Exposition of the Apostles Creed — William Perkins

Exposition of the Apostles Creed · William Perkins

Nowe vvee come to the second title of the Sonne of God, whereby hee is tearmed Christ: vvhichwhich title is as it were the surname of the seconde person as some doe thinke: yet according to the opinion of some others it is no name at all, but onelyonly a meere appellation,Tertull. contra Praxeā. as vvhen in the like case a particular man is called a Duke or a King. It is all one vvith Messiah in Hebrewe wherwith the redeemer was named in the olde Testament,Dan 9.24. and both signifie annointed.

Among the Iewes before the comming of Christ three estates or orders of men were annointed with oile; First of all kings, as Saul, Dauid, and the rest of the kings of Iuda. Secondly the priestes that serued in the tabernacle and temple before rhe Lorde when they were ordained, and as it vvere, installed into the priesthoode, were annointed vvith oyle, as first of all Aaron and his sonnes, but aftervvard the high priests alone. Thirdly prophets were thus annointed, as Elisha.

Now this legall annointing was a tipe and figure of the annointing of Christ: which was not with bodily oile, but by the spirite, and it was more excellent then all other annointings were. For David saieth,Psal. 45.7. hee was annointed with the oile of gladnesse aboue all his fellowes, signifying, that neither king, priest, nor prophet, was euer annointed in the same manner as he was.

Christes annointing is according to both his natures; for in what nature hee is a Mediatour, in the same hee is annointed: but according to both his natures ioyntly hee is a mediatour: the godheade is no mediatour without the manhoode, nor the manhoode vvithout the godhead: and therefore his annointing extendes it selfe both to his godhead and to his manhood.

Christes annointing hath two partes, both of them figured by the annointing of the Iewes. The first is his consecration whereby hee was set apart to doe the office of a Mediatour betweene God and man: and therefore to be a king, a priest, a prophet: a king to gather and withall to gouerne his Church and people: a priest, to make satisfaction and intercession for the sinnes of the elect: a prophet, to reveale and teach his people the will of God his father. And though it be true that Christ is set a part to the worke of mediation as he is mediator or as he is mā: yet as he is God he doth designe and set himselfe apart to the same worke. For to designe the mediatour is a common action of the 3. persons, the father, the sonne and the holy ghost: and yet cōsidering the father is first in order, and therfore hath the beginning of the action; for this cause he is saide especially to designe, as when S. Iohn saith, Him hath God the father sealed.

Ioh. 6.27.The second part of Christes annointing is the pouring out of the fulnesse of the spirit or grace into the manhood of Christ:Isa. 61.1. and it was particularly figured by the holy oile. For first, that oile had no man but God alone to be the authour of it: so the most excellent and unspeakeable graces of the manhood of Christ hauehave their beginning from the godhead of Christ.Exod. 30. Againe, though the same oyle was most pretious. yet was it compounded of myrrhe, calamus, and Casia, and such like earthie matters: to signifie, that the spirituall oile of grace whereof the manhood of Christ was as it were, a vessell or storehouse, did not consist of the essentiall properties of the godhead, as Eutiches and his followers in these daies imagine, but in certaine created gifts and qualities placed in his humane nature: otherwise we should not hauehave any participation of them. Thirdly, the sweete sauour of the holy oyle figured, that the riches of all grace with the effect thereof in the obedience of Christ, doeth take away the noisome sent of our loathsome sinnes from the nosthrilles of God, and withall doth make our persons and all our actions acceptable unto him as a svveete perfume,2. Cor. 2.17. as Paul saith, VVe are unto God the sweete savour of Christ, &c. And Christes death is for this cause tearmed a sacrifice of sweete smelling sauour.

And wee must further understand that these giftes of Christes manhood are not conferred in a small scantling or measure; for Iohn saith,Iohn. 3.34. God giveth him the spirite not by measure; because the graces which are in Christ are farre more both in number and degree, then all men or angels hauehave or shall hauehave: though the good angels and the saints of God in heauen are verie excellent creatures stored with graces and giftes of God. For this cause Christ is called the head of man,1. Cor. 11. because he is euerie way the most principall and glorious man that ever was. Yet for all this are not the gifts of Christs manhood infinite any way; because it is finite, being a creature, and therfore not capable of that which is infinite.

By Christes annointing the people of God reape great benefite and comfort, because they are partakers thereof. For this cause the oile where with he was annointed is called the oyle of gladnesse, because the sweet sauour of it gladdeth the heartes of all his members,Psal. 45.7. and brings the peace of God which passeth all understanding.Psalm. 133. The holy oyle powred vponupon Aarons head came downe to his beard, and to the verie skirtes of his garments: and it signified that the spirituall oile of grace was first of all powred upon our head Christ Iesus, and from thence consequently derived to all his members, that by that meanes hee might be not onelyonly annointed himselfe, but also our annointer.

Now the benefites which we receiue by his annointing are two. The first is, that all the elect when they are called to the profession of the gospell of Christ, are in and by him set apart and made spirituall kings, priests, and prophets, as S. Iohn saith, He hath made vsus kings and priests vntounto God his Father. And S. Peter out of Ioel,Apoc. 1.6. I will powre (saith the Lord) my spirit vponupon all flesh, Act. 2.24.and your sonnes and daughters shall prophesie.

The second benefite is, that all the faithfull receiue the same oile, that is, the same spirite of God in some measure which he receiued aboue measure, as S. Iohn saieth, The annointing which ye have received of him dvvelleth in you and teacheth you all things. 1. Ioh. 2.27.where by anointing is ment the holy Ghost.Psa. 105.15. And hence it is, that men are called Christians of the name of Christ, that is, annointed with the same oile wherwith Christ was annointed. And the holy oile might not be giuen to a stranger, to signifie, that to hauehave the spirite of Christ, and to be guided by it, is peculiar to them that are Christes.Exo. 30.33. Now then let vsus all lay these things to our hearts, and extoll the unspeakeable goodnesse of God that hath advaunced vsus to the dignitie of kings, priests, prophets, before him, and hath giuen his spirit unto vsus to inable us to be so indeed.

Nowe follow the duties which are to be learned hence. And first, whereas all Christians receive annointing from the holy one Christ Iesus,1. Ioh. 2.20. Dan 9.24. to become prophets in a sort, wee must doe our endeavours, that the word of God may dwell plentifully in vsus,Ioh. 5.39. foreign. and for that cause we must search the scriptures, euen as hunters seeke for the game, and as men seeke for golde euen in the mines of the earth. There is nothing that is more unbeseeming a man, then grosse ignorance a Christian. Therfore the authour of the epistle to the Hebrues reprooues them,Heb. 4.12. that whereas for the time they ought to hauehave beene teachers, they had need againe to be taught the first principles of the word of God.

Againe, that portion of knowledge which we hauehave received of God is further to be applied to the benefit & good of others: this is that most precious baulme that on our partes should neuer be wanting to the heads of men. And here eueryevery man that is set ouer others must remember within the compasse of his calling and charge to instruct those that be under him so farre forth as possibly he can.Psal. 141.5. Gouernours of families must teach their children and servants and their whole housholde the doctrine of the true religion, that they may know the true God and walke in all his waies in doing righteousnesse & iudgement. If housholders woulde make conscience of this their dutie, and in some sorte and measure prepare their families against they come to the publike congregation, the ministers of the Gospell vvith greater comfort and farre more ease should performe their dutie; and see farre more fruit of their ministerie then now they doe. But whereas they neglect their dutie, falsely perswading themselues that it doeth not belong to them at all to instruct others; it is the cause of ignorance both in townes and families, in masters themselues, in seruants and children and all. Lastly, by this we are admonished to take all occasions that possibly can be offered, mutually to edifie each other in knowledge, saying among our selues (as it was foretold of these times) Come, let vsus goe up to the mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Iacob, Isa. 2.3.and he vvill teach vsus his waies, and we will walke in his pathes: and withall, we shoulde confirme each others, as Christ saith to Peter, when thou art converted confirme thy brethren; and be readie at all times to render an account of our faith and religion euen before our enemies vvhen wee are iustly called so to doe.

Secondly, because we are set apart in Christ, to become spirituall priests vntounto God,1. Pet. 2.5. we must therefore offer spirituall sacrifices acceptable unto him: and they be in number seven. The first is an affiance whereby we rest upon God, as Dauid saith, Offer the sacrifice of righteousnesse and trust in the Lord. Psal. 4.6.The second is wholly to subiect our selues to the ministerie of the gospell, that wee may be changed and converted by it, as Paul saith,Rom. 15.16. That hee ministred the Gospell to the Gentiles, that the offering vp of them might be acceptable, beeing sanctified by the holy Ghost. The thirde is, all manner of prayers and supplications made unto God. Let my prayer, saieth David, be directed in thy sight as incense, Psal. 141.2.and the lifting vp of mine handes as an evening sacrifice. The fourth is praising and thankesgiving unto God. Let vsus by him offer the sacrifice of praise alvvaies to God, that is the fruite of the lippes vvhichwhich confesse his name. Heb. 13.15. Rev. 5.8.And in the Revelation the golden vials full of odors are the praiers of the saints. The fift is the reliefe of our poore breethren according to our ability, as Paul saieth, I vvas even filled after that I had receiued of Epaphroditus that vvhichwhich came from you, Phil. 4.18. Psal. 51.19.an odour that smelleth sweete, a sacrifice ple… sant and acceptable to God. The sixt is the deniall of our selues with a contrite and broken heart. The seuenth is, to resigne our selues bodies and soules wholly to the seruice of God: Set your selues (saith Paul) to God, as they that are aliue from the dead: Rom. 6.13.and your members as weapons of righteousnesse unto God. In which wordes he alludes to the manner of the old Testament: when a man offered any sacrifice for himselfe, hee brought the beast into the temple or tabernacle and set it before the altar, in token that hee did resigne it vntounto God: and so wee for our partes must not giuegive our bodies and soules to become the instruments of sinne & satan, but we must hauehave them alwaies in readinesse, freely presenting them vntounto him that he may hauehave the whole disposition of them according to his good pleasure, to the honour and glorie of his name. Againe, in the whole burnt offering all was consumed and turned to smoke, no man hauing benefite of it, to signifie, that we must give our selues not in part but wholly to the service of God, euen to death if need be. If this be so, miserable is the practise of such that giuegive up their bodies and soules to liue in licentious wantonnesse, in the pleasures of their beastly sinnes, in idlenesse. For they offer themselues a sacrifice, not to God but to the devill.

Thirdly, considering wee are annointed to be spirituall kinges euen in this life, wee must walke worthie so great a calling. That this may be so, first of all such as are governours set ouer others, must rule not according to their willes and pleasures, but in the Lorde: withall, doeing homage to their heade and king Christ Iesus him-selfe. Secondly, vvee must euerie one of vsus rule and beare sway euen as kings ouer our owne thoughtes, willes, affections, over-mastering them as much as wee can by Gods worde and spirite: withall, maintaining and proclaiming continuall warre against our corrupt natures, the deuill, and the worlde. And truely hee which can beare rule ouer his owne heart, is a right king indeede: and hauing receiued some measure of grace to raigne ouer himselfe in this life, he shall raigne for ever with Christ in the life to come. As for such as are carried away with the svvinge of their corruptions, hauing blindnesse and ignorance to raigne in their mindes, rebellion in their willes and affections, loosenesse in their whole liues, they may carrie the forme of Christians as long as they will, but indeede they are no spirituall kings but bondemen: the strong man satan keepes as yet the hold of their hearts, & as Lord and king holds up his scepter there.

Lastly, seeing Christ is annointed with the most pretious baulme that ever was, and that for our sakes, he must be sweete and savourie unto us, and all other things must be as vnsavorie drosse and dung in regarde of him. VVee must in this case indeauour to say as the spouse of Christ doth: Because of the savour of the good oyntments, Cant. 1.2.thy name is an ointment powred out: therefore the virgins love thee. O that we could savour in the feare of God, Isai. 11.3.that wee might perceive how all his garments smell of myrrhe, aloes, and cassia, comming forth of his ivory pallaces vntounto vsus. Psal 45.8.And because the holy ointment of Christ is powred forth upon all his members to make them favourie and sweete in the presence of God, let us make conscience of all maner of sinne, lest by the poison and stincke thereof, wee infect not onelyonly our selues, but all the creatures of God which wee vse, yea heaven and earth itselfe. It standes not with equitie that after we hauehave beene embaulmed and sweetned by the pretious merites of Christ that we should make our selues as two footed swine, to returne to the mire of our old sinnes.

The coupling and combining of these two former titles togither, containes the principali question of the whole bible, which is, whether Iesus the sonne of Mary be Christ or no; as S. Iohn saith. These things are written, Ioh. 2….31.that yee might beleeue that Iesus is the Christ the Sonne of God, and that in beleeving yee might have life everlasting. This conclusion was denied by the Iewes, but avouched and confirmed both by Christ and by his Apostles; and their principall argument was framed thus.Act. 18.5. He which hath the true notes of Christ is the Messias or Christ indeed: but Iesus the Sonne of Mary hath the true notes of Christ: therfore Iesus is Christ. The proposition is opened at large in the prophesies of the old testament: the assumption is confirmed in the writings of the new testament: & the principall reasons of the confirmation are couched in the articles which cōcern the second person. The conclusion followes, & is set down as I hauehave said, in the knitting togither of the titles, Iesus and Christ.

Thus much of the second title: now followeth the third, his only Sonne: that is, the only sonne of the first person the father. In this title we must consider 2. things: the first, that he is the sonne of God: the second, that he is the only Sonne of God. Touching the first, Christ is called the Sōne of God, because he was begottē of the father. Now for the opening of this eternall generation, we must consider three pointes: the thing begotten, the maner of begetting, & the time. For the thing it selfe, it is Christ; who must be cōsidered 2. waies, as he is a sonne, & as he is God: As he is a sonne, he is not of himselfe, but the sonne of the father begotten of him: neuerthelesse as he is God,Non foreign tamē foreign. he is of himselfe neither begotten nor proceeding; for the essence or godhead of the father is of it selfe without all beginning: but the godhead of the sonne is one and the same with the godhead of the father: for by what godhead the father is God, by the same and no other the sonne is God: therefore the sonne as he is God, hee is God of himselfe without beginning as the Father. Whereupon it followes, that the sonne is begotten of the father as he is a sonne, but not as he is God.

The maner of this generation is this. The sonne is begotten of the substance of the father not by any fluxe, as when water is deriued from the head of the spring to the chanell: nor by decision as when a thing is cut in pieces: nor by propagation, as when a grift is transplanted into a new stocke: but by an unspeakeable communication of the whole essence or Godhead from the father to the sonne; in receiuing whereof the sonne doth no more diminish the maiestie or Godhead of the father, then the light of one candle doth the light of the other from which it is taken. Whereupon the Councell of Nicene hath said well, that the sonne is of the Father as light of light not proceeding but begotten.

The time of this generation hath neither beginning, middle, or ende: and therefore it is eternall before all worlds: and that is a thing to be wondered at, that the father begetting & the sonne begottē are coeternall, & therfore equall in time. VVisdom in the prouerbs (which with one consent of all divines is said to be Christ) affirmeth that she was before the world was created, that is, from eternity:Prov. 8.24. for before the world was made there was nothing but eternitie. But it may be alledged to the contrarie, that the saying of the father, This day hauehave I begotten thee, is expounded by Paul of the time of Christs resurrection. Answ. Psal. 2.7. Act. 13.30, 33.We must distinguish betweene generation it selfe & the manifestation of it: & of the second must the place be understood, which may be brought to passe at the time of Christs resurrection in which he was mightily declared to be the sonne of God, though in the meane season the generation it selfe be eternall.Rom. 1.4. If any man alledge further that the person which begetteth must needs goe before the person begotten, the answer is, that there is a double priority; one of order, the other of time: now in the generation of creatures there is priority both of order & time: but in the generation of the second person in trinity there is prioritie of order alone: the father being first, the sonne second, without prioritie of time: because they both in that respect are equall, and neither is before or after other: because the beeing or subsisting of the persons is not measured by time.

Hence it followeth necessarily, that Iesus Christ is true God: & the whole tenor of the scriptures confirme it sufficiently. I. he is made equall to God the father, who being in the forme of God thought it no robberie to be equall with God: &,Phil. 2.8. Ioh. 16.15. Num. 14.26, 27. 1. Cor. 10.9. Psal. 102.26. cū Ioh. 1.3. 1. Ioh. 5.20. Ioh. 1.1. & 8.56. All things that the father hath are mine. The children of Israell are said to hauehave tempted Iehova: and Paul saith, that he whome they tempted was Christ. Iehoua founded the earth, and the same is saide of Christ. II. Christ the sonne of God is by name called God: Iesus Christ is very God & life eternall. III. The properties of the godhead are ascribed unto him. He is eternal, because he was then when duplicate page duplicate page there was no creature. In the beginning was the word: and, before Abraham was I am. Mat. 18.20. & 26.He is omnipresent, Where tvvo or three are gathered togither in my name, there am I in the middest amongst them. Lastly he is omnipotent, Whatsoever things the father doth, Ioh. 5.19.the same doth the sonne also. IIII. The workes of creation and preseruation are as well ascribed to the sonne as to the father. By him the father made the world, and he beareth up all things by his mightie power: and miracles, which are workes either aboue or against the order of nature peculiar to God, were done by Christ. V. Divine worship is given to him: for he is adored, invoted, and beleeued in, as God the father. To him is given a name, at which every knee doth bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, Phil, 2.10.and things vnderneath the earth.

As for the reasons which be alledged to the contrarie, they are of no moment. I. The worde of God can not be God; the sonne is the worde of the father: therefore hee is not God. Answ. The worde is taken two waies: first for a sounding worde standing of letters and syllables vttered either by God or by the creatures: nowe on this manner Christ is not the word of God. Secondly there is a substantiall worde, which is of the substance of him whose worde it is. And thus Christ is the worde of God the father. And he is so termed, I. in respect of the father, for as reason & speech hath his beginning from the mind without any passion in the mind, so hath he beginning frō the father. And as the speech is in the mind & the mind in the speech, so the father is in the sonne, & the sonne in the father. 2. In respect of all creatures. The father doth all things by the son▪ by whose powerfull worde the worlde was made,Ioh. 1. v. 1. Heb. 1.3. Ioh. 5.25. 2. Cor. 13.3. Ioh. 17. is novv preserved & shalbe abolished. 3. In respect of the Church. For the father by him speakes unto us both in the outward ministerie of the worde, and by the inward operation of the spirit: and againe we by him speake to the father.

II. It may be obiected thus, God hath no beginning from any other; Christ hath beginning frō the father: therfore he is not God. Answer. Christ must be considered both in regard of his godhead and in regard of his person: in regarde of his god heade hee came not of any but is of himselfe, as vvell as the father is: yet in regarde of his person hee is from the father, vvho is a beginning to the rest of the persons,Matth. 28. Principium ordi…is & … rigi…is. both in respect of order (for the scripture saith not; the holy Ghost, the Sonne, the Father: but the Father, the Sonne, the holy Ghost) as also in respect of the communication of the Godhead. And whereas it is said that God is of himselfe, if the name God, be taken for the Godhead it selfe absolutely considered, it is true: but if it be taken for any particular person in the Godhead, it is false. III. None is greater then God: but the father is greater then Christ, for so he saith, the father is greater then I. Ioh. 14.Ans. Christ there speakes of himselfe as he was a man abased in the forme of a seruant: in which respect he is lesse then the father, who neuer was incarnate and abased in our nature. And though Christ in respect of his nature assumed be inferiour to the father, yet doth it not hinder but that he may be equall to him, as he is the second person in trinitie, or as he is God by one and the same Godhead with the father. IV. He that is made of God, to be this, or that, is not God: but Christ is made of God, as Paul saith,1. Cor. 1.30. Christ is made vntounto vsus wisdome, righteousnes, &c. Answer. Christ is said to be made, not because there was any beginning of his Godhead, or any chaunge or alteration in his person: but because in the eternall counsell of the father, he was set apart before all times to exequute the office of a Mediatour, and was withall in time called, and as it were consecrated and ordained thereunto in his baptisme: he is made therefore in respect of his office, but not in respect of his person, or nature. V. God hath no head, Christ hath an head, as Paul saith, God is Christs head. Answ. God, that is, the father,1. Cor. 11.3. is head of Christ, not as he is God simply, but as he is God incarnate, or made manifest in the f…esh, and in respect of the office to which he willingly abased himselfe. VI. Hee which giues vp his kingdome is not God, Christ giues vp his kingdome. Then, saith Paul, shall be the end, 1. … .15.24.when he hath deliuered vp the kingdome to God euen the father. Answer. Christ is king two waies, as he is God, and as he is Mediatour: as he is God, he raignes eternally with the father and the holy Ghost: but as he is Mediatour, in the ende of the worlde when all the companie of the elect are gathered, his kingdome shall cease not simplie but in respect of the …tward manner of administration: for the exequution of civill and ecclesiasticall functions shall cease. And whereas in the same place,vers. 28. it is said that Christ shalbe subiect vntounto God eternally after the ende, it must be vnderstood partly in regard of the assumed manhood, partly in respect of his mysticall bodie the Church most neerely ioyned vntounto him in heauen. VII. The first borne of eueryevery creature, & of many brethren, is a creature & not God: but Christ is the first borne of eueryevery creature, & of many brethren. Ans. He is called the first borne by allusion to the first borne in the old testament:Rom. 8.29. Col. 1.15. for as they were principall heires hauing double portions allowed them; & the chiefe or gouernours of the familie▪ so Christ is made heire of the world,Gen. 49.3. Deut. 21.17. and the head of Gods familie which is his Church elected and adopted in him. And againe he is called the first borne of eueryevery creature, because he was begotten of the substance of his father before any creature was made, and therfore it is not here said that he was first created, but first begotten.

By the reasons which hauehave bin alleadged, as also by the insufficiencie of the contrarie arguments, it is more then manifest against all heretikes that Christ is very God. Yet to stoppe the mouthes of all Atheists, & to satisfie all wauering & doubtings minds, I will adde one reason further. The gospel of S. Iohn was chiefly penned for this end, to prooue the dietie of Christ: & among other arguments alledged, this is one▪ that Christ gaue a resolute & a constant testimonie of himselfe, that he was the sonne of God, & very God: now if any man shall say, that sundrie persons since the beginning of the world hauehave taken vponupon thē, & that falsely, to be gods: I answer, that neuer any creature tooke this title & honour vponupon him to be called God, but the fearefull iudgements of God were vponupon him for it. In the estate of mans innocencie the deuill tolde our first parents that by eating the fruite of the tree of knowledge of good and euill, they should be as gods knowing good & euill: now they beleeued him, & affected diuine honour, but what came of it? surely Adam with all his posteritie is shut vp for it vnderunder eternall damnation. Herod likewise araied in royall apparell, & sitting on the iudgement seate, made an oration to the men of Tyre & Sidon, who gaue a shout saying, the voice of God, & not of man. Now because he tooke the glorie of God to himselfe, & did not returne it to him to whō it was due, immediatly the angel of the Lord smote him. And so, if Christ had bin but a meere man, & not very God, as he auouched, vndoubtedly the hand of God would hauehave bin vponupon him likewise for his confusion: but when he suffered for vsus, and bare the punishment due for our sinnes, he most triumphed. And the iudgements of God were vponupon Herod, Pontius Pilate, Caiphas, & vponupon all those that were enemies to him, and to his church afterward, & that partly in life & partly in death. Wherefore seeing that God can not abide that his glorie should be giuen to any creature, & seeing for that cause he takes reuenge on all those that exalt themselues to be gods, it remains that the testimony which Christ gaue of himselfe that he was God, is vnfallibly true, & without all question to be beleeued of vsus. And to conclude, I would hauehave all the deuils in hel with the cursed order of Lucians, Porphyrians, and Atheists whatsoeuer to answer this one point, howe it could come to passe, that Christ by publishing the doctrine of the Gospell that is as contrarie to mans reason, will, and affections, as water to fire, should winne almost the whole world to become his disciples, and to giuegive their liues for him, vnlesse he were God indeed, as he confessed himselfe to be.

There be sundrie speciall reasons wherefore it was necessarie that Christ should be God. I. There is none which can be a Sauiour of bodie & soule but God.Isa. 43.11. I euen I am the Lord, and besides …e there is no Sauiour. And,Ose. 13.4. I am the Lord the God from the land of Egipt, and thou shalt knowe no God but me: for there is no Sauiour beside me. II. There must be a proportion betweene the sinne of man and the punishmēt of sinne: now the sinne of man in respect of the offence of the maiestie of God is infinite, in that he is infinitely displeased with man at the breach of his lawe: therefore the punishment of sinne must be infinite: and hence it followeth that he which suffereth the punishment beeing man, must withall be God, that the manhood by the power of the Godhead may be supported, that in suffering it may vanquish death, and make a satisfaction. III. He that must be a Sauiour, must be able 1. to deliuer men from the bondage of their spirituall enemies, namely sinne and Satan: 2. to restore the image of God lost by the fall of Adam, and to conferre righteousnes and life euerlasting: 3. to defend them from hell, death, damnation, the flesh, the deuill, the world: 4. to giuegive them full redemption from all their miseries both in bodie and soule, and to place them in eternall happines: all which none can doe, but he which is very God. IV. It was the pleasure of God, to shewe his incomprehensible goodnes in this, that his grace should not onelyonly be equall to our sinne, but also by many degrees goe beyond it. And therefore the first Adam beeing but a meere man, the second Adam must be both God & man: that as the second was more excellent then the first, so our comfort might be greater in our redemption by the second, then our miserie and discomfort was by the fall of the first.

Hitherto wee hauehave shewed howe Christ is the sonne of God: Now let vsus come to the second point, namely that he is the onelyonly sonne of God. And he is so tearmed because he is the sonne of the father, in that manner as nothing else can be but he. Angels indeede are tearmed the sonnes of God,Iob. 1. but that is onelyonly in respect of their creation: and all that beleeue in Christ are the sonnes of God by adoption, being receiued into the familie of God which is his Church by the merit of Christ, whereas by nature they were the children of wrath. Christ also as he is man (I say not his manhood which is a nature and no person) is the sonne of God by the grace of personall vnion, and not by nature or by adoption. Lastly Christ as he is the second person in trinitie, the eternall worde of the father, coeternall and consubstanciall with him, is also the sonne of God. But how? neither by creation, nor adoption, nor by the vertue of personall vnion, but by nature; as he was begotten of the very substance of the father before all worlds: and therefore he is called the proper and onelyonly begotten sonne of God. It may be obiected on this manner. If the father beget the sonne,Ioh. 1 18. Rom. 8.32. he doth it either willingly, or against his will: if willingly, then the sonne is begotten by the freewill of the father, and no sonne by nature. Answer. The father did communicate to the sonne his whole Godhead willingly without constraint, yet not by his will: and therefore he is the sonne of the father by nature, not by will. It may be further said, that if Christ be the sonne of God by nature, as he is the essentiall word of the father, & by personall vnion as he is mā, then is he not one but two sonnes. Answ. As he is but one person, so is he but one sonne: yet not in one but in two respects: two respects make not two things, whereas one and the same thing and so remaining may admit sundrie respects.

Thus much of the meaning of the third title: Now follow the comforts which may be gathered hence. Whereas Christ Iesus is the sonne of God, it serues as a meanes to make miserable and wretched sinners that are by nature the children of wrath and damnation, to be the sonnes of God by adoption▪ as Saint Iohn testifieth.Ioh. 1.12. Now what a benefit is this to be the child of God, no tongue can expresse. Christ saith, Blessed are the peacemakers: Matth. 5.9.but why are they blessed? for, saith he, they shalbe called the sonnes of God. Whereby he testifieth that the right of adoption is a most excellent priuiledge; and not without cause. For he which is the childe of God, is spiritually allyed to Christ, and to all the saints and seruants of God both in heauen and earth, hauing him for his elder brother, and all his members as his brethren and sisters: yea if we be Gods adopted children, we are also heires, euen heires of God, and heires annexed with Christ. Well,Rom. 8.17. how great soeuer this prerogatiue is, yet few there be that rightly waigh it and consider of it. Children of noble men and princes heires are had in account and reputation of all men, they are the very speach and wonder of the world. But it is a matter of no account to be the sonne of God and fellow-heire with Christ. The dearest seruants of God hauehave beene esteemed but as the offscouring of the world. And no meruaile, for they which are after the flesh, sauour the things of the flesh. Fewe men hauehave their vnderstandings inlightned to discerne of such spirituall things as these are, and therefore are they little or nothing regarded. A blinde man neuer seeing the sonne, is not brought to wonder at it: and earthly minded men neither seeing nor feeling what an excellent thing it is to be the child of God, cannot be brought to seeke after it. But let all such as feare God enter into a serious consideration of the vnspeakeable goodnes of God, comforting thēselues in this, that God the father hath vouchsafed by his own sōne to make thē of the vassals of Satā, to be his own deere childrē.

Now follow the duties which are two. First, we beleeue that Iesus Christ who was to be the Sauiour of mākind, must needs be God: what is the reason hereof? surely because no creature, no not all creatures in heauen and earth were able to saue one man, so vyle, wretched, and miserable is our estate by Adams fall. And therefore the sonne of God himselfe pitied our estate, and beeing king of heauen and earth, was faine to come from heauen, and lay downe his crowne and become a seruant, and taking vponupon him our nature, was also faine to take vponupon him our case and condition, & suffer death for our sinnes, which otherwaies eueryevery one of vsus should hauehave suffered both in bodie and soule world without end. To make this more plaine, let vsus suppose that some one hath cōmitted an offence against a prince; now the trespasse is so grieuous, that no man can appease the kings wrath, saue onelyonly the kings onelyonly sonne, and which is more, the kings sonne cannot release him, vnlesse he suffer the punishment for him in his owne person, which is due vntounto the malefactour. Now what is to be thought of this mans estate? surely all men will say that he is in a most miserable taking, and that his trespasse is notorious: and so it is with eueryevery one of vsus by nature, whatsoeuer we are. No man could saue our soules, no not all the angels in heauen, vnlesse the king of heauen & earth the only sonne of God had come down from heauē & suffered for vsus, bearing our punishment. Now the cōsideratiō of this must humble vsus and make vsus to cast down our selues vnderunder the hād of God for our sinnes, & pray continually that the Lord would send some Moses or other which might smite the rocks of our hearts, that some tears of sorow & repentāce might gush out for our woful miserie.

Secondly, whereas God the father of Christ gaue his only sonne to be our sauiour, as we must be thankfull to God for all things, so especially for this great & vnspeakeable benefite. Cōmon blessings of God, as meat, drink, health, wealth, & liberty, must at all times mooue vsus to be thankful, but this, that Christ Iesus the onelyonly sonne of God, redeemed vsus beeing vtterly lost, this I say, must be the mayne point of al our thankfulnes: but mens hearts are so frozen in the dregges of their sinnes, that this dutie comes litle in practise now adaies. Our Sauiour Christ clensed ten leapers, but there was but one of thē that returned to giuegive him thanks, & this is as true in the leprosie of the soule, for though saluation by Christ be offered vntounto vsus daily by Gods ministers, yet not one of ten, nay scarse one of a thousand giues praise and thanks to God for it, because men take no delite in things which cō cerne the kingdome of heauen, they thinke not that they hauehave need of saluation, neither doe they feele any want of a Sauiour. But we for our parts must learne to say with David, What shall I render vntounto the Lord for all his benefits:Psal. 116.12. yea we are to practise that which Salomon saith, My sonne giuegive me thy heart:Prov. 23.26. for we should giuegive vntounto God both bodie & soule in token of our thankfulnes for this wonderful blessing that he hath giuē his only son to be our sauiour; & let vsus know this for truth, that they which are not thākfull for it, let them say what they wil, they hauehave no soundnes of grace at the heart.

And thus much of the third title. The fourth & last title is in these words our Lord. Christ Iesus the only sonne of God is our Lord three waies: 1. by creation, in that he made vsus of nothing, when we were not: 2. he is our Lord in the …ight of redemption. In former times the custome hath bin that whē one is taken prisoner in the fields, he that paies his ransome shall become alwaies after his lord: so Christ when we were bondslaues vnderunder hell, death, & condemnation, paid the rā some of our redemption, and freed vsus from the bondage of sinne and satan, and therefore in that respect he is our Lord. 3. He is the heade of the Church (as the husbande is the wiues head,) to rule and gouerne the same by his word and spirit. And therefore in that respect also Christ is our Lord.

And thus much for the meaning. Now follow the duties. 1. If Christ be our soueraigne Lord, we must performe absolute obedience vntounto him, that is, whatsoeuer he commaunds vsus, that wee must doe. And I say absolute obedience, because Magistrats, Masters, Rulers, and fathers may command, and must be obeyed, yet no… simply, but so farfoorth as that which they command doth agree with the word and commaundement of God: but Christs will and word is righteousnes it selfe, and therefore the rule and direction of all our actions whatsoeuer, and for this cause he must be absolutely obeyed. Thus he requires the obedience of the morall law: but why? because he is the Lord our God. And in Malach. he saith,Exod. 20. Mal. 1.6. If I be your Lord, where is my feare? And againe, we must resigne both bodie and soule, heart, minde, will, affections, and the course of our whole liues to be ruled by the will of Christ. He is Lord not onelyonly of the bodie, but of the spirite and soule of man: hee must therefore hauehave homage of both, as we adore him by the knee of the bodie, so must the thoughts and the affections of our hearts hauehave their knees also to worship him, and to shew their subiection to his commandements. As for such as doe hold him for their Lord in word, but will not indeauour to shew their loyaltie in all manner of obedience, they are indeede no better then starke rebels. Secondly, when by the hande of Christ strange iudgements shall come to passe, as it is vsuall in all places continually; we must stay our selues without murmuring or finding fault, because he is an absolute Lord ouer all his creatures: all things are in his hands, and he may doe with his owne whatsoeuer he will; and therefore wee must rather feare and tremble whensoeuer wee see or heare of them: so David saith, I was dumbe and opened not my mouth because thou didst it. Psal. 119.120.And againe, My flesh trembleth for feare of thee, and I am afraid of thy iudgements. Thirdly, before we vse any of Gods creatures or ordinances, we must sanctifie them by the direction of his word and by praier:1. Cor. 10.26. the reason is this, because he is Lord ouer all, and therefore from his word we must fetch direction to teach vsus whether we may vse them or not, and when and how we must vse them: and secondly wee must pray to him, that he would giuegive vsus libertie and grace to vse them aright in holy maner. Also we are so to vse the creatures and ordinances of God, as beeing alwaies readie to giuegive an account for them at the day of iudgement, for wee vse that which is the Lords, not our owne; we are but stewards ouer them, & we must come to a reckoning for the stewardship. Hast thou learning? then imploy it to the glorie of God, & the good of the Church: boast not of it as though it were thine owne. Hast thou any other gift or blessing of God, be it wisdome, strēgth, riches, honour, fauour, or whatsoeuer; then looke thou vse it so, as thou maist be alwaies readie to make a good account thereof vntounto Christ. Lastly, eueryevery one must so lead his life in this world, as that at the day of death he may surrender and giuegive vp his soule into the hands of his Lord, and say with Steven, Lord Iesus receiue my soule: for thy soule is none of thine, but his who hath bought it with a price,Act. 7. & therfore thou must so order and keepe it as that thou maist in good manner restore it into the hands of God at the end of thy life. If a man should borrow a thing of his neighbour, and vse it so as he doth quite spoile it, he would be ashamed to bring it againe to the owner in that manner, and if he doe, the owner will not receiue it. Vngodly men in this life doe so staine their soules with sin, as that they can neuer be able to giuegive them vp into the hands of God at the day of death: & if they would, yet God accepts them not, but casts thē quite away. We must therefore labour so to liue in the world, that with a ioyfull heart at the day of death we may commend our soules into the handes of our Lord Christ Iesus, who gaue them vntounto vsus. This is a hard thing to be done, and he that will doe it truly, must first be assured of the pardon of his owne sinnes, which a man can neuer hauehave without true and vnfained faith and repentance: wherfore while we hauehave time, let vsus purge and clense our soules & bodies, that they may come home againe to God in good plight.

And here all gouernours must be put in mind that they an higher Lord, that they may not oppresse or deale hardly with their inferiours.Eph. 6.9. And this is Pauls reason, ye masters (saith he) doe the same things vntounto your seruants, putting away threatning: and knowe that euen your master is also in heauen, neither is their respect of persons with him. Inferiours againe must remember to submit themselues to the authoritie of their gouernours, especially of magistrates. For they are set ouer vsus by our soueraigne Lord and king Christ Iesus: as Paul saith,Rom. 13.1. Let eueryevery soule be subiect to the higher powers. For there is no power but of God, and the powers that be ordained are of God. Eph. 6.5.And againe, Seruants be obedient to your masters according to the flesh, with feare and trembling, in singlenes of your hearts, as vntounto Christ.

The comfort which Gods Church may reap hence, is very great: for if Christ be the Lord of lords, & our Lord especially, we neede not to feare what the deuill or wicked men can do vntounto vsus. If Christ be on our side, who can be against vsus? we neede not feare them that can destroy the bodie and doe no more, but we must cast our feare on him that is Lord of bodie and soule,Mat. 10.28. and can cast both to hell.

Thus much of the fourth title. Now followes Christs incarnation, in these words, Conceiued by the holy Ghost, borne of the Virgin Marie. And they containe in them one of the most principall points of the doctrine of godlines, as Paul saith, without cōtrouersie great is the mysterie of godlines, which is, 1. Tim. 3.16.God is made manifest in the flesh, iustified in the spirit, &c. And that we may proceede in order, in handling them, I will first speake of the incarnation generally, and then after come to the parts therof. In general we are to propound fiue questions, the answearing whereof will be very needefull to the better vnderstanding of the doctrine following.

The first question is, who was incarnate or made man? Answer. The second person in Trinitie, the sonne of God alone, and it is set downe in this article according to the Scriptures.Ioh. 1.14. Luk. 1.35. Saint Iohn saith, The Word was made flesh: and the angel saith, The holy one which shall be borne of thee, shalbe called the sonne of the most highest. Rom. 1.13.And Paul saith, that Christ Iesus our Lord was made of the seede of Abraham according to the flesh. And there be sundrie reasons, why the second person should rather be incarnate then any other. 1. By whome the father created all things, and man especially, by him man beeing fallen is to be redeemed, and as I may say, recreated: now man was at the first created of the father by the sonne: and therefore to be redeemed by him. 2. It was most conuenient, that he which is the essentiall image of the father, should take mans nature that he might restore the image of God lost and defaced in man:Hebr. 1.3. Coloss. 1. but the second person is the essentiall image of the father, and therefore he alone must take mans nature. 3. It was requisite that that person which was by nature the sonne of God, should be made the sonne of man, that we which are the sonnes of men, yea the sonnes of wrath, should by grace be made the sonnes of God: nowe the second person alone is the sonne of God by nature, not the father, nor the holy Ghost.

As for the father, he could not be incarnate. For to take flesh is to be sent of an other, but the father cannot be sent of any person, because hee is from none. Againe, if the father were incarnate, hee should be father to him which is by nature God, and the sonne of a creature, namely the Virgin Marie, which thinges can not well stand.

And the holy Ghost could not be incarnate: for then there should be more sonnes then one in the Trinitie, namely the second person the sonne of the father, and the third person the holy Ghost, the sonne of the Virgin Marie.

It may be obiected to the contrarie on this manner, The whole diuine essence is incarnate, eueryevery person in Trinitie is the whole diuine essence, therefore eueryevery person is incarnate. Answer. The whole Godhead indeede is incarnate, yet not as it is absolutely considered, but so farfoorth as it is restrained and limited to the person of the sonne; and to speake properly, the Godheade it selfe is not incarnate, but the very person of the sonne subsisting in the Godhead. And though all the persons be one and the same essence, yet doe they really differ each from other in regard of the peculiar manner of subsisting: and therefore mans nature may be assumed of the second person, and be not assumed either of the father or of the holy Ghost; as in the like case the soule of man is wholly in the head and wholly in the feet, yea wholly in eueryevery part: and yet the soule can not be said to vse reason in the feete or in any other part, but onelyonly in the head.

Againe it may be alledged, that the incarnation beeing an outward action of God to the creature, is not proper to the sonne. For the rule is, that all outward actions of God are common to al the persons in Trinitie equally. Ans. The incarnation stands of two actions, the first is the framing & creating of that manhoode which was to be assumed by Christ:Inchoativè communis, termi…alivè non: sic scholastici. & this is cōmon to all the three persons equally: the second is the limiting or the receiuing of it into the vnitie of any person, and in respect of this action, the worke of incarnation is peculiar to the Sonne. To this purpose Augustine speaketh,August. in Euch. ad Laur. c. 38. that creature which the Virgin conceiued & br…ught▪ foorth, though it appertaine to the person of the sonne alone, yet was it made by the whole Trinitie: as whē three mē weaue one and the same garment, and the second onelyonly weares it.

The second question is, what manner of man the sonne of God was made? Ans. He was made a proper or particular man, and a perfect or a very man. I say that he was a particular man, to shew that he tooke not vntounto him the generall forme or idea of mans nature cōceiued onelyonly in mind, nor the cōmon nature of man as it is existing in eueryevery man: but the whole nature of man▪ that is, both a bodie and a reasonable soule, existing in bIn vno individ…o.one particular subiect. I say further that he was and is a true and perfect man, beeing in eueryevery thing that concerns mans nature like to Adam, Abraham, Dauid, and all other men, sauing onelyonly in sinne. For first of all hee had the substance of a true bodie and of a reasonable soule: secondly, the properties of bodie & soule: in the body, length, breadth, thicknes, circumscription, &c. …n the soule, the faculties of vnderstanding both simply and compounde: will, affections; as louelove, hatred, desire, ioy, feare, &c. the powers also of hearing, feeling, seeing, smelling, tasting, moouing, growing, eating, digesting, sleeping, &c. Thirdly, he tooke vntounto him the infirmities of mans nature, which are certaine naturall defects or passions in bodie or minde, as to be hungrie, thirstie, wearie, sadde and sorowfull, ignorant of some things, angrie, to increase in stature, and wisdome, and knowledge, &c. yet this which I say must be vnderstood with two caveats. The first is, that infirmities be either certaine vnblameable passions, or else such defects as are sinnes in themselues; nowe Christ takes the first onelyonly, and not the second. Secondly, infirmities be either generall, or personall; generall, which appertaine to the whole nature of man, and are to be found in eueryevery man that comes of Adam: as to be borne vnlearned, and subiect to naturall affections, as sorrowe, anger, &c. Personall, are such as appertaine to some particular men, and not to all, and arise of some priuate causes and particular iudgements of God, as to be borne a foole, to be sicke of an ague, consumption, dropsie, pleuresie, and such like diseases. Now the first sort be in Christ, and not the second: for as he tooke not the person of any man, but onelyonly mans nature, so was it sufficient for him to take vntounto him the infirmities of mans nature, though hee tooke not the priuate infirmities of any mans person. And the reason why Christ would put on not onelyonly the substance and faculties of a true man, but also his infirmities, was; that hee might shewe him selfe to be very man indeed, also that he might suffer for vsus both in bodie and soule, and that he might giuegive vsus an example of patience in bearing all manner of euill for Gods glorie and the good of our neighbour.

Now the things which may be alleadged to the contrarie for the infringing of the truth of Christs manhood, are of no moment. As first, because Christ appeared in the forme of a man in the old testament; beeing no man: therefore he did so at his comming in the newe testament: but the reason is not like. For Christ in the old testament as the angell of his father in some speciall affaires, tooke vntounto him the bodie of a man for some space of time;Gen. 18.9, 13. but he did not receiue it into the vnitie of his person; but laid it downe when the busines which he enterprised with men was ended. Now in the fulnes of time he came from heauen, as the angell of the covenant, and for that cause he was to vnite into his owne person the nature of man. And when as Paul saith that Christ came in the similitude of sinnefull flesh, his meaning is not to signifie,Rom. 8.3. that he was a man onelyonly in resemblance and shewe, but to testifie that beeing a true man indeede void of sinne, was content to abase himselfe to that condition in which he became like to a miserable sinner in bearing the punishment for our sinne. For Paul doth not say that he tooke vponupon him the similitude of flesh simply as it is flesh, but of the flesh of sinne or sinnefull flesh.

The third question is, why the sonne of God must become man? Answer. There be sundrie reasons of this point, and the most principall are these. First of all it is a thing that greatly standes with the iustice of God, that in that nature in which God was offended, in the same should be a made satisfaction to God for sinne: nowe sinne was committed in mans nature, Adam sinned first and in him all his posteritie: therefore it is very necessarie that in mans nature there should be a satisfaction made to Gods iustice, and therefore the sonne of God must needes abase himselfe and become man for our sakes. Secondly, by the right of creation eueryevery man is bounde in conscience to fulfull euen the very rigour and extremitie of the morall lawe. But considering man is nowe fallen from his first estate and condition, therefore it was requisite that the sonne of God should become man, that in mans nature hee might fulfill all righteousnes which the law doth exact at our handes. Thirdly, hee that is our redeemer must die for our sinnes; for their is no remission of sinnes without shedding of bloode: but Christ as he is God can not die. For no passion can befall the Godhead. Therefore it was needefull that hee should become man, that in mans nature hee might die and fully satisfie Gods iustice for mans offence. Lastly hee that must make reconciliation betweene God and man, must be such an one as may make request or speake both to God and man. For a Mediatour is as it were a middle person making intercession betweene two other persons, the one offended the other offending. Therefore it is necessarie that Christ should not onelyonly be God, to speake vntounto the father for vsus and to present our praiers vntounto him; but also man, that God might speake to vsus, and we to God by Christ. For howsoeuer before the fal, man could speake to God euen face to face, yet since the fall, such feare possesseth mans corrupt nature that he cannot abide the presence of God, but flieth from it.

Nowe whereas I say that it was necessarie that the sonne of God for the causes before alleadged must become man; the necessitie must be vnderstood in respect of Gods will, and not in respect of his power. For if it had so pleased God hee was able to hauehave laide downe an other kinde of way of mans redemption, then by the incarnation of the sonne of God:August. de Agone Christ. and he appointed no other way, because he would not.

Thus much of the Incarnation in generall. Now followe the duties vvhichwhich arise of it. And first vvee are taught hereby to come to Christ by faith, and vvith all our heartes to cleaue unto him. Great is the deadnesse and sluggishnesse of mans nature: for scarse one of a thousande cares for him or seekes unto him for righteousnesse and life euerlasting. But wee shoulde excite our selues euerie vvay to dravve neare to him as much as possibly vvee may: for when hee was incarnate, hee came neare unto us by taking our nature upon him, that wee againe whatsoeuer wee are, might come neare unto him by taking unto us his divine nature. Againe,2. Pet. 1.4. when Christ was incarnate, he was made bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh; & therfore proportionally we must labour to become bone of his bone, & flesh of his flesh: which we shall be, when we are mistically united unto him by faith, & born anew by his spirit. Moreouer Christ by his incarnation came down frō heauen to vsus, that we being partakers of his grace might ascend vp to heauen by him. And thus we see how the meditation of Christs incarnation should be a spurre to pricke vsus forwarde still more and more to come to Christ.

Secondly, Christs incarnation must be a patterne vntounto vsus of a most wonderfull and straunge humilitie. For as Paul saith, Beeing in the forme of God and thinking it no robberie to be equall with God, Phil. 2.6, 7.made himselfe of no reputation, and tooke on him the forme of a seruant: and humbled himselfe and became obedient to death, euen to the death of the crosse. Yea so farrefoorth abased hee himselfe, that (as David saith) he was a worme and no man. Psal. 22.And this teacheth vsus to lay aside all selfe-louelove and pride of heart, and to practise the dueties of humilitie, as the Apostle exhorts the Philippians in the same place: and that shall wee doe when we beginne to cast off that high opinion which eueryevery man by nature conceiueth of himselfe, & become vile & base in our own eyes. Secure and drowsie protestants thinke themselues blessed, and say in their hearts as the Angell of the Church of Laodicea said, I am rich and increased with golde, and hauehave neede of nothing;Rev. 3▪17. whereas indeede they are most miserable and wretched, and poore, and naked, and blinde. And the same fond opinion possesseth the mindes of our ignorant people, who chaunt it in the very same tune, saying, that God loues them, and that they louelove God with all their hearts, and their neighbours as them selues: that they hauehave perfect faith in Christ, and euer had, not once so much as doubting of their saluation: that all is well with them, and that they are past all daunger whatsoeuer, in the matter of their saluation, and therefore neede not take so much▪ care for it. Thus ye may see how men are commonly carried away with vain and fond conceits of their own excellencie. And truely so long as this ouerweening of our owne righteousnes raignes in our hearts, let Preachers speake and say what they will, wee will neuer become followers of Christ in the practise of humilitie. Some will say peradventure, that they neuer had any such opinion of their owne righteousnesse; but I answeare againe, that there was never yet any man descending of Adam, saue Christ; but hee had this proude phantasie ruling and raigning in him, till such time as God giuegive grace to chaunge and altar his heart: and this inwarde pride the lesse wee discerne it, the more it is: and the more we discerne it the lesse it is. Therefore though as yet thou see it not in thy selfe, yet labour both to see it and to feele it, and to striue against it, casting downe thy selfe for thine owne miserie after Christes owne example, who beeing God abased him selfe to the condition of a miserable man. For thou shalt neuer be filled with the good things of God, till thou be emptied of selfe-louelove and selfe-liking. For this cause let us purge and emptie our selues of all conceit of our owne righteousnesse that God may fill our heartes with his grace.

Furthermore, the Incarnation of Christ is the ground and foundation of all our comforte, as the names of Christ seruing to expresse the same doe testifie. Iaakob in his last testament saieth,Gen. 49.10. that the scepter shall not depart from Iudah till Shilo, that is, the Messias come. Now the name Shilo signifieth the tunicle or skinne that lappeth the infante in the mothers wombe,P. Galatin. de occultis cathol. verit. lib. 4. cap. 4. called by the Phisitians the Secundine: and by a kinde of figure it is put for the Sonne of God in the wombe of the virgine made man. And Iob to comforte him-selfe in his affliction saieth, I knovve that my redeemer liveth. Now the worde which he useth to signifie his redeemer by,Goel. is verie emphaticall, for it signifieth a kinsman neere allyed vntounto him of his owne flesh that will restore him to life. And the Lorde by the prophet Esai calleth Christ Immanuel, that is, God with vsus: which name importeth verie much, namely, that whereas by nature we hauehave lost our fellowshippe with God, because our sinnes are a wall of partition severing vsus from him:Isai. 59.2. Coloss. 1.21. yet neverthelesse the same is restored to all that beleeue by the Mediatour Christ Iesus: because his divine nature is coupled to mans nature, and so the word is made flesh. And this strait coniunction of two natures into one person, ioynes God to men and men to God: yea by Christ wee are brought to God and hauehave free accesse unto him, and againe in him wee apprehend God and are made one with him.

And further whereas Christ beside our nature tooke our infirmities also, it is a wonderfull comforte unto Gods Church: for it shewes, that hee is not onelyonly a Sauiour, but also a verie compassionate and pitifull Sauiour. As the holy ghost saith, In all things it became Christ to be like vntounto his breethren that hee might be mercifull and a faithfull high priest in things concerning God. Hebr· 21.7.Let a man be sicke of a grievous disease, and if a friend come that hath hene troubled with the same disease, hee will shewe more compassion then twentie others: and so Christ hauing felt in his owne soule and bodie the anguish and the manifolde perplexities that wee feele in our temptations and afflictions, hath his bowels as it were earning towards vsus, euermore being prest and readie to relieve vsus in all our miseries. In the daies of his flesh he wept ouer Ierusalem when he saw it a farre off, because she continued in her old sins, & did not know the time of her visitation: and no doubt, though now hee be exalted in glorie in heauen, yet his compassion to his poore members upon earth is no whit diminished.

Nowe wee come to speake of the incarnation more particularly: and the Creede yet further expresseth it by two partes; the first is the conception of Christ in these wordes, Conceived by the holy Ghost: the second is his birth, in the words following, Borne of the virgine Mary.

The conception of Christ is set downe with his efficient cause, the holy ghost, as the Angell saide to Ioseph, Feare not to take Marie for thy wife, for that vvhichwhich is conceived in her is of the holy ghost. Here it may be demanded why the conception of Christ shoulde be ascribed to the holy ghost alone,Matt. 1.21. which is common to all the persons in Trinitie, as all other such actions are. Ansvvere. It is not done to exclude the Father or the Sonne himselfe from this worke: but to signifie that it comes of the free gifte and grace of God (which commonly is tearmed by the name of the Holy Ghost: that the manhoode of Christ being but a creature, shoulde be advaunced to this dignitie,Aug. ench. cap. 37.39. that it shoulde become a parte of the sonne of God. And againe, the Holy Ghost is the authour of this conception in a speciall manner: for the father and the sonne did cause it by the holy Ghost: but the holy ghost did cause it from them both immediatly.

In the conception of Christ wee must obserue and consider three things. The framing of the manhoode, the sanctifying of it, and the personall union of the manhoode with the godheade. And howsoeuer I distinguish these three for orders sake, yet must wee knowe and remember, that they are all wrought at one and the same instant of time. For when the Holy Ghost frames and sanctifies the manhood in the wombe of the virgine: at the verie same moment it is receiued into the unitie of the second person.

In the forming of Christes manhoode two things must be considered, the matter and the maner: the matter of his body was the very flesh and bloud of the virgine Marie; otherwise he could not hauehave beene the sonne of David, of Abraham, and Adam according to the flesh. As for his soule, it was not deriued from the soule of the virgine Mary as a part therof, but it was made as the soules of all other men be, of nothing by the power of God, and placed in the bodie; both of them from the first moment of their being, hauing their subsistance in the person of the sonne. And here vve must take heede of two opinions: the first is of the Anabaptists, which hold, that the flesh of Christ came downe from heauen, and passed through the virgine Marie as through a pipe, without taking any substance from her: the places which they alledge for their purpose are manifestly abused. For whereas Christ saith of himselfe that he descended from heavē, his speech must be understood in respect of his godheade,Ioh. 3.13. which may be saide in some sorte to descend, in that it was made manifest in the manhoode here upon earth. And vvhereas Paul calleth him heavenly & the Lorde from heaven, it is not in respect of the substance of his bodie,1. Cor. 15. but in respect of the glorious qualities which he received after this resurrection. The other opinion is of the Papistes that hold the bread in the sacrament to be turned substantially into the bodie of Christ: which thing if it be true, then the bodie of Christ is made of bread kneaded and tempered by the hand of the baker, and not of the substance of the virgine Mary.

As for the manner of the making and framing of the humane nature of Christ, it was miraculous▪ not by generation according to the ordinarie course of nature, but by an extraordinarie operation of the holy Ghost aboue nature: and for this cause it is not within the compasse of mans reason either to conceiue or to expresse the manner and order of this conception.Luk. 1.35, The Angell ascribes two actions to the holy Ghost in this matter; the one to come upon the virgine Marie;Iud. 14.6. the other, to overshadovv her: by the first is signified the extraordinarie worke of the holy ghost in fashioning the humane nature of Christ, for so much the phrase else-where importeth. The seconde signifieth,Act. 1.8. Luk. 24.49. that the holy ghost did as it were cast a cloud ouer hir, to teach vsus, that we should not search over much into the mysterie of the Incarnation.

It may be obiected against this which hath beene saide, that if Christ be in this manner conceiued by the holy Ghost, then the holy ghost shalbe father to Christ, and Christ his sonne. Answer. The reason is not good. For hee that is a father is not a bare efficient cause, but one which in the effecting of any thing conferres the matter vntounto it from him selfe whereof it shall be made. Now the holy ghost did not minister any matter vntounto Christ from his owne substance; but did onelyonly as it were, take the masse and lumpe of mans nature from the bodie of the virgine Mary, and without ordinarie generation made it the bodie of Christ: as Basill saieth, Christ was conceiued not of the substance, Serm. de S. na…ivit▪but of the power, not by any generation, but by the appointment and benediction of the holy ghost.

The second pointe in the conception is the sanctifying of that masse or lumpe which was to be the manhood of Christ. And that was done upon speciall cause: first, tha… that it might be ioned to the person of the Sonne which coulde not hauehave beene if it had beene defiled with sinne. Secondly, Christ was a Saviour as hee is both God and man: now then beeing man, if hee had beene sinnefull himselfe, he could not hauehave saued others, but should hauehave stood in need of a Saviour for himselfe.

This sanctification hath two partes: the first is, the stay and stoppage of the propagation of originall sinne, and of the guilt of Adams sinne; which was on this manner. God in the beginning set downe this order touching man, that what euill or defect soever he brought upon himselfe, hee shoulde deriue the same to euerie one of his posteritie begotten of him: and hereupon when any father begets his childe, hee is in the roome of Adam, and conveyes unto it besides the nature of man the verie guilt and corruption of nature. Now for the preuenting of this euill in Christ, God in great wisdome appointed that hee should be conceiued by the holy ghost without any manner of generation by man. And by this meanes he takes substance from the virgine without the guilte and corruption of the substance. But it may further be obiected thus. All that be in Adam hauehave sinned in him: but Christ was in Adam as hee is man: therefore he sinned in him. Answer. The proposition is false, vnlesse it be expounded in this manner: All that were in Adam hauehave sinned in him so be it they come of him by generation. Paul saith not, that, out of one man, but, by one man sinne entred into the world, to shewe,Rom. 5.12. that hee propagates his corruption to no more then he begets. Againe, Christ is in Adam not simply as other men are, but in part: namely in respect of substance which hee tooke from him, and not in respect of the propagation of the substance by ordinarie generation: other men are both from Adam and by Adam, but Christ is from him alone and not by him as a begetter or procreant cause. The second parte of sanctification is the infusion of all purenes and holinesse into the manhood of Christ, so farre forth as was meete for the nature of a redeemer.

The duties to be learned hence are these: First, whereas Christ was sanctified in the wombe of the virgine Mary, we likewise must labour to be sanctified in our selues, following the commandement of God, Be ye holy as I am holy. 1. Ioh. 3.3.S. Iohn saith, that he which hath hope to be with Christ in glorie in heaven, purifieth him-selfe even as he is pure: no doubt setting before himselfe the exāple of Christ as a patterne to follow in all his waies. And because our hearts are as it were seas of corruptiōs, we must daily clense our selues of them by litle & litle, following the practise of the poore begger that is alwaies peecing and mending, and day by day pulles away some ragges and puts better cloath in the roome. And if we shall continually indeauour our selues to cast off the remnants of corruption that hang so fast on, and make a supply thereof by some new portions of Gods heavenly grace; we shalbe vessels of honour sanctified & meete for the Lorde, and prepared unto euerie good worke. Christ could not hauehave bin a fit sauiour for us vnlesse he had first of all bin sanctified: neither can we be fit members vntounto him, unlesse we be purged of our sinnes & in some measure truly sanctified.

The comfort which Gods people may reape of the sanctificatiō of Christs manhood is great. For why was he sanctified? Surely if we marke it well, we shal find it was for the good & benefit of his elect. For Adā & Christ be two roots as hath bin shewed. Adam by creation, first received Gods image, and after lost the same for himselfe & his posteritie. Now Christ to remooue the sinne of man is made the secōd Adam, & the roote and very head of all the elect. His manhoode was filled with holinesse aboue measure: that from thence as from a storehouse it might be deriued to all his members. And therefore by his most holy conception, our sinnefull birth and conception is sanctified, and his holinesse serves as a cover to hide our manifold corruptions frō the eyes of God. Yea it serues as a buckler to awarde the temptations of the deuill: for when he shal say to our hearts on this maner? no uncleane thing can enter into the kingdome of heauen; but thou by reason of the remnants of originall sinne art uncleane: therfore thou canst not enter into the kingdome of heauen: we returne our answere, saying, that Christs righteousnesse is our righteousnesse seruing to make us stand without blame or spot before God. And as Iacob put on Esaus garments that he might get his fathers blessing… so if by faith we doe put on the white garment of righteousnes of our elder brother Christ Iesus & present our selues in it unto our heauenly father, we shall obtaine his blessing, which is eternall happinesse.

Now remaines the third and last part of the conception, which is the uniō of the godhead & the manhood: concerning which, many pointes are particularly to be handled. The first is, what kind of union this is? Ans. In the Trinitie there be two sortes of unions: vnion in nature, and vnion in person. Vnion in nature is, when two or moe things are ioyned and united into one nature, as the Father, the Sonne, the holy ghost being and remaining three distinct persons, are one and the same in nature or godhead. Vnion in person is, when 2. things are in that maner vnited, that they make but one person or subsistance: As a body created by God & a reasonable soule ioyned both togither make one particular man as Peter, Paul, Iohn, &c. And this second, is the union whereof we intreat in this place: by which the second person in Trinitie the sonne of God did vnite unto himselfe the humane nature that is the body and soule of man: so as the godhead of the sonne and the manhoode concurring togither make but one person.

The second point is, in what thing this union doth consist. Ans. It consists in this, that the second person the sonne of God doeth assume unto it a manhod in such order, that it being void of all personall being in it selfe, doth wholly and onelyonly subsist in the same person. As the plante called Mi…tell having no roote of his owne both growes & liues in the stock or body of the Oke or some other tree:Viscum Matthiol▪ so the humane nature hauing no proper subsistance, is as it were ingrafted into the person of the sonne, and is wholly supported & sustained by it so as it should not be at all if it were not sustained in that manner. And for the better understanding of this point, we must consider, that there be foure degrees of the presence of God in his creatures. The first is his generall presence, and it may be called the presence of his providence,Act. 17.28. whereby he preserueth the substances of all creatures, and giueth unto them to liue, moove, and hauehave beeing: and this extendeth it selfe to all creatures good and bad. The second degree is the presence of grace, whereby he doeth not onelyonly preserue the substance of his creature, but also giueth grace unto it: and this agreeth to the Church and people of God upon earth. The third degree is the presence of glorie peculiar to the saints and Angels in heauen: and this standes in three things, for God not onelyonly preserues their substances, and giues them plenty of his grace, but also admittes them into his glorious presence, so as they may behold his maiestie face to face. The fourth and last is that, whereby the godhead of the sonne is present and dwelles with & in the manhood giuing unto it his owne subsistance. Wherby it comes to passe that this manhood assumed is proper to the sonne, and cannot be the manhoode of the father, or of the Holy Ghost, or of any creature whatsoeuer. And this is a thing so admirable and so unspeakeable, that among all the workes of God there can not be found another example hereof in all the world.

Hence it followeth necessarily that the manhoode of Christ consisting of bodie and reasonable soule, is a nature onelyonly and not a person: because it doth not subsist alone as other men, Peter, Paul, Iohn doe; but wholly dependes on the person of the worde, into the unitie whereof it is receiued.

The third point is, in what order the divine and humane nature of Christ are vnited togither.Damasc. lib. 3. cap. 6. Cyprian. in symb. Answere. The common consent of divines is, that, albeit all the partes of the manhoode and the godhead of Christ be united at one instant: yet in respect of order hee unites unto himselfe first and immediatly the soule, and by the soule the body. For it seemes not to be meete that God being a most simple essence should immediatly be ioyned to a compound bodie: and therefore he is united unto it by the more simple parte of man, which is the soule. Againe the manhood of Christ is first and immediatly ioyned to the person of the sonne himselfe, and by the person to the godhead of the sonne.

The fourth point is, whether there remaine any difference or diuersitie of the two natures after that the union is made. Answer. The two natures concurring make not the person of the sonne to be compounded properly, but onelyonly by analogie: for as bodie and soule make one man, so god and man make one Christ: neither are they turned one into another, the godhead into the manhood or the manhoode into the godhead, as water was turned into wine at Cana in Galile: nether are they confused and mingled togither as meates in the stomacke: but they are and so remaine without composition, conversion, or confusion really distinct and that in three respectes. First in regard of essence. For the godhead of Christ is the godhead and can not be the manhood: and againe, the manhood of Christ is the manhood and not the godhead. Secondly they are distinguished in proprieties: the godhead is most wise, iust, mercifull, omnipotent: yea wisdome, iustice, merciemercy, and power it selfe: and so is not the manhood, neither can it be. Againe, Christ as hee is God hath his will eternall and uncreated, which is all one with the will of the father and the holy ghost. And as hee is man he hath another will created in time, and placed in his reasonable soule: and this Christ signifieth when he saith, Not my will but thy will be done. Thirdly, they are distinct in their actions or operations; which though they go together inseparably in the worke of redemption: yet they must in no wise be confounded but distinguished as the natures themselues are. Christ saieth of himselfe, I have povver to lay downe my life, Ioh. 10.…8.and I hauehave power to take it up againe: and hereby he shewes the distinction of operations in his two natures. For to lay downe his life is an action of the manhoode, because the godhead can not die: and to take it up againe is the worke of the godhead alone, which reunites the soule to the bodie after death.

The first and last point is, what ariseth of this union? Ans. By reason of this hypostaticall union, though the godheade receiue nothing from the manhoode, yet the manhoode it selfe, which is assumed, is thereby perfected and enriched with unspeakeable dignitie. For first of all it is exalted aboue all creatures whatsoeuer, euen angels themselues, in that it hath subsistance in the second person in Trinitie. Secondly, togither with the godhead of the sonne, it is adored and worshipped with diuine honour, as in like case the honour done to the king himselfe, redounds to the crowne on his head. Thirdly by reason of this union, the godheade of Christ works all things in the matter of our redemptiō, in & by the manhood. And hereupon the flesh of Christ though it profit nothing of it selfe, yet by the vertue which it receiueth from that person to which it is ioyned, it is quickning flesh and the bread of life.

Againe from this union of two natures into one person ariseth a kind of speech or phrase peculiar to the scriptures, called the communication of proprieties when the propertie of one nature is attributed to the whole person or to the other nature, as when Paul saith, that God shed his blood, that the Lord of glorie was crucified. Act. …0.28. 1. Cor. 2.8. Ioh. 3.13.And when Christ saith that he talking with Nichodemus was then in heauen.

The use of the personall union is threefold. First it serues to shew the heinousnesse of our sinnes, and the greatnesse of our miserie. For it had not bene possible to make a satisfaction to Gods iustice in mans nature for the least offence, vnlesse the same nature had first of all bene neerely ioyned to the godhead of the sonne; that thereby it might be so far forth supported and sustained that it might ouercome the wrath of God. Secondly it sets forth unto us the endles louelove of God to man. For whereas by reason of Adams fall wee are become the vilest of all creatures, except the deuill and his angels: yet by his mysticall coniunction, our nature is is exalted to such an estate and condition as is farre aboue all creatures euen the angels themselues. Thirdly it is as it were the keye of all our comfort: for all sound comfort standes in happinesse, all happinesse is in fellowship with God, all fellowshippe with God is by Christ, who for this cause beeing verie God, became verie man, that he might reconcile man to God and God to man.

Thus much of the conception of Christ: now followes his birth: whereby in the ordinarie time of trauell according to the course of nature hee was brought forth into the world by the virgin Mary. And it was the will of God,Luk. 2.6. that Christ should not onelyonly be conceiued, but also borne, and that after the maner of men, that hee might be knowen to be verie man indeede. In the birth we may consider foure things; the time, the place, the manner, the manifestation of it.

The time was in the last daies, toward the end of the 70. weeks of Daniel,Isai. 2.2. Dan. 9.2…. which are to be accoūted from the end of the captivitie of Babylō, & make in all 490 yeres: or more plainely 3900. yeeres and more from the beginning of the world, and as Paul saith in the fulnesse of time. And the Euangelists hauehave noted of purpose the time to hauehave bene when Augustus Caesar taxed the Iewes and all nations under his dominions;Gal. 4.4. Luk. 2▪1.to signifie that Christ was borne at the verie time foretold by Iacob, when the crowne and scepter was taken from Iuda: and withall, to shevve that his kingdome was not of this world. And it vvas the good pleasure of god that Christ should not be borne either later or sooner, but so many ages from the beginning of the worlde. And this consideration of the verie time it selfe serues greatly for the confirmation of our faith. For thus may vve reason vvith our selues. If God vvho in the beginning made a promise to our first parents concerning the seede of the woman, deferred it almost 4000. yeres, and yet at length accomplished the same to the verie full: then no doubt God hauing promised the resurrection of the dead and life everlasting, will in his good time bring them to passe, though as yet wee see them not. And thus by the accōplishment of al things past, should we confirme our hope concerning things to come.

The place vvas not Hierusalem nor Nazareth, nor any other citie, but onelyonly a village of Iuda called Bethleem, that the prophesie of Micheas might be fulfilled, Thou Bethleem Ephrata art little to be among the thousandes of Iuda, yet out of thee shall he come forth vntounto me, that shall be the ruler in Israell. And here vve may obserue a memorable example of Gods prouidence vvhichwhich ouer-ruleth the procedings of cruell tirants, to the accomplishing of his owne will, they themselues for their parts intending nothing lesse. Augustus not so much as dreaming of the birth of the Messias, gaue commandement that eueryevery man shoulde goe to his owne city to be taxed: and hereupon Ioseph and Mary take their iourny from Nazareth to Bethleem: which iourney God himselfe appointed and disposed to this end, that the Messias might be borne in the place which he preordained and foretold by his prophet.

The manner of Christs birth was verie base and poore: for the place where hee was borne was a stable, and the cradle where he lay was a cratch. And he willingly tooke upon him this povertie for sundry causes. I. That the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, that he should be the shame and contempt of the people:Psal. 22.6. and that ye shall grow vp as a roote out of a drie ground and have neither fourme nor beauty. Isa. 53.2.II. That hee might afterward from this base condition be exalted euen in his manhood to that rich and glorious estate in which he should manifest himselfe to be Lord of heauen and earth. III. He was borne in exceeding pouertie that he might shame the wise men of this worlde, who exceedingly esteeme of their riches, power, and glorie, perswading themselues that without such meanes no good thing can be done. And yet for all this they can not so much as reconcile one man to God by all their might and wealth: whereas Christ himselfe hath done the same both in povertie and weakenesse; and can enlarge and preserue his kingdome without earthly helpes. When he hung upon the crosse the soldiers stript him of his garments: and beeing naked he brought that to passe which all the monarches of the earth in all their roialties could neuer hauehave perfourmed. And whether Christ lie in the manger betweene the Oxe and the Asse, or in the pallace of the king, it matters not in regard of our saluation. IIII. He came in this maner that there might be a difference betweene his first comming in the flesh and his last comming to iudgement. In the first he came onelyonly for this end, not to make any outward alterations in the worlde, but to change the conscience and to put in execution the worke of our spirituall redemption: and therfore he hath reserued the ouerturning of all earthly estates with the manifestation of his owne glorie to the latter. V. Lastly hee was borne in a poore estate that hee might procure true riches for vsus in heauen: and withall, sanctifie vntounto us our pouertie upon earth. As Paul saith, Ye know the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ, 2. Cor. 8.….that he being rich for your sakes became poore, that ye through his povertie might be made rich. Hee was content to lie in the manger that wee might rest in heauen.

This serues to teach us to be content to beare any mean condition that the Lorde shall sende upon vsus: for this is the verie estate of the sonne of God him-selfe. And if for our cause he did not refuse the basest condition that euer was, why should we murmure at the same: for what is the best of vsus but miserable sinners, and therefore utterly unworthy either to goe or lie upon the bare earth? and though wee fare and lie better then our Lorde himselfe; yet such is our daintinesse, we are not pleased therewith: whereas hee for his part disdained not the manger of the Oxe. And if the Lord of heauen and earth comming into the worlde finde so little entertainment or fauour, we for our parts being his members, should willingly prepare our selues to take as hard measure at the hands of men.

The last point is the manifestation of Christes birth that it might be knowen to the worlde.Luk. …. Where consider two circumstances, the first, to whome? namely to poore shepheards tending their flockes by night, and not to great or mightie men, louers of this worlde, nor to the priests of Ierusalem contemners of Gods grace; and that for two causes: one, because the shepheards were the fittest persons to publish the same at Bethleem: the other, it was Gods pleasure to manifest that in the birth of Christ which Paul saith, Not many wise men after the flesh, not many mightie, 1. Cor. 1.27.not many noble are called: but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. The second is, by whome? by the angell of the Lorde appearing in great glorie unto the shepheardes. For the priests of Ierusalem and the rulers of the synagogues, to whome this office did belong, helde their peace, beeing blinded in their manifolde errours and wicked waies.

The duties to be learned of the birth of Christ are these. First wee are admonished hereby to magnifie and praise the name of God, saying with Mary, My soule doth magnifie the Lord, and my spirite reioyceth in God my saviour. And with Zacharie, Blessed be the Lorde God of Israel for he hath visited and redeemed his people. And with the angell of the Lord, Glory to God in the highest heavens. For in this birth is made manifest the wisedome, the truth, the iustice and merciemercy, and goodnes of God towards us, more then euer it was before: yea as Christ God and man, is more excellent then the first Adam created according to Gods own image, and as the spirituall life is better then the naturall life, and as the eternall and most holy mariage of Christ the husband and his spouse the Church rising as it were out of the bloode that trickled out of his side, is more wonderfull then the creation of Eue of the rib of Adam. Lastly, as it is a far greater matter by death to overcome death, and to turne it into eternall life, then to command that to exist and be which was not before: so is the worke of redemption begun in the birth of Christ more unspeakeable and admirable then the first creation of man. Hereupon not 6. cherubims as in the vision of Isaiah, not 24. elders as in the Apocalyps, but a great multitude of Angels like armies were heard to praise God at the birth of Christ:Luk. 2.13. and no doubt the like sight was not seene since the beginning of the world. And the angels by their example put vsus in minde to consider aright of this benefite, and to praise God for it. But alas, this practise is verie rare in this fruitlesse and barren age of the worlde, where sinne and iniquitie abounds, as may be seene by experience for by an old custom we reteine still in the Church the feast of the nativity of Christ, so commonly called: which neuerthelesse is not spent in praising the name of God that he hath sent his sonne from his owne bosome to be our redeemer, but contrariwise in rifling, dicing, carding, masking, mumming, & in all licentious libertie for the most part, as though it were some heathen feast of Ceres or Bacchus.

Secondly Christ was conceiued and borne in bodily maner, that there might be a spirituall conception and birth of him in our hearts, as Paul saith,Gal. 4.19. My litle children of whome I travell till Christ be formed in you: and that is, when we are made new creatures by Christ and performe obedience to our creatour. When the people said to Christ that his mother and his brethren sought him, he answered, He that doth the will of God is my brother, my sister and mother. Mar. 13.3….Therefore let us go with the shepheards to Bethleem, and finding our blessed sauiour swadled and lying in the cratch, let us bring him thence and make our owne heartes to be his cradle: that we may he able to say that we liue not, but Christ liues in vsus: and let vsus present unto him ourselues, our bodies and soules as the best gold, myrrhe and frankincense that may be: and thus conceiuing him by faith, he remaining without change, we shalbe changed into him and made bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh. The world, I know, neuer so much as dreameth of this kind of conception and birth, for as Dauid saith, Men travell with wickednesse, conceive mischiefe, & bring forth a lye. And S. Iames saith,Psal. 7.14. Iam. 1.1…. Men are drawn away by their owne concupiscense, which when it hath conceived bringeth forth sinne. And these are the ougly and monstrous birthes of these daies. But let us, I pray you, contrariwise waile and mourne for the barrennesse of our heartes that doe so little conceiue the grace of Christ in heart, and bring it foorth in action. The mother of Christ vndoubtedly was a blessed woman: but if shee had not as well conceiued Christ in her heart as shee did in her womb, shee had not beene saved: and no more can wee, unlesse we doe the same.

The birth of Christ to them that hauehave touched hearts, is the comfort of comforts, and the sweetest balme or confection that euer was. Behold say the angel to the shepheards we bring tidirgs of great ioy that shalbe to all people: but wherein stands the ioy? they adde further,Rom. 5.1. vntounto you this day is borne in the citie of Dauid a Sauiour, which is Christ the Lord. And no maruaile: for in that birth is manifested the good will of God to man, and by it wee hauehave peace, first with God, secondly with our selues in cōscience, thirdly with the good angels of God, fourthly with our enemies: lastly, with all the creatures. For this cause the angels sang, Peace on earth, good will towards men.

In the last place the Creede notes unto us the parent or mother of Christ, the virgine Mary. And here at the verie first it may be demanded, how he could hauehave either father or mother; because he was figured by Melchisedech who had neither father nor mother. Ans. Melchisedech is said to be without father & mother,Heb. 7.3. not because he had none at all. For according to the ancient and receiued opinion, it is verie likely that he was Sem the son of Noe:Hier. epist. ad Euagr. but because where he is mencioned under this name of Melchisedech in the 14. chapter of Genes. there is no mention made either of father or mother: and so Christ in some sort is without father or mother: as he is man he hath no father, as he is God he hath no mother. And whereas Christ is called the son of Ioseph,Mat. 13.55. Ioh. 1.45. & 6.52. Luk. 4.22. it was not because he was begottē of him, but because Ioseph was his reputed father: or, which is more; because hee was a legall father, namely according to the Iewes laws: in that (as sundry divines think) he was the next of his kin, and therfore to succeed him as his lawfull heire.

Exposition of the Apostles Creed, Text (4 of 13)