I Cannot but ingeniously ac­knowledg heere with Chryso­stome that Multa nobis opus est vigilantia, &c. Wee haue neede of much watchfulnesse, many pray­ers, that wee may passe through and learne the difficultie of this present place, Chrysost. ho­mil. 6. in Mat. For the strife be­tweene the heard-men of A­brahams Cattell, and the heard-men of Lots Cattell, about their pasturageGen. 13.7. was neuer so great, so irrecon­cileable as the strife betweene the sheepeheards of Is­raell [Page 2]is heere, what these [...] Wisemen were, what their Profession, what their Countrie, when they came thence, at what time after Christs birth they came to Hierusalem, and Bethlehem, what this starre was, when and how it first appeared and rose, how it guided them in their Iourney, one (as it was in the case of Ahab) Saying on this manner, and another on that manner 1. King. 22.20 Ma­nasses being against Ephraim, and Ephraim against Ma­nasses, and both of them against Iudah, Isa. 9.21. Amongst all which varieties, and extreamities, I holde it the best discretion to keepe that which is good for edification,1. Thes. 5.20. to cast away that which is but the fewell of conten­tion, rather to finde out and follow that which may mi­nister the edifying which is in Faith: 1. Tim. 1.4. then to doate about vaine and vnprofitable questions 1. Tim. 6.4. which doe but gender strife 2. Tim. 2.23.. To come to the Text then, there is a word in it and it is Ecce, Behold, which is Nota attentionis promit­tens rem magnam, a note of attention, promising some great matter to follow after, which serueth as an Index to poynt out vnto vs many admirable remarkeable things here related, and which standeth as a Beacon on an hill, to discouer a strange and vnexpected com­ming and enquirie, not of enemies, but of friends, for the new borne Messias, accompanied, and attended, with many circumstances of Times, Places, Persons, Causes, and Ends, all of them full of admiration. For is it not wonderfull in our eyes that such persons [...] Wisemen shoulde come and enquire for him, that they which sate in darkenesse should see great light Matt. 4.16. and that light should spring vp to them, which sate in the region, and shadow of death, that they to whome he was not spoken of should see, and they that haue not heard, should Isa. 52.12. vnderstand any thing of him,Ioh. 1.11. who comming amongst his owne, was not receiued by his owne, Rom. 15.21. could haue none honour in his owne Countrey, Mat. 13.57. Nato Christi exultabat Chaldea (saith Maxi­mus,)Maxim. 9. homill in hunc locum. When Christ was borne Chaldea was glad, and all [Page 3]Hierusalem with her princes was troubled, the Iewe perse­cuted him, the wise man adored him, Herod whetted his Sword, the wise man prepared his gifts, that they should come at such time as this king was newlie borne, ha­uing no forme nor comelinesse, no beautie, that hee should be desired, Isai 53.2. no better Chayre of state then an Oxes Man­ger,Luke 2.7. before he had knowledge to refuse the euil, & to choose the good, Isai. 7.15. and in the dayes of Herod the King, who to attaine and maintaine his Crowne, spared neyther Priest nor presbyterie, rooted out all the posteritie of Dauid that hee could finde, butchered the Infants of Bethlehem, made hauock of all the nobilitie of Iury, yea, hated his owne flesh, killed his owne bro­ther Pheroras, his owne wife Mariamne, with all her kinred, his owne Sonnes, Aristobulus, Alexander and Antepater, Ioseph An­tiq. lib. 16. c. 17. that they should come from the East, leauing their owne people, and their fathers house, and beeing followers of the obedience that was in Abraham, the Father of this new borne King, who went out of his Countrie, and from his kindred, and fathers house, vnto a Land that God shewed him, Gen. 12.1. with the religious Eunuch: goe so farre a Iourney to worshippe, Act. 8.27. that they should come to Hierusalem, that so Israell might know, that God might prouoake them to Iealousie by them that are no people; and anger them by a foolish Nation, Rom. 10.19. and Vt studio magorum damneretur, pigritia Iudaeorum Remigius a­pud Thomam in catena. by the di­ligence of the wise-men: the sluggishnesse of the Iewes might be condemned, that they should come by the guidance of a Starre, God creating a new Starre, not to giue light by night,Ier. 31.35. but to bee a light to lighten these Gentiles, that they might see, and finde the way to that starre of Iacob, Num. 24.17. of which Balam had fore-pro­phecied, and calling them: per ea quae familiaria ijs con­suetudo faciebat, Chrysost. ho­mil 6. in Matt. by those things which custome made fa­miliar vnto them, that they should come to worshippe him, looking not on the things which were seene, his [Page 4]outward contemptible appearance, his beeing in the forme of a seruant: but on the things which were not seene, his eternall God-head and power, his being in the forme of God, and his thinking it no robberie to be equall with God,Phil. 2.6. yea and acknowledging him which was Rex Iudaeorum, King of the Iewes, to bee also Rex Seculorum: August serm. 31. de temp. the eternall King, magnum aliquod la­tebat in paruo (saith Saint Austin)August serm. 35. de temp. there lay hidde some great thing in that little one, which those men the first fruits of the Gentiles, which came so suppliant from so farre, lear­ned by heauen that shewed it, not by the earth that brought them and by adoring they desired to obtaine the fauour of that: which by beholding they did not see. are not all these wonderfull wonders? are they not the great misteries of Godlinesse?1. Tim: 2 16. are they not [...] The great workes of God, Act. 2.11. worthy to bee published to the World with an Ecce, a note of attention: of admi­ration. The body, the summe of all heere is an Hi­storicall narration, a description of a solemne com­ming: and enquirie for the new borne Messiah, which being as the Center hath many circumstances, as the circumference compassing it about on euerie side, First of the time when Iesus was borne, which birth is farther illustrated either by the place, at Bethlehem of Iudea, or the time In the dayes of Herod the king. Secondly, of the persons who; Wise men: Thirdly, of the places eyther from whence? From the East, or whither? to Hierusalem, Fourthly, of the forme of the inquirie: Where is he that is borne King of the Iewes? Fiftly of the moouing cause, Wee haue seene his Starre, Sixtly, of the finall cause and end, We are come to worship him.

To prosecute these in the order I haue proposed them, I must beginne first with the time when all this was done, for to euery thing there is a season, and a time to euery purpose vnder the heauen, Eccles. 3.1. and that is Now when Ie­sus was borne, presently vpon his birth all this falleth [Page 5]out: for hee that as long as hee was in the World, was the light of the World, Iohn 9.5. could not bee hidde after his comming into the world, Quis enim celauerit ignem, Lu­mine qui semper proditur ipse suo (saith the Poet) for who can hide fire, which is alwayes disclosed by it's owne light, Latere inter obscura saeculi, lumen caelesti non poterat (saith Maximus)Maximus serm. 2. in Epi­phan. the heauenly light could not be hid amongst the darkenesse of the world, he that at his lifting vp vpon the Crosse, would draw all men both Iewes and Gentiles, Ioh. 12.32. at his manifestation in the flesh, doth presently be­ginne to manifest himselfe to the sheepe-heards of the Iewes, and to the wisemen of the Gentiles, Noluit intra, (saith Leo,) &c, Leo serm. 1. in Epiphan. He would not haue the beginning of his birth hidde within the narrow corners of his mothers House, but would presently bee acknowledged by all men: who vouchsafed to be borne for all men.

But here the wisedome; or rather the curiositie of man (which cannot content it selfe, with the reuealed things which are onely ours.)Deut. 29.29. but must make it selfe ouer-wise Eccles. 7.17. eate of the forbidden Fruit: and prie into the Arke of God 1. Sam. 6.19. cannot forbeare to enquire into the things that God hath secreted, nor keepe it selfe from run­ning vpon the rocks of vaine, and vnprofitable questi­ons, touching the very particular time, and day of their comming after our Sauiours Birth. And as in them that were guided by their owne coniectures: and not by any heauenly reuelation; there were sundrie erro­nious oppinions about the Sauiour of the World, some saying, that he was Iohn Baptist, some Elias, others Ieremi­as, or one of the Prophets, Matt. 16.14. so in this point wherein the Scriptures are silent: and haue reuealed nothing vnto vs, men following their owne coniectures, are deui­ded in their opinions: some saying, that they came the very day of Christs byrth, and worshipped him with the sheepeheards;August. serm. 30. de temp. some a little before the Vir­gins purification, some presently after, some a yeere [Page 6]after this byrth, some almost two yeeres after. All which if I should at large discourse of, or discusse, I might happilie builde vpon the foundation, Hay and Stubble, Vanas & inutiles argutias, Beza in 1. Cor. 3.12. vaine and vnprofita­ble quirkes: which would bee but matter for the fire, enough for the present, that our Churche hath thought fit for a memoriall of these mens comming vnto Christ, to celebrate the twelfth day after his Na­tiuitie: and to note withall vnto the disputers heerea­abouts, that if the wisedome of the spirit, (which hath singled out those things to be written, quae saluti cre­dentium sufficere videbantur, August. tract 49. in Ioh. which seemed sufficient for the saluation of them that beleeue,) had held the precise knowledg of the particular time so necessary, it would as well haue recorded it: as the very time of the Sheep­heards comming to see him, which was the very day of his birth,Luke 2.11.15. Howbeit the very Phrase vsed by the HOLY-GHOST [...] Iesus being borne or as soone as Iesus was borne: importing that they came with as great celeritie and speede, as so large a Iourney could be accomplished, it shall bee good and profitable for vsTit. 3.8.9. (auoyding foolish questions) to learne by this which is written for our instruction, to doe that which we heere and see in them heere; name­ly to make hast, and delay not to keepe Gods commande­ments Phil. 4.9. to make no tarrying to turne vnto the Lord, nor to put it of from day to day, Psal. 119.60. but to seeke the Lord whilst hee may bee found, to call vpon him whilest hee is neere, Eccle. 5.7. that is requisite in all the duties of godlinesse, which is required in our vowes, that wee must not bee slack to pay them, Isai 55 6. & as wheresoeuer the Gospell should bee prea­ched in the whole world: that worke of the Woman, which powred an Alablaster boxe of precious oynt­ment,Deut. 23.21. vpon the head of our Sauiour: was to be men­tioned in memoriall of her,Matt. 26.13. so wheresoeuer the obe­dience of Gods seruants is recorded; the haste that they [Page 7]vsed the diligence that they gaue, is euer remembred, as that which crowneth the worke, Abraham beeing enioyned to circumcise himselfe and his familie, doth it the same day, Gen. 17.23. to sacrifice his sonne, riseth vp Earlie in the morning to goe about it, Gen. 22.3. Cornelius to send for Pe­ter, who must speake vnto him words, whereby hee should be saued, doth it immediatly, Act. 10.33. Paule, to goe vnto the Gentiles, to open their eyes, and turne them from darkenesse to light, doth it immediatly: without commu­nicating with flesh and blood, Gal. 1.16. Nescit tarda molimina, spi­ritus sancti gratia, (saith Ambrose on Luke,) the grace of the holy Ghost, cannot skill of any slow enterprises. How sharpely then are the men of this generation to be re­buked, who say of the building of the spirituall Tem­ple of Christ in their hearts: as the Iewes did of the ma­teriall Temple, the time is not yet come, Hag. 1.2. who with the Iewes, will not in this their day: know the things that be­long vnto their peace, Luke 19.41. but are content that their legions of sinnes which possesse them; as so many deuills (for Quot crimina, tot Doemonia, saith Bernard, how many sinnes, so many deuills,) should say vnto Christ when hee commeth to cast them out: as the Deuills that hee came to dispossesse, art thou come hither to torment vs be­fore the time? Matt. 8.29. and who when they should heare Gods voice to Day, Psal. 95.7.8. putit of till to Morrow, asExo. 8.10. Pharaoh did praying for him,August. in. confession. Quamdiu cras, cras, quare non modò, quare non haec horâ finis turpitudinis meae, (saith Saint Austin) How long? to morrow, to morrow, why not now, why in this very houre is there not an end of my filthines.

Now this first circumstance of Christs birth: is am­plified eyther by the place or the time, the place: In Bethlehem of Iudea, it maketh no matter whether wee reade here Bethlehem of Iudea, or of Iudah, Iudea, beeing put, not for the whole Countrie of the Iewes, but for the Tribe of Iudah, as else-where; Ioseph hearing that Archelau [...] raigned in Iudea would not goe thither, but tur­ned [Page 8]aside into the parts of Galilie. Mat. 2.22. Now this addition serueth here for a distinction betweene it and another, Bethlehem in the Tribe of Zabulon, Iud. 19.15. duae Bethlehem sunt (saith the ordinary glosse) there are two Bethlehems, one which is in the Land of Zabulon, another which is in the Land of Iudah, which was first called Ephrata. And for this Bethlehem, the place of Christs birth, Saint Au­stin hath well obserued thatAugust de concord. E­uangel. Matthew and Luke doe agree concerning the Citty of Bethlehem: but how and for what cause Ioseph and Mary came thither, Luke declareth; Matthew omitteth.

When our Sauiour then was conceiued in the wombe of his mother at Nazareth, and by all likely­hood should in her purpose haue beene borne there, both Ioseph and Mary are compelled by the decree of Augustus Caesar to goe to Bethlehem: the Citty of Da­uid, to be taxed there because they were of the house of Dauid, Luke 2.4.5.6. God so making a way for the accomplish­ment of that Prophecie: which fore-told the place of his birth. Oh come hither then, and behold the works of the Lord; yea the mightie hand of our God, who, as in the great worke of the Creation, hee made the light out of darkenesse, so in the wonderfull workes of his prouidence, and preseruation: can out of the e­uill actions of men and deuills, bring forth good: and turne those things which they doe for the satisfying of their sinfull wills; to the executing of his holy, and righteous will. Deus suas voluntates vtique bonas, im­plet per malorum voluntates vtique non bonas, saith Austin August in Enchirid cap. 101. God can fulfill his wills beeing good, by the wills of wicked men that are not good. Thus when Iosephs brethren thought euill against him in selling him for a slaue into Egypt: God meant, and turned it to good, to saue much people aliue thereby.Gen. 50.20. As then the expert Phi­sitian can so temper, and compose the poyson of Ser­pents: that it shall bee a preseruatiue against poyson: [Page 9]so the great Phisition of our Soules, did so master, and ouerrule the poysonfull action of the traytor Iudas, who betrayed his Master, and through couetousnesse, made merchandise of him that his shipes became a plaster to heale vs,Isa. 53 5. and the selling of him, made him ours, as Rabanus saith sweetely, Exulta Christianae. Rabanus a­pud Ludol­phum de u [...]ta Chri. part 2. part. 52. And reioyce O Christian, for by the merchandize of thine enemies thou hast gotten the victory, that which Iudas solde, and the Iewe bought, thou hast gotten, for Christ is ours not the Iewes, which bought him.

But because the things which befell our Sauiour in the dayes of his flesh, came not to passe, [...] Luke 10.31. By chaunce, but were done either for the fulfilling of some promise or prophesy, or for the expressing of some mistery, let vs a little examine why Bethlehem is the place of his byrth. Not to heape vp al that might be said heerein, it was in respect; first either of former prediction, secondly, present condition, thirdly, or fu­ture signification; first, of former prediction: hee that came in the fullnesse of time, would be borne at Beth­lehem; for the fullfilling of former both prophecies and promises: for so it was fore-prophecied, that out of Bethlehem Iudah: should he come forth that was to be ruler in Israell. Micah 5.2. And heere by the way, the very place of his byrth doth serue like a Iohn Baptist Ioh. 1.29. to point out, to demonstrate him to be the Lambe of God, the verie God, the very Christ:Ioh. 4 29. so that as the things which Iohns desciples that he sent vnto Christ, saw and heard the works that he did, did testifie of him; so the place where hee was borne, sheweth that this is hee that should come, and none other is to bee looked for.Matt. 11.3.4.5.6. And so it was fore-promised to Dauid, yea; bound with the indissoluble bond of an Oath, (that God would not shrinke from) that of the fruite of his wombe, hee would set vpon his Throane Psal. 132.11. yea, such a seede which should endure for euer, and whose Throne should bee as the [Page 11]Sunne before God, Psal 89 36. which must necessarily bee vnder­stood of that blessed seede of the Woman, which should bruise the Serpents head, Gen. 3.15. of that branch that should grow out of the roote of Iesse, Isa. 11.1.2. at whose con­ception the Angell promised to the Virgin: that God should giue vnto him the Throane of his father Dauid, &c. Luk. 1.32.33. And then where should this seede promised to Da­uid, be more fitly borne: then in that Towne which was especially denominated of him? the Citty of Da­uid, and where hee himselfe was borne; where should the roote of Iesse first sprout out: but in Bethlehem, the towne of Iesse the Bethlehemite? 1. Sam. 16.1. Now that I may re­ferre all things to edification and instruction, I can­not but cry out with our blessed Sauiour:Matt. 13.6. Happy are our eyes that see or may see: heere is this particular, the truth of that generall laid downe by the Apostle, That all the promises of God made in Christ are in him, yea, and in him Amen: 2. Cor. 1.20. hath he said, and shall hee not doe it? hath he spoken, and shall hee not make it good?Num. 23.19. It is one of his properties wherby he proclaimed him­selfe to Moses, and would bee knowne to the whole World to be aboundant in truth, Exo. 34.6. that is such an one as keepeth couenant and mercy with his seruants. 1. Kin. 8.23.

Oh then beloued, let vs that are the heires of grace, seeing the immutability of Gods counsell; haue strong consolationHeb. 6.17.8. against all either outward striuings, or inward terrors, that would seeme to separate vs from the loue of God in Christ: and seeing hee is faithfull, that hath promised: let vs holde fast the profession of our faith without Heb. 10.23. wauering.

Againe, our Sauiour was borne at Bethlehem, in re­gard of the present condition of the place, a poore place was fittest for his birth: that made himselfe poore for vs.2. Cor. 8.9. A Citty little amongst the thousands, of Iudah, (a thing which the spirit of God taketh notice of,Micah 5.2.) meetest for him to be borne in, who made himselfe [Page 10]of no reputation, and tooke upon him the forme of a seruant, Phil. 2.7. Qui serui susceperat formam (saith LeoLeo serm. pri­mi in Epiphan.) &c he that tooke on him the forme of a seruant, and cam not to iudge, but to be iudged, chose Bethlehem aforehand for his natiuity, & Hieru­salem for his passion. A City so meane, that it is not reko­ned vp in the number of those Cities that fell by lotte vnto the Tribe of Iudah, Iosh 15. for him that should haue neyther forme nor beautie, Isai. 53 2. but must bee the shame and contempt of the people Psal. 22.6. If the wisedome of the flesh should haue beene Gods counsellor, to haue taught himIsa. 40.13. it would rather haue aduised to make choise of Hierusalem, the Citty of God Psal. 87.2. the Ioye of the whole Earth, Lam. 2.15. where the wise men sought him, or of Rome, that was then the head of the World, (Romanos rerum Do­minos saith the Poet about this time, the Romanes that were Lords of all,) then of Bethlehem: so ignoble a place: But the Lord, to shew that his waies are not as mans wayes, his thoughts, as mans thoughts,Isai. 55.8. that his ver­tue is made perfect in weakenesse2. Cor 12.9. and that hee hath chosen the weake things of this World, to confound the things which are mighty,1. Cor. 1.27. honoured this meane village, with the byrth of the Sauiour of the World.

Simaximam Romanam, eligisset Ciuitatem, &c. (saith Tho. Aquinas, Thom. 3. part quest. 35. artic. 7.) If he had chosen that great city Rome men would haue thought that the change of the World: had come through the power of the Cittizens: If hee had beene the Sonne of the Emperour, they would haue attributed the pro­fit that came by him to his power: But that it might bee knowne that the God-head had altred the World, hee chose a poore Mother, and a poorer Countrie.

To giue heere some briefe touch of instruction as I passe along; the meanenesse of our Sauiours birth, in so contemptible a Towne, yea; in a stable, the basest place in the Inne, his lodging in a Cratch, for a Cra­dle, serueth to pull the Peacocks feathers of the high-minded ones of this world, who glory so much in the [Page 12]flesh; of the Nebuchadnezars, who stand so much vp­on their great Babels that they haue built for the ho­nor of their Maiestie,Dan. 4.29. of the vaine-glorious boasters, that bragge so much of their earthly Burges shippes,Act. 22 28. that reioyce because their wealth is great, and be­cause their hand hath gotten much;Iob. 31.25. that glory in their strength, in their wisedom, in their ritches, or in any outward things, which (as Paule said of meates:) commend vs not vnto God.1. Cor. 8.8. That we may the better cast away this sinne of vaine-glory, which cleaueth so fast vnto vs: we are to looke vpon the patterne which Iesus the author and finisher of our faith, hath left vs herein, we must for lowlines of minde, haue the same minde in vs which was in Christ Iesus, who made him­selfe of no reputation.Phil. 2.5. Quae superbia sanari potest (saith Bernard.) what pride can be healed, if it be not healed by the humblenesse of the Sonne of God.

Thirdly, Bethlehem is the place, in regard of a future and misticall signification, I will rather vtter it in the words of the ancients then mine owne. Locus iste Bethlehem (saith Chrisostome, Chrisost. hom 1. ex uariis in Matt.) This place of Bethlehem, where the Lord was borne, had a prophetical name: for Beth­lehem out of the Hebrew, is interpreted the house of Bread, because here the sonne of God must be borne, who is the bread of life, according to that which he himselfe saith in the Gos­pell, I am the bread of life, which came downe from heauen. Almost the same words speaketh Gregorie Gregor. hom 8. in Euangel. that out of the mouth of two witnesses the matter might bee e­stablished. Bene etiam in Bethlehem, &c. well also is hee borne in Bethlehem, for Bethlehem is interpreted the house of Bread, for it is he that saith I am the Bread of life, which came downe from Heauen: therefore the place wherein the Lord is borne, is beforehand called the house of bread, because it should come to passe that he should there bee borne in the substance of flesh, who should with inward fulnesse refresh the mindes of the Elect. The interpretation howsoeuer it be [Page 13]Allegoricall, neede not be offensiue, because it is Ana­logicall, agreeing to the proportion of faith,Rom. 12 6. At such times then amongst vs, wherein, as wee haue heard, so we must see in the citty, & church of our GodPsal. 48 8. wherein we must not only heare with eares: but al­so see with our eyes, and handle with our hands, the word of life,1. Ioh. 1.1. and bread of life, it shall not bee an vn­profitable meditation for vs to consider: that he who gaue his body for vs vpon the Crosse, and now giueth it to vs in the Sacrament, would bee borne at Bethle­hem, that thereby hee might shew himselfe to bee the true bread of life, that cometh downe from Heauen, and giueth life to the World,Ioh. 6 33.35. that eating thereof, we might liue and not die,Ibid. vers. 50.51. and also that as Eusebius E­missenus speaketh,Euseb. Emiss. hom. in hoc E­uangel. we must bee Bethlehems, houses of bread, spirituall Temples, in whome Christ must bee formed,Gal. 4.19. and in whose hearts he must dwell by faith,Eph. 3.17. Simus nos Bethlehem, (saith he) &c. Let vs be Bethle­hem, let vs be the house of Bread for he which will not bee the house of Bread must perish, for this the Lord himselfe saith, vnlesse yee eate the flesh of the Sonne of man: yee shall not haue life in you, let vs therefore receiue Christ in our house, let vs receiue him in our mind and heart, Let him be borne in vs. Now after the description of the place, followeth the mention of the time of our Sauiours Byrth: In the dayes of Herod the King] in the dayes, an hebraisme, quo optime exprimitur, Beza in Luc. 1.5. &c. Whereby it is well expressed, how short and fading is the power euen of good Kings, much lesse that the tirrany of some should be perpetuall. Of Herod] sur­named the great King] of Iudea, as hee is called Luke 1.5. And hee is so called to distinguish him from He­rod Antipas the Tetrarch of Galile, Luke. 3.1. and Herod Agrippa his nephew, that butchered S. Iames, Act. 12.2. of which three the common verse runneth

Now this accurate mention of the time, is not for the times sake onely: but there is a further misterie in it, Hoc non tantum ponit, (saith Hierome)Hier. in locum The holy writer bringeth this in: not only in regard of the time; but that that might appeare to bee fulfilled, a prince shall not depart from Iudah, Gen. 49.10. till Shiloh come, ponit tempus (saith Chrysostome Chrys. hom. 6. in Matt.) &c. hee mentioneth the time that he might bring to our me­mory the olde prophecie of the Patriarch Iacob, who hereto­fore diligently mentioned the time vnto vs, and gaue an eui­dent signe of the coming of Christ saying, a prince shall not depart from Iudah, &c. Huius ineffabilis miserecordia ma­nifestatio, (saith Leo)Leo homil. 3 in Epiphan. the manifestation of this vnspeakea­ble mercy, came to passe at such time, as Herod was King of the Iewes, euen when the lawfull succession of Kings ceased, the power of the high priests was destroyed, and a stranger bare rule, that the true kings byrth might bee prooued by that prophecy which had said, a prince shall not depart from Iudah. Gen. 46.10. Or as wee reade the Scepter shall not depart from Iudah. As then Bethlehem was the place, so the days of Herod, are the time of his natiuitie, that so, that might be ful­filled, which God almost two thousand yeares before, had shewed by the mouth, and last words of that blessed Patriarch Iacob, for now the scepter was de­parted from Iudah, the royall power that from that time had beene inuested in that Tribe, was now pul­led from it, and none of the seede of Dauid sate vpon the Throane of the kingdome, but Herod patre Idumes, et matre ortus Arabica, Rupertus Whose Father was an Edomite and his mother an Arabian, being created King by the Em­peror Augustus, and the senate of Rome, Ioseph Antiq lib. 14. cap. 26. into whose hands at this time, God had giuen the whole World,Luke 2.1. now also was a Law-giuer departed from betweene his feete, for whereas till this time the Sanhedrim, the [Page 15]Eldershippe of the seauentie Iudges (which were cho­sen out of the house of Dauid) stood and had iudiciall power, this Herod in the thirtieth yeere of his tyrannicall rule, Philo Iudeus de partibus imp. destroyed the Sanhedrim of the house of Dauid, and foysted in a Sanhedrim of proselytes-because it was said that Christ promised in the Law, was now borne, so that now: hee that was to come, must come, the fulnesse of time was now come for God to send Shiloh, euen him that was made of a Woman:Gal. 4 4. borne of a Virgin that had not knowne a man.Luk. 1.34. As then the finding of him wrap­ped in swadling clouts, and lying in a Manger, is a signe to the sheepe-heards, that hee is the new borne Messias, Luk. 2.12 so the finding of him in the flesh, at such time as God, (who onely can declare the end from the begin­ning: and from ancient times, the things that are not yet done,Isa 46.10.) had fore shewed by the mouth of his Pro­phet, that he must come: is a signe vnto vs that hee is the horne of saluation, raised in the house of Dauid: Luk. 1.69. as being none abortiue, borne out of time, but com­ming in due season, euen in the fullnesse of time, that was appointed for him.

Now then in that Christ is raysed vp heere in the house of Dauid, to be the glory of Gods people Israell, at such time as in outward shewe his glory seemed to cease, and his Throane to be cast to the Ground,Psal. 89.44. in that when the heathen were come into Gods inheri­tance,Psal. 79.1. and they that hated them ruled ouer themPsal. 106.41. God did so graciously looke downe from Heauen, and visit them, and his hand was vpon the man of his right handPsal. 80.17. idest super Christo filio delectionis eius, that is, vpon Christ his beloued sonne, Iunius in psal. 80. and vpon the Sonne of man, whom he had made strong for himselfe, to lift him vp to be a Prince, and Sauiour vnto Israell, Act. 5.35. this is as a word behind vsIsa. 30.21. to tell vs, that God is euer nerest to his Church; when he seemeth to be farthest of, that [Page 16]then he looketh with the tendrest eye of his mercy vp­on the affliction of his people, when in all outward appearance he seemeth to haue forgotten to be graci­ous, and to haue shut vp his louing kindnesse in dis­pleasure,Psal. 77.7. yea to cast off for euer: and vtterly to breake promise with his people, and that when all ordinarie humane meanes fayle, then God sendeth helpe from on high. When the Lord seeth that there is no man, his arme bringeth forth Saluation, Isa. 59.16.17. when my Father and Mo­ther forsake me (saith the PsalmistPsal. 27.10.) ordinary meanes, vsuall helpes fayle, then the Lord taketh me vp. Bono a­nimo estote socij (saith Philo Iudeus, when hee saw the Emperour Caius angry with his frends) bee of good cou­rage fellows: because Gods helpe must needs bee at hande, when mans helpe fayleth. When the poore and needy seeke water: and there is none, and their tongue fayleth for thirst, I the Lord will heare them, I the God of Israell will not for­sake them, Isa. 41.17. When Abraham, and Sarah were olde, and stricken in yeares, and there was no more possibilitie of issue to come from them: then of fruite from a dead stock; then is the seede so often promised giuen vnto them, and Sarah beareth a childe in her olde age.Gen. 21.2. when Ioseph was fold into Egypt for a bondslaue, when his feete were hurt with fetters, and hee laid in Iron,Psal. 105.18. when his Soule did cleaue vnto the dust, and his belly vnto the ground, hee being come to the low­est Ebbe, and to be euen, Infra infimos, Lower then the lowest, then; euen then: the Lord raysed him out of the dungeon: to set him with the princes of Egypt, and made him ruler ouer the land,Gen. 41.43. when the Egypti­ans made the Israelites to serue them with rigor, and made their liues bitter with hard bondage, when they commanded all the male children (that were spes gregis the hope of posterity) to be destroyed, so that there was little hope, either of continuing posteritie, or of retur­ning into the Land of Canaan, (which God had pro­mised [Page 17]to Abraham and his posterity,Gen. 13.15. then the eyes of the Lord out of his holy habitation looke vpon their affliction, and then is his right hand stretched out, to deliuer them out of Egypt, and to bring them into that good land that hee promised,Exo. 3.1. when Egypt pursued them after their departure,Exo. 14.9. and there was behinde them an army of Egyptians: before them the Red-Sea, so that their hearts fayled them: then the Lord wor­keth his wonders in the Sea, and leadeth them through the depthes; as through thePsal. 106.9. wildernesse. When to Gideon, (iudging according to the outward appea­rance: and by the misery which they indured vnder the Midianites) the Lord seemed to haue departed from Israell: then was he with them,Iud 6.13. then did hee a­rise to helpe them. When Daniell must into the Lyons Denne, and the King himselfe, though hee laboured till the going downe of the Sonne, could not deliuer him out of the hands of his Enemies; then is his God whom he serueth: able and willing also to deliuer him from the Lyons: and to shutte their mouthes that they shall not hurtDan. 6. him. And when Ionah, though the Mariners tow hard to bring him vnto the Land, must needes into the Sea, so that hee thought himselfe cast out of Gods sight:Ion. 2.4. then doth God prepare a great fish to swallow and saue him,Ion. 1.17. causing Saluation, to come out of the destroyer, as meate out of the Eater.Iud. 14.14. It is then a faithfull saying vttered in the song of Mo­ses Deut. 32.36. The Lord will repent himselfe for his people, when hee seeth that their power is gone, and that there is none shut vp or left.

And this assurance, that God will stand with vs, when all the world forsaketh and fayleth vs: must se­cure vs in all our trouble, the end whereof wee cannot see, the meanes to wade out of which we cannot find, it must bee armour of proofe to keepe off all feares, which through the weakenesse of our faith are readie [Page 18]to enter into our heartsMa [...] 8 26. Etsi fractus illabatur orbis, al­though the world should breake in peeces and fallon vs: God is our refuge and strength [...] 1. a very present helpe in trouble therefore will we not feare though the Earth bee remooued, and though the Mountaines be carried into the midst of the Sea, though the waters thereof roare and bee troubled, and though the Mountaines shake with the swellings thereof.

I haue but begunne to speake of the matters, and misteries in this text, and the swiftnesse of the time, the sharpenesse of the weather inioyne mee to silence, and to hold my peace from farther good words. I will then according to our Sauiours counsell,Ioh. 6.12. gather vp the fragments that remaine, concerning these wise­men, their Countrie, their comming to Hierusalem, their enquirie for the new borne King, the moouing cause and end of their comming, and when I haue a conuenient time, propose them vnto you.

To God the Father that sent his sonne made of a Woman, and made vnder the Law for vs, to the sonne that tooke on him the forme of a seruant, and made himselfe of no reputation for vs; and to the holy spirit, which must leade vs into the trueth of these high and heauenly misteries, three persons and one God, bee honour, and glo­ry, now and for euer, Amen.

AS Ionah at his second sending brought the same message to the Niniuites, so I comming againe amongst you bring the same matter and text, and as I promised gather vp the fragments, the sundry circumstances of this Text that were left vnhandled. In the ranke of these circumstances next to the time of their comming Christs birth (of which with the amplifications coincident thereunto, I haue spoken many things) followeth the circumstance of the persons that come and make this enquiry.

Behold wise men came. Now heere againe are vaine reasonings amongst the interpreters, strifes to no profit, but to the troubling and amasing; of the hea­rers,2 Tim. 2.14. what these [...] wise men were, what their pro­fession was, whether they were Philosophers, Priests, Astrologers, Sorcerers, Kings or States-men, Non no­strum inter eos tantam componere litem, I meane not to arbitrate the first betweene them, for cui bono? what good is there in it? whether they were all, any or many of these, it mattereth not, dummodo salua maneat historiae veritas, as long as the truth of the History re­maineth safe Beza in lo­cum.. Onely to speake that for which wee may haue some light out of the text it selfe, it seem­eth to be most probable that they were Astrologers, Viri siderum inspectionibus assueti Cyprian. Sermon. de Ma­gis & stella. Men acustomed to [Page 20]gaze vpon the starres, & spectandorum siderum arte pol­lentes, Leo Serm. 4. de Epiphan. such as were skilfull in the art of gazing vpon the starres, such as amongst the Chaldeans, were called by the Prophet, Viewers of heauen and Starre-gazers,Isa. 47.13. because they are lead heere by a starre, to seeke out this starre of Iacob that was newly arisen.

Amongst our aduersaries the Papists (who speake things that they ought not for filthy lucres sakeTit. 1 11., it is an vnwritten tradition, and therefore (say they) to be receiued Pari pietatis affectu, With the like deuotion that the Booke of the Old and New are Concil. Tri­dent sessione. 4., that they were Kings, three Kings because they brought three gifts, that their bodies after their death were translated from their Country to Constantinople, from thence to Millaine, from Millaine to Colon, whither at this day there is great resort of the simple people (who like the Athenians are in all things too superstitiousAct. 17.22., to adore them as holy reliques. And, to fill vp the measure of their fayning, they haue found out three names for them also, Iaspar, Melchior, and Balthazar. And to this purpose they bring or rather wring and wrest the words of the Psalmist, the Kings of Tarshish and of the Isles shall bring presents: the Kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts Psal [...]2.10., But, constat hoc ex picturâ non ex scriptura D. Boys postill in Epiphan., it is a tale painted on a wall, not written in the word. And their owne men are against them herein, Nec veterum interpretum quisquam hos Magos reges vocat (saith Iansenius Iansenius concord, cap 9.) not one of the old interpreters calleth these wise men Kings. And Man­tuan Mantuan: in Fastis Lib. 1..

[Page 21] Maldonate Maldo [...]at. in loc [...] [...]., and Baronius [...] ton. 1. An [...]l. [...]. 7 [...]., make no more of them but regulos, petty Kings, such as those fiue that Abra­ham subduedGen. 14.. And for the text of the Psalme, they must turne about the earth (the foundation whereof God hath so laide, that it should not be remooued for euerPsal. 104.5.) they must ex Meridie & Occidente facere Orien­tem (as Caluin saith they haue doneCalu. in Matt. 2.) turne South and West into East, before it will crowne them Kings, Saba & Arabia respectu Ierusalem planè in Meridie, non in O­riente (saith their owne Iansenius Ia [...]sen. vbi supra.) Saba and Arabia in respect of Ierusalem, are altogether in the South not in the East. But to leaue this vaine iangling de lana caprina, and to come to that whereby the Church may receiue edifying1. Cor. 14.5., as our Sauiour first rising from the dead, became the first fruits of them that slept in the earth1. Cor. 15.20., so these men that were Gentiles in the flesh (and therefore aliens from the common-wealth of Israell, strangers from the couenant, farre off both in place and grace) by comming first vnto Christ are here made the first fruits of the gentiles, wherby as by a patterne God would shew forth, that he would giue vnto the Gentiles repentance vnto lifeAct 11.18. In istis fides gentium vt primitiae deo consecratur (saith the ordinary glosse here) in these men the faith of the Gentiles is con­secrated as the first fruits vnto God. Stellae ortus &c. (saith Hillary Hil. in expos. huius Euange­ly., the rising of the starre being first vnderstood of the Gentiles, sheweth that the Gentiles should presently be­leeue in Christ. Ideo Magi &c. (saith Chrysostome Chrysost. hom. 1. ex varij in Matt., there­fore the Wisemen of the Gentiles were first chosen to salua­tion, that by them the gate of saluation might bee set open to all the Gentiles. And he cryeth out else-where, O beati Magi &c. Chrys. in opere imperf. hom. 2. Oh happy wise men, who of all the Gentiles were vouchsafed to bee the first fruits of the faithfull, for those wise men were a representation of the Church that should be afterwards. Illi Magi &c. (saith Saint Austin August. serm. 32. de temp., Those wise men, what were they but the first friuts of the [Page 22]Gentiles? the sheepheards were Israelites, the Wisemen Gen­tiles, they from nere, these from farre of, and both of them runne vnto the corner stone; for hee comming (as the Apo­stle saith) preached peace to vs which were farre off, and peace to them which were neere, for he is our peace, which hath made both one. And againe he saithAugust serm. 30 de tempore., Manifesta­tus est &c. Hee was manifested in the very cradles of his infancy to them which were nere, and them which were farre off, to the Iewes by the neerenesse of the sheepheards, to the Gentiles by the farnesse of the Wisemen.

So then Christ assoone as euer he was borne, was (as old Simeon vttered in the spirit of prophecy of him) a light to lighten the Gentiles Luk. 2.32., for although God for a time to shew his [...] manifold wise­dome Eph. 3 10., set vp a partition wallEph. 2.14. of rites and cere­monies, whereby he hedged in the Iewes to be a pre­cious people and a chiefe treasure to him aboue all the nations of the earthDeut. 7.6., and excluded the rest of the Nations of the world from his couenant, although hee gaue them his statutes and his ordinances which hee did not to any Nations besidesPsal. 147.20., although to them pertained the adoption and the glory, and the coue­nants, and the giuing of the Law, and the seruice of God, and the promises Rom. 9.4. yet many and excellent things were euer vttered of the calling and comming in of the Gentles, of bringing them into the sheepe-fold of the Church by Christ, who is the great sheepe-heard of the sheepe Heb. 13.20..

It was promised to Abraham that was the father of vs allRom 4 16., that in his seed (which is ChristGal. 3.16., not the Iewes onely, but all the Nations of the earth should bee blessedGen. 18.18. and 22.18. Gal. 3.8. It was fore-prophecied by Iacob, that Shiloh should be expectatio gentium, or, to him should the gathering of the people bee Gen. 49.10. by Hag­gai, that hee should bee the desire of all Nations Hag. 2.7., by the Psalmist, that all Nations should serue this [Page 23]Solomon, this King of peace, and builder of the new Temple made without hands,Psal. 72.11. and that he should haue the Heathen for his inheritance, and the ends of the Earth, for his possession, Psal. 2 8. by Isai, that to the roote of Iesse should the Gentiles come, Isa. 11.10. that he should bring forth iudgement to the Gentiles, Isa. 42.2. that he should not only bee Gods seruant to rayse vp Iacob and Israell: but that also hee would giue him for a light vnto the Gentiles, that hee might bee his Saluation, to the ends of the World. Isa. 49.6. And that the Gentiles should come, to the light of Lion, Isa. 60.3. by Ieremias, that the Gentiles should come vnto the Lord, from the ends of the earth, and say: sure­ly our Fathers haue inherited Lies, Vanitie, and things wherein is no profit. Ier. 16.19.

And that we may not drinke vp the whole Sea, to shew that the water is Salte,Ireneus ad­uers. haeres. lib. 2. cap. 34. bring all out of the treasurie of the prophets, that is stored vp in this kind, let me tell you in one word, that of that horne of Sal­uation raysed vp in the house of Dauid, not onely to be the glory of Gods people Israell: but also to bee a light, to lighten the Gentiles, God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy Prophets, which were since the world began.Luke 1.70. And that which God hath so spoken, he maketh hast (as it were) to fulfill by bringing these first fruits of the Gentiles, as soone as euer the blessed seede: (in whom all nations must be blessed) was ma­nifested in the flesh: to receiue the promised blessing from him. In his impletum est illud, (saith Maximus Maximus ho­mil 2. in Epi­phan.) In these wise-men is fullfilled, that which was foretold by the Prophet: they to whome he was not spoken of: shall see, and they that haue not heard, shall vnderstand. Yea, and that we may see greater things then these,Ioh. 1.50. the Iewes, that were Gods only people: are now none of his people: that were the naturall branches, are broken of, and we grafted in; that were Gods owne houshould: haue their house left desolate, and wee are come to bee of the houshould of faith, and fellow Cittizens with the [Page 24]Saints,Ephes. 2.19. that were the children of the Kingdome; are cast out into vtter darkenesse, and the Gentiles come from the East and West, and sitte downe with Abra­ham, Isaac, and Iacob, in the Kingdome of Heauen.Matt. 8.11.12 Thus hath God taken away his vineyeard, from those husbandmen, that refused to yeelde him fruite; euen the Kingdome of God from them, and giuen it to the Gentiles. Mat. 21.41. Let mee heere then speake the words of ex­hortation to vs Gentiles; hath God done so great things for vs; and shall not our soule magnifie him, & our spirit reioyce in him? Hath he called vs out of darkenes; into his marueilous light? Hath he made vs a people, which were no people? Haue we obteyned mercy, that had not obtained mercy? And shall we not shew forth the prayses of him that hath done this?1. Pet. 2.9.10. now wee see all this fullfilled in our eyes, shall it not make our hearts reioyce, & our bones flourish like an hearb?Isa. 66.14. could Dauid being taken from the sheepecoate to bee ruler ouer Israell, wonder at the Lords doeing herein? who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that thou hast brought me hitherto? 2. Sam. 7.18. And shall not we being taken out of the power of darkenes, and translated in­to the kingdome of Gods deere Sonne, euen a king­dome that cannot be shaken,Heb. 12.28. an inheritance immor­tall, vndefiled that withereth not,1. Pet. 1.4. giue thankes vnto God the Father, that hath made vs meete to bee par­takers of the inheritance of the Saints in light?Col. 1.12.14. Could Mephibosheth, so magnifie Dauids kindnesse, for resto­ring him the Lands that were Sauls: and making him eate bread at his Table? All my Fathers house were but dead men before my Lord the King, yet diddest thou set thy Seruant, among them that did eate at thine owne 2. Sam. 19.28 Table. And shall not wee that were dead in sinnes, and tres­passes, sing prayses vnto our God, who of his good pleasure doth giue vs a kingdom, that we had no right at all to: could lay no claime to, and maketh vs to eate [Page 25]bread, in the kingdome of Heauen. His igitur dilectis­simi, diuinae gratiae, mysterijs eruditi (saith Leo Leo. serm. 3. in Epiphan.) therefore beloued, let vs which are instructed in these misteries of Gods grace, celebrate the day of our first Fruits, and the be­ginning of the calling of the Gentiles with all possible Ioy, gi­uing thankes to our mercifull God, who hath made vs meete, (as the Apostle saith) to be partakers of the inheritance, of the Saints in light, who hath taken vs out of the kingdome of darkenesse: and translated vs into the kingdome of his deere Sonne. Because as Esaias prophecied, the people of the Gentiles, which sate in darkenesse saw great light, and light, is risen to them: which dwelt in the region of the shadow of Death. Of whome the same Prophet saith vnto the Lord, the Gentiles which knew thee not: shall call vpon thee; and the people which were ignorant of thee: shall she vnto thee.

I might heere againe gather, that which the Holy-ghost hath scattered, that Christ in bringing these A­strologers, Sorcerers, practisers of curious Arts,Act. 19.19. that had runne away farthest from him, to be the first fruits of the Gentiles vnto him, and in calling these Diaboli vates ad sui adorationem prae caeteris, these prophets of the Diuell to worshippe him before others, yea in stirring vp Gentium primitias ex ipsis inferorum penetralibus Beza ex Theo­d [...]t in [...]unc lo [...]n. the first Fruits of the Gentiles, out of the very priuie chambers of Hell, would (in vouchsafing mercy to these chiefe of sinners) shew forth all long suffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter beleeue on him to euer­lasting life,1. Tim. 1.6. Idcirco magis eluxit, & (saith Chrisostome, Chrysost. homil. 1. [...]x variis in Mat.) therfore the grace of God shined vnto the wisemē, that Gods goodnes might be manifestly known, & no mā might despaire that saluation might bee giuen him vpon his beleeuing: be­cause hee now saw it giuen to the wise-men. But though we may finde much honny here, it is not good to eate too much honny,Prou. 25.16.27. nor good to cloy you with too much vp­on one matter. I passe therefore from the persons to [Page 26]the next circumstance of the places and first of the place from whence.

From the East.] [...] from the rising of the sunne the sense is from the East Countrey, or which in respect of Iudea, is scituated towards the East Piscator in locum., Now in their com­ming from the East, I am praesignabatur &c August. sermon. 31 de tempore.. was now foresignified that which afterward the Lord sayd, many shall come from the East &c. Quoniam ab oriente vene­runt (saith Chrysostome Chrysost. upere imperf. in Matt. hom. 2.,) Because they came from the East whence the day springeth, from thence did the be­ginning of faith come, because faith is the light of our soules. Bene ab oriente &c. (saith Maximus Maximus homil. 4. in Epiphan.) they are well said to come from the East, who come to worship that euerlasting day-spring, of whom it is sayd, and the day spring from an high hath visited vs. Merito sanè ab Oriente veniunt (saith Bernard Bern serm 3. in Epiphan.) they come worthily from the East, which publish vnto vs the new rising of the Sonne of Righteousnesse, which enlighten the whole World with ioyfull newes. But these are happily magis florida, quam solida, haue in them more flourish of witte then soundnesse of Diuinity, therefore I say vn­to them as Iehu to the messenger of Iehoram, turne be­hinde me 2. King. 9.18..

Now as before about their profession, so here a­gaine about their Countrey, there is a doore of con­trouersie set wide open, & there is [...] Act. 28.29., much reasoning, amongst the fathers and interpreters about this East Country from whence they came, whither it were Persia, or Chaldea, Arabia, or Ethiopia, Egypt or Mesopotamia. And it is but a poore conciliation, that a F [...]ier giueth, who to reconcile all these diuer­sities saith Dicamus ex varijs locis venisse, vnum hine, alium illinc, tertium aliunde Bo [...]kierus con ione 10. in Epiphan., let vs say that they came from diuerse places, the one from hence, the other from thence, the third from some place else; much like to the confutation that hee maketh of our answere, that the [Page 27]wisemen which came from the East, could not bee the Kings of Tarshishe, of Sheba and SebaPsal. 72.10.11., because those Countries are South from Ierusalem, in which respect the Queene of Sheba that came to heare Sa­lomons wisdome is called the Queene of the SouthLuk 11.13., Nos non dicimus (saith heBoskierus con [...]ione 6 in Epiphan., &c.) We doe not say that they came out of Tharsis, Sheba, and Seba, but that the Kings of Tharsis, the Kings of Saba, the Kings of Arabia came, for they might bee Kings thereof, and yet not come from thence, but from another part of their Kingdome, as I may say that the King of Spaine came, though hee come not out of Spaine, but out of India or Seicily, I may say of him as Austin of his aduersary, vbi respondere cona­tus est, magis ostendit quod non poterit respondere August. ad­vers. literas Pe­tiliani lib. 3. cap. 36., when he indeuoureth to answere, then he sheweth most of all that he cannot answere.

But for the point in question, although there bee faire probability that this East Country is Persia, both by the scituation of it which lieth East from Iu­deaCyrill. in Isa. lib 4. cap. 4. orat: 4 vide Ptolomei tabu­las., and also by the name Magi, here giuen them (which as Peters language bewrayed him to be a Ga­lileanMatt. 26.73.,) sheweth them to be Persians, being nomen meré Persicum, a meere Persian name, nomen professionis, a name of profession (as saith the Commentator vpon Prudentius) Quod genus sapientum & doctorum habeba­tur in Persis (saith Tully Cicero lib. 1. de diuinatione.) which kinde of wise and lear­ned men was to be found amongst the Persians, yet be­cause I haue professed from the beginning to a voyde foolish and vnprofitable questions, from which wee can reape no edification, either in faith or in loue, I will passe from it, and see what instruction, we that must follow the faith and conuersation of them that haue gone before vs in the faithHebr. 13.7., may gleane from hence. Their action then in comming so farre out of the East, from their fathers house and kinred, which it is hard to flesh and bloud to leaue (for that is a [Page 28]point that Pharaohs daughter must bee Catechized inPsal 45.10.) from their natiue soyle, which nescio quâ dulce­dine cunctos afficit (as the Poet saith) is vnspeakeably sweere vnto all men, to seeke and see Christ the new borne King of the Iewes in a strange land, must bee our instruction to seeke Christ as well where, as while he may be found, to goe farre for him, to leaue all things with the holy Apostles, and follow himMatt 19.27., e­uen to forsake houses, brethren, sisters, father mother, wife, children, or lands for his sakeIbid. 29.. For, patrem ho­nora &c. Hieron. ad Furiam de viduis seruand. Honour thy father, if hee doe not seperate thee from the true father: otherwise licet patvulus &cHieron. ad Helio. lorum de vita Eremit.. Al­though thy little Nephew should hange vpon thy necke, al­though thy mother with her haire about her eares, and her garments rent, should shew thee the breasts, wherewith shee nurced thee, although thy father should lie on the Thre­shold, tread vpon thy father to goe ouer, passe away with drie cres to the banner of the Crosse. It is a chiefe point of Pie­ty, to shew thy selfe cruell in such a matter. And if the Queene of the South, came from the vttermost parts of the earth to heare the wisdome of Solo­mon Mat. 12.42., about hard questions and riddles1. King. 10.1., if there came of all people from all the Kings of the earth, to heare the wisdome of Solomon, vttering prouerbs, and speaking of the nature of trees, beasts, foules, creeping things and fishes1. King. 4.33.34., (all which is but the perishable wisdome of this world1. Cor. 2 6.,) how much more ought they, that desire to bee filled with the knowledge of GOD, in all Spirituall Wisdome and vnderstandingCol. 1.10., (as the Spouse of Christ go­eth about the City in the Streetes, and in the broad waies, to seeke him whom her soule louethCant. 3.2 4., and giueth not ouer till shee finde him) goe from sea to sea, from North to EastAmos. 8.11.12., (af God send such a spi­rituall fammin in any Land) to seeke him that is greater then Salomon, in whom are hidden all the [Page 29]treasures of wisdome and knowledgeCol. 2.3., and who is made vnto vs that wisdomeCor. 1.30., whereby we become wise vnto saluation? if the Eunuch, being a man of great authority vnder Candace Queene of Ethiopia, and hauing charge of all her treasure, forgot and for­sooke both honour and Country, ease and dignity (being so many remora's to flesh and bloud, which will pitty it selfe, that these things may not be indu­red by itMatt. 16.22.) to come so farre for Gods great name2. Chr. 6.32., to come to Ierusalem to worship God in a kinde of wor­ship that stood in carnall rites and ordinancesHeb. 9.10., which were but the rudiments of the worldGal. 4.3., but shadowes of things to comeCol. 2.17., how much more ought wee with that great multitudeMar. 8.1.3., to come from farre, to shake off all worldly, either pleasures or profits which cumber vs, that wee may with Philip Ioh. 1.45., finde the Messiah, the Christ, who is the body and substanceCol. 2.17., who is the mediator of the New testament Heb. 12.24., yea who is surety of a better testamentHeb. 7.21., and in whose face God doth giue vs the light of the knowledge of his glory2. Cor. 4.6., Nay, if wisemen, the disputers of this world, Plato being Ma­gister Athenis, a Maister at AthensHieron. Epist. ad Paulin. Presbyt., Pythagoras, whose words were as Oracles to his Schollers, trauailed ouer many Countries, vt fierent discipuli, & aliena discerent, that they might become schollers, and learne other mens doctrines, if Apollonius the Philosopher went almost through the whole world, vt inueniret vbique quód disceret Hieron. ibid., that hee might finde euery where somewhat to learne, to get the wisdome of this world, which GOD will destroy1. Cor. 1.19., and bring to nothing; ought not wee that are children in vnderstan­ding, that naturally cannot perceiue the things of GOD1. Cor. 2.14., that know nothing as we ought to know1. Cor. 8.2., to compasse sea and land (if the candlesticke of the Gospell should not stand in our habitations) that wee might follow Christ Iesus, sit at his feereLuk. 10.39., [Page 30]heare his preaching, and learne the wisedome of God in a mistery, euen the hidden wisedome, which God, ordayned before the world to our glory,1. Cor. 2.7. Iacobs sonnes, when the Famine was in the Land of Canaan, went downe into Egypt once & againe, to buy foode for the famine of their houses,Gen. 42. & 43. and shall not the true Israelites be as wise for their Soules: as they for their bodies? Labour more for the meate which endureth to euerlasting life: which the Sonne of God shall giue vnto them, then they for the meate that perisheth?Ioh. 6.27. And with Cornelius fetch Peter from Ioppae, to speake vnto them words: whereby they may be sauedAct 10.5. when he is not to be had at Cesarea: Pharaohs daughter bee­ing to be married to Solomon, (which marriage was a Type of the misticall vnion, betweene Christ, and his Church) must forgett hir owne people: and hir Fa­thers house, that she might be brought in to the King, and hee take pleasure in her beautie,Psal. 45 10. and they that will bee the spouse of Christ, married vnto him, in lo­uing kindnesse and in mercy:Hos 2.19. must shake off all car­nall affections to Countrie or Kinred, to the World and the things of the World, (which hange on like so many clogges to keepe them backe, lie in the way like so many Lyons to hinder them) that they may runne after him, and bee brought into his chambers,Cant. 1.7. must hate Father, and Mother, &c, That they may come to Christ, and bee his Disciples. Luk. 14.26. And to bring the best Wine at the last, to take for an example him that was the friend of God, Iam. 2.23. and Father of the faithfull.Rom. 4.2. Abra­ham when he was well striken in yeares, being sea­uenty fiue yeares old: so that hee could take no plea­sure in trauelling, getteth him out of his owne Coun­trie, and from his kinred and fathers house, where they serued other Gods:Ios. 24.2. leauing all, that he might goe in­to a Land which God would shew him to builde an Alter there vnto the Lord, and call vpon his name,Gen. 12.1.2.7. [Page 31]and if we be Abrahams children, and of the houshould of faith, wee will doe the workes of Abraham herein,Ioh. 8.39. otherwise as Abraham shewed his faith by this worke of his, in going out from Idolaters, and separating him­selfe from amongst them, and comming into the Land of promise, where hee serued the Lord, (for that, that was a fruit of his faith, the holy-ghost witnesseth, b by Faith Abraham, when he was called to goe out into a place, which he should after receiue for an inheritance, obeyed,) So on the other side, mens little faith, or rather flatte in­fidelitie is showne and knowne, as well as if it were written in their fore-heads with a penne of Iron, when with the rebellious Israelites, in Moses time: for the loue of the flesh pots of Egypt, they would rather tar­ry in Egypt, Num. 11.5. where they cannot Sacrifice to the Lord, without the abhomination of the Egyptians, Exo. 8.26. then goe out into the Land of Canaan, where they might freely Sacrifice vnto him, when with the Idolatrous Iewes, in Ieremies time,Ier. 44.17.18. they can burne incense in Egypt, to the Queene of Heauen, and poure out drinke offerings to her, to enioy plenty of victuals: and keepe them­selues out of want; when with Lot: they can pitch their Tents neere Sodome, for the pleasantnesse of the Countrie;Gen. 13.10.12. when with Martha, they trouble them­selues about so many worldly matters, that they can neuer bee at leasure to heare Christ, Luk. 10.42. and with those in the parable, they preferre Farmes, Oxen, Merchan­dise, Pleasures, Profits, all before their spirituall mar­riage with Christ, Matt. 22. yea with the Gergesens, will rather thrust Christ out of their coasts, then loose their hoggs to enioy him:Matt. 8.34. and to come neere vnto our selues, be­loued, where shall faith bee sound amongst the men of this generation, who when Christ is not now per lon­ginqua querendus, to be sought farre off: when his word is not in Heauen? that we should say, who shall goe vp into Heauen for vs, and bring it vs: nor beyond the [Page 32]Sea, that we should say: who shall goe ouer the Sea for vs, and bring it vs, but is very neere vs,Deut. 30.12.13. and dwel­leth plentiously amongst vs, yea, when hee himselfe dwelleth amongst vs, hath his tabernacle in our costs, from on high hath visited vs, and walketh in the midst of our Candlestick,Reu. 1.13. when his Kingdome is come neere vs: will not goe out to meete him, will not with Nathaniell, come and see him,Ioh. 1.46. with Zacheus stirre a foote, take a little paines to see him,Luk. 19.4. nor with Dauid desire to come into his Temple, to behold his beautie,Psal. 27.4. to heare with their eares, to see with their eyes, and to handle with their hands, him being the word of life,1. Ioh. 1.1. who when he riseth vp earlie, and sendeth vnto them his prophets, wisemen and Scribes: will not receiue his prophets, in the name of a Prophet, but account the preaching of his word foolishnesse,1. Cor. 1.23. and are ready with the Athenians to say of them that bring it: what will this babler say?Act. 17.18. Surely these men would be farre enough from going farre with these wise men to seeke him: if they will not receiue him when hee commeth amongst them, if now, when he standeth at their doore and knocketh: they will not let him in; with Zacheus receiue him to house. If when hee hath his house a­mongst them: they will not come into his Courts, nor worship him in the assembly of his saints. amongst the old people of the Iewes, all the males must three times in the yeare, appeare before the Lord in the place which he should choose to put his name in, euen in the feast of vnleauened Bread, in the feast of weekes, and in the feast of Tabernacles. Some of them then must come from farre, the Land being in length, from Dan to Bersheba, one hundred and sixtie miles, & in breadth, from Ioppa to Bethlehem, fortie and sixe miles.Deut 16.16. And to what a number all the males appearing,Hieron. Epist. ad Dardanum. (none being exempted vpon any worldly pretence) would amount, it may be gathered by that great multitude, that were [Page 33]come to Ierusalem, to keepe the Passeouer, when Ves­pasian the Emperour beganne his siege against itIosephus & alij. be­ing (as the Histories of those times report tricies cen­tena millia, thirty hundred thousand. And whereas by the letter of the Law, the Males onely were bound to appeare, it is worth the marking, that the blessed Virgin would not take liberty in that kinde, but went with Ioseph to celebrate those feasts, the father and the mother of Iesus went to Ierusalem, after the custome of the feast day Luk. 2.42..

But in our daies, amongst vs, when Gods worship is tied to no one place, neither to Ierusalem, nor to the mountaineIoh. 4 21., but our Temples and Houses of prayer, wherein Christ is to be found, are according to the number of our Cities and Townes, so that it is but a steppe to them that dwell neerest, a Sabbath daies iourney to them that are remotest, to come vn­to them, there are too many, that whereas they should thrice a weeke appeare before the Lord, scarce tread in the Courts of the Lords house thrice in a yeare, that with Simeon they may see the Lord ChristLuk. 2.26.27., there are too many dainty dames amongst vs, that are so farre from offering this free will offering with the Virgin, that they will not doe the least part of that duty that is required of them in appearing before God in Sion, that are so farre from neuer departing out of the Tem­ple with Anna Luk. 2 37., that on the other side, they almost neuer come into it, and had need to be dealt withal, as those in the highwaies and hedges were, to bring them to the marriage feastLuk. 14.23., euen compelled by the vigor of authority to come in, that Gods house might be full on his Holiday. But enough hath beene spo­ken of the place from whence they come, I will there­fore proceed to speake of the place whither they come. To Ierusalem.] Iesus being borne at Bethelehem, they come to seeke him at Ierusalem. As the Church her [Page 34]selfe at the first sought her beloued, and found him notCant. 3.1.2. and 5.6., so these first fruits of the Church that God would call of the Gentiles, at the first seeking for Christ, finde him not. But how commeth it to passe (will some man say) that hauing runne well hitherto, they should now goe out of the way, that hauing hi­therto followed the guiding of the heauenly light, and the shewing of the starre that went before them Leo in Epi­phan., they should now haue a mist before their eies, & wander in dark­nesse? The answere is, that out of the context telling vs, that when they went towards Bethlehem, after their conference with Herode, behold the starre which they had seene in the East, went before them againe Vers. 9., Colli­gere promptum est (saith Piscator) Wee may gather that that starre was hid from them for a time, which seemeth to haue begunne, when they came into Iudea. Ex hoc &c Chrys in opere imperfect in Matt. homilia. 2., out of this place it appeareth, that when the starre had brought the wise men somewhat neere to Ierusalem it was hidden from them, that being forsaken of the starre, they might be compelled to aske for Christ, and to manifest him also in Ierusalem. Their light fayling them then, they soone went out of the right way, if a man walke in the night, he wil both stumbleIoh. 10.11., and turne out of his way. And as these hauing lost the starre their guide, soone loose their way, like the ship that without the Magne­ticus index, the sea compasse or needle, would quickly run aside vpon rocks and shelfes: so the ship of Christ the Arke of his Church, if hee the starre of Iacob, the day spring from an highLuk. 1.78., should not visit it to giue light vnto it, if the day starre of his Gospell2. Pet. 1.19., should not shine vnto it, to shew it the way, would neuer come into the hauen, where it would be, but either fall vpon the rocks of heresie, or runne aground into the sands of Impiety, where it would stick fast, till it were broken in pieces with the violence of the waues of wickednes, like that ship that Pauls sailed to Rome inAct. 27.41. [Page 35]Now in that, when they know not whither to goe, they come to Ierusalem to seeke for Christ, they haue both motiues and inducements in themselues to doe so, and also God (who sitteth at the sterne, and ouer­ruleth not only the falls & infirmities, of his seruants, but also the impieties of the Prince of darknesse, and the children of disobedience, for the fulfilling of his will, the shewing of his power, and declaring of his name & gloryRom. 9.17.) hath his hand, his worke and purpose herein. In themselues they haue a double motiue. First from naturall reason, euen the wisdome of the flesh, for where should they seeke the King of the Iewes, but in the mother City of the Iewes, Which aboue the other Cities of Iudea, excelled amongst all the inhabitants, as the head in the body Ioseph: de bell Iudaico. lib. 3. cap. 2.. Hierusalem ciuitas regia est &c. (saith Remigius Remig: in catena aurea.) Ierusalem is the Kingly City, and they beleeued that such a child ought not bee borne, but in the Kingly City. Humano sensu &c. (saith Leo Leo serm. in Epiphan..) By humane reason they imagined, that the birth of the King which was shewed vnto them, was to bee sought in the Kingly City. Here then by the way (for I meane not to insist vpon the point) we may obserue, that if the wisdome of the flesh be our leader in the things of God, it will soone mislead vs. For the world with all her wisdome, can­not know, finde out the things of God1. Cor. 1.21. the naturall man [...] doth not receiue, apprehend the things of the Spirit of God 1. Cor. 2.14.. If flesh and bloud be our Counsellor, it will soone mistake with Nicodemus Ioh 3.9., in the great Misteries of godlinesse. For as the bands of men, which Benhadad King of Syria sent to lay hands on the Prophet Elisha, being smitten with blindenesse, in stead of comming to Dothan, went into the midst of Samaria2. King. 6.19., so there hangeth such a mist of naturall blindnesse ouer all the eyes of the sonnes of Adam, that in stead of seeking a Christ made of no reputati­on, they are ready to dreame of, and seeke a Christ [Page 36]all glorious without, rejoycing in the flesh, and crow­ned at Hierusalem [...] With great pompe and Solemnity.

A second motiue that they had to seeke Christ at Hierusalem, is from that dimme light, that had shined vnto them in religion, from that little taste that they had of the word of God, concerning him that was to come into the World.

They had heard of that Prophecy of Balaam a Gentile▪ spread abroad amongst the Gentiles, that a Starre should come out of Iacob, and a Scepter rise out of Israell. Num. 24.17. No wonder therefore, that seeing his Starre, they should acknowledge his byrth, quam vti (que), &c. (saith Maximus Maxim 9. homil. 3. in Epi­phan.) which if through Gods reuealing of it, a Gen­tile could foretell, in like manner also a Gentile might ac­knowledge. Now Hierusalem, being the Citty of God, of the great King,Psal 48.12. the perfection of beautie: the Ioy of the whole Earth,Lam. 2.15. of which glorious things were spokenPsal. 87.3. euen amongst the Heathen, wherein God had set his Temple, and put his name, and wherein de­uout men, of euery nation vnder Heauen, that came from farre for Gods great and glorious name, vsed to dwellAct. 2.3. and whither the Eunuch, and other deuout men came to worship:Act. 8.27. where should they (iudging according to the appearance, of that slender light that had shined vnto them) seeke for this Starre of Iacob, (whose byrth they acknowledged, by this new Starre concurring with the prophecie) but in Hierusalem, where God would be worshipped? Quare venerūt Hie­rosolymam? &c. (saith Haymo Haymo in Ex­posit. huius Euan) Why came they to Hieru­salem? They were Astrologers, when they saw a Starre which they had not seene before, they beganne to thinke what manner of Starre it might bee! when they thought this, they remembred the Prophecy of Balaam! when they reade this; and saw that the Starre was risen, they presently knew that the Lord was borne in Iudea: therefore they come to Hieru­salem. [Page 37]And indeede it was the custome of Forraigne Nati­ons: that when they saw any wonder in the Heauens: they would goe, or send to Hierusalem, where the knowledge of God was, as they did in the time of Hezekiah, when the Sunne went back tenne degrees. For Merodach Baladan, King of Babylon sent Ambassadors to him, to enquire of the wonder that was done in the Land2 Chro. 32.31. Ad inqui­rendum prodigium prout obseruatum fuerat a Chaldeis, Iunius in 2. reg. cap. 20. to inquire of the wonder, as it had beene obserued by the Chal­deans. Now in that they had some shew, some colour in Religion, for this mistaking of the place of Christs byrth: wee may heere bee instructed, how easie it is to erre in the best matters, for as the blinde man but halfe enlightened, tooke men to bee trees,Marke 8.24. so men newly conuerted, being but Babes: in whome Christ is but begunne to be formed, and not able to discerne the things that differ, may easily take shaddows, for substances, likely hoods and outward appearances, for truth it selfe, wilde grapes for good fruite, a shew of godlinesse: for the power of godlinesse it selfe. For thus in matters of our holy faith, and saluation, many that are vnlearned: children in vnderstanding, are de­ceiued, to take that filthy harlot of Rome, for the true spouse of Christ, that denne of theeues, cage of vn­cleane Birds for the Temple of God, Antichrist sit­ting in the Temple of Christ, for his Vicar, his Stew­ard set ouer his house, Satans messenger: for Angells of light, Wolues in Sheepes cloathing: for faithfull Pastors, the Idoll of the Masse: for the true propicia­tory Sacrifice of Christ, bastard Sacraments of mans inuention: for legitimate Sacraments of Christs insti­tution, lip-labour in an vnknowne tongue: for de­uout praying; will-worship, which God hath not re­quired: for a reasonable seruing of him; distrust, and doubtfullnesse of Saluation: for a sauing faith; calling vpon the Saints and Angells, falling downe before [Page 38]Stocks, and Stones, for the way by which in humble­nesse of minde they must goe vnto God, and in a word their whole heape of Gibeonitish trash,Ios. 9.4. and ceremo­nies for auncient vnwritten verities comming from Christ and his Apostles.

Againe in matters of christian conuersation, men are easily beguiled to take worldly sorrow for God­ly sorrow, Esaus Teares, for Peters Teares, Ahabs Re­pentance, for Manassehs Repentance, Pharisaicall gi­uing, for good Almes-dooing, Lip-labour for Pray­ing in the Spirit, Pharisaicall boasting before God and the World, for sound and heartie Thanksgiuing; drawing neere vnto God with the Lippes, for draw­ing neere vnto God with the Heart, Yea, and euery Vice: for some seeming Vertue. Superbia celsitudinem imitatur, &c. (saith Saint Austin August. con­fess. lib. 2. cap. 6.) Pride imitateth mag­nanimitie, Curiositie seemeth to affect a desire of knowledge, Ignorance also is couered with the name of Innocency, Pro­digality carrieth a shew of Liberality. Vitia nobis sub Vir­tutum nomine obrepunt, (saith Seneca Seneca Epist. 45.) Vices creepe on vs vnder the name of Virtues, Rashnesse lurketh vnder the title of Fortitude, and the Coward is taken for a Warie man.

Since then wee may bee so quickly deceiued with the hurtfull weedes of the Field beeing like to the hol­some Hearbs of the Garden, it shall bee good for vs not to iudge according to the outward appearance: but to weigh and trie euery thing in the Balance of the Sanctuary, and to hold fast only: that which is truely and certainly good.1. Thes. 5.2.

But as Ioseph said to his Brethren, about their selling of him into Egypt, It was not you that sent mee hither: but God Gen. 45 8. not they alone, but God had his finger, his worke in it, and they did whatsoeuer his hand, and his Counsell determined before to bee done:Act. 4.28. so it was not of themselues alone that they came to [Page 39]Ierusalem to seeke Christ, but it was the Lords doing, who bringeth them hither that hee might prouoke Israell to iealousie by them that were no peopleRom. 10 19., De­feruntur Magi &c. (saith Hierome H [...]oron [...] exposit [...]ms [...].) the wise men are brought by the leading of a starre into Iudea, that the Priests, being asked of the Wisemen where Christ was borne, might become inexcusable about his comming. Fides ista Magorum (saith Chrisostome Chris [...] him [...] 4. [...] Epiphan.) this faith of the Wisemen, is the Iewes condemnation: they beleeued their owne Prophet (Balaam) these would not beleeue so many Prophets: they confesse him being an aliene, these doe not acknowledge him being their owne, hee was knowne of the Gentiles, he was not knowne of the Iewes; hee was acknowledged by the Church, hee was not acknowledged by the Synagogue.

They come to Ierusalem, ad confusionem Iudaeorum (saith the same AuthorChrysost. in opere impers: hom 2. in Epiph.) for the confounding of the Iewes, because the Gentiles being confirmed onely by the sight of a starre, did seeke Christ euen in forraigne Coun­treys; and the Iewes reading from their infancie the prophecies concerning Christ, did not receiue him being borne in their coasts.

And to this purpose hath Maximus a pleasant and passionate Apostrophe, a turning of his speech vn­to the Iewes. Quousque Iudaee durissirre (saith heeMaximus hom. 2. [...]n Epiphan..) How long, O thou obstinate Iewe, wilt thou continue with thine eare stopped, thine eyes shut, and thine heart faithlesse? Beholde now, after those Sermons of the Patriarches, after the Prophecies of the Prophets, Christ is also preached by the Gentiles. If thou refusest to be­leeue thy fathers, who from the beginning of the World, haue by infinite Holy Prophecies, spoken of the com­ming of the euerlasting King, beleeue these men now at length which testifie, not that hee shall bee borne here­after, but that hee is already borne with thee, and for thee. What great frowardnesse, and deadly obstinacy is [Page 40]there in thine heart, that thou onely hearest not that which all men speake, thou onely abhorrest that which all men beleeue, thou onely makest none account to see that which shineth out of heauen? A Virgin hath conceiued with thee, and a stranger taketh notice of the birth of thy Vir­gin, the Angels words cannot perswade thee to thy salua­tion, and yet one starre bringeth the wisemen vnto thy Christ.

Thus, then thorough the hardnesse of heart that was come vnto IsraellRom. 11.25., Christ reueiled vnto them by these wise men, was a sauiour of death vnto death vnto them. Thus, hee could not haue done more to his Vineyard then hee did, but it would not bring foorth good but wilde grapes onelyIsai. 5.4., thus, hee would haue gathered the children of Ierusalem to­gether, as an henne gathereth her chickens vnder her wings, and they would notMat. 23.37.. Beloued, let mee con­clude with the words of exhortation to our selues: let vs not make Israels sinne ours, Israels punish­ment ours. Let there not bee such a spirit of slum­ber vpon vs, that Christ should bee preached vnto vnto vs, as the great booke of the creatures is pub­lished to the world, to make vs [...] Rom. 1.20., with­out apologie, without excuse for our selues, that his peace should be preached vnto vs, and wee not bee the sonnes of PeaceLuk. 10.5.6. that his Kingdome should come neere vnto vs, and wee be deeper in the con­demnation of hell in the last dayLuk. 10 11.12. then Sodome it selfe, but let vs with Zacheus receiue him ioyfullyLuk. 19.6., and when wee are possest of him, let vs, with the two Disciples that went to Emaus, constraine him to a­bide with vsLuk. 24.29., vse a kinde of holy importunity and violence (such a violence as the Kingdome of Hea­uen sufferethMatt. 11.12.) to keepe him in our coasts, that so he may giue vnto vs [...] right or prerogatiue, to bee the sons of GodIoh. 1.12., euen to be heires of God and ioynt [Page 41]heires with him, of that inheritance incorruptible, vndefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserued in hea­uen for vs by him, to whom with the Father, the Sonne, and the Holy Ghost, three Persons and one God bee a scirbed greatnesse, and Power, and Glory, and Victo­ry, and Maiesty now and for euer. Amen.

IN the earthly buildings, he that begin­neth to build and finisheth not, mak­eth himselfe a mockingstocke to the beholdersLuk 14.29.30.. Let it not then be gree­uous vnto any, that I (a poore builder in the house of God, according to the measure of the grace that is giuen to me1. Cor. 3.10.) should finish the worke that I haue begunne, and adde the roofe to the foun­dation that I haue laide vpon this text already.

Now in the bill (as it were) of the particulars of this text (the totall summe and substance whereof, is a narration, a description of a solemne comming and enquiry for the new borne Messiah) there remaines vpon mine account that I made of them, the three last to be scanned, and examined, namely the forme of the enquiry. Where is hee that is borne. King of the Iewes?] The moouing cause that brought them to come and enquire, for wee haue seene his starre in the East] and lastly the finall cause and end of their com­ming, and are come to worship him.] Of these three, if I render an account at this time, the whole bill will be perfectly discussed, and cleared in euery particu­lar. To peruse and scanne them in their order, I must first beginne with the forme of enquiry that they make here saying.

Where is he that is borne King of the Iewes?] There is [Page 43]a little diuersity about the reading and meaning of these words, some reading them according to the course of the words in the originall, [...]. Where is he that is borne King of the Iewes, and interpreting them, that the Wise-men should aske, for him, qui minimè natus est &c Beza in locum.. Who was not borne a priuate man, but the King of the Iewes, from his very cradle, and factitio regi naturalem opponere Maldonat. in locum., and oppose the naturall King against the made King: others, where is the King of the Iewes that is borne Beza, Pisca­tor Geneua translat., and maintay­ning that there is a traiection or transposing of the words from their Grammaticall order in the ori­ginall, according to that manner of speaking [...] Luk. 19.38. Blessed bee hee that commeth a King in the name of the Lord (for so wee must turne the words, if we follow the literall order) for, blessed hee the King that commeth in the name of the Lord.

Now in that they stile this new borne Babe King of the Iewes, It may say with Austin, multa consideranda sunt hi [...] August. serm. 66. do diuersis.. I is worthy our consideration to examine, First why they call him the King of the Iewes, not by any other name. Secondly what King they meane him to be? For these are good and profitable con­siderations, and none of those vaine and vnprofita­ble questions, which in these Lectures I haue profes­sed to shunne. For the first, if the prophecy of Balaam a Gentile, dispersed amongst the Gentiles, concur­red with the starre to giue them the knowledge of this hidden mystery (which is the iudgement of Anti­quity) then without controuersie this title was built vpon the foundation thereof, for it giueth vnto him Kingly power and preheminence.

There shall come a Starre out of Iacob, and a Scepter shall arise out of Israell, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth! out of Iacob shall hee [Page 44]come, that shall haue dominion, and shall destroy him that remayneth of the Citty, Num. 24.27.19. Scepter, hauing Dominion, Smi­ting, Destroying, giue vnto him the markes, Name, Na­ture of a King.

Againe, the Starre that appeared vnto them, did portend, that hee that was borne was a King. At the byrth and death of great Princes, there haue beene oftentimes. Ostenta a sole, Lunâ & Stellis: Signes and wonders from the Sunne, Moone, and Starres. To in­stance in one or two amongst many, Mithridates Rex (saith I [...]stine I [...]stin lib. 37. H [...]. or. in mit.) In the yeare that King Mithridates was borne in, and in that that he beganne to raigne in, a blazing Starre at both times so shined, for seauentie dayes, that all the Heauens seemed to bee on fire. And because happilie wee will bee most delighted with our owne Histories herein. Sub Henerico tertio, &c. Polid. virg. lib. 16. Histor. Anglic. In the Raigne of Henry the third, King of England, Otho the Popes Legate, Bapti­sed Henrys sonne, Edward, about whose birth there appea­red a Starre of great bignesse, certaine dayes before the ri­sing of the Sunne, which was carried alongst the Heauens with a swift and speedy course, sometimes shewing fire before it, sometimes leauing smoake behinde it.

Besides this, as the finger of God (as I formerly shewed) brought them to Hierusalem, to take away all excuses from the Iewes, so it is not [...] without Gods doing: that they heere enquire for the new borne Messiah, vnder the name of the King of the Iewes. God would hereby let the Iewes see (though seeing they would not see) that hee whome they looked for was come into the World. For both in the prophecies that went before of him, hee is stiled and called a Ruler, out of Bethlehem Ephrata shall hee come forth to mee, that is to bee a Ruler in Israell, Micah. 5.2. A King, reioyce O Daughter of Zion, Shout O Daughter of Hierusalem, be­hold thy King commeth vnto thee, Zach. 9.9. and innested with all princely power for al eternitie: Vnto vs a Childe is borne, vn­to [Page 45]vs a Sonne is giuen, and the gouernment shall bee vpon his shoulders-of the increase of his gouernment and peace there shall be none end, Isa 9.6.7. and also the Iewes themselues, were fully perswaded, that the Messias, when he came would deliuer Israell out of their Temporall seruitude,Luk. 24.21. and restore againe the kingdome to Israell, Act. 1.6. out of which perswasion, at one time they would haue made him a KingIoh. 6.15. by force, at another time they cryed out in their solemne acclamations to him: Blessed is the King that commeth in the name of the Lord. Luk. 19.31. Therefore God would haue Christ published vnto them by the name of the King of the Iewes, vt ad suscipiendum re­gem beneficio sibi blandiente concurrant: Chrisost. homil. 7. in Matt. 2. That they runne to receiue this King, through the alurement of the benefit.

Secondly, it is to be considered, what manner of King they meane him to bee, whither a King of this World: which hee himselfe denieth,Ioh. 18.36. or else the King eternall1. Tim. 1.17. the onely Potentate, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, 1. Tim. 6.15. Quid Magi venientes dixerunt, &c. (saith Saint Austin, August. serm. 31. de tempore.) Why doe these wise-men that come say: where is he that is borne King of the Iewes? What meaneth this? Were there not so many Kings of the Iewes heretofore? Why doe they so greatly desire to know, and adore the King of another Nation? They would neuer seeke after this with so great deuotion, desire it with so zealoas affection, if they did not acknowledge him King of the Iewes, who is also the eternall King. And to the same effect hee speaketh,August. serm. 35. de tempore. Non vti (que) &c. These farre strangers, and aliens altoge­ther from that Kingdome, could neuer thinke that they did owe so great honour to such a King of the Iewes, as was wont to bee there: but they had learned that such an one was now borne; by the worshipping of whome they doubted not to ob­taine theire saluation before God: for he was not of age to be flattered by man, he sate vpon no royall Seate, hee wore no purple, no Crowne glittered upon his Head, no pompous Trayne of his, nor terrible Army, no fame of his glorious [Page 46]Battells drew these men from farre Countries vnto him, with so earnest desire to worship him. Hee lay in a Manger, a Childe newly borne, little in Body, contemptible for his Po­uertie, but in that little one was hid some great things. Ther­fore they did as Saint Cyprian speaketh,Cypr. serm. de Stella & magis. profiteri regem & Deum, professe him to be both a King and God, and (as Chrysostome also)Chrys. hom. 1. ex variis in Mat aliud Oculis corporis, aliud visu men­tis aspiciunt, they behold one thing with the eyes of their Bo­die, another thing with the eyes of their minde, Now when thus boldly, thus confidently, they propose their in­terrogatories in the Streetes of Hierusalem, and aske for the King of the Iewe; that was newly borne, euen in the hearing of Herod, (of whome I may speake, as it was said of Boniface the eight) He entred like a Foxe and raigned like a Lyon,) istud nequaquam, &c. Chrys. homil. 6. in Mat. They could not be ignorant of this, that comming into a Citty wherein a­nother King raigned, by speaking such Words, and naming another King of that People, they would stirre vp a thou­sand Sword about their eares. Therefore the imperfect worke vpon Matthew that carrieth Chrysostomes name, questioneth and resolueth this matter thus. Numquid nesciebant, &c. Chrys. in opere imperf. hom. 2. Did they not know that Herod raigned in Hierusalem? Vnderstood they not the Iustice of the Law? that whosoeuer, whilest one King is aliue, pronunceth ano­ther to bee King, and adoreth him, looseth his life as an in­strument of an Vsurper, but whilst they thinke vpon the king to come, they feare not the King present. Had they not be­fore their Eyes the danger of Death, when they went about such an vnlawfull thing: But they cared not for Death, if they had, they would neuer haue beene so bold. All this while they had not seene Christ, and yet were they readie to die for him, Oh happy wise-men, whom the presence of a most cru­ell King, before euer they knew Christ, became his Con­fessors.

Heare then these worthies of the Gentiles, through faith, out of weakenesse, became strong, a beleeuing [Page 47]sinceerely in their hearts, confesse boldly with their Mouthes,2 Cor. 4 13. and like to Moses seeing him that is inui­sibleHeb. 11.17. feare not the wrath of a mortall King, whose breath is in his Nostrils, and who though hee kill the Body, cannot touch the Soule. They are then (as Paule said of old Israell in another case) [...] Cor. 10.6. Patterns Ensamples to vs, to professe with Timothy, the good profession of our Faith before many Witnesses,1. Tim. 6.12. euen the Eyes and View of the present World: and with Dauid, not to be ashamed to speake of Gods Testimo­nies before Kings,Psal. 119.46. not to swarue from Gods Testi­monies: though our Persecutors, and Oppressors were many.Psal. 119 157 Heerein wee must be followers of Christ Iesus the Author and finisher of our Faith, who wit­nessed a good confession before Pontius Pilate the Iudge that condemned him,1. Tim. 6.23. and of Abraham the Fa­ther of the Faithfull, who built Alters to the Lord, and called vpon the name of the Lord, when the Ca­naanite, an Idolatrous Nation, that serued other Gods, was in the Land.Gen. 12.6.7. For then wee especially shew that the loue of Christ is in vs, when we abide with him in tribulation, that wee come to him sinceerely, when wee take vp the Crosse and follow him,Mat. 16.24. Non est mag­num si tunc a Dei Testamonijs non declines, cum te nullus persequitur. It is no great matter if then thou goest not a­stray from Gods Commandements, when no man persecuteth thee. It is no great matter to bee as resolute as Peter, when no daunger is at hand; to march vnder the banner of religion, when authority alloweth it, ho­nour and prosperity followeth it, but then to indure when the heate of the Day ariseth, when the firie try­all commeth. is a proofe of our rooting and grounding in Christ. The Deuill himselfe knoweth that Trouble is the best Triall of Religion, and there­fore thinking Iob to bee but a Temporizer, one that serued God for wordly neede, hee would haue him [Page 48]tryed by aduersity, Lay now thine hand vpon all that hee hath, and he will curse thee to thy face Iob. 1.11.

The souldiers courage is not so well seene in the campe, as in the battaile, when they cloase together, Pede pes densusque viruir, foote by foote, and man cloase with man. The marriners skill is not so well discer­ned, Cum placidum ventis stabit mare, When there is not a wagge of winde, as when vnâ Eurus (que) Notus (que) ruunt, creber (que) procellis Africus &c. When all the windes hurry together. And the constancy and courage of the souldier of Iesus Christ, is best seene and showne, when tribulation ariseth, when he can indure to the end, though he be hated of all men for Christs sakeMatt. 10.22., It is the protestation of the Church of the Iewes, That their heart was not turned backe, nor their steps declined from Gods way, though God had sore broken them in the place of Dragons, and couered them with the shadow of death, that they had not forgotten the name of their God, nor holden vp their hands to any strange God, though for his sake they were killed all the day long, and counted as sheepe for the slaughter Psal 44.18.19.20.21.22. Shidrach, Meshach and A­bednego, would not forsake the Lord their God whom they serued, to fall downe before the idole that Nebuchadnezzar had set vp, though the Kings anger were the messenger of death vnto them, but were euen fortiores ignibus, stronger then the fire it selfe Dan. 3., Daniell would not intermit his ordinary de­uotions, which he had formerly vsed, no not for a little time, though the decree of his casting into the Ly­ons Denne were signed, and vnalterable, according [Page 49]to the Law of the Medes and PersiansDan. 6.. Let vs not then be ashamed of Christ and his Gospell, when for the same, we come before the Herodes, the Princes of this world, but let vs confesse him boldly before them, who when they haue killed this mortall body the baser part cannot come neere our immortall soule the better part.

And let vs not with Nichodemus be such cowardly professors, that wee should come to h m by nightIoh. 3., doing the workes of light in the darkenesse, nor with Ioseph of Arimathea, bee his Disciples in hidde-locke for feare of troubleIoh 19 38., nor with the Parents of the blinde manIoh. 9.22., and many of the Iewes beleeue in him, but not dare to confesse him, for feare of being put out of the SynagogueIoh. 12.42.: but let vs be stronge in the Lord, and in the power of his might, that we may be able to stand and withstand in the euill dayEph. 6.10.13.: let vs with Paul be ready not be bound onely, but also to die at Ierusalem for the name of the LordAct 21.11.12.13.: not passe for all that may happen, nor reckon our life deare, so that we may fight the good fight of Faith and a good Conscience, and let vs cast our expences, count what it will cost vs, and resolue to indure the heate of the day, as Chrysostome did to beare whatsoeuer the Empresse Eudoxia would inflict vponHistor. tri­part. lib. 10. cap. 18. him, [...] (saith heChrys. in Epist. ad Cyriaeum Episcopum.,) If the Empresse will banish mee, let her banish me, the earth is the Lords and the fulnesse thereof. If shee will saw me asunder, let her, I haue Esay for an example. If she will throw mee into the Sea, I remember Ionas. If she will cast me into the Fornace, I haue the three Chrildren that counsell me this. If she will cast me to wilde beasts, I remember Daniell cast to the Lions in the Denne. If shee will stone mee, let her, I haue Stephen the first Mar­tyre. If she will take mine head, let her take it, I haue Iohn the Baptist. If shee will take my goods, let her take them, naked came I out of my mothers wombe, and naked shall I [Page 50]return. The Apostle telleth me, that God accepteth not the per­son of man, and, if I should yet please men, I were not the seruant of Christ, and Dauid armeth me saying, I spake be­fore Kings and was not ashamed. I haue beene sufficient­ly accountable for the first particular, I passe to the next: the moouing cause that bringeth them to come and enquire.

For we haue seene his starre in the East.] Of all the senses, wherewith God hath indued man for preser­uation of nature, there are two, the hearing and the seeing, that are as windowes, wherby he reueileth Di­uine misteries, and conueieth supernaturall truthes vnto the minde. For by hearing he acquainteth vs with his will and word, faith commeth by hearing Rom. 10.17., and let h m that hath an eare, heare what the spirit saith to the Churches Reu. 2.7.. And by seeing his workes, either of na­ture in the creation and preseruation of the vniuer­sall, or beyond nature, in the wonders that he doth: we learne that the workeman is God alone, that none is like himIsai. 46.9., and that he is to be praised for his won­derfull workes to the sonnes of menPsal. 107 8.. The inuisible things of God, euen his eternal power & God-head, are cleer­ly seene, being vnderstood by the things that are made Rom. 1.20.. The heauens doelare the glory of God, and the firmament sheweth his handy worke Ioh. 2.11. & 6.14.. And by miracles, our Saui­our manifested his glory, and wrought faith in the hearts of them that saw them, as here, Noua stella no­vum adventasse hominem reuelabat Max. hom. 2. in Epiphan.. A new starre shewed that a new man was come. And they call it heere his starre, quia quamvis &c Idem. homil. 4. in Epiph., because although all the starres being created by him are his, yet this was Christs more pe­culiarly, because it did specially shew his comming. And the rest of the starres were made, that they might distinguish the times, and courses of this world, but this was comman­ded to appeare, that the Lord of the world, and the time of heaxenly Kingdome was at hand.

[Page 51] Now, eo nascente &c August. serm. 34. de temp., at his birth, a new light was reueiled in a starre, at whose death the olde light was vei­led in the Sunne. At his birth, the heauens shined with a new honor, at whose death hell trembled with a new feare, at whose resurrection his Disciples were inflamed with a new loue, at whose ascension the Heauens obeyed with a new seruice.

And our Sauiours birth was not onely honoured with this new signe from heauen (a thing which at another time the Pharises desiredMatt 16.1., though now it would not worke vpon them) but also, omnia noua (saith Chrysostome Chrys. hom. 1. ex varijs in Matt.) All things both new and going be­yond humane admiration, doe meete in the Lords byrth. An Angell speaketh in the Temple to Zachary, and pro­miseth that Elizabeth shall haue a sonne. The Priest not beleeuing the Angell, is dumbe, the barren conceiueth, a Virgin bringeth a childe. Iohn being inspired leapeth in his mothers wombe. Christ our Lord being borne, is told of by an Angel — the Angels were glad, and the sheepe-heards reioyce.

There were multa documenta (saith Leo Leo serm. 5. in Epiphan.) Many in­structions which by manifest tokens declared that the Lord was borne, either when the Blessed Virgin Mary heard and beleeued, that shee should conceiue by the Holy Ghost, and bring forth the Sonne of GOD, or when at her saluation Iohn Baptist being in his mothers wombe and not yet borne, leaped with a propheticall exultation, and did (as it were) crie in the wombe of his mother. Behold the Lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the World, or when at such time as the Angell told of the birth of the Lord, the sheepe-heards were compassed about with the glory of the Hea­uenly army. Now for the questions wherewith the curiosity of man hath loaded this particular, what this starre was, whether one or many, whether newly created, or one of the old starres created from the be­ginning, whether a reall starre, or a Comet, or an [Page 52]Angell in figure of a starre, whether it was seated in the firmament or in the ayre, whether it rose in the East, or they being in the East saw it in Iudea, whe­ther, they saw it and none others, how it mooued, whether circularly or right forward, when it first be­ganne to appeare, and when it ceased, they are but aranearum telae, in quibus retexendis tempus non collocabo, Spider webbes, which I will not spend time to vnweaue; the knowledge of them will make vs neuer a whit neerer to heauen, and the ignorance of them will no­thing hinder vs from comming there. Onely illud in­quisitione dignum puto, vnde ad hunc illi potuerunt intel­lectum venire (saith Chrysostome Chrys. homil. 6. in Matt.) I thinke this point worth the asking how they could come to the vnderstand­ing, that this starre did portend the birth of the Mes­sias, & quis eos in hoc suscitasse credatur, and who may bee thought to haue stirred them vp hereunto. For solution whereof I may say, that besides the prophecies, of Ba­laam (whereof I haue already spoken) of Daniell about the seuenty weekes & the comming of the MessiasDan. 9.24.26., (which by reason of the captiuity of Babilon were spread abroad amongst the Gentiles) of the Sy­billaes (which though some condemne for fained, because they speake some things of Christ more plain­ly then the holy Prophets) yet Saint Austin thinketh that they prophecied by the same Spirit of God to the Gentiles, by which the Prophets propheci­ed to the people of the HebrewesAugust. lib. 18. de ciuit dei cap. 18., of whom one saithSamia Sybilla..

[Page 53] Besides these I say that God did singulariter exci­tare illos, stirre them vp particularly. Magnitudinem sig­nificationis intelligunt (saith Leo Leo serm. 3. in Epiphan.) They vnderstand the depth of the meaning by diuine inspiration, which did so worke in their hearts, that they could not be ignorant of the mystery of this great Vision, and that that, which was vnu­suall to their eies, might not bee vnknowne to their mindes. And so Chrysostome answereth his owne questionChrys. hom. 6. in Matt., This seemeth to me not to bee the starres worke alone, but Gods also, by whom their minde was stirred vp hereunto, whom wee may read to haue done such a thing in Cyrus King of Persia, preparing him, and stirring him vp to deli­uer the people of the Iewes from the yoake of captiuity C [...]ro. 36.22. and Ezra. 1.1., And to the same effect he speaketh also, forte miratur aliquis &c Chrys. homil. 1. ex varijs in Matt., Happily some man may wonder how the wisemen could know the birth of our Sauiour by the signe of a starre! Wee say that this was the gift of Gods grace. And Baronius a great Rabbi amongst our aduersaries maketh no bones to say, that all the fathers agree that these Magi, were brought to Christ, as well by the in­ward light of the Spirit, as by the outward light of the starreBaron. tom. 1. Annal. pag. 55..

But to come out of the Laborinth of these questi­ons, to that which may minister edifying to the hea­rers, as Moses vpon the Mount NeboDeut. 34.1.2., saw the glory of the Land of Canaan, so wee in this bringing of the wise men to Christ by a starre, may as in a mount of visions, see a two-fold glory of the Lord. First a glo­ry of his goodnesse, in that he calleth them by a new starre, that had abused all the old starres to impiety and superstition, making the stumbling blocke whereby they fell, to be the starre whereby they should rise againe. Quare per stellam Petrus Chryso. Log. serm. 157., &c. Why by a starre? That through Christ, the matter of their errour might be an occasion of their saluation. Of his goodnesse, I say, in that he doth as it were, vti foro serue the time [Page 54]here, fitting himselfe to their disposition, and catch­ing the fish by the baite wherewith it would soonest be taken. Inquis oportuit mitti Prophetas potius (saith Chrysostome Chrysost. bomil. 6. in Matth. &c.) Thou wilt say that Prophets should ra­ther haue beene sent, but the Wisemen would neuer haue beleeued Prophets, or that hee should haue spoken to them with some voice from heauen, neither would they haue ca­red much for that. Or that hee should haue sent an Angell, but happily they would haue slightly regarded him. There­fore God leauing all these, calleth them by those things which custome had made familiar vnto them, by his wonderfull gracious carriage of the matter, euen stooping to he salua­tion of men. And a little after, and so in imitation here­of, Paul taking occasion from the Altar, disputeth with the Gentiles, and bringeth forth testimonies out of their owne Poets; and for a while preacheth Christ to the Iewes with­out forbidding of circumcision, and from the sacrifices tak­eth the beginning of his doctrine for them that yet liued vn­der the Law. For because euery one is greatly in loue with his owne custome, both God, and the teachers that hee sent for the saluation of the world, take to themselues matter to speake of from the custome of euery nation. Thinke it ther­fore no strange matter, that the Wisemen are called by a starre. Quoniam Astrologierant &c. (saith Theophylact Theophyl. in hoe Euangel..) Because the Wise men were Astrologers, therefore God bringeth them by a familiar signe, as hee brought Peter a Fisher man by a multitude of fishes vnto the name of Christ, and caused him to wonder. And so Iohn Baptist vsed BaptismeMuscul. in locum., a matter familiar to the Iewes (for wash­ing was much in request with themMar. 7.1.6.) that thereby he might prepare a people to the Lord. Thus doth God (as Saint Austin speaketh) ad se homines miris mo­dis adducere, bring men vnto him after wonderfull sorts, and becommeth all things to all men, that by some meanes he might win some of them.

Secondly we may see heere a glory of our Lord [Page 55]and Sauiours greatnesse, in that his basenesse in the flesh, his being in the forme of a seruant, is accompa­nied still with some markes, of his Deity, of his be­ing in the forme of God, that so where the one did [...] cause any occasion of errour, the other might [...] take away the errour againe Gregor. Nazianz. in oral. 2. de filio.. For thus in praesepe iacebat (saith Austin August. serm. 30. de tempore.) he lay in a Manger, and yet brought the wise men from the East, he was hidden in a Stable, and yet acknowledged in the heauens, that being acknowledged in heauen, he might bee manifested in the Stable. Cum ipse dominus noster (saith Maximus Maximus homil. 3. in Epiphan. &c.) When our Lord according to the Law of mans birth, being a little one and an infant, cri­ed in his cradle, and was wrapped in swadling clouts, yet then a wonderfull starre from an high shewed his greatnesse to the whole world. And Quamuis (saith heMaximus homil. 4 in Epiphan..) Although hee couered his God-head with the Mantle of our body, yet heauen shewed him, and the earth knew him to bee God.

Gregory Nazianzen hath an excellent passage to shew how the glory of his god-head, went as it were, hand in hand with the meanesse of his man-hood from his cradle to his crosseGreg. Naz. vbi supra., I will recite it, though it be somewhat long.

He was borne of a woman, but a Virgin, that as man, this as God; he was carried in the wombe, but he is knowne to the Prophet being also in the wombe, and leaping before the Word by whom hee was made: Hee was wrapped in swadling clouts, but when hee riseth hee pulleth off the cloathes, that he was buried in: Hee is laide in a Manger, but hee is glorified by the Angells, signified by the starre, adored by the Wise men: Hee was made flie into Egypt, but hee maketh the idoles of Egypt flie: Hee had neither forme nor beauty to the Iewes, but to Dauid hee was more beautifull then the sonnes of men, but vpon the Mountaine he shineth, and is brighter then the sunne: Hee was bap­tised [Page 56]as man, but he washeth away sinnes as God, but it was to Sanctifie the waters (and the Holy Ghost descendeth vpon him, and the Father giueth him a testimony as being God) he was tempted as man, but hee ouercommeth as God, but he biddeth vs bee of good comfort, because hee hath ouercome the world: Hee was hungry, but hee fedde thousands, but hee is the Bread of Life that came from hea­uen: He was thirsty, but he cryed, if any man thirst, let him come to mee — he was weary, but hee is the rest of all them that are weary, and heauy laden. Hee is heauy with sleepe, but vpon the Sea, he is light, but hee rebuketh the windes but hee lifteth vp Peter ready to bee drowned: Hee payeth tribute, but out of a fish, but he is King of them that require it. He is called a Samaritane, and one that is possessed with a Deuill — but he is acknowledged of the Deuils, he driu­eth out the Deuils, and sendeth legions of Friends into the Deepe, and seeth the Prince of the Deuils falling as lightning. He is stoned, but not vanquished. Hee asketh where Lazarus was laide, for he is a man, but hee rais­eth Lazarus, for he was God. Hee is sold, and that very cheape, for thirty pieces of siluer, but hee redeemeth the World, and that with a great price, euen his owne bloud. Hee is weake and wounded, but he healeth euery disease & euery sicknesse. Hee is brought to the Crosse, and fasta­ned to it, but by the Crosse he restoreth life, but he sau­eth the Theefe that was crucified with him, and causeth darknesse, but the Veile of the Temple renteth, but the stones cleaue a sunder, and the dead are raised: Hee dieth, but hee maketh aliue, and by death destroyeth death: He is buried, but he riseth againe; Thus that no man might stumble at his humiliation in the flesh, the glory of the God-head manifested it selfe still therein.

But that I may draw towards an end of mine account for the whole bill heere, I come to the last particular, which is the finall cause and end of their comming.

[Page 57] We are come to worship him.] And this though the last in order, is the weightiest of all the particulars heere in nature. For vpon it hangeth not onely the grace, but euen the goodnesse and vertue of all that formerly here they doe, and of all the circumstances, that make this worke of theirs so commenda­ble, yea so admirable vnto vs. For it is a ruled case of the Logitians, that Vltimus finis solus perfecit tam agentem quam actionem: The chiefe end alone doth make perfect as well the doer, as the action, & againe, Qua­lis finis talis actio, such as the end is, such is the action; so that to haue come presently vpon Christs birth, and that when bloody Herode raigned, to haue come so far a iourney, euen out of the East to Hierusalem, the place that God had chosen to put his name in, to haue enquired so solemnely for the new borne King of the Iewes, and to haue beene ledde thither by the guiding of a starre, had beene nothing if the end had not commended the action: yea had beene abhomi­nable rather then admirable, if they had come, not to worship him (as they both professe and purpose) but to worry him, as Herode intended when hee would haue gone vnto him, howsoeuer hee pretended to adore him. Wee may heere then as in a glasse, see what should be the very finall cause and end of our comming vnto Christ (who though he be not bodily present with vs, yet secundum [...]aesentiam maiestatis August. tractat. 50. in Ioh., is euer in the assembly of his Saints) which is, to yeeld him the homage that we owe vnto him, the honour that is due vnto him, either in bringing our oblati­ons and sacrifices vnto him, or in receiuing from him, the treasures that hee doth impart vnto vs by his Word and Sacraments. All other ends that men propose to themselues in comming vnto him, are not ends, but rather aberrations from the true end. And as it were better neuer to know the way of righte­ousnesse, [Page 58]then after knowledge of it to turne from it2. Pet. 2.21., so better it were, neuer to come to Christ at all, then to marre our comming in the end thereof, to cause that quod officio videtur bonum, in the worke seem­eth to be good, to be ipso non recto fine peccatum, a sinne for want of a right end August. con­tra Iulianum pelagian. lib 4. cap. 3.. For thus men doe, when ei­their they come vnto him for the belly and for plea­sures, as the people followed him for Loaues, and as Bernard complayning of pompe and luxury of the Clergy of Popery in his time said pro huiusmodi volunt &c Bernard sermon 37. super Cantica..Ioh. 6.26. For these matters they wilbe, and become rulers of Churches, Deanes, Archdeacons, Bishops, Archbishops, or for honour and preferment like to Zebedeus sonnes, who desired to sit one on his right hand, the other on his left hand in his gloryMar. 10.37., or like to Diotrephes for loue of preferment3. Epist. Ioh. 9., or of curiosity because they would see some great workes wrought by him, as the Pharisees and Sadduces come to him, desiring him that he would shew a signe from heauenMat. 16.1., and as Herode, who desired to see Christ, because he hoped to haue seene some miracle done by himLuk. 23.8., or of Hy­pocrisie, because they would put a faire Vizard vpon a foule face, and couer their euill deeds with a good profession, being (as Saint Austin speaketh) in superficie boni, in alto mali, good in the out side, bad in the inside, or of vaine glory, as our Sauiours brethren would haue had him gone vp to the feast of Tabernacles that he might be knowne openlyIoh. 7.3.4., and that with the Pharisee they might seeme better and holier then other menLuk. 18.11., that with Simon Magus they might seeme to be some great menAct. 8.9., sunt qui scire volunt, vt sciantur (saith Bernard Bernar serm. 36. super Can­tica.) There are some that would haue knowledge that they might be knowne againe; or for their corporall neede onely, as the nine Lepers that roare out for mercy that they may be clensed, but haue not a word of praise in their mouthes to glorifie [Page 59]God with, when they are deliueredLuk. 17.17., or which is worst of all, out of malice and mischiefe, as the Pharisees Disciples and the Herodians came vnto him to entangle him in his talkeMat. 22.15., as the officers sent by the High Priests, to take himIoh. 7.32., and as Iudas one of them that did eate bread with him to betray himMat. 26.47.

But to speake somewhat of this honour that they giue here to Christ, it is the opinion of someCaluin, Musculus., that they giue vnto him ciuill adoration, as taking him to be a great Prince, not religious adoration, as acknow­ledging him to be God. But in mine vnderstanding, both all Antiquity and the truth it selfe stand on the other side. Putas adorassent infantem &c. (saith Chry­sostome Chrys. in opere imperf. in Mat. homil. 2.) Thinkest thou that, they would haue adored an in­fant that did not vnderstand the honour of adoration, vn­lesse they had beleeued that there was some Diuine power in him. Therefore they gaue this honour, not to his Child­hood that vnderstood nothing, but to his God-head that knew all things. Nec apud sensus eorum August. serm. 29. de tempore. &c. Neither in their vnderstanding, doth the basenesse of his birth diminish the glory of his God-head — with their eyes they see man, by their seruice they confesse him to be God — he was scene in the Manger, but hee did beare rule in Heauen. And therefore the Wisemen humbled themselues because they saw the starres doe him seruice. For they knew him to bee God, to whom the heauenly creatures yeelded their seruice. And Athanasius reasoneth well in this case Quomodo in stabulo &c Athanasius lib. de incarnat.. How doe they adore him that lay in a stable and a manger, if they imagine him to bee nothing but a man? How doth Herode say that he would adore him also? In vaine truely had God taught them by so vnusuall a miracle, that they should adore a man onely and not God also. It is then religious and diuine honour that they giue vnto him as God. Let me here then shew you a mystery, which is how Christ being both [Page 60]God and man is to bee adored. Although then the Godhead bee the propper obiect to which adoration is propperly directed, yet is not the Godhead adored without the manhood, but by reason of that strict band of the personall vnion of the two natures Christ as [...] God and man is to be adored with one only adoration, which adoration is giuen Obliquè, August in Psal. 58. In an in­direct manner, to the manhood, in regard that it is the Manhood of the Word, and receiued into the vnitie of the second Person, Dominum rerum creatarum (saith A­thanasus, Athanas: contra Arrianos &c. We doe adore the Lord of all created things the Word being made flesh: For although the flesh of it selfe be a part of things created, yet it is become the body of God; neither therefore doe wee adore this Body a part, and separa­ted from the Word, neyther when wee are about to adore the Word, doe wee separate it farre from the flesh, but because wee know (as hath beene saide) that the Word was made Flesh: Wee acknowledge it now manifested in the flesh to bee God. Who then is so gracelesse, as to speake so to the Lord, stand aside from the Body that I may adore thee? Or who is so wicked that with the Iewes because of his Body hee will say vnto him, Why doest thou beeing a Man, make thy selfe God? And for this adoring of the Word being made flesh with one only adoration, wee haue the Anathe­matisme of Cyrill in the Ephesine Councell, which is the Third Oecumenicall CouncellTom 1. Concil. in Concil. Ephe­sine Anathema­tismo. 8. Si quis, &c. If any one doth not adore Emanuell with one only a­doration, and giue him one only glory, according to that, the Word was made flesh, let him bee accursed. It is then but a prophane noueltie both of words and Doctrines not only in the Papists, to giue a seuerall kind of wor­shippe (which they call Hyperdulia, a Seruice a steppe higher, then that which they giue to Saints and An­gells) Soli humanitati Christi Bellarm. lib. 1. de beatit. San­ctorum cap. 12. To the Manhood of Christ alone, but also in the Vbiquitaries, who contend for the adoration of the humanity of Christ properly [Page 61]and seuerally by it selfeBarbaróssa in quinquagessima, Adoratio Latriae (saith Aqui­nas Thomas in 3.2. quest. 25.25. arti. 2..) The adoration of Latria or Diuine Worship, is not giuen to the humanity in respect of it selfe, but in respect of the Diuinity to which it is vnited, and Cyrill saithCyri [...]l ad Theodos., that wee doe not adore Emanuell as a man, for that were dotage, deceit and errour, for in this wee should nothing differ from them which worship the creature &c. Let them that haue eares then heare these deepe mysteries of their faith, and the Lord giue them vnderstanding in all things, that they may so adore and glorifie God manifested in the flesh, so honour the Sonne, serue the Sonne, that the Father may honour themIoh. 12.26., and giue them Glory with him. To this Father and Sonne with the Holy Ghost a Trinity in vnity, and an vnity in Trinity, be Honour and Power euer­lasting. Amen.