A Key Opening Mysterious Texts of Scripture, Collection of sermons 3 · Sermon 31
THE ACCEPTED TIME: OR THE YEERE OF GRACE. THE XXXI. SERMON.
2 COR. 6.2.
Behold, now is the accepted time: Behold, now is the day of ſalvation.
AS at the Salutation of the bleſſed Virgin the babeaLuke 1.41. ſprang in the wombe of Elizabeth, ſo I doubt not but that at the reading of this text in your eares, the fruits of your devotion, which are your religious thoughts and zealous affections, leap and ſpring for joy in the wombe of your ſoule; for now is the accepted time, the time of grace: now is the day of ſalvation, the day of our Lords Incarnation. As the golden tongued Father ſpake of a Martyr, Martyrem dixiſſe laudâſſe eſt, to name a man a Martyr is to commend him ſufficiently: ſo it may be ſaid of this text, to rehearſe it is to apply it. I need not fit it to the time, for the time falleth upon this time, and the day upon this day: now if ever is this Now in ſeaſon. If any time in all the yeere be more acceptable than other, it is the holy time we now celebrate: now is the accepted time on Gods part, by accepting us to favour: now is the day of ſalvation, by exhibiting to us a Saviour in our fleſh: let us make it ſo on our parts alſo by accepting the grace offered unto us, and by laying hands on our Saviour by faith, and embracing him by love, and by joy dilating our hearts to entertain him, with all his glorious attendants, a troupe of heavenly Souldiers, ſinging,bLuke 2.14. Glory be to God on high, on earth peace, and good will towards men. cEſay 49.13.Sing, O heavens, and be joyfull, O earth, and breake forth into ſhouting, O ye mountaines: for God hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon the afflicted. Keepe this holy day above others, becauſe choſen by God to manifeſt himſelfe in the fleſh, bid by an Angell, and by him furniſhed both with a leſſon and with an Anthem alſo. Well might the Angell, as on this day, ſing glory in excelſis Deo, &c. for on this day the Son of God, out of his good will towards men, became man, and thereby ſet peace on earth, and brought infinite glory to God in the higheſt heavens. Well may this be called by the Apoſtle,dGal. 4.4. The fulneſſe of time, or a time of fulneſſe, which filled heaven with glory, the earth with bleſſings of peace, and men with graces flowing from Gods good will. The heavens which till this time were as claſped boxes, now not able longer to containe in them the ſoveraigne balſamum of wounded mankind, burſt open: and he whoſe name iseCant. 1.3. an ointment poured forth, was plentifully ſhed upon the earth, to revive the decayed ſpirits, and heale the feſtered ſores of wounded mankind. Lift up then your heavie lookes, and heavier hearts, yee that are in the midſt of danger, and in the ſight, nay within the claſpes of eternall death; you have a Saviour borne to reſcue you. Cheare up your drouping and fainting ſpirits, all ye that feele the ſmart and anguiſh of a bruiſed conſcience and broken heart; to you Chriſt is borne to annoint your wounds, bruiſes and ſores. Exult and triumph ye gally ſlaves of Satan, and captives of Hell, faſt bound with the chaine of your ſinnes; to you a Redeemer is borne to ranſome you from ſpirituall thraldome.
Two reaſons are aſſigned why feſtivities are religiouſly to be kept.
1. The ſpeciall benefits of God conferred upon his Church at ſuch times, which by the anniverſary celebration of the dayes are refreſhed in our memories, and viſibly declared to all ſucceeding ages.
2 The expreſſe command of God, which adjoyned to the former reaſon, maketh the exerciſes of devotion, performed at theſe ſolemnities, duties of obedience.
It cannot be denied that in this latter conſideration thoſe feaſts which are ſet downe in the booke of God, have ſome prerogative above thoſe that are found wrtiten onelyonly in the Calendar of the Church. But in the former reſpect no day may challenge a precedencie of this, no not the Sabbath it ſelfe, which the more to honour him whoſe birth we now celebrate, reſigned both his name, place and rites to thefAthanaſ. hom. de ſemenie. foreign. Lords day: and if we impartially compare them, the worke wrought on this day was farre more difficult, and the benefit received upon it, greater than that, to the memory whereof the Sabbath was at the firſt dedicated. It was a greater miracle that God ſhould be made a creature, than that he ſhould make all creatures: and the redemption of the world ſo farre exceeds the creation, as the means by which it was wrought were more difficult, and the time larger: the one was finiſhed in ſixe dayes by the commandement of God, the other not in leſſe than foure and thirty yeeres by the obedience of Chriſt: the one was but a word with God, the breath of his mouth gave life to all creatures; the other coſt him much labour, ſweat and bloud: and what compariſon is there betweene an earthly and an heavenly Paradiſe? Nay, if wee will judge by the event, the benefit of our creation had beene none without our redemption. For by it we received an immortall ſpirit, with excellent faculties, as it were ſharpe and ſtrong weapons, wherewith wee mortally wounded our ſelves, and had everlaſtingly laid weltring in our own blood, had not our Saviour healed our wounds by his wounds and death, and raiſed us up againe by the power of his reſurrection. To which point Saint Auſtine ſpeaking feelingly ſaith, Si natus non fuiſſet, bonum fuiſſet ſi homo natus non fuiſſet, If hee had not beene borne, it had beene good for man never to have beene borne: if this accepted time had not come, all men had beene rejected: if this day of ſalvation had not appeared, wee had all periſhed in the night of eternall perdition.
Behold now is the accepted time. In this Scripture as in a Dyall wee may obſerve,
1 The Index,
2 The Circles,
Certaine, Behold.
Different:
1 The larger,
2 The narrower,
The accepted time.
The day of ſalvation.
To man in generall it is an accepted time, to every beleever in particular it is a day of ſalvation. Lynx cum ceſſat intueri, ceſſat recordari: Becauſe we are like the Lynx, which mindeth nothing no longer than her eye is upon it, the Spirit every where calleth upon us to looke or behold: Behold, not alwayes or at any time, but now, not foreign, but foreign, not foreign, but foreign; not foreign, but foreign: not time ſimply, but ſeaſon, the flower of time; not barely accepted, but according to the originall, well accepted, or moſt acceptable; not the day of helpe or grace, but a day of ſalvation. As in the bodies which conſiſt of ſimilar parts, the forme of the whole, and the forme of every part is all one; for example, the whole ocean is but water, and yet every drop thereof is water; the whole land is but earth, and yet every clod thereof is earth; the whole ſtone is but a diamond, and yet every carrect thereof in it is diamond; the whole wedge is but gold, and yet every plate, every ſmalleſt foyle or raye is gold; and as the ſoule of man is tota in toto, & tota in qualibet parte corporis, is whole in the whole, and whole in every part of the body; ſo there is ſeaſon in the whole text, and in every part thereof: for there is ſeaſon, and that inſtant in now; there is ſeaſon, and that welcome in accepted time; laſtly, there is ſeaſon, and that moſt welcome in the day of ſalvation. In thegEſay 49 8. accepted time I will heare thee, in the day of ſalvation I will helpe thee. This (I will heare thee) is as it were the noyſe of heavenly muſicke afarre off: Behold the accepted time, this ſoundeth like muſick at our gate; but now is the day of ſalvation, this is like muſicke at our eares.
Behold the accepted time, the day ſtarre beginneth to appeare: Behold the day of ſalvation, the ſunne is riſen: Behold now is that time, now is that day, the ſunne is directly over our heads, it is now high noone.
Behold is as a larum bell of attention, now is as a finger of indication or application to a ſeaſon:
1 Indefinite, a time of acceptation.
2 Definite, or ſingular, a day of ſalvation:
That for information, this for our conſolation.
Behold is as a ſtar or hand in the margent pointing to ſome excellent matter. In the Scripture wee finde foure ſorts of Ecce's:
1 An Ecce of demonſtration, ashJoh. 19.5. Behold the man.
2 An Ecce of admiration, asiMat. 2.9. Behold the ſtarre.
3 An Ecce of affection, askJoh. 1.47. Behold an Iſraelite indeed, in whom there is no guilt.
4 An Ecce of excitation or attention, asl1 Cor. 15.51.52. Behold I ſhew you a myſtery: we ſhall not all ſleepe, but wee ſhall all bee changed in a moment, in the twinckling of an eye, at the laſt trumpe. The Rabbins write of Davids harp that it ſounded of it ſelfe, by the winde onelyonly blowing on it, without the touch of any ſtring: it were to be wiſhed that our heart ſtrings were like his harp ſtrings, and would give a ſweet ſound by the winde onelyonly of the Spirit blowing on them, without any touch of an Ecce of excitation or increpation: but ſo it is, that though our ſoule be full of divine graces, like Argo's eyes, yet Mercury with his enchanted rod, the world with faſcinating pleaſures, or the Syren of our fleſh with her effeminate ſongs cloſeth them all; and wee need an Ecce, like themAct. 12.7. Angels ſtroke on Peters ſide, to awake us out of our dead ſleepe. A ſtrange thing it is that our eyes ſhould bee open, and wee runne with all ſpeed ſometimes before day out of doores, to ſee a May-game, or a Maſque, or a Pageant, or a Morrice-dance, and yet wee ſhould need to have an Ecce to ſtirre us up, and plucke open, as it were, our eye-lids to behold the light of heaven, and the glory of the celeſtiall Paradiſe. Wee liſten willingly to wanton muſick, and laſcivious ſongs, but muſt be pulled by the eare to liſten to the ſacred ſongs of Sion. Beloved, did you faſten your attention, did you thoroughly conſider of, what you cannot but heare again & againe, unleſſe with the deafe adder you ſtopped your eares, ſomething would ſticke by you; all our ſermons, all our admonitions, all our reprehenſions, all our conſolations ſhould not bee like letters written in ſand, or the tracke of a ſhip in the ſea, or of a bird in the ayre, or of a ſerpent upon a ſtone, whereof there remaines no print at all. Saint Hierome ſpeaking of an Imperiall law reſtraining the luxury of the Clergy; The law, ſaith he, is good, but this is not good, that the manners of the Clergy were ſo diſſolute that they needed ſuch a coercive law: Bonum cauterium, ſed vae nobis quod indigeamus tali cauterio: ſo it may bee ſaid of theſe Ecce's, or Beholds in Scripture, that they are good, and of ſingular uſe, but it is great pitty that wee ſhould need them: it is a ſigne that our ſpirituall man is very drowſie, if not in a dead ſleepe, that the Spirit calleth ſo often, and ſo loud upon us, ſometimes
1 To awake our faith: as,nEſay 7.14. Behold a Virgin ſhall hee with childe, and ſhall bring forth a ſonne, and thou ſhalt call his name Emanuel.
2 To awake our hope: as,oApoc. 22.12. Behold I come quickly, and my reward is with mee, to give every man as his workes ſhall bee.
3 To awake our love: asp1 Joh. 3.1. Behold what love God hath ſhewen unto in, that wee ſhould bee called the ſonnes of God.
4 To awake our feare: asqApoc. 1.7. Behold hee commeth with the clouds, and every eye ſhall ſee him, and they alſo which pierced him, and all kindreds of the earth ſhall vaile before him.
5 To awake our joy: as,rLuk. 2.10.11. Behold I bring you tidings of exceeding great joy, which ſhall be to all people, that to you is borne this day in the City of David a Saviour, which is Chriſt the Lord.
6 To awake our thankfulneſſe: as,ſPſal. 134.1. Behold, now praiſe the Lord all ye ſervants of the Lord, which by night ſtand in the houſe of the Lord.
7 To awake our compaſſion: as,tLam. 1.12. Behold if there were ever ſorrow like unto my ſorrow, wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce wrath.
8 To awake our diligence and induſtry in eager and ſpeedy purſuing the meanes of our ſalvation, as here in my text: Behold, now is the accepted
Time. Other things are with more eaſe deſcribed than underſtood; but time is eaſily underſtood, not deſcribed or defined ſo eaſily: there is no ruſticke ſo rude who underſtandeth not what you meane when you ſpeake of time, yet never any Philoſopher to this day hath exactly defined or deſcribed it. Ariſtotle maketh an eſſay in his Phyſickes, determining time to be Numerum motus ſecundum prius & poſterius, The number of motion or motion numbred according to the former or latter parts thereof: but he faileth in this his definition. For queſtionleſſe time is as well the meaſure of reſt as of motion: we ſleepe as well in time as we worke in time. And as a ſhip in the Sea, whether the paſſengers lye in their cabbins or walke on the deckes, holdeth on her courſe; ſo whether we ſleepe or wake, labour or be at our eaſe, the time of our life goeth on. When Joſuah commanded the Sun to ſtand ſtill in the heavens, all the motions of the celeſtiall bodies ceaſed, yet was there then time, wherein that noble Generall accompliſhed his victory. The Platonicks definition is truer, who ſay that time is eternity limited, but yet no way perfect. I grant time is as it were a portion or cantle of eternity; yet I deny that this is any good deſcription of time, becauſe every deſcription ought to be per notius, by ſomething that is more known; whereas eternity is farre more obſcure than time it ſelfe: all men have a common notion of the one, few or none of the other. Neither doe they give any better ſatisfaction who define time by duration. For albeit there is a time of duration of every thing, and a duration alſo of time it ſelfe, yet duration is not time; duration is the exiſtence of any thing in time, not the terme or time it ſelfe. They define time moſt agreeable to the Scriptures, who affirme it to be the continuall fluxe of moments, minutes, houres, dayes, weekes, moneths, yeeres, ages, from the creation of the world to the diſſolution thereof, after which theuApoc. 10.6. Angel ſware that time ſhould be no more. But I need to ſpeake no more of time at this time, becauſe the word in my text is not foreign, but foreign, time, but ſeaſon; or, as it is here rendered,
The accepted time. The ſeaſon is that in time which light is in the aire, luſtre in metals, the flower in plants, creame in milke, quinteſſence in hearbs, the prime and beſt of it: foreign, Now there being a threefold ſeaſon:
1. Naturall, which Husbandmen obſerve in ſowing, Gardeners in planting and graffing, Mariners in putting to Sea, Chirurgians in letting bloud, Phyſicians in purging, &c.
2. Civill, of which the Poet ſpeaketh, Molliſsima fandi tempora, which all humble ſuppliants obſerve in preferring petitions to Princes and great Perſonages.
3. Spirituall, which all that have a care of their ſalvation muſt obſerve, in ſeeking the Lord while he may be found. The Apoſtle in this place pointeth to this third, and his meaning is, Behold, now preſſe hard to get into the kingdome of heaven, for now the gate is open: now labour hard in Gods vineyard, for now is the eleventh houre: now put up your petitions to the Prince of peace, for now is the day of audience: now provide your ſelves of ſpirituall merchandize, for now is the mart: now caſt your ſelves into the Betheſda of Chriſts bloud, for now the Angel troubleth the water: now get a generall pardon for all your ſinnes, under the broad ſeale of the King of heaven, for now is a day of ſealing. When the King commeth (ſaith St.xChryſ. in hunc locum. foreign. Chryſoſtome) there is no time for ſeſsions or aſſiſes, but for pardon and favour. Behold, now the King is come to viſit his ſubjects upon earth; and from his firſt comming to his laſt the day of grace continueth: Behold now is this accepted time. He calleth it an accepted time (ſaith St.yIb. foreign. Chryſoſtome) becauſe now God accepteth them to favour, who a thouſand times incurred his diſpleaſure. It is called in the Hebrew foreign that is, a time of good will and favour, as Calvin rendereth the words; who biddeth us marke the order: firſt a time of grace is promiſed, and after a day of ſalvation, to intimate unto us, that ſalvation floweth from the meere grace and mercy of God. We are active in ſinne to our owne damnation, but meere paſſive to the firſt grace: we draw on damnation with the cartropes of vanity, but God draweth us to ſalvation with the cords of love. The ſpeciall point of doctrine to which this ecce or index in my text pointeth is, that we ought to take ſpeciall notice of the time of grace, beginning at the birth of our Saviour, and ending to us at the day of our death, and to all men that ſhall be upon the earth at the conſummation of the world. As the celeſtiall ſpheres are wrapt one in another, and the greateſt, which the Philoſophers terme the Primum mobile, invelopeth all the reſt; ſo the parts of time are encloſed, the leſſer in the greater, houres in dayes, dayes in yeeres, yeers in ages, and ages in the time of the duration of the world. To explicate then to the full the time of our Lords birth, it will be requiſite to treat
1 Of the age of the world.
2 Of the yeere of the age.
3 Of the day of the yeere in which the truezJohn. 1.9. light that lighteneth every man that commeth into the world firſt ſhined on the earth.
1 Of the age of the world. The Jewes, according to an ancient tradition received from the houſe of Elias, make three ages of the world, as it were ſo many ſtages of time:
1 From the creation to the law.
2 From the law to the Meſſias.
3 From the comming of the Meſſias to the end of the world.
To each of theſe they allow two thouſand yeeres, counting thus,
1aCarion. in Chron. Duo millia vacuum.
2 Duo millia lex.
3 Duo millia Meſsias; & poſt mundi deflagratio.
Saint.yAug. de civit. Dei. l. 22 c 30. Poſt hanc tan quam in die ſeptimo requi eſcet Deus, cum eundem ſeptimum diem quod nos erimus in ſeipſo faciet requieſcere. Auſtine doubleth theſe files, and maketh reckoning of ſixe ages.
1 From Adam to the Deluge.
2 From the Deluge to Abraham.
3 From Abraham to Solomon.
4 From Solomon to the captivity.
5 From the captivity to Chriſts birth.
6 From Chriſts birth to the day of judgement;
after which, in the ſeventh, we ſhall all keepe an eternall Sabbath in heaven. By both which computations it appeareth that the birth of our Saviour fell late towards the declining and end of time, asbMaxin. Taur. hom 6 de nativ. In fine temporum natus eſt ille cujus aeternitatem nulla ſaeculorum tempora comprehendunt. Maximus Taurinenſis obſerveth. Here the wit of man, which like the Sea will ſtill be working, though oftentimes foaming out his owne ſhame, curiouſly enquireth why the deſire and joy of all mankind was ſo long delayed, why he was ſo late born whoſe birth was of more importance than of all the Potentates, Princes, Kings, Emperours and Monarchs of the whole world. Was not Chriſt the bright morning ſtarre? how came it then to paſſe that he appeared not till the afternoone, if not evening of the world? Was not he the bridegroome, whoſe*Marriage ſong. Epithalamium Solomon by the ſpirit of propheſie endited in the booke of Canticles? how could hee then heare his deareſt Spouſe breathe out ſo many ſighes, and ſhed ſuch abundance of teares, in ſo many ages, ſtill longing for his comming, and crying,cCant. 1.1. Let him come into the fleſh, and kiſſe mee with the kiſſes of his lips? Was not hee the good Samaritan which healed the wounded man, after Moſes the Levite, and Aaron the Prieſt paſſing by left him as they found him, and did him no eaſe at all? how then could this tender hearted Chirurgian ſuffer wounded mankinde to lie ſo many ages weltring in his owne bloud, and take no pity on him? To ſilence theſe curious queſtioniſts, the moſt judicious Divines teach, that albeit God hath ſpeciall reaſons of his will for every thing he determineth, yet to us his will muſt ſtand for the laſt and beſt reaſon. The fulleſt anſwer that can be given to that demand, why Chriſt was borne in the dayes of the Roman Auguſtus, about the two and fourtieth yeere of his reigne, is, that then was the fulneſſe of time, that is, the time was fully come, which God appointed before all time, for the comming of his Sonne in the fleſh. And ſurely a fitter time could hardly have beene choſen, whether we reſpect the condition of the patient, or the quality of the Phyſician, or the ſtate of Judaea, or of the whole world at that time.
Firſt, if we regard the condition of the patient: before Adam fell, and by his fall tooke his deaths wound, there was no need of a Chirurgian or a Phyſician: and after he was wounded it was fit that he ſhould feele the ſmart of his wounds a while, and by wofull experience find that he was not able to help himſelfe. With this reaſondSumm. p. 3. q. 1. art. 5. Non decuit à principio humani generis ante peccatum Deum incarnari: non enim datur medicina niſi infirmis: nec ſtatim poſt peccatum conveniens fuit Deumincarnari propter conditionem primi peccati quod a ſuperbia pervenerat, unde comodo homo erat liberandus ut recognoſceret ſe indigere liberatore. Aquinas reſted ſatisfied.
Secondly, if we regard the quality of the Phyſician. For no man ſendeth for the greateſt Doctour, eſpecially if he be farre off, before he hath tried others that are neere at hand, or the cure grow dangerous, if not deſperate. Before the King commeth himſelfe, many Embaſſadours and Noble men are ſent. Nature and Art obſerve the like method, proceeding from leſſe noble to more noble workes: from the egge to the chicke, from the ſeed to the fruit, from the kernell to the apple, from the dawning to the day, from childhood to youth, and from youth to perfect age. The painter in like manner firſt maketh a rude draught of a face, after perfectly pourtrayeth it, and laſt of all caſteth beautifull colours upon it: the Chirurgian firſt waſheth the wound, then poureth in wine to ſearch it, and after oile to ſupple and heale it: in like manner the providence of God proceeded in the diſpenſing the meanes of mans ſalvation, after the twylight of nature, and dawning as it were of the day, the day ſtarre appeared more obſcurely in the publiſhing of the law, but manifeſtly in Saint John Baptiſts doctrine; and then the Sunne aroſe in the preaching of the Goſpell: firſt God ſent Prieſts and Prophets as meſſengers, then Angels and the Archangell, as it were Princes and Peeres of heaven, and laſt of all he ſent his Sonne, the heire of all things. Like a Chirurgian he firſt cleanſed the ſores of wounded man by pouring in the wine of the Law, after he ſuppled and healed them by pouring in the oyle of the Goſpell: firſt he rough hewed us by Moſes, and after plained and ſmoothed us by Chriſt, that we might be as the poliſhed corners of the Temple.
Thirdly, if we regard the ſtate of Judaea, which was now moſt deplorate, being deſtitute both of King and Law-giver: for Herod a ſtranger uſurped the Crowne, and deſtroyed the Sanedrim, or great Councell, they had now no Prophet or Seer to lead them in this time of thickeſt darkneſſe: now therefore, if ever, the Meſſiah muſt come to ſet all right.
Fourthly, if we regard the ſtate of the whole world, which at this time was moſt learned, and thereby moſt capable of the doctrine of the Goſpell. Beſides, it being reduced to a Monarchy, and the parts thereupon holding better correſpondency one with the other, a greater advantage was given for the diſpreading of Chriſtian doctrine through all the Provinces of the Roman Empire.
2 Of the yeere of the age. As God crowned the age in which our Lord tooke fleſh, with many remarkeable accidents; ſo alſo the yeere of that age.
1 Firſt, Herod this very yeere bereaving the Tribe of Judah of King and Lawgiver, utterly aboliſhed their grand Councell, and thereby the Propheſie of Jacob was verified, thatcGen. 49.10. the Scepter ſhould not depart from Judah, nor a Lawgiver from betweene his feet till Shilo come. The ſubſtance of the Scepter, if I may ſo ſpeake, was departed before, and this yeere the ſhadow alſo remaining hitherto in the Sanedrim, which had a kind of ſovereign power to make lawes and execute them, vaniſhed away: now therefore Shilo commeth.
2 Secondly, Moreover, this very yeere Auguſtus Caeſar dLuke 2.1.ſent forth a Decree, that the whole world ſhould be taxed, which was not without a myſtery, viz. that this yeere the world ſhould be prized, and an eſtimate made thereof, when our Lord came into the world to redeeme it. Little thought Auguſtus (when he gave order for drawing that Proclamation) of drawing Marie to Bethlehem, that ſhe might there be delivered according to the propheſie ofeMicah 5.2. Micah: yet ſo did Auguſtus his temporall Decree make way for Gods eternall determination of Chriſts birth in Bethlehem.
3 Thirdly, this very yeere the ſame Emperour ſhut up the Temple offFunctius in Chron. Janus, where all the Roman warlike proviſion lay, and eſtabliſhed a peace through the whole world, that ſo the Prince of peace might be borne in the dayes of peace.
4 Fourthly, this yeere alſo he enacted a lawgSethus Calviſius ex Dione Caſsio. De manumiſsione ſervorum, of ſetting ſervants at liberty, which might have ſome reference to the ſpirituall freedome whichhJohn 8.36. Chriſt purchaſed for us, whereof hee himſelfe ſaith, If the Sonne make you free you ſhall bee free indeed.
5 Fiftly, this yeere in a certaine Shop or Inne to be let in Rome, aiPlat ex Eutrop & paulo diac. fountaine of oyle ſprang out of the earth, and flowed a whole day without intermiſſion.
Magna taberna fuit tunc emeritoria dicta,
De qua fons olei fluxerat in Tiberim.
Which may ſeeme literally to verifie thoſe words of the Prophet,kEſay 10.27. It ſhall come to paſſe in that day, that his burden ſhall be taken off thy ſhoulder, and his yoake from off thy necke; and the yoake ſhall be deſtroyed becauſe of the oyle or annointing.
6 Sixtly, what ſhould I ſpeake of the falling downe of the Temple oflMagdeburg ex Petro comeſt. Templum pacis corruit Romae ne alibi quam in Meſsiâ pax quaereretur. peace in Rome about this time? Might not that be an item, that true peace was no where now to bee ſought ſave in Jeſus Chriſt our onelyonly Peace-maker, now come into the world to reconcile Heaven and Earth, and eſtabliſh a covenant of grace betweene God and man for ever?
7 Seventhly, neither ismCalviſ. in Chron. ad an. c. 1. Calviſius his hote diſcordant from our purpoſe, viz. that the yeere of our Lords birth was Annus Sabbathicus, a yeere made of ſeven multiplyed, or a yeere of Jubile. For even by this very circumſtance wee may bee put in minde that he who was borne in a temporall Sabbathicke yeere on earth procureth for us an everlaſting Sabbath in heaven.
3 Of the day of the yeere. From the age in which our Lord was incarnate wee have already proceeded to the yeere; now from the yeere wee will come to the day on which God hath ſet many glorious markes.
1 Firſt, St. Matthew telleth us of anMat. 2.2. new ſtarre that appeared to the heathen Sages, which guided them in their way to Bethlehem.
2 Secondly, St.oQueſt. vet. & N.T. Hod…e…no die natus eſt Chriſtus, octavo Calend. Jan. ab illo die creſcunt dies: ecce à nativitate Chriſti dies creſcit, illo oriente dies proficit. Auſtine, and St.pAmbroſ. Serm. 8. de temp. Ambroſe, andqPrudent. in hy…n. ad Cal. Jan. Quid eſt quod Arctum circulum Sol jam recurrens deſerit? Chriſtuſne terris naſcitur qui lucis augit …ramitem? Prudemius note that the day of our Lords birth fell preciſely upon the winter ſolſtice, and from that day the dayes begin to lengthen.
3 Thirdly, this day in the vineyard ofrMagdeburg. ex Martino. Vinca Engaddi quae balſamum ferebat, horem, fructum, & liquorem ſimul fudit. Engaddi the Balſamum tree both bloſſomed and bare fruit, and liquor alſo dropped from it.
Thus we ſee what golden characters God hath fixed upon the age, yeere and day of our Lords birth; in which we may read the benefits of his incarnation, which are theſe:
Firſt, reſt: this ſeemeth to be figured by the Sabbathicke yeere.
Secondly, peace: this was ſhadowed by the temporall peace concluded through all the world by Auguſtus.
Thirdly, libertie from ſpirituall thraldome: this was repreſented by the law of manumiſsion of ſervants.
Fourthly, Knowledge: this was ſhewed by the new ſtarre.
Fiftly, encreaſe of grace: this was ſignified by the lengthening of the dayes from Chriſts birth.
Sixtly, ſpirituall joy: this was expreſſed by the oyle which ſprang out of the earth.
Seventhly, health and life: this the Balſamum was an embleme of. This peace, this libertie, this knowledge, this grace, this joy, this health, God offereth to us in this accepted time, and day of ſalvation.
Behold, now, &c. The Jewes had their now, and that was from the day of our Lords birth to the time of the deſtruction of the Temple, before which a voyce was heard at midnight, ſaying,ſJoſeph. de bello Jud. l 7. Migremus hinc. Let us goe hence.
The Gentiles now or day of grace began after Peters tActs 10.11.viſion, and ſhall continue untill the fulneſſe of all Nations be come in.
Our Countrie's now for their converſion from Paganiſme began when Joſeph of Arimathea, or Simon Zelotes, or Saint Paul, or ſome other of the Apoſtles planted the Goſpell in this Iſland: for our reverſion to the puritie of the ancient doctrine and diſcipline, was from the happie reformation in King Henry the eighth his time, and Kings Edward the ſixts, and ſhall laſt till God for our ſinnes remove our golden Candleſticke.
All your now who heare me this day is from the day of your new birth in baptiſme, till the day of your death.
Application.Behold, now is your accepted time, now is your day of ſalvation: make good uſe of theſe golden moments, upon which dependeth your eternall happineſſe or miſerie. Yet by a few ſighes you may drive away the fearefull ſtorme that hangeth over you; yet with a few teares you may quench the fire of hell in your conſciences; yet by ſtretching out your armes to God, and laying hold on Chriſt by faith, you may be kept from falling into the brimſtone lake. While yee have the light of this day of gracetPhil. 2.12. Worke out your ſalvation with feare and trembling, before the night of death commeth, whenuJohn 9.4. no man can worke. If you reject this accepted time, and let ſlip this day of ſalvation, there remaineth nothing for you but a time of rejection.xMat. 7.23. Away from mee, I know you not: and a day of damnation,yMat. 25.41. Goe yee curſed into everlaſting fire.
To apply this now yet once more. Behold now in theſe feaſts of Chriſtmas is tempus acceptum, an accepted time, or a time of acceptation, a time when wee accept and entertaine one another, a time of giving and accepting teſtimonies of love, a time of receiving the holy Sacrament, a time when God receiveth us into favour, biddeth us to his owne table.
Behold, now is the day of ſalvation; the day in which our Saviour was borne, and theyTitus 2.11. grace of God, bringing ſalvation, appeared unto all men. This day our Saviour will come into thy houſe; and if with humble devotion, godly ſorrow, a lively faith, and ſincere love thou entertaine him, what himſelfe ſpake to Zacheus, the Spirit will ſpeake unto thee;zLuke 19.9. This day is ſalvation come to thy houſe. Which God the Father grant for the merits of his Sonne, through the powerfull operation of the holy Spirit. To whom, &c.