for ever with Him in His Kingdom of Glory ! 
 
Sermon XI I. 193 
 
 SERMON XII. 
 
 A Sermon Preached before the King's Majesty, at 
 
 WjtllTEHALL, ON FrIDAY, THE TWENTY-FIFTH OF 
 
 December, a.d. mdcxviil, being Christmas-day. 
 
 And this shall he a sign unto you ; ye shall find the Child 
 
 swaddled, and laid in a cratch. 
 A fid straightzvay there was with the Angel a multitude of 
 
 Heavenly soldiers, pjmsing God, a7id saying, 
 Glory be to God on high, and peace upon earth, and towards 
 
 men good-will, Luke ii. 12-14. 
 
 Et hoc erit vobis signuni : invenietis Infantem pannis involtttwn, et 
 posihim in pi-cesepio. 
 
 Et subito facta est cum Angela viidtitndo militice C<£lestis lattdantinm 
 Deufti, et dicentium : 
 
 Gloria in altissimis Deo, et in terra pax hominibus bonce -volun- 
 tatis. Latin Vulg. 
 
 OF these three verses the points be two ; i. the Shepherd's 
 sign, and 2. the Angel's song. The sign is a remain 
 oi Angelus ad pastores, ' the Angel's speech to the shepherds.' 
 We called it, as the Angel himself called it, a sermon; 
 evangelizo, the word he useth is to " preach." 
 
 Of which sermon there are two parts; i. His birth the 
 verse before, 2. His finding in this. For this is a double 
 feast ; not only the feast of His Nativity, but the feast of 
 His Invention also. Therefore the Angel makes not an end 
 with " unto you is born," but tells them farther ; it is not 
 enough Christ is born, but to take benefit by His birth we 
 are to find Him. Natus est His part, Invenietis ours. 
 
 Of natus est somewhat hath formerly been said. Invenietis 
 now follows and follows well. For what is natus est without 
 invenietis ? Such a one there " is born." What shall we be 
 the better, if we " find " Him not ? As good not born, as 
 not known — to us all one. Nobis 7tascitur, cum a nobis 
 7ioscitur. Born He may be before ; but nobis natus, ' to us 
 He is born when to us He is known,' when we find Him ; 
 and not before. Christtis inventus is more than Christus 
 natus. Set down ifivenietis then first. 
 
 Invenietis leads us to Hoc erit signum. For how shall 
 
194 Of the Nativity. 
 
 they find Him without a sign ? So come we from Christus 
 natus to Christus signatus. Natus "bom," to be found; 
 Signatus^ ' signed or marked/ that He may be found. Born 
 He is, that they know : and when, they know ; — hodie. 
 And where, they know — in Bethlehem. To Bethlehem 
 they will; but when they come there, how then? In such 
 resort, the town so full of strangers, as "no room in the 
 inns," whither should they turn them ? What could they 
 wish, but O quod erit signum I Natus est; O that He were 
 signatus I O that we had a sign to find Him by ! 
 
 1. Their wish is honest and good, and pity any that seeks 
 Christ should want a sign to find Him by. The Angel will 
 not suffer that, but before he end his speech he takes order 
 for their sign, and this it is. When ye come to Bethlehem, 
 never search in any house or chamber ; in a stable, there 
 shall you find a " Babe swaddled and laid in a manger ; " 
 you would little think it, but that is He. And so signo dato^ 
 * this sign given,' the sermon ends. For to find Christ is 
 all, all in all. 
 
 A sermon would have an anthem of course ; it hath so. 
 And one suitable, if it might be. An Angel preached it, 
 and no man \ it would be a choir of Angels, and not of men, 
 to sing it. So it is ; Gloria in excelsis^ all the Fathers call 
 it hymnuni Angelicum^ ' the Angels' hymn or anthem.' 
 
 II. This is set down in the two latter verses. The i. 
 choir that sing it, in the former; the 2. song itself, the ditty 
 of it so, in the latter, i. The choir: in it five. i. Who? 
 That there were certain Heavenly personages first. 2. In 
 what habit ? that in the habit of soldiers to see to. 3. What 
 number? that a great multitude of them. 4. What they 
 did ? that they took up this hymn and fell on praising God. 
 5. And fifthly, when? that they did it instantly upon the 
 speech ended. 
 
 2. The song : that consists of three strains. There are 
 in it I. God, 2. earth, and 3. men ; these three first. And 
 then three to these three; i. glory, 2. peace, 3. good-will. 
 Each sorted to other; i. glory to God; 2. peace to the 
 earth ; 3. to men a good-will. 
 
 So have you the sign and the song, the one to balance or 
 counterpoise the other ; the song to sing away the sign, to 
 make amends for the manger. The sign very poor and 
 mean, the song exceeding high and heavenly. Paupertas in 
 
Sermon XII. 195 
 
 imis the sign, * poverty at the lowest ; * Gloria in excehis the 
 song, "glory at the highest." That well might Leo ask, 
 Quis est iste Puer tarn parvuSy fam magnus ? ' What Child 
 is this so little, and so great withal ? ' Tarn parvus ut in 
 prcesepi jaceat, tam maguus ut Ei concinant Angeli ; ' so little 
 as He lies in a cratch, so great though as He hath Angels 
 to sing to Him ;' — the whole choir of Heaven to make Him 
 melody. It is a course this, the Holy Ghost began it here 
 at His birth, and after observed it all along, Sociare ima 
 summiSf et insolita solitis temperare ; * to couple low and 
 high together, and to temper things mean and usual with 
 others as strange every way.' 
 
 Out of these we shall learn, i. First, what our duty is, to 
 find Christ. The Angel presupposes this, that being born 
 we will not leave till we have found Him ; till we can say 
 (it was the first word of the first Apostle) Eu^sjjca/Asv, " We 
 have found" — found the Messias. (John i. 41.) Livenietis ; 
 by all means " to find " Christ. 2. Then how to find Him, 
 at what sign. 3. And last, when we have found Him how 
 to salute Him, with what words to praise God for Him. 
 For Him ; both for His birth, and for His invention. All 
 considered. His invention to us no less behooful than His 
 Nativity. And this day to be no less solemnized, for inve- 
 nietis His 'finding,' than for natus est, "His very birth itself." 
 It is more often found in the first Fathers by the name of 
 Theophania, * His appearance ' or being found, than by the 
 name Genethlia, *of being born into the world.' The 
 Angels' evangelizo reacheth to both ; their gloria in excelsis 
 is sung for both. 
 
 The work of the day is invenietis, to " find " Christ. We 
 shall not be better for natus est, if we find him not. Find 
 Him we cannot, if first we find not a sign to find Him by. 
 Erit vobis signum, and hoc erit, saith the Angel, " a sign ye 
 shall have;" and "this shall be it;" "ye shall find Him 
 swaddled and laid in a manger." 
 
 I. Signs never come amiss, but are then so necessary, as 
 we cannot miss them, when we should miss without them ; 
 when no sign, no invenietis, as here. For if a sign, if this 
 sign had not been given, no invenietis; Christ had not been 
 found. Not been found, for never had been sought in such 
 a place. Had not the Angel thither directed the shepherds, 
 had not the star thither pointed the Magi, neither the one 
 
 G 2 
 
196 Of the Nativity, 
 
 nor the other would ever there have sought Him. A non est 
 inventus had been returned by both. 
 
 And reason ; for some kind of proportion there wo aid be 
 between signum and signatum^ and if the sign be a place as 
 here, between locas and locatus. A chief Person in a chief 
 place, a Lord and Saviour something Lord and Saviour- 
 like. To Bethlehem they will. Set the sign by, let them 
 alone, say nothing to them. When they came thither, they 
 would never go to an inn, or ostrie, but to the very best 
 house in the town. Or if to an inn, to the fairest chamber 
 in it ; or to a chamber at least ; never to the stable, there 
 to look in the manger for Christus Dominus. To the 
 stable we go to look for a horse, to the crib for bos cognovit 
 et asifiiis, (Isa. i. 3) — for one of them ; never thither to seek 
 for the Saviour of the world. 
 
 Nay, if in their search passing by, by hap they had lighted 
 upon such a birth — a Child so lying ; it may be they would 
 have pitied the poor Babe and the mother, but have gone 
 on their way and sought farther. Never, I dare say, taken 
 Him for Christ the Lord. And if one should have bid them, 
 * Stay, for this is the Child the Angel spake of,' they would 
 have shaken him off and said with as great scorn as they, 
 (i Sam. X. 27), Nu7iquid potent iste salvare nos^ "What 
 shall this be our Saviour trow ? " For invenietis is not all, 
 to " find " Him ; but finding Him, to apply the Angels' 
 words unto Him ; to believe of this Child thus there lying, 
 that He should be Christ the Saviour, gaudiiim omni 
 populo^ "the joy of the whole earth." It goes hard, 
 this. 
 
 We said when time was, this message was so high as no 
 man meet to bring it but an Angel of Heaven. We say now 
 ex atio capite, this sign was so unlikely, no man was meet to 
 give it but an Angel only. And it was well it was an Angel. 
 If it had been any else. His birth would have seemed, as 
 His Resurrection did, "kripog, " a feigned tale ; " no man's 
 affidavit would have been taken for it. 
 
 What were the shepherds like to think of this ? Sure, 
 thank Him for natus est, the news of His " birth," but not 
 for His sign. JErit signum they like well, but not hoc erit. 
 If He had given them no sign, it would have troubled them. 
 Now the sign given troubles them worse. For this sign 
 they know not what to make of it ; it is so poor a one, it is 
 
Sermon XIL 197 
 
 enough to make them half in the mind to give over their 
 journey, as not caring for invenietis, whether they find Him 
 or no. If His sign be no better, as good lost as found. 
 Always this is out of the evangelizo vobis^ — no part of it ; for 
 no good news thus to find Him. 
 
 And we, if we admit a conference with flesh and blood, 
 when we lay together the sign, and of Whom it is the sign; we 
 find to our thinking a great disparagement, and I know not 
 how, thoughts arise in our hearts, as if some better sign 
 would have done better. The meaning is, we would find 
 Christ fain, but we would find Him in some better place. 
 Half Jews we are all in this point ; we would have a 
 Messias in state. Hoc erit, " this it shall be," saith the 
 Angel. " Shall be ; " but should it be this ? No : how 
 should it be ? Let us see. Why, this shall be the sign ; 
 ye shall find the Child, not in these clouts or cratch, but in 
 a crimson mantle, in a cradle of ivory. That, lo, were 
 somewhat Saviour-like ; hoc erit signum. 
 
 But in vain take we upon us to teach the Angel ; we 
 would have we know not what. We forget St. Augustine's 
 distingue tempora ; as the time is the Angel is right, and a 
 fitter sign could not be assigned. Would we have had 
 Him come in power and great glory ? and so He will come, 
 but not now. He that cometh here in clouts. He will come 
 in the clouds one day. But now His coming was for an- 
 other end, and so to be in another manner. His coming 
 now was, as we say in the Collect, " to visit us in great 
 humility ; " and so. His sign to be according. 
 
 Nay then I say, first go to the nature of a sign : if Christ 
 had come in His excellency, that had been no sign, no 
 more than the sun in the firmament shining in his full 
 strength ; hoc non erit signum. Contrary to the course of 
 nature it would be, else it is no sign. The sun eclipsed, 
 the sun is sackcloth \ that is signum in sole, " the sign 
 indeed." (Luke xxi. 25.) And that is the sign here : " the 
 Sun of Righteousness," (Mai. iv. 2), entering into His 
 eclipse begins to be darkened in His first point, the point 
 of His Nativity. This is the sign say I, and that had been 
 none. 
 
 I say again ; it is not only signum, that is not all, it is 
 signum vohis. We shall do well to look to vobis. There is 
 a matter in that, for whom this sign was given j — not the 
 
198 Of the Nativity. 
 
 persons so much, as the condition. For if He had been 
 so gloriously born, such as these should never have been 
 suffered to come near Him. But this is a sign for you — 
 you that keep sheep and such other poor people ; you have 
 a Saviour too. He is not the Saviour of great states only, but 
 even of poor shepherds. The poorest of the earth may 
 repair to Him, being no other place but this, and by this 
 sign to find Him, and so hoc erit signum vobis. 
 
 I say thirdly, Vobis, and take in ourselves too. So hoc 
 erit signum. For what praise or thanks had it been for us 
 to have believed in Him, born in all glorious manner? 
 But being thus born with this sign, if now we do it, roZro 
 X^P'i ^oc' JtXsog, to speak in St. Peter's phrase, "this hath 
 thanks and praise with God," (i Pet. ii. 19, 20), and so hoc 
 erit signum. 
 
 Fourthly, without regard of them or of us, I say that 
 even in regard of Himself hoc erit signum. Would there 
 be a proportion between the sign and the signatum? 
 There is so. This holds good proportion with the ensuing 
 course of His life and death. And all considered, it is 
 even signum adcequatum. We may well begin with Christ 
 in the cratch ; we must end with Christ on the Cross. 
 The cratch is a sign of the Cross. They that write de re 
 rusticdj describe the form of making a cratch cross-wise. 
 The scandal of the cratch is a good preparative to the 
 scandal of the Cross. To be swaddled thus as a child, doth 
 that offend ? What then, when ye shall see Him pinioned 
 and bound as a malefactor ? To lie in a manger, is that so 
 much ? How then, when ye see shall Him hang on the 
 cross ? But so, — primo . . . ne disc7'epet imum ; ' that His 
 beginning and His end may suit well and not disagree,' sic 
 oportuit Christum nasci^ ' thus ought Christ to be born,' and 
 this behoved to be His sign. 
 
 But then to remove this scandal, I say fifthly : that the 
 less glorious, the more glorious \ the less glorious His sign, 
 the more glorious He. And even in this respect of His 
 glory. He was to be born under this sign. Had He come 
 in the power and great glory we spake of, what great matter 
 had it been for Him then to have done things powerful and 
 glorious ? But coming in this sort, these same panni and 
 prcesepe were an evident sign of the power of His might, in 
 nothing so manifest as in this, that from so poor a begin- 
 
Sermon XII. 199 
 
 ning He was able to advance so glorious a work. It was 
 much from a babe floating in the flags of the Nilus in a 
 basket of bulrushes, (Exod. ii. 3), Moses, to gather himself a 
 people, even the nation and kingdom of the Jews, and to 
 deliver his law. It was infinitely much more from this 
 Babe here lying in the cratch, to work the bringing in of the 
 Gentiles, and the turning about of the whole world, and to 
 publish His Gospel, " the power of God to salvation." 
 Herein is power, from His cratch to do this. There to lay 
 Him, and there lying to make so many nations come and 
 adore Him, as since He hath. That if ever " in His humi- 
 Hty His judgment were exalted," (Acts viii. 33), if His 
 " power were ever made perfect in weakness," (2 Cor. xii. 9), 
 if ever He shewed that infirmum Dei fortius est hominibuSy 
 " God at the weakest is stronger than men in all their strength," 
 (i Cor. i. 25) ; hoc erit signum, " in this sign it was." 
 
 A sign, cum externa rejicit^ quod sibi sujlcit, * in that He 
 casts from Him all outward signs and means, that He is of 
 Himself all sufficient ;' et nullo indiget nisi se, ' and needs 
 no power but His own.' His cratch and He will bring this 
 work to pass. His gloria in excelsis will be hoc ipso excelsior^ 
 ' His glory on high, so much the higher for this.' Ever, 
 but now more than ever ; and in all His signs, but in this 
 more glorious than in any, nay than in all them. And so 
 hoc erit signum, " this shall be the sign;" shall be, and should 
 be both. 
 
 But I waive all these, and' say sixthly. Make of the 
 sign what ye will ; it skills not what it be, never so mean 
 In the nature of a sign there is nothing but it may be such ; 
 all is in the thing signified. So it carry us to a rich 
 signatum and worth the finding, what makes it a matter 
 how mean the sign be ? We are sent to a crib, not to an 
 empty crib ; Christ is in it. Be the sign never so simple, 
 the signatum it carries us to makes amends. Any sign with 
 such a signatum. 
 
 And I know not the man so squeamish but if, in his 
 stable and under his manger, there were a treasure hid and 
 he were sure of it, but thither he would, and pluck up the 
 planks, and dig and rake for it, and be never a whit 
 offended with the homeliness of the place. If then Christ 
 be a treasure, as in Him are "all the treasures of the 
 wisdom and bounty of God " (Colos. ii. 3), what skills it 
 
200 Of the Nativity. 
 
 what be His sign? With this, with any other, Christ is 
 worth the finding. Though the cratch be not worth the 
 going to, Christ is worth the going for. He is not worthy 
 of Christ that will not go any whither to find Christ, 
 
 Lastly, I would fain know why should the shepherds, why 
 should any be ashamed of this sign ? the Angels are not. 
 Non erubescit quis quod prcedicat, ' no man proclaims or 
 preaches of that, makes a hymn of that he is ashamed of,' 
 And indeed, why should the Angels be ashamed to report 
 it, seeing Christus non est confusus, " Christ is not ashamed" 
 to wear it ? And if He be not so to be found, never let us 
 be so to find Him. 
 
 I conclude then. They that will have a Saviour without 
 such a sign, best stay for the Jews' Messias, or get them for 
 their sign to somebody else. The Angel hath none, the 
 Gospel knows none but this. We must take Christ as we 
 find Him, cratch and all. The invention of the cratch, and 
 the invention of Christ fall both upon one feast — this day 
 both : no severing of them. All which I trust by this shew 
 plainly, the sign was well assigned by the Angel. And so 
 I hope we will not let the shepherds go alone, but go along 
 with them too for company, to find Christ, in hoco signo, 
 ' by this sign.' 
 
 But the cratch is gone many years ago. What is our sign 
 now ? Why, what was this sign a sign of ? There needs 
 no straining at all — of humility clear; signum humiie, signum 
 humilis. Not always so, not with us where the highest 
 minds will use the lowest signs ; but with Christ, with such 
 in whom is the mind of Christ there is no odds at all. Ye 
 may strike a tally between the sign and the signatum. 
 Humility then : we shall find Him by that sign, where we 
 find humility, and not fail ; and where that is not, be sure 
 we shall never find Him. This day it is not possible to 
 keep off of this theme ; we cannot but we must fall upon 
 it ; it is so woven into every text there is no avoiding it. 
 But of all, into the sign, most of all. Such a sign of such 
 humility as never was. 
 
 Signs are taken for wonders. " Master, we would fain 
 see a sign," (Mat. xii. 38), that is a miracle. And in this 
 sense it is a sign to wonder at. Indeed, every word here 
 is a wonder. To /3/?£^og, an infant; Verbum infans^ the 
 Word without a word ; the eternal Word not able to 
 
Sermon XII. 201 
 
 speak a word ; i. a wonder sure. 2. And the G-wapya.- 
 vKSfioi^ swaddled ; and that a wonder too. " He," that (as 
 in the thirty-eighth of Job (v. 9) He saith), " taketh the 
 vast body of the main sea, turns it to and fro, as a little 
 child, and rolls it about with the swaddling bands of dark- 
 ness;" — He to come thus into clouts. Himself! 3. But 
 yet, all is well ; all children are so. But in prcesepi, that 
 is it, there is the wonder. Children lie not there ; He 
 doth. There lieth He, the Lord of glory without all glory. 
 Instead of a palace, a poor stable ; of a cradle of state, a 
 beast's cratch ; no pillow but a lock of hay ; no hangings 
 but dust and cobwebs ; no attendants, but in medio 
 animalium, as the Fathers read the third of Habakkuk. 
 (Hab. iii. 2.) For if the inn were full, the stable was not 
 empty we may be sure. A sign, this, nay three in one, able 
 to amaze any. 
 
 And " is it true ? " saith Solomon, and makes a wonder 
 of it : ** Will God accept a place in earth to receive Him ? " 
 (i Kings viii. 27), when he had built Him a stately 
 sumptuous Temple, and meant it by that. And is that a 
 wonder, if in such a Temple ? What is it then, if in a 
 corner of a stable, in a cratch there ? Will He accept of 
 that trow ? If He will, hoc erit signum indeed. " O Lord, 
 O Lord," saith King David, his father, rapt with admira- 
 tion, " how wonderful ! " (Ps. viii. i.) What ? why minorasti 
 Eum ab Angelis^ " Thou madest Him lower than the 
 Angels " — for to Christ doth the Apostle apply that verse 
 Hebrews ii. 7 — " lower than the Angels." Nay, lower yet, 
 saith Esay in his fifty-third, Novissimus virorum, "The 
 lowest of men." (Isa. liii. 3.) Nay, lower yet, saith the 
 Angel here, lower than the lowest of men. For a stable, a 
 cratch is a place for beasts, not for men. So low. Well 
 may this be said a sign, in this sense, to wonder at. If it 
 be well looked into, it is able to strike any man into an 
 ecstasy. 
 
 But if we stand but gazing and wondering at this sign, the 
 Angel will blame us at the Nativity, as they did the Apostles 
 for the like at His Ascension. (Acts i. 11.) What learn we 
 by it? 
 
 For loquitur signis^ * signs have their speech,' and this is 
 no dumb sign* What saith it then to us ? Christ, though as 
 yet He cannot speak as a new-born babe, yet by it He 
 
202 Of the Nativity. 
 
 speaks, and out of His crib, as a pulpit, this day preaches 
 to us j and His theme is Discite a Me, " Learn of Me for I 
 am humble," (Matt. xi. 29) — humble in My birth ye all see. 
 This is t\iQprcedpe of ihej^rtzsepe, as I may call it, the lesson 
 of Christ's cratch. 
 
 A sign it is, but not a sign at large indefinitely, nothing 
 but /loc erit signum. But signum vobis, " for you," limited 
 to some, not to all. For not to some others, but " to you," 
 and such as you are a sign it is ; a sign it is how to find 
 Him. A sign for whom He was bom That thus was bom ; 
 to whom He, to whom His birth belongs. Sure, humilis 
 nascitur huniilibus^ ' so He was born, and for them that are 
 so He was born.' Such He was found, and of such He 
 will be found, and of none but such. 
 
 But then, as St. Augustine saith well, Signum vobis, si 
 signwn in mbis^ " A sign for you, if a sign in you." For in 
 this sense also it is a sign to sign us with, a signature to 
 make a mark on us. Theirs, in the ninth of Ezekiel, that 
 were saved, they were " marked with the sign of Tau in 
 their foreheads," (Ezek. ix. 4.) That is this very sign, the 
 mark of humility, as being the last and lowest letter of the 
 whole alphabet. 
 
 " And this sign shall follow them that believe," (Mark xvi. 
 17), and by this mark will He know them. By the sign we 
 find Him, by the same will He find us, invefiietis and inve- 
 niemini, by one and the same sign both. For nunquam erit 
 aliud Servatoris signum, aliud servati ; 'Never He that 
 saves one sign, they that saved another.' At least not- a 
 quite contrary, but the same sign both. By the same that 
 Christ found, by the same a Christian : or to speak more 
 nearly to the day, by the same that Christ's birth by the 
 same the Christian's new birth. For as faith is the virtue 
 appropriate to His conception — by faith He was conceived, 
 Beata quce. credidit, (Luke i. 45, 48) — so is humility as proper 
 to His Nativity ; in great humility this day was He born 
 and brought into the world. Then, if the sign of Christ's 
 birth be the proper sign of a Christian's new birth, " wherein 
 Christ is fashioned in us anew," (Gal. iv. 19) ; hoc erit 
 signum, that they who to faith have not joined humility, 
 (2 Peter i. 5, 6), are not yet come so far as to be babes 
 in Christ, (Matt, xviii. 3) ; not yet, as St. Basil speaks, 
 come to their G'Trdpyam ffMTTjp/ag^ ' their swaddling clouts in 
 
Sermon XII. 203 
 
 the state of salvation.' And what tmie, trow ye, will these 
 be come to " the measure of the full age in Christ," (Eph. 
 IV. 13), that yet are no farther forward ? Many a iLiyaAmoc, 
 are there among us, if this sign hold. 
 
 But then if it be signm?t vobis to some, it is for some 
 others signum contra vos ; and tliat is the proud. For the 
 word of God hath two edges ; and if it go one way thus for 
 humility, it cuts as deep the contrary against pride. And 
 withal, under one leads us to the cause straight, and shews 
 us the malignity of fhe disease of pride, for the cure whereof 
 this so profound humility was requisite in Christ. There 
 was one when time was took the disease of ero similis Altis- 
 stmo, (Isa. xiv. 14), and he breathed upon our first parents 
 with his eritts sicut dii, (Gen. iii. 5), and infected them with 
 it. To make themselves equal with God is plain robbery, 
 (Phil. ii. 6), saith the Apostle. For that robbery of theirs 
 was the Son of God robbed, as I may say, and quite spoiled 
 of His glory. For their puffing up, Ixhuas, " He was made 
 empty;" for their hfting up, sraTrs/vuffs, "was He brought 
 thus low," (Phil. ii. 7, 8) ; for their comparing with God, 
 came He to be ''compared to the beasts that perish" 
 (Ps. xlix. 12) — lay in the manger, we see. 
 
 Never blame the Angel for giving this sign ; he had no 
 other to give. As Christ was born^ so was He to tender 
 Him. Ask Christ why He would be so born. Of any other 
 child this could not be asked ; they are born they neither 
 know where nor how. Of Christ it may ; He knew both. 
 For as oblatus est quia mluit^ (Isa. liii. 7), so natus est, " He 
 was so born " because He would so be. And why should 
 He so be? His Ecce venio, (Zech. ii. 10), His "coming" 
 was to recover man. Man was to be recovered by the con- 
 trary of that by which he perished. By pride he perished, 
 that is confessed. Then, by humility to be recovered, 
 according to the rule, Contraria ciirantur contrariis. So 
 He to come in humiHty. The pride was high, eritis stent 
 dii, (Gen. iii. 5); the contrary as \o^,f actus est sicut jutncfita, 
 (Ps. xlix. 12), " as low as they," lie in their cratch. 
 
 It is strange this point of Christ in the cratch, how 
 tedious, how harsh it is to be stood on. Harsh — but to 
 none more, nay none so much as to the proud ; and they 
 of all other have least cause to be offended with it, it is 
 they that were the cause of it. They should not, one would 
 
204 Of the Nativity, 
 
 think, be offended with their own doing ; it is long of them 
 all this. If there they find Him, it is they and none but 
 they that there laid Him. If He be otherwise than He 
 should, their pride is to blame for it. But for it we had 
 found Him in a better place. And fie upon pride, say I, if 
 it were but for this only ; enough to make us loathe this 
 vice that laid this so great a disgrace as we count it upon 
 the Son of God. 
 
 But marvel not if this be signum contra to them a ' sign 
 against them ; ' they are against it. Well said Bernard, In 
 signum positum est prcesepe Tuum Doinine^ sed ifi signum cut 
 a multis contradicitur ; ' Thy cratch, O Lord, is set for a 
 sign, but for a sign which of many is spoken against ' — done 
 against I am sure — alluding to that of Simeon at the 34th 
 verse after, (Luke ii. 34), that Christ " should be a sign 
 (and if Christ, His cratch sure) to be spoken against " by 
 many *' whose pride," saith the Prophet, "testifies to their 
 faces." (Hos. v. 5.) You may take up the edges of their 
 garments and shew it them, yea that even this day come 
 hither to make a show of it, as it were to affront this sign 
 and the Angel that gave it, come to celebrate the feast of 
 humility in excess of pride. Should the Angel ever have 
 persuaded one of these to have gone into the stable, and 
 have sought their Saviour there ? Never. Do but look 
 upon them ; you would think they had some other Saviour 
 by themselves that lay in an ivory cradle, and never looked 
 to be saved by Him That this day lay in a manger. 
 
 Sure it is no good sign to be ad oppositum to this sign. 
 If signum vobis to the one, signum contra vos to the other. 
 For if humility be the sign of finding Christ, pride must 
 need be the sign of losing Him ; and whoso loseth Him is 
 himself even the child of perdition : and therefore look to 
 this sign well. 
 
 But humility is not all we find in this sign. The philo- 
 sopher saith, signs are either indicant or co-indicant. In- 
 dicant it is of humihty; co-indicant of that which in 
 Him and on His part, as pride on ours, was the 
 cause that made Him stoop to this humility, and that 
 was His love. He left gloriam in excelsis for sudozia h 
 avdpdj'roig^ " His glory on high," for " His good-will towards 
 men." It was a sign of love too this. A sign, nay an 
 ensign, His very colours, as in the second of Cant. He 
 
Sermon XII. 205 
 
 terms it, " love His banner or ensign over us." (Cant. ii. 4.) 
 Signal love indeed, that for our sakes refused not first our 
 nature, our mortality — that alone had been love enough — 
 but not the basest estate of our nature, not poverty; poverty, 
 and such poverty as the like was never heard of, usque ad 
 squalorem et fmtorcm stabuli^ to be found where He was 
 found, there to lie. 
 
 '' Thou didst not abhor the Virgin's womb," so we sing. 
 Thou didst not abhor the beast's manger, so we may sing 
 too ; and is not this hoc erit signum, a very " ensign of 
 love"? 
 
 Two ways take we measure of love. i. Of quanti fecit 
 nos^ first, by quanta fecit pro nobis, 'how much He made of 
 us,' by *how much He did for us,' — the ordinary way of the 
 world's measuring. 
 
 2. But there is another, and that is, quanti fecit nos, by 
 quaiitillus factus est pro nobis, ' how much He made of us,' 
 by ' how little He was made for us.' This latter we hold 
 to be the more, by how much it is easier for Him many 
 times to make great than once to be made little. 
 
 3. But then, will ye take in this in the text, nobis, to 
 make up a third " for us " ? " Us " that even at that time 
 when He shewed so great love to us shewed so little to 
 Him, that if the beasts had not been better to Him than 
 we. He had found no place to be born in ? " For us " He 
 came, and we thrust Him out from us and from all place 
 with us, into the place of beasts. And if He had not 
 borrowed their stable, caruisset tecto, ' He had no roof to 
 cover Him ; ' if He had not borrowed their crib, caruisset 
 lecto, ' He had lain on the cold ground ' at this time of the 
 year. Nobis sure is somewhat. 
 
 And now to quanta fecit pro nobis. For all this was not so 
 much to shew the love in Himself, as to work in God svdoxia, 
 sv avdpoj'Troig, " good-will toward men," the foot of the Angels' 
 song; to regain His Father's love to make Him well- 
 pleased toward men by His humility, with whom for their 
 pride He was justly displeased. Thus unlovely He became 
 to make us beloved, thus poor to make us rich in the grace 
 and favour of God, more worth when the time comes than 
 all the riches of the world. 
 
 This, lo, is the co-indicant sign of love, these the colours 
 ol it. The cratch is the cradle of His love, no less than oi 
 
2o6 Of the Nativity, 
 
 His humility, and able to provoke our love again. The less 
 He made for us, the more we to make of Him ; and that, 
 not so much for that He was made, as for the love by which 
 He was made it. And these two signatures made in us, this 
 sign erit signum 7tobis, and nobis signum in bonum ; ' a sign 
 it shall be, and to us, and to us for our good.' And this for 
 the sign. 
 
 II. Will ye now to this inglorious sign hear a glorious 
 song ? to this cratch of humility a hymn of celestial har- 
 mony ? If the sign mislike you, ye cannot but like the 
 song, and the choir that sing it. The song I shall not be 
 able to reach to j will ye but see the choir? and that shall 
 serve for this time; for by all means before I end I would deal 
 with somewhat that might balance this sign of His low estate. 
 
 This the Evangelists never fail to do, ever they look to 
 this point carefully \ if they mention aught that may offend, 
 to wipe it away straight and the scandal of it by some 
 other high regard. See you a sort of poor shepherds? 
 Stay, and ye shall see a troop of God's Angels. Hear ye 
 one say, " laid in the cratch " below ? Abide, and ye shall 
 hear many sing " Glory on high," in honour of Him that 
 lieth in it. 
 
 Vidisti vilia, saith St. Ambrose, audi mirifica^ ' were the 
 things mean you have seen ? Wonderful shall they be ye 
 now shall hear and see both.' Vilescit prcesepe, et ecce Angel- 
 ids cantibus honor ahir ; ' is the cratch mean ? Mean as it 
 is, it is honoured with the music of Angels ; ' it hath the 
 whole choir of Heaven to sing about it. This also will prove 
 a sign if it be well looked into, a counter-sign to the other ; 
 that of His humility, this of His glory. 
 
 Surely, seeing the other three Evangelists omitted this 
 sign, one would wonder why St. Luke did not so too. In 
 discretion small credit there was in it, better have concealed 
 it, one would think — a great deal better. But St. Luke knew 
 what he did ; he would never have mentioned the sign, but 
 that sure he was when he had laid Him so low he was able 
 to up with Him again, and sing away all the disgrace of the 
 sign with a strange carol, and as strange a choir sent from 
 Heaven to sign it. 
 
 I. To the choir then. Who were they ? Where the first 
 I pitch on, is the word " Heavenly." For thence they 
 came, and thither they went again. (Luke ii. 15.) Qtiid 
 
Sermon XII. 207 
 
 prczsepi et Ccelo ? * What hath Heaven or Heavenly per- 
 sonages to do here with the cratch?' It would seem, 
 some celestial thing there is in it ; as low as it seems it 
 reacheth high, as high as Heaven ; Heavenly things, and 
 Heavenly personages both. About it, here comes divers 
 from Heaven ; for it, there goes glory up to Heaven. So 
 that the sign is also, signum de Coelo sursum, " from on 
 high," by reason of the choir ; as well as " a sign from the 
 earth beneath," (Isa. vii. 11), in respect of the cratch here. 
 
 How appear they ? These personages were Angels. It 
 is said expressly, ver. 15, yet are they here said to be 
 soldiers. What, shall we have war then ? for they are in 
 the habit of war. True of war; but it is war not that 
 now is or hereafter should be, but of war that had been 
 before even to the day of this birth, but now to cease 
 — witness pax in terris. There had been no peace with 
 Heaven, but plain hostility between earth and it ; no 
 " good-will toward men," but filii irce^ " children of wrath 
 all." (Eph. ii. 3.) Ever since the Cherubim first drew 
 upon Adam, and with a shaken sword kept the entry of 
 Paradise, (Gen. iii. 24), ever since in arms till this very day. 
 Their habit shews what was before, their song what now 
 should be. By virtue of Christ's Nativity, "peace to earth " 
 from Heaven, "good-will to men" from God. So now 
 upon His birth they were to disarm ; but before they put 
 their armour off, yet being in it they would have a pcean^ 
 and sing of the new world that was now to ensue. A 
 sign this and a strange one, this conjunction, species prceli- 
 antium^ and voces cantantium^ ' the habit of war,' and ' the 
 song of peace.* Soldiers make a camp, come to fight ; these 
 make a choir, come to sing. They are not in the habit of 
 choir-men, yet they sing ; they are in the habit of men of 
 war, yet sing of peace. 
 
 What number ? A multitude there was of them. First, 
 for the more authority, that in the mouths of many this 
 truth might be established — many to witness to. 2. Then 
 for the better music ; if a full choir, many to sound it out. 
 It was a matter of great weight, so divers to testify it ; it 
 was a matter of high praise, divers therefore to celebrate 
 and set it forth. 
 
 When we hear of a multitude, we fear a confusion. But 
 you will observe, this multitude was 77iuliHudo militiiB ; no 
 
2o8 Of the Nativity. 
 
 confused rout. No; but acies ordtnafa, *a well-ordered 
 army.' There is order in an army, there is order in a choir, 
 there is order among Angels ; co-ordinate among themselves, 
 subordinate to their Head and Leader. So a multitude 
 without confusion. 
 
 And yet there is a farther matter in this same multitude. 
 For that there were not some few of them but a great many, 
 that was a sign it was no petty Saviour that was born. To 
 have Angels come by one and by two as at the birth of 
 Samson, (Judg. xiii. 15), or Isaac, (Gen. xviii. 2), and others; 
 but the grand Saviour of all by His troops of them, the 
 Lord of Hosts Himself as attended by the whole army. 
 
 For at His birth was fulfilled that the Apostle speaks of, 
 Hebrews i. 6, "When He brings His only-begotten Son 
 into the world He saith. Let all the Angels of God worship 
 Him ; " let the whole host of Heaven do Him honour, as 
 honour Him here they do. For they "that offer Him 
 praise, honour Him," (Ps. 1. 23) ; and praise they offer Him, 
 the next word is laiidantium. And even now they do it, 
 even here is this honour done, even to Him in His cratch 
 is it done, and Heaven itself for a while left empty that it 
 may be done. All which is but a sign to shew what a show 
 He could have made if He had listed ; that He might have 
 had the " legions " (Matt. xxvi. 53) He speaks of at His 
 death, That had them in such a multitude to-day at His 
 birth. A sign He was not weak, whatever He seemed, 
 That had these military forces, if He would, to take arms 
 for Him. That He was not to be despised, however He 
 appeared. That had these concerts of Angels to sing about 
 His cratch, and to praise Go d for Him. 
 
 What did they? "praised God." For Angels to praise 
 God is no new thing. From the beginning it was their oc- 
 cupation so to do. But to praise Him for a Child in a 
 cratch, that lo, is new, a new thing, a new song, and if you 
 will a new sign too. For never the like seen before. 
 Before, in Job, their praise was for the creating, they had 
 that only then to praise Him for, (Job xxxviii. 7) ; now for 
 the restoring of all things. For the birth of the world then ; 
 for the new birth of it now by the birth of Him by Whom 
 the world at first was made, and now 7ie perderet quod con- 
 didit, made again, created anew, and many a new creature 
 in it. To Him sitting in the throne sing they their Sandus 
 
Sermon XI I. 209 
 
 (Isa. vi. 3.) For to Christ was the Sandus sung, saith St. 
 John directly in his twelfth and forty-first. Now to Him 
 here lying in the manger, which is great odds, but indeed to 
 both j in imis FuerOj in excelsis JDeo, for He was both. And 
 His being both was an Ecce signum^ if ever there were any 
 upon earth. 
 
 And lastly, all this klatpng, that " instantly " — no pause 
 between, between Amen and Hallelujah. No sooner the 
 speech ended but straight, as if the word cratch had been 
 their rest, immediately took they up the hymn and begun 
 it. A plain sign that one of these did depend on the other. 
 This the anthem, that properly belongs to that sermon ; and 
 back again this the sermon, that requireth this anthem, and 
 both to the Child in the manger. The ditty meant by Him, 
 and none but Him. For Him this glory, by Him this 
 peace, through Him this good-will. Glory, peace, and 
 good-will, from Him all three. And mark, that the word 
 " cratch " is the last word in the sermon, and the word 
 " glory " the first in the song ; and nothing comes between 
 to part these two. Nothing to part humility below from 
 glory on high. Even as He drew " light out of darkness," 
 (2 Cor. iv. 6), so doth He glory on high from humility 
 below by a sequence. Which when we hear, and hear it 
 from the mouths of Angels, sure we are all that before 
 seemed to tend to His disgrace were but the Auspicia of 
 His glory ; all that beneath appear in ignominia in imis is 
 pronounced gloria in excelsis, and for such celebrated by the 
 whole choir of Heaven. And this for the choir, and for this 
 time. 
 
 But I ask, do the Angels praise God for this birth ? Ut 
 quid illis concio, vel cantio, ' what do they preaching of Him, 
 or praising God for Him ? ' For them all this is not ; they 
 put it not in the first, but in the second person, Vobis. 
 Here is now Vobis the third time. i. Evangelizo Vobis, 
 saith the Angel first : 2. Natus est Vobis, saith he second, 
 (Luke ii. 10, 11); and now Erit Vobis signum, third. 
 I. Vobis, the news : 2. Vobis, the birth : 3. and Vobis, the 
 sign : all three. And who are these Vobis ? In the song 
 it is expressly set down, in hominibus, " for men." What 
 mean the Angels then to make this ado with laicdantitcm, 
 and dicentium, and it concerns not them at all? What 
 then? the blessed Angels, they rejoice and sing at the good 
 
210 Of the Nativity, 
 
 of others, " at the conversion but of one poor sinner," (Luke 
 XV. 7) : Hoc Angelicum est. As on the other side of the 
 devil's manner is to howl and to grieve at each others' good ; 
 if Christ come to save men, to cry, He is come to torment 
 them, (Mark i. 24) : Hoc est diabolicum. 
 
 But well ; from this yet that the Angels thus sing whom 
 in their own particular it concerns not, I rise to make this 
 inference ; that they whom it concerns are to do it with far 
 greater reason, and that is ourselves, to whom solely and 
 wholly this birth and the benefit of this birth redounds. 
 Shall they for us and not we for us, for ourselves ? Shall 
 we be in at the other three, i. at the news, 2. at the birth, 
 and 3. at the sign, and be out at this of laudantium Deum ? 
 No, I trust. The choir of Heaven did it, but to set us in ; 
 we to bear a part, and it should be a chief part, since the 
 best part of it is ours. They but took it up ; we to keep it 
 up, and never to let it go down or die on our hands, but 
 from year to year as we have occasion still to renew it. 
 The Angels began here; the shepherds they follow and 
 praise God, '* for that they had heard and seen," (Luke ii. 20) 
 — the sermon they had heard, the sign they had seen. We 
 to come in at our turn, and to do the like. 
 
 You say well, for that we have heard we may, but not for 
 any sign we. Yes, for that too. The Sacrament we shall 
 have besides, and of the Sacrament we may well say, Hoc 
 erit signum. For a sign it is, and by it invenietis Puerutn^ 
 " ye shall find this Child." For finding His flesh and blood, 
 ye cannot miss but find Him too. And a sign, not much 
 from this here. For Christ in the Sacrament is not alto- 
 gether unlike Christ in the cratch. To the cratch we may 
 well liken the husk or outward symbols of it. Outwardly it 
 seems little worth but it is rich of contents, as was the crib 
 this day with Christ in it. For what are they, but infirma 
 et egena ele?fienta, " weak and poor elements " of themselves ? 
 yet in them find we Christ. Even as they did this day in 
 prcesepi Jumentorum patiem Angelorufji, * in the beasts' crib 
 the food of Angels;' which very food our signs both 
 represent, and present unto us. 
 
 Let me say this farther ; it is the last word in the Sacra- 
 ment, " this is a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving," and 
 the whole text resolves into laudantium Deum, " to praise 
 God ; " and not to praise Him alone, but to praise Him 
 
Sermon XII. 2 1 1 
 
 with this hymn of the Angels. Now being to praise Him 
 with the Angels' hymn, it behoves to be in or as near the 
 state of Angels as we can ; of very congruity to be in our 
 very best state, when they and we to make but one choir. 
 And when are we so ? If at any time, at that time when we 
 have newly taken the holy Sacrament of His blessed Body 
 and most precious Blood — when we come fresh from it. 
 And as if there were some near alliance between this song 
 of the Angels and these signs, to shew that the signs or 
 Sacrament have a special interest in this hymn ; therefore 
 is it, that even then upon the administration of it hath the 
 Church ordered this very hymn ever to be sung or said, 
 whatever day it fall in the whole year. For then sure of 
 all other times arc we on earth most near to Angelic per- 
 fection, then meetest to give glory unto God, then at peace 
 with the whole earth, then a good-will and purpose in us if 
 ever. 
 
 But as the time falleth out we have more inducements 
 than one. The day itself is one most proper, for it is the 
 very day this hymn was first sung on. And the celebration 
 of the Sacrament that is another ; but the Sacrament now 
 falling on the day, a double. Either of these of itself apart, 
 but together much more. For the Sacrament, that comes 
 at other times; the day, but once a year. On this day 
 they both meet, and never but on this ; not to slip it then, 
 but then when it is most proper, most kindly, then to do it. 
 I would to God we were as meet to do it as the Sacrament 
 is to do it at, and as the time is to do it on. But as we 
 may, let us endeavour to do it. So inuring ourselves to 
 record it as oft as we may, especially when most meetly 
 we may, here " on earth " among men, that in His good 
 time we may be counted worthy to do it ''on high" with 
 the Angels in the bliss of Heaven. 
 
212 Of the Nativity. 
 
 SERMON XIII. 
 
 A Sermon Preached before the King's Majesty, at 
 Whitehall, on Saturday, the Twenty-fifth of 
 December, a.d. mdcxix., being Christmas-day. 
 
 Glory he to God in the high Heavens^ a7td peace upon earthy 
 and towards men good-will. Luke ii. 14. 
 
 Gloria in altissimis Deo, et in terra pax, kominibiis bonce voluntatis 
 {vel, in homines bona voluntas). 
 
 THE anthem of the choir of Heaven for this day. For 
 having the Angel's sermon at twice; i. Of the 
 Nativity, 2. Of the Invention of Christ, and seen the choir 
 of Angels set with their nature and condition ; there remains 
 nothing but the anthem to make up a full service for the 
 day. 
 
 That is it. St. Luke, besides that he is an Evangelist, 
 hath the honour farther that he is the Psalmist of the New 
 Testament : four hymns more hath he added to those of 
 the Old. Of which four, this is so much the more 
 excellent than the rest, in that it is not of any man's setting, 
 though never so skilful ; the ditty and it are both angelical, 
 from the Angels both. 
 
 That we praise God with the tongue of Angels, whenso- 
 ever we praise Him with this, with Gloria iji excelsis. 
 
 The sum of it is, that though all days of the year and for 
 all benefits, yet this day and for this now above all God is 
 highly to be glorified; more highly than in others — nay, 
 most highly then ; for it is in altissimis, " the highest of all." 
 
 That Heaven and earth and men are to join in one con- 
 cert ; Heaven and earth first ; Heaven on higli, earth beneath 
 take up one hymn ; both in honour of His birth — both are 
 better by it ; Heaven hath glory, earth peace, by means of it. 
 Heaven hath glory ; Iceteniur Cosli. Eartli, peace ; exultet 
 terra (Ps. xcvi. 11) at Thy Nativity, O Lord. Warranted 
 by this song, at Thy Nativity, O Lord, let the Heavens 
 rejoice for the glory, let the earth be glad for the peace that 
 come to them by it. 
 
 And men, hoininibus^ though they rest and come in last 
 after both, yet they to do it as much, nay much more than 
 both, for God's good-will toward them which brought all 
 
Sermon XI 11. 213 
 
 this to pass in Heaven and earth both ; restoring men to 
 God's favour and grace, and all by means of this Child, 
 their Reconciler to God that hath been, their Pacifier on 
 earth that is, their Glorifier in Heaven that shall be. They 
 therefore if any, nay more than any. And now if ever, nay 
 more than ever, to bear their part in this glorious hymn at 
 the cratch side. 
 
 Ita canunt in Nativitate quce per Nativttafem^ * Thus sing 
 they at His Nativity of those things that came by His 
 Nativity.' Came to Heaven, to earth, to men. Glory to 
 Heaven, peace to earth, grace and favour to men. 
 
 To take a song right it behoveth to know the parts of it. 
 And they are easily known ; they divide themselves into the 
 number blessed above all numbers, because it is the number 
 of the blessed Trinity ; and the mystery of the Trinity do 
 the Fathers find in the parts of it. i. In God on high, the 
 Father ; 2. In peace, Ipse est Pax nostra, the Son, (Eph. ii. 
 14); 3. And in good-will, the Holy Ghost, the essential 
 love and loveknot of the Godhead, and this day of the 
 manhood and it. 
 
 Being Ode natalitia, if we consider it as a nativity, they 
 that calculate or cast nativities in their calculations stand 
 much upon tripHcities, and trigons, and trine aspects. And 
 here they be all, a triplicity of things, i. Glory, 2. Peace, 
 and 3. Good-will. A trigon of parties; i. God, 2. Earth, 
 and 3. Men. And a trine aspect, referenda singula singulis; 
 I. To God glory, 2. to earth peace, 3. to men favour, grace, 
 or good-will. 
 
 But if, as it is most proper, we consider the parts as in a 
 song, the three will well agree with the scale in music, i. 
 In excelsis, on high, hyp ate ; 2. on earth, nete ; 3. and men, 
 howsoever they come in last, they make 7nese, ' the mean.' 
 Most fitly ; for they, as in the midst of both the other, par- 
 take of both ; T. their soul from on high, 2. their body from 
 the earth. Not the Heathen but did confess the soul 
 DivincB particulain aurce. And for the body there needs no 
 proof that earth it is ; " earth to earth " we hear, we see 
 before our eyes every day. 
 
 Of these three parts then asunder. And after, as the 
 nature of a song requireth, of their i. conjunction, 2. order, 
 and 3. division. i. Conjunction; glory on high, and in 
 earth peace. 2. Then the order or sequence ; but first 
 
214 Of the Nativity. 
 
 glory, then peace. 3. And last, the division, sorting them 
 suum cuique^ 'each to his own.' i. To God glory : 2. peace 
 to the earth ; 3. svdoTiia to men. 4. Last of the singing of 
 the hymn, i. When, the time; 2. and by whom. 
 
 I. There are in this hymn, as the Greeks read and we 
 with them, three rests. The ground of which three are three 
 parties, i. In excelsis Deo^ "God on high;" 2. In terra, 
 "earth;" 3. and hominibus^ "men." To these three other 
 three; i. "glory," 2. "peace," 3. "good-will," as it were 
 three streams having their head or spring in Christ's cratch, 
 and spreading themselves thence three sundry ways, having 
 their influence into the three former ; one of these into some 
 one of them. Glory upward in excelsis; peace downward 
 to the earth ; good-will to men in the midst between both, 
 compound of both. 
 
 You will mark, the Child here is God and Man. God 
 from on high, Man from the earth. To Heaven whence 
 He is God, thither goeth glory ; to earth whence Man, 
 thither peace. Then as God and Man is one Christ, and 
 as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man ; so Christ con- 
 sisting of these two brings ivhoxiccv " the fulness of God's 
 favour," the true and real cause of both ; yielding them 
 peace while here on earth, and assuring them of glory when 
 there on high ; as thither on high we trust to be delivered 
 after our time here spent in procuring Heaven glory and 
 earth peace. Thus three rests. 
 
 But let me not keep from you that the Latin hath but 
 two rests, and of the Greek some Hkewise. To two they 
 reduce all, and well. The places are but two ; i. " on 
 high," 2. and "in earth." The persons but two; i. God, 
 2. and men. So the parts to be but two ; 1. glory on high 
 to God ; 2. peace on earth to men. But then what shall 
 become of good-will ? Good-will is a good word, would not 
 be lost or left out. 
 
 No more it shall. And indeed, the diverse reading 
 of that one word makes the parts to be either two or 
 three. The Greeks read it in the nominative case, svdoxln, 
 which refers to men ; then there must needs be three, there 
 are two besides. The Latins seem to have read it in the 
 genitive, ihboxiag ; but a 2, but one letter more. And so 
 they make it of the nature of a limitation, " peace on earth 
 to men." What, to men promiscue, good and bad, elect and 
 
Sermon XIII. 215 
 
 reprobate ? No, but to such as pertain to His svdoK/a, God's 
 beneplacitufn^ His " good-will " and purpose j to the children 
 of it. 
 
 Ei}3ox/a, or evdox/ag, nominative or genitive, let it not 
 trouble you. "To men a good-will;" or "to men of 
 good-will" — no great matter whether, so long as svdoxia 
 refers to God and to His " good pleasure," not to men or 
 any will of theirs. And that so it is to be referred, I will use 
 no other witness but Cardinal Tolet himself; who in his 
 readings at Rome, and in the Pope's own Chapel, and upon 
 this very place confesseth as much, that so is the native 
 signification of the word ; and so and no otherwise to be 
 taken here, but in that sense. 
 
 And in that sense being taken, it goes well. Glory 
 from us to Him, peace from Him to us. From men on 
 earth to God on high, glory ; from God on high to men 
 on earth, peace. Men I say, toward whom He is now 
 appeased, and with whom now He is well-pleased ; 
 and both, for this Child's sake here in the cratch, h w ddo- 
 xriacc, in Whom He is so absolutely well-pleased, as of 
 the fulness of His favour we all receive. God spake it once, 
 and twice, i. Once at His Baptism, (Matt. iii. 17) ; 2. and 
 again in the Holy Mount. (Matt. xvii. 5.) 
 
 And koc erit signum^ this may be a sure sign that He is 
 well-pleased with our nature, that He hath in this Child 
 taken it and united it to His own ; which, if He had not 
 been highly well-pleased. He would never have done. What 
 greater good-will can there be than this ? It passeth the 
 greatest, even that of marriage — union of nature, unity o- 
 person. 
 
 Then riseth there another doubt, what verb to put to 
 here. For never a verb there is at all. Whether some 
 indicative, — glory is or shall be ; and then it is an hymn of 
 gratulation, and agreeth well with laudantium, a praise to 
 God that these now are. Now hath God glory, now earth 
 peace. Men are now received to favour and grace. Thus; 
 or whether sit or esto in the optative; and then it is votum 
 bene o?ni?iatum, ' a vow or wish,' that glory may be to God ; 
 and so to the rest. 
 
 I say again here, as before I said, it skilled not then 
 whether nominative or genitive, it skills not now whether 
 indicative or optative. Tehilla, a praise it is, and tephilla^ a 
 
2 1 6 Of the Nativity. 
 
 wish it may be, do commence. Either is well, but both are 
 best ; for both are most true. 
 
 By way of gratulation. Glory now is, or shall be to God, 
 for this birth. Before it was not, at least not so as after. 
 Before it was gloria in excelsis^ but Deo was left out. All 
 nations in a manner worshipping the Host of Heaven, the 
 superior bodies; deifying the creature, passing by the 
 Creator quite. Excelsa they did, but Deum in excelsis they 
 did not. But by this birth now, down should all idolatry 
 go, as down it went wheresoever Christian religion took 
 place. From the creature there, all to the Creator. To 
 none on high, but God on high. The point of glory much 
 mended ; God more glory than before. 
 
 And the earth more at peace, if you take peace in things 
 spiritual, matters concerning the soul. One only I will 
 mention. There was, as out of Varro St. Augustine reckons 
 them, no less than two hundred sixty and odd several 
 opinions, and that of the wisest then on the earth, touching 
 man's sovereign good, or chief end. The very highest 
 point, and that did most concern them ; and least peace, 
 most variance in it. This mist also was scattered, and that 
 point well cleared by Him That was the " Way and the 
 Truth." (John xiv. 6.) That this evdoxia here is it; the 
 favour of God it is, and the assurance of it, and nothing but 
 it makes a man truly happy when all is done. 
 
 As for the point of God's good-will and favour, that was 
 never in kind till this day. Many favours, much good- will 
 before ; never so as when God and man, the Godhead and 
 manhood meet both in one. God never so pleased, as 
 when He was pleased to assume it into one Person with 
 Himself, uniting both with the straightest union that 
 can be. Never that till this day when for svdojtiu ev 
 dvdpdj'ffoigj " good-will toward men," He forsook gloriani tn 
 excelsis to come into the cratch for them. So that for God's 
 favour the gratulation is most just; more than both the 
 rest. 
 
 Bishop Bradwardine did join a good issue. Let that be 
 the religion, let that prevail as best and most true of all 
 other, that is, Deo honorabilior, 'brings more honour to 
 God,' pad amicabilior, ' best friend to the earth's peace,' and 
 homini favorabilior^ ' most favourable to man,' as shewing 
 God better affected to him, and making men better affected 
 
Sermon XIII. 217 
 
 to God, better one to another. That reb'gion is Christian 
 religion. None sings this hymn in time, in true note, but 
 it ; all other are out. So that we have a compendium of 
 true religion, and three notes of it, out of the three notes of 
 the song in this anthem. And this, if it be the indicative, 
 or by way of gratulation. 
 
 II. But I confess it is more usual per modwji voti, 'by 
 way of wish,' by sit than by est Sit doth better become 
 the Church militant; est is more fit for the Church tri- 
 umphant. " Glory be to God, peace be to the earth," &c. 
 Exoptando that these may be so ; and so being continue 
 still, and be daily more and more. And so taking it, to the 
 triplicity again. 
 
 First, glory we wish to God. '* On high " stands in the 
 midst, you may either cast it to the first word glory — *' glory 
 on high " and then the point, that is " high glory ; " or with 
 the point after glory, and cast " on high " to God. A third 
 variety^ but easily reconciled if we take in both ; " glory on 
 high to God on high." One " on high " may serve for the 
 reason why we wish glory to God ; for God being Altissimus, 
 "the Most High " as Melchizedek first styled Him, (Gen. 
 xiv. 18), and glory being the altitude or highest pitch we 
 can fly or perform, by good reason we wish Him That is 
 highest the highest thing we have. 
 
 But not every glory do we wish, but wish it Him at the 
 highest. All glory is high, yet is there one glory higher 
 than another, (i Cor. xv. 41.) If any be so, that they wish 
 to God the very height of it, even glory in altissimis, as 
 high as it can go. 
 
 Now the more He is glorified, the higher His glory. 
 Higher if by Heaven and earth, on high and below, by men 
 and Angels, than by either alone. 
 
 This then they wish, when they say "glory be in the 
 highest ; " that high and low. Heaven and earth, (Ps. cxlviii. 
 1-13), men and Angels would do their parts, to make His 
 praise glorious, glorious at the highest. On earth, sound it 
 out far and wide all the world over, to the ends of the earth; 
 and lift up our voices, and help them with instruments of 
 all kinds, (Ps. cl. 4, 5), and make them to be heard up to 
 the very Heavens, that so it may be in altissimis indeed. 
 Yea, that all creatures m both, ravished with the considera- 
 tion of the great favour and good-will of God in this day's 
 
2i8 Of the Nativity. 
 
 birth testified, would take occasion to fill their mouths with 
 the praise of His goodness in resolving, His wisdom in con- 
 triving. His mercy in promising, His truth in performing 
 the work of this day, the blessed birth of His Son. 
 
 For the work of the day, to make the day of the work a 
 glorious day, causing it to be attended with a number of 
 days according to the number of the months of the year, as 
 no feast else. Glorious in all places, as well at home with 
 carols, as in the Church with anthems. Glorious in all 
 ages ; even this day, this year, as on the very day on which 
 He was born. Glorious in habit, in fare ; but specially, as 
 we see the Angels here do, with the service of God, the 
 most solemn service, the highest, the most melodious hymns 
 we have ; and namely, with this here of the choir of Heaven. 
 In a word, all the ways we can ; all the ways God can have 
 any glory from us, to let Him have it j and have it even at 
 the height, in altissimis. 
 
 And good reason we should so wish : Christ lost His 
 glory by being thus in the cratch. We took some from 
 Him ; to wish Him some for it again. That was ignomi?tia 
 ifi infimis, to wish Him gloria in altissimis in lieu of it. 
 
 Again, we get glory by it ; our nature so. For the glory 
 we get by God here below, to return some glory to God 
 there on high. This is votum glorice ; this wish we when we 
 wish gloria in altissimis. 
 
 The next is mtum pads ; they wish peace may be upon 
 earth, i. Even Augustus' peace first, that is the first cometh 
 to our minds when we hear that word, the shutting of Janus, 
 for that also was a blessed fruit of this birth. Esay foretold 
 it, there should then be a bridge from Ashur to Egypt, and 
 from Canaan to them both, (Isa. xix. 23) ; that is, from 
 every nation to other, to traffic and to trade together. 
 
 That ; but not only that, but the taking down also of the 
 "partition wall" (Eph. ii. 14) which formerly Moses had 
 set up between the Jew and the Gentile, the making of 
 them both one in the body of His flesh ; St. Paul's peace. 
 
 And yet farther. For both these are ** peace upon earth," 
 of earth with earth. Augustus can, the world can give that 
 peace, though many times they will not. But He speaks 
 in a place of the "peace which the world cannot give," that 
 is peace with Heaven. That there should not be Esay's 
 bridge only, but Jacob's ladder set up from Bethel to 
 
Sermon XIII. 219 
 
 Heaven, (Gen. xxviii. 12), a peaceable intercourse with 
 that place by the Angels " descending and ascending " 
 between us and them. 
 
 And farther yet, peace at home with ourselves, and with 
 our own consciences. " Turn again to thy rest, O my soul," 
 (Ps. cxvi. 7); for in finding Him we shall find rest to our 
 souls. 
 
 And last, to answer gloria iii altisswiis^ pax in Jiovissijuisy 
 peace at the parting, which is worth all ; Simeon's peace, a 
 good nunc dimittis in pace, " a departing hence in peace." 
 (Luke ii. 29.) And all by means of videnint oadi, "the 
 sight of the salvation " of this day. All these are in voto 
 pads. 
 
 The third is, there may be in God a " good-will toward 
 men." And good-will is a kind of peace, but somewhat 
 more with an extent or prorogation, a kind of peace peculiar 
 to men which the other parts of the earth are not capable 
 of So a further matter to men than bare peace ; even laxiTv 
 sS, to ' think well,' to bear good-will, to be well-pleased with 
 men. And what greater wish can there be than in Quo 
 complacitum est? Christ hath no more than h c5 sudo/crjoa. 
 (Matt. iii. 17.) It is His high glory, that for His, and this 
 His birth's sake, which we now celebrate, that which is 
 verified of His Person is verified of both His natures ; of 
 Him not only as Son of God, but even as Son of man too. 
 And what is verified of Him as Son of man, may be verified 
 also of the sons of men, of all mankind. This wish is at 
 the highest, and more cannot be wished than that this 
 favour to-day begun may still and ever continue to us all. 
 So have you now the three parts of the Angel's wish, summa 
 votonim, " glory be to God," &c. 
 
 What is now to be done ? Three things more ; to see 
 the I. connection copulative, 2. the sequence, 3. and the 
 division, i. The connection copulative — a blessed couple. 
 Glory and Peace. 2. The sequence : but first Glory and 
 then Peace. 3. The division, which to which, i. One to 
 God, 2. the other to earth, 3. the third to man. 
 
 Glory and Peace are coupled together with an " and " — 
 " and in earth peace ; " that Glory would not be sung alone, 
 but Peace together with it. We will not, we may not skip 
 the copulative ; that couples together high and low, Heaven 
 and earth, and in them God and man ; but that which I 
 
220 Of the Nativity. 
 
 respect specially, Glory and Peace must be sung together. 
 If we sing Glory without Peace, we sing but to halves. No 
 Glory on high will be admitted without Peace upon earth. 
 No gift on His Altar, which is a special part of His glory, 
 but " lay down your gift and there leave it, and first go your 
 way and make peace on earth," (Matt. v. 24); and that 
 done come again, and you shall then be accepted to give 
 glory to Heaven, and not before. And O that we would 
 go and do the like, have like regard of His glory that He 
 hath of our peace. But this knot of Gloria et Pax is against 
 those that are still ever wrangling with one thing or other, 
 and all for the glory of God forsooth, as if these two could 
 not join — God could not have His glory if the Church 
 were at peace, as if no remedy the Angels' et must out. 
 
 Glory and Peace; but Glory first, and then Peace. 
 There is much in the order. Glory to be first, else you 
 change the clef, — the clef is in Glory, that the key of the 
 song. That is to be first and before all, Peace to give place 
 to her; Glory is the elder sister. And no Pax in terris^ 
 unless it be first considered how it will stand with Gloria in 
 excelsis. To set Peace before Glory is to set earth above 
 Heaven. Keep the order then, each in her place. So 
 goeth the song ; the Child born is God and Man — God 
 from on high, Man from the earth. Co&leste?n prima, dein 
 et terrestrem celebrant, ' they keep the right order in singing 
 of Him : ' we to do the like. Heaven's part ever to be first. 
 
 But then next after His glory nothing more dear, more 
 precious, nay nothing so dear, so precious to us then as 
 peace. Set Glory safe, and then by all means inquire 
 Pacem, saith the Psalmist, " seek Peace." (Psa. xxxiv. 14.) 
 If she hide herself, seek her out, et perseqiiere earn, " and 
 pursue her ; " if she fly away, follow her hard. Peace is 
 not sought, no man follows her to make any pursuit ; they 
 know not the value of Peace that lose her so easily, that 
 follow her so faintly. Nay, instead of pursuit, persecute her 
 and drive her away, and make the chasing lier away the 
 seeking of God's glory. The second thing in the world is 
 Peace ; only one, one only before it, the glory of God. 
 
 But the air of the song is in the division, wherein each is 
 sorted to his own ; God to His, the earth to hers, men to 
 theirs. Justice's division, which makes peace in Heaven 
 and earth, scored here out so plainly, as it is easily seen which 
 
Sermon XII I. 221 
 
 pertains to which. And we by all means so to distribute 
 and deal them, and by all means to preserve and hold up 
 this division. Else we change the note which is as much 
 as the whole harmony is worth. 
 
 Now in this partition Glory goes whither ? Up " on 
 high." To whom there? To God, and none but God. 
 The place and the person are both set forth. " On high" — 
 there is the place. " To God " — there is the Person. Earth 
 is not the place of glory, it is in excelsis^ " on high ; " earth 
 is not on high. Here below it is, as it were the cellar or 
 vault of the world ; where though there be excelsa and excelsi, 
 * high places ' and * high persons ' both, yet the word is h 
 v-yl^jgTo/g, in altissimis, and altissinii they be not, "there be 
 higher than they." (Eccl. v. 8.) 
 
 And as earth is not the place, so man is not the person ; 
 for man is upon earth, and is earth. No glory to man 
 then, especially none this day of all days. Glory to him 
 for what ? For entertaining Christ and lodging him in a 
 stable ? Confusion rather ; somewhat to be ashamed of, 
 nothing to glory of. Had men deserved it, some to them ; 
 now let God above have the glory of this day. 
 
 Yet conceive it aright ; we wish it as our duty, not as 
 any longing of His. It were a silly conceit to imagine of 
 God as if He were avidior gloricB, ' did hunger or thirst for 
 our glory.' What is He the better for it ? Only nothing 
 we have but that, and so either that or nothing; for 
 nothing but that can He receive from us. But we have 
 nothing to render Him for all His goodness, for His zvdoxta, 
 but 3oga. Give it Him then, but give it entirely ; give it 
 none but Him. So/i Deo, saith St. Paul, (i Tim. i. 17) ; 
 Soii, saith St. Jude ; So/i, let us all say. " Not unto us, O 
 Lord, not unto us," (Psa. cxv. i) ; — it is David, as if he were 
 afraid to touch any part of it. No : but as Paul and Barna- 
 bas, rend our clothes, if any "divine honour," (Acts xiv. 14) 
 be forced upon us. 
 
 Yet glory we may, I grant, but not this here, gloria in 
 altissimis, if we sing to any but Him we sing a false note. 
 Men do so now and then, but the Angels are never out ; and 
 thus sing they, and set out glory for God's part. 
 
 Let "earth" be content with "peace;" peace is her 
 portion, and a blessed portion if she may well hold it; a 
 fair portion, a rich wish. For I would fain know, what could 
 
222 Of the Nativity. 
 
 be said more to the praise of this portion, than is here in 
 this song ? First, that in general it reacheth to the whole 
 earth ; not to men alone, though they have their share too 
 in whatsoever good cometh to the earth, but it reacheth to 
 all on earth ; omni animantium or vegetantium generic * to 
 all the beasts, all the green things on the earth ;' all are the 
 better for it. 
 
 Secondly, what more for the credit of peace than that it 
 is %mtum piilitare, 'it comes from the mouths of soldiers' that 
 were there in their military habit. Even they sing of peace, 
 and praise it, and wish it, where they wish any good ; and 
 know not what better thing to wish to the earth than it. It 
 is the earth's happiness, peace ; it flourisheth by it. " Before 
 was the earth as the garden of Paradise," saith the Prophet, 
 " behind it was a waste and barren wilderness, all spoiled and 
 burnt up." (Joel ii. 3.) 
 
 Thirdly, that it is votum Angelicum, *an Angel's wish,' 
 peace. They being Heavenly Spirits, wish not any thing at 
 any time but Heavenly ; so that a Heavenly thing is peace. 
 And so it is, as Nazianzen here well observed, pugnas et 
 dissidia nescire Deum et Angelos, ' no broils, no brabbles in 
 Heaven, nothing but peace there.' And a kind of Heaven 
 there is upon earth, when there is peace upon earth ; and 
 justly are they blessed, and rightly are they " called the 
 children of God," the most blessed that are, or shall be at 
 any time, that are the procurers of it. This lo, is the Angels 
 division they sing. 
 
 But here we are like to have no little ado to maintain this ; 
 as we said before, huic signo a multis contradiciiur, ' as the 
 sign so the song is gainsaid of many.' The devil doth all 
 he can to mar the Angel's music, to bring in his, his own 
 black sandus, to procure contempt to God's " glory on 
 high," (Luke ii. 14), to bring God's glory as low as he can, 
 to make garboiles upon earth, to work men all evil-will, 
 mischief, and malice that he can. 
 
 And first, to make a confusion in this division, persuades 
 earth not to stand content with the Angels' partition, but 
 earth forsooth must have glory, must be dealing with 
 Heaven's part. It is well said " to God on high ; " there 
 be certain gods here below aspire to glory. And glory we 
 would allow, but no glory will serve, unless gloriam altissimis 
 be sung to it. Sicut Dii (Gen. iii. 5) cannot be gotten out 
 
Sermon XIIL 223 
 
 of us. We cannot yet get Domimis Dens nosier Papa 
 out of the gloss, no not now after it is reformed. And 
 King Herod would be content to be made more than a 
 man, and to hear (Acts xii. 22). . . . Nee vox homi7iem sonat. 
 And we beneath are too ready to sing it otherwhile, to deify 
 those that are on high, and give that belongs to " God on 
 high " to gods below. Now that earth is thus willing to 
 entitle herself to Heaven's part, this brings all out of tune. 
 
 But in tune or out of tune, to die for it, have it we will. 
 What the Apostles rent their clothes to put from them, 
 (Acts xiv. 14), we would rend our skins to pluck to us. So 
 greedy are we to be held for gods upon earth. Nay, earth 
 is content to thrust from her her own part, that is peace, 
 to invade God's part, that is glory ; Et dum gloria7n usurpant 
 pacein turbant, 'to usurp glory, they lose peace;' we can 
 dispense with that. Shift God's glory how it can, rather 
 than our own should suffer the least disgrace, away with 
 peace, moveatur terra ^ ' let all the world be on a welter.' 
 
 What comes of this ? Paceni cofztemnentes et gloriam appe- 
 tenteSf et gloriam perdunt et pacem : even this peace, their 
 own part, they set light by; glory, God's part, they gape 
 after and lose glory and peace both by the means ; and when 
 they have brought all to confusion, set down by their losses. 
 For first, by seeking glory, glory is lost. The heathen man 
 well observed ; Glory is one of those things that to seek 
 them is the very next way to lose, and to neglect them the 
 way to gain they ; Qucerendo amittitur, no readier way to 
 miss it than eagerly to seek it. And again, by seeking glory 
 peace is lost clear. Yielding glory to God doth bring with 
 it pacem in terris ; diverting it from Him doth X.^kQ pacem de 
 terris. In very deed, "peace upon earth," as it stands 
 after it, so it hath a dependance upon God's glory ; comes, 
 as it were, in exchange for it. Da gloriam et accipe pacem^ 
 saith God ; ' let men on earth send glory up to God on 
 high, and God on high will send down peace to men on 
 earth,' and will not fail — Heaven's peace for earth's glory. 
 Whereby we see, if we miss " peace on earth " at any time, 
 what it is long of. It is that which makes the Angels here 
 keep on their armour still. Upon glory detained from 
 God, or transferred whither it should not, they are up in 
 arms straight, have power to take peace from the earth, 
 till the point of glory be set right again. The setting 
 
224 Of the Nativity. 
 
 right of which point is the way to recover it. Let 
 Heaven, let God be well served with their part, peace 
 will not long be away. It is coupled to it you see, it 
 foUoweth close, Et pax in terris. So much for that division. 
 
 " To men a good-will." For besides earth's peace 
 wherein they enter common, men have a part by them- 
 selves which is their prerogative. And first, I would have 
 you to note that here it is entered first into the music of 
 Heaven. In the Angel's hymn in Esay, (Isa. vi. 3), in the 
 Old Testament, men are out there; no mention at all, not 
 a word of them in that. Heaven is in and earth, but no 
 men there. In the Angels' hymn here in the New Testa- 
 ment, here men are in; that all may know that for this 
 Child's sake now made Man, men are now come into the 
 Angels' song, to be a part and a principal part there who 
 before were left out. 
 
 A principal part, I say ; for mark again, they have never 
 an ef, they stand by themselves. For both those former 
 resolve into this of men, they the epitome of Heaven and 
 earth; the parties from whom this glory to whom this peace 
 is principally intended to come. Glory to God, glory and 
 peace : why both ? for God hath received men to grace, 
 men are now in favour again. 
 
 But Heaven and earth, and men and all, resolve into the 
 free grace and good-will of God. How shall they perform 
 either peace or glory, but if there be toward them first? and 
 secondly, but if there be in them this third of good-will ? 
 Thence issues God's glory, thence the earth's peace. The 
 fountain of both that, nay of Christ and all. For Him this 
 glory, for Christ ; through Him this peace, through Christ. 
 But Christ Himself, whence ? Whence, but from the 
 *' good-will of God toward men " ? From whence also the 
 good-will in men to God, and one to another, if any be in 
 them. That if we go higher yet, even of this birth, God's 
 good-will was the cause; and because His will was men 
 should be restored, therefore His will was Christ should be 
 incarnate and born. Can we go any higher ? are we not in 
 altissimis ? Verily, as we said the humility of the sign was 
 so deep Ave could not sound it, so may we now that the 
 sublimity of this point is so high we cannot reach it. There 
 is a part of divinity that dazzles ; if we look too long on it, 
 we may well lose our sight. 
 
Sermon XIIL 225 
 
 Then to h avOpuj-roig, last. It may be turned two ways, it 
 will bear both; and for my part I wish no word ever 
 narrowed by a translation, but as much as might be left 
 in the latitude of the original tongue, i. 'Ei^ av&puj'Ttoig will 
 bear g/g dvdpu)'?rovg, in homines^ ' to or toward men.' So we 
 turn it, and we turn it well. 2. But Iv dvdpdj'jroig, is also m 
 hominibus^ 'in or among men;' iv ccv6pu)<7:oig, as well as h 
 v^/gTotg, and no less properly. And no hurt if we turn it 
 so, tn ho7?iinibuSy provided in or erga ho7nines go first, be 
 sung before it. In hominibus so ever, as coming from in 
 homines. For then Donum magnum bonce voluntatis Dei^ bona 
 voluntas in hominibus — it is Augustine ; ' of the good-will of 
 God towards men a special gift it is, this good-will in men ' 
 to God and man both. The best way is, where there are two 
 to take in both, so we shall be sure to leave out neither. 
 
 Yet in their sequence. To or toward men then first, but 
 to or toward them for this Child's sake. In Whom He " is 
 so well-pleased," as for His sake He is pleased first to 
 receive men to pardon, though grievous sinners, and so 
 utterly unworthy of it. 
 
 Secondly, He is pleased to reward their works also, other- 
 wise, but for this good-will in God in accepting them, that 
 might justly be excepted to for their many imperfections ; 
 to take them well in worth, though they want worth, and to 
 vouchsafe them a reward, and that a high reward, for " it 
 is your Heavenly Father's good pleasure to give you a 
 kingdom." (Luke xii. 32.) 
 
 Thirdly, beyond both these. He is further pleased, in 
 some case to accept even of this ivdox,ta, at our hands ; and 
 though skill and power both fail and be wanting, yet a 
 willing mind if there be, if there be but that, " a man is 
 accepted, according to that he hath, not according to that 
 he hath not." (2 Cor. viii. 12.) Mary Magdalene's ^uod 
 potuit fecit, (Mark xiv. 8) ; the poor widow's quod habuit 
 dedit, (Mark xii. 44), and God wot it was but two mites, 
 yet well taken though — one svdoKta, by another. That He 
 placeth not acceptance, neither in g-jyvwc-Za, * deep capacity 
 of wit,' nor in evdnvaa/u, ' gi'eat ability of power ; ' but in 
 gu(5o?c/a, ' readiness of good-will,' an honest true meaning, an 
 »mfeigned hearty desire ; ut si sit actiofiis injirmitas, at si sit 
 voluntatis integritas, * though there be weakness in the act, 
 yet if there be soundness in the will,' out of His " good- 
 
 H 
 
226 Of the Nativity. 
 
 will toward men" He will accept this good-will in men. 
 Nehemiah's "desire to fear Him," (Neh. i. ii), Ezekias' 
 " setting his heart to seek," (2 Kings xx. 3) — the servant's 
 but preparing to do his master's will. (Luke xi. 42, 47.) 
 And even in David's secundum cor meum^ (i Sam. xiii. 14), 
 his honest true heart was fairest flower in his garland. 
 
 And this, if it were well weighed and digested aright, 
 if Christ, if all that comes by Christ, and that is " all in 
 all," be by His free grace and favour ; if men were but 
 rightly conceited in this point, it would soon bring 
 them out of conceit with their own I wot not what, it 
 would make them truly humble. And it is the humble man 
 that gives God the true glory, that sings this song right, 
 when all is done. This glory that comes to God is 5ofa 
 5/' svdoxtav, the first word for the last. With glory it begins, 
 with good-will it ends; and with good-wil) it begins, and 
 with glory ends ; as the " first shall be last, and the last 
 first." (Mat. xix. 30.) 
 
 But when we have fixed dona voluntas in homines^ what 
 hurt will it do to wish bona voluntas in hominibus ? Sure 
 none. £ona voluntas in homines is to work this bonam 
 volufifatem i7i hominibus, and that by very course of kind. 
 For suufn simile, grace to beget his own like is most 
 natural ; bene placitum Dei, to beget bene placitum Deo, Who 
 out of His good pleasure " worketh in us both to will and 
 to do," (Phil. ii. 13), and Whose only work it is, Ut 
 respondeat bonce voluiitati Dei bona voluntas hominis. 
 
 What harm then if the Angel should wish it or commend 
 it to men, in whom if it be it comes from that of God merely 
 and from no other. Verily, what is praiseworthy in God 
 cannot but be so in men too. Summa religionis est, assimilari 
 Ei quern colis, ' to become like to Him we worship is the 
 pitch of all religion.' 
 
 Now an svdoxia at the second hand there is in men. The 
 word itself is ascribed to them of Achaia towards the poor 
 saints at Jerusalem, (Rom. xv. 26), to St. Paul towards the 
 Jews, (Rom. x. i), to the Philippians towards St Paul, 
 (Phil. i. 15), and in other places. 
 
 To wish then in men this svdoxia toward God ; which 
 where it is makes men to doxsTv sv, * have a good conceit or 
 opinion ' of God, which will bring forth a good affection to 
 God. Tt is well observed, it is not dyaCvj diXyjffic, which is 
 
Sermon XIII. 227 
 
 properly Greek for * good will,' but svdoK/a^ which is rather 
 a ' good thinking/ if we go to the very nature of the word ; 
 but it will come all to one. Only the affection that begins 
 in the opinion is noted for good, and the opinion that is 
 bred in the affection not so. 
 
 From that good conceit of God, accepting well whatsoever 
 it pleaseth Him to send ; if good receiving it thankfully, if 
 otherwise taking it patiently, ever praising God for all. But 
 no ways entertaining of Him that opinion, for which they 
 cannot but love Him the worse, if as of a tyrant sentencing 
 men to death only for his pleasure, before they have offended 
 him at all. That would prove no evdoxia, as it may be 
 handled. And the Apostle tells us, the svdoKloc that is in 
 God is MoTtid dyaduffvvYig, (2 Thess. i. ii); it is not but 
 regulate by His goodness, for which ever may there be 
 glory ascribed to Him ! 
 
 Then, to wish it in men towards men : an svdax/a also 
 which, where it is, breeds an inclination to doxsTv sv, ' to take 
 all in the better part ; ' and if possibly we can, and " as much 
 as in us Heth, to have peace with all men." (Rom. xii. 18.) 
 Which if it were on earth, would make Heaven on earth. 
 Peace is not said as glory to be sv, but l-r/, and M is over ; 
 for indeed it doth but hover aloft over the earth — would 
 light, but cannot otherwhile. The raven can, but the dove 
 cannot, for want of this dona voluntas in hominibus, or these 
 homines boncB voluntatis. It finds them not well willing to 
 peace, while every one stands more for his own reputation 
 or other ends, than either for Churches' or country's peace. 
 Banish the opposites of svdoK/a, envy, malice, and peace will 
 be no stranger upon earth. (Rom. x. 2, and Phil. i. 15.) It 
 would then be sv yr^ where it is iV/ yy\c, ; the same preposi- 
 tion in both. All depends upon the cadence, suSo^/a; per- 
 form that well, and it will be music for an Angel. 
 
 And now ye have heard all the parts, what shall we do 
 with this song ? Sing it. But we have no Angels to sing 
 it, and it will be music for an Angel. Angels it would be 
 as at first it was ; but when it is not, it will please them well 
 that men sing it whom it most concerns. But if by men, 
 of very congruity, an Angel's song would be by men when 
 in some degree they drew something near to the Angel's 
 estate. At least when nearer than at other times. 
 
 And when is that that men on earth come so ? At what 
 
 H 2 
 
228 Of the Nativity, 
 
 time? Sure, if ever men do rise above themselves and 
 approach in any sort near to those blessed spirits ; if ever 
 they be in state with Angels and Archangels to laud and 
 magnify His glorious Name ; if in all their lives they be in 
 peace and charity, the bond of perfection, the bona voluntas 
 we speak of; if at any time it be in men, and they homines 
 bonce voluntatis^ upon the taking of the Sacrament it is : at 
 that time, then, or never, they lift up their hearts in true 
 devotion. So then in best case that in all our lives to sing 
 it, if Christ " dwell in our hearts " by faith, if we be " temples 
 of the Holy Ghost." 
 
 And that we might be in that case and so sing it, the 
 Church is never unprovided this day of this means of elevat- 
 ing our minds ; and it is operce pretiiim^ ' worth the while,' if 
 it were but for that, and there may be joy among the Angels 
 in Heaven to hear their hymn kept still alive. Though 
 there is another congruity for the Sacrament, that the 
 "great mystery of godliness," which is "God manifested in 
 the flesh," (i Tim. iii. i6), might not be celebrated without 
 the mystery of His flesh ; that the day He came among us 
 to be partaker of flesh and blood, we also might be par- 
 takers of the flesh and blood which He took from us to 
 give them us again. 
 
 But otherwise, this day in this hymn, and this hymn in 
 this day continually have a special interest. Time in music 
 is much. And if we will keep time with the Angels, do it 
 when they do it — this day they did it : and what fitter time 
 to sing it than the day it was first sung, the day of the first 
 singing of it, Canticwn diei^ in die cantici? When should the 
 "hymn of Christ's birth be better sung, than on Christ's 
 birth-day"? 
 
 But because it is not vox but Dotum^ the voice is not all, 
 but the heart's desire and wish it is that God chiefly re- 
 specteth, to add that. And what should we wish from our 
 hearts but that the Angels may have their wish, every one 
 may have his due as it is here set out. 
 
 And for that Nihil cequius est^ quant ut pro quo quis oret 
 pro eo laboret, ' what we wish for we should not stand wish- 
 ing only but endeavour withal it may come to pass, that it 
 be our labour too,' with all our endeavours to procure the 
 glory of Heaven, and the peace of the earth ; to find peace 
 in the good-will of God, and to give Him all glory for it, 
 
Sermon XIV. 229 
 
 Who hath appointed peace our portion here, and dorv our 
 nope laid up there. . 
 
 Assuring ourselves, that the same suaox/a that was able to 
 bring the Son of God from Heaven into earth, shall have 
 the like power to lift up the sons of men from earth to the 
 gory of Heaven, there with the blessed Angels to sing this 
 glorious hymn eternally. No more of wish then but of 
 truition, and so of everlasting gratulation. 
 
 SERMON XIV. 
 
 A Sermon Preached before the King's Majesty at 
 Whitehall, on Monday, the Twenty-fifth' of 
 December, a.d. mdcxx., being Christmas-day. 
 
 When Jesus theft was born at Bethlehem in Judea, in the days 
 
 of Herod the King, behold, there came zvise me?i,from the 
 
 East to Jerusalem, saying. 
 Where is the King of the Jeivs That is born ? For we have 
 
 seen Hts star in the East, and are come to worship Him 
 
 Matthew ii. i, 2. 
 
 Cum ergo natus esset fesus in Beihtehem fudce, in diebus Herodis Resis 
 ecce map ab Oriente venerzmt Jerosolj'mam, dicentes. * 
 
 Ubi est Qm nahis est Rex Judc^orum ? Vidimus enim stellam Ejus in 
 Unente, et venimus adorare Etim. 
 
 \/yE pass now this year from the shepherds and the 
 ^ V Angels, to the wise men and their star. This star 
 and their coming, no less proper to this day than those 
 other were. For though they came not to Jerusalem this 
 day, yet this day venerunt ab Oriente, "from the East they 
 came." They set forth this very day. For they came when 
 Jesus was born," and this day was He born. Howsoever 
 the star brought them not to their journey s end till twelve 
 days hence, yet this day it first shewed itself; how soon 
 Jesus was born, vidimus stellam, it appeared straight. For 
 which very appearing, you shall find the Fathers of the East 
 Church do call this first day ru s'zKpuvia, as well as the last 
 This first, wherein His star appeared and they began their 
 
230 Of the Nativity. 
 
 journey. That last, wherein He appeared Himself, and 
 their journey was at an end. First and last, an appearing 
 there was. One begins, the other ends the feast. 
 
 We pass from one of them to the other, but from the 
 less to the greater; for of the twain this is the greater. 
 Greater in itself, greater to us. Two ways greater in itself. 
 The other of the shepherds, a poor one, poor and mean. 
 This of the wise men, a sign of some state, high and 
 Heavenly. 
 
 God bade Ahaz ask a sign ; " ask one from here below, or 
 one from the height above." (Isa. vii. ii.) He would ask 
 neither, but God gave both. From below, hoc erit Signum, 
 "you shall find the Babe in a manger," (Luke ii. 12) — low 
 enough. That we have done withal. Now from above, 
 ecce vidimus Stellam, the sign from Heaven — His new 
 star. 
 
 Besides, to speak uprightly, one might in some sort com- 
 plain of the privateness of the Angels' appearing. Some- 
 what obscure it was, few privy to it; passed over in the 
 night between the Angels and them. And upon it, three or 
 four shepherds got them into the stable; and what there 
 they did no man could take notice of. 
 
 More famous, and more manifestation-like was this here. 
 A new light kindled in Heaven, a star never seen before. 
 The world could not but look up at it, and ask what it 
 meant. Nothing appeareth there, but "the sound of it 
 goeth out into all lands, and the news of it to the utmost 
 parts of the earth." (Ps. xix. 4.) 
 
 This made another manner venerunt. Upon this came 
 there to Jerusalem not a rout of Shepherds, but a troop of 
 great persons. And not from a heath or sheep-common 
 hard by, but from afar, "from the East," twelve days' 
 journey off. All Jerusalem rang of it. The King, Priests, 
 and people busied with it. To this day remembered in all 
 stories. It cannot be forgotten ; " For this was not done 
 in a corner," (Acts xxvi. 26), this was indeed a manifesta- 
 tion. Better in itself thus. 
 
 And for us better — for us all. For we all hold by this. 
 It was a brack in the former ; the sermon was made, and 
 the anthem sung, and none at it but the shepherds. And 
 what were they ? Jews. What is that to us ? This Scrip- 
 ture offereth "more grace." (James iv. 6.) These here that 
 
Sermon XIV. 231 
 
 "came from the East," first they were Gentiles. Gentiles 
 — that concerns us, for so are we. We may then look out, 
 if we can see this star. It is ours, it is the Gentiles* star. 
 We may set our course by it, to seek and find, and worship 
 Him as well as they. 
 
 This is for us all. But there is yet more grace offered to 
 some in particular. The shepherds were a sort of poor 
 simple men altogether unlearned. But here come a troop 
 of men of great place, high account in their country ; and 
 withal of great learned men, their name gives them for no 
 less. This lo, falls somewhat proper to this place and 
 presence that will be glad to hear it. It is faustum et 
 sahitare Sydus to such ; that wealth, worth, or wisdom shall 
 hinder none, but they may have their parts in Christ's birth, 
 as well as those of low degree. It is not only Stella gentium, 
 but Stella magoru7n^ * the great men's, the wise men's Star/ 
 this. 
 
 So quoad nos, * for us ' it fitteth well. And quoad se^ * of 
 itself it is fit every way. This star leads us to another 
 star ; — even " the root and generation of David, the bright 
 morning Star." (Isa. xi. i ; 2 Pet. i. 19; Ps. ex. 3.) He of 
 whom Zachary saith in the Old Testament, Ecce Vir, Oriens 
 nomen Ejus (Zech. vi. 12); yea, Oriens ab alto, saith Zachary 
 in the New, (Luke i. 78) ; visits those of the East whence 
 the day springeth, takes them that are nearest Him, and His 
 rising works upon the place first that bears His name. 
 "The wisdom of God, the beginning of all His ways," 
 (Pro v. viii. 22), is found by wise men of all other, because 
 they be wise, most fit to find Him. 
 
 I. Two verses I have read. In the former after the 
 matter of the feast first remembered, "When Jesus was 
 born," accompanied with the two circumstances of place 
 and time, — the place where, " Bethlehem Judah ; " the 
 time when, "the days of Herod the King" — there is a 
 memorable accident that then happened set down ; a 
 veneruntj "a coming or arrival" at Jerusalem. And they 
 that so came were a company of magi "from the East." 
 And this lo, hath the ecce on the head of it, Ecce, venerunt 
 magi ab Oriente, " Behold, there came," &c. as the special 
 point in the text j and so we to make it. 
 
 II. In the latter is set down their errand. Both the i. 
 occasion, and the 2. end ; best expressed by themselves out 
 
232 Of the Nativity. 
 
 of their own dicentes. i. The occasion ; vidimus stellam^ 
 they had " seen His star." 2. The end ; veniinus adorare, 
 they are "come to worship Him." Viderunt^ venerunt^ 
 adord?'imf. 
 
 That they may come to \\\t\x finis ultiinus they must have 
 a medius finis ; that is, to worship, they must find Him 
 where he is. 
 
 So they ask Ubi est? Not whether He be born, but 
 *' where He is born." For born He is they are sure, by the 
 same token they have seen His star. His star is up, that 
 is risen, therefore he is risen too. 
 
 So the star in Heaven kindled another star in earth ; St. 
 Peter calls it the " Day-star which riseth in the heart," 
 (2 Peter i. 19), that is faith, which shined and manifested 
 itself by their labour in coming, diligence in enquiring, duty 
 in worshipping. 
 
 Christ's birth made manifest to them by the star in 
 Heaven. Their faith, " the star in their hearts," made 
 manifest to Christ and to all by the travel of it, which 
 shewed it manifestly. 
 
 That upon the matter there falls a threefold manifestation 
 — you may call them three stars if you please, i. The star 
 in Heaven. 2. The day-star in their hearts. 3. And 
 Christ Himself, " the bright morning Star," Whom both 
 the other guide us to ; the Star of this morning which makes 
 the day the greatest day in the year. 
 
 The sum of all riseth to this, that God hath " opened a 
 door of faith to the Gentiles," (Acts xiv. 27), and among 
 them to wise men and great men, as well as to the simpler 
 sort. But with this condition, that they say with them, 
 venite adoremus ; and so come, and seek, and find, and 
 worship Him; that is, do as these did. 
 
 " When Jesus was born," That " when " is now. His 
 birth is the ground of the feast and the cause of our venimus, 
 *our coming together.' Where this we note first: it is the 
 very first time, the first "was born" in the Bible; "was 
 born " never till now. Here the tide turns, the sense 
 changes from " shall be " to " was." A blessed change. 
 And the day is blessed on which it happened. 
 
 Before He was born, it was so sure He should be born as 
 Esay said, Fuer natus eU nobis. (Isa. ix. 6.) But for all 
 that there is some odds between Esay's natus est and St 
 
Sermon XIV. 233 
 
 Matthew's. That was but virtually as good as bom, this 
 actually born indeed. 
 
 " Jesus Christ yesterday, and to-day, and the same for 
 ever." (Heb. xiii. 8.) " The same," yet not altogether after 
 the same manner. There is as much between Jesus 
 Christ " yesterday," not come, and Jesus Christ " to-day " 
 cum naius esset, as is between a state in reversion and one 
 in being. 
 
 The Fathers aptly resemble their case, that were the 
 ante-nati before Christ, and ours that came after, to the two 
 men that *' carried the great cluster of grapes upon a staff 
 between them." (Num. xiii. 23.) Both carried, but he that 
 came behind saw that he carried ; so did not he that went 
 before. The post-nati sure are of the surer hand. And so 
 for cum natus esset, the day and time, to hold a feast for 
 " when Jesus was born." 
 
 Weighty circumstances are ever matter of moment, in a 
 story specially. Three there are in the first verse, i. The 
 place. 2. The time. 3. The persons. 4. I add a fourth 
 out of the second verse, the occasion. The place uM, 
 " Bethlehem Judah." The time quando, " the days of 
 Herod the King." The persons quibus, " wise men from 
 the East." The occasion whereupon, a new star appearing. 
 Every one of the four having a several prophecy running of 
 it, and every prophecy a filling of it in these words. 
 
 The place. He was born in Bethlehem Judah ; " And 
 thou Bethlehem Judah," saith the prophet Micah, " out of 
 thee shall He come." (Micah v. 2.) And now come He is. 
 
 The time. "The days of Herod the King." "The 
 sceptre shall not quite depart from Judah till Shiloh come," 
 (Gen. xlix. 10), said old Father Jacob in his prophecy. 
 Shiloh then is now come. For the sceptre is in Herod's 
 hand, his father an Edomite, his mother an Ishmaelite — 
 Judah clean gone. 
 
 The persons. Magi ab Oriente, " Kings from the East." 
 The Kings of Arabia and Saba shall come and bring gifts, 
 saith David. (Ps. Ixxii. 10.) And Esay specifies them, gold, 
 myrrh, incense. (Isa. Ix. 6.) These Kings are come — here 
 they are ; they and their gifts both. 
 
 The occasion whereupon. " A star risen." " A star 
 shall rise of Jacob," (Num. xxiv. 17), saith Balaam — no 
 very good man, yet a true prophet in this ; and his prophecy 
 
234 Of the Nativity, 
 
 true, and for such recorded in the Book of Moses. This 
 " Star," is this morning up to be seen. Prophecies of all 
 four, and all four accomplished. 
 
 Of the place, of Bethlehem, out of Micah, it hath formerly 
 been treated. I but touch it and pass it now. It was the 
 place where David himself was born. And what place more 
 meet for the Son of David to be born in ? It was the place 
 where was heard the first news of the Temple. And where 
 could the " Lord of the Temple " more fitly be heard of? 
 It interpreted domus pants, "the house of bread." What 
 place more proper for Him Who is " the living Bread that 
 came down from Heaven," (John vi, 51), to give life to the 
 world ? It was the least and the lowest of all "the thousands 
 of Judah." (Micah v. 2.) What Httle and low is in things 
 natural, that lowliness and humility is in spiritual. This 
 natural birth-place of his showeth his spiritual. Humility is 
 His place — humility, as I may call it, the Bethlehem of virtues : 
 where you find it, " Lo, there is He born." So born in us, as 
 born for us. Pass we Christ's uM ; and now to His quando. 
 
 Of the time. The days of Herod the King. And those 
 were evil days — days of great affliction to that land. Judah's 
 " sceptre " clean broken ; not " a lawgiver left between his 
 feet." Edom, that is Herod the Edomite, cried "Down 
 with them, down to the ground." (Ps. cxxxvii. 7.) Not so 
 much as a sort of silly babes but barbarously slain in their 
 mother's arms — enough to make Rachel mourn as she lay 
 in her grave. (Jer. xxxi. 15.) Dismal days certainly. Why, 
 then comes Shiloh ; when man's help farthest off, then 
 God's nearest. When it is dark, then rises the star. 
 
 What one prophecy of Him but came even so, even at 
 such a time when they were most out of heart, and needed 
 comfort most? Jacob's, (Gen. xlix. 10), when they were in 
 Egypt, " the house of bondage." Balaam's, (Num. xxiv. 
 17), when in the waste and barren wilderness, "among 
 fiery serpents." Esay's, when they were ready to be over- 
 run with the two Kings of Syria and Israel. Daniel's, (Dan. 
 ix. 25), when in Babylon, the land of their captivity. 
 Aggai's, (Hag. ii. 7-9), when they built the wall with the 
 trowel in one hand and the sword in the other. As His 
 prophecies came still, so came He. His prophecies, saith 
 Peter, as a candle; Himself as a star — in the dark both. (2 
 Peter i. 19.) For all the world like the time of the year His 
 
Sermon XIV. 235 
 
 birth fell in ; in the sharpest season, in the deep of winter. 
 As humility His place, so affliction His time. The time 
 and place fit well. For the time of affliction makes the 
 place — makes humility. Which place Christ is born in. I 
 pass this also, and come to the third ; of the persons. 
 
 For there stands the ^cce upon it. Which ecce points us 
 to it, as to the chief point of all, as indeed it is. And our 
 chief endeavour to include ourselves, to have our parts in 
 this venerunt, in coming to Christ. 
 
 Here is a coming, venerunt. And they that come, magi. 
 In which comers we consider four points ; they sustain four 
 persons, i. Of Gentiles; 2. Gentiles from the East; 3. 
 great persons, great princes — for so we may be bold to call 
 them, as the prophecy calls them. Kings ; 4. of great 
 learning and wisdom ; so magi their name gives them. 
 
 " To Bethlehem came the shepherds." Nothing to us — 
 they were Jews. But thither came these too, and they were 
 Gentiles ; and in this ' Gentiles,' we. So come we in. 
 " Then hath God also to the Gentiles set open a door of 
 faith." (Acts xiv. 27.) At which door we enter, we with 
 them and they with us, for they and we Gentiles both. The 
 star is stella Gentium, * the Gentiles' star,' and so ours ; and 
 we to direct our course by it. All that ever write call them 
 Primitias Gentiwn, ' the first-fruits ; ' A7itesignanos, the 
 ' scandard-bearers ' to all the Gentiles that came in after. 
 Upon this I beg leave to stand a little, since it is our tenure 
 we hold by. 
 
 And that God would thus do, call the Gentles in, there 
 was some little ecce still, some small star-light from the 
 beginning. 
 
 By way of promise. So much promised by the Patriarchs. 
 Noah ; that " Japhet should at the last dwell in the tents of 
 Shem." (Gen. ix. 27.) Abraham; that "in his seed," not 
 any one nation, but " all the nations of the earth be blessed." 
 (Gen. xxii. 18.) Jacob; that Shiloh's coming should be — 
 expectatio say some, and some aggregatio gentium. (Gen. 
 xlix. 10.) All nations look for Him, all be gathered to Him. 
 
 By way of figure. As much was shadowed in the Law, 
 the Tabernacle, and the Temple ; all " figures of things to 
 come." (Heb. x. i.) The Law : where was it given? Was 
 it not in " Sinai, a mountain in Arabia," (Gal. iv. 25), saith 
 the Apostle, and so upon heathen ground ? I trust we may 
 
236 Of the Nativity^ 
 
 have leave to come upon our own ground. And by whom ? 
 Was it not by Moses ? And we claim to him by alliance. 
 His wife was the daughter of the Priest of Midian, (Exod. 
 ii. 21) — so of a heathen woman ; and his children, heathen 
 of half blood. 
 
 The Tabernacle : was not the silk, and gold, and riches 
 it was made of, the spoils of Egypt, and so heathen stuff? 
 (Exod. xii. 36, and xxv. 2, &c.) 
 
 The Temple : was it not founded upon the threshing- 
 floor of Oman the Jebusite, a heathen man? (i Chron. 
 xxi. 18.) So on heathen soil, and cedificium cedit solo. 
 The timber and materials of it, came they not from 
 Hiram's country, a heathen king? (i Kings v. 10, and vii. 
 13, &c.) And the chief workman in it, the son of a man of 
 Tyre, heathen also ? So the heathen were never wholly out. 
 Venerimt, "they came," they made their proffers. Some 
 ecce, some little star still. 
 
 Now the Prophets, when they came, had we not hold 
 there too ? At the same time that God gave Moses to the 
 Jews who wrote of Christ, did He not likewise give Balaam 
 to the Gentiles who in the mountains of the East prophesied 
 of Christ's star, (Num. xxiv. 17), here? Great odds, I 
 know, between the men, none between their prophecies ; 
 both alike true, both their places alike in the library of the 
 Holy Ghost. After that, Jonas. Howsoever his book 
 stand in the volume of the Prophets, yet when time was it 
 was shewed, that in time he was the first of the sixteen 
 Prophets — before, and ancient to them all. And this was 
 a fair star, that His first Prophet of all God sent to 
 Nineveh, the great city of the Gentiles then, (Jonah i. 2) j 
 and sent him before He sent any of the other fifteen to His 
 own people then in shew, the people of the Jews. 
 
 But even of them He sent to the Jews, saith not Esay 
 directly, " the root of Jesse should be as a standard, all the 
 nations gather unto Him"? (Isa. xi. 10.) Saith not God 
 there, it was too poor a service for Christ to do to Him, t(S 
 draw to Him a sort of silly shepherds ; He would give 
 him, " as a light to lighten the Gentiles," to bring them, 
 even the very best of them, " from the ends of the earth "? 
 (Isa. xliii. 6.) That " light to lighten the Gentiles," (Isa. 
 xlii. 6), was this star, here ; Simeon had it revealed to 
 him whereto this star referred, and what it meant, (Luke 
 
Sermon XIV. 237 
 
 ii. 32); for it lighted them indeed. And this, standing 
 the first Temple. And saith not Aggai, standing the 
 second Temple, " the desire of all nations should come,'' 
 (Hag. ii. 8), meaning Christ ; the desire not of one nation 
 alone, but even of all .? So the Prophets will not be against 
 this venerunt, they are all for it. 
 
 And was not also this vene?'unt daily sung in their choir 
 —the Psalm of the Nativity? " I will think upon Rahab 
 (that IS Egypt) and Babylon, among such as shall know Me. 
 Behold ye the Philistines also, and them of Tyre, with the 
 Morians; lo, there was He born." (Psa. Ixxxvii. 4, 5.) 
 " Born," in all those places j that is, His birth concerns 
 theni all— all their interest in it. In the Psalm of His 
 Passion : " All the ends of the earth shall remember them- 
 selves, and shall turn unto the Lord, and all the kindreds 
 of nations shall worship before Him." (Psa. xxii. 27.) In 
 the Psalm of the Resurrection; that, He should then become 
 "the Head-stone of the corner," (Psa. cxviii. 22), and join 
 both Jews and Gentiles in one coin or angle. And, in the 
 Psalm of His Ascension ; that the " princes of the nations 
 should be joined to the people of the God of Abraham." 
 (Psa. xlvii. 9.) And in the Psalm of His Exaltation ; « that 
 all Kings should kneel before Him, all nations do Him 
 service." (Psa. Ixxii. ii.) 
 
 That which then was thus promised to, and by the 
 Patriarchs, shadowed forth in the figures of the Law, the 
 Temple, and the Tabernacle ; that which was foresaid by 
 the Prophets, and foresung of in the Psalms, that was this 
 day fulfilled. Venerunt, here "they are come;" and 
 venimus, " we " in them and with them. Who not only in 
 their own names, but in ours make here their entry ; came 
 and sought after, and found and worshipped, their Saviour 
 and ours, the Saviour of the whole world. 
 
 A Httle wicket there was left open before, whereat divers 
 Gentiles did come in. Many a venit there was. Ve?tit Job 
 in the Patriarch's days, (Job i. i) ; venit Jethro in Moses', 
 (Exod. xvin. 5), Rahab in Joshua's, (Josh. ii. i), Ruth in 
 the Judges' time, (Ruth i. 4) ; Ittai, the King of Gath's 
 son, (2 Sam. xviii. 2), in David's, the Queen of Sheba in 
 Solomon's, (i Kings x. i), the widow of Sarepta in Elias', 
 (i Kings xvii. 9), Naaman the Syrian, in Elisha's time. 
 (2 Kings V. 15.) Each of these in their times had the 
 
238 Of the Nativity. 
 
 favour to be let in. This was but a venit, a little wicket for 
 one or two. Now a venerimt^ the great gate set wide 
 open this day for all — for these here with their camels and 
 dromedaries to enter, and all their carriage. 
 
 In the setting down His genealogy, the chapter before, 
 (Matt. i. 5), that Salmon espoused Rahab the Canaanite, that 
 Booz likewise Ruth the Moabite, it is plain that Christ 
 descended according to the flesh of heathen. Descending 
 of heathen, He will never disdain them of whom He is 
 descended ; never shut them out, but invite them to His 
 child-house, as we see this day by His star he did. 
 
 And if you mark it of His first sermon, the widow of 
 Sarepta and Naaman the Syrian were the theme, (Luke iv. 
 25, 27) ; which made. His sermon was not liked. Yet that 
 theme He chose purposely. And the Queen of the South, 
 and the men of Nineveh much in His mouth — He mentioned 
 them willingly. (Matt. xii. 42, 41.) And to end this point. 
 He That at His birth now received these of the East, a 
 little before His death in Hke sort received Grecians from 
 the West, to see and to salute Him. (John xii. 20.) And 
 straight upon it, upon the receiving them brake out and 
 said, "The hour is come now that the Son of Man is 
 glorified," (John xii. 23), when East and West are come in 
 both. 
 
 I have a little stood on this, because it is the ecce point. 
 I conclude : the place He was born in, ,an inn, which is for 
 all passengers of what country soever, (Luke ii. 7) ; the time 
 He was born in of the tax, when " all the world came up to 
 be taxed," (Luke ii. i) ; the very star which, as the nature 
 of stars is, is common to all coasts and climates, peculiar to 
 none \ — all shew that from all coasts they may now come, 
 that the Gentiles are now to be, as the Apostle in three 
 pregnant terms delivers it, o-jV(Tw,aa, (ru/>j,^£ro;^a, ffvyxXTjpovo/j^a, 
 "fellow-members, fellow-partners, and fellow-heirs of one 
 body," (Ephes. iii. 6), co-partners and co-heirs of Christ and 
 His birth. This for s^et/a gentium^ *the Gentiles' star,' so 
 both theirs and ours. 
 
 There came Gentiles, and they came from the East. This 
 may seem to set us back again, for we are of the West, the 
 contrary climate. That is no matter. For in that "they 
 came from the East," there heth yet farther hope for us, 
 even from that point of the compass. For that is not only 
 
Sermon XIV. 239 
 
 Gentiles, but "sinners of the Gentiles," (Gal. ii. 15) — 
 sinners, and that chief sinners. For so were they of the 
 East ; greater, far greater sinners than the rest. For tell 
 me, what sin was there that came not from thence ? There 
 was the tower set in hand, that should have confronted God; 
 and of it came Babel, and from it confusion. (Gen. xi. 3.) 
 2. Thence came all tyranny and oppression among men, 
 from Nimrod that hunted and ranged over men as over 
 beasts in a forest. (Gen. x. 9.) 3. Thence all idolatry and 
 worship of false gods, both in earth from Belus' tomb first ; 
 and in Heaven, from " the star of their god Rempham " 
 (Acts vii. 43) which St. Stephen speaks of. 4. Thence, 
 " from the mountains of the East," (Num. xxiii. 7), the pos- 
 terity of Baalam, false Prophets that love "the wages of 
 unrighteousness," (2 Pet. ii. 15), and from them all that 
 naught is. And if in all these it did, it cannot be denied 
 but that the whole world received their infection that way 
 from the East. 
 
 And herein " appeared the grace of God which bringeth 
 salvation to all men," (Tit. ii. 11), and to all sinners, as fair 
 and clear as the star itself; that thence out of the moun- 
 tains of the East God calleth these to seek, and guided 
 them to find Christ; that whence the poison first came, 
 thence might come the triacle; and that as they were 
 the first that went out, so they should be the first that 
 came in. 
 
 So the East sets us not farther back, but brings us 
 nearer. For if the East may come which are the greater, 
 much more may the West which are the less, (Matt. viii. 
 11); if the seducers, the seduced. From the East to the 
 West is a 7najore ad minus. That if venerunt ab Orienfe, 
 venient ab Occidente ; if the greater, much rather the lesser. 
 This for the star of the Gentiles first, and now the star 
 of sinners, and chief sinners of the Gentiles, even oriental 
 sinners. 
 
 But they sustain yet a third person, these — to come 
 nearer, and to make it come nearer us, even to this place. 
 For great men they were in their countries, of the highest 
 place and account there, as all stories testify. The Psalm 
 calls them "Kings of Sheba and Seba," (Ps. Ixxii. 10), and 
 so may we. It may appear by Herod's respect to them, his 
 calling a synod to resolve them, his privy conference with 
 
240 Of the Nativity. 
 
 them. (Matt. ii. 3, 8.) So may it by their treasures Ihey 
 opened, and by their presents they offered, presents for a 
 King, which give them for no less. So this is now thirdly, 
 Stella mag?tatuM, ' the star of princes and nobles also.' Yea, 
 Stella regia, ' the star royal : ' Kings themselves have their 
 hold and claim by it. 
 
 Christ is not only for russet cloaks, shepherds and such ; 
 shews Himself to none but such. But even the grandees, 
 great states such as these, venerunt, ' they came ' too ; and 
 when they came were welcome to Him. For they were sent 
 for and invited by this star, their star properly. 
 
 These at His birth, at His welcome into the world ; and 
 others such as these at His death, at His going out of it. 
 Then Joseph of Arimathea, an honourable counsellor, be- 
 stowed on Him a fair new tomb, (Matt, xxvii. 60); and 
 others came with their " hundred pound of sweet odours." 
 (John xix. 39.) So that coming and going He was beholden 
 to such. The tribe Christ came of was the royal tribe to 
 whom the sceptre belonged ; and in the prophecy it follows, 
 " a star shall rise out of Jacob, and a sceptre out of Israel." 
 (Num. xxiv. 17.) To Kings, to sceptres, Christ cannot but 
 be well inclined. 
 
 Among His Prophets I find Amos, a herdsman. (Amos 
 i. I.) True; but I find Esay and Daniel, (Dan. i. 6), both 
 nobly descended, and of the blood royal. 
 
 In His descent there are Booz and Jesse, plain country- 
 men ; but there are David and Solomon too, (Mat. i. 6), 
 and a list of Kings withal, that so there may be a mixture 
 of both. It is true St. Paul saith, " You see your calling ; 
 not many mighty, not many noble after the flesh." (i Cor. 
 i. 26,) " Not many" he saith ; ' not any' he saith not, he 
 should then have spoken contrary to his own knowledge. 
 Some pertained to this star, went by it. The Lord Deputy 
 of Cyprus, (Acts xiii. 7), the great Judge in Areopagus, 
 (Acts xvii. 34), divers of the nobler sort at Berea, (Acts 
 xvii. 11), and divers of " Caesar's household," (Phil. iv. 22), 
 came in, and had all their calling by, and from Him. 
 
 As likewise the great Lord Treasurer by St. Philip, (Acts 
 viii. 27); and "the elect lady," (2 John i.), by StT John. 
 Those all were of this troop here ; under this star all of 
 them, Stella tnagnattim. To conclude from our Saviour 
 Christ's own mouth : as there is in Heaven room for poor 
 
Sermon XIV. ' 241 
 
 Lazarus, so that room was in the bosom of one that was 
 rich, that is of Abraham, a great man, yea a great prince in 
 his time. 
 
 I. Stella gentium; 2. Stella peccatorum de gentibus; 3. 
 Stella magnatum. But yet all this while we have not 
 touched Stella magorum; not yet dealt with magi^ the very 
 word of the text, and the chief person they represent. For 
 beside that they were great states, they were also great 
 learned men; and being both, they are styled rather by 
 the name of their skill and learning than by that of their 
 greatness, to point us to the quality in them we are 
 principally to regard. 
 
 You shall not need startle when you hear the word magi, 
 as if they were such as Simon Magus was. Of later times 
 it sounds not well this name ; of old it was a name of great 
 honour, as was the name of Tyrannm and Sophistes, all in 
 the like case. Evil and unworthy men took them up after, 
 and so they lost their first reputation. But originally Magus 
 was a title of high knowledge. 
 
 I add of heathen knowledge, and comprehend in it this 
 very knowledge, that they were well seen in the course of 
 Heaven, in the stars and bodies celestial. Their vidimus 
 stellam shews as much. "The stars God hath given for 
 signs," (Gen. i. 14), saith the Book of Genesis, even the 
 ordinary. And if them, the extraordinary such as this 
 much more. For signs they are, open the signature who 
 can. 
 
 This learning of theirs made them never the farther from 
 Christ we see, it did them no hurt in their coming to Christ. 
 No more than it did Moses, that " he was well learned in 
 all the wisdom of the Egyptians," (Acts vii. 22), saith St. 
 Stephen. Nor no more than it did Solomon, that "he 
 passed all the children of the East in their own learning." 
 (i Kings iv. 30.) No more than it did Daniel, that "he 
 was brought up and well seen in the cunning of the Chal- 
 deans." (Dan. i. 4.) No more these, than the gold and 
 spoils of Egypt did the Tabernacle hurt, that was hung all 
 over with them. 
 
 They that are seen in these learnings of Egypt, of 
 Chaldea, of the East, are not thereby barred at all. This is 
 their star, their guide ; a guide apt and proper for them 
 that knew the stars, for them that were learned. Christ 
 
242 Oj Tfie Nativity. 
 
 applieth Himself to all, disposes all things ; what every one 
 is given to, even by that Christ calleth them. St. Peter, 
 Andrew, James, and John, fishermen, by a draught of fish. 
 These that were studious in the stars, by a star for the 
 purpose. 
 
 And note that the apparition to the shepherds was no 
 sooner over, but this star appeared presently, if not the very 
 same hour ; that is, both at once. In like manner Christ 
 at first, to shew the glory of His greatness, took and 
 employed fishermen, such as had no bringing up in schools. 
 But it was not long after but learned men came in apace ; 
 learned men of all sorts; Zenas in law, (Tit. Hi. 13), Luke 
 in physic, (2 Tim. iv. 11), Apollos with his eloquence, 
 (Acts xviii. 24), Dionysius with his philosophy, (Acts xvii. 
 34), St. Paul with his 'roXXa y/Joc/A/^ara, " much learning," 
 which he had at Tarsus, as famous a University for Asia 
 as Athens was for Greece. Which learning, for all Festus' 
 fancy, " turned not his brains," (Acts xxvi. 24), nor did them 
 any hurt at all. 
 
 There is no star or beam of it ; there is no truth at all in 
 human learning or philosophy that thwarteth any truth in 
 Divinity, but sorteth well with it and serveth it, and all to 
 honour Him Who saith of Himself Ego sum Veritas^ " I am 
 the Truth." (John xiv. 6.) None that will hinder this 
 venerunt, keep back any wise man, or make him less fit for 
 coming to Christ. 
 
 So you see your calling, all four. i. Gentiles may come; 
 2. Sinners of the Gentiles may come, yea though they be 
 peccatorwn primi, * of the primer sort ; ' 3. Men of place. 
 4. Men of gifts, learned and wise may come. In magis 
 insunt omnes hi, all are in venerunt magi. The star goes 
 before them, guides them all to Christ. 
 
 It remaineth that what we may do we will do ; that is, 
 "come." For farther than venerunt viq are not like to come 
 at this time. And though we go no farther it skills not, so 
 we do but that — " come ;" even that will serve. For it is 
 all in all. We shall go in the company of wise men, that is 
 once. And if the shepherds were too homely to sort with, 
 these are company for the best; they were company for 
 Cyrus and Darius, and all the great Monarchs of Persia. 
 
 Ecce venerunt it is in the text ; and indeed, not only the 
 persons, ecce magi, but their very coming deserved an ecce. 
 
Sermon XIV. 243 
 
 It is an ecce venerunt, theirs indeed, if we weigh it well 
 whence they came, and whither. Whence ? from the East, 
 their own country. Whither? to Jerusalem, that was to 
 them a strange land: that was somewhat. They came a 
 long journey, no less than tvv^elve days together. They 
 came an uneasy journey, for their way lay through Arabia 
 Petrsea, and the craggy rocks of it. And they came a 
 dangerous journey, through Arabia Deserta too, and the 
 black "tents of Kedar" (Ps. cxx. 5) there, then famous for 
 their robberies, and even to this day. And they came now, 
 at the worst season of the year. And all but to do worship 
 at Christ's birth. So great account they made ; so highly 
 did they esteem their being at it, as they took all this great 
 travel, and came all this long journey, and came it at this 
 time. Stayed not their coming till the opening of the 
 year, till they might have better weather and way, and have 
 longer days, and so more seasonable and fit to travel in. 
 So desirous were they to come with the first, and to be there 
 as soon as possibly they might; broke through all these 
 difficulties, Et ecce venermit, " And behold, come they did." 
 
 And we, what excuse shall we have if we come not ? If 
 so short and so easy a way we come not, as from our 
 chambers hither, not to be called away indeed ? Shall not 
 our non mnerunt have an ecce, ' Behold, it was stepping but 
 over the threshold, and yet they came not ' ? ^ 
 
 And these were wise men, and never a whit the less wise 
 for so coming ; nay never so truly wise in any thing they 
 did, as in so coming. The Holy Ghost recordeth them for 
 wise, in capite libri, ' even in the beginning of the New 
 Testament.' Of Christ, when He came into the world, that 
 is, when He was born, the Psalm saith, " In the beginning 
 of the Book it was writ of Him, He said," Ecce venio, " Lo 
 I come," (Ps. xl. 7) : of these in the same words, when they 
 came to meet Him so born, it is said here in the beginning 
 of the Gospel, Ecce veneriint, " Behold they came." 
 
 And we, if we believe this, that this was their wisdom, if 
 they and we be wise by one Spirit, by the same principles, 
 we will follow the same star, tread the same way, and 
 so come at last whither they are happily gone before 
 us. 
 
 Nay, not only that " come," but this withal ; to think and 
 set down with ourselves, that to come to Christ is one of the 
 
244 ^f ^^^^ Nativity, 
 
 wisest parts that ever these wise men did, or we or any else 
 can dc In all our lives. 
 
 And how shall we that do ? I know not any more proper 
 way left us, than to come to that which Himself by express 
 order hath left us, as the most special remembrance of 
 Himself to be come to. When He came into the world, 
 saith the Psalm, that is at His birth now. He said, Ecce venio^ 
 " Lo, I come." What then ? " Sacrifice and burnt-offer- 
 ings Thou wouldst not have, but a body hast Thou ordained 
 Me." (Ps. xl. 6.) Mark, saith the Apostle, "He takes 
 away the first to establish the second," (Heb. x. 9), that is, 
 to establish His body, and the coming to it. By the 
 "offering," breaking and partaking of which "body, we are 
 all sanctified," (Heb. x. 10), so many as shall come to it. 
 For "given it is, for the taking away of our sins." (Matt, 
 xxvi. 28.) Nothing is more fit than at the time His body 
 was ordained Him, and that is to-day, to come to the body 
 so ordained. 
 
 And in the old Ritual of the Church we find that on the 
 cover of the canister, wherein was the sacrament of His 
 body, there was a star engraven, to shew us that now the 
 star leads us thither, to His body there. 
 
 And what shall I say now, but according as St. John 
 saith, and the star, and the wise men say, " Come." (Rev. 
 xxii. 17.) And He, Whose the star is, and to Whom the 
 wise men came, saith " Come." And let them that are 
 disposed, " Come." And let whosoever will, take of the 
 " Bread of Life, which came down from Heaven " (John vi. 
 35, 41) this day into Bethlehem, the house of bread. Of 
 which Bread the Church is this day the house, the true 
 Bethlehem, and all the Bethlehem we have now left to come 
 to for the Bread of life, — of that life which we hope for in 
 Heaven. And this our nearest coming that here we can 
 come, till we shall by another venite come, unto Him in His 
 Heavenly Kingdom. To which He grant we may come, 
 that this day came to us in earth that we thereby might 
 come to Him and remain with Him for ever, " Jesus Christ 
 the Righteous." 
 
Sermon XV, 245 
 
 SERMON XV. 
 
 A Sermon Preached before the King's Majesty, at 
 Whitehall, on Wednesday, the Twenty-fifth of 
 December, a.d. mdcxxii., being Christmas-day. 
 
 Behold there came wise men from the East to Jerusalem^ 
 Saying, Where is the King of the Jews that is born 1 For we 
 
 have seen His star in the East, and are come to worship 
 
 Him, Matthew ii. i, 2. 
 
 \^Ecce magi ab Oriente venerunt Jerosolymam^ 
 
 Dicentes, Ubi est Qui natus est Rex Judceorum ? vidimus enim stellam 
 Ejus in Oriente^ et venimus adorare Eum. Latin Vulg.] 
 
 'npHERE be in these two verses two principal points, as 
 ■*- was observed when time was; i. The persons that 
 arrived at Jerusalem, 2. and their errand. The persons in 
 the former verse, whereof hath been treated heretofore. 
 Their errand in the latter, whereof we are now to deal. 
 
 Their errand we may best learn from themselves out oi 
 their dicentes, &c. Which, in a word, is to worship Him. 
 Their errand our errand, and the errand of this day. 
 _ This text may seem to come a little too soon, before the 
 time ; and should have stayed till the day it was spoken on, 
 rather than on this day. But if you mark them well, there 
 are in the verse four words that be verba diei hujus, ' proper 
 and peculiar to this very day.' i. For first, natus est is most 
 proper to this day of all days, the day of His Nativity. 2. 
 Secondly, vidimus stellam ; for on this day it was first seen, 
 appeared first. 3. Thirdly, venimus; for this day they set 
 forth, began their journey. 4. And last, adorare Eujn ; for 
 " when He brought His only-begotten Son into the world, 
 He gave in charge, Let all the Angels of God worship Him." 
 (Heb. i. 6.) And when the Angels to do it, no time more 
 proper for us to do it as then. So these four appropriate it 
 to this day, and none but this. 
 
 The main heads of their errand are i . Vidimus stellam, the 
 occasion ; 2. and Venimus adorare, the end of their coming. 
 But for the better conceiving it I will take another course, 
 to set forth these points to be handled. 
 
 I. Their faith first: faith — in that they never ask 
 
246 Of the Nativity, 
 
 ' Whether He be/ but " Where He is born ; " for that born 
 He is, that they steadfastly believe. 
 
 11. Then "the work or service (Phil. ii. 17) of this 
 faith, as St. Paul calleth it; "the touch or trial," " aox/z/^/ov," 
 (i Peter i. 7), as St. Peter; the ostende mihi, (James ii. 18), 
 as St. James ; of this their faith in these five. i. Their con- 
 fessing of it in venerunt dicentes. Venerunf, they were no 
 sooner come, but dicentes^ they tell it out ; confess Him and 
 His birth to be the cause of their coming. 2. Secondly, as 
 confess their faith, so the ground of their faith; vidimus 
 eniin, for they had "seen" His star; and His star being 
 risen, by it they knew He must be risen too. 3. Thirdly, as 
 St. Paul calls them in Abraham's, vestigia fidei^ "the steps 
 of their faith," (Rom. iv. 12), in venimus, " their coming " — 
 coming such a journey, at such a time, with such speed. 4. 
 Fourthly, when they were come, their diligent enquiring 
 Him out by ubi est ? for here is the place of it, asking after 
 Him to find where He was. 5. And last, when they had 
 found Him, the end of their seeing, coming, seeking ; and 
 all for no other end but to worship Him. Here they say it, 
 at the nth verse they do it in these two acts ; i. procidenteSy 
 their " falling down," 2. and obtulerunt, their " offering " to 
 Him. Worship Him with their bodies, worship Him with 
 their goods; their worship and ours the true worship of 
 Christ. 
 
 The text is of a star, and we may make all run on a star, 
 that so the text and day may be suitable, and Heaven and 
 earth hold a correspondence. St. Peter calls faith "the 
 day-star rising in our hearts," (2 Peter i. 19), which sorts 
 well with the star in the text rising in the sky. That in the 
 sky manifesting itself from above to them ; this in their 
 hearts manifesting itself from below to Him, to Christ. 
 Manifesting itself by these five : i. by ore fit confessio, "the 
 confessing of it," (Rom. x. 10); 2. hy fides est substantia^ 
 "the ground of it," (Heb, xi. i); 3. by vestigia fidei, "the 
 steps of it" (Rom. iv. 12) in their painful coming; 4. by 
 their ubi est? "careful enquiring;" 5. and last, by adorare 
 EuiUy " their devout worshipping." These five, as so many 
 beams of faith, the day-star risen in their hearts. To take 
 notice of them. For every one of them is of the nature of 
 a condition, so as if we fail in them, non lucet nobis stella 
 hceCf *we have no part in the light, or conduct of this 
 
Sermon X V. 247 
 
 star/ Neither in stellam, "the star itself," noxm Ejus, 
 "in Him Whose the star is;" that is, not in Christ 
 
 neither. r 1 • tt 
 
 We have now got us a star on earth for that m Heaven, 
 and these both lead us to a third. So as upon the matter 
 three stars we have, and each his proper manifestation. 
 I The first in the firmament ; that appeared unto them, 
 and in them to us— a figure of St. Paul's 'E^f?)a^»3 %ap/5 
 " the grace of God appearing, and bringing salvation to all 
 men" (Tit. ii. 11), Jews and Gentiles and all. 2. The 
 second here on earth is St. Peter's Lucifer in cordibus ; and 
 this appeared in them, and so must in us. Appeared i. in 
 their tyQ^—vidimtis ; 2. in their iQQt—vemmus ; 3. m their 
 lips— ^2V^/^/^^ ubiest; 4. in their kriQts—procidentes, "^Hmg 
 down : " 5. in their hzxi&s—obfulerunt, " by offering. These 
 five every one a beam of this star. 3. The third in 
 Christ Himself, St. John's star. "The generation aiid 
 root of David, the bright morning Star, Christ. And He, 
 His double appearing, i. One at this time now, when He 
 appeared in great humility ; and we see and come to Him 
 by faith. 2. The other, which we wait for, even ' the 
 blessed hope, and appearing of the great God and our 
 Saviour " (Tit. ii. 13) in the majesty of His glory. 
 
 These three : i. The first that manifested Christ to them ; 
 2 The second that manifested them to Christ; 3. The 
 third Christ Himself, in Whom both these were as it were 
 in conjunction. Christ " the bright morning Star "of that 
 day which shall have no night ; the beaiifica msio, the 
 blessed sight ' of which day is the consummatum est of our 
 hope and happiness for ever. 
 
 Of these three stars the first is gone, the third yet to 
 come, the second only is present. We to look to that, and 
 to the five beams of it. That is it must do us all the good, 
 and bring us to the third. 
 
 I St. Luke calleth faith the " door of faith." (Acts 
 xiv 27) At this door let us enter. Here is a coming, 
 and " he that cometh to God," and so he that to Christ, 
 « must believe, that Christ is :" so do these. They never 
 ask an sit, but ubi sit ? Not ' whether,' but " where He is 
 born " They that ask ubi Qui naius ? take natus for granted, 
 presuppose that born He is. Herein is faith— faith of 
 Christ's being born, the third article of the Christian Creed. 
 
248 Of tne Nativity, 
 
 And what believe they of Him ? Out of their own words 
 here ; i. first that natus^ that " born " He is, and so Man 
 He is — His human nature, i. And as His nature, so His 
 office in natus est Rex, "born a King." They believe 
 that too. 3. But Judmorwn may seem to be a bar ; for 
 then, what have they to do with " the King of the Jews " ? 
 They be Gentiles, none of His lieges, no relation to Him at 
 all : what do they seeking or worshipping Him ? But 
 weigh it well, and it is no bar. For this they seem to 
 believe : He is so Rex Judceorum, " King of the Jews," as 
 He is adorandus a Gentibus, * the Gentiles to adore Him.' 
 And though born in Jewry, yet Whose birth concerned 
 them though Gentiles, though born far off in the " moun- 
 tains of the East." They to have some benefit by Him 
 and His birth, and for that to do Him worship, seeing 
 qfficium fiindatur in beneficio ever. 4. As thus born in earth, 
 so a star He hath in Heaven of His own — stellam Ejus, 
 " His star /' He the owner of it. Now we know the stars 
 are the stars of Heaven, and He that Lord of them Lord of 
 Heaven too ; and so to be adored of them, of us, and of 
 all. St. John puts them together ; " the root and genera- 
 tion of David," His earthly ; and " the bright morning 
 star," (Rev. xxii. 16), His Heavenly or Divine generation. 
 HcBC est fides Magorum, this is the mystery of their faith. 
 In natus est, man ; in stellam Ejus, God. In Rex, " a 
 King," though of the Jews, yet the good of Whose King- 
 dom should extend and stretch itself far and wide to Gen- 
 tiles and all ; and He of all to be adored. This, for corde 
 creditur, the day-star itself in their hearts. Now to the 
 beams of this star. 
 
 II. Next to corde creditur is ore fit confessio, '* the confes- 
 sion" of this faith. It is in venerunt dicentes, they came 
 with it in their mouths. Venerimt, they were no sooner 
 come, but they spake of it so freely, to so many, as it came 
 to Herod's ear and troubled him not a little that any King 
 of the Jews should be worshipped beside himself So then 
 their faith is no bosom-faith, kept to themselves without 
 ever a dicentes, without saying any thing of it to any body. 
 No ; credidi, propter quod locutus sum, " they believed, and 
 therefore they spake." (Psa. cxvi. 10.) The star in their 
 hearts cast one beam out at their mouths. And though 
 Herod, who was but Rex f actus, could evil brook to hear of 
 
Sermon X V, 249 
 
 Rex naius, — must .needs be offended at it, yet they were 
 not afraid to say it. And though they came from the East, 
 those parts to whom and their King the Jews had long time 
 been captives and their underHngs, they were not ashamed 
 neither to tell, that One of the Jews' race they came to 
 seek ; and to seek Him to the end " to worship Him." So 
 neither afraid of Herod, nor ashamed of Christ ; but pro- 
 fessed their errand, and cared not who knew it. This for 
 their confessing Him boldly. 
 
 But faith is said by the Apostle to be b'Trosragig, and so 
 there is a good " ground ;" and sXs/;^/©^, and so hath a good 
 "reason" for it. (Heb. xi. i.) This puts the difference 
 between Jiddis and credulus, or as Solomon terms him, 
 fatiius qui credit oitmi verbo, (Pro. xiv. 15) ; between faith 
 and lightness of belief. Faith hath ever a ground ; vidij/ius 
 etmn, — an eni?n, a reason for it, and is ready to render it. 
 How came you to believe? Azidivimus enim, "for we 
 have heard an Angel," (Luke ii. 20), say the shepherds. 
 Vidimus enim, " for we have seen a star," say the Magi, and 
 this is a well-grounded faith. We came not of our own 
 heads, we came not before we saw some reason for it — 
 saw that which set us on coming; Vidimus enim stellam 
 Ejus. 
 
 ^ Vidimus stellam— \nq can well conceive that ; any that 
 will but look up, may see a star. But how could they see 
 the Ejus of it, that it was His ? Either that it belonged to 
 any, or that He it was it belonged to. This passeth all 
 perspective; no astronomy could shew them this. What 
 by course of nature the stars can produce, that they by 
 course of art or observation may discover. But this birth 
 was above nature. No trigon, triplicity, exaltation could 
 bring it forth. They are but idle that set figures for it. 
 The star should not have been His, but He the star's, if it 
 had gone that way. Some other light then, they saw this 
 Ejus by. 
 
 Now with us in Divinity there be but two in all; i. Ves- 
 per tina, and 2. Matutina lux. Vesper tina^ 'the owl-light' 
 of our reason or skill is too dim to see it by. No remedy 
 then but it must be as Esay calls it, matutitia lux, " the 
 morning-light," the light of God's law must certify them of 
 the Ejus of it. There, or not at all to be had whom this 
 star did portend- 
 
250 Of the Nativity. 
 
 And in the Law, there we find it in the twenty-fourth of Num- 
 bers. (Num. xxiv. 17.) One of their own Prophets that came 
 from whence they came, " from the mountains of the East," 
 was ravished in spirit, " fell in a trance, had his eyes opened," 
 and saw the Ejus of it many an hundred years before it rose. 
 Saw orietur in Jacobs that there it should "rise," which is as 
 much as natus est here. Saw stella, that he should be 
 " the bright morning-Star," and so might well have a star to 
 represent Him. Saw sceptruin in Israel, which is just as 
 much as Rex JudcBoruni, that it should portend a King there 
 — such a King as should not only *' smite the corners of 
 Moab," that is Balak their enemy for the present; but 
 " should reduce and bring under Him all the sons of Seth," 
 that is all the world ; for all are now Seth's sons, Cain's 
 were all drowned in the flood. Here now is the Ejus of it 
 clear. A Prophet's eye might discern this; never a 
 Chaldean of them all could take it with his astrolabe. 
 Balaam's eyes were open to see it, and he helped to open 
 their eyes by leaving behind him this prophecy to direct 
 them how to apply it, when it should arise to the right 
 Ejus of it. 
 
 But these had not the law. It is hard to say that the 
 Chaldee paraphrase was extant long before this. They 
 might have had it. Say, they had it not : if Moses was so 
 careful to record this prophecy in his book, it may well be 
 thought that some memory of this so memorable a predic- 
 tion was left remaining among them of the East, his own 
 country where he was born and brought up. And some 
 help they might have from Daniel too, who lived all 
 his time in Chaldea and Persia, and prophesied among 
 them of such a King, and set the just time of it. 
 
 And this, as it is conceived, put the difference between 
 the East and the West. For I ask, was it vidimus in Oriente 
 with them ? Was it not vidimus i?t Occidente ? In the West 
 such a star — it or the fellow of it was seen nigh about that 
 time, or the Roman stories deceive us. Toward the end 
 of Augustus' reign such a star was seen, and much scanning 
 there was about it. Pliny saith it was generally holden, 
 that star to h^faustum sydus, a ' lucky comet,' and portended 
 good to the world, which few or no comets do. And Virgil, 
 who then lived, would needs take upon him to set down the 
 ejus of it, ... . Ecce Dioncei, ^'c. — entitled Caesar to it. 
 
Sermon XV. 251 
 
 And verily there is no man that ca^ without admiration 
 read his sixth Eclogue, of a birth that time expected, that 
 should be the offspring of the gods, and that should take 
 away their sins. Whereupon it hath gone for current — the 
 East and West, Vidhjws both. 
 
 But by the light of their prophecy, the East, they went 
 straight to the right Ejus. And for want of this light the 
 West wandered, and gave it a wrong ejus ; as Virgil, apply- 
 ing it to little Salonine : and as evil hap was, while he was 
 making his verses, the poor child died ; and so his star 
 shot, vanished, and came to nothing. Their vidimus never 
 came to a venifnus ; they neither went, nor worshipped 
 Him as these here did. 
 
 But by this we see, when all is done, hither we must 
 come for our morning- light ; to this book, to the word of 
 prophecy. All our vidimus stellam is as good as nothing 
 without it. That star is past and gone, long since; 
 " Heaven and earth shall pass, but this word shall not 
 pass." Here on this, we to fix our eye and to ground our 
 faith. Having this, though we neither hear Angel nor see 
 Star, we may by the grace of God do full well. For even 
 they that have had both those, have been fain to resolve 
 into this as their last, best, and chiefest point of all. 
 Witness St. Peter : he, saith he, and they with him, " saw 
 Christ's glory, and heard the voice from Heaven in the Holy 
 Mount," (2 Peter i. 17-19). What then? After both these, 
 audivimus and vidimus^ both senses, he comes to this, 
 Habemus autem firmiorem, &'c. " We have a more sure 
 word of prophecy " than both these ; jirmiorem^ a " more 
 sure," a more clear, than them both. And si hic legimus — 
 for legimus is vidimus^ 'if here we read it written,' it is 
 enough to ground our faith, and let the star go. 
 
 And yet, to end this point ; both these, the star and the 
 prophecy, they are but circumfusa lux — without both. 
 Besides these there must be a light within in the eye ; else, 
 we know, for all them nothing will be seen. And that must 
 come from Him, and the enlightening of His Spirit. Take 
 this for a rule ; no knowing of Ejus absque Eo, ' of His 
 without Him,' Whose it is. Neither of the star, without 
 Him That created it ; nor of the prophecy, without Him 
 That inspired it. But this third coming too ; He sending 
 the light of His Spirit within into their minds, they then 
 
252 Of the Nativity. 
 
 saw clearly, this the star, now the time, He the Child That 
 this day was born. 
 
 He That sent these two without, sent also this third 
 within, and then it was vidimus indeed. The light of the 
 star in their eyes, the " word of prophecy " in their ears, the 
 beam of His Spirit in their hearts ; these three made up a 
 full vidiffius. And so much for vidimus stellam Ejus^ the 
 occasion of their coming. 
 
 Now to venifHus, their coming itself. And it follows well. 
 For it is not a star only, but a load-star ; and whither should 
 steila Ejus ducere, but ad Eum ? * Whither lead us, but to 
 Him Whose the star is ?' The star to the star's Master. 
 
 All this while we have been at dicentes^ "saying" and 
 seeing ; now we shall come io facientes, see them do some- 
 what upon it. It is not saying nor seeing will serve St. 
 James ; he will call, and be still calling for ostende mihij 
 "shew me thy faith by some work." (James ii. i8.) And 
 well may he be allowed to call for it this day ; it is the day 
 of vidimus, appearing, being seen. You have seen His star, 
 let Him now see your star another while. And so they do. 
 Make your faith to be seen ; so it is — their faith in the steps 
 of their faith. And so was Abraham's first by coming forth 
 of his country ; as these here do, and so " walk in the steps 
 of the faith of Abraham," (Rom. iv. 12), do his first work. 
 
 It is not commended to stand " gazing up into Heaven " 
 (Acts i. 11) too long; not on Christ Himself ascending, 
 much less on His star. For they sat not still gazing on the 
 star. Their vidimus begat venimus ; their seeing made them 
 come, come a great journey. Venimus is soon said, but a 
 short word ; but many a wide and weary step they made 
 before they could come to say Venimics, Lo, here " we are 
 come/' come, and at our journey's end. To look a little 
 on it. In this their coming we consider, i. First, the 
 distance of the place they came from. It was not hard by 
 as the shepherds — but a step to Bethlehem over the fields ; 
 this was riding many a hundred miles, and cost them many 
 a day's journey. 2. Secondly, we consider the way that 
 they came, if it be pleasant, or plain and easy ; for if it be, 
 it is so much the better, i. This was nothing pleasant, for 
 through deserts, all the way waste and desolate. 2. Nor 
 secondly, easy either ; for over the rocks and crags of both 
 Arabias, specially Petrsea, their journey lay. 3. Yet if safe 
 
Sermon XV 253 
 
 — but it was not, but exceeding dangerous, as lying through 
 the midst of the '' black tents of Kedar," (Cant. i. 5), a 
 nation of thieves and cut-throats ; to pass over the hills of 
 robbers, infamous then, and infamous to this day. No 
 passing without great troop or convoy. 4. Last we consider 
 the time of their coming, the season of the year. It was no 
 summer progress. A cold coming they had of it at this 
 time of the year, just the worst time of the year to take a 
 journey, and specially a long journey in. The ways deep, 
 the weather sharp, the days short, the sun farthest off, in 
 solstitio brumali, ' the very dead of winter.' VenimuSj " we 
 are come," if that be one, mnimus, "we are now come," 
 come at this time, that sure is another. 
 
 And these difficulties they overcame, of a wearisome, 
 irksome, troublesome, dangerous, unseasonable journey ; 
 and for all this they came. And came it cheerfully and 
 quickly, as appeareth by the speed they made. It was but 
 vidwius, veni?mis, with them ; " they saw," and "they came;" 
 no sooner saw, but they set out presently. So as upon the 
 first appearing of the star, as it might be last night, they 
 knew it was Balaam's star ; it called them away, they made 
 ready straight to begin their journey this morning. A sign 
 they were highly conceited of His birth, beheved some great 
 matter of it, that they took all these pains, made all this 
 haste that they might be there to worship Him with all the 
 possible speed they could. Sorry for nothing so much as 
 that they could not be there soon enough, with the very 
 first, to do it even this day, the day of His birth. All con- 
 sidered, there is more in veiihnus than shews at the first 
 sight. It was not for nothing it was said in the first verse, 
 ecce venerunt ; their coming hath an ecce on it, it well 
 deserves it. 
 
 And we, what should we have done ? Sure these men of 
 the East shall rise in judgment against the men of the West, 
 (Matt. viii. 11), that is us, and their faith against ours in 
 this point. With them it was but vidimus^ venimus; with 
 us it would have been but veniemus at most. Our fashion 
 is to see and see again before we stir a foot, specially if it 
 be to the worship of Christ. Come such a journey at such 
 a time ? No ; but fairly have put it off to the spring of the 
 year, till the days longer, and the ways fairer, and the 
 weather warmer, till better travelling to Christ. Our 
 
254 Of the Nativity. 
 
 Epiphany would sure have fallen in Easter-week at the 
 soonest. 
 
 But then for the distance, desolateness, tediousness, and 
 the rest, any of them were enough to mar our venimus 
 quite. It must be no great way, first, we must come ; we 
 love not that. Well fare the shepherds, yet they came but 
 hard by ; rather like them than the Magi. Nay, not like 
 them neither. For with us the nearer, lightly the farther 
 off; our proverb is you know, * The nearer the Church, the 
 farther from God.' 
 
 Nor it must not be through no desert, over no Petrsea. 
 If rugged or uneven the way, if the weather ill-disposed, if 
 any never so little danger, it is enough to stay us. To 
 Christ we cannot travel, but weather and way and all must 
 be fair. If not, no journey, but sit still and see farther. 
 As indeed, all our religion is rather vidimus, a contemplation, 
 than vefiimus, a motion, or stirring to do aught. 
 
 But when we do it, we must be allowed leisure. Ever 
 veniemus, never venimus ; ever coming, never come. We 
 love to make no very great haste. To other things per- 
 haps ; not to adorarCy the place of the worship of God. 
 Why should we ? Christ is no wild-cat. What talk ye of 
 twelve days ? And if it be forty days hence, ye shall be 
 sure to find His Mother and Him ; she cannot be churched 
 till then. What needs such haste ? The truth is, we con- 
 ceit Him and His birth but slenderly, and our haste is even 
 thereafter. But if we be at that point, we must be out of 
 this venimus ; they like enough to leave us behind. Best 
 get us a new Christmas in September ; we are not like to 
 come to Christ at this feast. Enough for venimus. 
 
 But what is venimus without invenimus ? And when they 
 come, they hit not on Him at first. No more must we 
 think, as soon as ever we be come, to find him straight. 
 They are fain to come to their ubi est ? We must now look 
 back to that. For though it stand before in the verse, here 
 is the right place of it. They saw before they came, and 
 came before they asked; asked before they found, and 
 found before they worshipped. Between venimus, "their 
 coming," and adorare, "their worshipping," there is the 
 true place of dicentes, ubi est ? 
 
 Where, first, we note a double use of their dicentes, these 
 wise men had. i. As to manifest what they knew, natus 
 
Sermon XV, 255 
 
 estf " that He is born," so to confess and ask what they 
 knew not, the place where. We to have the like. 
 
 2. Secondly, set down this ; that to find where He is, we 
 must learn of these to ask where He is, which we full little 
 set ourselves to do. If we stumble on Him, so it is; but 
 for any asking we trouble not ourselves, but sit still as we 
 say, and let nature work ] and so let grace too, and so for 
 us it shall. I wot well, it is said in a place of Esay, " He 
 was found," a non qucerentibus^ " of some that sought Him 
 not," (Isa. Ixv. i), never asked ubi est 7 But it is no good 
 holding by that place. It was their good hap that so did. 
 But trust not to it, it is not every body's case, that. It is 
 better advice you shall read in the Psalm, hcec est generatio 
 qucerenttu7)i, ^' there is a generation of them that seek Him." 
 (Ps. xxiv. 6.) Of which these were, and of that generation 
 let us be. Regularly there is no promise of invenietis but 
 to quarite, of finding but to such as " seek." It is not safe 
 to presume to find Him otherwise. 
 
 I thought there had been small use now of ubi est ? Yet 
 there is except we hold the ubiquity, that 'Christ is ubi non, 
 * any where.' But He is not so. Christ hath His ubi, His 
 proper place where He is to be found ; and if you miss of 
 that, you miss of Him. And well may we miss, saith 
 Christ Himself, there are so many will take upon them to 
 tell us where, and tell us of so many ubis. Ecce hic, " Look 
 you, here He is ; " Ecce illic, nay then, " there." In deserto, 
 " in the desert." Nay, in penetralibus, '' in such a privy 
 conventicle," (Matt. xxiv. 23), you shall be sure of Him. 
 And yet He, saith He Himself, in none of them all. 
 There is then yet place for ubi est? I speak not of 
 His natural body but of His mystical — that is Christ 
 too. 
 
 How shall we then do ? Where shall we get this " where " 
 resolved? Where these did. They said it to many, and 
 oft, but gat no answer, till they had got together a convoca- 
 tion of Scribes, and they resolved them of Christ's ubi. For 
 they in the East were nothing so wise, or well seen, as we 
 in the West are now grown. We need call no Scribes 
 together, and get them tell us, " where." Every artisan 
 hath a whole Synod of Scribes in his brain, and can tell 
 where Christ is better than any learned man of them all. 
 Yet these were wise men ; best learn where they did. 
 
256 Of the Nativity. 
 
 And how did the Scribes resolve it then ? Out of Micah. 
 As before to the star they join Balaam's prophecy, so now 
 again to His orietur^ that such a one should be born, they 
 had put Micah's et tu Bethlehem, the place of His birth. 
 Still helping, and giving light as it were to the light oi 
 Heaven, by a more clear light, the light of the Sanctuary. 
 
 Thus then to do. And to do it ourselves, and not seek 
 Christ per alium ; set others about it as Herod did these, 
 and sit still ourselves. For so, we may hap never find Him 
 no more than he did. 
 
 And now we have found "where," what then? It is 
 neither in seeking nor finding, venimus nor iuvenimus ; the 
 end of all, the cause of all is in the last words, adorare 
 Eum, " to worship Him." That is all in all, and without it 
 all our seeing, coming, seeking, and finding is to no purpose. 
 The Scribes they could tell, and did tell where He was, but 
 were never the nearer for it, for they worshipped Him not. 
 For this end to seek Him. 
 
 This is acknowledged : Herod, in effect, said as much. 
 He would know where He were fain, and if they will bring 
 him word where, he will come too and worship Him, 
 that he will. None of that worship. If he find Him, his 
 worshipping will prove worrying ; as did appear by a sort of 
 silly poor lambs that he worried, when he could not have 
 his will on Christ. (Matt. ii. 16.) Thus he at His birth. 
 
 And at His death, the other Herod, he sought Him too; 
 but it was that he and his soldiers might make themselves 
 sport with Him. (Luke xxiii. 11.) Such seeking there is 
 otherwhile. And such worshipping; as they in the judg- 
 ment-hall worshipped Him with Ave Rex, and then gave 
 Him a bob blindfold. (John xix. 3.) The world's worship 
 of Him for the most part. 
 
 But we may be bold to say, Herod was " a fox." (Luke 
 xiii. 32.) These mean as they say; to worship Him they 
 come, and worship Him they will. Will they so ? Be they 
 well advised what they promise, before they know whether 
 they shall find Him in a worshipful taking or no ? For full 
 little know they, where and in what case they shall find 
 Him. What, if in a stable, laid there in a manger, and the 
 rest suitable to it ; in as poor and pitiful a plight as ever 
 was any, more like to be abhorred than adored of such 
 persons ? Will they be as good as their word, trow ? Will 
 
Sermon XV. 257 
 
 they not step back at the sight, repent themselves of their 
 journey, and wish themselves at home again ? But so find 
 Him, and so finding Him, worship Him for all that? If 
 they will, verily then great is their faith. This, the clearest 
 beam of all. 
 
 " The Queen of the South," (Matt. xii. 42), who was a 
 figure of these Kings of the East, she came as great a 
 journey as these. But when she came, she found a King 
 indeed, King Solomon in all his royalty. Saw a glorious 
 King, and a glorious court about him. Saw him, and heard 
 him ; tried him with many hard questions, received satis- 
 faction of them all. This was worth her coming. Weigh 
 what she found, and what these here — as poor and unlikely 
 a birth as could be, ever to prove a King, or any great 
 matter. No sight to comfort them, nor a word for which 
 they any whit the wiser ; nothing worth their travel. Weigh 
 these together, and great odds will be found between her 
 faith and theirs. Theirs the greater far. 
 
 Well, they will take Him as they find Him, and all this 
 notwithstanding, worship Him for all that. The Star shall 
 make amends for the manger, and for stella Ejus they will 
 dispense with Eum. 
 
 And what is it to worship ? Some great matter sure it is, 
 that Heaven and earth, the stars and Prophets, thus do but 
 serve to lead them and conduct us to. For all we see ends 
 in adorare. Scriptura et iimndus ad hoc sunt, ut colatur Qui 
 creavit, et adoretur Qui inspiravit ; ' the Scripture and world 
 are but to this end, that He That created the one and 
 inspired the other might be but worshipped.' Such reckon- 
 ing did these seem to make of it here. And such the 
 great treasurer of the Queen Candace. These came from 
 the mountains in the East ; he from the uttermost part of 
 Ethiopia came, (Acts viii. 27), and came for no other end 
 but only this — to worship ; and when they had done that, 
 home again. Tanti est adorare. Worth the while, worth 
 our coming, if coming we do but that, but worship and 
 nothing else. And so I would have men account of it. 
 
 To tell you what it is in particular, I must put you over 
 to the eleventh verse, where it is set down what they did 
 when they worshipped. It is set down in two acts -TrpoffTcwsTv, 
 and <7rpo6(pipuv, " falling down," and " offering." Thus did 
 they, thus we to do ; we to do the like when we will 
 
 1 
 
258 Of the Nativity. 
 
 worship. These two are all, and more than these we 
 find not. 
 
 We can worship God but three ways, we have but three 
 things to worship Him withal. i. The soul He hath 
 inspired ; 2. the body He hath ordained us ; 3. and the 
 worldly goods He hath vouchsafed to bless us withal. We 
 to worship Him with all, seeing there is but one reason 
 for all. 
 
 If He breathed into us our soul, but framed not our body, 
 but some other did that, neither bow your knee nor uncover 
 your head, but keep on your hats, and sit even as you do 
 hardly. But if He hath framed that body of yours and 
 every member of it, let Him have the honour both of head 
 and knee, and every member else. 
 
 Again, if it be not He That gave us our worldly goods but 
 somebody else, what He gave not, that withhold from Him 
 and spare not. But if all come from Him, all to return to 
 Him. If He send all, to be worshipped with all. And this 
 in good sooth is but rationahile obseqiiium^ as the Apostle 
 calleth it. (Rom. xii. i.) No more than reason would, we 
 should worship Him with all. 
 
 Else if all our worship be inward only, with our hearts 
 and not our hats as some fondly imagine, we give Him but 
 one of three ; we put Him to His thirds, bid Him be con- 
 tent with that. He gets no more but inward worship. That 
 is out of the text quite. For though I doubt not but these 
 here performed that also, yet here it is not. St. Matthew 
 mentions it not, it is not to be seen, no vidiinus on it. And 
 the text is a vidifnuSy and of a star ; that is, of an outward 
 visible worship to be seen of all. There is a vidijnus upon 
 the worship of the body, it may be ^een—procide?ites. Let 
 us see you fall down. So is there upon the worship with 
 our worldly goods, that may be seen and felt — offerentes.'. 
 Let us see whether, and what you offer. With both which, 
 no less than with the soul, God is to be worshipped. 
 "Glorify God with your bodies, for they are God's," (i Cor. 
 vi. 20), saith the Apostle. "Honour God with your sub- 
 stance, for He hath blessed your store," (Prov. iii. 9), saith 
 Solomon. It is the precept of a wise King, of one there \ 
 it is the practice of more than one, of these three here. 
 Specially now ; for Christ hath now a body, for which to do 
 Him worship with our bodies. And now He was made 
 
Sermon XV. 259 
 
 poor to make us rich, and so offerentes will do well, comes 
 very fit. 
 
 To enter farther into these two would be too long, and 
 indeed they be not in our verse here, and so for some other 
 treatise at some other time. 
 
 There now remains nothing but to include ourselves, and 
 bear our part with them, and with the Angels, and all who 
 this day adored Him. 
 
 This was the load-star of the Magi, and what were they ? 
 Gentiles. So are we. But if it must be ours, then we are 
 to go with them; vade^ et fac similiter, "go, and do like- 
 wise." (Luke X. 37.) It is Stella gentium, but idem agentiu7n 
 * the Gentiles' star,' but * such Gentiles as overtake these 
 and keep company with them.' In their dicentes, " confess- 
 ing their faith freely;" in their vidimus, "grounding it 
 throughly;" in their venimus, "hasting to come to Him 
 speedily ; " in their ubi est ? " enquiring Him out dili- 
 gently ; " and in their adorare Eufn, " worshipping Him 
 devoutly." Fer ofnnia doing as these did ; worshipping and 
 thus worshipping, celebrating and thus celebrating the feast 
 of His birth. 
 
 We cannot say vidimus stellam; the star is gone long 
 since, not now to be seen. Yet I hope for all that, that 
 venimus adorare, " we be come thither to worship." It will 
 be the more acceptable, if not seeing it we worship though. 
 It is enough we read of it in the text ; we see it there. And 
 indeed as I said, it skills not for the star in the firmament, 
 if the same Day-Star be risen in our hearts that was in 
 theirs, and the same beams of it to be seen, all five. For 
 then we have our part in it no less, nay full out as much as 
 they. And it will bring us whither it brought them, to 
 Christ. Who at His second appearing in glory shall call 
 forth these wise men and all that have ensued the steps of 
 their faith, and that upon the reason specified in the text ; 
 for I have seen their star shining and shewing forth itself by 
 the like beams ; and as they came to worship Me, so am I 
 come to do them worship. A venite then, for a venimus 
 now. Their star I have seen, and give them a place above 
 among the stars. They fell down : I will lift them up, and 
 exalt them. And as they offered to Me, so am I come to 
 bestow on them, and to reward them with the endless joy 
 and bliss of My Heavenly Kingdom. 
 
 To which, &c. J 2 
 
26o Of the Nativity. 
 
 SERMON XVI. 
 
 A Sermon Preached before the King's Majesty, at 
 Whitehall, on Thursday, the Twenty-fifth of 
 December, a.d. mdcxxiii., being Christmas-day. 
 
 That in the dispensation of the fulness of the times. He might 
 gather together into one all things, both which are i7i 
 Heaven^ and which are in earth, even in Christ. 
 Ephesians i. lo. 
 
 In dispensatione plenitudinis temporum, instaurare omnia, in Christo, 
 quce in Ccelis, et quce in terra sunt, in Ipso. 
 
 SEEING the text is of seasons, it would not be out of 
 season itself. And though it never be out of season 
 to speak of Christ, yet even Christ hath His seasons. 
 "Your time is always," (John vii. 6), saith He, so is not 
 Mine ; I have My seasons. One of which seasons is this, 
 the season of His birth, whereby all were " recapitulate in 
 Heaven and earth," which is the season of the text. And 
 so, this a text of the season. 
 
 There is for the most part in each text some one predo- 
 minant word. That word in this is the word a^axspaXa/- 
 u)Gct6&ai, here turned "gathering together into one again." 
 To know the nature and full force of it, we may consider it 
 three ways : i. as it is properly taken : 2. as it is extended ; 
 3. as it is derived. 
 
 1. As it is taken properly. So it signifies " to make the 
 foot of an account." We call it the foot, because we write 
 it below at the foot. They of old writ theirs above, over 
 the head, and so called it y.s<pd}.oLiov (in capite libri Scriptum 
 est de me) (Ps. xl. 7) the sum in the top. 
 
 2. As it is extended. So it is " the short recapitulation 
 of a long chapter," the compendium of a book or of some 
 discourse. These are all like the foot of an account, and 
 are usually called the sum of all that hath been said. 
 
 3. As it is derived. So shall we have the native sense of 
 it. It comes of xi(pdXaiov, and that of xe<pu}.'/i, Greek for ' a 
 head.' Best expressed in the word ' recapitulate ;' that is, 
 to reduce all to a head. Each of these is a gathering 
 together into one, as we read. Which of the three you 
 
Sermon XVI. 261 
 
 take, nay take them all three, you cannot do amiss. Thev 
 be all true, all tend to edify. Christ is the i. sum of our 
 account, 2. the shuttmg up of our discourse, 3. " the Head 
 of the body" (Col. i. 18, and Eph. iv. 15, 16) mystical 
 whereto this gathermg here is. We shall make no good 
 audit without Him ; no, nor good apology. Whatsoever be 
 the premises, with Christ we must conclude. As we do the 
 year with Christmas, so conclude all with in Christo 
 
 The old division \?>~ut res, ita tempora rerum. Here it 
 holds, here are both seasons and things; things for seasons 
 and seasons for things. ' 
 
 I. Two parts here be. i. Seasons, first; seasons, more 
 than one. 2. Here is a fulness of them. 3. Here is a 
 dispensation of that fulness. 4. And that by God : "that 
 He, that is God— "that in the dispensation of the fulness 
 of times He might." This is the first part. 
 ^ II. The "things." For first, here are "all things; things 
 m Heaven, things on earth "—all in both. 2. Of these a 
 collection or gathering them all together; or rather, a recol- 
 lection or gathering them together again. 3. A gathering 
 tliem all into one ; all into one xs^aXa/oj/, one " sum •" or 
 all to one y.^<pc\-h, one « head." And these two are one! and 
 that one is Christ. ' 
 
 You observe, that as the things answer the seasons, and 
 the seasons them, so doth the fulness answer the gathering 
 and the gathering it. i. To fill the seasons, to make a 
 fulness of them, here is a gathering. 2. A gathering 
 whereof? Of all in Heaven, and all on earth-a great 
 gathering sure, and able to fill the seasons full up to the 
 brim 3. But this is not a gathering at the first hand, but 
 a gathering again, that is, a-new at second-hand. 4 A 
 gathering whereto? "To one "-one, either one sum, or 
 one head, both are in the body of the word, and these two 
 are one, and that one is Christ. 5. A gathering, how? that 
 IS m the word too : by way of contracting or recapitulation. 
 6 And when? When God dispensed it; and that is at 
 Christ s birth. 7. Now last, what we are the better by this 
 gathering, what fruit we gather by or from it, what our share 
 is m this sum, which is sum?na divideiida. 8. And then 
 how we may be the better for it, if we divide as God, and 
 
 ItT wl % "^A ^\ ^°^' ^^"^^^ ^^^"gs "^ Heaven 
 
 first. ID. When God, and that is this season of the year 
 
262 Of the Nativity. 
 
 the gathering time with God and with us. So shall we dis- 
 pense the season well. 
 
 Find the things, they will bring you to the season ; find 
 the fulness of things, you shall find the fulness of seasons. 
 Find the gathering, you shall find the fulness ; find Christ, 
 and you shall find the gathering, for the gathering is full 
 and whole in Christ. So, upon the point, find Christ and 
 find all. And this is the first day we can find Him ; for 
 this day was He born, and so first to be found by us. 
 
 We have heretofore dealt with " the fulness of time ;" and 
 now are we to deal with the fulness of season. Time and 
 season are two, and have in all tongues two different words 
 to shew they differ. In Hebrew, |?D1 and n^; in Greek, 
 yjdw^ and %oLipoi ; in Latin, te7npus and tempestivum. 
 
 And differ they do as much as a time, and a good time. 
 It is time alway, all the year long j so is it not season, but 
 when the good time is. Time is taken at large, any time. 
 Season not so, but is applied to that with which it suits, or 
 for which it serves best. Here it is applied to gathering, 
 the season of gathering. 
 
 These seasons be naipuv in the plural ; for, — ut res, ita 
 te7iipora rerum, * as the things to be gathered are many, so 
 are the seasons wherein they are to be gathered, many like- 
 wise.' Each, his several season to be gathered in. 
 
 Now as ' the things,' res, have their autumn of maturity, 
 so temporUj * the seasons ' have their fulness, and when the 
 things are ripe and ready to be gathered, then is the season 
 full. 
 
 Now of these seasons and their fulness there is " a dispen- 
 sation," an ceconomia, the word in the text, which is a word 
 of husbandry ; a great part whereof consisteth in the skill of 
 seasons, of taking them when they come, allotting the thing 
 to the season, and the season to it. 
 
 Which dispensation is here ascribed to God ; that He, 
 that is, that God " in Whose hands our times are," saith 
 the Psalm, and our seasons, (Psa. civ. 27, 28; cxlv. 15, 16), 
 both. He that can make them full by giving us kindly 
 seasons, or empty by making them unseasonable, and having 
 made them full is to dispose of them of very right. There 
 is none of these but is sensible in the course of the year, in 
 things upon earth. 
 
 But are there seasons for the things on earth and their 
 
Sermon X VI. 263 
 
 fulness, and are there not also seasons for the things in 
 Heaven and for the filling of them ? All for relief of the 
 bodily wants here below, none for the supply of spiritual 
 necessities above ? All for the body, and never a season 
 for the soul ?. If we allow them to the world, shall we not 
 to the Church, di/axg^aXa/w(r/g or 'abridgment' of the 
 world ? If it be sensible in the natural things, though not 
 so easily discerned, yet it is as certain in the main revolu- 
 tion of annus magnus, ' the great periodical year ' of the 
 world's endurance. 
 
 It can never enter into any man to think that the great 
 CEconomus or ' Steward of this great household,' the world, 
 should so far forget Himself, but if for all matters He " had 
 appointed a season," (Eccl. iii. i), then for the greatest 
 matter. If for every purpose under Heaven, then for the 
 highest purpose of all, that as we see concerneth all the 
 things in Heaven and earth both. Above salus populi this 
 salus mundi, ' the saving the whole world.' Shall not these 
 have their seasons, and the seasons their fulness there, and 
 that fulness the due dispensation of all other most worthy 
 of God, the greatest work of the greatest Person ? Set this 
 down then to begin with: there are seasons, as in our common 
 year of twelve months, so in the great year, whereof every 
 day is a year by Daniel's, nay, " a thousand years," (2 Pet. 
 iii. 8), by St. Peter's calculation. 
 
 And which be the seasons, and when, in the common 
 year? Our Saviour sets them down. i. The season 
 "when the earth bringeth forth the blade," (Mark iv. 28); 
 
 2. when " the stalk f 3. when " the ear ;" 4. when " the 
 full corn in the ear." And when the ear is full, and full 
 ripe, the season is full ; then is the season of fulness, the 
 fulness of season. Then " the reaper fills his hand, and he 
 that bindeth up the sheaves his bosom." (Psa. cxxix. 7.) 
 " Then are the barns filled with plenty, and the presses run 
 over with new wine." (Prov. iii. 10.) And when all is full, 
 then to gathering we go. 
 
 Such like seasons do we find in anno magno. i. The 
 time of nature, all in the blade ; 2. of Moses, in the stalk ; 
 
 3. of the Prophets, in the ear. 4. And when the full corn? 
 When but at this great gathering here mentioned ? When 
 all in Heaven, and all in earth gathered, that I think 
 was the fulness of things, pleniiudo rerum ; and the 
 
264 Of tJie Nativity. 
 
 fulness of seasons, plenitudo temporum, may be allowed 
 for it. 
 
 II. This sets us over to the second part, from the seasons 
 to the things ; from the fulness of seasons to the gathering 
 of things. And first, whereof, of what things? Of m 
 -Trai/T-a, " even all." "All ;" and to shew the extent of it, 
 subdivided into " all in Heaven, all in earth ; " and that I 
 trow is "all." It was not amiss he should thus sever 
 them, and express things in Heaven by name ; else we 
 should little have thought of gathering things there so high. 
 No farther than earth, we ; there is all our gathering, and 
 there only. The Apostle points up to Heaven — siirsum 
 corda, " to lift up our hearts, to set our affections on things 
 there above," (Col. iii. i, 2), to gather them. There is a 
 gathering of them also. 
 
 Of which gathering into one, I know not what the things 
 in Heaven have — the things on earth I am sure have good 
 cause to be glad. In Heaven is all good, and nothing but 
 good. In earth, to say the least, there is much evil. Yet 
 upon the reckoning. Heaven is like to come by the loss ; 
 we on earth are sensibly gainers by it. It is a good hearing 
 for us, that both these shall be thus gathered together. For 
 if Heaven and earth be so gathered, it is that Heaven may 
 advance earth higher ; and no meaning, that earth should 
 draw it down hither. Magis dignum semper ad se trahit 
 miiius digjtum, is the old rule. 
 
 But well : between them both here is a great gathering 
 toward, well expressed by the Apostle in the terms of a sum. 
 For it is summa sum7narum^ ' a sum indeed ; ' Heaven and 
 earth, and the fulness of them both. 
 
 All these to be gathered, and well. Gathering God 
 favours, for it ends in unity, to gather into one ; and unity 
 God loves, Himself being principalis unitas. God favours 
 it sure. Himself is the gatherer. Scattering God favours 
 not; that tends to division, and division upon division. 
 Gathering is good for us ; unity preserves, division destroys. 
 Divisum est, be it house or be it kingdom, ever ends in 
 desolabitur. (Mat. xii. 25.) God "delights not in destruction," 
 (Ez. xxxiii. 11), "would have none to perish." (2 Peter iii. 9.) 
 The kite, he scatters ; the hen, how fain would she gather ! 
 
 But stay awhile, and take with us what kind of gather- 
 ing. It is not 7ii<pa>.a1(a6tg^ * a gathering ; ' but ava7ii<par 
 
Sermoft X VI. 265 
 
 Xafuets^ " a gathering together again." We must not lose 
 ava, there is force in it. It is not a collection, but a recol- 
 lection. J^e imports it is a new collection again, the 
 second time. You see it in reca/, return^ reduce ; that is, 
 to call, turn, bring back again. 
 
 Now our rule is, ai/a ever presupposeth cl'ko. ' Avapts^aXa/- 
 w<r/s presupposeth aroxs^aXa/wff/s : that is, a returning to 
 implies a departing from : " a gathering together again," a 
 scattering in sunder before ; "a dispensation," a dissipation. 
 So a dissipation, a departure, a scattering there had been. 
 
 Yet one degree more. 'Ato, that is ' from,' ever imphes 
 <r!)p, that is a former being '■ with.' One cannot be said to 
 be gone from, that was never with ; or to fall out, that was 
 never in : one cannot be said to be so again, that was 
 never so before. So then together we were first ; and in 
 sunder we fell after. Which falling in sunder required an 
 dea to bring ns together again, to restore us to that the 
 second time tV«at we had before lost, to our former estate. 
 It is St. Peter's word "restoring," (Acts iii. 21), the same 
 with St. Paul's " gathering together again " here. 
 
 Now these three set forth unto us our threefold estate. 
 
 1. * Together,' (Tui/, our first original, which we had in Adam, 
 while he stood with God together. 2. *In sunder,' cc'to, — 
 there came our misery, by Adam's not keeping his first 
 estate, but scattering from God. 3. But then comes am 
 about, and makes all well again, by bringing us where we 
 were at the first. There was a former capitulation — the 
 articles were broken : then came this recapitulation here 
 anew. An account was cast, but it was mis-cast, and so 
 it is here cast new over again. 
 
 But when all is done, ai/a is it we must hold by. The 
 first is gone, all perished by being scattered from. All must 
 be recovered by being gathered to again. Our Separation, 
 our ruin ; our reparation, our dva, our ' gathering again ; ' 
 and not ours alone, but salus mundi, of " all in Heaven all 
 in earth." 
 
 But this we may see by the way, i. what case all were in: 
 
 2. what case all are in still, that he loose and ungathered, 
 and whom dfct hath not recollected again. 
 
 We see what and how gathered. Now quo? the next 
 point is, whereto ? Into one. Every thing that is gathered 
 is so. But there is more ones than one. One heap, as of 
 
266 Of the Nativity. 
 
 stones ; one flock, as of sheep ; one pile, as of the materials 
 of a building. AH are good ; but to take the word in the 
 native sense, the gathering here is either to one x6^aXa/oi/, 
 "one sum," as many numbers; or to go nearer, to one 
 7Li<pak% " one head," as many members — and that is it the 
 Apostle pursueth to the chapter's end. Both these, sum 
 and head, are in the body of the word xg^dXa/ov, and they 
 both serve and suit well. The body : the head is as it were 
 the sum of all; all i. sense, 2. motion, 3. speech, 4. under- 
 standing, all recapitulate into the head. This of head or sum 
 fitteth it best. For to speak properly, many heaps, flocks, 
 piles there may be ; heads there can be but one. De 
 ratione capitis est, unum esse. And so of a sum, but one 
 true sum, were there never so many so divers ways cast. 
 
 So then into one, that is not enough ; it is not co-aduna- 
 tion will serve. It is recapitulation, and in that word there 
 is caput; it is avaxgpaXa/w<r/$, and in that word there is 
 7ts(paXri, such a reducing all to one, as that one be the head. 
 A headless gathering the Apostle cannot skill of. And 
 indeed, say there were an entire body, and every member 
 in his right place, and all strictly knit together, yet if the 
 head should hap to be away, as good the members all in 
 sunder, for all were to no purpose. So, a head or nothing. 
 
 This gathering then, you see, is to the chief member, to 
 the member that wears the crown. Thither, upward, the 
 true gathering goes. There is an union downwards, as of 
 Samson's foxes, that were together by the tails, (Judges 
 XV. 4) ; that is not the right, but by the head. The oxen 
 that plough are joined together by the head ; the foxes that 
 are tied by the tails, they set all on fire. The unity of the 
 head God send us ! that is the true unity. 
 
 And yet are we not where we should. We may gather 
 upward too, and make a head, and not the right head. 
 That to a head is not enough, if it fall out to be a wrong 
 head, suppose Romely's son. (Isa. vii. 9.) Bumano capitis 
 ^c. Do but paint, saith the Poet, anybody with a wrong 
 head, it will but move laughter and scorn. The right, the 
 own head it would be. A strange head will not suit, nor 
 do us any stead. The right head then. 
 
 And which is the right head he adds ? Recapitulati in 
 Christo — it is Christ. There, lo, is the right head now. To 
 That let all gather. 
 
Sermon XVL 267 
 
 And now we are arrived at Christ, we are where we 
 should, our gathering is at the best. All in Heaven, all in 
 earth, gathered together, together again — again into one, 
 one sum whereof Christ is the foot, one body whereof 
 Christ is the Head. Gather then, and be gathered to Him ; 
 gather then, and be gathered with Him. " He that gathereth 
 not with Him scattereth." (Luke xi. 23.) 
 
 And so were all, all scattered without Christ, till He came 
 with His ai/a, and got them again together. The seasons 
 were all empty, the things all on heaps. 
 
 Things in Heaven from things in earth — Angels with 
 "drawn swords at men." (Gen. iii. 24.) Things on earth 
 from things in Heaven — men at but the sight of an Angel 
 ready to fall down dead. (Judges xiii. 22.) The members 
 from the head, the head from the members, the members 
 one from another : neither union with the head, nor among 
 themselves. Peccata vestra, (Jer. v. 25), it was sin that 
 divided between God and them, and divided once and 
 divided ever, divided in semper divisibilia, * till they were 
 quite past all division ; ' no longer divided now, but even 
 scattered. The case of the world then. 
 
 Scattered in point of religion. Gods scattered all over, 
 "as many gods as cities." (Jer. ii. 28.) All the hosts of 
 Heaven, all the beasts and creeping things of the earth. 
 
 Scattered in point of morality or moral philosophy. I 
 know not how many scattered opinions Augustine reckons 
 de Siwimo Bono, the chief point of all. 
 
 The Jews scattered from the Gentiles, and the Gentiles 
 from the Jews — a main wall between. (Eph. ii. 14.) 
 
 The Gentiles scattered from themselves grossly ; all in 
 fractions, they. Nothing of a body, never a head ; and yet 
 many heads, but never a right one among them all. 
 
 No, not the Jews themselves ; for " the Tabernacle of 
 David " was then down, and the ruins of it scattered into many 
 sects, as the Prophet Amos complains, (Amos ix. 11), and 
 St. James allegeth it out of him. (Acts xv. 16.) In a word, 
 the whole world then was but a mass of errors, a chaos of 
 confusion, Tohu and Bohu ; "empty and void" (Gen. i. 2) 
 of all saving grace or truth. Well likened to them that were 
 scattered at the tower of Babel, where no man understood 
 another, (Gen. xi. 7) ; or to the people that were " scattered 
 all over the land of Egypt to gather stubble, to pick up 
 
268 Of the Nativity. 
 
 straws." (Exodus v. 12.) All then wandering hither and 
 thither, and seeking "death in the error of their life." 
 (Wisd. i. 12.) By all which you see what need there was 
 of this gathering, this ava7ii(pcfXaiu(itg. 
 
 Now then if, " for the divisions of Reuben, there were 
 great thoughts of heart," (Judges v. 15), as it is in Deborah's 
 song, for but one tribe scattered from the rest, shall there 
 be no thought or course taken for these, such, so general, 
 so many, not divisions but plain dispersions, scattering all 
 abroad ? Great pity that all these should lie thus loose 
 and ungathered, as if they were not worth the taking 
 up. He that in John vi. took order for the broken meat, 
 for the fragments, willed them to be gathered ha (in ri 
 K-roXTjra/, " that nothing might be lost," (John vi. 12) — no, 
 not of them, He certainly were no good (Econonius if He 
 would let all these be lost for lack of gathering. 
 
 But could not this gathering be absque Christo, in some 
 other ? It appears no. Seasons there were more than one, 
 but all empty ; proffers were made in them, but nothing 
 full, nor anything near full. A season of the Law unwritten. 
 Then came the Patriarchs. But they had much ado to 
 keep themselves from scattering ; they gathered none. 
 
 A season of the Law written. Then the Priests and 
 Levites ; but the gathering little the fuller for them. 
 
 Then came all the Prophets, to no great purpose they 
 neither ; some few proselytes they made, that was all. But 
 in the end, all these, as they in the parable of the wounded 
 man, " passed by, looked on him," but let him lie ; little 
 was done till the good Samaritan came. (Luke x. 31, 32.) 
 The things in heaven and earth, the generality of them so, 
 in not much better case for all these, could not be recapitu- 
 late in the Patriarchs, Moses, the Prophets. So that to 
 this plunge it was come, that the Psalmist even asked God, 
 "Wherefore hast Thou made all men for nought?" (Ps. 
 Ixxxix. 47.) It was for Him to come. Qui venturus erat. 
 (Heb. X. 37.) 
 
 It was time, more than time, when that which was the only 
 known way, when one was scattered from God, how to gather 
 him to God again, which was, " Let Him smell a sacrifice," 
 (i Sam. xxvi. 19) — when that grew out of season, when that 
 failed. And that it did. * ' Sacrifice, burnt-offering, burnt- 
 offerings for sin," (sin that made all the scattering), noluisti^ 
 
Sermon XVI . 269 
 
 that is plain, " Thou wouldst not "—it is Christ now speak- 
 eth— " Then said I, Lo, I come." (Psa. xl. 6.) I, of Whom 
 it is written, h xgpaX/5/, " in the top or front of the book, 
 that I should fulfil Thy will," and gather these together 
 again ; " lo, I come to do it." 
 
 By this Ecce venio of His a way was found, those that 
 were thus distracted and scattered before, how to bring 
 them together again. What way was that ? It follows in 
 the same place what He meant by Ecce venio. He goes it 
 over again ; " No sacrifice Thou wouldst ;" — no : corpus 
 autem aptasti, " but a body hast Thou ordained Me." (Psa! 
 xl. 6.) The incorporating Christ, the ordaining Him a body, 
 that is the " new and living way, through the veil, that is His 
 flesh." (Heb, x. 20.) With that He comes this day, and 
 gathers all again. 
 
 How, or in what manner that? The manner is set down 
 in the word by way of recapitulation. We are not to con- 
 ceive there was such " a great sheet," as St. Peter saw, " let 
 down from Heaven," (Acts x. 11), and that all these were put 
 into it and so gathered. No, it was recapifulando, ' by reduc- 
 ing to less room,' as we do many diffused matters to a few 
 heads, as we contract great maps to a small compass, as great 
 plots to a small module ; for that is properly to recapitulate. 
 There are two words in the verse set it out well ; i. ■rX^j^w/y.a, 
 2. and xs^aXa/oi'. UXripu/ji^a, this fulness will come into a 
 little xs^dXaiov, as the particulars of many leaves come into 
 a total of not half a line. 
 
 If then we be to proceed by way of recapitulation, then 
 are we to reduce all to heads. So let us reduce these 
 things to these two heads ; i. First, Heaven, and all in it, to 
 God ; earth, and all in it, to man. Gather these two into 
 one, and there is the dcajcg^aXa/wc/g in short. To conceive 
 it the better, you shall understand this was on a good way 
 one-ward, before. You have heard man called the little 
 world, the dva7is(pa}M(0jffig of the great one, a compendium 
 of all the creatures. And so he is of both. He participates 
 with the Angels, and so with things in Heaven, by his soul ; 
 he participates with the elements, and so with things on 
 earth, by His body. The poet had it by the end ; Fertur 
 Prometheus^ ^c. That to the making of man's body there 
 went a piece of every of the creatures. So there was in man 
 a kind of recapitulation before. 
 
270 Of the Nativity, 
 
 But that was not full, yet lacked there one thing. All in 
 Heaven were not gathered into man. Of God we say, Qui 
 es in Ccelis. He was one of the things in Heaven, and He 
 was out all the while. But if He could be gathered in too, 
 then were it a full gathering indeed. All in Heaven reca- 
 pitulate into One, that is God ; all in earth recapitulate 
 into one, that is man. Gather these two now, and all are 
 gathered, all the things in either. And now at this last 
 great recollection of God and man, and in them of Heaven 
 and earth, and in them of all in Heaven and earth, are all 
 recapitulate into the unity of One entire Person. And how? 
 Not so as they were gathered at first ; not as the xstpuXai- 
 ojgig, * the first gathering,' so the dvaKspaXamgie^ * the second 
 gathering.' When things were at the best, God and man 
 were two in number ; now God and man are but one Christ. 
 So the gathering nearer than before, so surer than before, so 
 every way better than before. 
 
 In man there was one-ward an abridgment of all the rest. 
 Gather God and him into one, and so you have all. There 
 is nothing, not anything, in Heaven or earth left out. 
 Heaven is in and earth, the creatures in Heaven and earth, 
 the Creator of Heaven and earth. All are in now ; all 
 reconciled, as it were, in one mass, all cast into one sum ; 
 recapitulate indeed truly and properly. 
 
 Herein is the fulness, that God Himself comes into this 
 xs(pdXaiov. The Apostle, where the Psalm saith, " He hath 
 put all things in subjection under His feet ;" it is " mani- 
 fest," saith the Apostle, " that He was excepted That so put 
 them under." (i Cor. xv. 27.) But here it is manifest, say 
 we, that He is not excepted That did gather ; but He the 
 very Collector is in this collection Himself and all. 
 
 For " God was in Christ reconciUng the world." (2 Cor. 
 v. 19.) "The world," that is all things, all in Heaven, all 
 in earth. And in Christ did "dwell the fulness of the God- 
 head bodily," (Col. ii. 9), when He did so " reconcile them 
 in the body of His flesh." (Col. i. 21, 22.) In a word, 
 certain it is that by virtue of this recapitulation we are one 
 with Christ, Christ as man. God is one with Christ — Christ 
 as God. So in Christ God and man are one. And there 
 is good hope they that are one, will soon be at one ; where 
 unity is, union will be had with no great ado. 
 
 And even besides this there is yet another recapitulation; 
 
Sermon XVI. 271 
 
 that well might it have that name. For if you mark it, it 
 is not recapitation, but recapitulation; and that comes 
 of capitulum, which is a diminutive. So was it : Verbum 
 in principio,^ ^thQ eternal," mighty, great " Word " became 
 Verbum abbreviatum^ (Rom. x. 8), as the Apostle saith, to 
 bring this to pass. He That "the Heavens are but His 
 span," (Isa. xL 12), abbreviate into a child of a span long; 
 He that Caput, " the Head " of men and Angels, principa- 
 lities, and powers, became Capitulum ; He that Kf^aX?^, 
 Ks(pdXaiov, 'a little diminutive Head.' Head? Nay, be- 
 came the Foot, Fes cotnputi the text is, ' the Foot, the lowest 
 part of the account,' and of the lowest account. 
 
 And now, because we are in seasons, we speak of seasons. 
 When was this, at what season of the year? when was it 
 that He was so capite minutus ? Sure never less, never so 
 little, never so minorated, so minimated, I am sure, as now. 
 When was Ecce venio fulfilled ? We may know that by all 
 the four Sundays in Advent now past, that to-day it is Ecce 
 venio. His coming the Psalm expounds by ordaining Him 
 a body, (Ps. xl. 7) ; a body there was ordained Him in the 
 womb, but to us things are when they appear. That though 
 the Word were made flesh before, yet God was not " mani- 
 fested in the flesh," came not and "dwelt among us," 
 (John i. 14), visibly to be seen till this day. So that if you 
 ask of in Christo, what or when? I?i Christo nato, then 
 was this gathering of things in Heaven and earth. 
 
 And in sign it was then, look there comes a choir of 
 Angels down, (Luke ii. 13), there comes a new star forth to 
 represent the things in Heaven, there comes together a sort 
 of shepherds, and there is gathering to them a troop of 
 great princes from the East (Matt. ii. i) to represent the 
 things on earth, which consist, as these do, of high and low, 
 noble and base, wise and simple ; all to celebrate, and make 
 shew of this gathering, of this great 'TrXnpcaiJ.a, into this small 
 xs<poiXaiov. And in their Heavenly hymn (Luke ii, 14) 
 there is mention of this gathering ; in exce/sis, and in fern's 
 set together, as if all in both were now in full and perfect 
 harmony. 
 
 Now when the seasons had travailed with, at last brought 
 forth Him That was the best thing they had, or should ever 
 bring forth, then were they at the best. When " Him in 
 Whom it pleased the Father all fulness should dwell," then 
 
272 Of the Nativity. 
 
 were they at the full. The gathering of the things so full 
 as it made plenitudo reru7n^ the gathering of the seasons so 
 full as it made plenitudo temporiwi. And so have we brought 
 both parts, seasons and things together. 
 
 The sum is at the foot, the oration at the period, the 
 building at the head-stone, the tide at the full ; " the fulness 
 of the Gentiles" (Rom. xi. 25) are come into His Church, 
 " which is His body, the fulness of Him that fiUeth all in 
 all." (Eph. i. 23.) 
 
 But why God in the dispensation of the seasons did so 
 order that at such a year of the world, such a month of the 
 year, such a day of the month, this should fall out just, this 
 is more than I dare take upon me to define. But this I 
 may, that the Christian world hath ever observed divers 
 good congruities of this feast with this text. 
 
 The text is of a recapitulation ; the feast is so. Twelve 
 months recapitulate to twelve days. Six for the old, in six 
 days was the creation of the old. And when "the old 
 things are past," as many for the new ; for " behold all 
 things are new," and " if any be in Christ he is a new 
 creature." (2 Cor. v. 17.) Both these recapitulate in one 
 season equally divided. Equally divided between both, yet 
 so as the days of the last are set before the first, that so 
 erunt novissimi primi (Matt. xix. 30) is verified even of the 
 season, and the last first there also. 
 
 The text is of a gathering, and that falls fit with the 
 season, and giveth us great cause to admire the high wisdom 
 of God in the dispensation of seasons ; that now at this 
 season, when we gather nothing, when nothing groweth to 
 be gathered, there should be a gathering yet and a great 
 one ; nay, the greatest gathering that ever was or will be ; 
 and so by that means, the poorest and emptiest season in 
 nature become the fullest and richest in grace. 
 
 Now we do ourselves in effect express as much as this 
 comes to. For we also make it a season of gathering to- 
 gether, of neighbourly meetings and invitations. Wherein 
 we come together, and both ourselves have, and we make 
 each other partakers of, what we have gathered all the year 
 before. 
 
 In which sense also we may call it the season of dispen- 
 sation ; in that we then dispense the blessing God hath 
 sent us, and that is in good house-keeping and hospitality. 
 
Sermon XV I. 273 
 
 And if you will, of fulness too. For the most part do 
 then use to be better filled, and with better fare that are 
 not so full again all the year beside. That one may truly 
 say, there is more fulness in this season than any other. 
 And so it is the season of fulness then ; for the " hungry 
 are then filled with good things," (Ps. cvii. 9), then of all 
 the seasons of the year. 
 
 And last, there is in the text, and it is the main word in 
 the text, ava'/.i<pc(XaiM6ig, which in the primitive sense is the 
 making the foot of an account; which agreeth well with 
 the foot of the year, for at the foot of the leaf sums used to 
 be set. Set it at the head, or set it at the foot, it is the 
 foot of the old, and the head of the new, and so the fittest 
 season to celebrate it in. For be it head, or be it foot, 
 Christ it is. So recapitulation or gathering, fulness or 
 dispensation, or summing all up, the text is seasonable. 
 
 But these I have spoke of are of things on earth. Were 
 it not to be wished, we would endeavour to have some 
 fruition, and to gather some fruit for the Heavenly part 
 from this gathering, this summing up of Christ's ? 
 
 Christ is but xi(pdXaiov, ' a short sum ; ' but there is in 
 Him 'TrXripcfifia^ " sl fulness of all." Christ is but the con- 
 tents of a chapter, some three or four lines, but a great long 
 chapter follows, long and large. For what shall you see in 
 this Shulamite, (Cant. vi. 13), but c/iorus castrorum^ legions, 
 whole armies of good things to gather. Such, so great a 
 sum, as twelve days will not serve to cast them up. But yet 
 somewhat let us gather, that the seasons being full, we our- 
 selves be not sent empty away. 
 
 The time fails \ I will therefore name but one, and that 
 the main word of the text, dvajte^aXoctcngig, which referreth 
 properly to 'the making up an account.' The Fathers 
 taking the verse into their considerations, pitch upon it ; as 
 St. Jerome, who thinks it chosen of purpose to that end. 
 But the word and thing both we may have good use of, 
 seeing we all are to be accountants, redde ratwnem, 
 (Luke xvi. 2), said to us all, seeing to an account we must 
 all come. 
 
 And thus he followeth it, goes no farther than the text 
 for the particulars of our account, makes them consist of 
 ^ucB in Coslis and qitce ift terris. Which two, as they are 
 principally taken for the creatures in both, so may they also. 
 
274 Of the Nativity. 
 
 and not amiss, be taken for the things done in them both j 
 specially our gatherings in them referring to either. 
 
 Things in Heaven to stand for our good deeds, our alms, 
 fasts, and prayers, that " ascend up thither " — the Angel 
 tells Cornelius so, (Acts x. 4) — and " will receive us up 
 thither into everlasting tabernacles." Of which, gather we 
 as many as we can all our life long. 
 
 As for these on earth, we gather but too fast ; meaning 
 our evil deeds, which smell of the earth whence they are, 
 and where they were done. 
 
 Now when we come to give up our account, it should 
 seem by the word ava, we had cast them once before and 
 cast them false, that we must to it again, and see if we can 
 find our sums right. There is no danger but in casting our 
 quce in Ccelis^ our good, lest we cast them over j and our 
 quce in terris^ our bad, lest them we cast under. The other 
 way the error is nothing so perilous. 
 
 Our qu(B in Coelis, our good, howsoever our new auditors 
 cast them so as they find God in their debt, for that we 
 have laid out more than ever God required, I doubt will 
 not prove so at the audit. But of our qt^ce in terrisy our 
 evil, there is no great fear of overcasting them, their sum 
 will rise but too high if we deceive not ourselves. 
 
 But whether it be of both, we shall find ourselves wrong 
 in both, if they be not recapitulate in Christo. For our quce. 
 in Calis ; having done all we can, Christ bids us say, servi 
 imiUles sumus, (Luke xvii. 10); and so we must say then, 
 and what account can be made of inutile '^ Having suf- 
 fered all we can, non sunt condignce^ (Rom. viii. 18), saith 
 St. Paul ; so both come not home. The good Centurion, 
 he that " built the Synagogue," (Luke vii. 5), nay then St. 
 John Baptist himself, (Luke iii. 16), both cast themselves 
 to a non sum dignus^ even the best of our nature. That 
 when we have done we must begin again, and cast and 
 cast till we be weary, unless we cast in Christ ; fail still, 
 unless our total of quce in Coslis be recapitulate in Christo. 
 
 But then come to the other account of quce in terris ; to 
 that there is our fulness, and the fulness of our seasons. 
 Many a broken reckoning shall we find there, such surd 
 numbers, such fractions we shall meet with, we shall not tell 
 how or when to get through, we shall want counters. They 
 are so infinite and intricate withal, that I fear we shall be 
 
Sermon XVI. 275 
 
 found in a mighty arrear, a huge debt of thousands and 
 "ten thousands of talents," (Matt, xviii. 24); we shall not 
 tell which way to turn us, nor which way to satisfy it, though 
 all we have were sold, and we ourselves too. To balance 
 this account, Christ is most needful ; for, summis co7ijunctis^ 
 * cast both these together,' and Job being our auditor, he 
 finds we shall not be able to "answer God one for a 
 thousand," (Job ix. 3), that he can charge us with. Sine 
 vie nihil potestis facere, (John xv. 5), if ever, we shall find 
 in this most true. For gather Heaven and earth, and all 
 that is in them altogether, and leave Him out, they will 
 never be able to make our discharge, not the best auditor 
 of them all. 
 
 But He out of the fulness of His satisfactions can relieve 
 us that way, to take off, or strike off, a great part of our onus. 
 And He can cast in of the fulness of His merits to make up 
 that is found minus habenSy or defective in ours that way. For 
 the short is. He is both Fes and Caput compiiti^ the Kg^aX)^, 
 and the Ks^aXa/ov; He is called both in the text. His 
 amzs(paXaiuffig must help us if ever we come to our audit. 
 
 But foreseen, that this be no hindrance to our gathering. 
 No : gathering we must be still those of Heaven, spiritual ; 
 and turn as much of our earthly as we can into them. And 
 still order the matter so, as " while we have time we be 
 doing good." (Gal. vi. 10.) We shall but evil sum up all 
 in Christ, if we have no particulars to raise our sum of, if 
 we have nothing but what is out of Christ to recapitulate in 
 Christ. To gather, I say, else are we like to have but an 
 empty season of it. 
 
 And even to begin now to imitate God in His time 
 when, and in His order how. His time : this is the time, 
 God made His in ; now we to take the same time to fall 
 on gathering. His order : this is the order God made His 
 by ; He began with Heavenly things, we to keep the same 
 order, follow His method, begin where He begins, begin 
 with the things that have the priority of place in the text, 
 begin with them ; make Regnwti Ejus our primum qucerife^ 
 (Matt. vi. 2,z)y ^"d the things that pertain to it. And not 
 pervert God's order, and be so wholly given to the fulness 
 of the things on earth, that we fall to them first. Nay, I 
 pray God it be not first, and last and all. We shall the 
 better dispense the season, if we gather to prayers, to God's 
 
276 Of the Nativity, 
 
 word ; if we begin with them, if with the dispensation of 
 His holy mysteries gather to that specially. 
 
 For there we do not gather to Christ or of Christ, but we 
 gather Christ Himself; and gathering Him we shall gather 
 the tree and fruit and all upon it. For as there is a recapitu- 
 lation of all in Heaven and earth in Christ, so there is a 
 recapitulation of all in Christ in the holy Sacrament. You 
 may see it clearly : there is in Christ the Word eternal for 
 things in Heaven; there is also flesh for things on earth. 
 Semblably, the Sacrament consisteth of a Heavenly and of 
 a terrene part, (it is Irenaeus' own words) ; the Heavenly — 
 there the word too, the abstract of the other ; the earthly — 
 the element. 
 
 And in the elements, you may observe there is a fulness 
 of the seasons of the natural year ; of the corn-flour or 
 harvest in the one, bread ; of the wine-press or vintage in 
 the other, wine. And in the Heavenly, of the " wheat-corn," 
 (John xii. 24), whereto He compareth Himself — bread, 
 even " the living Bread " (or, " Bread of life ")> " that came 
 down from Heaven," (John vi. 50, 51); the true Manna, 
 whereof we may gather each his gomer. And again, of 
 Him, the true Vine as He calls Himself, (John xv. i.) — the 
 blood of the grapes of that Vine. Both these issuing out of 
 this day's recapitulation, both in corpus aiitem aptasti Mihij 
 (Ps. xl. 6), of this day. 
 
 And the gathering or vintage of these two in the blessed 
 Eucharist, is as I may say a kind of hypostatical union of 
 the sign and the thing signified, so united together as are 
 the two natures of Christ. And even from this Sacramental 
 union do the Fathers borrow their resemblance, to illustrate 
 by it the personal union in Christ ; I name Theodoret for 
 the Greek, and Gelasius for the Latin Church, that insist 
 upon it both, and press it against Eutyches. That even as 
 in the Eucharist neither part is evacuate or turned into the 
 other, but abide each still in his former nature and substance, 
 no more is either of Christ's natures annulled, or one of 
 them converted into the other, as Eutyches held, but each 
 nature remaineth still full and whole in his own kind. And 
 backwards ; as the two natures in Christ, so the signum and 
 sig7iatum in the Sacrament, e converso. And this latter 
 device, of the substance of the bread and wine to be flown 
 away and gone, and in the room of it a remainder of 
 
Sermon XV L 277 
 
 nothing else but accidents to stay behind, was to them not 
 known, and had it been true, had made for Eutyches and 
 against them. And this for the Hkeness of union in both. 
 
 Now for the word " gathering together in one." It is well 
 known the holy Eucharist itself is called Synaxis, by no 
 name more usual in all antiquity, that is, a 'collection or 
 gathering.' For so it is in itself; for at the celebration of 
 it, though We gather to prayer and to preaching, yet that is 
 the principal gathering the Church hath, which is itself 
 called a " collection " (Heb. x. 25) too by the same name 
 from the chief; for " where the body is there the eagles will 
 be gathered," (Luke xvii. 37), and so one Synaxis begets 
 another. 
 
 And last, there is a " dispensation " — that word in it too, 
 that most clearly. For it is our office, we are styled by the 
 Apostle " dispensers of the mysteries of God," (i Cor. iv. i) ; 
 and in and by them, of all the benefits that came to man- 
 kind by this dispensation in the fulness of season of all that 
 are recapitulate in Christ. 
 
 Which benefits are too many to deal with. One shall 
 serve as the sum of all ; that the very end of the Sacrament 
 is to gather again to God and His favour, if it happen, as 
 oft it doth, we scatter and stray from Him. And to gather 
 us as close and near as alimentum alito, that is as near as 
 near may be. 
 
 And as to gather us to God, so likewise each to other 
 mutually ; expressed lively in the symbols of many grains 
 into the one, and many grapes into the other. The Apostle 
 is plain that we are all " one bread and one body, so many 
 as are partakers of one bread," (i Cor. x. 17), so moulding 
 us as it were into one loaf altogether. The gathering to 
 God refers still to things in Heaven, this other to men to 
 the things in earth here. All under one head by the 
 common faith ; all into one body mystical by mutual charity. 
 So shall we well enter into the dispensing of this season, to 
 begin with. 
 
 And even thus to be recollected at this feast by the Holy 
 Communion into that blessed union, is the highest perfec- 
 tion we can in this life aspire unto. We then are at the 
 highest pitch, at the very best we shall ever attain to on 
 earth, what time we newly come from it ; gathered to Christ, 
 and by Christ to God ; stated in all whatsoever He hath 
 
278 Of the Nativity. 
 
 gathered and laid up against His next coming. With which 
 gathering here in this world we must content and stay our- 
 selves, and wait for the consummation of all at His coming 
 again. For there is an ecce venio (Rev. xxii. 12) yet to 
 come. 
 
 This gathering thus here begun, it is to take end and to 
 have the full accomplishment at the last and great gathering 
 of all, (Matt. XXV. 32), which shall be of the quick and of 
 the dead. When He shall "send His Angels, and they 
 shall gather His elect from all the corners of the earth," 
 (Matt. xxiv. 31), shall "gather the wheat into the barn, and 
 the tares to the fire." (Matt. xiii. 30.) And then, and never 
 till then, shall be the fulness indeed, when God shall be 
 not, as now He is, somewhat in every one, but " all in all." 
 (i Cor. XV. 28.) Et tetnpus non erit amplius^ "and there 
 shall be neither time " nor season " any more." (Rev. x. 6.) 
 No fulness then but the fulness of eternity, and in it the 
 fulness of all joy. To which, in the several seasons of our 
 being "gathered to our fathers," He vouchsafe to bring us; 
 that as the year, so the fulness of our lives may end in a 
 Christmas, a merry joyful feast, as that is ! And so God 
 make this to us, in Him, &c. 
 
 SERMON XVn. 
 
 Sermon Preached before the King's Majesty, at 
 Whitehall, on Saturday, the Twenty-fifth of 
 December, a.d. mdcxxiv., being Christmas-day. 
 
 / will preach the lazv, whereof the Lord said to Me : Thou 
 art My Son, this day have I begotten Thee. Psalm ii. 7. 
 
 Prcedicabo legem, de qua dixit ad Me Dominus : Filius Mens Tu, 
 hodie genui Te. 
 
 THIS text, the first word of it \?> predicabo, " I will preach." 
 So here is a Sermon toward. And it is of Filius — 
 Filius Meus genui Te ; of the begetting or bringing forth a 
 child. And that hodie, " this very day." 
 
 And let not this trouble you that it is " begotten " in the 
 
Sermon X VII. 279 
 
 text, and " born " on the day. In all the three tongues one 
 word serves for both. In Latin, alma Venus genuit ; Venus 
 did but hear ^neas, yet it is said genuit. In Greek yiwri- 
 fsvra Jx Mapiag. He was but born of the Virgin, yet He 
 was said yswrjklg, genitus. And I report me to the masters 
 of the Hebrew tongue, whether the original word in the 
 text bear not, be not as full, nay do not more properly 
 import His birth than His begetting. It is sure it doth. 
 So it may be used, and so we will use it indifferently. And 
 let this serve once for all. We return to our Sermon. 
 
 Prcedicabo. Here is One saith " He will preach." Hath 
 He a license ? Yes : dixit ad Me, He was spoken to, or 
 indeed He was commanded. Amar is to command. Com- 
 manded by whom ? By Him That hath lawful authority so 
 to do, dixit Dominus. He stepped not up of his own head, 
 He came to it orderly, made no suit for the place, was 
 appointed for it. 
 
 What will He preach of? Whence will He take His 
 text ? Out of dixit Dominus, out of the word of God. And 
 that is right. So do we take ours, for so did He take His. 
 To dixit Dominus He held Him, preached not voluntary ; 
 but as He preached the law, so He had a law to preach by, 
 the word of God. Dixit Dominus. 
 
 And What was His text? Filius Meus Tu, hodiegenui Te. 
 This text He preached on, as it might be at the bringing 
 forth of a Son. And that, as it should seem by the word 
 hodie, " this very day." This day the birth, this day the 
 Sermon. And if so, by the same equity the same text may 
 well be preached on again, whensoever that day comes 
 about by the circling of the year. 
 
 It useth to be the first question, I kept it last. Who 
 preacheth ? For if we like him we will hear him, else not. 
 Sure He to Whom this is spoken, Filius Meus Tu, He it is 
 That saith, prcedicabo. And He to whom it is said, Filius 
 Meus Tu, is Christ. Christ then preacheth. And Christ 
 is worth the hearing. There will lie no exception to the 
 Preacher, that I am sure of. 
 
 And indeed so it was most meet that He should. He 
 That was the Lawgiver, most meet to read upon His own 
 law ; He That the Son, most meet to preach upon Filius 
 Meus Tu ; He That was born, upon His own birth. 
 
 Upon His own birth. And if upon it any day, that day 
 
28o Of the Nativity, 
 
 especially whereon He was born. So is the text. The day 
 He preached on, He was born ; the day He was born, He 
 preached on. No time so kindly to preach de Filio hodie 
 genito as hodie. So shall you have Christ preach of Christ's 
 Nativity; and that upon the very day of His Nativity; 
 which, according to the Christian account, is this day of all 
 the days of the year. 
 
 And first I must tell you, this same hodie here is said 
 signanter, that Christ was '•' begotten " to-day. For he was 
 " begotten " besides this, had more begettings than one. 
 Two natures He had, and so two Nativities. One eternal, 
 as the Son of God ; the other temporal, as the Son of Man. 
 And as it falls out, this very place here 1 find vouched for 
 both. Vouched for his begetting as the Son of God by the 
 Apostle, " For to which of the Angels said He at any time, 
 Thou art My Son, this day have I begotten Thee?" 
 (Heb. i. 5.) Alleging this place to prove His Deity, as One 
 Whose nature was far above, far more excellent than the 
 Angels. 
 
 But of the twain, more properly we apply it to this day's 
 birth. His birth as the Son of Man. And for our so apply- 
 ing it, we have the warrant not of one, but of all the 
 Apostles at once, and even of the whole Church assembled 
 in prayer. (Acts iv. 27.) Where to God Himself they say, 
 that the prophecy of this Psalm was fulfilled, when Herod, 
 the High-priests, and the rest took counsel against His holy 
 Child Jesus ; and that we know was at His birth. So 
 applying it to this birth, sure we are we apply it aright. 
 
 And indeed it cannot be otherwise. For in the very 
 next words, God bids Him ask, and He " will give Him 
 the heathen, and the uttermost parts of the earth." This 
 must needs be said to Him as the Son of Man, and can no 
 ways be said to Him as the Son of God. As the Son of 
 God He asked not. He needed not ask. He had all ; all 
 aquo jure with His Father, as " being in form of God." 
 (Phil. ii. 6.) Nothing was, nothing could be given to Him; 
 He was not a Person capable of any gift, all was His own. 
 So it was spoken as to the Son of Man, this day born. And 
 so to the Son of Man, this day born we apply it. 
 
 I. Of this sermon these be the parts. The matter of it 
 at large, or in general. That it is a law first. Then what 
 manner of law, or how qualified, i. A law to be preached, 
 
Sermon XVIL 281 
 
 as other laws use not to be. 2. A law de qua dixit Deus ; 
 where other laws are, de qud dixit homo; which is the 
 reason why it is to be preached. 3. And then, out of the 
 very body of the word in the text, that it is not a law at 
 large, but a statute law, for so is Elchok, which but by 
 publishing none can take notice of A second reason why 
 it is to be preached. And this is the first part. 
 
 II. The second is the very text itself, or the body of the 
 law in these words : " Thou art My Son, this day have I 
 begotten Thee." The points in it are five. i. " Of a Son." 
 2. Of " My Son," that is, the Son of God. 3. Genui, " the 
 Son of God begotten." 4. Hodie, the Son of God, " this 
 day begotten." 5. And Dixit genui, that is, dicendo gemiit, 
 " begotten only by saying ; " only said the word, and it was 
 done, and the *' Word became flesh." (John i. 14.) This is 
 the second part. 
 
 III. The third is the hardest. For it would make one 
 study Filius Mens Tu, how this should be a law, as here it 
 is called. It looks not like one. But said it must be, 
 which Christ hath said : a law He calls it, and a law we 
 must find it. Now there be but two laws, as the Apostle 
 tells us, lex fidei and /ex fadorum, (Rom. iii. 27); if both 
 these ways a law it be, a law we shall find it. And both 
 these ways a law it is. 
 
 1. Lex fidei. A law limiting what to believe of Him. Of 
 Him, that is, of His Person, His Natures, and His Offices. 
 His Person, out of the words. Ego and Tu. His Natures, 
 out of hodie and genui. His Offices, out of prcedicabo and 
 legenu 
 
 2. Then lex fadorum. Setting out first, what He doth 
 for us ; and then what we are to do for Him. What He 
 doth for us, Filius Mens tUj to us He conveyeth all filial 
 rights. What we to do for Him, Filius Meus Tu, we to 
 return to Him all filial duties. Which duties are comprised 
 in prcedicabo lege??i. And legem, that law is no more than 
 Filius Meus Tu, for Filius Meus Tu goes through all, and 
 is all in all. These are the parts. Of these, &c. 
 
 I. Prcedicaho legem, saith Christ. And we like it well 
 that He will preach. But He hath not chosen so good a 
 text ; legem were a fitter text for Moses to preach on. We 
 had well hoped, Christ would have preached no law, all 
 Gospel He. That He would have preached down the old 
 
282 Of the Nativity. 
 
 I^aw, but not have preached up any new. We see it is 
 otherwise. A law He hath to preach, and preach it He 
 will ; He saith it Himself, prcedicabo legem. 
 
 So if we will be His auditors, He tells us plainly we must 
 receive a law from His mouth. If we love not to hear of 
 a law, we must go to some other Church ; for in Christ's 
 Church there a law is preached. Christ began, we must 
 follow and say every one of us as He saith, prcedicabo legem. 
 
 Nay, there is another point yet more strange. These 
 very words here, Filius Mens Tu, 6^r. are as good Gospel 
 as any in the New Testament; yet are here, as we see, 
 delivered by Him under the term of a law. And we may 
 not change His word, we may not learn Christ how to use 
 His terms. The words are plain, there is no avoiding 
 them ; a law He calls it, and a law it is. 
 
 First then, to take notice of both these, i. That Christ 
 will preach a law, and that they that are not for the law, 
 are not for Christ. It was their quarrel above, at the 
 third verse, they would none of Christ for this very cause, 
 that Christ comes preaching the law, and they would live 
 lawless ; they would endure no yoke that were " the sons 
 of Belial ;" " Belial," that is no yoke ; " but what agree- 
 ment hath Christ with Belial ?" (2 Cor. vi. 15.) 
 
 And then, that these words Filius Mens Tu are a law, 
 and so as a law by Christ preached. So as in the very 
 Gospel itself all is not Gospel, some law among it. The 
 very Gospel hath her law. A law evangelical there is which 
 Christ preached ; and as He did, we to do the like. Whereof 
 more is to be said by and by. 
 
 In the meantime it is not without danger to let any such 
 conceit take head, as though Christian religion had no law- 
 points in it, consisted only of pure narratives — believe them, 
 and all is well : had but certain theses to be held, dogmatical 
 points, matters of opinion. And true it is, such points there 
 be, but they be not all. There is a law besides, and it hath 
 precepts, and they to be preached, learned, and as a law to 
 be obeyed of all. 
 
 Look but into the grand commission by which we all 
 preach, which Christ gave at His going out of the world ; 
 " Go," saith He, " preach the Gospel to all nations, teach- 
 ing" — what? "to observe the things that I have com- 
 manded you." (Matt, xxviii. 19.) Lo, here is commanding. 
 
Sermon XVII, 283 
 
 and here is observing. So the Gospel consists not only of 
 certain articles to be believed, but of certain commandments 
 also, and they to be observed. And what is that hMiprcedi- 
 cabo legem ! 
 
 Now I know not how, but we are fallen clean from the 
 term " Law ;" nay, we are even fallen out with it. Nothing 
 but Gospel now. The name of Law we look strangely at ; 
 we shun it in our common talk. To this it is come, while 
 men seek to live as they list. Preach them Gospel as much 
 as you will ; but, hear ye, no prcedicabo legem, no law to be 
 preached, to hold or keep them in. And we have gospelled 
 it so long that the Christian Law is clean gone with us, we 
 have lost it ; \i prcedicabo lege?n here get it us not again. But 
 got it must be, for as Christ preacheth, so must we ; and law 
 it is that Christ preacheth. 
 
 I shall tell you, what is come by the drowning of the term 
 " Law." Religion is even come to be counted res precaria. 
 No law—no, no; but a matter of fair entreaty, gentle 
 persuasion ; neither jura, nor leges, but only consulta 
 patrum, ' good fatherly counsel,' and nothing else. Consilia 
 Evangelica were a while laid aside ; now there be none 
 else. All are Evangelical counsels now. The reverend 
 regard, the legal vigour and power, the penalties of it are 
 not set by. The rules — no reckoning made of them as of 
 law-writs, none, but only as of physic bills ; if you like 
 them you may use them, if not, lay them by. And this 
 comes of drowning the term, " Law." And all, for lack of 
 prcedicabo legem. 
 
 I speak it to this end ; to have the one term retained as 
 well as the other, to have neither term abolished ; but with 
 equal regard, both kept on foot. They are not so well 
 advised that seek to suppress either name. If the name once 
 be lost, the thing itself will not long stay, but go after it and 
 be lost too. 
 
 They that take them to the one term only, are confuted 
 once a month. For every month, every first day of every 
 month, this verse faileth not but is read in our ears. And 
 here a law it is. And so was the Christian religion called in 
 the very best times of it, Christiana lex, 'the Christian law;' 
 and the Bishops, Christiance legis Episcopi, * the Bishops of 
 the Christian law.' And all the ancient Fathers liked the 
 term well, and took it upon them. 
 
284 Of the Nativity. 
 
 To conclude. Gospel it how we will, if the Gospel hath 
 not the legalia of it acknowledged, allowed, and preserved 
 to it 'y if once it lose the force and vigour of a law, it is a 
 sign it declines, it grows weak and unprofitable, (Heb. 
 vii. 18), and that is a sign it will not long last. (Heb. 
 viii. 13.) We must go look our salvation by some other 
 way than by Filius Meus Tu, if Filius Mens Tu (I say not 
 be not preached, but) be not so preached, as Christ 
 preached it ; and Christ preached it as a law. And so 
 much for legem. 
 
 Now of this law, three things are here said ; first, legem 
 turns back upon prcedicabo. And this privilege it hath, that 
 it is materia predicabilis, a law which may, nay a law which 
 
 * is to be preached.' And that laws use not to be j not to 
 be preached. To be read upon at times privately, but to be 
 preached, not any law but this. But this is, and it serves 
 for a special difference to sever it from other laws, and make 
 it a kind by itself. Even this, that it is to be preached. 
 
 To be preached; and that, even to Kings themselves 
 that make laws ; to judges themselves that are presumed to 
 be best seen in the law; yet they to learn, they to be 
 learned in this law. Erudimini is the word, qui judicatis 
 terram, in the tenth verse after. 
 
 And the reason is ; for this is a law, de qua dixit Deus. 
 And so is none else. And that is a second difference. 
 There is a law de qua dixit homo, quam sanxerunt Jiomines, 
 
 * which men among themselves make for themselves,' as 
 by-laws are made. This of a higher nature. This God 
 Himself made, is a law of His own making. De qua dixit, 
 or rather edixit, for so is Afuar ; which God enacted first, 
 and then gave commandment, it should be preached. 
 
 And to whom? Dixit ad Me. Who is that? Christ. 
 First, and before all others to be preached by His Son. 
 His preaching He thought it worth, and gave it Him in 
 charge, and accordingly we see He performed it, and pro- 
 fessed /r^^zV^r^*?, that He will "preach it." 
 
 But the third is a reason why it could not be otherwise, 
 why it could not but be preached. Because as I told you 
 out of the very body of the word, it is not a law at large, 
 but a statute law. And the nature of that law is, without 
 publishing it cannot be known. 
 
 God hath His law in the same division that man hath 
 
Sermon XVII. 285 
 
 his ; His statute and His common law. " The law of nature 
 which is written in the hearts of all men," (Rom. ii. 15), 
 that is the common law of the world. Of that every man is 
 to take notice at his peril. But this law here is no part of 
 that law; Filius Mens Tu is not written in the heart, it 
 must be preached to the ear. No light of nature could 
 reveal it from within — preached from without it must be. 
 And so and no otherwise come we to the knowledge of it 
 The very word gives it for such, which is properly ' a statute ' 
 as this is, enacted and decreed in the High Court of God's 
 Council above, and reserved "to be revealed in the latter 
 times," (Eph. iii. 5) ; and of that we cannot " hear without 
 a preacher," (Rom. x. 14), and the preaching thereof was 
 committed to Christ. He began and we follow. And so 
 much ior prcedicabo legem, de qtid dixit Dominus ad Me — the 
 matter at large. And now to His text wherein is the letter 
 of the law itself. 
 
 II. I reckoned up to you five particulars in this law. i. 
 Filius, a " Son." 2. Filius Mens, " My Son," that is, the 
 Son of God. 3. Filius Mens genui, " the Son of God be- 
 gotten." 4. Hodie genui, the Son of God " begotten this 
 day." And fifthly, dixit genui, that is, dicendo genuit, " be- 
 gotten by saying," as the Word should be. 
 
 Of " a Son," first. Which plainly sheweth it is not the 
 old, it is a new law this. The old runs, Ego sum Dotninus, 
 which must needs imply, servus Meus tu. This is Filius 
 Meus Tu in another style, which necessarily doth imply. 
 Ego sum Pater Tuus. A Father to be the giver of it. Ac- 
 cording to the former He saith. Ego sum Dominus, and we 
 say, Dominus meus Tu. According to this latter He saith, 
 filius Meus Tu, and we say Pater ?neus Tu. This the better 
 by far, as far as the condition of a son is better than that of 
 a servant. And indeed, the main diff"erence between the 
 two laws is but this, (i John iv. 18) : Do it, saith the one, 
 servus Meus tu — the unperfect law of fear and servitude, 
 (Heb. vii. 19), Do it, saith the other, filius Meus tu — the 
 " perfect law of love and liberty." (James ii. 12.) 
 
 Of a Son. Whose Son ? Filius Meus. And He that 
 speaks it, that saith Meus, is God ; and so He to Whom it 
 is spoken, "the Son of God." And the Son of God is a 
 high title, and of a special account. Solomon before his 
 crown or sceptre prized that speech of God ; " I will 
 
^86 Of the Nativity. 
 
 be his Father and he shall be My son." (2 Sam. 
 vii. 14.) 
 
 But nothing makes it more clear than this place. The 
 last verse He saith, Fosui te Regem, " I have set Thee a 
 king : " that He speaks not of, thinks it not fit. But here 
 now, Filius Mens Tu — this, lo, preach He will, this He 
 thinks worth the preaching. Filius Mens Tu rather than 
 posui Te Regent^ to be "the Son of God " than to be "a 
 Prince in Sion." 
 
 The Son of God ; and " the Son of God begotten." For 
 sons of God there be that are not begotten, they that come 
 in another way, that come by adoption. To beget is an act 
 of nature, and is ever determined in the identity of the 
 same nature with him that did beget. And this putteth 
 the difference. 
 
 Otherwise, God speaks of Angels as of His sons ; " when 
 all the sons of God praised Him." (Job xxxviii. 7.) Speaks 
 it of Israel His people ; " out of Egypt have I called My 
 son. (Hos. xi. i.) Speaks it of rulers and governors; "ye 
 are all the sons of the Most High." (Ps. Ixxxii. 6.) To every 
 of these as much in effect is said 2,% filius Mens tu. But to 
 which of them all, " to which of the Angels said He at 
 any time, genui te^ I have begotten thee ? " Not to any. 
 Filii they were but not geniti^ none of them all. ^o filius 
 Meus tu is communicated to others, but genui te to no 
 creature, either in Heaven or earth. Of none is genui 
 to be verified in proper terms, but of Christ, and of Christ 
 only. 
 
 " Begotten," and " this day begotten ; " genui and hodie 
 genui ; for begotten He had been before. Another begetting 
 besides this. TviO gemus. A genui htioxQ hodie ; ex utero 
 ante luciferum genui Te, " said the Lord to my Lord," in 
 the hundredth and tenth Psalm. Twice begotten He was. 
 This day begotten, and begotten ante luciferum, "before 
 there was any morning-star," (Ps. ex. 3) ; and so before 
 there was any day at all ; and so before any quod cogno- 
 minatur hodie, any time that "is called to-day." 
 
 We are to take notice of both these generations, i. of 
 Christus ante luciferum, and of 2. lucifer ante Christum. To 
 take notice of both, but to take hold of this latter. For 
 that ante luciferum was not for us ; His second begetting, 
 His hodie genui, His this day's begetting is for us, is it we 
 
Sermon XVII. 287 
 
 hold by. Not by His "going out from everlasting," 
 (Mic. V. 2) ; not by His olim, ante luciferum, ante secula 
 genitus — none of these. Hodie genitus is the law, that we 
 are to preach ; that is, not His eternal, but His hodiernal 
 generation. Not as God, of the substance of His Father, 
 begotten before all worlds \ but as Man, of the substance of 
 His mother, born in the world ; " when in the fulness of 
 time God sent His Son, made of a woman." (Gal. iv. 4.) 
 And that was the hodie genui of this day. 
 
 Now the speculative Divine pierceth yet deeper, he finds 
 a farther mystery in these two words, dixit genui, that is, 
 saith he, dicendo genuit. He said He begat, that is, by His 
 very saying He begat. Wherein the very manner of His 
 begetting is set forth unto us. 
 
 There is a very near resemblance betwixt dixit and genui^ 
 betwixt begetting and speaking. To beget is to bring forth ; 
 so is to speak to bring forth also, to bring forth a word, and 
 Christ you know is called the Word. Now when we speak, 
 either we do it within to ourselves, or without to others. 
 Either of which two may well be compared to a like several 
 begetting. 
 
 When we think a word in our thought, and speak it 
 there, within to ourselves, as it were in silence, and never 
 utter it, this if you mark it well is a kind of conceiving or 
 generation ; the mind within of itself engendering a word, 
 while yet it is but in notion, kept in, and known to none 
 but to ourselves. And such was the generation of the 
 eternal Word, the Son of God, in the mind of His Father 
 before all worlds ; and even to that doth the Apostle apply 
 the genui of this verse. (Heb. i. 5.) And this is the first 
 begetting or speaking. 
 
 Now as the word yet within us in our thought, when time 
 comes that we will utter it, doth take to itself an airy body, 
 our breath by the vocal instruments being framed into a 
 voice, and becometh audible to the outward sense ; and 
 this we call the second begetting or speaking : right so, the 
 eternal Word of God, by Dofninus dixit, by the very breath 
 of God, the Holy Spirit, which hath His name of spiro, * to 
 breathe,' {corpus autem aptasti Miht), had a body framed 
 Him, (Heb. x. 5), and with that body was brought forth, 
 and came into the world. And so these words, genui Te, 
 this very day, the second time, verified of Him. Genui^ 
 
288 Of the Nativity. 
 
 and dixit genui, "said, and by saying, begot him ;" for how 
 soon the Angel's voice sounded in the blessed Virgin's 
 ear, instantly was He incarnate in the womb of His 
 mother. 
 
 Of both which words, dixit and genui, we can spare 
 neither. There is good use of both. Oi genm\ to shew the 
 truth of the identity of His nature and substance with His 
 Father That begat Him, and with His mother that bare 
 Him. For to beget, is when one living thing bringeth forth 
 another living thing, of the same nature and kind itself is. 
 
 But, I know not how, the term of begetting, the very 
 mention of that word carrieth our conceit to a nature of 
 carnality ; therefore is the word dixit well set before it, to 
 shew this genui was not by any fleshly way, to abstract it 
 from any mixture of carnal un cleanness. That the manner 
 of it was only as the word is purely and spiritually con- 
 ceived in the mind. The one word, genui, noting the 
 truth ; the other word, dixit, the no way carnal, but pure 
 and inconcrete manner of His generation. And so I have 
 gone over the five terms of this law, or, if you please, the 
 five points of His text. 
 
 III. The hardest is yet behind; for it will not sink into 
 our heads how this should be called a law. It seems 
 nothing less ; rather a dialogue between a Father and his 
 Son. But a law sure it cannot be. A law runs in the 
 imperative — this is merely narrative, declares somewhat, 
 enjoins nothing, gives not any thing in charge as laws use 
 to do. 
 
 Sed non potest solvi Scriptiira, (John x. 35), " God must 
 be true in all His sayings," (Rom. iii. 4), Christ may not 
 preach false doctrine. A law He hath called it, and we 
 may not give it any other name. 
 
 There be that think this verse is but the preamble, and 
 that the body of the law doth follow and reacheth to the 
 end of the Psalm. 
 
 But the better sort are of mind that even this verse, taken 
 by itself, contains in it a law full and whole. Let us see 
 then whether we can find it so. 
 
 We pitched upon the Apostle's division of the law, into 
 lex Jidei 2ir\6. lex factorum. If both these be found in it, we 
 may well allow it for a law. 
 
 We will begin with lex fidei, what we are to believe of 
 
Sermon XVII. 289 
 
 Him. Of Him, that is, of these three : i. of His Person; 
 2. His Natures ; 3. and His Offices. 
 
 And then come to lex fadorum. i. First, what He doth 
 for us — the benefit of this law. 2. And then what we are 
 to do for Him again — our duty out of this law. The former 
 of which, the benefit, is the Gospel of this law. The latter, 
 the duty, is the law of this Gospel. 
 
 I. Of His person first. That He is of Himself, a Person 
 subsisting. Plain by the two Persons that are in the text, 
 Ego and Tu, the first and second person in grammar ; and 
 the same, the first and second Person in Trinity. Here is, 
 Ego genui, the Person of the Father ; and Filius Mens Tu, 
 the Person of the Son. Here is one begets ; and sure it is 
 nejno generat seipsum, * none begets himself,' but he whom 
 he begets is a person actually distinguished from him that 
 begets him. 
 
 But of these two Persons, this you will mark. That the 
 first that is named, is Filius Mens Tu. He stands first in 
 the verse before genui Te. We hear of Filius before ever 
 we hear of genui; for that is the Person we hold by. 
 (i John iv 9.) By nature, ge?tui Te should go hQiovQ Filius 
 Meus, but quoad nos, Filius Meus is before genui ; to shew 
 there is no coming to the Father but by Him, no interest 
 in the Father but from and through Him. This for His 
 Person. 
 
 And in His Person we believe two natures, set down here 
 in the two words, hodie and genui. If you do observe, there 
 is somewhat a strange conjunction of these two words. One 
 is present, hodie, the other is perfectly past, genui. In pro- 
 priety of speech it would be a present act for a present 
 time, or it would be an act past with an adverb of the time 
 past ; and not join a time in being, hodie, with an action 
 ended and done, genui. 
 
 'Ihe joining of these two together, the verifying them 
 both of one and the same person, must needs seem strange. 
 And indeed could not be made good, but that in that one 
 Party there are two distinct natures. To either of which, 
 in a different respect, both may agree and be true, both. 
 Some little difference there will be about the sorting 
 of the two words, which to refer to which. But that 
 will easily be accorded, for they will both meet in the 
 end. 
 
290 Of the Nativity^ 
 
 There be that, because hodie, the present, is yet in fieri^ 
 and so not come to be perfect, understand by it His 
 temporal generation as Man which is the less perfect, as 
 subject to the manifold imperfections of our human nature 
 and condition. And then by genui^ which is in fadum esse^ 
 and so done and perfect, understand His eternal generation 
 as the Son of God, in Whom are absolutely all the 
 perfections of the Deity. 
 
 There be other, and they fly a higher pitch and are of a 
 contrary mind, for whatsoever is past is in time say they, 
 and so ge?tui is temporal ; and that hodte — that doth best 
 express His eternal generation, for that nothing is so 
 properly affirmed of eternity itself as is hodie. Why? For 
 there all is hodie ; there is neither heri nor eras, no ' yester- 
 day' nor 'to-morrow.' All is ''to-day," there. Nothing 
 past, nothing to come — all present. Present as it were in 
 one instant or centre, so in the hodie of eternity. ' Past 
 and to come ' argue time, but if it be eternal, it is neither ; 
 all there is present. "To-day" then, sets forth eternity 
 best, say they, which is still present, and in being. But 
 genui, that being past, cannot be His eternal at any hand, 
 but must needs stand for His temporal. 
 
 But whether of these it be ; genni^ His eternal as perfect, 
 and hodie as not yet perfect. His temporal ; or vice versa^ 
 hodie represents eternity best, and genui time, as being 
 spent and gone ; between them both, one way or other, 
 they will shew His begettings. You may weave hodie with 
 genui, or genui with hodie, and between them both they 
 will make up the two natures of Him That was the hodie 
 genitus of this day. Concerning whom we believe ; as 
 first, that He is one entire person and subsists by Plimself, 
 so second, that He consists of two distinct natures, eternal 
 and temporal. The one as perfect God, the other as 
 perfect Man. 
 
 Now for His offices. Them we have likewise in the two 
 words, prcedicabo and legem. Prcedicabo, by that it is plain 
 He doth " preach." And that seems strange ; for the last 
 news we heard of Him in the verse before was, that He was 
 " set a King in Sion." And the word legem imports as 
 much, for laws with us are the King's laws. 
 
 A King to preach? Let that alone for the Priests. 
 That is their office ; '* they shall teach Jacob His judg- 
 
Sermon XVI I. 291 
 
 ments, and preach to Israel His law." (Deut. xxxiii. 10.) 
 But preach He will, as He saith. So Mens Filius will 
 prove a Priest as it seems ; a Priest indeed. And which is 
 yet more strange, by virtue of these very words, Filius 
 Mens Tu. No words, one would think, to prove Him a 
 Priest by ; and we should hardly believe it, but that in 
 Heb. v. 4, the Apostle deduceth His Priesthood from 
 these very words ; " No man," saith he, " taketh unto him 
 this honour," that is, the honour of the Priesthood, " but 
 he that was called of God, as was Aaron." And then he 
 adds, " No more did Christ, He took not this honour 
 upon Him, to be our High-priest ; but He that said to Him, 
 Filius Mens Tu, hodie genui Te, He gave it Him." So that 
 by virtue of these words, Christ was consecrate a Priest, as 
 by virtue of the other, posui Te Regern, " He was set a King 
 in Sion." 
 
 And the place, Sion, suits well with both. For Mount 
 Sion had two tops. On the one was the Temple built, on 
 the other was the King's palace situate. The one for prcedi- 
 cabo, the other for legem. In one, as King, he makes a law ; 
 in the other, as Priest, preacheth it. First, posui Regem, and 
 then prcedicabo legem. 
 
 And indeed the Kings that were His types, were mixed 
 of both. Melchizedek — him the Apostle stands on at large, 
 in Heb. vii. And if this Psalm be David's, as questionless 
 it is, for his it is avowed to be, (Acts iv. 25), why then he 
 preached too. And for Solomon it is too evident, we have 
 his book of the Preacher. The like may be said of Ezekias, 
 and the rest by whom this King here was in any sort repre- 
 sented. And by virtue thereof, they all had a greater care 
 of publishing this law here, than of any of their own laws ; 
 as, on the contrary, Ahab and his race had more care of 
 "the keeping the statutes of Omri" (Mic. vi. 16) than they 
 had of the laws of God. 
 
 We believe then for His offices, that He is both King 
 and Priest. Hath a kingdom to rule, hath a diocese to 
 preach in. His kingdom, " the heathen to the uttermost 
 parts of the earth ; " His diocese as large. His auditory 
 all States, even the highest — Kings and judges ; for prcedi- 
 cabo legem concerns them all. And this for lex fidei, what it 
 binds us to believe of Him. 
 
 Now for lex factorum. First, what shall be done to 
 K 2 
 
292 Of the Nativity. 
 
 them that live by and under this law? They speak of 
 laws of grace : this is indeed a law of grace, nay it is the 
 law of grace ; not only as it is opposite to the law of 
 nature, but even because it offereth grace, the greatest 
 grace that ever was. For what greater grace or favour 
 can be done to any, than to have these words, filius Mens 
 iu, said unto him ? This law doth it ; " for to them that 
 receive it it giveth power to be made sons of God." (John 
 i. 12.) 
 
 The words seem to be spoken to one person only ; but 
 as laws of grace use to be, are to receive ampliation, and 
 to be extended to the most benefit. 
 
 Dixit ad Me. Said He it to Him, and said He it to Him 
 alone, and said He it to no other but to Him ? No ; for 
 He gave it Him in charge to preach it, and to preach it is 
 to say it to others. Therefore it is dixit ad Me ut ad alios 
 per Me ; ' it was so said to Him, as that by Him it might 
 be said to others.' PrcBdicabo makes it plain. 
 
 Prcedicabo, When Christ doth preach, He is not to be 
 understood to preach to Himself — no man doth so at any 
 time, but to others more or less, that may be or should be 
 the better for His preaching. For what needed it be 
 preached, if it concern none but Him ? if none to have 
 benefit but He ? if they that hear it preached shall receive 
 no benefit by it ? 
 
 So say we of legem. This law was not made for Christ, it 
 needed not for Him any law. He was Filiiis Mens Tu ^uffs/, 
 xa/ o\) i/o>w, needed no law to make Him that which by 
 nature He was. The law was for others which by this law 
 were to be made that which by nature they were not, that 
 is, " the sons of God." 
 
 Take the very words. You see His text is not in the 
 first person, Filius Tuus Ego : His text is, filius Mens tu. 
 And who is that tu ? It cannot be Christ Himself by 
 common intendment. The Father saith to Him, " Thou art 
 My Son." But to whom is it that Christ saith. Thou art 
 my Son ? For filius Meus tu is His text, that He must 
 preach on ; He may not go from the words, or change the 
 tenor of His text. Who is then that son? To whom 
 applieth He His text? To some other certainly. 
 
 The Apostle saith, " He was set and sent, that He might 
 bring many sons unto God," (Heb. ii. i o), to whom God also 
 
Sermon XVII. 293 
 
 might s2ty,fiHus Mens tu. And Himself likewise saith of 
 Himself in the Prophet ; " Behold, here am I, and the 
 children which God hath given Me." (Isa. viii. 18.) 
 
 And who be those children ? Those, whom He shall 
 regenerate, and beget a-new by His prcedicabo legem, " the 
 immortal seed," (i Peter i. 23) ; for, " of His own good-will 
 begat He us, by the word of truth, that we might be the 
 first-fruits of His creatures." (James i. 18.) These are the 
 children that are here meant. Of whom it shall be said, 
 quod per Filium filii^ * that in and by this Son they shall be 
 His sons, all.' And what was said to Christ, shall be said 
 to them and every one of them, filius Mens tu. 
 
 Of Sion saith the eighty-seventh Psalm, " It shall be said, 
 He was born in her." And that is true, for so He was. 
 But he goes on farther, and saith, " He did remember Him- 
 self of Rahab, and Babylon, the Philistines' and the Morians' 
 land, for, lo, there He was born." (Psa. Ixxxvii. 4.) " Born 
 there?" How can that be? Yes, born there, and here, 
 and every where, where by this prcEdicabo legem, He begets 
 children to God. The power and virtue of His birth 
 reacheth even thither. Every place that receiveth His law, 
 wherever it be, even there He is born. This for His birth. 
 
 To this birth there belongs a birth-right. They talk much 
 of the law as of a birth-right ; but, lo, this here is a birth- 
 right indeed, and that veri nominis, and amounts to more 
 than a child's part. And it grows out of the double title or 
 interest, which He hath to all that is given Him. For as 
 He is twice a Son, twice begotten, i. ante luciferum, and 2. 
 hodie ; so hath He a double right grows to Him, expressed 
 in two distinct words in the next verse, i. one of inheritance, 
 2. the other of inheritance or purchase ; for Ahuzza is true 
 Hebrew for a purchase. Of which two one contents Him, 
 His title as Heir. The other He transcribes and sets over 
 to us, which is that of His purchase, as hodie genitus. 
 
 But we need not so much as to go to the next verse for 
 it. Filius Meus Tu will serve ; which was said twice to Him. 
 I. OnQ.^2Xl^\%^2c^\Ss>m, Hie est Filius Meus. (Matt. iii. 17.) 
 And so it is likewise at ours, to us ; for therein we are made 
 members of Christ, and the children of God. 2. And 
 again, Hie est Filiu:, ilfeus, at His transfiguration in the 
 mount. (Matt. xvii. 5.) And we keeping the law of our 
 Baptism, the same shall be said to us likewise the second time; 
 
294 ^f ^^^^ Nativity, 
 
 and when time comes, we shall also be " transfigured into 
 the glorious image of the Son of God." (Phil. iii. 21.) And 
 this is lex factorum on His part, this shall be done for us by 
 Him. This we called the gospel of this law. 
 
 And what shall be done for us by Him ? Which is the 
 law of duty on our part required, and which we called the 
 law of this gospel, implied in the two first words, prcedicabo 
 and legem. Either word hath his condition. First, if he 
 preach, that we bestow the hearing of Him. And then 
 legem^ that we know it is " a law " He preacheth, and there- 
 fore so, and no otherwise than so, to hear it. 
 
 Hear Him preach ? That we be entreated to easily. If 
 that be all, we will never stick with Him for that. Nay, 
 God's blessing on His heart ! for, as the world goes, we are 
 now all for preaching. 
 
 But take legem with you too. It is so prcedicabo as it is 
 legem. Preached and so preached as it is law. His sermons 
 are so many law-lectures ; His preaching is our law to live 
 by ; and law binds and leaves us not to live as we list. 
 And if that which is preached be law, it is to be heard as a 
 law, kept as a law, to be made our lex factorum, as well as 
 lexfidei. If we hear it otherwise, if we hear it not so, if we 
 lose legem, we may let go prcedicabo too and all. 
 
 And here now we break. As a law ? Nay, none of that. 
 The hearing we will give Him ; but soft, no law, by your 
 leave. Our case is this : so long as it is \mt prcedicabo, but 
 preaching, we care not greatly though we hear it ; out if it 
 once come to legem, to be pressed upon us as " a law," fare- 
 well our parts ; we give Him over, for law binds, and we 
 will not be bound. Upon the point we are fast at prcedicabo, 
 and loose at lege7n. Leave Christ His book to preach by, 
 but keep the law in our own hands. But to be short, if 
 we hear it not as a law, here it not but as news ; if we bring 
 our sermons " to an end as a tale that is told," (Ps. xc. 9) ; 
 if that be all, we forfeit all that follows, all our part and 
 portion mfilius Metis, and hodie genui, and all. 
 
 Now if you ask what law it is is here meant? No other 
 but the law of these words, filius Mens tu ; for filius Mens 
 tu, in the body of it, carrieth the law; that contains all 
 filial duties, which is the perfectes'. \2iw when all is done. 
 
 For the law of a son is more than all laws besides. For 
 besides that it is lex factorum, that a son will do anything 
 
Sermon X VIL 295 
 
 that is to be done, he will farther do it out of filial love and 
 affection, which is worth all. And this law, indeed, is 
 worth the preaching. It is exibit de Sion lex, " the law that 
 came from Sion." (Isa. ii. 3). 
 
 The " law of Sinai," that begins with Ego sum Dorninus, 
 it is a law of servitude, a law for the bond- woman and her 
 brood. (Gal. iv. 24.) Never preach it, at least not to 
 children. That law is to give place, and in place thereof is 
 to come the law of Sion, which we preach ; the law of the 
 free-woman, and "the children of promise," (Gal. iv. 28); 
 the law of love, of filial love, proceeding not " from the 
 spirit of bondage," but from " the spirit of adoption." 
 (Rom. viii. 15.) 
 
 There is lex fadorum in both; but, as Gregory well 
 expresseth it. Si servus es, metiie plagas, " if thou be bond, 
 as Ismael, do it out of servile fear, for fear of the whip.' St 
 mercefiarius, expecta mercedem ; ' if thou be an hireling, as 
 Balaam, do it out of mercenary respect.' Sed, sifilius Mens 
 til ; then do it out of true natural affection ; perform all 
 duties of a kind son to Him That said, genui te, as did 
 Isaac the son of the free-woman to Abraham that begot 
 him, " even to the laying down of his life." (Gen. xxii. 9.) 
 None to Timothy, saith St. Paul, " none like minded to 
 him ; for as a son with his father, so hath he laboured with 
 me in the Gospel." (Phil. ii. 20, 22.) "So," that is, so 
 freely, so sincerely, so respectfully, as a loving, kind, natural 
 son could do no more. And that is lex fadorum indeed. 
 And so much for lex fadorum on our part, what we do for 
 him — the filial duties, the law of this Gospel. 
 
 We lack nothing now but the time. And as legem is the 
 condition, so hodie is the time. We are willed by the 
 Apostle to insist upon this word hodiey to call upon men for 
 this duty while it is called "to-day." (Heb. iii. 13, 15.) 
 Not to defer, or to put off, or make a morrow matter of it. 
 We are all inclined to be crastini ox perendini, ' for to-morrow 
 or next day,' or I know not when, but not to be hodierni. 
 Hodie is no adverb with us, for where shall we find one but 
 will take days for any matter of duty ? To look to this 
 Jiodie, and not deceive our-^elves, for no time but hodie hath 
 any promise — witness hodie si vocem, "to-day if you will 
 hear His voice," (Ps. xcv. 7, 8), which every day sounds in 
 our ears. 
 
296 Of the Nativity. 
 
 But hodie genui is more than hodie^ for every day in the 
 year while it lasts is hodie^ " to-day," but every day is not 
 hodie genui. There is but one of them in the whole year, 
 and that is this day. This day then to take, of all other 
 hodies, not to let slip the hodie of this day. A day whereon 
 this Scripture was fulfilled, whereon dixit et factum est, " He 
 said it and did it," whereon this Son was born and given 
 us ; a day whereon as it is most kindly preached, so it will 
 be most kindly practised of all others. And so I hold 
 you no longer, but end. 
 
 Praying to Him That was the hodie geftitus of this day, 
 Him That was begotten, and Him by Whom He was 
 begotten, that we may have our parts, as in prcedicaboy 
 ''preaching," so likewise in legem, "the law;" in both, 
 legem fideiy " to believe aright," and legem factorum, "to live 
 according ; " that we performing the filial duties required, 
 may obtain the filial rights promised, and may be in the 
 number of those to whom first and last filius Mens tu shall 
 be said, to our everlasting comfort, and " to the praise of 
 the glory of His grace," (Ephes. i 6), through Christ our 
 Lord. 
 
GENESIS. 
 
 Chap. I. 
 
 V. I, - . . . 84 
 
 V. 2, . . . . 267 
 
 V. 14, . . . . 241 
 
 Chap. II. 
 
 V. 9, . . . . 126 
 V. 17, . . . . 178 
 
 Chap. III. 
 V. 4, . . . . 177 
 V. 5, . 22, 203, 222 
 
 ^- ^' • • . 33, 170 
 V. 8 6 
 
 V. 9, ... . 7 
 V. 14, ... . 7 
 V. 15, . 7, 52, 71, 92, 
 102 
 V. 19, . . . 120, 182 
 
 V. 22, . . . . 22 
 
 V. 24, . . 207, 267 
 
 Chap. IX. 
 V. 27, . . . . 235 
 
 Chap. X. 
 V. 9, ... . 239 
 
 Chap. XI. 
 V- 3, . . . . 239 
 V. 7, . . . . 267 
 
 Chap. XIII. 
 ^. 16, . . . . 127 
 
 Chap. XIV. 
 ^'- 18, . . 165, 217 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 
 Chap. XV. 
 V.5, • . . . 127 
 
 V. 0, . . . ,4, 127 
 
 V- 7 10 
 
 V. 17,. . . , 121 
 
 Chap. XXXTI. 
 
 -•26,. . . . ,^ 
 
 Chap. XXXV. 
 
 Chap. XVII. 
 
 -•19,. ... 154 
 
 V. 19, ... . 126 
 
 Chap. XXXVIII. 
 
 Chap. XVIII. 
 
 V. 28,. . . , ,59 
 
 V. 2, . . . . 208 
 V. 3, ... . 130 
 v.5, ... . 131 
 V. 10, ... . 126 
 
 V. 25, ... . 121 
 
 ^- 27, . 4, 8, 37, 120 
 
 Chap. XL. 
 V. 20,. . . . 72 
 V.21,. . . . 83 
 
 Chap. XLI. 
 v.45,. . . . 33 
 
 Chap. XIX. 
 V. 16,. . . . ij 
 V. 20, ... . 156 
 
 Chap. XXII. 
 V. 9, ... . 295 
 V. 18, .14,71,102,235 
 
 Chap. XLV. 
 V. 27,. . . . 67 
 
 Chap. XLVIII. 
 V. 7, ... . 154 
 
 Chap. XLIX. 
 
 Chap. XXIV. 
 
 V. 2, ... . 126 
 
 V. 3, ... . 126 
 V. 43,. . . . 134 
 V. 55,. . . . 134 
 
 V. 9, . . . . 102 
 
 V. 10, . 19, 61, 74, 102, 
 
 '39, 233, 234, 235 
 EXODUS. 
 
 V.57,. . . . 134 
 
 Chap. XXVI. 
 V. 4, . . . 126, 127 
 
 Chap. XXVIII. 
 ^- 12. . . 3, 23, 219 
 
 Chap. II. 
 
 - 3, . . . 156, 199 
 v-\ . . . . 134 
 V. 21,. . -. . 236 
 
 Chap. V. 
 V. 12, . . . 166, 268 
 
298 
 
 Index, 
 
 V. 4. • 
 V. 36 
 
 Chap. XII. 1 DEUTERONOMY 
 
 103 
 103 
 236 
 
 Chap. XVIII. 
 
 V.5, • . . . 237 
 V. 23, ... . 26 
 
 Chap. XIX. 
 V. 12, . . . • 33 
 
 Chap. XXV. 
 V. 2, . . . . 236 
 
 Chap. XXVIII. 
 V. 12, ... . 25 
 
 V. 29, . . . . 25 
 
 Chap. XXXII. 
 V. I, ... . 37 
 V. 6, . . . . 130 
 
 Chap. IX. 
 
 V. 6, 
 
 V. 19, 
 
 Chap. VI. 
 
 33 
 
 LEVITICUS. 
 Chap. VIII. 
 
 V. 12, 
 
 75 
 
 Chap. XVI. 
 
 V. 8, ... . 26 
 
 V. 9, . • • • 26 
 
 V. 10, . . . . 103 
 
 NUMBERS. 
 Chap. XL 
 
 V. 12, 
 V. 14, 
 
 Chap. XIII. 
 V. 23, . . . . 233 
 
 Chap. XIX. 
 V. 1 103 
 
 V. 2, . . . . 103 
 
 Chap. XXIII. 
 V. 7, . . 
 
 . . . 239 
 Chap. XXIV. 
 V. 17, . 233, 234, 236, 
 240, 250 
 
 Chap. XVIII. 
 V. 18, . 24, 75, 102, 
 104, 162 
 
 Chap. XXXII. 
 V. II, . . . . 26 
 
 Chap. XXXIII. 
 V. 10, . . . . 291 
 
 JOSHUA. 
 
 Chap. II. 
 
 V. I, . . . . 237 
 
 Chap. XIX. 
 V. 15, . . . . 154 
 
 JUDGES. 
 
 Chap. 11. 
 V. I, ... . 67 
 
 Chap. V. 
 V. 15, . . . . 268 
 
 Chap. VI. 
 V. 37, • • • • 70 
 
 Chap. XII. 
 V. 15, . . . . 208 
 
 Chap. XIII. 
 V. 22, . . . . 267 
 
 Chap. XV. 
 V. 4, . . . 188, 266 
 
 RUTH. 
 
 Chap. I. 
 V. 4, . . . . 237 
 V. 20, . . . . 39 
 
 Chap. IL 
 V. 4, . . . • 145 
 
 I SAMUEL. 
 
 Chap. III. 
 
 V. 18 6 
 
 Chap. X. 
 
 V. I, . . . . 75 
 
 V. 27, . . . . 196 
 
 Chap. XIII. 
 V. 14, . . . . 226 
 
 Chap. XVII. 
 V. 49, . . . . 164 
 
 Chap. XXVI. 
 V. 19, . . . . 268 
 
 2 SAMUEL. 
 Chapter I. 
 
 V. 20, . 
 
 39 
 
 Chap. VI. 
 
 V. 20 40 
 
 V. 22, . . . . 137 
 
 Chap. VIL 
 V. 14, . . . . 286 
 V. 19, . . . . 58 
 
 Chap. XII. 
 V. 13, ... . 187 
 
 Chap. XIV. 
 
 V. 20, . . 
 
 Chap. XVIII. 
 
 V. 2, . 
 
 237 
 
 Chap. XXIV. 
 V. 25, . . . . 170 
 
 I KINGS. 
 
 Chap. IV. 
 V. 30, . . . . 241 
 
 Chap. V. 
 V. 10, . . . . 236 
 
 Chap. VII. 
 V. 13, . . • . 236 
 
 Chap. VIII. 
 V. 27, . . . . 201 
 
 Chap. X. 
 V. 1 237 
 
Index. 
 
 299 
 
 Chap. XVII 
 
 
 Chap. XV 11. 
 
 V. 9, . . . . 
 
 237 
 
 V. 14, ... . 4 
 
 Chap. XIX. 
 
 
 Chap. XIX. 
 
 V. 12, . . . . 
 
 103 
 
 V. 25, . . . . 120 
 
 V. 16, . . . . 
 
 75 
 
 Chap. XXXIII. 
 
 2 KINGS. 
 
 
 V. 15, . . . . 102 
 
 Chap. V. 
 V. 15, ... . 
 
 237 
 
 V. 24, . . . . 181 
 Chap. XXXV. 
 
 Chap. VII. 
 
 
 V. 1 1, . . . . 2 
 
 V. 9, . . . . 
 
 63 
 
 Chap. XXXVIII. 
 
 Chap. XIX. 
 
 V. 7, . . . 208, 286 
 V. 9, . . . . 201 
 
 V. 31, ... . 
 
 91 
 
 Chap. XXXIX. 
 
 Chap. XX. 
 
 
 V. 27, . . . . 84 
 
 V. 3, ... . 
 
 226 
 
 PSALMS. 
 
 I CHRONICLES. 
 
 Chap. II. 
 
 Chap. XL 
 
 
 V. 7, . 52, 107, 161 
 
 V. 17, ... . 
 
 165 
 
 V. 12, . . . , 60 
 
 Chap. XXI. 
 
 
 Chap. VIII. 
 
 V. 18, . . . . 
 
 236 
 
 V. I, . . . . 201 
 
 V. 26, . . . . 
 
 15 
 
 V. 3. ... . 14 
 
 V. 4, . . . 90, no 
 
 2 CHRONICLES. 
 
 Chap. XVI. 
 
 Chap. XV. 
 
 
 V. 6, ... . 180 
 
 V. 2, . . . . 
 
 148 
 
 V. 9, . . . 97, 126 
 Chap. XIX. 
 
 NEHEMIAH 
 
 . 
 
 V. 4, . . . . 230 
 
 Chap. I. 
 
 
 V. 5, . . . . 138 
 
 V. II 
 
 226^ 
 
 Chap. XXII. 
 
 
 
 V. 6, ... . 91 
 
 JOB. 
 
 
 V. 27, . . . . 237 
 
 Chap. I. 
 
 
 Chap. XXIII. 
 
 V. I, . . . . 
 
 237 
 
 V. 2, . . . . 165 
 
 V. 21, . . . . 
 
 159 
 
 V. 6, ... . 98 
 
 Chap. IV. 
 
 
 Chap. XXIV. 
 
 V. 19, . . . . 
 
 5 
 
 V. 6, ... . 255 
 
 Chap. VIL 
 
 
 Chap. XXVI. 
 
 V. 3, • . . . 
 
 47 
 
 V. II, . . . . 105 
 
 Chap. IX. 
 
 
 Chap. XXX. 
 
 V. 3, • . . . 
 
 275 
 
 V. 9, . . . . 177 
 
 Chap. XIV. 
 
 
 Chap. XXXII. 
 
 V. 4, . . . . 
 
 5 
 
 V. 9, . . . . 16 
 
 Chap. XXXIV. 
 
 V. 8, . . . . 131 
 
 V. 14, . . 188, 220 
 
 Chap, XXXIX. 
 
 V. 5 47 
 
 Chap. XL. 
 
 V. 6, . 148, 180, 244, 
 
 269, 276 
 
 V. 7, 7, 60, 243, 260, 
 
 271 
 
 Chap. XLV. 
 
 V. 6 112 
 
 Chap. XLVI. 
 V. 4, . . . . 190 
 
 Chap. XLVII. 
 
 V. 9 237 
 
 Chap. XLIX. 
 
 V. 12, . . . 16, 203 
 
 Chap. L. 
 
 V. 23, . . . . 208 
 
 Chap. LI. 
 
 V. 5, . . . . 5 
 V. 8, . . . . 67 
 
 Chap. LIIL 
 V. 5, . . . . 67 
 
 Chap. LXIL 
 V. 9, . . . . 5 
 
 Chap. LXV. 
 V. 2, . . . 41, 97 
 
 Chap. LXLX. 
 V. 21 144 
 
 Chap. LXXII. 
 V. 10, . . 239, 233 
 V. II, . . . . 237 
 V. 16, . . . . 169 
 
 Chap. LXXIV. 
 V. 18, . . . , 177 
 
 Chap. LXXVir. 
 V. 7, . . . . 177 
 V. 8, . . . . 177 
 V. 20, . . . . 167 
 
 Chap. LXXVIII. 
 V. 25, . . . . 171 
 V. 3.3. .... 47 
 
300 
 
 Index. 
 
 Chap. LXXXII. 
 
 V. 6, . . 107, 286 
 
 Chap. LXXXV. 
 
 V. 9 179 
 
 V. 10, . . . . 96 
 V. 13,. . 185,188 
 
 Chap. LXXXVII. 
 V. 4, • I5i» i7o» 237 
 293 
 V. 5, ... . 237 
 
 Chap. LXXXIX. 
 V. 15, . . . . 60 
 V. 47, . 12, 177, 268 
 
 Chap. XC. 
 V. 9, . . . . 294 
 
 Chap. XCIII. 
 V. I, . . . . 190 
 
 Chap. XCV. 
 V. 7, . . .114, 295 
 V. 8, ... . 295 
 
 Chap. XCVI. 
 V. II, . . . . 212 
 
 Chap. cm. 
 V. 20, ... . 4 
 
 Chap. CIV. 
 V. 27, . . . . 262 
 V. 28, . . . . 262 
 
 Chap. CVII. 
 V. 9, . . . . 273 
 
 ex. 
 
 V. 3, . 70, 160, 231, 
 
 286 
 
 V. 4, . . 24, 75, 102 
 
 Chap. CXV. 
 V. I, . . . . 221 
 
 Chap. CXVI. 
 V. 7, . . . . 219 
 V. 10, . , . . 248 
 V. 12, . . . 29, 61 
 V. 13, . .61, 82, 167 
 
 Chap, CXVIII. 
 V. 22, . . . . 257 
 
 Chap. CXX. 
 V. S, • . . . 243 
 
 Chap. CXXIX. 
 V. 7, . . . . 263 
 
 Chap. CXXXII. 
 V. 6, . . . 157, 170 
 V. II, . . . 71, 102 
 V. 12, . . . . 102 
 
 Chap. CXXXVII. 
 V. 7, . . 158, 234 
 
 Chap. CXLIV. 
 V. 3, . . . . 52 
 V. 4, .... 5, 52 
 V. 5, . . . . 60 
 
 Chap. CXLV. 
 V. 15, . . . . 262 
 V. 16, . . . . 262 
 V. 17, . . . . 178 
 
 Chap. CXLV 1 1. 
 V. 20, ... . 2 
 
 Chap. CXLVIII. 
 V. I, . . . . 217 
 
 V. 5, . . . . 108 
 
 V. 6, . . . . 108 
 
 Chap. CL, 
 V. 4, . . . . 217 
 V. 5 217 
 
 PROVERBS. 
 
 Chap. III. 
 
 V. 9, . . . . 258 
 
 V. 10, . . . . 263 
 
 V. 34, . . . . 158 
 
 Chap. V. 
 V. 22, .... 56 
 
 Chap. VI. 
 V. 26, . . . . 90 
 
 Chap. VIII.- 
 V. 22, . . . . 231 
 
 Chap. XIII. 
 V. 12, . . . 68, 126 
 V. 17, . . . . 67 
 
 Chap. XIV. 
 V. 13, . . . . 70 
 V. 15, . . . . 249 
 
 Chap. XVI. 
 V. 24, . . . . 67 
 
 Chap. XVII. 
 V. 12, . . . . 182 
 
 Chap. XXX. 
 V. I, . . 141, 147 
 
 ECCLESIASTES. 
 
 Chap. III. 
 V. I, . . . . 263 
 
 Chap. V. 
 V. 8, . . . . 221 
 
 Chap. VII. 
 V. 6, . . . . 70 
 
 CANTICLES. 
 
 Chap. I. 
 
 V. 3, . . . . 75 
 
 V. 5 253 
 
 Chap. IL 
 
 V. 2 134 
 
 V. 4, . . . . 205 
 
 Chap. V. 
 V. TO, . . . . 155 
 
 Chap. VI. 
 V. 13, . . . . 273 
 
 Chap. VIII. 
 V. I, ... . 37 
 
 ISAIAH. 
 
 Chap. I. 
 V. 3, . . . . 196 
 
 Chap. II. 
 V. 3, ... . 295 
 
 Chap. III. 
 V. 7, • • • . 165 
 
 Chap. VI. 
 V. I, . . . . 102 
 V. 3, . . 209, 224 
 
 Chap. VII. 
 V. 9, . . . 20, 266 
 V. II, . 21, 142, 207 
 230' 
 
Index. 
 
 301 
 
 V. 12, . . . . 146 
 
 V. 14, . . 22, 71, 74, 
 
 146, 150 
 
 V. 15, . . 141, 144 
 
 Chap. VIII. 
 
 V. 8, . . . . 148 
 
 V. 10 147 
 
 V. 18, . . . . 293 
 
 Chap. IX. 
 V. 3, . . 28, 60, 69 
 V. 6, . 81, 102, 232 
 V. 7, . 12, 19, 23, 58 
 
 Chap. XI. 
 V. I, . 160, 183, 231 
 V. 10, . . . . 236 
 
 Chap. XIV. 
 V. 14, . . . . 203 
 
 Chap. XVI. 
 V. I, ... . 64 
 
 Chap. XIX. 
 V. 23, . . . . 218 
 
 Chap. XXIX. 
 V. 22, . . . . 120 
 
 Chap. XXX. 
 V. 21, . . . . 163 
 
 Chap. XXXVII. 
 V. 3, . . . . 138 
 
 Chap. XL. 
 V. 6, . . . 5, 37 
 V. 12 271 
 
 Chap. XLI. 
 
 V. 23, . . . . 18 
 
 Chap. XLII. 
 
 V. 3, . . . . 124 
 V. 6, . . . . 236 
 
 Chap. XLIII. 
 V. 6, . . . . 236 
 V. II, . . . . 78 
 V. 18, . . . . 68 
 
 Chap. XLV. 
 V. 8, . . . . 182 
 V. J 5, ... . 36 
 
 Chap. XLIX. 
 
 V. 6, ... . 69 
 
 V. 15, ... . 2 
 
 Chap. L. 
 
 V. 8, . . . . 147 
 
 Chap. LII. 
 
 V. 7, ... . 67 
 
 Chap. LIII. 
 
 V. 3, 26, 91, 157, 201 
 
 V. 5, . . . . 91 
 
 V. 6, ... . 25 
 
 V. 7> . . . . 203 
 
 V. 8, . . . . 161 
 
 V. 10, . . . . 169 
 
 V. 12, . . . . 166 
 
 Chap. LVI. 
 V. 7, . • . . 130 
 
 Chap. LVII. 
 V. IS, . . 158, 162 
 
 Chap. LX. 
 V. 6, . . . . 233 
 
 Chap. LXI. 
 
 V. I, . . . . 76 
 
 Chap. LXIII. 
 
 V. 3, . . . . 167 
 V. 16, . . . . 117 
 
 Chap. LXIV. 
 V. I, . . . . 60 
 
 Chap. LXV. 
 V. I, . . . . 255 
 
 Chap. LXVI. 
 V. I, . . . . 158 
 V. 2, . . . . 158 
 
 V. 12 190 
 
 V. i6, . . . . 190 
 
 JEREMIAH. 
 Chap. II. 
 
 V. 22, . . . . Ill 
 
 V. 28, . . . . 267 
 
 Chap. V. 
 V. 25, . . . . 267 
 
 Chap. XXII. 
 V. 29, . . . . 182 
 
 
 Chap. XXIII 
 
 
 V 
 
 5. . 74, 102, 
 
 160 
 
 V 
 
 6, . • . 75, 
 Chap. XXX. 
 
 102 
 
 V. 
 
 21, . . . . 
 
 162 
 
 V. 
 
 24, . . . . 
 Chap. XXXI. 
 
 74 
 
 V. 
 
 15, . . . . 
 
 234 
 
 V. 
 
 22, . . . . 
 
 20 
 
 V. 
 
 31, . . . . 
 
 EZEKIEL. 
 Chap. IX. 
 
 166 
 
 V. 
 
 4 
 
 Chap. X. 
 
 202 
 
 V. 
 
 14, .... 
 Chap. XIII. 
 
 84 
 
 V. 
 
 3, . . . . 
 Chap. XVI. 
 
 169 
 
 V. 
 
 4, . . . . 
 
 38 
 
 V. 
 
 5, . . . . 
 
 Chap. XVIIL 
 
 38 
 
 V. 
 
 20, . . . . 
 Chap. XXXIII 
 
 178 
 
 V. 
 
 II, . . . . 
 Chap. XXXIV 
 
 264 
 
 V. 
 
 23 
 
 Chap. XLVII 
 
 64 
 
 V. 
 
 5, . . . . 
 
 DANIEL. 
 Chap. I. 
 
 59 
 
 V. 
 
 4, . . . . 
 
 241 
 
 V. 
 
 6 
 
 Chap. IX. 
 
 240 
 
 V. 
 
 24 
 
 19 
 
 V. 
 
 25, 19,74,92, 
 
 102, 
 
 
 164, 
 
 234 
 
 V. 
 
 26 
 
 Chap. X. 
 
 102 
 
 V. 
 
 7 
 
 102 
 
302 
 
 Index. 
 
 HOSEA. 
 
 
 ZE 
 
 CHARIAL 
 
 I. 
 
 Chap. V. 
 
 
 Chap. I. 
 
 
 V. 5 
 
 204 
 
 V. 9, . . . . 
 
 103 
 
 Chap. X. 
 
 
 Chap. II. 
 
 
 V. I 
 
 169 
 
 V. 10, . . . . 
 
 203 
 
 Chap. XL 
 
 
 V. 13, ... . 
 
 37 
 
 V. I, . . . . 
 
 286 
 
 Chap. III. 
 
 
 JOEL. 
 
 
 v.8, ... . 
 
 183 
 
 Chap. IL 
 
 
 Chap. IV. 
 
 
 V. I, . . . . 
 
 39 
 
 V. 10, . . . . 
 
 156 
 
 V. 3, ... • 
 
 222 
 
 Chap. VI. 
 
 
 AMOS. 
 
 
 V. 12, . 74, 160 
 
 231 
 
 Chap. I. 
 
 
 Chap. IX. 
 V. 12, . . . . 
 
 76 
 
 V. I, . . . . 
 
 240 
 
 Chap. XIII. 
 
 
 Chap. VIL 
 
 
 V. I, . . . . 
 
 III 
 
 V. 2 
 
 157 
 
 
 
 V. 5, ... • 
 
 157 
 
 MALACHI. 
 
 
 Chap. IX. 
 
 
 Chap. IL 
 
 
 V. II, . . . . 
 
 267 
 
 V. 7, . . . . 
 
 165 
 
 JONAH. 
 
 
 Chap. IV. 
 
 
 Chap. I. 
 
 
 V. 2, . . . . 
 
 197 
 
 V. 2, . . . . 
 
 236 
 
 
 
 Chap. IL 
 
 
 WISDOM. 
 
 
 V.8, . .^ . 
 
 145 
 
 Chap. I. 
 
 
 
 
 V. 12, . . 166 
 
 268 
 
 MICAH. 
 
 
 Chap. XL 
 
 
 Chap. V. 
 
 
 V. 20, . . . . 
 
 46 
 
 V. 2, . 87, 102, 
 
 118, 
 
 
 
 233, 234 
 
 287 
 
 ECCLESIASTICUS. 
 
 Chap. VI. 
 
 V. 7 
 
 V. 16, ... . 
 
 180 
 291 
 
 Chap. X. 
 V. 9, ... . 
 
 182 
 
 HABAKKUK. 
 
 ST. MATTHEW. 
 
 Chap. III. 
 
 
 Chap. I. 
 
 
 V. 2, . . . . 
 
 201 
 
 V. I, 
 
 V. 5, 
 
 
 4i 
 
 HAGGAI. 
 
 
 V. 6, 
 
 
 240 
 
 
 
 V. 18, 
 
 
 133 
 
 Chap. II. 
 
 
 V. 21, 
 
 
 74 
 
 V. 7, . . . 74, 
 
 234 
 
 V. 22, . 
 
 . 134, 
 
 139 
 
 V. 8, . . . . 
 
 237 
 
 V. 23, 
 
 132, 134, 
 
 150 
 
 V. 9 
 
 234 
 
 V. 26, 
 
 
 150 
 
 
 Chap. II. 
 
 
 V. 
 
 I, • 
 
 150, 
 
 271 
 
 V. 
 
 2, . 
 
 . 93. 
 
 •63 
 
 V. 
 
 3, . 
 
 . 
 
 240 
 
 V. 
 
 4. . 
 
 . 
 
 151 
 
 V. 
 
 5, . 
 
 . 
 
 151 
 
 V. 
 
 6, . I 
 
 52, 154. 
 
 155 
 
 V. 
 
 8, . 
 
 
 240 
 
 V. 
 
 9, . 
 
 151, 
 
 168 
 
 V. 
 
 10, . 
 
 
 40 
 
 V. 
 
 II, . 
 
 . 
 
 40 
 
 V. 
 
 16, . 
 
 . 
 
 256 
 
 V. 
 
 18,. 
 
 . . 
 
 158 
 
 
 Chap. III. 
 
 
 V. 
 
 IS,. 
 
 . 
 
 88 
 
 V. 
 
 17, . I 
 
 39, 215, 
 
 219, 
 293 
 
 
 Chap. IV. 
 
 
 V. 
 
 14, . 
 
 . 
 
 19 
 
 V 
 
 18,. 
 
 . 
 
 156 
 
 V. 
 
 21, . 
 
 . . 
 
 156 
 
 
 Chap. V. 
 
 
 V. 
 
 24, . 
 
 . . 
 
 220 
 
 
 Chap. VL 
 
 
 V. 
 
 33,. 
 
 . . 
 
 275 
 
 
 Chap. VII. 
 
 
 V. 
 
 7, . 
 
 , 
 
 31 
 
 V. 
 
 8, . . 
 
 . . 
 
 31 
 
 
 Chap 
 
 . VIII. 
 
 
 V. 
 
 3, . 
 
 . . 
 
 94 
 
 V. 
 
 II, . . 
 
 239, 
 
 253 
 
 V. 
 
 29,. . 
 
 
 80 
 
 
 Chap. XL 
 
 
 V. 
 
 25,. . 
 
 
 158 
 
 V. 
 
 26, . 
 
 
 156 
 
 V. 
 
 28, . . 
 
 . 2C 
 
 .75 
 
 V. 
 
 29,. . 
 
 
 202 
 
 
 Ch.i. 
 
 . XIL 
 
 
 V. 
 
 25, . . 
 
 
 264 
 
 V. 
 
 38,. . 
 
 
 200 
 
 V. 
 
 41, . . 
 
 
 238 
 
 V. 
 
 42, . 
 
 72,' 238, 
 
 257 
 
 V. 
 
 48,. . 
 
 
 98 
 
 V. 
 
 49, . . 
 
 . 29 
 
 ,98 
 
 V. 
 
 50,. . 
 
 
 29 
 
 
 Chap. 
 
 XIIL 
 
 
 V. 
 
 30, . . 
 
 
 278 
 
 V. 
 
 ^2, . . 
 
 
 156 
 
Index. 
 
 303 
 
 Chap. XIV. 
 
 r.6, . . . . 31 
 
 V. 7, • . . . 31 
 
 V. 31, . . . . 10 
 
 Chap. XV. 
 
 V. 14, . . . . 163 
 
 Chap. XVI. 
 
 V. 18 21 
 
 V. 26, . . . . 181 
 
 V. 28 61 
 
 Chap. XVII. 
 V. I, ... . 93 
 
 V. 2, . . . 38, 93 
 V. 5, 21, 58, 104, 215, 
 
 293 
 Chap. XVIII. 
 
 202 
 
 157 
 
 26 
 
 26 
 
 148 
 
 275 
 
 Chap. XIX. 
 
 V. 30, . 100, 226, 272 
 
 Chap. XX. 
 V. 28, . . . . 57 
 
 Chap. XXI. 
 V. 3S» . 
 
 V. 6, . . 
 
 
 V. 13, . . 
 
 
 V. 14, . . 
 
 
 V. 20, . . 
 
 
 V. 24, . . 
 
 
 V. 37, . 
 V. 38, . 
 
 Chap, 
 V. 32, . 
 
 Chap 
 V. 23, . 
 V. 28, . 
 V. 31, • 
 V. 36, . 
 
 Chap, 
 V. 21, . 
 V. 32, . 
 V. 35. . 
 V. 36, . 
 V. 40, . 
 V. 42, . 
 V. 43, . 
 V. 45, • 
 
 XXII. 
 
 103 
 
 "3 
 
 103 
 
 . . 127 
 XXIV. 
 
 . • 253 
 . . 84 
 
 . . 278 
 
 . . 4 
 XXV. 
 
 . 62, 79 
 . . 278 
 . . 170 
 . . 170 
 
 . . 159 
 
 . . 170 
 
 . . 170 
 
 . . 159 
 
 Chap. XXVI 
 V. 26, . 
 V. 27, . 
 V. 28, . 
 
 V. 53. • 
 
 Chap, 
 V. 48, . 
 V. 60, . 
 
 Chap. 
 V. 18, . 
 V. 19, . 
 V. 20, . 
 
 . 31, III 
 . . Ill 
 
 . . 244 
 . 146, 208 
 
 XXVII. 
 
 . . 144 
 
 . . 240 
 XXVIII. 
 
 . 29 
 . 282 
 . 144 
 
 ST. MARK. 
 
 Chap. I. 
 V. I, . 
 
 V. 24, . . . . 
 
 Chap. IV. 
 V. 28, . . . . 
 V. 39. . . . • 
 
 Chap. VI. 
 V. 21, . . . . 
 V. 23, . . . . 
 
 Chap. IX. 
 V. 23, . . . . 
 
 Chap. XII. 
 V. 44, . . . . 
 
 Chap. XIII. 
 V. 4, . . . . 
 
 Chap. XIV. 
 V. 8, . . . . 
 V. 36, . . . . 
 
 Chap. XVI. 
 V. 17 
 
 ST. LUKE. 
 Chap. I. 
 
 V. 13. 
 
 V. 28, 
 V. 29, 
 V. 30, 
 V. 31, 
 V. 34. 
 V. 35. 
 V. 36. 
 V. 37, 
 V. 42, 
 
 V. 43. 
 
 68, 71, 
 
 79 
 210 
 
 263 
 94 
 
 72 
 83 
 
 136 
 
 225 
 
 152 
 
 225 
 27 
 
 202 
 
 66 
 96 
 
 71 
 66 
 132 
 135 
 135 
 135 
 136 
 160 
 
 V. 44 123 
 
 V. 45, . . , . 202 
 V. 46, ... . 29 
 V. 48, . . . . 202 
 V. 68, . . . . 29 
 V. 78, . 12, 103, no, 
 121, 138, 183, 
 
 185, 231 
 V. 79. . 35. 76, 164, 
 
 186, 188 
 
 Chap. II. 
 V. I, . . . 70, 238 
 V. 7, , 24, 69, 15s, 
 158, 238 
 V. 9, ... . 3 
 V. 10, . 27, 119, 209 
 V. II, . 27, 119, 157, 
 209 
 
 V. 12, . . . 168, 230 
 
 V. 13, . 115, 139,271 
 
 V. 14, . 3, 29, 81, 115, 
 
 119, 186, 222, 271 
 
 . 168, 206 
 
 210, 249 
 
 ... 54 
 ... 27 
 119, 127, 189 
 . . 78, 125 
 237 
 
 V.15. . 
 V. 20, . 
 
 V. 21, . 
 V. 25, . 
 V. 29, 
 V. 30, . 
 
 V. 32, . . . . 
 
 V. 34. • • • • 
 Chap. III. 
 
 V. 6, . . . . 
 
 V. 8, . ... 
 
 V. 31, . . . . 
 
 V. 38, . . . . 
 
 V. 16, . . . . 
 
 Chap. IV. 
 V. 25, . . . . 
 V. 27, . . . . 
 
 Chap. VII. 
 
 V. 5. . . • • 
 V. 14, . . . . 
 
 Chap. VIII. 
 V. 10, . . . . 
 Chap. X. 
 V. 21, . . . . 
 V. 24 
 V. 31 
 V. 32 
 
 204 
 
 89 
 
 169 
 
 22 
 22 
 
 274 
 
 238 
 
 238 
 
 274 
 
 94 
 
 60 
 
 180, 268 
 180, 268 
 
.304 
 
 Index. 
 
 V. 37, ... . 259 
 
 V. 42, . . . . 129 
 
 Chap. XI. 
 
 V. 23, . , . . 267 
 
 V. 42, . . . . 226 
 
 V. 47 226 
 
 Chap. XII. 
 
 V. 32, . . . . 225 
 
 V. 47 188 
 
 V. 48, . . . . 16 
 
 Chap. XIII. 
 
 V. 32, . . . . 256 
 
 Chap. XV. 
 
 V. 2, ... . 97 
 
 V. 4, ... . 7 
 
 V. 5. • . • . 7 
 
 V. 7, . . . . 210 
 
 V. 28, ... . 3 
 
 V. 31, ... . '81 
 
 Chap. XVI. 
 
 V. 2, . . . . 273 
 
 V. 23, . . . . 128 
 
 V. 26, . . . . 37 
 
 Chap. XVII. 
 
 V. 10, . . . . 274 
 
 V. 22, . . . . 118 
 V. 37, 84, 152, 171,277 
 
 Chap. XVIII. 
 
 V. 13, .... 187 
 
 Chap. XIX. 
 
 V. 3, . . . . 124 
 
 V. 9, . . . . 124 
 
 Chap. XX. 
 
 V. 35, • . . . 15 
 
 V. 36, ... . 4 
 
 Chap. XXI. 
 
 V. 25, . . . . 197 
 
 V. 33, . • • . 2 
 
 Chap. XXII. 
 
 V. 44, ... . 26 
 
 V. 53, . . . . 119 
 
 V. 61, . . . . 10 
 
 V. 62, . . . . 10 
 
 Chap. XXIII. 
 
 V. 8, . . . . 130 
 
 V. II 256 
 
 ST. JOHN. 
 
 Chap. I. 
 
 V. I, . . . 84, 178 
 
 V. 3, . . %'^, 90, 108 
 
 V. 9 108 
 
 V. 12, 23, 97, 107, 147, 
 
 292 
 
 V. 14, 17, 22, 39, 48, 
 
 52, 55, 78, 79, 85, 
 
 104, 143, 184, 281, 
 
 271 
 
 X. 16, 48, 62, 95, 194 
 
 V. 17, . . . . 95 
 
 V. 18, . . . . 93 
 
 V. 29, . 64, III, 180 
 
 V. 41, . . . . 195 
 
 V. 46, . . . . 154 
 
 V. 51, . . . . 3 
 
 Chap. III. 
 V. 16, . 12, 28, 40, 91 
 V. 34, . . . 48, 96 
 
 V. 35, • . . . 29 
 
 Chap. IV. 
 
 V. 18, . . . . 67 
 
 V. 24, . . , . 90 
 
 V. 25, . . . . 74 
 
 V. 42, . . . . 75 
 
 Chap. V. 
 
 V. 17, . . . . 108 
 
 Chap. VI. 
 
 V. 12, . . . . 268 
 
 V. 14, . . . . 130 
 
 V. 27, . . . 75, 167 
 
 V. 31, . . . . 171 
 V. 32, . . 166, 171 
 V. 33, . . . . 167 
 
 V. 35 244 
 
 V. 37, . . . . 75 
 V. 41, . . 171, 244 
 V. 48, . . 167, 170 
 V. 50, . . . . 276 
 V. 51,31, 171,234.276 
 V. 56, . . . . 99 
 V. 70, . . . . 16 
 
 Chap. VII. 
 V. 6, . . . . 260 
 V. 8, . . . . 47 
 V. 42, . . 151, 157 
 V. 52, . . . . 154 
 
 Chap. VI T I. 
 
 V. 33 117 
 
 V. 39, . . . 14, 117 
 V. 40, . . . . 117 
 V. 53, . . . . 117 
 V. 56, . . . IS, 20 
 
 Chap. X. 
 V. II, . . . . 64 
 
 V. 28, . . . . 26 
 V. 35, . . . 91, 288 
 
 Chap. XI. 
 
 V. 36, . . . . 145 
 
 Chap. XII. 
 
 V. 20, . . . . 238 
 
 V. 23, . . . 47, 238 
 
 V. 24, . . 167, 276 
 
 V. 41, . . . . 209 
 
 Chap. XIII. 
 V. 35, • . . . 42 
 
 Chap. XIV. 
 
 V. 2, . . . . II 
 
 V. 3, . . . . II 
 V. 5, . . . . 163 
 V. 6, 95, 164, 173, 
 182, 216, 242 
 V. 8, . . . . 107 
 V. 9, . . . 107 
 
 Chap. XV. 
 V. I, . . 167, 276 
 V. 5, . . . . 275 
 
 Chap. XVI. 
 
 V. 22, . . . . 71 
 
 V. 24, . . . . 67 
 
 V. 28, . . . . 108 
 
 Chap. XVII. 
 
 V. 3, . . . . 190 
 
 V. 24, . . . . 149 
 
 Chap. XVIII. 
 
 V. 5, • . • . 147 
 
 V. 8, . . . . 57 
 
 Chap. XIX. 
 V. 3, . . . . 256 
 V. 30, . . . 26, 105 
 
 V. 35, • . . . 93 
 V. 39, . . . 40, 240 
 
ACTS. 
 Chap. I. 
 
 V. 7, ... . 49 
 
 V. 9, ... . 93 
 
 V. II, . . 20I, 252 
 
 Chap. III. 
 
 V. 15 78 
 
 V. 21 265 
 
 Chap. IV. 
 V. 12, . . . . 76 
 V. 25, . . . . 291 
 V. 27, . . . 76, 280 
 
 Chap. VI. 
 V. 15, ... . 4 
 
 Chap. VII. 
 V. 22, . . . . 241 
 V. 43, . . . . 239 
 V. 55. ... . 96 
 
 Chap. VIII. 
 V. 9, . . . 169 
 
 V. 27, . . 240, 257 
 
 V. 31 163 
 
 V. 33. . . . • 199 
 V. 34, . . . 19, 132 
 
 Chap. IX. 
 
 V. 4, ... . 10 
 
 Chap. X. 
 
 V. 4 274 
 
 V. II, . . . . 269 
 V. 38 76 
 
 Chap. XII. 
 V. 22, . . . 223 
 
 Chap. XIII. 
 V. 7, . . . . 240 
 
 Chap. XIV. 
 V. 14, . . 221, 223 
 V. 27, . 232, 235, 247 
 
 Chap. XV. 
 V. 10, . . . . 25 
 V. 16, . . . . 267 
 
 Chap XVII. 
 V. II, . . . . 240 
 V. 34, . . 240, 242 
 
 Chap. XVIII. 
 V. 24, . . . . 242 
 
 Index. 
 
 Chap. XXVI. 
 
 V. 8. . . . . 135 
 
 V. 24, . . . . 242 
 
 V. 26, . . 40, 93, 230 
 
 ROMANS. 
 
 Chap. I. 
 
 V. 20, . . . . 36 
 
 Chap. II. 
 
 V. 15, . . . . 285 
 
 Chap. III. 
 
 V. 2, . . . . 146 
 
 V. 4, . . 176, 288 
 
 V. 22, . . . . 27 
 
 V. 27, . . . . 281 
 
 Chap. IV. 
 
 V. 3, • . . . 14 
 
 V. II, . . . . 125 
 
 V. 12, . 14, 246, 252 
 
 V. 17, . . . . 18 
 
 Chap. VI. 
 
 V. 23, . . . . 178 
 
 Chap. VII. 
 
 V. 14, . . . . 56 
 
 V. 18, . . . . 91 
 
 V. 22, . . . . 125 
 
 V. 23, . . . 92, 173 
 
 Chap. VIII. 
 
 V. 7, . . . . 91 
 
 V. 15, . . . 27, 295 
 
 V. 17, . . . . 58 
 
 V. 18, . . . . 274 
 
 V. 22, .... 122 
 
 V. 29, . . . . 53 
 
 V. 32, . . . . 29 
 
 V. 37, . . . . 147 
 
 V. 39, . . . . 147 
 
 Chap. IX. 
 
 V. 4, . . . . 186 
 
 V. 7, . . . . 14 
 
 V. 29, . . . . II 
 
 Chap. X. 
 
 V. I, . . . , 226 
 
 V. 2, . . . . 227 
 
 V. 4, . . . . 104 
 
 V. 6, . . . . 168 
 
 V. 8, . 92, 16S, 271 
 
 305 
 
 V. 10, . . . . 
 
 246 
 
 V. 14, . . . . 
 
 285 
 
 Chap. XI. 
 
 
 V. 25, ... . 
 
 272 
 
 Chap. XII. 
 
 
 V. I 
 
 258 
 
 V. 12, . . . 67 
 
 123 
 
 V. 18, ... . 
 
 227 
 
 Chap. XIII. 
 
 
 V. 4. . . . . 
 
 175 
 
 Chap. XIV. 
 
 
 V. 9, . . . . 
 
 79 
 
 Chap. XV. 
 
 
 V. 26, . . . . 
 
 226 
 
 V. 28, . . . . 
 
 170 
 
 Chap. XVI. 
 
 
 V. 20, . . . . 
 
 164 
 
 I CORINTHIANS. 
 
 Chap. I. 
 
 
 V. 25, ... , 
 
 199 
 
 V. 26, . . . . 
 
 240 
 
 V. 30, . . . . 
 
 185 
 
 Chap. II. 
 
 
 V. 2 
 
 36 
 
 V. 8, . . . . 
 
 1^ 
 
 V. 10, . . . . 
 
 34 
 
 Chap. III. 
 
 
 V. 3, ... . 
 
 16 
 
 V. 22, . . . , 
 
 29 
 
 Chap. IV. 
 
 
 V. 1, . . .43 
 
 277 
 
 Chap. VI. 
 
 
 V. 16, ... . 
 
 98 
 
 V. 20, . . . . 
 
 258 
 
 Chap. X. 
 
 
 V. 4, . . . . 
 
 167 
 
 V. 16, . . . 17, 
 
 III 
 
 V. 17, . . . . 
 
 277 
 
 Chap. XI. 
 
 
 V. 24, . . . . 
 
 3» 
 
 Chap. XII. 
 
 
 V. 13, . . . . 
 
 61 
 
3o6 
 
 Chap. XIII. 
 V. I, . . . . 4. 40 
 V. 2, ... . 34 
 V. 9, . . . . 102 
 V. 10, . . . . 104 
 
 V. 12, . . . 124, 131 
 
 Chap. XV. 
 V. 27, . . . . 270 
 V. 28, . . . 62, 278 
 V, 41, . . . . 217 
 V. CO 07 
 
 V. 50. • 
 V. 5h • 
 V. 54, . 
 
 2 CORINTHIANS. 
 
 Chap. I. 
 
 V. 20,. . II, 20, 182 
 
 Chap. II. 
 
 V. 15. .... 67 
 
 Chap. III. 
 
 V. 15, ... . 134 
 
 Chap. IV. 
 
 V. 6, . . . . 209 
 
 V. 10, . . . . 42 
 
 V. II, ... . 42 
 
 V. 16, . . . . 125 
 
 V. 17, ... . 31 
 
 Chap. V. 
 V. 17, . . . . 272 
 V. 19,. . . • 270 
 V. 21, . . . 55, 143 
 
 Chap. VI. 
 V. 2, ... . 62 
 V. 15 282 
 
 Chap. VII. 
 V. I, . . . . IIP 
 
 Chap. VIII. 
 V. 12, . . . . 225 
 
 Chap. IX. 
 V. 15, . . . . 29 
 
 Chap. XH. 
 V. 2, ... . 36 
 V. 9, ... . 199 
 
 Index, 
 
 GALATIANS. 
 Chap. II. 
 
 15, . . 
 
 20. . . 
 
 239 
 141 
 
 Chap. III. 
 
 9, ... 14 
 
 20,. . . . 
 
 23, . . . . 
 
 24 
 
 Chap. IV. 
 4, 13, 26, 28, 67, 
 104, 183, 287 
 55 
 
 125 
 
 142 
 
 56 
 
 48 
 
 5, 
 10, 
 
 19, 
 24, 
 
 25, 
 26, 
 28, 
 
 116 
 202 
 295 
 235 
 166 
 
 295 
 
 Chap. V. 
 
 3, • . . 13. 54 
 6, . . . 14, 118 
 19 42 
 
 Chap. VI. 
 8, . . . . 4 
 10, ... . 275 
 
 EPHESIANS. 
 Chap. I. 
 
 4, .... 161 
 
 5, .... 108 
 
 6, . . . 95» 296 
 10, ... . 70 
 
 18 125 
 
 23, . . . 62, 272 
 
 Chap. II. 
 3, . . . 138, 207 
 
 4 12 
 
 6, .... 113 
 
 , 12, . .49, 56, 142 
 
 14, . 23, 70, 185, 
 
 213, 218, 267 
 
 Chap. III. 
 
 285 
 
 238 
 
 . 41 
 
 32,41 
 
 • 34 
 
 . 41 
 
 Chap. IV. 
 
 8, . . • . 93 
 13, . 46, 192, 203 
 15, ... . 61 
 16, . . . . 261 
 
 30, ... . 61 
 
 Chap. V. 
 
 2, . . . 28, 141 
 29, ... . 96 
 
 31, ... . 9 
 
 32, ... . 9 
 
 Chap. VI. 
 
 15 35 
 
 PHILIPPIANS. 
 
 Chap. I. 
 15, . . 226, 227 
 
 Chap. II. 
 
 6, . . 203, 280 
 
 7, . .51, 92, 203 
 
 8, . . . 29,203 
 
 9, .... 144 
 13,. ... 226 
 17,. . . . 246 
 20, . . . . 295 
 22, . . . . 295 
 
 Chap. III. 
 
 12 16 
 
 15 35 
 
 21, . 5» 90, 97, 294 
 Chap. IV. 
 
 10, . . . . 170 
 
 18, 170 
 
 22, . . . . 240 
 
 COLOSSIANS. 
 
 Chap. I. 
 12, ... . 29 
 16 88 
 
 17, . . . 88, 132 
 
 18, . . . . 261 
 20. . 67, 177, 186 
 
 21 270 
 
 22, . . . . 270 
 
 Chap. II. 
 3, . 22, 104, 199 
 9, . . 48, 50, 270 
 14, • 13, 53. 54. 143 
 17 93 
 
Judex. 
 
 307 
 
 Chap. 111. 
 V. I, . . . . 264 
 V. 2, . . . . 264 
 
 I THESS. 
 
 Chap. I. 
 
 V. 3, . . . . 169 
 
 Chap. IV. 
 
 V. 17, . . . . 192 
 
 2. THESS. 
 
 Chap. I. 
 
 V. II, . . . . 227 
 
 Chap. II. 
 
 V. 7, . • • 34, 41 
 V. 9, ... . 18 
 
 1 TIMOTHY. 
 
 Chap. I. 
 
 V. 9, . ♦ . • 53 
 V. 15, . . . 13, 27 
 V. 17, . . . . 221 
 
 Chap. III. 
 V. 16, . . I, 3, 228 
 
 Chap. IV. 
 V. 7, ... . 42 
 V. 8, . . . 20, 33 
 V. 10, . . . . 75 
 
 Chap. VI. 
 V. 6, ... . 33 
 
 V. 12 14 
 
 V. 16, . . . 36, 118 
 
 2 TIMOTHY. 
 Chap. III. 
 
 V. 5, . . . . 38 
 
 Chap. IV. 
 V. II, . . . . 242 
 
 TITUS. 
 
 Chap. II. 
 V. II, . 40» 239, 247 
 V. 13 247 
 
 Chap. III. 
 V. 4, . . . . 40 
 V. 5. . . . Ill, 138 
 V. 13, ... . 242 
 
 HEBREWS. 
 Chap. I. 
 V. 2, . . 29, 58, 79 
 V. 3, I' 36, 58, "3, 
 161 
 V. 5, . . 280, 287 
 V. 6, . .15, 97, 245 
 V. 9, . . . . 139 
 V. 13, . . . . 113 
 V. 14, ... . 4 
 
 Chap. II. 
 
 V. 7, • • • 90, 91 
 
 V. 10, . . . 58, 292 
 
 V. II, . . . . SZ 
 
 V. 14, . . 9, 10, 17 
 
 V. 16, 27, 52, 81, 89. 
 
 128 
 
 V. 17, ... . 9 
 
 Chap. III. 
 
 V. I, ... . 61 
 
 V. 5, . . . . 103 
 
 V. 13, . . . 63, 295 
 
 V. 15, . . . • 295 
 
 Chap. IV. 
 
 V, 8, . . . . 166 
 V. 15, . . 143, 162 
 
 Chap. V. 
 
 V. I, . . . . 167 
 
 V. 7, ... . 25 
 V. 9, . . . 78, 162 
 
 Chap. VI. 
 V. 17, ... . 28 
 V. 19, . . . . 34 
 V. 20, . . 112, 176 
 
 Chap. VII. 
 
 V. 2, . . . . 176 
 
 V. 4, . . . . 77 
 
 V. 18, . . . . 284 
 
 V. 19, . . 166, 285 
 
 V. 23, . . . . 77 
 
 V. 24 77 
 
 V. 26, ... . 77 
 
 Chap. VIII. 
 
 V. 6, . . . . 166 
 
 V. 9. . . . . " 
 V. 13, . . . . 254 
 
 Chap. IX. 
 
 V. 5, . . . . 4 
 V. 14, . . . . Ill 
 V. 22, . . . no, 180 
 
 Chap. X. 
 
 V. I . . .95, 235 
 V. 4, . . . . 180 
 V. 5, . . 148, 287 
 V. 9, . . . . 244 
 V. 10, . 82, 114, 244 
 V. 19, . . . . 41 
 V. 20, 38, 41, 42, 43, 
 93, 269 
 X. 25, . . . . 277 
 V. 37, . . . . 268 
 
 Chap. XI. 
 
 V. I, . 125, 246, 249 
 V. 13, . . 124, 127 
 V. 27, . . . . 125 
 
 Chap. XII. 
 
 V. 1 93 
 
 Chap. XIII. 
 
 V. 7, ... . 167 
 
 V. 8, . . . . 233 
 
 V. 9, . . . . 167 
 
 V. 17, . . . . 167 
 
 V. 20, . . . . 64 
 
 V. 24, . . . . 167 
 
 ST. JAMES. 
 Chap. I. 
 V. 17, . . . . 29 
 V. 18, . . . 94, 293 
 V. 21, . . . . 16 
 V. 27, . . . . 42 
 
 Chap. II. 
 V. 12, . . . . 285 
 V. 18, 42,98,246,252 
 V. 22 14 
 
 Chap. IV. 
 V. 6, . . . . 230 
 V. 17, . . . • 188 
 
 Cl.ap. V. 
 V. 7 169 
 
3o8 
 
 Index. 
 
 V. 7, . 
 
 V, 12, . 
 
 V. i8, . 
 
 V. 19, . 
 
 V. 23, . 
 
 ST. PETER. 
 Chap. I. 
 
 . . 246 
 
 • 3, 184 
 
 • • 57 
 . 57, no 
 . . 295 
 
 Chap. II. 
 
 V. 19, . 
 V. 20, . 
 V. 21, . 
 
 Chap. V. 
 
 V. 4, 
 
 1 98 
 
 188 
 
 30 
 
 64 
 
 2 ST. PETER. 
 
 Chap. I. 
 
 V- 4, . . 17, 34, 'iS 
 V. 5, . . . . 202 
 ^'- 6, . . . . 202 
 V. 17, • . . . 251 
 V. 19, 19,3^,231,232, 
 234, 246, 25 1 
 V. 20, . . . . i^o 
 
 103 
 
 V. 21, . 
 
 Chap. II. 
 
 V. 4, 
 
 V. II, 
 
 ^•- '5.- . V . 239 
 
 Chap. III. 
 
 V. 8, . . . . 263 
 
 V. 9, . . . . 264 
 
 V- " 42 
 
 I ST. JOHN. 
 
 Chap. T 
 
 V. 2, . . , . 85 
 
 V- 3» . . > 93, 94 
 
 V. 7 112 
 
 V. 8 186 
 
 Chap. TI. 
 
 V. I, . . .44, 172 
 V. 2, ... . 76 
 
 Chap. III. 
 
 V. I, 40, 50, 91, 145 
 
 V. 2, . . . . 100 
 
 "■'• 14, ... . 42 
 
 Chap. IV. 
 
 V. 8, . . . . 40 
 
 V. 9, . . . . 2S9 
 
 V. 13, . . . . 42 
 
 V. 18, . . . . 2S5 
 
 2 ST. JOHN. 
 V. I, . . . . 240 
 
 ST. JUDE. 
 
 V. 6, . . . . 6 
 
 V. 14 121 
 
 V. 15, . ■ . . 121 
 
 REVELATION. 
 
 Chap. TI. 
 V. 24, . . . . 34 
 
 Chap. HI. 
 ^•21 113 
 
 Chap. IV. 
 V. 6, ... . 84 
 
 V. 7 84 
 
 Chap. X. 
 V. 6, . . . 62, 278 
 
 ^•7 43 
 
 Chap. XIH. 
 V. 8, ... . ,6, 
 
 Chap. XIV. 
 
 V. 4, . . . . 167 
 V. 6 70 
 
 Chap. XVH. 
 
 V. 5, . . . . 34 
 
 Chap. XIX. 
 
 V. 10, . . . 18, 150 
 
 Chap. XXI. 
 
 V. 27, . . . . no 
 
 Chap. XXII. 
 
 V. 9, ... . I c 
 V. 12, . . . 31. 278 
 V. 16, . . . . 248 
 V. 17 244 
 
INDEX OF SUBJECTS. 
 
 Abraham's thigh, symbol of, 126. 
 
 Abraham works upon his joy, in 
 this our example, 130. 
 
 Abraham's, joy at the birth of 
 Christ, 122, 126, 130; faith, 
 13, 127, 128 ; works and 
 SS. Paul and James, 20 ; his 
 and Simeon's sight of Christ, 
 12, 
 
 Adam, 265. 
 
 Adoption, 58. 
 
 Advent and Christmas, 271; Collect 
 quoted, 197. 
 
 Advent, Second, 62, 278. 
 
 Andrewes, Bishop, short notice of, 
 v.; his private character, vi.j 
 his agreement with Archbishop 
 Laud, vi.; his catholic teach- 
 ing, vii. ; his grasp of the Doc- 
 trine of the Incarnation, vii. ; 
 his copiousness of illustration, 
 and his Puritan opponents and 
 objections, vii., viii. 
 And Thou {ei tu), force of, more 
 
 than Behold [ecce], 153. 
 Angels, the, adore the Incarnation, 
 15 ; far more perfect than men, 
 4 ; fear of the presence of, a 
 reason for, 66 ; joy at the In- 
 carnation, 3 ; make no pause 
 between humility and glory, 
 209 ; men compared with, 5 ; 
 message of, most fit to the 
 shepherds, though delivered 
 churchwise, 64 ; multitude, a, 
 of, for high praise and dignity, 
 207 ; and to how the great- 
 
 ness of the Saviour, 208 ; not 
 envious, 3 ; praise God for the 
 Birth, 208 ; Sing at the Nati- 
 vity of those things that came 
 by the Nativity, 212 ; Song, 
 the, of, the very opposite to 
 the sign they gave of Christ's 
 Birth, 206 ; vobis of (to you), 
 three times, 209. 
 
 Angels, what are they ? 4 ; with us 
 at the Eucharist, 211. 
 
 Angel-Soldiers to announce the end 
 of strife and the birth of Peace 
 on the earth, 207. 
 
 Angelic choir, five views of— three 
 strains in the Song, 194. 
 
 Annunciation, 53, 133, 136, 137, 
 202. 
 
 Anthem, use of, 64, 194, 209. 
 
 Apostrophe, 153, 154, 156, 169. 
 
 Araunah's threshing-floor and the 
 wood of the Temple point to 
 fruit fulness, 170. 
 
 Ascension, the, a fact and a hope, 
 114; work of, 112. 
 
 Balaam's prophecy, 250. 
 
 Baptism, iii, 147. 
 
 Base, the, things should stand 
 
 upon, 136. 
 Begettings, the, of the Second 
 
 Person of the Trinity, 2, 286. 
 Begotten, the Second Person of 
 
 the Trinity, by a word, 287. 
 Behold [ecce), force of, 132, 153; 
 
 significance of, 71. 
 Bethlehem, the little birth-place, 
 
3IO 
 
 Index of Subjects, 
 
 the great Person, 155, 157 ; to 
 be honoured, 159. 
 
 Bethlehem anticipated Christ, 167. 
 
 Bethlehem-Ephrataand its teaching 
 upon Christ, 157. 
 
 Bethlehem, the true, the Church, 
 by reason of the Holy Eucha- 
 rist, 171. 
 
 Bible, the, a calendar of Saviours, 
 
 74. 
 Body and Spirit, 129. 
 
 Ceremony and Mystery, 41. 
 
 Charity, 40, 108. 
 
 Childhouse, 182 ; childhouse feast, 
 
 171. 
 Christ— 
 
 And Moses, 166 ; always fore- 
 told in the character most 
 needed when the prophecy 
 was given, 23. 
 
 Apprehended by us in the Word, 
 and the Sacrament, 16. 
 
 A special Saviour, 74. 
 
 Before and after Birth, 233 ; 
 Birth-place of, condemns 
 pride, 158 ; speaks of bread 
 and plenty, 165. 
 
 Birth of, nobis (to us), 27 ; iiobis 
 (to you), 80 ; excludes all 
 fleshly generation, 53 ; wit- 
 nessed by many, 93 ; joy at 
 the, 64, 68, 80, 138 ; brings 
 Him to man as never before, 
 140 ; as the Heir, 109 ; the 
 news of, always an angel's 
 message, 63 ; its relation to 
 Heaven, 173 ; the birth of 
 Truth, 173; produces union, 
 183 ; wonders of, 200 ; a 
 gathering of things in Heaven 
 and earth, 271 ; makes Him 
 the son of man, 280. 
 
 Blood, the, of, 114. 
 
 Condescension of, in His birth 
 and death, 29. 
 
 Child, the, and the Son, 21. 
 
 Christianity, is, 186. 
 
 Day, the, of, 131, 172, 173, 191. 
 
 Deliverer, our, and Guide, 11. 
 
 Desire, the, of, 120, 123. 
 
 Christ- 
 Disdained not the meanness of 
 
 our birth, 137. 
 Divine power of, 108. 
 Divinity of, 280. 
 Duty of seeking, 255. 
 Emanation, a continual, of the 
 
 Father's glory, 161. 
 Emptying, the, of, is the fulness 
 
 of time, 51. 
 End, the, of the Law, 104. 
 Example, our, Price and Sacrifice 
 
 in the Holy Eucharist, 31. 
 First, the, and Second naming 
 
 of, 144. 
 Flesh, the, of, 88, 114. 
 Foretold, 74. 
 
 Former times, and the, 108. 
 Gathers all things, ra. Travra, 264. 
 Glory, the, of, streamed through 
 
 the Flesh, 93. 
 Head, the, 266. 
 Humanity and Divinity of, the, 
 
 how we partake of both, 28. 
 Humility of (and our honour), in 
 
 the Incarnation, 15. 
 Known, is more than Christ 
 
 born, 193. 
 Kingdom, the, of, not of this 
 
 world, 24 ; on His shoulders, 
 
 24 ; Aaron and Moses types 
 
 of it, 25. 
 Late, the, appearing of, 104. 
 Life of, in the Flesh, 91. 
 Lord, the, paramount, 77. 
 Made man for us, 52, 109. 
 Manifestation of, 40 ; still a 
 
 mystery in part, 43. 
 Name of, as Shiloh and Messiah, 
 
 related to the Father and the 
 
 Holy Ghost, 139. 
 Natures of, the two, 21, 22, 28, 
 
 38, 52, 79, 105, 106, 118, 
 
 142, 152, 159, 182,214,216, 
 
 219, 247, 288, 289. 
 Not instantly found, 254. 
 Only, 108, 251. 
 Only, the. Sovereign in His 
 
 Principality, 24. 
 Only, the, well of grace, 96. 
 Our all. 28. 
 
Index of Subjects. 
 
 31 
 
 Christ— 
 
 Our Champion, 92, 164. 
 Our Deliverer and Guide, il. 
 Our Guide, 161. 
 Our Shepherd, 164. 
 Outgoings, the, of, from Eternity, 
 
 a superlative expression, 160 ^ 
 Person of, the one, Christ's Div- j 
 ine Person, 23, 36, 38, 48, j 
 88, loi, 102, 103, 105, 107, I 
 108, 142, 152, 159, 181, 182, I 
 216, 219, 221, 247, 288. 
 Preacher, the, 278. 
 Prince, a, 23. 
 Purger, the, of sin, no. 
 Religion, the, of, its glory, 179. 
 Took man's, not the angel's 
 nature, i ; the reason of, 12. 
 Took the seed to deliver the 
 seed, 10 ; and the seed of 
 the most untoward nation, 
 13. 
 Taking our nature shows His 
 
 love and our danger, 10. 
 Saints, and the, 107. 
 Should be honoured for His self- 
 emptying, 137. 
 Shoulders, the, and name of, 
 point to the one Person of 
 Christ, 23. 
 Sign, the, of, to us, needs the 
 
 same in us, 202. 
 Ubiquity, the, of, not to be mis- 
 used, for he is found in the 
 Church, 255. 
 Work, the, of, 106; Between 
 conception and birth, 137. 
 Christian graces, 40, 108, 118, 123, 
 177, 178, 184, 185, 186, 187, 
 188, 205. 
 Christians, must be subject to 
 Christ's Government, 24, 294 ; 
 their possession through Christ, 
 293 ; their luke-warmness, 
 254; their way (4 steps)— I, 
 born in Bethlehem ; 2, Faith ; 
 3, Humility ; 4, Good Works, 
 168. 
 Christian, the, Religion and the 
 
 Law, 283, 
 Church Militant, the, the mark of 
 
 "Hoping"— of the Church 
 triumphant, "Accomplish- 
 ment," 217. 
 Circumcision, the, 13, 51, 54. 55. 
 
 93. 133. 139, 143- 
 
 Co-eternal, 106. 
 
 Co-equal, 106. 
 
 Comparative and Positive language, 
 2. 
 
 Conception, to make Christ the 
 son of man, 53, 136 ; a giving 
 and a taking, 136 ; of the 
 Word and St John the Baptist 
 explanatory of each other, 135. 
 
 Congruity, the, of the Sacrament, 
 manhood joined to the God- 
 head, 228. 
 
 Con-substantial, 106. 
 
 Consistent, a. Christian life, 189. 
 
 Creation, the, and Redemption for 
 the Worship of God, 257. 
 
 Daily praise and service, 61. 
 
 David's character, 226. 
 
 Desire, the, of Abraham and 
 
 Zacchaeus, 124. 
 Desire, the, of Christ, 120, 123. 
 Despise not little things, 156. 
 Dogma necessary to Christianity, 
 
 282. 
 
 Earth desires some of God's 
 ! glory, 222. 
 
 ; Earth's peace, 216, 221. 
 
 Easter and Christmas, 120. 
 
 Epiphany, 93 ; Eph. Star, 230. 
 
 Eucharist, the Holy, grace of, 17, 
 31,42,61,81, 82,99,111,114, 
 131, 148, 171, 192, 210, 228, 
 240, 276, 277 ; the outward 
 part of, 210. 
 
 Events of Christ's birth, the teach- 
 ing of, 271. 
 
 I Example, the, of the Fathers, 116. 
 
 ! 
 
 ! Faith, 28, 108, 118, 125, 127; 
 ! the grace appropriate to the 
 
 i Annunciation, 202. 
 
 I Faith and Works, SS. Paul and 
 j James, 14, 20. 
 
312 
 
 Index of Subjects. 
 
 Fall, the, needed the humble 
 
 Nativity, 203. 
 Fathers, the, and Christ, 74, 115, 
 120; and ourselves, loi, 102, 
 116. 
 Fathers, the Catholic, &c. — 
 Quoted or referred to, 47, 98, 194, 
 
 195, 229, 233, 283. 
 Ambrose, St., 28, 206. 
 Augustine, St., 12, 16, 31, 37, 
 87, 121, 126, 135, 164, 182, 
 188, 189, 197,202,216,225. 
 Basil, St., 42, 175, 202. 
 Beda, the Ven., 19, 69. 
 Bernard, St., 30, 81, 177, 191, 
 
 199, 204. 
 Bradwardine, Archbishojj, 216. 
 Chrysostom, St., 6. 
 Cyprian, St., 30, 44. 
 Gelasias, St., 276. 
 Gregory, St., the Great, 16, 295. 
 Gregory. St., of Nazianzen, 35, 
 
 159, 222. 
 Hilary, St., 137. 
 Irenceus, St., 276. 
 Jerome, St., 182. 
 Lactantius, 182. 
 Leo, St., 12, 119, 195. 
 Tertullian, 44, 87. 
 Theodoret, 87, 276. 
 Theophlycat, 69. 
 Council, the Fourth General, 89. 
 Council of Seville, 21. 
 Flesh 37, 87 ; guards the Person 
 
 of Christ, 88. 
 Fulness, the, of God, 59 ; of 
 Christ, 270 ; of time, 46 ; 
 (seven degrees of, 49) in rela- 
 tion to Christ, 51 ; of seasons 
 and things, 261. 
 
 Gathering in Christ, 264, 268, 
 271. 
 
 Gentiles', the, position in promise, 
 235 ; in figure, 235 ; in the 
 prophets, 236 ; in the psalms, 
 237 ; in history, 238 ; in 
 Christ's teaching, 238 ; in 
 Ephesians iii 6, 238 ; import- 
 ant positions held by them at 
 all times, 240. 
 
 Glory and Humility, 209. 
 
 Gloria in Excelsis and the Sacra- 
 ment, 211; a call to Heaven 
 and earth to glorify God, 217. 
 
 Glory and Peace, the order of the 
 words, and the copulative, of 
 great importance, 219. 
 
 Glory, points to Heaven and the 
 Person of Christ, 221 ; to be 
 given to God at all times, 
 221. 
 
 God brings great things out of 
 little, 156. 
 
 God the Father's good will, was 
 the cause of the Incarnation, 
 224. 
 
 God followed man after the fall, 
 but not the angels, 6, 7. 
 
 God's fulness, 59, 270. 
 
 God's necessary things made plain, 
 
 35. 
 
 God the Holy Ghost, 251. 
 
 Godliness in our lives, 42. 
 
 Godly joy, 60. 
 
 God observed not the rule of reason 
 in the Incarnation, for He 
 chose the worse, 5. 
 
 God's order and time to be fol- 
 lowed, 275. 
 
 God's steps for Redemption, 7. 
 
 God's time never to be enquired 
 into, 49. 
 
 God's treatment to the Fathers, 
 102. 
 
 God's Unity, 264. 
 
 God's will never so plainly seen as 
 in the Incarnation, 216. 
 
 Good news, degrees of, 67. 
 
 Good- will, 214-222 ; its readiness, 
 225 ; referred to in the New 
 Testament, 226 ; a good think- 
 ing, 227 ; the cause of Redemp- 
 tion and glorification, 229. 
 
 Gospel, the, a law preached, 
 284. 
 
 Grace, the greatness of, 4 ; a re- 
 sult of the Nativity, 40 ; a 
 necessary perfection of Christ's, 
 94 ; Christ the well of, 96 ; 
 imparted to the Saints, 107 ; 
 a receiving of men by God, 
 
Index of Subjects. 
 
 313 
 
 224 ; per nos, 226 ; sine nobis^ 
 227 ; the law of, 292. 
 Grace and Truth inseparable, 94. 
 Graces meet in the Incarnation, 
 
 185. 
 Greek, Scholiast the, 6, 39. 
 Greek words and expressions illus- 
 trated — 
 
 dvaKe<pa\ai,6oi}, 260, 264, 273. 
 
 dua, dirb, adu, 265. 
 
 avrdWay/xa, 181. 
 
 dTravydafxaTa, ^6 ; diraOyao'fji.a, 
 161. 
 
 yevedXia, 119, 195. 
 
 yevo/xevov, 51. 
 
 5iiKV\j/e {prospexii), 173. 
 
 eXaxlcTT), 155. 
 
 ^€7X05, 249. 
 
 iXeos, 177. 
 
 i^air^cTTeiXe, 50. 
 
 eireXajSero, lo. 
 
 iiriXa/x^dveTai, 6, 8. 
 
 i(TK7jVui(Te, 85, 92. 
 
 evSoda, 227, 229 ; Cardinal To- 
 let on, 215 ; not dyadi] 
 diKrjais, 222. 
 
 ^aWido-aro {exiultavit), 122, 
 124, 129. 
 
 ^70i//x6;/os, 152, 161, 164, 167. 
 
 dedtracrdat, 93. 
 
 6€0(f)avia, 138, 195. 
 
 \^/oos, 196. 
 
 IJ,op(f)d}<T€i, 38, 
 
 /Mvarripiov, 43. 
 
 I'ous, Xd70s, 87. 
 
 oXtyiaros, 155. 
 
 ofjLootjaiov, 106. 
 
 ovdrjirov, 3. 
 
 oi5(r/a, viroaraais, 108, 189, 249. 
 
 Ilapa/ciJ^at, biaKixpai, 184. 
 
 irXripufia and /ce^ctXaiov, 269, 
 270, 273. 
 
 TToXvixepm, TroXyrpdwcos, lOl, 103. 
 
 TToppcx), 124. 
 
 TrpoSpofMos, 112. 
 
 TrpocTKvvetv, irpoatpipeiv, 257- 
 
 (TKTjPwaaiy 92. 
 
 (TTOixeTa, 48. 
 
 (TvvKeKXeicrfJL^voi, 56. 
 
 avaroixou, 147. 
 
 VTTOypapLixbv, 30. 
 
 VTrodea/xla, 49. 
 (t>avep6u), (f)ap9€iSf 39. 
 Xapi?, eXeos, 40. 
 Xp6vos, Kaipos, 262. 
 /car' e^ovatau, kot' oia'.cv, 1 07. 
 rd eiTi.(f)dvLa, 229. 
 Tct Trdj/Ta, 264. 
 tt;!/ Tjfiepau ttju ijj.rju, 1 18. 
 Gunpowder conspiracy referred to, 
 II. 
 
 Heathen, the, 180, 186, 213, 
 Heaven's seasons, 262. 
 Heavenly, the. Choir, 206. 
 Hebrew, the superlative in, the 
 
 language, 160. 
 Heretics and Heresies — 
 
 Anabaptist, the, 52, 137, 183. 
 
 Arius, 160. 
 
 Eucratite, the, 190. 
 
 Eutyches, 89, 276. 
 
 Gnostic, 190. 
 
 Manicheus, 89, 137. 
 
 Nestorius, 89. 
 
 Transubstantiation, 276. 
 
 Valentinus, 89, 137. 
 High and low coupled by God, 195. 
 History of the Incarnation, 32. 
 Historic, the, faith of Christ, 128. 
 Hope for the desponding, 123. 
 Human terms inadequate for the 
 
 things of God, 106. 
 Humility, appropriate to the Nati- 
 vity, 202, 209 ; our present 
 sign, of Christ's Birth in us, 
 200. 
 Humility, the, of God and of man, 
 
 39/ 
 Humility, the, of the Incarnation, 
 37, 39, 137; how this led to 
 heresy, 137. 
 
 Incarnation, the Holy, the 
 angels adore, 15 ; history of, 
 32 ; a mystery without con- 
 troversy, 34 ; important with 
 St Paul, 36 ; humility of, 37 ; 
 Grace of, 40, 80, 96, 180, 183, 
 186 ; seen at Mamre, 126 ; 
 Truth and Righteousness 
 gained in, 183, 184; love in, 
 
314 
 
 Index of Subjects. 
 
 8, 91 ; demands of, 16, 98 ; 
 viewed as a meeting, 174; 
 the mystery in, 85 ; the 4th 
 Council on, 89 ; greater than 
 the Creation, 90, 270. 
 
 Immanuel supposes Jesus, 140 ; 
 the name analyzed and ex- 
 plained, 140 ; teaches that 
 man is dearer to God than 
 Himself, 145. 
 
 In Creation God and man were 
 two, with the Incarnation God 
 and man become One, 270. 
 
 In Heaven and on earth, the pre- 
 positions compared, 227. 
 
 Interpretation of Scripture literal, 
 not mystical, 41. 
 
 Isaiah ix. 6, cannot refer to Heze- 
 kiah, 19. 
 
 Isaiah's and Micah's position in 
 the New Testament, 132, 150. 
 
 Isaiah's prophecy of the Virgin — 
 its rejection by the Jews — con- 
 sidered, 134. 
 
 Jews, the, as such ; not Abraham's 
 
 children, 117. 
 Jew, the, 28, 180, 186. 
 Joy, degrees of, 68. 
 Joy, in Christ, 76, 79. 
 
 Kalends of Christianity, 100. 
 Knowledge, man's love of, 33. 
 Knowledge, the full desire of, 
 
 points to the Second Person 
 
 of the Trinity, 22. 
 
 Law, the, of faith and works, 281 ; 
 
 faith, 288 ; works, 291. 
 Law, the, and the Gospel, 104, 
 
 281 ; how it differs through 
 
 the Son, 166, 285. 
 Learning, added no fame to Christ, 
 
 Liturgy, the, in relation to each 
 
 act of the wise men, 259. 
 Love, the measures of, 205, 
 
 Mahomet, 18, 180. 
 
 Man in Adam and in Christ, 265. 
 
 Man, benefited in the Incarnation, 
 
 40; exalted in Christ, 113; 
 delivered through Christ, 126 ; 
 power of, through Chri '. 127 ; 
 the twofold vision 0', 125 ; 
 state of, without ChribC, 274 ; 
 must look to Heaven first, 
 
 Man must exercise his free will, 42. 
 
 Man, in seeking glory, loses Peace, 
 223. 
 
 Man must follow God's order and 
 time, 275. 
 
 Man's, love of Knowledge, 33 ; 
 reckoning of his own deeds, 
 273 ; seven blessings in Christ, 
 126 ; work rewarded by God, 
 225. 
 
 Maker, the, the Restorer, 88. 
 
 Manger, the, necessary to find 
 Christ, 195 ; proved a great 
 trouble, 196 ; agrees with the 
 first coming, 197 ; a sign of 
 love, 204. 
 
 Manhood being mentioned before 
 Godhead, proves God's love, 
 22. 
 
 Mediator, the, 142. 
 
 Meeting, the, in Christ and Christ- 
 ianity, 189. 
 
 Men perform good-will and sing 
 the angels' song at the Holy 
 Eucharist, 228. 
 
 Micah leaves Jerusalem to turn to 
 Bethlehem, 154; his pro- 
 phecy accepted by the Jews, 
 152 ; his style in the fifth 
 chapter, 153. 
 
 Miracles, the evidence of Christ's 
 Person, 94. 
 
 Moses and Christ, 166. 
 
 Music, reference to, 155, 213, 22c, 
 221, 227, 228. 
 
 Mystery, 32, 33, 36, 41, 43; in 
 trade, 33 ; plurality of, 34 ; 
 the manifested one, no proof 
 of its inferiority, 35. 
 
 My Son, 285. 
 
 Nativity, the Holy, supposes the 
 Passion, 38, 119, 198 ; manner 
 of, 38 J relation of, to the 
 
Index of Subjects. 
 
 315 
 
 circumcision, 55 ; safety in, 
 65; seen at Marnre, 126; in 
 connection with Christ's feasts, 
 133 ; in relation to heresy, 
 137; needed a mean sign, 
 197 ; which shows the glory 
 of the Person, 198 ; Humility 
 of, 202 ; not to display Christ's 
 love but to worlc for our 
 benefit, 205 ; the outward 
 sign of — the Eucharist, 210; 
 the Angels' song at, 212; 
 three streams from, 214 ; 
 shows God well pleased with 
 our nature, 215 ; gives glory 
 to God, 216 ; the glory and 
 power of, 218 ; three stars at, 
 247 ; a real gathering at, 268. 
 Nature, the power, of the God of, 
 
 135- 
 No confusion in the Incarnation, 
 
 15- 
 
 Oblation, Christ our, in the 
 
 Sacrament, 81. 
 Old customs, 35, 128, 129, 244, 
 
 272. 
 Offices of Christ, 23, 75, loi, 106, 
 
 167, 290, 
 Our wish must result in our work, 
 
 228. 
 
 Passion, the Holy, 25, 38, 119, 
 
 126, 167, 198. 
 Patriarchs, the, saw Christ's day, 
 
 124. 
 Paul, St., and the Incarnation, 36. 
 Philosophy and Learning never 
 
 thwart Divinity, 242. 
 Philosopher, the, and signs, 204. 
 Positive and comparative language, 
 
 2. 
 Prse-existent, glory of Chi'ist, no, 
 
 173- 
 
 Pride condemned by Christ's 
 
 manger, 203. 
 Pride, what it brought upon Christ, 
 
 203. 
 Promises, fulfilment of, 48 ; the 
 
 chief, given in the dark times, 
 
 18. 
 
 Prophecy, 250 ; more sure word of, 
 quoted in relation to the star 
 in the East, 251 ; more like 
 history, 18; on the Epiphany, 
 as regards place, time, person, 
 occasion, 233. 
 
 Proud, those who are, oppose the 
 manger as the sign of Christ, 
 203. 
 
 Proverb quoted, 254. 
 
 Psalms referred to, 78, 172, 173. 
 
 Psalmist of the New Testament, 
 St. Luke, 212. 
 
 Queen of Sheba's finding, and 
 the wise men, a contrast, 256. 
 
 Reconciliation through Christ's 
 embryo stage, 138 ; from God, 
 
 145- 
 Redemption, 56. 
 Religion, natural and revealed, 
 
 284. 
 Righteousness, 179, 184, 187. 
 
 Sacrament, the, preparatory to 
 Heaven, 149. 
 
 vSafety in the Nativity, 65. 
 
 Salvation, 67, 72, §3, 295 ; de 
 pendent upon our service, 148. 
 
 Satisfaction, 179, 180, 181. 
 
 Saviour, 72, 74 ; His appeal to our 
 love, 113. 
 
 Scribes, the, and the wise men, 
 164. 
 
 Season, a, for Heavenly as well as 
 earthly things, 262. 
 
 Seed, the, of Abraham, significance 
 of, 13 ; taken by Christ to de- 
 liver the seed, 10 ; what is it ? 
 4 ; the whole nature of man, 
 9 ; its relation to the indi- 
 vidual, 9. 
 
 Separation came with man, Recon- 
 ciliation from God, 145. 
 
 Septuagint, the (Ixx.), 174. 
 
 Sign, the, that men would hav 
 preferred at Christ's birth, 197 
 
 Sign, the, though mean all sufficient 
 to find the thing signified, 199. 
 
3'6 
 
 Index of Subjects. 
 
 Simile of the Word and the Voice 
 
 to Christ, 89. 
 Sin, the Atonement for, by the 
 
 Word in flesh, '^^. 
 Sin and Graces, 186. 
 Sin, degrees of, 12 ; brought in by 
 
 the flesh, 88; stain of, 72, ill ; 
 
 disease of, 66, 1 1 1 . 
 Smoking flax, the, 123. 
 Son of God, the, 21, 85, 86, 107, 
 
 no, 118, 280; begotten, 286. 
 Sons of God, 107, 292. 
 Son of Man, the, 118, 136, 280. 
 Star, the, appeared in the East at 
 
 the Birth of Christ, 229 ; seen 
 
 in the East and West, 250 ; 
 
 how seen, 249 ; three at the 
 
 Nativity, 232, 247 ; meaning 
 
 of, 230, 251, 252; in the wise 
 
 men's hearts, 246. 
 Streams, three, from the Nativity, 
 
 214. 
 Symbol of Abraham's thigh, 126. 
 Synaxis (Sacrament), 277. 
 Synecdoche, 190. 
 
 Thankfulness, 60. 
 
 The Fathers, and Christ, 74, 1 15, 
 120; and ourselves, loi, 102, 
 116. 
 
 Time and Season, 262 ; Significance 
 of the Plural, 262. 
 
 Titles and offices of Christ, 75, loi, 
 102, 105, 113, 290. 
 
 To-day, 63 ; an expression for 
 Eternity, 290. 
 
 Towards men, meaning of, 225. 
 
 To keep the feast, not to Judaize, 
 116. 
 
 Transubstantiation a heresy, 276. 
 
 Trinity, the Holy, 61, 76; a 
 secondary, 143 ; First and 
 Third Persons of, 139 ; Second 
 Person of, 107 ; seen in the 
 Chi-istmas Anthem, 213. 
 
 True religion must confess the In- 
 carnate God, 187. 
 
 Truth gained in the Incarnation, 
 183 ; born on Christmas day, 
 
 '73- 
 'luik, the, 28, 180. 
 
 Twofold, the, meaning of Christ's 
 words, St John viii. 56, 115. 
 
 Union of Creation and Redemp- 
 tion, 269. 
 
 Unity, with man, would bring Re- 
 velation from God, 35 ; the 
 beauty of, 264. 
 
 Use, the, of Christ, St Bernard 
 upon, 30. 
 
 Varro's calculation of the Earth's 
 opinions, 216. 
 
 Virgin, the, Jewish objection to 
 the word considered, 134. 
 
 Virgin's, the Blessed, and Eliza- 
 beth's offspring, explanatory 
 of each other, 135. 
 
 Virginity, the perpetual, objection 
 to, considered, 135. 
 
 Virtue, the, of Christ's birth, 268, 
 269, 
 
 Way, the — we must walk upon it, 
 and not talk about it, 164. 
 
 Wheat and the World's Seasons, 
 263. 
 
 Wise men, the, faith of, 232, 245, 
 247, 248, 249, 253 ; work of, 
 243, 253 ; errand of, 245 ; 
 service of, 246 ; journey of, 
 difficult, 252 ; acted upon the 
 first apperrance of the star, 
 253 ; the prophecy, how pos- 
 sessed by, 250. 
 
 Wise men's, the, faith founded 
 upon the Person, Natures, and 
 Office of Christ, 247 ; faith, 
 confessed, 248 ; faith, and ours, 
 
 253- 
 
 Wisdom, the, of St John the Divine, 
 84, 87. 
 
 Without controversy, 34. 
 
 Without Christ, the state of being, 
 267. 
 
 Word, the, spoken and unspoken, 
 to illustrate the Eternal genera- 
 tion of the Word, 287. 
 
 Word, the, proceeding of, 86 ; 
 guards the Son's generation, 
 87 ; made flesh, 88, 89. 
 
Index of Subjects. 
 
 317 
 
 Worship, mock, by the two Herods. 
 
 256. 
 Worship, a work demanding soul, 
 
 body, means, 257 ; must be 
 
 inward and outward, 258. 
 Writer, the, to the Hebrews eager 
 
 to speak of Christ, 103, 105. 
 
 Xmas anthem, threefold teaching 
 
 of, 213; Archbishop Brad- 
 
 wardine on, 216. 
 Xmas day, or Christ's whole life, 
 
 119. 
 Xmas day, the day of salvation, 83, 
 
 295. 
 
 Xmas day, 32, 100, 102, 114, 115, 
 
 116, 118, 119. 
 Xmas, a meeting of grrxes, 191. 
 Xmas and Easter, 120. 
 Xmas falls at the time of nature's 
 
 poverty, 272. 
 Xmas joy, 129. 
 Xmas, the fulness of time, 44 ; of 
 
 seasons, 272. 
 Xmas-tide, 12; days, in duration, 
 
 272. 
 Xmas, the end and the beginning 
 
 of the year, 273. 
 Xmas work, 112, 121, 129. 
 
 TURNBULL AND Sl'EARS, PRINTERS, EDINBURGH. 
 
 2 M. -V.-8/90 
 
DATE DUE 
 
 PRINTED INU.S. A.