Bee not afraid.

They were afraid. HEere is a stop, that the Message cannot proceed: For the sight of the Messen­ger, hath almost marred the hearing of the Message. The parties, to whom it comes, [Page 7]be in such feare, as they be not in case to receiue it. They were afraid, and that sore afraid (as is said in the verse before) at the sight of the An­gel, that came with the newes.

So were o­thers.And this was not the case of these poore men onely; others, and other maner of people were so, as well as they. This Gospel of S. Luke is scarse begunne; we are yet but a little way in the second Chapter; and wee haue already, three Noli timere's in it: and all, as here, at the comming of an Angel. Feare not Zacharie, 1 Chap. 1.13. So, he was afraid. Feare not Mary, 2 Chap. 1.30. So, she was afraid. And now, Feare not these here. That it seemes to be generall,3 to feare, at an Angels appearing.

What was it? It was not the feare of an euil Conscience: They were about no harme.Of what not. Za­charie was at Church at his Office: The blessed Virgine (I doubt not) blessedly employed: These here, doing their duetie; watching ouer their flockes by night: yet feared all.Of what What should the matter be? It is a plaine signe, our nature is fallen from her original: Heauen, and we, are not in the termes we should be: not the best of vs all.

Why of the Angel. Angels are the Messengers of Heauen: Mes­sengers [Page 8]euer come with tidings; but whether good or bad, we cannot tell. Here comes an Angel with newes from Heauen: what newes he brings, we know not, and therefore we feare, because we know not. Which shewes, all is not well betweene Heauen and vs; that vpon eue­ry comming of an Angel, we promise our selues no better newes from thence; but still are afraid of the messages and messengers that come from that place.

Be not a­fraid.That the message then may proceed, this feare must be remoued. In a troubled water, no face wil well be seene: nor by a troubled minde, no message receiued, till it be setled. To settle them then for it; no other way, no other word to begin with, but Nolite timere, feare not, and that is euer the Angels beginning. Such is our infirmitie, euer he must begin with these two words, Noli timere, feare not, and so he doeth seuen times in this Gospel.

1 For no ill tidings.But feare will not be cast out with a couple of words, till they see some reason to quiet them. And no better reason, then to shew, they haue no reason to feare: for feare is the expectation of euil, and there is no euil toward them: and so they haue no reason to feare; quod [Page 9]trepidauerunt timore vbi non erat timor, Psal. 53.5. As if he should say; Angels haue come with weeping newes, as Iud. 2.5. If I were such an one, if I came with sad tidings, yee had reason, yee might feare. But now, your terrour groweth out of errour. You are mistaken in me, I am no such Angel; I am Angelus Euangelizans, an An­gel with a Gospel, one that comes with no bad newes. Feare not then. There is no euil toward.

2. But good tidings.No euil: and that were ynough for feare not. But here is a further matter, not onely priua­tiuè, I bring no ill, but posituè, I bring you good newes. And good newes is Nolite timere, and somewhat besides, (that is) Feare not, but, Be of good cheare. They be two degrees plainely, though one be inferred of the other. Feare no ill, there is none to feare; there is no ill, nay there is good towards. For good newes is good; in that, it represents the good it selfe to vs, be­fore it come. It is but words: true. But such words made Iacob reuiue againe, Gen. 45.17. when hee was more then halfe dead, euen the good newes of Io­sephs welfare. If I might but heare good tidings (saith Dauid when his bones were broken) it would make me well againe: Psal. 51.8. That,Pro. 13.17. Salomon said well, A good messenger is a good medicine.

[Page 10]Specially this here, which is so good, as it cari­eth away the name from the rest, to be called the Gospel, or, the glad tidings, as if none so glad, nay none glad at all without it: It is (saith the Apostle) odor suauitatis, 2. Cor. 2.15. Prou. 16.24. a comfortable sweet sa­uour. It is (saith the wise man) dulcedo animae & sanitas ossium, the sweetnesse of the soule, the very health of the bones. It is such (saith the Prophet) as the lips are pretious, Esay 51 7. and the feete beautifull, of them that bring it, that a Sauiour is borne, Col. 1.20. as by whom, things in heauen and things in earth, men and Angel (which were in feare one of another) are set at peace, 1. Iohn 14.18. and loue: and Loue casteth out feare, giueth the true Noli timere.

3 Tidings of ioy.Good newes of ioy: For, of good newes, there are more sorts then one. Good newes it had bene, if it had bene but, Euangelizo vobis spem. Newes of good hope: that had bene vnough, for nolite timere. This is more, it is of ioy. I wot well,Rom. 12.12. ioh. 16.24. gal. 4.4. there is a Ioy in hope, spe gaudentes, saith the Apostle: But that ioy is not full, till the ful­nesse of time come. Nor it is not perfect, for it is allayed somewhat, with an vnpleasing mixture, which is spes differtur, and that (as the wise man saith) affligit animam Hope deferred afflicteth the soule. Prou. 13.12. Gaudium spei is nothing to gaudium rei: the [Page 11]hope defuturo, of a thing to come hereafter, no­thing to the actuall fruition, of a thing present.

And indeed, till this dayes newes, it was euer Euangelium spei: euer, in the future tense, be­fore. Euen the very last before this, to the bles­sed Virgin Ecce concipies, Thou shalt conceiue, Luke 1.31 shalt. So it was yet to come. This, the first in the present tense, Not is to be borne, is to be sent, is to come, but, Natus est, Missus est, Venit, is borne, is sent, is come. Hodiè, euen to day, takes no time. In the City of Dauid, not farre hence, but euen hard by. This is Euangelizo gaudium: This is ioy indeede.

4 Of great ioy.But euen in Ioy, there be diuers degrees: All are not of one size: Some there are lesser; some (as this heere) gaudium magnum. The fire is, as the suell is; and the Ioy is, as the matter is. There is not like ioy to a shepheard, when his Ewe brings him a lamb, as when his wife brings him a sonne; (yet that of a lambe, is a Ioy, such as it is:) But then if that sonne should proue to bee Princeps Pastorum, the chiefe shepheard in all the land, that were somewhat more: But then, if he should proue to be a Cyrus or a Dauid, a Prince, then certeinely it were another maner ioy, gau­dium magnum indeed. As the matter is, so is the [Page 12] Ioy. If great the Benefite, great the Person, then great the Ioy. And heere the Benefite is great, none greater, as much as the sauing of vs all, as much as all our liues and soules are woorth; therefore great. And the Person great, none so great, (it is the LORD himselfe) therefore pri­mae magnitudinis, great euen as He is. Indeede so great it is, that the Prophet bids vs plainely, remember no more former things, Esay 45.18 nor regard mat­ters of old: This passeth them all, the ioy of it puts them all downe: so that none of them shall once be mentioned with it. Therefore well said the Angel, Euangelizo gaudium magnum.

5 Ioy to the people.And great, it may bee intensiuè, in the parties themselues: yet not great extensiuè, nor extend it selfe to many, not be gaudium magnum populo. Yes, euen that way also it is great; it is publique ioy, it is ioy to the people. And, well fare that Ioy where it is merry with all. It is added purpose­ly, this, that they might not mistake, when hee said, Euangelizo vobis, hee brought them good newes; That though hee brought it them, yet not them onely, it was not appropriate to them, it was common to others: They had their parts in it, but so should others haue no lesse then they. And euery good Shepheard, will like it [Page 13]the better for that, will be progrege, and still pre­ferre the ioy of the whole flocke.

In other ioyes, it falles out as Esay telles, Mul­tiply the Nation, and ye shall not encrease their ioy: Esay 9.3. for, that which one winnes, another looses: But, this Ioy, the Ioy of Puer natus est nobis, in it, they shall all reioice before thee as men make merry in haruest, and be ioyfull as men that diuide the spoyle. In Haruest, And a good Haruest all the Coun­trey is the better for. At a spoyle, wherein eue­ry one hath his share. That is gaudium populi, And such is this. Well figured in the place of his Birth; an Inne, which is domus populi, open to all passengers that will take it vp; Iuris publici, wherein euery one hath right. Yea, and the most common part of the Inne. For, though they sort themselues, and haue euery one their seuerall Chambers: in the stable all haue inte­rest, that is common. And as the place publike, Luke 2.7 so is the Benefite, and so is the Ioy publike of his Birth: Christmas ioy right, All fare the better for this day. Salus populi is the best, and so is gaudium populi too, and euery good minde, will like it so much the better, that All the people haue their part in it.

6 Ioy to all people.And this were much, toti populo, to a whole [Page 14]people, if it were but one: But it is omni populo (say Theophylact and Beda) that is to All people, which is a larger extent by farre. And if yee speake of great ioy, this is great indeede, for it is vniuersall, it is as great as the world is great: when not the Iew only but the Gentile, nor the Gentile but the Iew, not one people but All, keep a feast. And at this word, omni populo, nec v [...]x hominem sonat, It is not man that speaketh now, whose goodnesse commonly, when it is at the greatest, extendeth no further, but to one Nati­on: But with God, it is neuer great, till it come to omni populo. It is but a small thing (saith Hee by Esay) to rayse the Tribes of Iacob, Esay 49.6 or to restore the decayes of Israel: I will giue thee a Light to the Gentiles, and a Saluation to the end of the world.

As we said of the Iune, euen now, the place of his Birth: So say wee here, of the time of it. It is well set downe by S. Luke, Luke 1.1 to haue beene at the Description of the whole world, for that was a meete time for the Sauiour of the whole world to bee borne:Psal. 110.3 The dewe of whose Birth is of the wombe of the morning, (the Psalmist in passion of ioy misplacing his words,) the meaning is, his birth from the womb, is as the morning dew, which watereth and refresheth the face of the whole [Page 15]earth: Not Gedeons fleece alone,Iudg. 6.37. but the whole earth; Not one part, not the Iewes onely: No partition now, butEphes. 2.14. vtraque vnum one of two: nay, one of all: 1.10. all recapitulate in himselfe, and from him as a Center, lines of ioy drawne to all, and euery part of the Circle.

And we may not passe by Quod erit, which shalbe; which not onely is, but shalbe. 7. To all peo­ple that shalbe. For by this word, We hold; It is our best tenure. Not onely to All that then were, (then had we bene out) but that were, or euer should be, to the worlds end. Omni populo, all people, is the latitude or extent: Quod erit, that shall be, is the longitude or continuance of the ioy, Quod erit, that it shal­be a feast of ioy, so long as any people shall be, to hold a feast on the face of the earth. In a word, That same Euangelium aeternum, that S. Iohn saw in the Angels hand, we now,Apoc. 14.6. heare from the Angels mouth, to be preached to euery Na­tion, kindred, tongue and people, that be, or shalbe, while the world endureth.

2 Ioy that shall be.So, if we reade Quod erit, with omni populo. But some reade gaudium with quod erit, gaudium quod erit, and make a note of that, The ioy, quod erit, that is and shalbe. For commonly, all our earthly ioy, is gaudium quod est, & non erit, [Page 16]that is, for the present, but continueth not; is, but shall not be, Eccle. 7.8. like the blaze of a brush fag got, all of a flame and out againe suddenly, in a mo­ment. Gaudium quod erit, the ioy that so is, as it shalbe still, is grounded vpon the ioy of this Day, Christ and his Birth. Without which, our ioy, is as the ioy of men in prison, metrie for a while, but within a while sentence of death to passe vpon them.Prou. 14.13. Without which, extrema gaudij luctus occupat, the end of all our mirth, will be but mourning. All ioy else is, but shall not be within a while: At leastwise erit, quando non erit. Ioh. 16.22. A time shalbe, when it shal not be; Sed gaudium meum, nemo tollet a vobis; But my ioy, mine, grounded on mee, none shall euer take from you; not sicknesse, not death it selfe. O­thers it shall, this it shall not; but, now ye shall this Day, and euermore ye shall reioyce in the holy comfort of it.

And this is the magnifying of the message.

• 1. No euill newes, Feare not,
• 2. Nay good, Be of good cheere.
• 3. Good newes of ioy.
• 4. Of great ioy.
• 5. Publique ioy, toti populo.
• 6 V­niuersall ioy omni populo.
• 7. Ioy to all, that are or shalbe;

And againe ioy, which now is, and shalbe so for euer.

[Page 17]Now, vpon all these he setteth an Ecce, and well he may; And, that is neuer set by the Ho­ly Ghost, but super res magnae entitatis, vpon matters of great moment. But vpon this Hill, vpon the top of it, that hath so many ascent's, a Beacon would doe well. For looke how many Ecce's in the Scriptures, so many Beacons; And betweene them, as betweene these, ye shall ob­serue a good correspondence still. This Ecce here to the lastCap. 1.31. Ecce concipies of the Blessed Virgine, That to Esay'sEsay 7.14. Ecce concipiet Virgo, That to Dauid'sPsal. 132.11. Ecce de fructu ventris tui, That to Abraham'sGen. 22.18. Ecce in semine tuo; and so vp, till ye come to3.15. Semen mulieris: There they first begin, and take light one from an other, till they come to this Ecce natus est hodiè, the Ecce of all Ecce's the last and highest of them all. And as a Beacon serueth to call and stirre vp men to haue regard: so is this here to excite them (and in them, vs all) with good attention to heare, & to heed these so great good tidings. And indeed, who is not excited with it? whose eye is not turned to behold this Ecce? whose eare standeth not attent, to heare this Euange­lizo? whose heart doeth not muse, Chap. 1.29 what maner of message this should be?

[Page 18] 2 That there is borne.THis it is then, Quòd natus est. The birth of a Childe: that there is one borne this Day, the cause of all this ioy.

There is ioy at euery birth. Sorrow in the tra­uaile (saith our Sauiour) but after the deliuery the anguish is no more remembred, for ioy that a man is borne into the world.

But the greater he is that is borne, and the more beneficiall his birth, the greater adoe is made. And among men, because there are none greater then Princes, and great things are looked for at their hands, their birth's are euer vsed to be kept with great triumph.Gene. 40.20. Mar. 6.21. Pharaos in the Old, Herods in the New, both their Na­tus est's, dayes of feasting.

Now of him that is borne here,Matth. 12.24. it may true­ly be said, Ecce maior hîc. Behold a greater is borne here. One whose birth is good newes, euen from the poorest shepheard, to the richest Prince vpon the earth.

Who is it? Three things are said of this childe by the Angel.

• 1. Hee is a Sauiour.
• 2. Which is Christ.
• 3. Christ the Lord.

Three of his Titles; well & orderly inferred one of an­other by good consequence. We cannot misse one of them, they be necessary all. Our method [Page 19]on earth is to beginne with great: In heauen they beginne with the good first.

A Sauiour.First then a Sauiour, that is his name: Iesus, Soter; and in that name his benefite, Salus, Sa­uing health or Saluation. Such a name as the great Oratour himselfe saith of it, Soter, In Ver. 4. Hoc quantum est? Ita magnum est, vt latino vno ver­bo exprimi non possit. This name Sauiour is so great, as no one word can expresse the force of it.

But wee are not so much to regard the Ecce, how great it is, as Gaudium, what ioy is in it; that is the point we are to speake to. And for that; men may talke what they will, but sure there is no ioy in the world to the ioy of a man saued: no ioy so great, no newes so welcome, as to one rea­dy to perish, in case of a lost man, to heare of one, that will saue him. In danger of perishing, by sicknesse, to heare of one will make him well againe: By sentence of the Law, of one with a pardon to saue his life: By enemies, of one that will rescue, and set him in safety. Tell any of these, assure them but of a Sauiour, it is the best newes he euer heard in his life. There is ioy in the name of a Sauiour. And euen this way, this child is a Sauiour too. Potest hoc facere, sed hoc [Page 20]non est opus eius. This hee can doe, but this is not his worke: a further matter there is, a grea­ter saluation Hee came for. And it may be, wee neede not any of these, wee are not presently sicke, in no feare of the Law, in no danger of e­nemies. And it may be, if we were, wee fancie to our selues to bee releeued some other way. But, that which hee came for, that sauing wee neede all, and none but Hee can helpe vs to it. Wee haue therefore all cause to be glad for the birth of this Sauiour.

I know not how, but when wee heare of sa­uing, or mention of a Sauiour, presently our minde is caried to the sauing of our skin, of our temporall state, of our bodily life, and further sauing wee thinke not of. But, there is another life, not to bee forgotten, and greater the dan­gers; and the destruction there, more to be fea­red then of this heere, and it would bee well, sometimes wee were remembred of it. Besides our skinne and flesh; a soule wee haue, and it is our better part by farre, that also hath need of a Sauiour, that hath her destruction, out of which: that hath her destroyer, from which shee would bee saued, and those would be thought on. In­deed our chiefe thought and care would be for [Page 21]that, how to escape the wrath, how to be saued from the destruction to come, whither our sins will certeinly bring vs.

Sinne it is, will destroy vs all. And (to speake of a Sauiour) there is no person on earth hath so much neede of a Sauiour, as hath a sinner: no­thing so dangerous, so deadly vnto vs, as is the sinne in our bosome, nothing from which wee haue so much need to bee saued, whatsoeuer ac­count we make of it. From it, commeth vpon vs all the euill of this life: and from it, all the e­uill of the life to come; in comparison whereof, these heere are not worth the speaking of. A­boue all then, we need a Sauiour; for our soules; and from our sinnes, and from the euerlasting destruction, which sinne will bring vpon vs in the other life, not farre from vs, not from him of vs, that thinketh it farthest of.

Then, if it bee good tidings to heare of a Saui­our, where it is but a matter of the losse of earth, or of this life here: how then, when it commeth to the losse of Heauen; to the danger of Hell, when our soule is at the stake, and the well do­ing or vndoing of it for euer? He that could saue our soules, from that destroyer, were not the birth of such a one good newes trow? Is not such a [Page 22] Sauiour worth the hearkening after? Is he not? It is then because we haue not that sense of our soules, and the dangers of them that wee haue of our bodies: nor that feare of our ghostly ene­mies, nor that liuely apprehension of the eter­nall torments of that place, and how neere wee are to it, (nothing beeing betwixt vs and it, but this poore puffe of breath which is in our no­strils:) Our carnall part is quicke and sensible, our spirituall is dead and dull. We haue not the feeling of our sinnes, that wee haue of our sicke­nesse: if wee had, wee would heare this newes with greater cheerefulnesse, and hold this day of the birth of such a Sauiour, with ioy indeed. We cannot conceiue it yet, this destruction is not neere ynough to affect vs. But in nouissimo in­telligetis planè, Ier. 30.24. in the end when the destroyer shal come, and we shall finde the want of a Sauiour, we shall plainly vnderstand this, and value this benefite, and the ioy of it as we ought, and finde there is no ioy in the earth to the ioy of a Sauiour.

There is borne a Sauiour, is the first. The Angel addeth further,2 Which is Christ. A Sauiour, which is Christ. For many Sauiours had bene borne, many had God sent them, that at diuers times had set them free from diuers dangers of their enemies, Moses [Page 23]from the Egyptians, Ioshua from the Canaanites, Gideon from the Madianites, Iepthe from the Ammonites, Samson from the Philistims. And in deed, the whole story of the Bible is nothing else but a Calender of Sauiours, that God from time to time still stirred them vp.

But these all were but pettie Sauiours, there was one yet behind, that was worth them all. One that should saue his people from their sinnes: Matt. 1.21. Saue, not their bodies for a time, but their soules for euer, which none of those Sauiours could doe. One therefore much spoken of, wished for and waited for, a Sauiour which was Christ: when hee came they looked for great matters, as said the Woman at the well side:Ioh. 4.25. For hee was the most famous and greatest Sauiour of all. And this is Hee, A Sauiour, which is Christ. Hee of whom all the Promises made mention, and Hee the performance of them all: of whom all the Types vnder the Law were shadowes, and Hee the substance of them all: Of whom all the Prophesies ranne, and Hee the fulfilling of them all: Hee, of whom all those inferiour Sauiours were the figures and forerunners, and Hee the accomplishment of all that in them was wanting. This is Hee: IacobsGen. 49.10. Shilo, EsayesEsa. 7.14. Emmanuel, [Page 24]IeremiesIere. 23.5. Branch, DanielsDan. 9.25. Messias, Zacha­riesZach. 6.12. chap. 1. [...] 78 Oriens ab alto, AggeisAgge 2.8. Defideratus cunct [...] Gentibus. The Desire of all the nations then; and now the ioy of all Nations: a Sauiour, which is Christ.

And what is meant by this terme Christ? A Sauiour anointed, or (as in another place it is said, more agreeable to our phrase of speaking) a Sauiour sealed, Ioh. 6.27. a Sauiour vnder Gods Great seale, That is, not as those other were, sauiours raised vp of a sudden, vpon some occasion; to serue the turne for the present, and neuer heard of till they came: but a Sauiour in Gods fore coun­saile resolued on, and giuen foorth, from the beginning, promised and foretold, and now signed and sent, with absolute Commission and fulnesse of power, to be the perfect and compleat Sauiour of all.

And to be it, ex Officio: His office, his very profession, to be one, that all may haue right to repaire vnto him, and find it at his hands. Not a Sauiour incidently, as it fell out: but one ex professo, Anointed to that end, and by vertue o [...] his Anointing appointed, set foorth, and sent in­to the world to exercise this function of a Saui­our: not for a time, but for euer, not to the Iewes [Page 25]as did the rest, but euē to al the ends of the earth. So runnes his Bil,Matt. 11.28. Venite ad me omnes. Come all: andIoh. 6.37. Qui ad me venerit non eijciam for as, of them that come to me, I wil cast none out.1. Tim. 4.11. Seruator omnium hominum, the Sauiour of all men (and as the Samaritanes said of him,Ioh. 4.42. Seruator mundi, The Sauiour of the world,) of Samaritanes, Iewes, Gentiles: of Kings, of Shepheards & all.

And there is yet more particularitie in this word Christ: Three offices did God from the beginning erect to saue his people by, and that by three actes. The very heathen tooke notice of them, Purgare, Illuminare, Perficere. Priests, to purge or expiate: Prophets, to illuminate or direct them; Kings, to set all right, and to keepe all right, in that perfection, which this world admitteth. And all these three had their se­uerall Anointings. Aaron the Priest, Leuit. 8.12. Elisa the Prophet, 1. Reg. 19.16. Saul the king. 1. Sam. 10.1. In the Sauiour which is Christ; his will was all should meete, that nothing in him might want to the perfecting of this worke. That Hee might be a perfect Sauiour of all, He was all. A Priest after the order of Melchisedek, Ps. 110.4. A Prophet, to be heard whē Moses should hold his peace, Deut. 18.18. A King to saue [Page 26]his people, whose name should be Iehoua iustitia nostra, Iere. 23.6. Dauids Priest, Moses Prophet, Ieremies King.

And these formerly had met double, two of them in some other; Melchisedek, King and Priest; Samuel, Priest and Prophet; Dauid, Pro­phet and King. Neuer all three, but in him a­lone, and so no perfect Christ but He: but He all, and so perfect. By his Priesthood, to purge, ex­piate, and saue vs from our sinnes, 1. Ioh. 2.2. being a propi­tiation to God for them: By his prophesie to illu­minate and saue vs from the by-pathes of er­rour, guiding our feet in the way of peace. By his Kingdom, protecting & conducting vs through the miseries of this life,Chap. 1.79. til He perfect vs eternal­ly by himselfe in the ioyes of his heauenly king­dome. Rightly then, a Sauiour which is Christ.

Now, as in the name Sauiour there was, so is there likewise ioy in this Name Christ, and that many wayes. First, that we shall hang no more in expectation, Wee shall be no longer, Vincti spei, Hopes prisoners. He that should come, is come. Zach. 9.12. The promised Sauiour, The Sauiour, which is Christ, is now borne, and when spes be­comes res, then our ioy is full. 2. That now, there is a Sauing Office erected, one Anointed [Page 27]to that ende, a professed Sauiour, to whom all may resort. Wee shall not be to seeke, there is a Name giuen vnder Heauen, Act. 4.12. whereby wee may be sure of saluation, the name of Christ. 3. That to this our sauing, we haue the ioynt consent & good will of all parties; in this Name Christ. Christ (that is) he Anoynted, what person is He? The Sonne, the second Person. Anoynted, by whom? By the Father: Quem vnxisti, Acts 4.27. the first Person. Anoynted, with what? With the holy Ghost, Acts 10.38. the third Person. So a concurrence of all Persons in this Name; all willing and well pleased, with the worke of our Saluation. 4. If we would be saued, we would be saued, vnctione, by oyle, not by vineger. Et vnguentum effusum nomen eius. Cant. 1.2. And his Name is Christ, one that saueth by anoynting. 5. And if by Oyle, (there be hot Oyles) with a gentle leni­tiue Oyle. And the Oyle which he vseth, where­with he is anoynted, is, the Oyle of gladnesse. Glad­nesse therefore must needs goe with this name. Which Oyle of gladnesse is not for Himselfe, but for vs: not for His vse, but for ours. So he saith himselfe, in his first Sermon at Nazareth, vpon his Text out of Esay. 61.2. The anoynting (this Oyle of gladnesse) was vpon him to bestow it vp­on [Page 28]vs: and of vs; vpon them especially, that through a wounded conscience, were troubled with the spirit of heauinesse, to turne their heaui­nesse into ioy. Glad then; that He is come: that by his office is to saue: and come with the good liking of all: to saue vs by Oyle: and that the oyle of gladnesse.

3 Christ the Lord.And yet to make our ioy more full, the An­gel addeth the third. A Sauiour, which is Christ, Christ the Lord. For neither is this all. Hee is not Christ onely. We must not stay there. For the Name Christ will agree, hath beene and may bee imparted to others besides. Many a King in Scripture, hath had the honour to cary the Name of Christ, but with a difference. The King, Christus Domini, the Lords Christ: Hee, Christus Dominus, the Lord Christ, or Christ the Lord. Heb. 7.4. Consider then howe great this Childe is, whose Anoynted, Kings themselues are. For if they bee Christi Domini, the Lords Anointed, His they are, for He is the Lord. The Lord ab­solute, without any addition; yee may put to it what yee will, Lord of men and Angels, Lord of heauen and earth, and all the Hosts of them. Dominus Christorum, and Dominus Dominorum, Lord paramount ouer all,

[Page 29]But, why the Lord? Because this name of Christ will sort with men. Nay, as Hee is Christ (that is Anoynted) Hee is man onely. It is His name as man, for God cannot be Anoynted. But Hee that should saue vs would bee more then man, and so more then Christ. Indeede, Christ cannot saue vs. Hee that must saue vs must bee the Lord. Heb. 7.28. For such a Sauiour it behooueth vs to haue, as might not beginne the worke of our Saluation, and leaue it in the middest, but goe through with it, and make an end too; which the former Sauiours could not doe. Formerly, euer their complaint was, that their Sauiours, their Christs died still, and left them to seeke: their Kings, and Priests, and Prophets dropt a­way still;Heb. 7.23.24. for they were not suffered to endure by reason of death. But this Sauiour, this Christ, be­cause hee is the Lord, endureth for euer, hath an e­uerlasting Priesthood, Kingdome, & Prophesie, and so is able perfectly to saue them that come to God by him. This is one reason, why, hither wee must come at the last, to Christ the Lord, and till we be at it, wee be not where wee should. Else our Sauiours will die, and leaue vs destitute.

But the mayne reason is set downe by Esay, Esay 43.11 Egosum, Egosum, (saith God himselfe) & prae­ter [Page 30]me, non est seruator. It is I, I that am the Saui­our, I am, and besides me, there is no Sauiour. None indeed, no true Sauiour, but the Lord. All other are short, Vana salus hominis, saith the Psalme, mans saluation is vaine, any saluation is vaine, if it bee not the Lords.

• 1. Those Christs, that were not the Lord, could saue but the body, and not one of them quicken his owne soule: Christ that is the Lord, can saue soules and bodies, his owne and others both.
• 2. Those Christs that were not the Lord, could saue but from carnall enemies, with armes of flesh: Hee from our ghostly enemies, e­uen spirituall wickednesses in heauenly places, from Abaddon the great destroyer, of the bot­tomlesse pit.
• 3. They, that were not the Lord, could saue but from worldly calamities, could but prune and take off the twigs (as it were:) He from sinne it selfe, and so plucketh it vp by the roots.
• 4. They, that were not the Lord, put it off but for a time, and after it came againe, Tem­porall onely. He for euer, once for all: and is be­come Authour of eternall saluation,
  Heb. 5.9.
  to all that de­pend on him. And marke that word [eternall:] For none but the Lord can worke eternall salua­tion.
• 5. They all had neede of a Sauiour them­selues, and, of this Sauiour; He needes none, re­ceiues [Page 31]of none, imparts to all; as being not a Sauiour onely, but Salus ipsa in abstracto, Sal­uation it selfe, (as Simeon calleth him,
  Verse 30. Ioh. 1.
  ) of whose fulnesse we all receiue.

To saue may agree to man. To be saluation, can agree to none but to Christ the Lord. To begin, and to end: to saue soule and body, from bodily and ghostly ene­mies: from sinne the roote, and miserie the branches: for a time, and for euer; to be a Sa­uiour, and to be Saluation it selfe, Christ the Lord is all this, and can doe all this. Now then wee are right, and neuer till now A Sauiour, which is Christ the Lord.

But the Name Lord, goeth yet further: not onely to saue vs, and set vs free from danger, to deliuer vs from euil: but to state vs in as good and better condition, then we forfeited by our fall, or else though we were saued, we should not saue by the match. To make vs then sauers, and not sauers alone, but gainers, and that great gainers by our saluation, he doeth further im­part also the estate annexed of this last title, euen whatsoeuer he is Lord of himselfe. And he is Lord of life saith S. Peter. Acts. 3.15. Life then he imparts. And he is Lord of Glory saith S. Paul, 1. Cor. 2.8. Glory then he imparts. And [Page 32]he is Lord of Ioy. Intra in gaudium Domi [...] Enter into the ioy of the Lord. Matth. 25.21. [...] then Hee imparts. Life, and Glorie, and Ioy and makes vs Lords of them, and of whatsoeuer is within the Name, and title of Lord. Fo [...] hauing thereto a double right, by Inheritant▪ as the Sonne, Hebr. 1.2. And by purchase as a Redeemer (for therefore hee died, and rose a­gaine that hee might be Lord of all, Rom. 14.9.) contenting himselfe with the former, He [...] well pleased to set ouer the latter to vs, and ad­mit vs with himselfe into his estate of ioynt purchase of heauen, or whatsoeuer he is owner of, that, in right of it, we may enter into the life, glorie, and ioy, of our Lord, and so be saued and be sauers, and more then sauers, euery way. This also, is in the word Lord: this benefit further we haue by it.

And now, if we will put together, Natus and Seruator, Seruator and Christus, Christ [...] and Dominus, Dominus and Natus: Borne and Sauiour, Sauiour and Christ, Christ and the Lord, the Lord and Borne: take them which way ye will in combination, any of the foure, then haue we his two natures in one person. I [...] Seruator his Godhead: None but God is a Saui­our. [Page 33]I [...] Christus his Manhood▪ God cannot be A [...]i [...]ed, Man may. In Dominus his diuine a­gaine; the Lord from heauen. In Natus his hu­mane nature, directly, borne of a woman. Both euer carefully ioyned, and to be ioyned toge­ther. When S. Matthew had begun his Gospel thus.Matth. 1.1. The booke of the generation of Iesus Christ the sonne of Dauid, one nature, His humanitie: S. Marke was carefull to begin his thus; The be­ginning of the Gospel of Iesus Christ the Sonne of God, the other nature, His diuinitie.Mark. 1.1. But S. Iohn, hee ioynes them,Ioh. 1.14. verbum caro factum est, the Word became flesh. Verbum the Word, there is Dominus; and Caro the Flesh, that is, Natus.

And euen this very coniunction is a new ioy. For that such an one, that the Lord would con­descend to be borne, (besides the benefit,) there is also matter of Honour. Euen that Hee, so great a person, would become such as wee are, would so esteeme our Nature, as to take it vpon him. This certainely is a great dignitie and exaltation of our Nature, and it is matter of new ioy: that He would so highly value it, as to assume, associate, & vnite it into one person, with the Sonne of God. By this, we see, why a [Page 34] Sauiour: why Christ: why the Lord. A Sauiour, his name of benefit, whereby he is to deliuer [...] Christ, his name of Office, whereby he is bound to vndertake it. The Lord, his Name of power, whereby he is able to effect it. Wee see also why Man, and why God First, So it should be, for of right none was to make satisfaction for man, but man. And in very deed none was able to giue satisfaction to God, but God. So that being to satisfie God for man, He was to be God and man. Secondly, So wee would wish it our selues: If we would be saued, we would be saued by one of our owne nature, not by any stranger. He is borne, and so one of our owne nature. Againe, if we would be saued, we would be saued, by no inferiour, but by the best: He is the Lord, and so the very best of all. And so, our desire is satisfied euery way.

This blessed Birth of this Sauiour which [...] Christ the Lord, thus furnished in euery point, to saue vs throughly, body and soule, from s [...]nne the destruction, and Sathan the destroyer of both, and that, both here, and for euer; this blessed, and thrise blessed Birth, is the substance of this dayes solemnitie, of the Angels message, and of our ioy.

[Page 35] The Cir­cumstance of the Per­sons to whom.ANd now, to the Circumstances: and first of the persons vobis, I bring you good tidings; That to you is borne, &c.

We find not any word through all, but there is ioy in it: and yet all is suspended, till we come to this one word [vobis,] this makes vp all. This word therefore wee shall doe well euer to looke for, and when wee finde it, to make much of it. Nothing passeth without it; it is the word of application. But for it, all the rest are loose, this girds it on, this fastens it to vs, and makes it ours. But for it, we are but in their case,Mat. 8.29. Quid nobis & tibi? What haue wee to doe with thee? This Sauiour Christ the Lord, in this good time and fit place, Quid ad nos? What are wee the better? Omni populo, is somewhat too generall, and the hundreth part of them, shall not bee benefited by him. Wee would heare it in more particu­larity. Why, vobis, for you it is, Borne for you: yea, now ye say somewhat.

Euangelizo vobis, and Natus vobis.And twise it is repeated for fayling, in either verse once. Euangelizo vobis, and natus vobis, that yee may know the message is yours and the birth is yours: therefore, the message is sent to you, because the birth concerneth you. But yours they be, both.

[Page 36] The vse we haue of it.May we then be bold to change the person, and vtter it in the first, which he doth in the se­cond, and say nobis? We may sure, [...]uer natus es [...] nobis, Esay 9.6. Esay hath said it before vs. And therby, lieth a mystery; The Angels they say, Vobis, The Prophets were men, men say, Nobis. Bid the Angel say, Nobis, hee cannot, neither sing nor say it:Heb. 2.16. Angelis he cannot, to Angels, Nusquam Angelos: Verse 14. but Hominibus vnto men, hee can and doth. And this is a speciall high prerogative, that which the Angels can neither sing nor say, wee can doe both.

If then hee bee borne to vs, it is to some end. Esay tels vs what it is, when he expoundeth Na­tus, by Datus, Borne to vs, by Giuen vs. Borne, to be bestowed vpon vs. And if giuen vs, besto [...] ­ed vpon vs, then hee is ours. Ours as a Sauiour, ours as Christ, ours as the Lord. Ours His Benefit, His Office, His Power: His Benefit to saue vs, His Office to vndertake vs, His Power to assure vs. Ours, His saluation, as Iesus, His anoynting, as Christ, His Dominion, as the Lord. And if He bee ours, then all His are ours. Omnia eius nostra sunt. His Birth ours, Luk. 15.31 and if His Birth, all that follow His Birth, ours too.

Now then, seeing He and they bee ours, will it [Page 37]not bee well done, to make our entry, to take seisin of him and them, and dispose them to our best benefit? And how can we doe that better? Then, as God hath offered Him to vs, this day that he was borne for vs: so wee reciprocally this day that Hee is borne, offer Him againe to God, as the best pleasing Oblation that wee can offer him. To day, as in the Temple aliue, for our mor­ning oblation: And when the time commeth of his death, offer Him as on the Crosse, slaine for our euening Sacrifice. So shall wee as Ber­nard wisheth vs, vti nostro, in vtilitatem nostram & de Saluatore salutem operari. Employ, or make vse of him for our best behoofe: drawe his proper extract from Him, and worke salua­tion out of this our Sauiour.

Now, a word onely, what is to bee done on our parts, and that respectiuely to these two points, what we are to returne to them, what to this Message, and what to this Birth.

Our duety reciprocall.To the Message Euangelizo vobis, this wee are to returne, this is due to a message, to heare it. And, that we do, and that is all; we come to the Sermon, we heare it, and little we doe besides. But wee heare it but heauily, with a faint affection (God knoweth:) wee heare it not as an Ecce, as [Page 38]matter of high admiration: wee heare it not as gaudium magnum, with that alacrity, and cheer­fulnesse we should. We heare is not as nobis, as i [...] it neerely touched vs, but as a matter that little concerned vs, it skilled not much, whither wee heard it or no. Many meaner things affect vs more but this should be the ioyfullest hearing that we euer heard.

2. To re­ceiue him.And shall we not likewise performe some du­ty to Natus est? yes euen to that also. And not heare of Him, and let Him alone: heare his ty­dings, and let Himselfe goe.

He was borne for vs, and giuen vs, Natus no­bis, and Donatus nobis (both goe together in the Prophet.) To a gift the duety that belon­geth properly, is to receiue it. If Hee bee Natus nobis, and Donatus Nobis, I trust we will take or­der he be Acceptus à nobis. If borne vs, and giu [...] vs, it is our part then, wee can doe no lesse then receiue Him. Wee euacuate the gift, disgrace both the giuer and it, if we vouchsafe not to ac­cept of it.

How is that? How shall wee receiue Him! who shall giue Him vs? That shall one, that will say vnto vs within a while,Heb. 10.10 Accipite, Take, This is my Body, by the offering whereof ye are sanctis­id [Page 39]Take, this is my Bloud, by the shedding whereof ye are saued. Both, in the holy Mysteries or day­ned by God, as pledges to assure vs, and as Con­duit Pipes to conueigh into vs, this and all other the benefits, that come by this our Sauiour.

Verely, vpon his memorable dayes, (of which this is the first) we are bound to doe some thing in memory, or remembrance of him. What is that? Will ye know what it is? Hoc facite, Doe this in remembrance of me.

Something would be thought on, to returne him for all his benefits, and this day for this first, the fountaine of all the rest; His Birth: Some [...]hanks would be rendred Him for it. And how can we doe that better, then as we are taught by [...]im, that studied the point of Quid retribuam, [...]nd resolued it thus; no way so well, as by Acci­ [...]iam Calicem: I will take the cuppe of saluation, Psa. 116.12 [...]nd so doe it: So, with it taken into our hands, [...] thankes to the name of the Lord. And when [...]etter then to day? Hodiè as we are heere dire­ [...]ed. What better day then on this day? the [...]ery day hee was bestowed on vs. To deferre [...], no longer, then he did vs. Hee deferred not [...] at all, but assoone as hee was borne, sent vs [...]ord the same instant: and shall we deferre him [Page 40]to heare of vs an other time; and not be as ready on our part to receiue him instantly, as hee [...] on his, to bestowe himselfe, euen presently, [...] soone as He was borne? Sure somewhat wou [...] bee done more then ordinary, this day of [...] birth, the day it selfe is more then ordinary.

And let this mooue vs. If euer there bee [...] day of saluation, Ecce hic est dies salutis, Behold this is it, when a Sauiour is borne vnto vs. If e [...] an accepted time, Eccetempus acceptum. Behold now it is, this is that time. The birth day ha [...] euer beene a time accepted.Gen. 40.21 Then, one Ki [...] sorgaue the trespasse of his Seruant, and re [...] ued him to Grace. An other, beeing pleas [...] was ready in his bounty to haue giuen aw [...] the one halse of his kingdome. Our Sauiour Christ Our Lord, Mar. 6.23. on his birth day will be no worse th [...] they. His bountie then, no lesse then theirs.

Let vs then make this so accepted a time i [...] selfe, twise acceptable, by our accepting: whi [...] Hee will acceptably take at our hands. Le [...] honour this day, with our receiuing: which [...] hath honored by his first giuing: Yeelding h [...] euermore, (but this day, the day of it, chief [...] our vnfained hearty thanksgiung for this good newes; for this so great a gift; both of th [...] [Page 41] this day vouchsafed vs: in Him and for Him, who was himselfe the gift, our Sauiour, Christ, the Lord. To whom with the Father, and the holy Ghost, three Persons, one immortall, euer­lining, inuisible, onely wise GOD; be all Ho­nour Glory, Blessing, Praise, and Thankes­giuing, this day and for euer.