preserve the Truth Unity and Majesty of the Godhead The Metaphysicks do further use Arguments taken from Analogies as that one spirituall God should appoint one Vicegerent under himself as it were one corporeall God to govern this materiall world viz. One Sun in the firmament from whom all the Stars borrow their light and from whom the Corporeall World receives all her perfection and as God is only known by the revealing of himself so this Sun is discerned only by his own light yet the eye must not presume to penetrate or fasten on the Sun lest wasting the spirits it fall into blindness and darkness yea when the Sun is eclipsed when by the interposition of the Moon the brightness thereof is obscured yet then it is not safe to behold it nothing is so hurtfull to the sight which serves by way of comparison or Analogâ—…e to deterre us from prying into the secrets of the Deity From the Metaphysicks I come to the Mathematicks which have the commendations that of all other Sciences they are the most demonstrative I will therefore borrow some examples from them and I will only instance in Astrology and when it plainly sheweth so many great and such strange wonders in the heavens such as a man of ordinary capacity cannot easily conceive it must needs argue that God himself must be much more admirable and incomprehensible suppose that the Sun which appears unto the eye to be but of a little compass and quantity yet should be so much greater then the whole Earth which certainly it must be or else it could not enlighten so great a part of the World secondly the motion of a Bullet may seem very swift for the eye cannot follow it nor avoyd it yet certain it is that the Stars near the Equinoctiall do move a hundred times swifter then a Bullet which must needs be considering the great circuit which they make within the compass of a naturall day and yet notwithstanding they seem unto us as if they stood still thirdly the spacious Earth together with all her huge Mountains and Rocks alas they carry no proportion of any sensible quantity in respect of the heavens when we are at Sea we see the whole medietie of the heavens as if there were no earth at all to hinder our sight fourthly one mother earth affording the same nourishment a little durty Pap to the severall plants yet by virtue of the heavens it should prove sweetness in one bitterness in another and so of all severall tasts and savours fitted and proportioned to all particular natures this I write to assure man both in his sense and in his understanding that there is such a difference and disproportion between the two Worlds that man might see his own infirmity acknowledge his weakness and himself to be so much inferior as to be ignorant in the particulars of the spirituall World and therefore not rashly to oppose but humbly to submit his own Judgement But fearing lest these Metaphysicall Mathematicall contemplations might be obscure I will therefore descend lower and instance in such particulars which may be more perspicuous and whereof we may take morenotice as being more sensible and therefore better known unto us and seeing the Logicians have reduced all things into predicaments I will insist in them as they are in order First for Substance which consists of matter and form who fashioned these each to other that the matter should afford Organs and Instruments and a fit habitation for the form that the form should adde perfection beauty and ornament to the matter surely they could not thus severally dispose themselves therefore there must be some efficient cause to order them accordingly From the matter proceeds quantity which hath severall dimensions longitude latitude and profundity but who squared out these with his Rule and his Compass according to measure and proportion but some omnipotent power for nothing will bound and limit it self From the form proceeds qualitie which admits degrees of comparison good better best but needs there must be some infinite power to prescribe and appoint the degrees Thus far how things are constituted in themselves now in relation to others to see how the heavens are sitted for the Earth how the Eâ—…ements are proportioned each to other and agree in their Symbolizing qualities how the Male and the Female are fitted to each other how every thing is fitted with food with harbour with rayment surely some infinite omnipotent wisedom made our provision for if we were left to our selves we should starve in our own wants For Action if unreasonable creatures do work according to the Rules of reason as the dumb creatures do in every thing naturally which concerns them and their condition Surely this must proceed from some infinite intellective power which infuseth such a knowledg into them with this limitation that it should only extend to such things as are necessary to their beeiâ—…g and no further For Passion it is a wonderfull thing to consider what Birds and Beasts will do for their own defence the Hares which are near the Sea side do watch their time that when the Hounds are in pursuit they may goe close by the Sea side that the tyde coming in might take away the sent they shall observe where the sharpest stones are that themselves being light may pass over while the dogges being heavy may cut themselves and cannot follow the pursuit if Gunpowder be a late invention of ours surely the wilde Foule in discovering it it is a late invention of theirs there is not a fencer so cuning as they are in defending themselves The Serpent will so winde her body that she will make it a Buckler for defence of her head where she knows the least blow proves deadly neither are they wanting in Stratagems Quando in respect of time it is wonderfull to consider how the poor Silkworm and the Mulbery bud come together The Swallow the Cuckow and other Summer Birds if they come not at their just time it is an Argument that some Storms and Winter cold are behind Where these Birds should hide themselves how they should continue without food and where they should provide food at their coming for it is certain the Martins bring into their Nest such worms as no reasonable man scarce knowes where to finde the like For the building of their Nests that they should be able on the highest Trees to lay as sure a foundation as if they did build upon a Rock that no man let him be never so skilful in Architecture and use the best means and instruments he hath his Rule his Square his Levell his Compass yet he shall not be able to make the like Nest. And to conclude whatsoever doth habitually concern the creatures you shall finde it so grounded in wisdom and so supported with all severall circumstances that we can do no lesse then admire the goodness and
prescribed this was done in the infancy of the Creation when Adam and Eve might happily be ignorant whether the rest of the Creatures were rationall or irrationall whether they were dumbe or spake a language they might see that their works and all their naturall actions were very agreeable to reason and the Creatures having all the instruments of speech why might they not be supposed to have the free use and exercise of speech as well as man and for other things they could speak nothing by their own experience we have heard of Monsters of men whom by their shape and form you could hardly know to be men yet had they the use of reason There was a Fish taken in the time of Hen. 2. so like a man that Fishermen were mistaken and did conceive him to be a man indeed certainly without triall and experience which our first Parents could not have so immediately upon the Creation it was easie for them to mistake I should never believe that Parots and Pyes should speak so distinctly were it not that I find it by proofe But not to trouble you with every circumstance the Angels did sin spiritually in their pride and presumption sins spirituall answerable to their condition as they are wholly spirits Man subsisting of flesh sinned carnally in tasting the forbidden fruit and therein his flesh prevailed over his reason in breaking Gods command only some of the Angels sinned and they were punished accordingly but the first Parents of Mankinde sinned and in them according to the course of our own ordinary justice their whole race and posterity was to suffer but the punishment was small for they had the benefit of repentance whereby they might not only have remission but likewise through the Mercies of God and the Merits of Christ they might attain a greater degree of happiness then was at first allotted unto them And for that punishment of death which God enacted by a Statute Law Statutum est hominibus semel mori alas it is but the transition to a better world whereby we take the possession of that whereof we are not now so capable and therefore it should be a great part of our desires Cupio dissolvi esse cum Christo. Thus after the fall of Angels God having given the like freedom of will unto man in pleased God likewise to make tryall of his obedience in giving him the free use of all the rest of his Creatures only forbidding one fruit the Tree of knowledge which might be seen but not tasted whereby might appear whether Gods command or mans inordinate appetite were the more powerfull in man or whether man subsisting of flesh and spirit which of these should be predominant whether man being placed between the blessed Angels and dumbe Beasts should by his abstinency and conformity to God draw neerer to the Angelicall state and become more spirituall or by his carnall uncleanness giving way to his appetite and gluttony he should fall down to the sensuality of Beasts that whatsoever he lusted after he should not deny himself what his own eyes and his carnall concupiscence should offer unto him he should greedily imbrace it and thus by the tasting of the forbidden fruit which the Socinians conceive to be but a small offence there is implyed the great opposition between the flesh and the spirit Now for the truth and demonstration that man did offend it shall appear by the punishment for I have already proved by undenyable arguments that man is fallen from his first integrity and perfection and that the state of the world is much changed and altered since the Creation that many things have and do daily befall man which can be no less then the punishments of sin and the just effects of Gods vengeance that man himself by his fearfulness and naturall uncleanness seemes to acknowledge a guilty conscience and himself to be justly condemned This I have already proved and I set forth a Book to that purpose about 40 years since the Title of the Book is The fall of man or the fall of Adam from Paradise proved by naturall reason wherein I do not only give satisfaction to reason but I do plainly evince it by many naturall proofs I consess I cannot do the like for other mysteries but only for that alone because it comes nearer our naturall state and condition while other mysteries are far above our reach and concern the state of another world but the fall and corruption of Nature must manifestly and demonstratively appear in the effects and punishment of sin and therein the ground and foundation of Socinianism is utterly dissolved and though since that time many of their Books have been vented and published yet I never heard that the scope and intent of that Book was ever so much as questioned which I am ready still to make good and to justifie now in my old age though my strength memory and intellectuals do a little faile me I thank God for it Man being fallen from his first integrity as God would not utterly destroy him so neither would he suffer him to continue in a sinfull state and condition look what distance there is between heaven and earth between life and death such and so great is the distance and opposition between corrupted nature and grace therefore needs there must be a regeneration and a redemption of man but whether this should be done without means only by Gods omnipotency as was the act of Creation therein we doubt it is true that in the Creation no means could be used for then there was nothing but God yet notwithstanding in the Creation it self as soon as God had created the confused mass of the heavens and the earth out of nothing then immediately he useth this generall mass as a means for producing particulars Producat terra herbam virentem pro ducant aquae reptile and that light which was created the first day did serve to make the Sun and the Stars the fourth day and in the constituted course of nature there is nothing done without meanes the sap and fatness of the earth together with the Sunshine and influence of the heavens God appointing protecting concurring and blessing his own means serve for our fruitfulness and to continue nature in her own kind Thus in Religion God hath instituted Sacraments and Rites then certainly the same God who is ever so constant in the uniformity of his works for that he doth ever make choyce of the best and therefore is not uncertain or wavering in the constancy of his own resolutions he would use means in the work of mans redemption as well as in the preservation of the world for God out of his infinit love desiring to impart himself as he gives a beeing whereby Creatures made of nothing may together subsist with himself so they subsisting to honour them the more he refuseth not their help but useth them as means that they should together cooperate with himself Thus
life to all others yet hereby he makes himself lyable to death without which there could be no satisfaction Thus God becoming man he is interessed in the cause and so the Justice and Mercies of God are fully reconciled in Christ. Thus the Incarnation being presupposed let us now consider what inconveniency or disparagement it may be or rather what advantage or prerogative may thereby accrue to the Deity and how all the creatures are thereby exalted and honoured but man especially is infinitely tyed to his thankfulness For any dishonor to the Deity certainly there can be none at all for the whole universe in respect of God is as nothing and therefore what aspersion may arise from the Creatures and be cast on the Deity it doth utterly vanish and come to nothing Thus the mists and ill vapours of the earth ascend no higher then the middle region of the aire and there they are dissolved into Showers Storms and Tempests and so fall again to the earth thus Blasphemies and sins done in contempt of God yet no way sasten on God or any way obscute his honor but thereby God takes occasion in justice to powre down his wrath and vengeance upon the transgressors Thus God according to his own ubiquity is every where and in every Creature yet without the least disparagement to himself as the Sun-beams or light shining upon the most unclean and sordid places yet are thereby no way tainted or infected much less can the Godhead receive any blemish or stain from his Creatures So there being no inconvenience let us see what advantage benefit and honor redounds to the Godhead by the Incarnation First we know and our Fathers have told us that the love of God towards man is infinite but how shall this appear really and actually if all the fruits of Gods love towards man be finite and so bounded therefore it is requisit that some act of this infinite love might appear this is done by an infinite bond by an hypostaticall union of God with our nature and this is such a bond as that God himself can do no more he cannot come nearer man then by uniting the two natures in one Person and this we must truly confess to be the fruit and plainly to demonstrate Gods infinite love towards man Secondly we confess Gods omnipotency but how shall this appear unless there should be some infinite Creature It is true that making must something of nothing there being an infinite distance a non ente adens it needs argue omnipotency yet this is only in respect of the manner but that Gods omnipotency might every way appear it is necessary there should be an infinite Creature and here behold God and Man are united and become one Christ who is truly infinite and omnipotent and therefore doth every way confirm Gods omnipotency Thirdly the Incarnation seems to adde some perfection to God and to improve Gods knowledge it is true God knowes all the miseries and sorrowes of man all his imperfections and weakness but he knew them not in that manner as now he doth for he knew them not by way of triall and experience in himself The sick patient who feeles the smart and sorrow of his disease may seem to have better knowledge then the Physitian who hath it onely by speculation God himself had not that experimentall knowledge of mans condition before he became man and put on our nature and in his own Person became subject to passion Fourthly to vindicate the Justice of God for God requires no more of man then what God performed to man The Creation was done by the word of his mouth verbo virtutis suâ—… with the greatest ease and facility but what God requires of man it is accomplished with sorrow labour and misery therefore here is no proportion Now to stop the mouthes of blasphemers God himself hath taken up mans nature thereby to make himself subject to passion and so to perform more in his own person to man then he requires of man or that man can perform unto God for that God died for man but man dies for his own sins Fifthly as God was the Creator of all things the end and conclusion of all so it was necessary he should be the Mediator and Redeemer of man that so God might be all in all the beginning the means and the end Sixthly it was a great addition and increase of honor to God which I prove by the Title which God assumes to himself for whereas before he was called The God of heaven and earth The Lord of the Universe The Maker and Creator of all things The Lord God of Hosts now he assumes another Title and style of honor to be called The God of Abraham the God of Isaac the God of Jacob which is a more honorable style then to be called The God of heaven and earth seeing that he was then in their loins who did infinitely exceed the whole Universe And as this was his Title in the Old Testament so in the New he is called more particularly The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and this is Gods greatest honor Seventhly and as these advantages and prerogatives accrue unto the Deity by the incarnation of Christ so there are great priviledges which befal the Creatures in having God to be one of their number and society for without this priviledge the Creatures might have expostulated with God that although they were made of nothing yet still in respect of God they were nothing Now God is verity and truth and therefore according to verity and truth they were yet still as nothing See then how much God is disparaged in the work of his Creation that he should create nothing of nothing See how man and all the Creatures are become contemptible for that in respect of God that is in verity and truth they are nothing this were to abate their thankfulness to God and to make them dislike their condition and man himself though he may seem to boast of Gods love that he was created according to Gods image yet still he discerns that there is an infinite distance between God and man but when as once God became man and the Creator was made a Creature this did not onely shorten the distance between both but did indeed incorporate them and made both Natures God and Man to be one Person as if God should descend from the Throne of his Majesty and come nearer the Creature and stretch a hand out of the clouds while poor man out of the dust raised by Gods grace lifts up his hand of Faith and Hope and while these two hands meet and are joyned and coupled together there becomes a perfect marriage both are united in one Person the Deity puts on our weakness and our manhood is clothed with Gods 〈◊〉 And thus is there a perfect union in the Person of Christ. Eighthly though the Creatures were made by God yet still
last resurrection and these not done in secret but in the sight of multitudes and thousands all testifying the truth of things done the Jewes acknowledge the Gentiles confess the Apostles proclaim the Evangelists record many Millions of Martyrs seal with their bloud and all the world with joynt consent and harmony beares witness seen by our fore-fathers and left unto us together with their memory for the salvation of our own soules then these undoubted miracles must argue a supernaturall power in things naturall which if Reason confess as herein she is convinced that the wisdom and power of the teacher was supernaturall then must there be some supernaturall object though not appearing in nature yet answerable and agâ—…eeable to this supernaturall knowledge and power here then at length we have opened a gap to let in all the mysteries of our Christian faith and Religion yet lâ—…st we should be left to our own conjectures and presumptions lest the hardness of our heart should not easily condescend to things above our reach and capacity therefore truth beares evidence to truth the wonders of nature to the mysteries of grace as his deeds and actions were much above nature so it cannot seem strange if his Doctrine and Precepts far exceed our naturall understanding for his Words as well as his Actions were much above nature and therefore did aâ—…gue a powâ—…r above nature which is God himself Christ Jesus God and man the second Person in Trinity who came down and took our nature upon him to satisâ—…ie for our sins he it is that hath revealed these mysteries that so by Faith and Belief as our first Fathers fell from God by unbelief and presumption we might come unto him and through his mercy obtain our everlasting salvation Here I did examine all the miracles and the most remarkable things in the old Testament and first I did reduce all the Ages of the world to the Deluge where I did infer by many probabilities what past before the deluge for that it could not stand with the Mercies of God who created all things to begin with such an heavy Judgement as an universall deluge and because we have no other Records of those times but the Testimony of Scripture I did therefore produce necessary and demonstrative arguments for the proof of the Deluge and of Scripture together with some remarkable Tokens I did insist upon which must needs point out some former times before the deluge here I made good proof that the Eastern parts of the world must needs be the first parts inhabited I shewed the greatness of their Monarchies their continuance and dissolution I shewed how all other Nations issued from them and how they borrowed their Customes and Manners I shewed how the Hebrew was the originall Tongue of all the Eastern Languages by the roots and by the proprieties of that Tongue I did instance in all the Ancient Monuments and made it appear that the world could not be elder then the time related by Moses for the Creation For the Histories before Christ I did use Torniellus Pererius Salianus and all the rest for the time since Christ I had such Authors as were extant but especially I did rely most upon Baronius and Bibliotheca patrum and I do heartily wish that some younger man would undertake that task for I am aged and my short time which remains cannot suffice for such a work besides I have the infirmities of old age my memory failes me and I am past all imployments neither can I so put off all naturall passions but I confess it doth grieve me to thinke that heretofore having alwayes liv'd in great plenty God reward my founders for it that now I should be reduc'd to such poverty and wants but I hope God will raise up some other to compose such a History And leaving that task for them I will now only instance in the miracles of Scripture for confirmation of mysteries and first for the truth of Scripture it is a demonstrative proof to me that it should be the most Ancient of all writings and many ages exceeding the heathen Authors or Poets and this is an undoubted argument of truth for truth is the most Ancient and that which doth accompany truth that others should give Testimony to truth and none to oppose it for in these Ancient Poets we find somethings borrowed from the Jewes which makes for the confirmation thereof and none in effect did ever oppose them for had they so done surely we should have heard of their Writings as we do of their Warres and their Histories and no doubt there were many enemies which would not have omitted such an opportunity at this day the Jewes the Christians the Mahumetans all do acknowledge Scriptures without any manner of contradiction for in effect the heathen are utterly vanished and not to be seen or to stand in opposition It is true that at this day heathen there are but they no way partake with the Ancient Heathen neither in the same gods nor in the number of their gods nor in the manner of their worship only like upstarts because they must have a Religion for they cannot â—…ook upon heaven without some kinde of adoration therefore every one frames a Religion to himself and according to his own phansie either agrees or differs from others But because the blessed Trinity hath been only expresly revealed in the new Testament I will therefore insist only in the miracles of the New Testament and reserve other proofes and evidences for confirmation of other mysteries that we may take all by degrees and not spend our whole stock and store at once so then to instance only in the miracles of the New Testament if these had fallen out only in the Person of Christ there might have been cause of suspicion but the whole Law was only a preparation to his coming such Types Figures and Prophesies and in a word the scope and intent of the Law had no other relation and this will appear for that it seems scarce reasonaâ—…le that God should be served with the slaughter and offering up of unreasonable Beasts had they not relation to the sacrifice of his only Son and such infinite variety of strange ceremonies would never have been admitted had they not pointed out some extraordinary holiness to succeed this did likewise appear in the cessation of the Law for about a full age before the coming of Christ there was a cessation of Prophets and neither did God appear either by speciall messengers or by miraculous victories That the minds of men not being withdrawn nor having any other solace or comfort might wholly intend the expectation of the Messias whose immediate forerunner was Saint John Baptist and therefore whatsoever is ascribed unto him tends unto Christ as being his forerunner for he gives testimony to Christ and that three severall times in this one first Chapter of Saint John verse the 27. When the Priests and
grave surely the Sun and the Moon which cause the day and night must needs testifie the truth of his death and himself for many yeers after might assure us of his rising again Hereunto you may adde the manner of his own death what speed was made how was the course of Justice precipitated that in one morning he should be Apprehended Accused Examined Whipped Scourged Condemned Exposed to all Contempts with his Crown of Thorns carry his own Cross and at noone be crucified that there he should be nayled for the space of three houres and though his enemies had no power to break his bones according to the prophesie as they did the malefactors yet what was more for that life did not consist in the breaking of bones they gave him a wound through the side into the heart as may appear because there issued forth Bloud and Water which are not so usually found in the body but only in the parts nearest the heart for that the excessive heat there dissolves the bloud into the first elements and thence you have water and this water makes recompence by cooling and refreshing the heat so by a providence they mutually help each other and this bloud and water did serve for the institution of our Sacraments Being dead he was buryed in a new Sepulcher as he was conceived in a Virgins wombe lest they might say that some other dead body had risen a great Stone was rowled over the Sepulcher because himself had prophesied that he would rise again the third day watch and ward was kept about the Sepulcher as to prevent his Disciples from coming thither to steal away his body so if it had been pâ—…ssible to hinder his resurrection but being risen again he did converse with his Dâ—…sciples for forty dayes and then by his own power he ascended up in o heaven in the sight of many thousands and because the eyes of men might faile and that some might 〈◊〉 that his ascension was onely out of sight and no further therefore â—…he Aâ—…gels came down to testifie the truth of his ascension into heaven and according to Christs command the Apostles continued at Jerusalem there to receive the Holy Ghost who at the day and appointed time came down in a miraculous manner in fiery cloven Tongues and wrought wonderful effects upon the Apostles not onely in their inward sanctifying their gift of Tongues and power of working Miracles all foretold that as before his birth there were many preparatives for his coming so afâ—…er his death the subsequent signs and wonders might give testimony to the forerunning Miracles and the truth of the Doctrine confirmed by them Now at length to draw to a period as S. John begins his Gospel with the eternal generation of Christ wherein is implied the great mystery of the Trinity so my self having shewed the doctrine of the Church and having a little expressed the mystery and thereby giving satisfaction to mans natural reason though reason could not comprehend it and having in the last place produced many miracles above natural power to confirm mysterie above natural knowledg As I began with the begining of S. John so I will end with the conclusion of S. Johns Gospel as you shall finde in his last Chapter the last verse the words are these And there are also many other things which Jesus did the which if they should be written every one I suppose that even the world it self could not contaiâ—… the books that should be written Some may conceive this speech to be a figure or metaphor of an high transcendent quality but I suppose it may be exactly and literally understood in this sense that seeing the narural world is but a book and that in every creature or rather in every punctilio of the creature as in every letter word and syllable we reade Gods Wisdom Mercy Power Providence c. If hereunto you will adde Christs Miracles which were above Nature and did presuppose Nature as being done in natural bodies and though not offering violence to Nature yet being far above the reach and power of Nature and therefore therein Nature did seem to suffer Seeing this supernatural power is much above Nature surely it may be truly said That the natural world cannot contain those books which might be written of Christs supernatural power for they include Nature they exceed Nature they are over and above Nature and therefore something must remain which the natural world cannot contain And this shall serve to have spoken of the great mystery of the most holy blessed and undivided Trinity Thus I hope in God I have given satisfaction to mans Reasonâ—… in this great Mystery of the Trinity that God never did nor could subsist one minute without the knowledge of himself and love of himself which being the acts and exercise of his Understanding and his Will being inward and in the Deity and from all eternity they can â—…e no less then God himself for there is no accident in God there is nothing in God but God Yet these being produced by the Understanding and the Will needs they must have such a difference between themselves as to make several persons in the Deity which is not so with the rest of Gods Attributes for they look outwardly upon his works and therefore onely produce the creatures And though the blessed Trinity do infinitely exceed mans capacity yet doth it no more exceed then all the rest of Gods Attributes do for they are all above reason beyond reason and infinitely transcending reason but no way contrary to reason and therefore they are the objects of our faith in respect of Gods knowledge revealed and they are the objects of our admiration in respect of our own natural ignorance And so to conclude Persons being supposed in the Deity here is one step and degree towards the Incarnation for now we may with more confidence lay hold on a Person in the Deity and cloth him with our nature and our flesh Sanctae individuae Trinitati sit omnis honor gloria Amen The Wonderful Incarnation AFter the blessed Trinity I now come to the wonderful Incarnation where I shall likewise speak some things by way of Introduction And here I must first enter a caveat or a solemn protestation Though I do examine these mysteries by natural Reason I confess they are far transcending Reason above Reason beyond the reach of Reason yet are they no way contrary to Reason nor opposite to Gods Attributes or Actions whereby they might seem improbable much less impossible for I confess that Reason is so powerful in man that it serves him for his guide and conductor as in his natural and civil actions so partly in his Religion for all the Moral Law which is a great part of Religion is much squared out by natural Reason and it serves as a ground-work or foundation whereupon Religion is built and which makes a man capable of Religion for if he
True it is that from the first day of his birth to the last minute of his Passion the foxes had holes the birds had their nests but the Son of man had no place of habitation Born in a Stable Here is no preparation no solemnity as if we were to expect not a man but the worm of men and the outcast of the people Alas dear Virgin comfort thy self thy Babe is thy Comforter thy Comforter thy Saviour for behold from henceforth all generations shall call thee blessed Alas sweet Babe pardon our unkindness and discourtesie in thy entertainment thou thy self hast taken the nature of man and what is man but grass and hay well befitting a Stable and therefore as thou thy self hast infinitely abased thy self so pardon our unthankfulness if in stead of Princely Palaces rich Pavilions Ivory Beds thoâ—… wert born in a Stable and laid in a Manger And thus much for the Place now I come to the Time It was in the sixth Age of the World As man was created on the sixth day so in the sixth Age God intended the renewing and redemption of man We are not to demand why sooner or later he took not our flesh for this was in the free choice and election of God onely this probable reason may be given That as wise Physicians then labour to purge the disease when it is grown to his height and ripeness so God expected the time when Charity was grown cold the Kings office decayed the Priests duty neglected the Synagogue divided into Sects and Schisms and this is in some sort resembled by the barrenness of the earth for he came in the winter season And it is to be feared lest our Sects and Divisions our sins our crying sins will hasten his second Coming in Judgement His coming was in Solstitio Brumali when the days were at the shortest and then began to increase And hence is gathered though a common yet a witty observation of S. Ambrose that as John the Baptist decreased so Christ should increase John Baptist born at Midsummer when the dayes shorten and Christ with the lengthning of days increasing in glory See here an admirable Providence in every the least circumstance Christ was born at midnight as may appear by the Shepherds watch which argues the worlds universal darkness and that his coming in the flesh was to cover and conceal sin that in the day of Gods wrath he might take our iniquities upon himself and impute his Righteousness to us and therefore it was an approved and laudable custome of the Fathers to keep their watchings the same night and to offer up their prayers and thanksgivings in memory of the hour of his Nativity And so I come to such things as are Consequentia such as followed his Nativity I will not speak of the Angels song to the Shepherds which was the Calling of the Jews I will not speak of the Stars appearing which guided the Wise-men to the place of his birth where they worshipped and were the first-fruits of the Gentiles I will onely name one action which is the Murther of Infants the Martyrdome of Innocents It should seem then that the birth of Christ was not a matter of small importance or little moment in the eyes of Princes that Herod should slay all the children from two years old and under for the assurance of his State and Kingdom But here observe the Providence of God Herod in revenge and to satisfie his own ambition attempted such an horrible cruelty God permitted the action 1. For the punishment of the Jews who for not affording place for our Saviours birth they justly incurred his wrath and indignation insomuch that their own eyes beheld the slaughter of their own babes flesh of their flesh and bones of their bones late conceived in the womb now committed to the grave from the Cradle to the Coffin late pampered in the bosom novv putrifying in the dust 2. That the prophesie might be fulfilled In Rama was a voice heard mourning and weeping and great howling Rachel weeping for her children and would not be comforted because they were not Jer. 31. 15. 3. For the manifesting of his own glory that upon his entrance into the world so many happy infants should be ordained from all eternity to suffer Martyrdome for his Cause the day of their death was much more happy to them then was the day of their Nativity and therefore we celebrate and keep solemn a certain Feast-day in memory of those Innocents 4. Since Moses was a type of Christ for both of them were Law-givers as the children of the Hebrews were put to death at the birth of Moses so the death of these infants might give testimony to a second to a new Law-giver Thus as King Pharaoh did persecute Moses so King Herod persecuted Christ Moses was laid in a Basket Christ in a Manger And as they thus agreed in the circumstances of their Nativity so in the manner and course of their lives Moses led the Israelites through the Red-sea Christ led his people through Baptism and so through his own blood Both of them fasted forty days Moses appointed Seventy Elders Christ Seventy Disciples Moses sent out Twelve Spies to discover the promised Land Christ sent out Twelve Apostles into the world to publish the Kingdom of Heaven Moses wrought his Miracles by a Rod Christ by his Cross and therefore as Moses Rod was laid up in the Ark so the Cross of Christ hath ever been most precious in the Church Moses delivered his people from the bondage of Egypt and Christ delivered his from the thraldome and slavery of sin Thus do the two Law-givers agree whereby it appears that Moses was but a type of Christ and the Law only a preparation to the Gospel But I will leave the Jews and descend to the Gentiles whose posterity we are and I will take a view what hapned amongst them upon the birth of our Saviour Certain it is that the Oracles then spake that Nature had brought forth a King and immediately the Images which were wont to be worshipped in Churches fell down and were broken which many referred to the greatness of Augustus though truly it was competent to Christ. Eusebius reports that at the same time there sprang out of the earth a River of Oyl which argues that grace was now to be conferred to the Gentiles and that he was now born who was anointed with the oyle of gladness above his fellows Orosius reports that Augustus Caesar then Emperor commanded on the same day that no man hereafter should call him Lord or Master as if God had secretly inspired in his heart that then was born the Lord of lords the King of kings Christ Jesus God and Man and therefore it was impiety and sacriledge for any vassal of his during his presence to accept the Title of Lord or Master Suidas reports that when Augustus Caesar having offered his Sacrifice demanded of