as Christ will own to be his brethren 2 Christ humbled what a wondrous abasement was this of Christ that he that enjoyed the height of Divinity should yet be the lowest of our nature that the Word should be incarnate should be borne that the great God should become a child that the Ancient of dayes should become an infant of one day that the Almighty Iehovah should become the weakest of men yea even as a child that glory should be so humbled that God should become man this is the wonder of wonders a miracle placed upon pinacle of admiration that he whom the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain should be laid in a manger The inhabitants of the earth wonder to see a new star much more to see a new sun on earth he was accounted yea was equal with God yet made himself of no account in taking our forme he made himself like to us by a willing humiliation It was the saying of a Father Whether can be most to pity him that he was so or admire him that he would be so that he would so descend to come in person was a wonder but that he should come in the wants and weaknesses of a child that might have come in the glory of God is above all wonder and we are not more beholden to him that he came then that he should so come he must be nothing that would be made like us he made himself of no reputation not of his declining power but of his inclining mercy it was the goodness of God that he would not be glorious rather then not profitable and therefore the more and greater was his humility in debasing himself to us the more should we magnifie him not any thing of his but ours was the unworthiness And if our Saviour humbled himself thus are not we yet humbled our thoughts cannot be too meanly conceited of our selves since our Saviour was so low and vile the very heathen cannot debase us so low as the earth did God who likened himself to us let us compare our selves to nothing he was called the son of man born of a pure Virgin what should we call our selves worms and no men and say to corruption thou art my mother since Christ was thus borne for she brought forth her first-borne son And so I come to the second general the mothers tenderness 2 The mothers tenderness she brought forth her first-born son and wrapped him in swadling-clothes She wrapped him that custome was the office of a midwife the visitation of friends and kindred among those many women in Bethlehem was there no tender mother to afford Mary the office of common civility none to consider the wants of a necessitous Virgin among the many that gave to Caesar was there none to give to God the things of God Never was heavenly majesty invested in so homely a throne Christ was now first borne that we might be borne again he became an infant in us that we might become men in him he was now straitned to a span of mortality that we might be inlarged to immortality his mother now embraces him in her armes she laps him not in a fine mantle for what cares he to be gorgeous that cares not to be glorious his rags they were pure clean though poor and mean so soon as we had sinned we could be clothed but so soon as he was borne he began to be miserable he was wrapt in swadling-clothes Christ was wrapt in our clothes to procure a blessing for us though God made us naked and innocent yet we presently made our selves nocent and we had not been clothed had we not blushed what was there in Christ that he should be clothed and thus clothed surely no unrighteousness of his procured it but Christ was covered with these onely for our sakes whose sinful nakedness wanted the covering of his righteousness O the vanity of men much more of Christians Christ took our clothes to take our sins yet we see not our sinnes in the vanity of our clothes we accounted it our ornament to be clothed and yet so full of poverty and indigency in our selves that all we have is either from the earth or from the beasts that inhabit therein it was sinne that brought us to borrow of the earth and beasts it was sinne that made us thus shamefully clothed to clothe our sinnes and why should we be proud in the gaiest clothing since it is but a remembrance of sinne why should we trim and deck our selves when Christ coming to save us was wrapped in swadling-clothes Necessity of clothes speaks us men and the decency of them speaks us Christians Christ was wrapt in swadling-clothes and laid in a manger And so I come to the Childs poverty viz. 3 She laid him in a manger God brought forth man like a King and placed him in Paradise but he brought forth God-man like a beast in a stable and laid him in a manger Christ was abased as to a beast left all honour as to understanding that he might restore them to spiritual wisdome who by sinne were become like the beasts that perish Christ came to restore man and therefore would become one with the lowest of men that none might come short of salvation O silly creature know thy master the Lord of honour is now companion of beasts obey him then in his humiliation that hath disobeyed him in his glory what can we behold in this his abridgment but the contemning of the pride and the glory of the world in his sanctified humility why should Christ be thus low and mean but to teach us to prize nothing but heavenly things To Apply this If our Saviour did so humble himself to this mean condition how low should we humble our selves before him did the Son of God abase himself to misery and death that he might exalt us to glory and life therefore why are you lifted up While Christ was vile thou wert raised up though Christ was patient thou art full of impatient malice he embraces where thou despisest thou likest not the tast of delicates yet he sucked a poor womans breasts thou grudgest thy finest apparel he contented to be in clouts he was though a King though a God borne in a stable laid in a manger to teach thee that where thou art thou should have nothing to regard or be proud of either in thy self or thine enjoyments For what was there about thee O blessed Jesus but poverty was visible in it a poor carpenter and a desolate Virgin and perhaps the beasts were thy onely companions what was magnificent there but that which was noysome and by the presence of Christ was made pure a dark dungeon by this bright sun becomes full of light the rags that wrapped him were more precious then rayment of purple the clouts that comforted him were of more value then if made of the finest and most gorgeous linen O Lord our hearts are by reason of sin become dens caves and stables
NINE SELECT SERMONS Preached upon special occasions in the Parish Church of St. Gregories by St. Pauls By the late Reverend JOHN HEWYTT D. D. Together With his publick Prayers before and after SERMON LONDON Printed for Henry Eversden at the Greyhound in St. Pauls Church-yard and Tho. Rooks at the Holy Lamb at the East end of St. Pauls near the School TO The Right Honourable LADY THE Lady Mary Hewyt Relict of the late Reverend JOHN HEWYT D. D. Madam THe principal intent of our publishing these ensuing Sermons is no other then Edification and for the avoiding all suspition of being accounted spurious and illegitimate we have assumed the boldnesse to dedicate them to your Ladiship with a confident hope of your Honourable Protection and that whereas heretofore they have been beneficiall to his Auditory they may now prove no lesse successful to the intelligent Reader it being pity the Works of so Famous and Eminent a Divine should be raked up in the embers of Oblivion And though they have no other Originall then the Pen of a ready Writer yet such diligent care hath been imployed in emitting them to the World that we doubt not but you will conclude we have endeavoured the perpetuating the memory of your Pious Consort For here lurks no Snake under these Verdant Herbs nor Poysonous Serpent under these Fragrant Flowers in this inclosed Garden growes no Root of Schisme no slip of Error no fruit of Disobedience but within this pleasant Grove are such variety of refreshing contentments to be found as may delight your Ladiship amidst your more Solitary Cogitations and yet these are but parts of that Image which ere long we hope to erect and in a larger Volume We shall crave leave to as we doe at present subscribe our selves Madam Your Ladiships humbly devoted Servants H. E. T. R. THE EPISTLE TO THE READER Courteous Reader IT was not popular applause nor private interest that induced us to expose these ensuing Discourses to publick view but only an ardent desire to draw a Landskip of the reverend Authors abilities and though but in Transitu to give a dark representation of that glorious light which continually with unwearied beams did radiate the Souls of his faithful Auditory They are but the shadows of a faithful life therefore be not displeased to find them fall short of the living Voice such curious pieces cannot be drawn without the concurrence of sable lines so that if thou find them halt and only with a crooked finger to point at the Authors stile be not discouraged thereat nor with a prejudicate opinion deem this naked Babe illegitimate because destitute of a Patron for thou wilt find assuredly they are the true off-spring of that worthy Parent and want only the Fathers hand to lead them into and preserve them from a captious world Lay aside all partiall interests and we are bold to presume that thou canst not but with unspeakable profit give them perusal we are sensible of the many calumnies that will be cast upon our persons for this innocent work having already in part undergone the reproach of some malicious tongues who have indeavoured to render the Sermons abortive and our selves contemptible in the eyes of a deceived multitude nor are we able to divine what acceptance they will gain at the hands of any But we question not ingenious Reader whoever thou art but that thou wilt love the picture for the persons sake and wilt impute whatever defect shall be found therein to the want of the Authors pen and not the ignorant or willing mistake of the Perusers thereof for they are notes taken by the pen of a ready VVriter the swiftness of whose motion is able to overtake the most voluble tongue yet thou canst not but know that sometimes the smallest hair interposing it self will make a breach in the fullest sentence thereby interrupting the perfect sense therefore our care hath been extended to the utmost that no remarkable fault might appear obvious to the most critical Reader still indeavouring that those sacred truths which formerly have been beneficial to the intelligent Hearers when preached by the reverend Author may now prove advantageous to the eternal welfare of every Soul that shall peruse them which is the earnest desire of Reader Thy unfeigned Friends and Servants H. E. T. R. A Table of the Titles and Texts of the Sermons contained in this Book MErcy and Iudgement 2 Sermons Page 1. 28. Psal 130. v. 3. If thou Lord wilt be extreme c. A Nativity Sermon page 62. Saint Luke 2. v. 7. And she brought forth her first-born son c. A Funeral Sermon p. 81. 1 Cor. 15.19 If in this life onely we have hope in Christ Testis Fidelis or the faithful witness Five Sermons upon 18. St. Iohn v. 37. To this end was I born c. whereof 1. Upon St. Thomas day p. 106. whereof 1. Upon Christmas day p. 126. Three more upon the same Text on several occasions Dr. Hewit's publique Prayer before Sermon O thou that hearest Prayers unto thee shall all flesh come for our help standeth in thy name O Lord which hast made heaven and earth we beseech thee therefore let the words of my mouth and the meditations of all our hearts be now and evermore acceptable in thy sight O Lord our strength and our Redeemer O Most glorious and most powerfull Lord God whose dwelling is so far above the highest heavens that thou humblest thy self but to look upon the things that are in heaven and that are in earth thou art omnipotent and omnipresent dost whatsoever thou wilt both in heaven in earth in the sea and in all deep places thou art about our beds and about our paths thou spyest out all our wayes understandest all our thoughts long before we thought O Lord when we look up unto thee and consider thee to be a God of so pure eyes as that thou canst not behold iniquity without indignation and wrath and when we look within our selves and see that world of corruption that lyeth hidden in our breasts and those innumerable acts of transgressions that have stained both our persons and our lives we cannot but be confounded and ashamed before thy face and are not able to open our mouths for our sins witnesse against us and our iniquities are as sore burdens too heavy for us to bear they cry up to heaven for vengeance against us and it is of thy infinite patience and longsuffering towards us that thou hast not long since powred upon us the Vials of thy wrathfull indignation nor sentenced us to the pit of eternall destruction Lord who can tell how oft he offendeth The sinfulnesse of our natures the sins of our lives the sins of our souls and the sins of our bodies our secret and whispering sins our crying and open sins our idle and wanton sins our presumptuous and deliberate sins the sins we have committed to please our selves and the sins we have committed to
promises for the difference lies in these respects following 1. That above it differs from that below in degrees of Excellency that here below is grounded on Faith which beholds the promises of God darkly but that above is grounded on a clear sight and a perfect vision 2. That hope below is attended with sighs and sadnesses that above without sorrow all sighing and sorrow being removed from their hearts whose tears are wiped away with the light of Gods Countenance 3. This below hath weaknesses and imperfections but that above is a confirmed hope thus our hope even to the day of Judgement shall not be abolished in Heaven in regard of Essence it remains but in regard of weaknesses it ceases For till Gods promises be accomplished there is yet hope in exercising that act that may bring us to the enjoyment of the highest manifestation of Divine Love 2. The more principall objects not in this life onely that is not onely for the things of this life but the things of a better life for though hope looking to God it refers to the things of this life for subsistance yet it chiefly respects the things of the other life the resurrection of the flesh c. other hopes may promise eternall but will but serve as figge leaves other hopes may bring to the fruition of what we hope for but cannot give satisfaction but such is the excellency of this hope as it will supply so much as faith can beleeve or hope desire so that as it would be desperateness to cast away this anchor so again madness to cast it off as needless the Saints which should be climbing Heaven it would be folly for them to ply this hope about this life when we may have it about a better to hope in this life onely is unchristian and lesse then Christianity will not give us the hope of an eternal life to follow Christ onely to get possession of outward comforts is but to starve our souls while we feed our bodies with the loaves of pretended Sanctity for he that will be Heir to Christs Kingdome must expect to be crown'd with thornes temporal felicity having no entailment upon his discipleship persecution being their portion and their sufferings part of their triumph So that each true Beleever must joyn in the Chorus with the song of Saint Paul pathetically exprest in the words of my Text If in this life onely we have hope in Christ we are of all men most miserable FINIS A SERMON ON St. THOMAS Day SERMON V. St. IOHN 18.37 To this end was I born and for this cause came I into the world that I should bear witnesse unto the truth c. Introduction ENvie and Malice the inseparable companions of a vicious heart are alwayes in unwearied motion untill they have found out some convenient means whereby to bring about their abominable ends and rather then be disappointed of unhallowed thoughts or wicked words they will not cease to speak evil of the way of truth yea by them those are accounted enemies that speak the truth thus wicked Ahab salutes the Prophet Elijah Have I found thee O my enemy 1 Kings 21.20 So that it seemes he accounted that holy person no lesse then his souls adversary for telling the truth so persecuted they the Prophets of old and the malice of men and devils have been so persecuting in all ages that the Church hath not found where to rest for the Saints wandred up and down afflicted and tormented yea they wandred about saith the Apostle in sheeps-skins and goats-skins c. of whom the world was not worthy Heb. 11.38 And in this the Disciple was not before or above his Lord for no better entertainment had Christ himself and he is pleased to say To this was I born for this cause came I into the world c. Which words have a double aspect and Ianus-like appear with a double face the one looking upon Christ the other upon Christians the one concerns our Saviour the other respects our selves For 1. If you respect the day so they look at Christ not onely as this is the Lords Day but as it is the Advent-Sunday instituted for the Advent or coming of Christ in the Flesh 2. It looks upon Christ as coming in his Ordinances and administrations to his people 3. It looks upon his coming in gracious visitations as on this day by his power coming to deliver the Church Militant from sinne and misery to be a Church triumphant in glory and thus my Text hath reference to the several comings of Christ But that 's not all the words not onely concern Christ but they have reference unto Christians also and that in a threefold respect for they eye all the errours and mislookings of the times 1. They look upon the grosse opinions of those that say the Scepter of Christ and the power of earthly Kings stand in opposition one to another and thereupon cry down all rule and all authority saying like the heathen Let us break their bands in sunder c. Psal 2.3 It is true Christ had the Title of a King yet neither that nor himself made any impeachment of Caesars Lawes and though he denied not himself to be a King yet he refused to dethrone Caesar for he saith expresly my Kingdome is not of this world So then you see he is not in opposition to the Kings of the earth he came not to take away earthly Kingdomes but to give an Heavenly Kingdome and therefore he saith Give to Caesar the things that are Caesars c. We must obey the temporal Lord for his sake who is the Heavenly Lord for they who yeild not obedience to temporal Kings for Christs sake who hath commanded it have as yet made no glorious entrance into the Kingdome of Heaven for love to Christ and submission to Caesar may and do dwell together in the same heart 2. The words look upon mens works as they are Christians who in defence of lawful Superiours with their swords in their hands had rather die fighting then betray their liberty by a cowardly resignation of their lives and fortunes and also as Christians they have learnt of Christ their Head to pay Tribute where lawfully it is demanded for if any might have rebelled and refused the same none more lawful and able then our Saviour who could at his pleasure command more then twelve legions of Angels to assist him and could command all the treasures of the earth as King and Lord thereof yet refused the glory of the one to pay lawful tribute and the innumerable force of the other that with silence he might answer Caesars Deputy for he came to bear witness of the truth and he will rather lose his life then his obedience 3. That none that would be thought a Christian might think himself unconcerned the words look upon all men but especially upon those that in pretended religious yet persecuting times are ready to betray the truth rather
truth Introduction AN imprudent discourse attended with ambitious thoughts was the first occasion of Adams misery and the mercie of God in making the New Covenant is the principal cause of the Serpents ruine whose mischeivous head was early broke by the promised Seed the true Messiah whom the Patriarchs foresaw and the Prophets foretold The Patriarchs foresaw him Genesis 49.10 The Prophets foretold him under diverse representations Esay Esay 7.14 Jer. 23.5 Dan. 9.25 26. Zachary 6.12 Haggai 2.7 by the Emanuel Ieremy the Branch Daniel the Messiah Zachary By him that riseth on high Haggai The desire of all Nations That God should be Incarnate that sinners should be saved that a despicable man should save a World was thought so incredible that the Prophet Esay cryes out Who hath beleeved our report which was in time fulfilled But when the fulnesse of the time was come God sent forth his Son made of a woman c. Gal. 4.4 though the newes was true and proclaimed from Heaven by an Angel and that of great Joy for that on this day was born a Saviour Christ the Lord what was in the Prophets prophesied concerning his coming was by himself fulfilled in time what they pointed at he pointed out and by a Miracle shewed it to the Wise Men saying Where is he that is borne King of the Iewes for we have seen his Star in the East and we are come to worship him St. Matthew 2.2 Yet when he came to his own they received him not but rejected the counsels of God as they did that slew the Prophets who declared the coming of the just One for when he was come he was forced to be gone and flie for the safety of his life into a forraign Country to avoid the fury of that mighty Nimrod whose pretended worship was onely the dark vizour of an inhumane murder disguising his wicked purposes under the beautiful mask of a desired amity no wonder therefore that there are some amongst us that call themselves Christs when there are those that call themselves Christians that would and doe disown Christs Nativity and this old Simeon by inspiration calculated at his Nativity saying This child is set for a signe which shall be spoken against St. Luke 2.34 And wicked people make it good as if he had not been foretold by Prophets nor come into the world in the fulnesse of time at an appointed day and that for us men and for our Salvation Christ came down from Heaven and was incarnate in the womb of the blessed Virgin Mary it is a work that many would not believe saith God Hab. 1.5 which was fulfilled Acts 13.41 Behold ye despisers and wonder and perish for I work a work in your dayes a work which you shall not beleeve c. For so would they have hindred the Author and finisher of our Faith from working that which he had wrought and what God had set down should be done which wâ—… accordingly fulfilled that he should not be borne but to witnesse to the truth 〈◊〉 he himself saith so much of himself To this end was I borne and for this cause came I into the world that I should bear witnesse to the truth In which words you may remember I have formerly observed these three parts 1. An Action 1. The End 3. The Object 1. The Action Christs Incarnation He was borne he came into the world 2. The End and that pointed at and pointed out 1. Pointed at To this end and for this cause 2. Pointed out To bear witnesse 3. The Object was the truth To this end was I borne and for this cause came I into the world to bear witnesse to the truth And since the end is the first thing in the intention though last in execution I did begin with the end Pointed at and that was to this end and for this cause But I shall now proceed to the proper work of this day Christs Nativity I was born I came into the world and here at the first step of our discourse we are plunged into an unfathomed depth of mystery for this he that was here borne is the same he that calls himself I am that I am Exodus 3.14 That Socinian that saith he was not very God is a blasphemer I am that I am it is the Name of God whose Essence is from everlasting to everlasting and to be born notes his humanity and how this work was that he that is I am should be borne and close with the Deity tongue cannot expresse and heart cannot conceive we can conceive how nothing is but what is in and of our selves and not that neither but with much imperfection for the first of us that was so desirous of knowledge left us nothing but a penury of what we were and if we know not our selves we cannot possibly conceive how God was made man and at the same time remain incommunicable or how he being incommunicable did vouchsafe to partake of humane Nature yet thus was Christ both God and Man in the same person as man he had a mother that bare him and as God a Father that begat him but who can without admiration speak of such a Sonne or tell of such a generation that was like both yet like neither like neither for consider him as Man and so he hath no similitude of an ineffable Essence look upon him as God and so he bears no proportion with the Virgins Womb and yet like both as God like his Father as man like his mother God and yet the sonne of a woman Man and still the Image of his Father and that from Eternity being without beginning of dayes or end of time Gods Son and Motherlesse a Virgins Babe and Fatherlesse without a Father as borne of a Woman and without a Mother as begotten of God Thus was he God and motherlesse as begotten and not borne a man and Fatherlesse because borne and not begotten we must beleeve both beyond enquiry because more is possible with God then is conceiveable with man and divine Mysteries should perswade us to beleeve that they are undoubted truths though our reason cannot comprehend them for what we cannot understand by beleeving we must believe beyond understanding and of all the divine Mysteries this of our blessed Saviours Incarnation especially whose very mystery heightens Faith to no lesse then a Miracle and where a Miracle is wrought wonder must needs be created and both these two meet in this one act of Faith exercised about the hypostaticall union for beleeving we wonder and marvelling we beleeve and make our blessed Saviours Incarnation the object of both we beleeve what we marvell at and yet wonder at our Faith still doubling the Miracle by marvelling that we can at once both wonder and beleeve it is a wonder and yet this wonder is the object of our Faith for how can we doe lesse then marvell when we consider that on the Fathers side he should be God and no man