A SERMON OF THE Nativity of Our Lord. Preach'd before the King and Queen At WHITE-HALL. 1687.
By Bonaventure Giffard, Doctor of Sorbon, Chaplain in Ordinary, and Preacher to Their MAJESTIES.
Publish'd by His Majesties Command.
LONDON, Printed by Henry Hills, Printer to the King's most Excellent Majesty, for his Houshold and Chappel; and are to be sold by Him, at the Ditch-side in Black-Fryers, 1688.
A SERMON OF THE Nativity of Our Lord Preach'd before the King & Queen.
Gloria in altissimis Deo, & in terrà Pax Hominibus bonae voluntatis.
Glory in the Highest to God, and in Earth, Peace to Men of good Will.
These Words were sung by a full Choire of Angels at the Birth of our Saviour, as we find related by St. Luke c. 2. v. 14.
A Stable! A Manger! A little Hay! Some poor Swadling Bands! A helpless Infant! Adesolate young Maid! An Ox! An Ass! What [Page 2] great Matter of Glory to God, or Subject of so much Joy to the Angels? What is there in all this poor Equipage, that should deserve to call down these Noble Spirits from Heaven, to solemnize it's Triumphs upon Earth? Oh God! How different are thy Judgments from those of Men? And by how opposit Ways dost thou seek thy Glory, from those which Men take to establish Theirs? Men place all their Glory in great Riches, magnificent Houses, brave Apparel, sumptuous Entertainments, numerous Attendants, and such like Supports of their Vanity and Misery. But all the Glory God Almighty designs to draw from the great Work of the Worlds Redemption; behold, he grounds it on the Poverty, Humility, and abjection of His eternal Son. Hence, as you see, for his Royal Pallace, he has provided him a ruinous Stable; for his Bed of State, a hard Manger; for his Noble and numerous Attendants, an Ox, an Ass, or at best, some few poor Shepherds. In fine, Instead of mighty Treasures, and great plenty of all Things, the utmost extremity of Poverty.
This, Christians, this is the conduct Almighty God has us'd with his eternal Son, at his first coming into the World: This is the Method [Page 3] he has taken to purchase that Glory to himself; to give that Peace and Joy to Men, which the Angels this day publish to the World in their Christmass Carol, of Gloria in altissimis Luke 2. 14. Deo, & in terrâ Pax Hominibus bonae voluntatis.
Divine Spirit! enlighten my Mind, inspire my Thoughts, help me to apprehend the design of thy Eternal Wisdom in this astonishing Mystery. I beg this of Thee, by the Intercession of the Virgin Mother, who this Day brought forth that heavenly Child, which She conceiv'd by the Operation of thy Virtue, at the same time that the Angel saluted Her.
Ave Maria, &c.
The Glory which Almighty God had in the World before the coming of our Saviour, seems to have been much eclips'd, and reduc'd to a very small Point; for the Devil, who no sooner became his Enemy, but also turn'd his Rival; since he could not become like to God in Heaven, resolv'd at least to be ador'd for God upon Earth: And thence (as St. Gregory Nazianzen observes,) he has endeavor'd to [Page 4] possess that Divinity in the Opinion of Men, which he could not steal from the uncommunicable Nature of his Maker. Qui Divinitatem in Coelis habere non potuit, in Terris habere conatus est.
And indeed, if the Worship of Men could encrease or lessen the Majesty of God; if his Glory were to be calculated by the number of his Adorers; one might thence think (which otherwise to imagin were a Blasphemy,) that Lucifer had got the upper hand: Since, if we reflect on the sad Condition the whole World was in, before the Birth of our Saviour; we shall find, that this proud and rebellious Spirit was more worship'd, more glorify'd by Men, than his Sovereign Lord and Maker. For if the true God was then worship'd by the Jews; false Gods were ador'd by all other Nations. If God had some zealous Prophets to pronounce his Oracles; the Devil had many Idolatrous Priests to publish his Lies. If God had an Altar consecrated to his Service in Hierusalem; the Devil had many Temples dedicated to his Honor throughout the rest of the World. If God was honor'd by the Sacrifice of Beasts; the Devil was worship'd by the Slaughter of Men. So [Page 5] that we are forc'd to own and lament, that before the coming of the Messias, the external Glory of God, (which consists in the Worship of Men,) was shut up within a narrow compass; confin'd to one little Corner of the Earth. Notus in Judaea Deus. Psal. 75.
But on this Day, God Almighty begins to do himself right; He has sent down his Eternal Son to vindicate his Honor, to establish his Glory, to subdue his proud Rival, to dispossess him of the Empire he had gain'd over the Minds of Men. St. John, the faithful Interpreter of his Designs, tells us, That 'tis for this the Son of God is come into the World, to destroy the Works of the Devil. In hoc apparuit Filius Dei, ut dissolvat opera Diaboli. 1 John 3. 8.And the Way he has taken to do this, is as strange in it self, as it has prov'd efficacious in the Effect.
The Devil grounded all his Glory on the deluded Imaginations of his Followers. To make them Idolaters of his false Deity; he first possess'd them with an erroneous Conceit of their own Greatness. To persuade them to offer Incense to the Statu's they had rais'd in his Temples, he first taught them to adore the Idols he had set up in their Minds; Honor, [Page 6] Riches, Pleasure, are the three great Gods he places on the Altar of their Hearts; to these, he makes them sacrifice all their Thoughts, all their Affections, their Body, their Soul, their Eternity, their All. He persuades them, that all their Glory consists in worldly Greatness, all their Happiness in an affluence of temporal Riches, and their chief Beatitude in a full enjoyment of sensual Satisfactions.
To destroy this Work of the Devil, to disabuse Men of these false Notions he had imbu'd them with, the Son of God is come into the World after the manner in which our present Solemnity represents him to us; to shew us, how little esteem we ought to make of all the Glory and Greatness of the World; He would become a Child, He would appear little and abject; to quench in us that ardent Thirst▪ we have after Riches; He has reduc'd himself to the greatest Poverty imaginable: To take out of our Hearts that inordinate Love of Ease and Pleasure; He begins his Life all in Sufferings and Mortifications.
'Tis thus that Jesus Christ most Successfully establishes the Glory of God, because 'tis thus that he most powerfully Triumphs over those Vices which keep Men Slaves to the Devil: [Page 7] And hence, when the Angels saw him laid thus low in the Manger; then it was that they begun to sing Glory to God, and Peace to Men. Glory to God, because Jesus is come to cure our Pride by his Humility; our Avarice by his Poverty; our Excesses and Intemperances by his Mortifications. Gloria in altissimis Deo. Peace and Joy to Men of good will; to Men that are willing to learn of such a Master; to Men that are willing to be instructed by such an Example; to Men that are willing to be sav'd by such a Saviour. Pax Hominibus bonae voluntatis. 'Tis thus the Angels divide their Canticle; and 'tis thus I shall divide my present Discourse. The First Part whereof shall shew you, what our Saviour did this Day for our Instruction; The Second, what we must learn from his Example. What Jesus did to be a Saviour to Men; what Men must do to be sav'd by Jesus. These two Points make the division of my Sermon, and Subject of your Attention.
The First Part.
If the Ʋnion of the eternal God to our human Nature, be astonishing; the manner of his [Page 8] coming into the World is not a little surprizing! For tho an excess of Goodness might have carry'd him to this strange Communication of himself; tho the love of Men might have mov'd him to become Man; yet methinks, he might have done it after the most honorable manner; he might have appear'd at the full Stature of a Man, and accomplish'd with all the Perfections human Nature is capable of. But to Cloath himself with our Mortality, in its meanest Dress; to shut himself up for nine Months in the Bowels of a Woman; to come into the World under the Form of a Child; to have Reason in it's highest Perfection, and yet to be reduc'd to the Condition of an Infant; This is what astonisheth Heaven and Earth; this is the admiration of Angels and Men.
And certainly, Christians, whosoever should reflect well on the Majesty, Infinity, Immensity, Eternity, and the rest of Gods glorious Attributes, and then should behold a Child newly brought into the World; questionless, he would stand amaz'd, to think that the Majesty of Heaven should Inhabit within such an inconsiderable piece of Flesh; that so boundless an Ocean should be shut up within so narrow [Page 9] a Channel, that the eternal God should become a Child. And yet thus it is, Christians, the great God of Heaven is become a Child; the Antient of Days is newly come into the World; the eternally begotten Son of the Divine Father, behold, he's born an Infant. Parvulus natus est nobis, & Filius datus Isa. 9. 6. est nobis.
Whatsoever therefore you have seen; whatsoever you imagin to be the Condition of other Infants at their Birth; think the same of your great God, for he is become exactly like them in all things, excepting only Sin. He's Heb. 4. 15.born Naked and Needy, like other Infants; Weak and Feeble, like others; He Weeps and Cry's like others; He's wrap'd in Swadling Cloaths like others; He Feeds at his Mothers Breast like others, and something below the meanest Condition of all other Infants; instead of a Cradle, He is laid in a hard Manger, expos'd to the sharp Winds of a Winter Night, the Wants and Incommodities of a desolate Place. Pannis eum involvit, & reclinavit Luke 2. 7▪ in praesepio.
O Blessed Jesus! how do's this poor Lodging suit with Thee, who hast Heaven for thy Throne, and the whole Earth for thy Footstool? [Page 10] How do's this Manger agree with Thee, who reposest in the Bosom of thy Divine Father? How do these Tears become thee, who art the Joy of all the Angels in Heaven, and God of all Consolation here upon Earth? How do's this want of Cloaths, this need of a little Milk fall upon Thee, who featherest the Birds, feedest the Beasts, and art absolute Lord of the whole Universe?
Ah Christians! let us stop and pause here a while; let our Heart speak by it's Affections, what our Tongue cannot utter by Expressions; let us behold with a silent Astonishment, what we cannot discourse but with Admirations and Exclamations!
The great God of Heaven become a Child! the increated Wisdom and Word of God, silent and speechless! the King of Glory lodg'd in a Stable! the Lord of all things, in Want and Poverty!
Oh Heavens! What think you of this? Or rather, Dear Christians, (since 'tis for you He's born,) what think you of this? Why think you, has the great God of Heaven thus humbled himself upon Earth? Why did He choose to come into the World after this strange manner? I say, why did he choose? [Page 11] For we must not imagin, that these Things happen'd thus by chance. 'Twas not the Unkindness and Inhumanity of the hard-hearted Bethlemites that forc'd him into a Stable. 'twas not their refusing his Mother a Lodging, that oblig'd him to lye in a Manger. Oh no! He that can soften the Hearts of Tygers, could have made his Mother find a Welcom amongst her own Relations. He that places Kings on the Throne, could have rais'd himself a Palace in the Fields of Bethlehem. 'Twas not therefore any want of Power or Forecast; 'twas not any Necessity, or chance that reduc'd him to this Condition. Other Infants indeed, have it not in their Power to choose the Time, the Place, and manner of their Birth; but this divine Child, had all these things at his own choice and disposal. And why then did he choose to be born in the depth of Winter, and obscurity of the Night? Why did he choose a Stable, a Manger, for his Lodging? Why did he call only poor Shepherds, to give him the first Welcom into the World? Ah! St. Bernard gives the true reason, when he tells us, All this was to confound the Pride and Vanity of the World; to condemn the luxe [Page 12] Ease, and Excesses of Men. Cur stabulum Christus elegit? Plane ut reprobet Mundi gloriam, ut damnet saeculi Vanitatem. To instruct us by Example, before he could teach us by Words; to convince us (say's St. Augustin) by his own Choice, what little Esteem we ought to have of all the Glory, Greatness, Riches, Pomps and Pleasures of this Life; He contemn'd them all. Omnia terrena bona contempsit Christus, ut contemnenda monstraret.
He chose to be poor, that rich Men might not think themselves happy; He would not be rich, that poor Men might not think themselves miserable. He would want all that the World most esteems; He would suffer all that the World most abhors; that we should neither place our Happiness in the one, nor fear any Adversity from the other. Ʋt nec in istis quaereretur felicitas, nec in istis timeretur adversitas.
Christ saw that Men would lose the Glory of Heaven, by their ambitious Desires of Temporal Greatness; and therefore He made himself so little. Christ saw that Men would forfeit their eternal Inheritance, by fixing their Hearts so much on the Goods of the Earth; and therefore He appears so poor [Page 13] and indigent. Christ saw that Men would lose the Joy's of Paradise, by indulging their Ease and Pleasures in this Life; and therefore He chose to lye in a Manger. Omnia terrena bona contempsit Christus, ut contemnenda monstraret.
O my God! 'tis here I own the greatness both of thy Mercy, and our Misery; 'tis from the strangeness of this Remedy, that I come to understand the depth of our Wounds; Ex St. Bern. Serm. 3. de Nativitate. consideratione remedii, periculi mei aestimo quantitatem. Ah Christians! How dangerous was our Condition? How desperate was our Distemper, that stood in need of such a Physician? To what a heighth had our Pride carry'd us; that it should be necessary for the great God of Heaven to descend into a Stable to abate it? How strongly was our Heart fastn'd and wedded to the Riches and Pleasures of the Earth; that it should be necessary for the King of Glory to lye in a Manger, to disengage it? Ex consideratione Remedii, periculi mei aestimo quantitatem.
But, Christians, will all this suffice? Is the Remedy great enough for the Disease? Has Jesus Christ laid himself low enough for your Example? The great God of Heaven has made [Page 14] himself the least and lowest of Men: You great Ones of the Earth, will you thence learn to be Humble? You little Ones, will you leave to be Envious or Ambitious? The King of Glory has made himself the poorest of Men: You rich Ones of the World, will you learn not to set such a value on your Riches? You poor Men, will you learn not to repine for your Poverty, or murmur against Providence? The Author of all Bliss and Happiness, lies shivering in a cold and hard Manger: You delicate Christians of this Age, will you learn to Suffer?
Ah Christians! What can be more convincing, than these practical Arguments of our divine Saviour? What can be more persuasive, than the Rhetoric of this silent Babe? What can be more powerful than his Example, to disabuse Men of those false Notions, those wrong Idea's, which Opinion and Custom, the Principles and Practices of the World have fix'd in them?
For, Christians, if our Sovereign Lord and Master came thus into the World; if He that had it in his power to appear all in Glory and Majesty; if He that could have abounded with all Plenty and Magnificence; if He, I [Page 15] say, chose the Poverty and Ignominy of a Stable; what follows then, but that terrible consequence St. Bernard draws from thence, viz. That either Christ is mistaken, or the World is in a great Error; either Christ knew not how to make a good choice, or Men are convinc'd to make a very bad one: Aut Christus St. Bern. fallitur, aut Mundus errat. Christ made choice of Poverty, and Men fly it as the greatest Misery. Christ chose to be in want, and Men seek nothing but Plenty; Christ chose to appear Little and Abject, and Men strive all they can to grow Great and Glorious; Christ chose to lye hid in the obscurity of a dark Night, and Men seek all Means to publish and proclaim themselves to the World: Christ chose to be born in the depth of Winter, to lodge in a cold Stable, a hard Manger; and Men seek nothing but the Ease, Commodity, and satisfaction of their Body. Oh! how contrary is their Choice? How opposit are their Ways? They are in two Extremes; they cannot both be in the right; therefore, S. Bern.either Christ is deceiv'd, or Men are under a great mistake. Aut Christus fallitur, aut Mundus errat.
[Page 16] And what think you, my belov'd Brethren? For whom will you pronounce? Is Jesus Christ in the right? Has the eternal Wisdom of Heaven made a good Choice here upon Earth? Do you approve of His Choice? Do you approve of His coming into the World, after that poor manner in which our Solemnity represents Him unto you? Do's his Stable, his Manger, his poor and low Condition please you?
If you approve of his Judgment in making such a Choice, why then do you govern your selves by such opposit Maxims? If you like his Ways, why are you so unwilling to tread in his Steps? If you esteem the Poverty and Humility of the Infant Jesus, why do you so greedily thirst after the Riches and Honors of the World?
Alas! 'tis here that we Christians too often imitate the Jews, who had a high Esteem, a great Veneration for their Messias, whilst he was at a distance; whilst they beheld him in their glorious Prophesies; but when he came amongst them, they would not take notice of him. The longing expectation of so many Ages, the desir'd of all Nations, the so much wish'd for Messias; when He came [Page 17] into the World, they would not know Him, because of the low and abject Condition he appear'd in. In Mundo erat, & Mundus eum Joan 1. 10. non cognovit.
And just thus it goes with us Christians. We Honor, we esteem Jesus Christ at a distance; but if He come near us, or begin to draw us near to himself; Oh! then we presently fly from him; we are asham'd of his Company; we find him troublesome to us. He appears all in Poverty, and we can esteem nothing but Riches and Plenty; He talks to us of Humiliations and Abjections, and we desire to be Esteem'd and Honor'd; He speaks of Sufferings and Mortifications, and we love nothing but our Ease and Pleasure.
Thus you see, we imitate the Jews; we honor Jesus Christ at a distance, but when he comes near us, we know him not; we esteem the Poverty of our Saviour, so long as it remains with him in the Stable; we admire and bless his Sufferings, his Mortifications, provided that he keep them close shut up with himself in the Manger; but if he bring any of his Poverty into our House, into our Family; if he communicate any share of his Sufferings to us; Oh! then we [Page 18] are of another mind; then we find a thousand Reasons to disapprove of them; we have a thousand Pretences to excuse our selves from admitting of them.
Hence, at the same time that we seem to approve, we really disapprove of Christs Choice; we like, and dislike his Ways; we esteem, and condemn his Judgments. Whilst we only discourse of Things; whilst we speak of Him and his Proceedings, we are even ravish'd at this admirable conduct of his Wisdom. That our God, that our great God should become a Child; that He should be born in a Stable, lodg'd in a Manger; that He should come into the World after such a poor and humble manner. Oh! 'twas the most incomparable Method he could take, to cure the Wounds of our Soul; 'twas the wisest Choice he could make, to shew himself our Saviour.
But when He would apply this Remedy to us; when He would make the same Choice for us, which we so much approve of in him; Oh! then we are of another Judgment; then we do not stick to say, (at least by our Actions and Behavior,) we do not stick to say, Christ is deceiv'd; the eternal Wisdom of Heaven [Page 19] is mistaken in the Choice he would make for us. Christus fallitur. Titles of Honor, Places of Respect, Worldly Dignities, Riches and Plenty, are much better for us; the World knowes best how to make a good Choice for us; the World is in the right; Christ is deceiv'd. Christus fallitur, Mundus non errat.
But, Christians, how then shall Jesus Christ be a Saviour to us? How shall he give Glory to God; or bring that Peace and Joy to Men, which you heard the Angels publish this Day? Must we desire this Divine Infant to return back again to Heaven; to take some new Instructions, to resolve on some new Counsels, some other Methods? Must we desire Him to come to us after another manner, than that we now behold him in? He thought this the most proper to glorify God, and save Men. His eternal Father is well pleased with it. He has sent down a multitude of Angels to express his Satisfaction: These Blessed Spirits no sooner beheld the Humility and Poverty of his Birth, but they presently sung Glory to God. And, I must tell you, all that desire to have any share in that Peace and Joy, they publish'd at the same time to Men, must be of the same Judgment: All that will be [Page 20] sav'd by Christ, must conform themselves to the Measures and Methods he has taken to be their Saviour. What He came from Heaven to teach, we must learn upon Earth: What Jesus did to save us, we must do to be sav'd by Jesus; which is what I am to discourse of in my Second Part.
Second Part.
'Tis hard to say, whether it be more astonishing, that God should not disdain to become like Men, or that Men should disdain to become like God? That God should come down from Heaven to teach Men, or that Men should be unwilling to learn of such a Master? That He should undertake to be their Physician, or that they should refuse to make use of his Remedies?
In the First Part of this Discourse, we have seen how God has made himself Little, Poor, and Abject; to teach us a Lesson of Humility, Poverty, and Mortification. We have seen also, how this heavenly Physician is come down to the Bed-side (as St. Augustin observes,) of sick Man; and He not only prescribes him Remedies, but also to make them [Page 21] go down the easier, he first makes tryal of Prior bibit Medicus sanus, ut bibere non dubitaret Aegrotus. St. Aug. Serm. 59. de verbis dai. them himself. Ad sanandum grandem Aegrotum descendit omnipotens Medicus; Humiliavit se us (que) ad mortalem carnem, tanquam ad lectum Aegrotantis.
But who is willing to practice the Lessons he teaches? Who is willing to apply the Remedies he prescribes? Which of you is resolv'd to make his Humility an Antidote against your Pride? Which of you is resolv'd to draw from his Poverty, a Motive to abate something of that Vanity in your Apparel; that Superfluity in your Furniture; that Excess in your Table? Let every one (say's St. Bernard,) examin himself, and see what Effect these powerful Remedies have wrought in him. Cogitet unusquis (que) quantum in eo operentur tam salutaria Medicamenta.
But, Alas! my dear Brethren, is it not true, what the same Holy Father adds? Is it not true, that there are some Christians, to whom Christ is not yet born; who are not willing to be sav'd after the manner he has taken to be their Saviour; who are not really glad that Christ is come into the VVorld? Sunt quibus nondum natus est Christus.
[Page 22] The Angels were full of Joy at his Birth; and they made hast to communicate this good News to Men, to carry them the joyful Tydings, that their Saviour is born. Evangelizo Lu [...]. 2. 10. vobis gaudium magnum quia natus est vobis Salvator.
But, Christians, are you glad to hear this good News? Is it a Joy to you, to hear your Saviour is born? Certainly, all that are in Misery, must needs be glad to hear of a Saviour: And methinks every one in this Assembly, speaks the Content of his Heart, by the joyful Air of his Countenance; every one seems well pleas'd to hear from the Angel, that our Saviour is born. But, Christians, are you glad (let me once more put the Question to you,) are you glad to have the Infant Jesus for your Saviour? Are you willing to be sav'd after the Method he has taken to be your Saviour?
I must then tell you plainly, He can no otherwise be a Saviour to you, than by taking out of your Heart that Pride, that Ambition, that Avarice, which have so long kept possession there: He cannot be your Saviour, (once more hear it) but by taking out of your Heart that love of the World, that love of [Page 23] Honor, that love of Riches, that love of Pleasure, which has been so long Master of your Heart. And are you glad to hear of such a Saviour? Are you willing, that he should free you from those pleasing Enemies of your Salvation? Are you willing that he should tear from your Heart, those so long settl'd Affections? Are you willing that Jesus Christ should make a total Change, an entire Conversion, a thorough Reformation in your Soul? Are you willing that he should settle the same Judgments, the same Affections, the same Inclinations in you, which this Day you have seen appear in him? In a word, Are you willing that he should make you like himself, as he has made himself like you?
They that are not willing he should do this; they that will not permit him to do this, must look for some other Saviour; they must with the Jews, expect the coming of another Messias: The Divine Child of Bethlehem, is no Saviour for them; the Infant Jesus is not born for them: Sunt quibus nondum natus est Christus. He is a Saviour, because he's Humble; He is a Saviour, because he's Poor; He is a Saviour, because he Suffers. Whosoever will not partake of his Humility, of [Page 24] his Poverty, of his Mortifications, shall have no share in his Redemption; He will be no Saviour to them. Sunt quibus nondum natus est Christus.
And what? Must then Rich Men divest themselves of all their Possessions? Must Noble Men turn their Beds of State into Mangers? Must Kings and Queens leave their Thrones, and retire into Stables, to partake of this Days great Blessing; to be sav'd by a Messias, who appears all in Poverty and Humility?
No, no Christians. The Divine Child of Bethlehem, whom this Day you see worship'd by poor Shepherds, twelve Days hence you will see ador'd by Kings. 'Tis not therefore the exterior Marks of Honor or Humility, of Plenty or Poverty, but the interior disposition of the Heart that he regards; 'tis Poverty of Spirit, 'tis Humility of Heart, that he requires in all those that will be sav'd by him. Alass! there are many, who under a poor and abject Appearance, cover ambitious and covetous Minds; who are still complaining, repining, and murmuring against Providence; and these Persons, tho they are poor and abject, yet have no comfort in the Poverty and Humility of the Infant Jesus. On the contrary, There are others, whom [Page 25] God Almighty has plac'd in eminent Stations, who by the disposition of Providence, not by any ambition of their own Heart, are rais'd to high Dignities; who possess vast Treasures; but, as St. Augustin say's of them, amidst all the Honors and Pomps of the World, conserve an humble Heart to God. In superbo cultu cor Humile. Who, whilst they St. Aug. Epist. 199.behold their Saviour in his Stable, look upon themselves with a holy kind of Contempt, to see their Condition so different from his: In fine, who often pronounce in their Heart, what we read of the incomparable Queen Hester; who when She was at the heighth of all the Greatness and Glory a most powerful Monarch could raise her too, yet confidently told Almighty God, that He knew she was so far from taking any complacence in those Honors, that she rather submitted to them by Necessity, than affected them by Vanity. Tu scis necessitatem meam, quod abominer signum Esther 14. 16. Gloriae meae quod est super caput meum, in diebus ostentationis meae.
To wear rich Apparel, to have a House well furnish'd, to receive the Respects and Submissions of Men, may be a decency due to the Rank God Almighty has plac'd you in; [Page] but to take pride in those Honors, to delight in those fine Cloaths, to busie your Thoughts much about them, to set your Heart upon them, is a Vanity our Saviour condemns, by the Humility and Poverty of his Stable.
To be Great, to be Rich, may be a Blessing of Heaven; but to place ones Happiness in such things, to thirst vehemently after them, is that great, that general Crime of the World, which the whole Life and Doctrin of our Saviour was a condemnation of.
Those Persons therefore, whose Minds are always big with ambitious Designs, who are continually gaping after some new Preferment; whose Hands are open on all sides to receive Mony, who gripe all the Wealth that comes near them. Oh! these are they who have no share in that Peace, that Joy, which our New born Saviour brought this Day into the World.
How much then are they deceiv'd in their Devotion, who, because they were present last Night at the Divine Office; because they heard the Three Masses; because they receiv'd the Blessed Sacrament; therefore think they have done all that is requisit to honor this great Feast? Alas! all this is but the exterior [Page 27] of this Days Devotion. The true Honor due to this Solemnity, is the disengaging of our Heart from the love of this World: 'Twas for this, that Christ was born in a Stable; 'twas for this, that he came down from Heaven, that (as the Apostle speaks,) he might disengage us from this wicked World; that we might renounce all Impiety, and worldly Desires.
Whosoever therefore will cherish in his Heart any of those Desires, any of those Passions which Christ came to free us from, will find no comfort in the Birth of his Saviour. No, no, St. Bernard tells us plainly and truly, The poor Stable of Bethlehem, will afford no comfort to those that set their Hearts on Riches; Christs low and humble Manger, will afford no comfort to those that aspire at Titles of Honor, high Places of Preferment; His poor Swadling Bands, will afford no comfort to those that delight in fine Cloaths. Non consolantur panni ejus ambulantes St. Bern. Serm▪ de Nativ. in stolis, non consolatur praesepe & stabulum, amantes primas Cathedras in Synagogis.
Those Persons also, that live always out of themselves, that willl be always abroad, always in Company and Entertainments, neither will they find any comfort in the Solitude [Page 28] and Silence of the Infant Jesus; they that will be always in Mirth and Jollity, will find no comfort in the Tears of this weeping St. Bern. Serm. 5. de Nativitate. Babe. Non consolatur Christi Infantia garrulos, non consolantur Christi lacrymae cachinantes.
No, no, Christians; They that will find comfort in Jesus, must not seek it in things which he banish'd far from himself. Riches, Honors, Plays, Divertisements and great Entertainments, are not to be found in his Stable; and therefore, who sets his Heart on these things, will never find Content in his New-born Saviour.
You know well, two Persons can never live easily together; they can never find Satisfaction in each other; they can never make up a lasting Friendship, unless they be something alike in their Judgments, in their Humors and Ways. You see what are the Ways of the Infant Jesus; you see his Humor, his Inclination is to be in Solitude and Silence. 'Tis for this, that He chose rather to be born in the Fields than Town of Bethlehem, that he might be far from the Noise and Disturbances of this busie World; 'tis for this, that the public Inns were no place of abode for him; He chose rather to lye in a Stable, than [Page 29] not to be in Retirement. Whosoever therefore desires to make up a Friendship with him, must be of the same Humor; he must sometimes withdraw himself from the Conversation of Men, and noise of worldly Affairs, if he will enjoy the company of Jesus in his solitary Stable.
You see also what is his Opinion, what Judgment he makes of Things, what Spirit predominates in Him: You see, he esteems Poverty, Humility, Lowliness, Mortification. Whosoever pretends to be his Friend, must be of the same Opinion, the same Judgment; he must be acted by the same Spirit: For the Apostle tells us plainly, He that has not this Spirit of Christ, do's not belong to Christ; he cannot be one of his Friends. Si quis non habet Spiritum Christi, hic non est ejus.
Christians! Do you rightly apprehend this terrible Expression of the Apostle? Reflect a little on it. Not to belong to Jesus Christ! to have no share in his Friendship! to have no part in that Peace and Joy, which he brought this Day into the World! Oh God! what a dismal Sentence is this? Si quis non habet Spiritum Christi, hic non est ejus.
He that has not his Spirit of Humility, his [Page 30] Spirit of Poverty, his Spirit of Mortification; he do's not belong to Christ. Non est ejus.
Examin therefore well your Hearts; see whether you have this Spirit of Christ, and that you may not be deceiv'd; (for alas! the Heart of Man, is an Abyss of Darkness: They that are continually searching into it by their most serious Considerations, and pious Meditations, have difficulty enough to discover the secret Springs, and hidden Sourse of that Pride, Avarice and Ambition, which lye deep rooted in our Nature). Therefore, that you may not be deceiv'd in the Judgment you make of your Heart, observe how you behave your selves in the Occasions and Tryals your Saviour gives you of manifesting his Spirit, of imitating his Humility and Poverty. When therefore, you see others preferr'd before you; when you see them rais'd to great Honors, and your self neglected and unregarded: If you repine and murmur at this; when God Almighty takes away some temporal Advantage from you; when he lessens your Riches by such Misfortunes as he permits to fall upon you. If you are transported with Trouble and Disquiet of Mind; 'tis a terrible sign, that your esteem of his [Page 31] Humility and Poverty, was only in Fancy and Imagination; 'tis an evident mark, that your Heart is strongly ty'd to the Honors and Riches of this World; 'tis a convincing proof, that you are govern'd by some other Spirit than that of Christ; that you are guided by other Maxims, than those he preaches from his Manger.
Propter vos egenus factus est, cum esset dives. 2 Corn. [...]. Alass! Dear Christians, Jesus was rich; and he became thus poor for our sakes, that he might quench in our Hearts that ardent Thirst we have after Riches. He was at the heighth of Honor, Glory and Greatness; and he has made himself thus Little and Abject, that he might beget in us a contempt of all worldly Greatness. He was incapable of suffering any thing in his own Nature; and he has taken ours, that he may suffer in all Kinds; and thereby give us an Example of Penance and Mortification.
Let us awaken then (dear Christians); Let us awaken out of that Dream, which the Father of Lyes has so long deluded us with: Let us withdraw our Thoughts from those Impressions, which Custom and Opinion, the Principles and Practice of the World have impos'd upon us: Let us leave the World [Page 32] to think, and speak according to its Rules and Maxims. But for us that are Christians, let us govern our selves by the Maxims of Christ; let us hearken to him, who is come from Heaven to be our Master: And no where do's he teach us more efficaciously, than in the Mystery of this Days Solemnity. The Stable of Bethlehem, is the proper School of Christians; the Manger, is the Pulpit from which this great Evangelist first began to preach to the World.
Let us therefore often enter into this School; let us draw near to this Pulpit; let us hearken to this divine Preacher. He is Silent, but every thing (as St. Bernard observes,) has a Voice; every thing Preaches: His Stable preaches, his Manger preaches, his Swadling-Cloaths preach; his Tears preach, his very St. Bern. Serm. 5. de Nativitate. Silence preaches. Clamat Stabulum, clamat praesepe, clamant panni, clamant lacrymae, ipsa Infantilia membra clamant; & quid clamant? And what is't they preach? They preach Humility, Poverty, Penance, Mortification, contempt of all worldly Riches, Pleasures and St. Bern. ibid.Honors. Clamant Humilitatem, Paupertatem, Poenitentiam, contemptum Opum, Deliciarum, & commodorum Mundi.
[Page 33] These are the great Lessons Christ preaches from his Manger; these are the important Instructions, Christians must learn from this divine Master. By this, we shall joyn with the Angels in giving Glory to God, and fit our selves for that Peace, which God is come to give to Men. This Peace is the great Blessing our New-born Saviour has brought us from Heaven; the greatest Happiness we can enjoy here upon Earth; and an Earnest of that eternal Peace and Joy, we hope to find hereafter in Heaven. Which God of his infinit Goodness bestow on your Sacred Majesty, and all this Pious Assembly.
Amen.