AMong all the Prophets that arose in the Church from Moses to Ma­lachie, there was none that had more cleare visions of the Messiah than this the Penman of our Text, the Prophet Isayah, who spake and writ of him more like an Evange­list than a Prophet, as if he were to deliver (not a Prophesie of things to come, but rather Is borne, is given, sayes this Text, whereas he was not actu­ally borne till 700 yeares after. a hysto­ry of things already done, and long since accom­plished: [Page 2] hence it is that he is usually called The E­vangelicall Prophet. And it is no idle conjecture, that in reference to this he had his name, (not by chance) but by speciall providence assigned him, Isayah, which (if you will read in the Originall is [...] Jeschaiah, & imports as much as salus Domini, The salvation of the Lord, or as some read [...] Jes­chaiahu, Conservet Dominus, or, det Dominus salutem, Let the Lord save, les the Lord give salvation; namely, according to his good word unto this Prophet, ac­cording to the manifold visions concerning the Messiah revealed unto him, and the cleare prophe­sies of him contained in this booke. It is observa­ble, that out of this Prophet there are no lesse then Musculus in Isayam. sixtie testimonies alleaged by our Lord and his A­postles in the New Testament, which is more then they have done out of any other of the Prophets be­sides (one onely excepted) namely the Prophet Da­vid, out of whose booke of Psalmes, there are alleaged sixtie foure, and out of both so frequently for the same reason, because they writ more clearly, more fully, more distinctly, of the Messiah, then any of the rest of their brethren the Prophets had done. A­mongst them all, there is not found a more famous prophesie concerning him then this wee have under hand, in the words which I have read unto you, where you have him presented to you in the very cradle. For

For the better understanding of these words you [Page 3] must consider well the occasion of them, and to what purpose the Prophet brings them in at this time, and that was to comfort the King in a case of distresse, as you may gather out of The history there refers to the pro­phesie here. 2 Chron. 28. and this was the case: Ahaz King of Iudah was at this time brought very low, being sore opprest by the Kings of Israel and Syria, with one of which hee had lately fought a great battaile, wherein hee had the worse of it, so farre the worse that hee lost 120000 men upon the place, 2 Chron: 28: besides 200000 more of all sorts taken prisoners, and carried away captives, so great a blow as that he was afraid it might not onely weaken his Kingdome in his hands, but even shake the foundation of the Monarchie for ever. In this case hee comes to the Prophet for councell and for comfort, and the Prophet gives him both, and the grounds of both hee fetcheth from the child in my text: he bids the King be of good comfort, and that the losse of that day should not so much trouble him, nor the feare of the ill consequence which hee did misdoubt might fall thereupon, in as much as there was a child borne in whom he should be relieved in all this; A mighty Prince that should do valiently, that should raise amongst them a greater and more glorious Kingdome then that was when it was at the highest, that should fight against the enemies of it a more terrible battaile then that which hee had fought, and win upon them a more glorious victory then he had lost: (though not with sword and speare, Isay 1.25. but with sword and fire, with a two-edged sword, proceeding out of his mouth, Isay 4.4. and with the spirit of [Page 4] burning, the spirit of grace & power conquering by the Gospell: all this in the fift verse, Every battaile of the warriour is with confused noyse, and garments rolled in blood, but this shall be with burning, and fewell of fire: And then in the sixt verse hee tells you who it is that shall execute all this, & that is the Child in the Text, whom he describes by nine glorious attributes in all and every of them making him out a mighty Prince indeed. The government shall be upon his shoulders, and his name shall be called Wonderfull, Counsellour, the Migh­ty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government, and peace there shall be no end, Hee shall sit upon the Throne of David, and upon his Kingdome to order it, and to establish it with judge­ment and justice from henceforth even for ever. The Pro­phet under the type of Hezekiah preacheth to the King the Messiah. The Prophet all this while, and in all this (under the type of Hezekiah, the sonne of Ahaz, a hopefull Prince, and as yet but a child) with singular art preaching Christ unto him, and prophesying of the glory and great­nesse of his Kingdome, (the spirituall Kingdome of the Church) for the protection and preservation of which he should doe wonderfully. To him the Pro­phet leads the King now in the day of his distresse, as to a ground and pillar of hope, & comforts him in the advancement of the Kingdome of Jesus Christ, even against the losse of his owne. Be of good cheare. For unto us a Child is borne, unto us a Sonne is given. This was the method and the meanes by which the Pro­phets before the comming of Christ were wont to comfort the people of God in the time of their trou­ble, by leading them unto Christ, by pointing them [Page 5] to the Messiah, in whom was laid up all their hope and comfort, this was a standing comfort in the Church which never failed them, a reserve of hope, unto which in the time of their most grievous trou­bles they had recourse and found reliefe: And hence it is observed, that the clearest visions of the Mes­siah have ever beene made out to the people of God in the darkest times: Jacob in Aegypt, Gen. 49.10. Num. 23. Dan. 9.24. Moses in the wildernesse, Daniel in the captivity, saw more, and more clearly of the Messiah, then they did at a­ny other time besides: The Lord in his mercy ha­ving appointed him as a ground of their hope and comfort against evill times: in the remembrance of whom they might stay themselves untill his coming: And such a time was it with Ahaz now; and there­fore such a method and means doth the Prophet use to comfort him: Be of good cheare, for unto us a child is borne, unto us a sonne is given.

And (beloved) let us learne from this method of the Prophet how to comfort our selves and others in the like cases, even by embracing this child in the armes of our faith, by flying unto Christ with the wings of our hope, and by having recourse to the Fundamentall mercies are sure mercies. sure mercies of the Covenant purchased by his blood in it is laid up all our hope & happinesse, thats our reserve and sure refuge unto which we must trust in an evill day, and well may, for it will not faile us. If such a day come (and such daies will come) re­member the Prophets councell, turne thee to Christ, and turne to the covenant of grace, of which hee is the mediator, and consider the pretious and glorious [Page 6] things therein sealed up and made sure to thee, read there thine eternall election to grace and glory fir­mer then the mouniaines, The Covinan [...] of grace the charter of the Church. Ephes. 1.4. 1 Pet. 1.18. Tit. 3.7. Gal. 4.5. Psal. 32.1. Luk. 10.10. Col. 1.12. thy redemption by the blood of Iesus Christ, thy free justification by faith, thy reconciliation and peace made with God, thy adoption to the honour to become the sonne of God, the remission of thy sinnes, thy name written in heaven, and thy infallible title to an inheritance in glory, all made over to thee, and all made sure to thee in the Covenant of grace: all [...] (as the Greeke proverbe hath it) without the reach and danger of the dart, unshaken grounds of hope and joy in the midst of all the troubles, losses, and crosses which in this mortall life you are subject unto, thinke upon these and be comforted, when all is lost, some­thing yet there is left in these, which we cannot lose, when the world hath done its worst, something yet it hath left us, which it could neither give, nor take away, enough (in the Prophets judgement here) to comfort a King, even in the losse of a Kingdome, and in all that comfort have we all a share as well as he, For

In which words here are three things which cleer­ly to the eye, and at first view offer themselves to our examination, take them in so many words.

• 1 Quis Who?
• 2 Quid What? and
• 3 Quibus To whom.

1 In the first of these we are to enquire who it is of whom the Prophet speaketh this? and that the [Page 7] Text gives you in in two words, A Child, A Sonne.

2 In the second we are to consider what it is that he speaketh of him, and that he gives us in in two words more, is borne, is given, The Child is borne, but the Son is given.

3 In the third we are to examine to whom hee is so borne, and for whom he is given? and that wee have in a double expression too, Nobis, to us; and a­gaine, for failing, Nobis, to us; For unto us a Child is borne, unto us a Sonne is given.

Of these in order, and first of the first, Quis who? As sometimes that noble Eunuch askt the question, Act. 8.34. I pray thee of whom speaketh the Prophet this? of himselfe or of some other? such is the question here offered in the Text, of whom doth the Prophet pro­phesie this? of the Messiah, or of some other?

Surely of some other sayes the Iewe, which (be­cause he will by no meanes heare of Christ yet come in the flesh, and because the Prophet speakes in the praeter tense, is borne, is given) tels us, we must needs understand this of some child that was now actually borne and visible in the world, and in that enquirie they pitch upon Hezekiah the sonne of Ahaz, a child now of about As by computation of time may be gather­ed out of 2 King. 18. compared with 2 Chron. 28. 13 yeares of age; as if the Prophet (like some flattering Court-Chaplaine, to please the King) did in these words but sooth and smooth him up, by telling him what a glorious Prince his sonne Hezekiah should prove, & what a mighty and lasting Monarchie he should raise, and be established in.

In answer to this cavill, we do not deny but that the Prophet did all along in this prophesie allude [Page 8] to Hezekiah (a hopefull Prince) as to the type of an­other Prince farre more glorious, herein (with singu­lar art) gaining the Kings eare, the more readily to en­tertain the doctrine of the Messiah, The Prophets singular art to gaine the Kings eare while hee preacheth Christ unto him. when he preach­eth him to him under so lovely and lively a type as his owne sonne, whereby hee did not onely honour the Prince in making him the type of Christ, but leading the King on with delight in hearing such glorious atchievements personated in his sonne, hee prevailed with him the more readily to receive him that was personated by him, and while he opens his affections to the taking in of the one, he takes the ad­vantage of it to convey in with him the other also, the type with the Antitype both together: wherein he acted the part of a wise charmer. Fishers of men should be cunning, and have baits of all sorts to catch soules withall; and (reserving still the innocencie of the dove) need had they bee wise as serpents, which have serpents to deale withall, which will stop their eares to the voyce of the charmer, charme hee never so wisely.

But that it could not be Hezekiah which was here principally intended, the sequele of this verse makes it cleare, where the wonderfull things spoken of this child, and the magnificent titles attributed to him in the description of him, are too high and glorious to be ascribed to Hezekiah, or to any mortall man else.

If I were to preach in a Synagogue of Iewes, mee thinks I should need no more but foure other pro­phesies (to this in the Text) to convince them, and to demonstrate the Child in my Text to be the Messiah [Page 9] that was to come and none other, that child which above 3000 yeares before, the Lord promised to A­dam to comfort him after his fall, Gen. 3.15. That child which to the Patriarchs and Fathers of former generations was preacht and pointed at, in types and figures, promises and prophesies, sacraments & sacri­fices under the law. That child whose day Abraham saw a farre off (but dimly) as it were, through a per­spective glasse, and at a distance: that child which was the joy of the world, the expectation of the na­tions, the hope of all the ends of the earth; that's the child which here the Prophet speakes off, and in the Text presents to us as visibly as if (with old Symion) he had him in his armes, Unto us A Child is borne. And to this give all the Prophets witnesse. Micah fore­told long before, the place where he should be borne, at The very name of it did prophesie, and promise some singular good to us out of it, [...] signifies the home of bread, and out of it did hee come that was the bread of life. Bethlem, Micah 5.2. little Bethlem in this Honou­rable above all the Cities of all the other tribes, Act. 10.34. yea above Jerusalem it selfe, in that it was the birth-place of our blessed Lord: which therefore S ^t Ambrose of­ten calls Christi villula, Christs little village: Old Ja­cob 1000 yeares before that foretold the time when he should be borne, Gen. 49.10. when the Scepter was departed from Judah, and the Lawgiver from betweene his feet, not before. This our Prophet 19. Generations before he was borne, foretels us out of what stocke, tribe, & family he should come. Isay 11.1. That hee should be a branch springing out of the roote of Jesse, of the Tribe of Judah, of the stocke and linage of David: And in the 7 ^th of this Prophesie, and 14 ^th verse, hee comes nearer yet, and describes the very [Page 10] woman of whom he should be borne, tels us, what manner of woman she should be, and what manner of child he should be that was to be borne of her: that his mother should be a Maid, Behold a virgin shall con­ceive, and beare a sonne; and the child should be a twin, and yet but one neither, but that one consisting of two natures united together in one person, and these natures as different one from the other, as heaven is distant from earth, and therefore had he a name as­signed him from heaven suitable to them both, and comprehending both of them in the signification of it. His name shall be called [...]. Immanu-el.

So then you have the time when, the place where, the tribe and family out of which this child should be borne, you have him described by two distinguishing properties besides, the one in the mother that should beare him, the other in the child that should be borne, by which he may be knowne from all other children in the world. Then wee need goe no further in this enquirie, lay all these together and compare them with what you read in the first chap­ter of the Gospel by S ^t Matthew, Mat. 1. and the second by S ^t Luke, and you have found the child that we looke for, Luk. 2. what here you have in the prophesie, there you have in the history. This day are all these Scriptures fulfilled in your eares. There is no stronger prop to our faith to confirme us in the truth of those things which wee beleeve, then when wee see that those things which are come to passe were so long before foretold that they should so come to passe, and a­mong all the great things which time hath brought [Page 11] forth since the creation of the world, there is nothing wherein this hath beene so punctually made good, as in the things concerning this child, of whom there is scarce any passage in his conception, birth, baptisme, life, death, buriall, resurrection or ascention so small, but wee can shew it you, either in promise, or pro­phesie, or type, or figure, or sacrament, or sacrifice, long before, many of them some thousands of years before foretold and foreshewed; whence it is that you read so often in the Gospells such expressions as these, That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the mouth of such a Prophet, Matth: 1.22. and that it might be fulfil­led which was written by such a Prophet: Matth: 2.15. That you may see how in all things concerning the Messiah the Prophesie and the history agree and answer each o­ther (as in a glasse) face to face: Nor to be trem­bled at, then the impudence of the Athist that dare call them into que­stion. In so much as there is nothing more to be wondered at, or indeed to be lamented, then the judiciall blindnesse of the Jewes, which to this day doe not see these things, nor ac­knowledge the Messiah come in the flesh, but doe with great earnestnesse still looke for him out at the window, when he is long since come in at the doore: The Lord open their eyes that they may see him, and that they may looke upon him whom they have pierced, Zach. 11.9. and and mourne for him abundantly, even as a mother mourn­eth for her sonne, and as one that is in bitternesse for her first borne.

And that they may do so, here it is necessary that we remove the scruple in the Text (which they stumble at) arising from the time wherein the Pro­phet gives you in his birth, which here he expresseth [Page 12] in the praeter tense as a thing done already, is borne, is given: whereas they say even the child that wee speake of was not borne till about 700 yeares after this prophesie uttered: And it is true that they say, for if we search the Chronologies of time, and the Genealogies of this Child, Mat. 1. we shall find there were 19 generations between this of Ahaz, in which the prophet prophesied this, and that of Mary, wherein and of whom this child was borne, which tooke up much about this time that they speake of. But it is an usuall thing with the penmen of the Holy Ghost especially writing the historicall and propheticall parts of Scripture thus to expresse themselves, and to speake of things to come as if present, or past already by a figure usually found in Scriptures, called Antici­patio: Anticipatio. But there is more in this expression here in this place then a bare figure, the prophet hath a further meaning in it, and would thereby teach us, and point out unto us these three things.

1. First the certainty of fulfilling the promise of his comming, that it was as sure as if they had had him then amongst them: what you have in hope grounded upon a promise from the all-sufficient God, is as sure as if you had it in hand, in whom all the promises are yea and Amen. If the Lord hath said it shall be done, write it done already, it is as sure as if it were done, Hab. 2.3. though the vision tarry, wait, for in the end it will surely come, it will not tarry. If the Lord hath said, hee shall be borne, the Prophet dares boldly write him borne already, unto us A Child is borne.

[Page 13]2 Secondly, to note the eternall efficacie of his birth, life, death, and passion, with all the other parts of his obedience, in respect of which he was not only A Child borne, but A lambe slaine from the beginning of the world. Mich. 5.2. And (as the prophet Micah tels us) his goings forth were from the begining and from ever­lasting, one would thinke that in this verse the pro­phet did speake contradictions. In the beginning of it, he tels us he shall come, Out of thee shall he come that shall be captaine of my people, and in the latter end of it he tels us he is come already, come long agoe, his go­ings out have beene from the beginning, and from everlasting, this cleare distinction reconciles the matter. There is a twofold comming of the Messiah an Actuall comming, and A Vertuall comming. Actual­ly he shall come. Vertually, he is come already; His goings out have beene from the beginning, and from ever­lasting, the vertue and efficacie of his redemption reaching as well to the first man that was created in the world as to the last that shall stand upon the earth at the last day, even Adam the [...] was saved by his death: for of the salvation even of him (notwith­standing his grievous sinne and fall) wee nothing doubt, yea Origen hath recorded it, that (when he had finished his daies on earth, and returned to the dust from whence he was taken, he was buried in mount Calvery in the very place where (about 4000 years afterwards) the Crosse of Christ was set whereon he was crucified. A wonderfull providence (if true) Ut primus virtutē sanguinis Christi sentiret qui primus pec­cati author fuerit, That he might first feele the efficacie of [Page 14] Christs blood which was the first cause of shedding it. Hee did not then That is, ver­tually, and ef­ficaciously ac­cording to the distinction fore­going. first open the Kingdome of heaven to all beleevers when hee had overcome the sharpnesse of death, but when (by covenant made with his father, and concluded upon for the reconciling of the world) Hee tooke upon him to deliver man. And had it not been so, the patriarchs and fathers of former generations before his coming in the flesh had beene very un­happy (with all their faith and hope, piety and pati­ence, holinesse and obedience (in which they were exemplary) to be thrust into Limbus, there to be im­prisoned for so many hundreds of yeares (as by the doctrine of the Church of Rome they must) untill Christ came thither with his Crosse to breake open the prison doores, and to set them free. They were in Christ before us, they saw his day and rejoyced, and not onely Isay in his time, but the Fathers of the first ages of the world (long before him) embraced this child in the armes of their faith and hope, & ac­knowledged, (as in the Text) Unto us this Child is born.

3 Thirdly, by this expression doth the Prophet preach to us, and declare the omniscience, and eter­nity of the Lord God, with whom there is no distin­ction of time, nor any part of it past, or to come, but to whom all time is present, with whom one day is as a thousand yeares, and a thousand yeares but as one day, which sees all things past and to come uno intuita at one view present before him; which calleth things that are not as if they were, which saith un­to Cyrus, thou art my Shepheard, I have knowne thee and called thee by name: an hundred yeares before [Page 15] Cyrus was borne: neither is it in the power of any power under or in heaven so to speak, but only of him who writes himselfe [...], I AM the Α Alpha, and the Ω Omega, the beginning and the end, Exod. 3.14. the first and the last; which lifteth up his hand to heaven and saith, Revel: 1. I live for ever. And therefore upon this triall the Lord challengeth all the heathen gods, pretenders to dei­ty, Isay 41.21. Produce your cause, saith the Lord, shew your strong reasons (saith the King of Jacob) let them bring them forth, and shew us what shall happen, Isay 41. let them shew the former things what they be, that wee may consi­der them, and know the latter end of them: or [...] them declare the things for to come, shew the things that are to come hereafter, that wee may know that ye are gods. A more convincing argument of the deity then that of miracles, in them there may be juggling, and Jannes and Jambres in many strange things may goe as farre as Moses: but to foresee things to come at such a di­stance, at which it is impossible to see them in their causes, any farther then as it is the will and councell of him that hath ordained them, to bring them to passe according to his owne purpose, is the act and worke onely of a deity. When therefore you read in these words what the Prophet speakes, do but re­member withall from whom he speaks, and you will be satisfied.

Adde hereunto that the Prophet (though speaking hereof the Messiah yet) alludes to Hezekiah the young Prince and lively type of him, in whom he is said to be actually borne, as in his type and representitive.

In all which respects the expression of the Pro­phet [Page 16] here is not only defensible, but divine, & high, full of grace and truth, and preacheth to the world Christ incarnate with power. The Angell seconds him Luke 2.11. Unto you is borne this day in the City of David, A Saviour, even Christ the Lord. And see, with what joy does hee deliver the newes of it? and how beautfull are his feet upon the mountaines, brin­ging the glad tidings of it? the whole universe seemes to be sensible of it, men and Angels rejoyce at it, and heaven and earth joyne together to cele­brate his Nativitie: the starre appeares, the Angels sing, the heralds poast, the shepheards run, the Kings come in to bring their presents, and to tender their homage to him in his very cradle. And shall it be re­proveable in us this day to joyn with them in contri­buting our halleluiahs of joy and praise for our share in this holy birth? or in the Church that it hath ap­pointed a set and solemne day for that purpose, be­cause For there are that undertake to give us in more then that, the very minute in which he first opened the ma­trix, as Carda­nus a famous Astronomour, who gives it in at 15. mi­nutes after 10. at night, Virgo being then a­scendant in prima domo, in his Commen­tary on Ptolo­mies Quadri. partite. perhaps we cannot give you in precisely (at this distance of time) the very day, or houre of the day wherein he was borne into the world? why it is not our purpose to calculate his nativitie, that wee should be so precise in this matter, But to the honour of God, and for our owne comfort to preserve and perpetuate the memory of so great a mercy, to renew our thankfulnesse for the unspeakeable good pur­chased unto the world by it, to meditate upon the benefit of his conception, and incarnation, and to re­joyce before the Lord, and in the Lord, for the fa­vour and good will which thereby hee hath shewed to the sonnes of men, duties which (though on no [Page 17] day unseasonable, yet then surely most suitable, when (a day being set apart for those duties) we set our selves apart for that day, and suspending our thoughts from all worldly cares, and taking our selves off from all other distractions, wee bend our minds (with most serious devotion, and intended af­fections, to the performance of the duty of the day, in the day of the duty. And this is the day that calls for that duty at our hands, Come let us rejoyce and be glad in it; harke how the Angels sing their Gloria in excelsis; Mary exults in her Magnificat, and why should not we (amongst them) beare a part in this heavenly Choyre for our part in this holy birth? Let us also with joy and praise sing Glory to God on high, for his Peace (sent) on earth below, and for his good-will shewed to the sonnes of men, let our soules magnifie the Lord, and our spirits rejoyce in God our Saviour for [...] Lanu, Lanu, unto us, even unto us This Child is borne.

SO then you see by the help of the Starre we have found the child we spake off: The second branch of the first generall part. The Sonne. But what say you to the Sonne? whether is it the same with the Child here in the Text, or some other? and if the same, why doth the Prophet so suddenly vary in his ex­pression? but even now a Child, and presently in the next word a Sonne, surely there's something in it, what may be the meaning of it? Nothing at all (saith the Rabbi) but only this, in the first word, Rabbi Kimhi. he told you there was a Child borne, and in the next he tels you what manner of child it was, it was a man-child, a sonne and not a daughter.

[Page 18]1 But by the Rabbies leave there's more in it then so. If indeed the former word [...] jelad, here rendred a Child, were of the Common-gender, as in our En­glish it is, and did signifie a woman-child as well as a man-child indifferently, then there were some ground for this conjecture, but if you examine the originall text you will find it otherwise, you will find that the word [...] jelad is of the masculine gender & can signifie no other but a man-child. And so, for the Prophet to bring us newes that a man-child was borne, and presently tell us it was a sonne, were an unnecessary tautologie, therefore there is more in it then so.

2 There are which tell us, that by these masculine expressions of a Manchild, A Sonne is intimated to us the honour and prerogative that the man hath above the woman in this businesse, and the interest he hath in Christ before her, in that hee was borne a man-child, not a woman-child, a Sonne and not a daugh­ter.

But to this we answer, if this circumstance may be a ground of an argument, whereby to prove the priviledge of either sexe, and whether of them be nearer a kinnne to Christ, certainly it will conclude for the woman rather then for the man, for although our Lord tooke upon him the nature of a man in that sexe, yet he tooke that nature of a woman, not of a man, yea without the help of man, and so hee hath united that sexe unto himselfe in a kind of consangui­nity, which the man cannot chillenge. But Saint Ambrose hath reconciled this difference, by dividing [Page 19] Christ equally between them thus. Virum assumendo, & de foemina nascendo, utrumque sexum honoravit Chri­stus: Our Lord Christ by taking upon him the nature of man, and yet taking that nature of a woman, hath hereby equally honoured both sexes, and shewed that they have both an equall interest in him, in Jesus Christ in this respect, there is neither male nor fe­male.

3 But yet wee have not sounded the bottome of this mystery, there is more in it yet then all this, let it be well lookt into, and it will be found, that in these two words is contained and taught the greatest my­stery that is in all the Christian Religion, and that is the two really distinguished natures united in the one and undivided person of our Mediatour, the huma­nity and the Divinity of the Sonne of God. Vnto us A Child is borne, there's his humanity: and, Vnto us A Sonne is given, theres his Divinity. As he was a child, so he was the sonne of Mary; as a sonne, so he was, (by eternall generation) the naturall Sonne of God: as a child, so he had a Mother, but was without a Fa­ther; as a sonne, so he had a Father, but was without a Mother: Heb. and so was the true Antitype of him (in whom hee was long before typified) Melchizedek, without father, without mother, without generation: in respect of his humanity without a father, in respect of his Divinity without a mother, and therefore his generation who shall declare? Isay. No wonder if a few words after my text the Prophet tels us his name shall be called Wonderfull.

And (as here in my text,) so all along throughout [Page 20] the whole course of his life, fom his birth to his bap­tisme, from his baptisme to his death and passion you shall observe how this child, and this sonne; the Divi­nity, and the Humanity of Christ, (like Hypocrates his twins,) goe hand in hand together.

His birth was meane, his parents poore, there was no roome for them in the Inne, they are faine to take up a stable for their quarter; they find more kindnesse among the beasts, then among them that owed them, there is he borne, Luke 2.7.

Behold the Child.

But do you not see at the same time a strange and new created starre appeare in heaven waiting upon his birth, and the place where the child lay? and doe you not heare the Angels singing, Luke 2. Gloria in excelsis, in honour of his Nativitie?

Behold the Sonne.

Luke 2.As his birth was meane, so his accommodations are meaner, being borne he hath not a place where to lay his head. This shall be a signe unto you (saith the Angell) you shall find the babe wrapt in swadling clothes and laid in a manger.

Behold a Child.

But do you not see at the same time, Kings by in­spiration come from the East to doe him homage, do you not read how they brought their presents to him, Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrhe; Gold repre­senting the Kingly office, Francumcense the Priestly, and Myrrhe the Propheticall office which hee was borne to, The Kings of Arabia and Sa­ba shall bring gifts. Ps. 45. and which he was to beare and exercise in the Church.

Behold A Sonne.

When he was to be baptized he submits himselfe unto an ordinance, and to receive it at the hands of a man infinitely meaner then himselfe, one that profes­eth he was not worthy to unloose the latchet of his shooe, yet without disputing he goes into the water, Matth. 3. and is baptised of him.

Behold A Child.

But looke up and you shall see the heavens opened unto him, and the Spirit of God in the likenesse of a dove descending upon him, and you shall heare a voyce from heaven giving testimony of him, [...], This is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased.

Behold A Sonne.

When his parents (as the manner was) went up to Jerusalem to the feast of the Passeover, they tooke him along with them, he was numbred among other children, and as an ordinary child hee went in the multitude with the rest, when his parents missing him rebuked him for it, hee submitted to their repre­hension, and (as the text tels us, Luk. 2.) He came downe and was obedient to them.

Behold A Child.

But do you not read, how at the same time being but twelve yeares old, he went into the Temple, pre­sented himselfe among the Doctors, disputed with them, both hearing them and posing them, asking them questions, resolving their doubts, and that with such gravity, such satisfactory resolution, as raised astonishment and admiration in all that heard him?

Behold A Sonne.

Lastly, to conclude this paralele, at the time of his passion you see him under the hands, and power of his enemies, scourged, crowned, crucified, hanging on the Crosse, bowing downe his head sorrowing, complaining, weeping, bleeding, dying.

Behold the Child.

But do you not see at the same time, the heavens grow blacke, and darkned above, and the earth trem­bling beneath him: do you not see the graves open, the rockes cleave in sunder, the vaile of the Temple rent, and the whole universe seeme to be troubled at the sadnesse of the spectacle?

Behold the Sonne.

And thus you see (not only in my text, but all a­long, the history of the Gospell, and throughout the whole course of our blessed Redeemers life) the glo­ry of the Lord appearing in the cloud, the divinity of the Sonne of God breaking out through the cloud and veyle of his flesh, and both of them clearly ma­nifesting themselves in the person of our Mediatour. And therefore (as the Father hath observed) when you see him crying in the cradle, Ambrose. or crucifyed on the crosse, when you see him hungry and thirsty, weary, weeping, sorrowing, grieving, bleeding, & dying, Ecc [...] homo, Behold A man: But when you see him casting out Devils, raising the dead, feeding of thousands with a few loaves, and fewer fishes miraculously multiply­ed: when you see him, reading the riddles of mens inmost thoughts, forgiving sinnes, commanding not onely winds and seas, but uncleane spirits and devills unto obedience, then Ecce Deus, Behold A God: Be­hold [Page 23] them both in my text in this child, and in this sonne, Infans vagiens in cunabulo, filius tonans in Coelo, Ambrose. A child crying in the Cradle, and hee at the same time A sonne thundering in heaven: an Infant thrust out of doores to take up his harbour in a stable, and he at the same time A Sonne disposing of Paradise, and of the glorious mansions in heaven, at the right hand of his Father.

And there was a reason for all this, Reasons of this marvelous uni­on of two na­tures in the one undivided per­son of our Me­diatour. yea there was a necessity of it on our parts; or els he could never have reconciled us to God the Father, nor have become for us a fit and perfect Mediatour. Neither the child without the sonne, nor the sonne without the child, could have done it, hee must be both, A Child, and A Sonne too, both God and man that was to recon­cile God and man, heaven and earth together. Had he beene only man, he could never have laid downe a price which might have beene of sufficient value to ransome the sinnes of the whole world, and had hee beene onely God, he had not had what to lay downe to ransome them withall, not a body to offer up in sacrifice for us, nor blood to shed, without which there is no redemption, (for the God head is impa­tible.) Had he beene onely man, he could never have gone through the great worke of our redemption, he could never have stood under the great weight of his Fathers wrath, and the burden of the sinnes of the whole world, which were to be laid upon him. And had he beene onely God, he could not have satisfied the justice of God for the sinne of man, which requi­red that satisfaction should be made in that nature [Page 24] that had offended: and what satisfaction had it been for God to satisfie himselfe upon himselfe, for the sinne and offence that was committed against him by another? There was a necessity (therefore) that he should be both, that the Child and the Sonne toge­ther; the Humanity, and the Divinity united in one might make up the person of a fit Mediatour.

1 There was a necessity that hee should be man that so he might punctually satisfie the justice of God for the sinne of man, answering for sinne in that na­ture that had committed it. Therefore A Child.

And there was a necessity hee should be God too, that by the dignity of his person hee might adde va­lue to his sufferings and obedience, to make them meritorious and of a sufficient price to ransome the sinne of thousands Therefore A Sonne.

2 It was necessary he should be man, that so hee might have what to offer up to God in sacrifice for us, even a body capable of death, and blood to be shed for remission of sinne for the taking off of the sentence of death that was gone out against us:

Therefore A Child.

And it was necessary hee should be God too, that so by the power of his deity hee might support his humanity in that great conflict, and under that great burden of his Fathers wrath, and the sinne of the whole world that lay upon him, and that in the end he might be able to rescue himselfe out of the hands and power of hell, death, and the grave; and by his owne power to raise up his body from death to life; and openly to triumph over it. Therefore A Sonne. [Page 25] Therefore both, that hee might be a fit Mediatour betweene both, neither as God, so tendering the ho­nour of the Deity offended, as to forget the misery of the poore lost sonnes of Adam: Nor yet as man, so compassionating the misery of the lost sonnes of A­dam, as to neglect the honour of the Deity offended, but as one that was partaker of both, deare to both, and both to him, hee might lay an indifferent hand upon both, and so become betweene both, an aequall, indifferent, and impartiall Mediatour.

And here (beloved) you have the revelation of that great mystery, the mystery of godlinesse, the my­stery of which Saint Paul writes to Tymothy, 1 Tim: 3.16. [...], without controversie great is the mystery of godlinesse: and whats that? 2 Cor. 5.19. God mani­fested in the flesh: Joh. 1.4. God in Christ reconciling the world un­to himselfe. 2 Cor. 5. The Word made flesh, Joh. 1. A mystery indeed, which the Angels themselves desire to looke into, 1 Pet. 1.12. [...] (saith the Originall) to pry into, to the very bottome, implying, that the farther they pry into it, the farther they may, and the more still they discover of the mysterie, affording matter of admiration, even to those Angelicall spi­rits: And although wee are not able to looke so farre into this great mystery as those Angelicall spirits are, nor to discover so much of it as they doe, yet let it be seriously lookt into, and the discerning spirit will easily perceive how in this high mystery all the most glorious Attributes of Almighty God doe meet to­gether, and worke together, and in most eminent manner display themselves, how his wisedome, his [Page 26] power, his justice, and his grace are all set aworke in this great designe, and the result of them all is, just the burthen of the Angels song, Glory to God on high, peace on earth beneath, Luk. 2.14. and towards men good will.

1 First his wisedome in laying the plot, in con­triving the way how mankind lost should be resto­red and saved, and yet he not suffer in the honour of his truth and justice which had past against them the sentence of death, In quo die commederis morte morie­ris: Gen. 2.17. In the day that thou eatest, thou shalt die the death.

2 Secondly, his power in bringing this about, being contrived, (against so great oppositions, so many difficulties standing in the way) and effecting it with such happy successe as he hath done, though it cost him deare.

3 Thirdly, his justice in punishing sin so severely, and that in his owne Sonne, being but an underta­ker for it, and that meerly out of his love and com­passion to poore soules lost and undone, that they might not perish.

4 Fourthly, his grace in being at such cost to save and to restore sinfull men his enemies, that had so highly offended him, and undone themselves. All these may he that runneth read in this mystery. There s in the 85. Psalme, and 10. verse, a sweet passage of the Prophet David, Mercy and truth are met together, righteousnesse and peace have kissed each other: Behold in this mystery they are met together, and in this glorious designe they kisse each other. His mercy such, that rather then mankind shall perish, his owne and onely sonne shall become a Child, take their [Page 27] nature upon him, and in that nature suffer all, that mankind should have suffered, and doe all that hee should have done, that so all this being imputed unto him, he might have the benefit of it, that he might be excused from suffering, and accepted in the sight of God as holy, as innocent, and as just, as if he had ne­ver offended. And yet his justice such, that rather then sinne shall goe unpunished, hee would punish it in his owne sonne, yea and that with great severity too, he would not spare him, although in the extre­mity of the conflict he begg'd of him that he would, he desired that that cup might passe from him, Matth. 26.39. yet he would not heare him, nor excuse him, but laid on load of wrath and justice upon him, gave him up to the bitternesse of death, and lockt him up in the pri­son of the grave, till hee had paid the uttermost far­thing of our debt.

See here how in this mystery mercy and truth are met together, righteousnesse and peace (in this Child and in this Sonne) kisse each other. Behold how the wisedome and the power, the justice and the grace of Almighty God all worke together, and proclaime with loud voyce, Glory to God on high. And these make up the first part of the Angels song.

The second part of their song proclaimes good will unto men, and declares the unspeakable good which by this mystery they receive, and there are five great blessings and benefits which they receive by it.

1 First, the ennobling of their natures: what an honour is this to our flesh to be taken into union with [Page 28] the divine nature in the person of the Sonne of God? What an exaltation is this of our nature, that the Prince of Glory should vouchsafe to cloth him selfe with it, and in it to appeare and converse among the sonnes of men? but how much more that in it hee hath victoriously triumphed over sinne, death, hell, and the grave, that in it he is ascended into heaven, and there sitteth on the right hand of the Father, & in that part of our flesh which hee tooke hath taken pos­session of heaven for us, and (in our names) of the heavenly mansions which hee hath purchased and provided for us? Quid est homo? Lord what is man that thou shouldest thus consider him, Psal. 8 4. or the sonne of man that thou shouldest thus regard him? thou hast made him little lower then the Angels. Nay in this respect higher then the Angels, for he tooke not upon him the nature of Angels, Heb [...] but hee tooke upon him the nature of A­dam, the seed of Abraham: hence arises a nearer affini­ty (consanguinity rather) betweene Christ and us, then is between Christ and the Angels, he becoming flesh of our flesh, and bone of our bone, by this are wee made sonnes of God, brethren of Christ, and coheirs with him of an Inheritance in glory. Gen. 2 23. Ephes. 5.30 This is an high priviledge, and a great benefit which wee receive by this mystery. The enobling of our natures. And

2 The second is like unto this: The enabling of our natures to gratious and spirituall performances of holy and heavenly duties; for by vertue of this union of our natures with his, and his with ours, th [...]re flowes from him into us an influence of grace, by which he (through his spirit) lives in us, and workes [Page 29] in us, by which he informes, actuates, and animates us, as the soule doth the body, of which it is the forme; hence followes the enabling of our natures to holy and spirituall performances; by vertue of this influence of grace, & of Christ by his spirit living in us, and working in us, we are enabled to live that life which is according to godlinesse, to mortifie our corruptions, to deny our selves with all our corrupt lusts and passions, to crucifie the flesh, to despise the world with all the corruptions that are in it through lust, to doe and to suffer for his name, above the power of nature by a higher power and principle of grace received from above. This is a second benefit derived unto us from this mystery.

3. The third is an interest in the Lord Jesus, and with him in all that is his, in all his righteousnesse, merits, holinesse, obedience, in all that he hath done and suffered for us, it is all ours, wee have a right in it, for from this union of our natures, there followes a Communion, and a common interest betweene us, of all that we have or are (which is communicable) by vertue of this union our sinnes are laid upon him, and hee hath satisfied for them, and (on the other side) his righteousnesse is imputed unto us, and wee are justified by it. The Lord Jesus by infusing his spirit into us makes us 2 Pet. 1.4. Joh. 5. partakers of the divine nature: The admirable manner by ashich the uniō between Christ and his Church is wrought. and againe, himselfe taking our flesh upon him be­comes partaker of our nature, and so there growes a neare union betweene us, he is ours, and we are his, he in us, and wee in him; as the vine with the branches, the husband with the wife, the body with the mem­bers [Page 30] are one, so Christ and those that are of Christ are one, Eph [...]s. 5.30. nay (with holy reverence be it spoken) wee are himselfe, the expression is high, but it is his owne, at least breath'd from his owne spirit, 1 Corin. 12.12. As the body is one, 1 Cor. 12.12. and hath many members, and all the members of that one body being many, are one body, even so is CHRIST: marke this Scripture well, it containes in it a truth more pretious then the gold of Ophir: the union (should I say) nay more, the Identity of Christ with his Church, they make but one body: For the word Christ here in the text (as is clear by the context) doth not represent unto us Christ as a person, but is nomen collectivum, a collective name, comprehending in it, The Identitie of Christ with the Church. together with himselfe his whole Church, with every child and member of the same, all making up but one body, even so is Christ, where (as if they were himselfe) and he not himselfe without them, see how hee vouchsafeth them his owne name, Even so is Christ: so hee calls them, and so hee counts them Oh the happinesse and security of the poore Saints in this respect, they are rich enough, happy e­nough, when he is theirs who is the fountaine of all happinesse, In whom are hidden all the treasures of wise­dome, and godlinesse, and from whose fulnesse, as at the well-head, they all receive grace for grace.

4 The fourth benefit derived unto us out of this mystery, is in the sympathy that hence ariseth be­tweene Christ and those that belong unto him, for from this union and mysticall marriage of our na­tures together, there followes a sympathy betweene him and us, whereby that which is done to the one, [Page 31] is done to the other also, whether it be good or evill, he that receiveth you receiveth me, Matth. 10.40. & he that dispiseth you despiseth me, saith the Lord to, and of, the least of those little ones which belong to him, Luke 10. You can­not give a cup of cold water to a Disciple, under the name of a Disciple, but Chist thanks you for it, as if you had given it unto him. For in as much as you did it to the least of these little ones, you did it unto mee, Matth. 25 40. Matth. 25. Againe, you cannot offer the least wrong or in­jury to any of them, but hee will taxe you for it, as if you had offered it to him too. If Saul be travelling to Damascus with commission to persecute the mem­bers, the head lookes downe from heaven and com­plaines [...] Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou mee? Act. 9. not mine, but mee, because mee in mine, thou woundest mee through their sides. Oh that this sympathy were reciprocall in us too, that the same mind were in us towards Christ Jesus, which is in him towards us, that we could be sensible of the wrong, and dishonour that is done unto him daily, as if it were done immediately unto our selves, so it was with the holy Prophet. The rebukes of them that fell upon thee fell upon mee And, Psal. 69 9. do not I hate them that hate thee? even as if they were mine enemies? Yes, Psal. 139.21. I beare him witnesse hee did, and for those that loved and feared the Lord, hee loved them as well, and that eonomine, and qua tales, for that very cause, and in that respect, because they did love, Psal 16.3. and feare the Lord. Oh that we had that witnesse within our selve that we did regard the cause of God, and the honour of God as this Prophet did, and that wee did shew [Page 32] our love to God, by taking to heart the wrongs and dishonours that are daily done unto him (in his Church, his Children, his Cause, his Ordinances, his Names, his Sabbaths, in all thar is deare unto him) as if it were done unto our selves, the Lord would sure­ly take it very well at our hands, and reward that pi­ous affection seven-fold into our bosomes.

5 Lastly, heres a ground of reverent boldnesse, & child-like confidence in our approaches to the throne of Grace, we can not draw neare to God, nor looke upon him in his Majestie, but wee shall be op­pressed by his glory (No man can see mee and live) but to God incarnate, Exod. 33 20. to God manifested in the flesh, wee may, and live: wee cannot looke upon the body of the Sunne in his brightnesse, but it will hurt our eyes to behold it, but wee may looke upon it in the water without danger: behold Christ in the flesh is the Charactet of the Glory of the Father, Heb. 1.3. and the expresse I­mage of his person: through him wee may behold him, through him we have accesse unto him; and if we dare not be too bold with the Sonne, yet let us looke upon the Child, inviting us to the throne of grace, to partake of the plenty of his Fathers Court.

Behold what a treasury of Grace and Glory is here contained in this mystery, what pretious privi­ledges we receive by it! what wonderfull fruits, and effects are brought forth by this wonderfull designe, all suitable to the greatnesse of the meanes, by which they were wrought, and the high honour and dignity of the persons which acted in it: no lesse then the wisedome of the whole Trinity, was set aworke in [Page 33] laying the plot, and contriving this great businesse, no worse then the Sonne of God himselfe in his owne person, imployed in the executing of it, and where there was such a Councell Table to delibe­rate and to resolve, and such a person to execute, needs must the effects of both be high and glorious, suitable to the honour, greatnesse, wisedome, and power of the high persons exercised in the produ­cing of them, and so (you see) they are.

LLet no man then for ever hereafter reproach the Christian religion, with the meannesse, Conclusio. or despi­cablenesse of him that was the founder of it. Let no man object unto us the humanity, nor the humility of our Mediatour, when wee see for what glorious purposes he was content to stoope so low, and what pretious grace he hath obtained and purchased unto his Church in so doing.

Let not the Jewe stumble at the Crosse of Christ, by telling us that we beleeve in a crucified God: nor let the Atheist stumble at the Cradle of Christ by telling us we embrace a Child for our God. Nestorius his Blasphemy. Nor let Nestorius reproach us with our bimestris aut trimestris Deus, a God of two or three months old, as hee blaspemously calls him. If the Child seeme little in your eyes behold the Sonne, if the Cradle offend you, behold the Starre, if the Crosse offend you, behold the Heavens without a Sunne, and the Starres withold their shining at the spectacle. And be not faithlesse but believe, and you shall see greater things then these. You shall see this Sonne of man comming in the clouds, Matth 25. with [Page 34] [...] [Page 35] [...] [Page 34] power and great glory. Now you see him in the Cradle, then you shall see him in a fiery Chariot, riding upon the wings of the wind: now he came in Virgine, then hee shall come in Libra, with a ballance in one hand to weigh the actions of the sonnes of men, and a two edged sword in the other, to cut them off, and to be avenged on his enemies, now he came attended with a few fishermen, and others of the meaner sort that followed him: but then he shall come attended with thousands and thousands of thousands of Angels, and Arch-Angels: now he came in humility, then he shall come in glory; now he came to be judged, but then he shall come to judge both quick and dead, yea to judge even them that judged him: & the souldiers shall looke upon him whom they have pierced; Zach: 11. and the Jew shall looke upon him whom they have re­jected, and the Arrians, Eunomians, Ebionites, Corin­thians, Photinians, Socinians, and Mohomitans, shall looke upon him whom they have denyed, and de­spised, and shall be confounded, when they shall see him now armed with power and authority, to be a­venged on them for their contempts, and injuries done to him and his for his sake: And those that have confessed him, shall say unto them, by way of reproach and insultation, Behold yee despisers and wonder, and perish. Act. 13.41. Luk: 19.27. And the King shall say unto them, as some­times to those Rebels in the Gospell, Those that would not that I should raigne over them, bring them hither, and slay them before my face.

Psal. 2.12.Oh then kisse the Sonne lest hee be angry, and so ye pe­rish, embrace the Child in the arms of your faith, and [Page 35] best affections, Ambrose. that so hereafter he may embrace you in the armes of his mercy, Infans est, noli timere; filius, noli spernere: Behold he is a Child, that you should not be afraid to draw neare unto him; and a Sonne, that you may not dispise him. Let the meditation of the former raise in you hope and confidence, and of the latter beget in you feare and reverence, and both together that saving comfort, sound joy, and settled peace, that flowes from your reconciliation with God, and your adoption to the honour to become the Sonnes of God, brethren to this Child, and co­heires with this Sonne, of an inheritance in glory, the very end of this his Child-hood, and of this his Son­ship; the very end why he was borne to us, and given for us. Lord let him have his end in us, that we may have our fruit in him, even the end of our hopes; the salvation of our soules in blisse, and glory that never shall have end. Amen.

I Have given you an account of the first generall part of the Text inquiring of the person, who and what hee is of whom the Prophet speaketh this as he is here represented to us under the names and notions of A Child, A Sonne, Transitio. and there in I have discovered unto you the stupendious my­stery which lyes coucht under these two words, and is clearly made out from them, and that is t [...] [...]w [...] really distinguisht natures, united in the on [...] individed [Page 36] person of our Mediatour, the Deity & the Huma­nity of the Son of God, both made good not only out of the text, but all along throughout the whole course of his life, from his birth to his baptisme, from his baptisme to his death as in the severall passages of them all I have observed: In his birth, you had A Cradle for the Child, and a Starre for the Sonne: In his Baptisme, water for the Child, and a voyce from Heaven for the Sonne, In his passion A Crosse, and A Crowne of thornes, nailes, and a speare, scour­gings, and whippings, and stripes for the Child: and thundrings and darknesse, and an earth-quake, and rocks cleaving in sunder, and graves opening, and the veyle of the Temple rent for the Sonne, and ge­nerally throughout the whole course of his life in the severall eminent passages of it you saw the glo­ry of the Lord appearing in the cloud, infallible e­vidences of the Deity, breaking out through the cloud and veile of his flesh. I shewed you the rea­sons of all these wonders, they were wonderfull things that he was to doe, and therefore not to be transacted but by wonderfull means, and by a won­derfull person, even by him whose name is called VVonderfull: And I shewed you the friuts issuing out of them all. Glory to God on high, peace on earth below, and towards men good will. I am now to examine the second generall proposed, Luke 2. wherein we are to consider, what it is which is here affirmed of this Child, and of this Son, and that is laid down in two words more Is borne, Is given. The Child is borne, but the Sonne is given.

First, The Child is borne.

That is was necessary that our Mediatour should be made man it is confest, and we have shewed the reasons of it: but why A Child? why borne of a woman? why to be conceived in the wombe? this is much more, and surely there is more of the my­stery in it, which yet we have not discovered when the first Adam was created he was made A man, not A child; created, not begotten; A man in full strength and perfection of life, and so was excused all the impotencies and imperfections of Child­hood and infancy. And when the second Adam came to repaire, and to restore what he had lost, was it not reasonable, and agreeable to his type that hee should be made a man too in perfect state, stature, and perfection of life as the first was, and so have beene abated all those parts of his sufferings, and degrees of his humiliation, which in the wombe, and from the wombe in his childhood and infancy hee past through, must he needs become A Child, be conceived in the wombe, and borne? what was the reason of this?

Yes surely there was reason for it, Reasons why it was necessary Christ should not onely be made man but borne a Child. nay there was a necessity of it, it must needs be so, and I will give you in three Reason for it.

1 The first concernes the posterity of Adam in generall.

2 The second concernes the daughters of Eve more specially.

3 And the the third concernes the infants that are borne of them, and issue from them both.

[Page 40]1 First in respect of the posterity of Adam in ge­nerall, it was necessary that our Mediatour should become a Child, be conceived in the wombe, and borne. Psal. 51. That he might begin the cure of our dis­ease where our disease it selfe begins, and that is in the very wombe. Behold (saies the Prophet Da­vid,) I was conceived in sinne, and borne in iniqui­ty, Psal. 51. Our blessed Lord becomming our Me­diatour, and undertaking to satisfie the justice of God for this sinne, and to cure us of so grievous a disease that layes hold on us in the very wombe is faine to descend into the wombe of a daughter of Eve, there to take our nature upon him and there to be conceived though without sinne, and of her to be borne, but without iniquity, a pure birth that so by the purity of his humane nature imputed unto us the impurity of ours may be cured and cleansed, and that by his Originall righteousnesse, our originall sin may be done away. There is beloved if you marke it, A method ob­served by the second Adam in curing the evils we receive from the first. and I pray do, for it is well worth your marking, and much comfort shall you reap by it when you apprehend it aright) There is I say A method observed by the second Adam in curing the evills which we have received from the first, it is a methodicall cure, wherein the second Adam hath trac't the first step, by step, and where ever he saw that he had wounded us, he prouided to heale us, and prepared for us a remedy proportionable to our ma­lady a salve suitable to the sore and proper for the cure of it. To shew you this a little more plainly.

There are three things wherein the first Adam [Page 41] hath deadly and desperately wounded his posterity.

1 First, by depraving their natures, this is that which is called Originall sinne, the corruption and depra­vation of our natures from that which we were by creation, by this hee struck us dead in the very wombe, by this we are wicked as soone as we are, even before we have done good or evill, wicked in the very roote, because wee have in us a principle of all wickednesse, and so become children of wrath by nature, miserable from the very cradle, from the very wombe, even in our conception.

2 The second thing wherein hee undid us was, by breaking Covenant with God in failing in the per­formance of the condition of it which said thus fac hoc & vives, doe this and thou shalt live, and so brea­king the Commandement in the mandatory part of it, be forfeited to himselfe and his, all that life, and happinesse which upon the condition of obedience was made over to him and them.

3 And the third was by his actuall rebellion against God, and positive disobedience, by which he despe­rately brake the Commandement in the minatory part of it, which said, In quo die comederis morte morie­ris, in the day that thou eatest thou shalt die the death and so made us liable to all the miseries of this life, and of that which is to come. By his privative disobedience breaking the holy Comandement, in the mandatory part of it he forfeited to himselfe and us the inheritance of Paradise, our right and title to the Kingdome of Heaven, but by his positive diso­bedience, transgressing the holy Law and Comman­dement [Page 40] in the minatory part of it, he hath plung'd us all into the lowest hell. Now for the relieving of us in all these desperate evils, was our Lord faine to provide for us suitable remedies, and to apply each of them to that malady for the cure whereof, it was most proper, and so he did, though they cost him deare. For,

1 First for the cure of our Originall sinne he ap­plies his Originall righteousnesse, that he may pun­ctually satisfie the justice of God for the depravati­on of our natures, the sinne wherein wee are conceived and borne, himselfe is conceived by the holy Ghost, and borne of the Virgin Mary, that he may begin the cure of our disease, where our disease be­gins, in the very wombe, even thither is hee content to descend, and there to take our nature upon him, that in his person our natures might be sanctified, and our birth-sinne cured and done away.

2 Secondly, for relieving of us in the second of these evills, our failing in performance of the condi­tion of the Covenant of workes he applyes unto us his active obedience, by which he fulfilled the Law for us in every part and particle of it in the dayes of his flesh, that so by this his obedience imputed unto us he might punctually satisfie the Justice of God for all our failings, and sins of omission, and so re­store us againe to our right and title to the Kingdom of heaven our forfeited inheritance.

3 And for the relieving of us in the third, the transgression of the Law and holy Commandement in the minatory part, by actuall sinnes and positive [Page 41] disobedience hee applyes unto us his passive obedi­ence, himselfe bearing our sinnes in his body upon the tree, and by his death taking off from us that sen­tence of death that was gone out against us: By this his passive obedience he hath satisfied the law in the minatory part of it, and by his active in the mandatory. by his passive obedience he hath satisfied the justice of God for all our sins of Commission, and by his active for all our failings and our sins of omission, by his passive obedience he hath freed us A poena sensus, from the punishment of paine, and by his active A poena damni, from the punishment of losse, by his pas­sive obedience he hath rescued us out of the jawes of hell, and by his active he hath opened unto us the gate of heaven, his passive obedience was satisfacto­ry, and his active meritorious: And thus by these three parts of his obedience, the obedience of his birth, the obedience of his life, and the obedi­ence of his death, by the obedience of his birth in his incarnation, of his life in his holy conversati­on, and of his death in his passion, hee hath fulfil­led for us all righteousnesse, he is become unto us A perfect Saviomr, and hath wrought out for us plentifull redemption. Had the sonne of God come downe from Heaven to earth, and here beene made man for us, & taken our nature upon him in a body created, as Adams was, and in that body liv'd amongst us as long as he did, and during all that time by his most holy conversation (perfectly fulfilled the Law for us, and performed the condition of the Covenant of workes in our behalfe, yet he had not wrought out for [Page 44] us plentifull redemption, he had by this his active obe­dience, onely fulfilled the Law in the mandatory part of it, and so satisfied the justice of God for our sinnes of omission, but still he had left us open to the justice and wrath of God for our sinnes of Commission, and for our transgressions of the law in the minato­ry part of it, and so left us to the curse of it, even death and damnation. Had hee not onely so fulfilled the law for us by his active obedience in the dayes of his life, but in the end thereof laid downe his life for us, and shed his blood for the ransome of our soules, yet he had not wrought out for us plentifull redem­ption, hee had indeed by this his passive obedience satisfied the justice of God for all our sinnes of com­mission too, and by fulfilling the Law in the minato­ry part of it, cleared us of all our transgressions com­mitted against it, but still hee had left us indebted unto God, and in danger of his wrath and justice for the sinne of our nature, our radicall pravitie, and ori­ginall corruption in which wee are conceived and borne, but that he might cleare us of this sin also and so become unto us a perfect Saviour and worke out for us Plentifull redemption, it was necessary that hee should be incarnate that in the very wombe hee should take our nature upon him, and be borne of a woman, without sinne, that so by the purity of his humane nature imputed unto us, the impurity of ours might be cured, and that in his person, our natures might be sanctified in the wombe, and from the wombe.

And so by grace derived from these three parts [Page 45] in the obedience of the second Adam we are per­fectly cured of all the evill wee receaved from the first, by the merit of his incarnation in his holy birth by his active obedience in his holy life, and of his passive obedience in his bitter death and passion hee hath, fulfilled for us all righteousnesse, he is become unto us a perfect Saviour, and hath wrought out for us plenti­full redemption. And this was the first reason why it was necessary that our Mediator should not onely be made man, but borne a child.

The second reason of this part and passage in the obedience of our Mediatour, and of this so low de­gree of his humiliation, respects the Woman, more especially even Eve with all her daughters, for their sakes more peculiarly, and unto them, and of them was he borne, that by his birth hee might repaire them in a losse, and recover them out of a danger in­to which beyond and aboue the man they had cast themselves by being first in the transgression.

If you heedfully observe the story of the fall compared with other Scriptures commenting upon it, you will finde it to be so: Gen. 3. if you read but the pro­cesse made against her, and the doome pronounc't upon her at the day of her tryall, you will finde a heavier charge against her, and a greater burthen laid upon her, then upon Adam was laid: but wa­ving that, the Scripture upon which this reason is grounded is that famous place of S ^t Paul to Timothy, 1. Tim. 2.16. vers. 1.2.16. Yet neverthelesse through child-bea­ring she shall be savd if they continue in Faith and Charity with holinesse and sobroetie, which because it is a very [Page 46] intricate Scripture one of those which are hard to be understood, and so generally mistaken by most men, so few have attained to the true meaning of it, I will take some paines to examine it, and to finde; it out both for my own and others satisfaction which that I may doe, I must intreat you to looke back with me to 2. or 3. verses going before, there you shall finde the Apostle had laid 2 heavy yokes upon her, Silence and Subiection, V. 11. And that you may know what silence he meanes, in the next verse hee interprets himselfe and tells you he meanes silence as tis put in opposition to teaching, or publique preaching. I per­mit not a woman to teach (though I see not but by the grounds upon which most men take upon them to teach now adaies she hath as good a licence to teach as any of them all, and that is (meerely the inward calling) or at least a conceipt of it, but S ^t Paul that had reason to knowe their gifts of ability well e­nough, and their desire to exercise them in the Church yet directly silences them as to this intent, she that preacht such false doctrine to her husband as whereby she had undone us all, he thinks it fit she should be silence't from ever preaching more. I per­mit not a woman to teach, but let her be silent. 2 ^ly Subie­ction I permit not the woman to usurp authority over the man, in the same verse, if she doe tis usurpation, shee hath no right so to doe. Therefore let her be silent, and let her be subiect, v. 11.12. But verse 14. the A­postle shews the reason why the Lord laid this heavy burthen upon her, and that was the deepnesse of her guilt in the matter of the first and great trans­gression. [Page 47] For Adam was not in the transgression, but Eve being deceived was in the transgression, that is compa­ratiuely nothing so deeply as shee was, hee was in it but as accessary she was the principall, for first shee seduced him & so became an Agent for Satan to pre­vaile with her husband to doe that which himselfe was confident he could never have perswaded him too. 2 ^ly, She was first in the transgression. A grievous aggravation, if rightly considered, for the meaning of it is she was first in the transgressiō, not only because she first gave her consent to Satan tempting her, nor because she tempted her husband to doe the like, who of himselfe had no such thoughts nor desires that we read of till she suggested them, but shee was first in the transgression, because she did first actually eat of the forbidden fruit without the consent of her hurband, or knowledge either, for sure enough the iubtle Serpent watcht the advantage of such an op­portunity to attempt her in the absence of her hus­band whom he might well imagine would have pre­vented her transgression and given her better coun­sell, & what a grievous errour was this in her to ad­venture upon such a fact of so infinite consequence as this was upon which depended the everlasting weale or woe of her selfe and all her posterity after her; without the knowledge or consent of her hus­band, who might have given her better counsell, and whose advise in all reason she should have desired, but she staid not for that she hearkned to the Serpent promising high things unto her to ensue upon her eating and she believed him, and so without ever ac­quainting [Page 48] him with it, she eat of it, shee was first in the transgression, this as it was the aggravation of her sin so it might be some extenuation to Adams sinne, who did therein but second what she had done before, for by her eating, the Covenant was broken, the law transgressed, and though Adam had not eaten at all yet she had done enough to undoe us all at least her selfe and all her daughters which were involved in the transgression with her and with whom they all stood and fell;

Vpon these aggravations the Lord doth not only lay upon her these burthens before mentioned, but the Apostle in this Text which I have under hand intimates a greater danger, which she had cast her selfe into then all they amount unto, even into dan­her of perishing everlastingly, Eve by her transgresson cast all her daughters into farre greater danger then A­dam did his Sonnes. what else meanes this adversative here in the Text neverthelesse. Never­thelesse (through child-bearing she shall be saved. It shews plainly that if God had not found out a remedy for her, if God of his goodnesse had not provided a meanes whereby she might be relieved in this dan­gerous case she could not have beene saved.

Hence hath arisen the question whether Eve were saved or no, and from that another touching the state of all her sexe for her sake, the opening of this Text shall cleare them both.

That both Adam and Eve our first parents were saved, we nothing doubt, yea Origen and [...]iphanius have recorded it that after Adam had finished his daies on earth, and was returned to his dust from whence he was taken, he was buried in mount Cal­vary [Page 49] in the very place whereabout 4000 yeares af­ter the Crosse was set on which Christ the second A­dam was crucified. A wonderfull providence (if true) Vt primus virtutem sanguinis Christi sentiret, Origen. qui primus peccati author fuerit, that he might first tast the power and vertue of Christs blood which was first cause of shedding it and what fitter objects for the Lord Iesus on which to shew his power to save, Epiphan. then those very persons on whom Satan had used all his skill, and power to destroy. But the question is not so much whether they were saved, as how, and this not so much of the Man as of the Woman for the reasons before men­tioned. And the Apostle tells you in this Text, how, he saies it shall be by Child-bearing. Yet neverthelesse by or through Child-bearing she shall be saved.

But what child-bearing he here meanes is still the Quaere,

The most Authors that I have consulted in this matter (and I have consulted not a few) concieve it to be understood of these two things.

1 Of the sore paine and travaile which women indure in chid-bearing, which being laid upon them as a punishment for this their transgression by en­during it with patience in the acknowledgment of their offence that brought it upon them they make some amends for that which they had done amisse, and satisfaction for their transgression, so Cornelius à Lapide and those of his strayne.

2 ^ly, Others extend it not only to bearing of chil­dren, but especially to breeding up of Children in the feare of God, and nurture of the Lord, because in [Page 50] the next words tis said ( if they continue in faith and love with holinesse, & sobrietie, which they understand as required of the Children which they beare bred up in these gratious waies by their care, and so by this meanes they shall be saved; So Danaeus & others both equally mistaken, neither in the one nor in the other have they hit the Apostles meaning, 1. Tim. 16. in­terpreted and cleered. examine it a litle and you shall see whether they have or no.

For if the extraordinary paines which women endure be a kinde of amends, and satisfaction for their extraordinary transgression, then what doe we by this doctrine but establish a Purgatory, and set out a way of satisfying for sin and meriting life and salvation by doing and suffering? Moreover, if child bearing in this sense be the soveraigne remedy of re­covering that sexe out of the danger they have brought upon themselves by that great transgressi­on and the meanes whereby they shall be saved, what shall become of the barren wombe that beares not, or of maidens that knowe not man? Surely up­on this account the case of Harlots, and Strumpets were better then theirs; but to finde out the Apo­stles meaning, here we must finde out another child-bearing, such as all the daughters of Eve have a share in, such as in which the barren as well as the bearing wombe, the maiden that never knew man as well as the married wife hath an equall interest.

This place therefore may be best expounded by another place of the same Apostles. Gal. 3:16. Gal. 3. Where the Apostle discoursing of the promise of God to Abra­ham. Gen. 22.18. In thy seed shall all the nations of the [Page 51] earth be blessed, excellently observes: This is not spoken to his seeds as of many, but as of one unto thy seed which is Christ: By the like analogy, as Paul here interprets Moses, so wil I interpret Paul, he saith not in this place the woman shall be saved by bearing of Children as speaking of many, but [...]: through her child-birth, or child-bearing as meaning one, which one is Christ the very Child in my Text, the Child Iesus.

But if this be so why was not the mentioning of the Child enough, by the Child she shall be saved, It is usuall with the He­brews to put the abstract for the concrete, Child-bearing for the Child-borne, or the child which she should beare what need any mention of the bearing of it by Child-bearing? she shall be saved?

Yes there is something in that too, there is an emphasis in that, even by the bearing of the Child doth the woman gaine not only honour and reputa­tation above the man, but reparation in her losse and comfort after her fall suitable to the danger she had fallen into▪ by this her Child-birth shee receives more grace from him, and hath a neerer relation to him and interest in the Saviour of the world then the man hath, and this the Scripture takes spe­ciall notice of, and often mentions for her con­solation. Gen. 3.15. Semen mulieris, the seed of the wo­man shall breake the Serpents head, not so of the man, he did not so much as share with her in this honour. Gal. 4.4. In the fulnesse of time God sent his Sonne made of a woman, not of a man, the first woman was made of a man, now by a contrary way of generation, this man, this blessed Child in whom all the nations of the earth are blessed, was made of a woman, even of one of the daughters of Eve, the Virgin Mary: so that [Page 52] as in the first Eve conceiving sinne all the whole sex and race of her daughters miscarried, so in the se­cond Eve (as I may say) conceiving in her wombe, and bearing in her body the Saviour of the world, sA the first Eve conceiving sin brought forth death, So the second Eve con­ceiving the Sa­viour brought forth life. they are all repar'd, and restor'd againe. As shee (by being first in the transgression, cast all her daughters into a more desperate condition then Adam did his sonnes, so God found out a more soveraigne remedy for her by which she receives more grace from Christ, and challenges a neerer relation to and inte­rest in the Saviour of the world then he can claime: from her substance, did he take that flesh which hee offered up in sacrifice to God for us, from her body did he take that blood which he shed for the re­demption of the world, he could truly call a woman his mother, but no man living his Father, as Adam once said to Eve, Thou art flesh of my flesh, and bone of my bone, so could the second Eve, in whom all the daughters of the first are repair'd and restor'd, say to to the Saviour of the world, Thou art flesh of my flesh, and bone of my bone, unto all the which relations the man is a stranger, and shares not with her in the ho­nour of them.

See how the goodnesse of God for the comfort of that sexe against this their grievous fall hath pro­vided a remedy suitable to their maladie, a measure of consolation answerable to their dejection, a ground of hope agreeable to their feares & doubts, a reparation proportionable to their losse, if they were first in the transgression, they are likewise first in being instrumentall in the meanes of our sal­vation [Page 53] if they were deepest in the guilt of the preva­rication they were fairest for the meanes of their re­paration. Through Child-bearing she shall be saved.

For this cause was this child the seed the woman. Gen. 3.15. Made of a Woman, Gai. 4, 4. Borne of a Woman, Math. 1. and that sexe may say after a more peculiar manner then the man may, Vnto us, yea of us, and for us, this Child is borne.

That other condition which followes in this Text, If they continue in faith, and love with holinesse, and sobriety, is not to be referred to the children that are to be borne of the Woman, but to the woman her selfe, upon whom these duties are especially charged as cautions or preservatives to keepe her from ever falling into the like sinne againe, as you shall heare anon: but that they are not to bee under­stood here as charg'd upon her children is cleare by this, that they are charged as conditions upō which she is to be saved, now if to this intent the condi­tions here mentioned be charged upon thē then by this doctrine may Parents be saved by the holinesse and righteousnesse of their children which is cleane contrary to the exact justice of God revealed in Scripture which saith iustus sua fide vivet, the iust shall live by his owne faith.

Besides we have knowne many gracious women which have done their best in this way to bring up their children in faith, and love, in holinesse and so­brietie, which yet have not proved such, and contra­riwise we could instance in some carnall, lewd, and [Page 54] ungodly women, whose children have proved graci­ous cōtinuing in faith with love, &c. And yet neither hath the graciousnesse of these profited, nor the gracelesnesse of the other prejudic't to the saving or not saving of their mothers that bare them, there­fore this charge in this place referres not to the chil­dren that are borne but to the woman that beares them.

All the difficulty will be how we shall reconcile this seeming incongruity betweene the 2 pronouns shee and they, shee shall bee saved if they continue, how can these two in grammaticall construction be refer'd to the same as understood of the same person or persons?

For satisfying of this doubt consider these three things.

1 First divers Greek copies have it in the singu­lar number, so Musculas, and so Theophilact reads it so Danaeus, and others, si permanserit, if shee continue, not they, and if that reading be currant there is no farther question at all in the matter.

2 But be it so, that the latter Pronoune & Verbe be of the plurall number, it is usuall with the He­brews to joyne singulars and pluralls together, [...]. Dii creavit in which is the mystery of the Trinity. in the two very first words of the holy Bible, you have such an expression.

3 But that which is satisfactory beyond excep­tion is this that the first pronoune she, though it be of the singular number, yet is of plurall signification, no­men multitudinis, a name of multitude, such as Turba ruunt, collectivum á collective pronounce, comprehen­ding [Page 55] in it not only Eve, but all woman kinde, all her whole sexe and race descended from her, and so is aequivalent and of as large extent as they in the next word, she, that is Eve with all her daughters, all her sexe, all the whole race of womankind descēded frō her shall be saved, If they continue in the faith and loue, with holinesse and sobriety. And that this charge con­cernes the woman more peculiarly it further ap­peares by the suitablenes of it to the sin by which she had transgrest, the foure duties here enjoyned being directly opposite to the foure sinnes by which in her first and great transgression she had offended, her first sinne was unbeliefe, God had said in the day that she did eat of that fruit, she should dye, the Devill told her she should not dye at all, and she believes him rather then God, she was an unbelieving soule, therefore the first duty charg'd upon her is Faith, if they conti­nue in faith, the 2 ^d fin was in violating the law of love which she ow'd both to God and to her husband, she slighted them both and adher'd to the Serpent as her better friend, and therefore the next duty charg'd upon her is Love, if she continue in love. Her third sinne was against the rules of holinesse, she de­filed her selfe by touching and tasting that which being forbidden her, was to her polluted, and so by her grievous sinne drew not only upon her selfe, but upon all hers, corruption of nature, which like the leprosie of Gehazi, cleaves to them & their posterity for ever: and therefore the third duty enjoynd & charg'd upon her is holinesse. Lastly her fourth sinne was intemperance, in that all the variety of the fruits [Page] in the Paradise of God which he had so graciously and bountifully allowd her, not only for necessity but for delight too, yet would not serve her turne, but whereas there were but two trees reserv'd) her luxurious appetite must needs glut it selfe with them too, and therefore the fourth duty charged upon her is temperance or sobrietie if they continue in faith and love with holinesse and sobrietee, by all which du­ties directly opposite to the sins whereby she had transgrest, the Apostle doth not onely put them in minde of those sinnes, that in remembrance of them they may be humbled and caution'd against the like sinnes hereafter: but also admonisheth them by the studious and carefull practise of the contrary duties to make amends for their former folly, and to take a holy revenge of themselves for their past error whereby they had so grievously offended.

And this is the second reason enforcing the ne­cessitie of the child-birth in my Text in reference to the woman and all women kinde, I have beene something large in opening this Scripture upon which this reason is grounded in regard of the diffi­culty of it, and for justifying this interpretation and cleering it of those obje & ions which might seeme to question it, wherein I hope I have given you some reasonable satisfaction.

3. The third reason for which it was necessary this child should be borne respects infants, and chil­dren more peculiarly: for infants sakes did he be­come an infant, for childrens sakes was hee content become a child; that by his birth hee might merit [Page 57] for them their New-birth, hee was borne, that they might be borne againe. That from his very concep­tion, and incarnation they might draw virtue, and derive grace to their spirituall regeneration, and in his person their natures might be sanctified in the very wombe: That in him the Lord might become not only the God of beleevers, but of their seed also, that the promise made to thē, and to their childrē by this means might be made good, & they made capa­ble of receiving it, though as yet they knew him not, nor their right hand from their left. And this part of his humiliation (as for this end it was most neces­sary, so) for our comfort it was not obscurely fore­shewed and preacht to the world by the Prophets of old. In the 49. of Genesis, and the 10. verse, we have a famous and ancient prophesie to this purpose. The scepter shall not depart from Iudah, nor a Law-giver from between his feet till Shiloh come. It is cleere by all the circumstances in the Text, and by the fulfilling of the prophesie since (which is the best interpretation of it) that by this Shiloh is meant none other but the Messiah. Jesus Christ the Saviour of the world, but why Shiloh, rather then the Messiah, Emanuel, or any other of his names by which he is in scripture made knowne unto us, why doth the Patriarch prophesie of him under so strange a name? surely there is a my­stery in it, and if you consult the Hebrew it will give you some light to the finding of it out. This word [...] with very little alteration either in sense or sound refers to a word, [...] Shiliah. which in the originall sig­nifies that part in a child-bearing woman which is [Page 58] called secundina, the After-birth, that filme which containes the Child in the womde after it is concei­ved, and wherein it is nourished by the navell untill it be ripened for the birth, so that in this expression there is a double figure; first by a Metonimy, naming the vessell containing for that which is contained in it, by Shiloh here is signified a man child [...] a sonne and then by a synecdoche using a word more gene­rall for that which is more particular and eminent in that kinde, by this childe is meant none other but the holy Child Iesus, the Christ, the Messiah that was to come in whom this prophesie was evidently fulfil­led. This is that then which in this prophesie is so remarkable, and speaks home to out purpose, That this holy Prophet, and Patriarch prophesiing of this great Prince the Messiah and preaching to the world the Saviour thereof, hee doth not shew you Christ upon the Crosse suffering for our sinnes, nor Christ in the pulpit preaching to the world the doctrine of salvation; nor Christ working miracles, going about and doing good, though all these were necessary parts of his, obedience and performances of the of­fice of his Mediatorship respectively, but hee pro­phesies of Christ in Shiloh, he points at Christ in Shi­loh, he sends you to Christ in Shiloh to Christ in the wombe, to Christ in his incarnation, to Christ in his conception, that you may knowe that you derive grace and vertue, not only from Christ crucified, but from Christ borne and incarnate, not onley from his death, but from his birth too, not onely [Page 59] from his blood which he shed for you, but even from the holy seed of which his body was formed for you not only from the Crosse of Christ, but e­ven from his cradle too, not only from his passion and crucifixion, but from his conception, and incar­nation. Hence you shall observe that the holy pen­men of our blessed Lords life and death, are as care­full and punctuall in giving you an account of his conception, and incarnation, as of his death and pas­sion, consult but the beginning of S ^t Mathews Gos­pell for the one, and of S ^t Lukes for the other, & you shall finde it to be so. And the Apostolicall Creed tea­ches you and tells you, that it is not sufficient that you knowe and believe that he was crucified for you under Pontius Pilate, but also that he was concei­ved for you by the holy Ghost, and born of the Virgin Ma­ry. That the Infants even as yet unborne may have cause to praise him who out of a tender regard to them was content to take their nature and infirmi­ties upon him in the wombe, that he might cure them: What once the Lord by way of reproach ob­jected against his unthankfull people. Ezek. 16. that may he by way of magnifying his compassion to­ward these little ones most suitably apply to them word for word, ver. 3. Thy Father was an Amorite, and thy Mother an Hittite.

Vers. 4. And in thy nativitie when thou wast borne, thy navill was not cut, thou wast not washt with water to soften thee, thou wast not salted with salt, nor swadled with clothes.

5 None eye pitied thee to doe any of these unto thee [Page 60] for to have compassion upon thee, but thou wast cast out in the open field to the contempt of thy person in the day that thou wast borne.

6 And when I passed by thee I saw thee polluted in thine owne blood, And I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood I said thou shalt live.

8 Now when I passed by thee, I had compassion on thee I spred my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakednesse.

9 I washed thee with water, yea I washed away thy blood frous thee, I annointed thee with oyle, and I cloathed thee, &c.

This was their case, and this was their cure, and such was his love to them and his compassion on them, that to the end he might effect it, he is con­tent not only to be made man but to become a child too for their sakes. And this is the third Reason why. Unto us, and unto them this Child is borne.