The Christian Sacrifice, Part 4 · Christmas
On the Feaſt of the Nativity, OR Chriſtmas-Day.
The Meditation before.
WHat amazing News is this! What an aſtoniſhing piece of love! That the King of Kings who needed nothing, and is able by his Omnipotent word to command more Creatures into being (if he wanted any ſubjects) than we can think of while we live, ſhould ſend a kind Embaſſage of peace, to us vile worms, ſinful duſt and aſhes. To us who were unworthy of a gracious look from him, ſhould we have beſought his favour; to us that had highly affronted his Sovereign Authority and Sacred Laws, he hath diſpatched a glorious Meſſage, as if we were the greateſt perſons, and ſo many little Gods. And had it not been too great an honour for us to think of, if he had ſent one of his meaneſt ſervants in the Heavenly Court to viſit us? Or if he had bidden an illuſtrious Seraphim, to come and comfort, and chear us by his bright appearance, or one of the Cherubims to flye all over the Earth, and make proclamation in their ears, that the King of Heaven would be reconciled to his rebellious ſubjects; Would it not have filled the whole world with wonder, and made all mankind ſtand at a gaze, to ſee themſelves ſo highly favoured? O what a grace then was it, that God ſhould ſend his Son, his only begotten Son, the Prince and Sovereign Lord of all that Heavenly hoſt, upon this buſineſs of reconciliation? See, my Soul, that which aſtoniſhes not men only, but Angels themſelves, who proclamed the birth of this Prince of life, with the loudeſt ſhouts of joy, ſaying, Glory be to God on high, Luke 2.14and on Earth peace, good will towards men. Towards men do they ſay? Lord, what are they, that thou ſhouldeſt put this honour on them? What are the greateſt and nobleſt men on Earth? What is their excellency and worth, that ſuch addreſſes ſhould be made unto them? O joyn thy ſelf, my Soul, as well as thou art able, with thoſe bright morning-Stars that ſang for joy, when the foundation of the new world was laid, and ſay; Glory be to the eternal majeſty of Heaven and Earth, who poſſeſſes all things, and can ſuffer nothing; that he would deign to ſend to us his poor ſubjects. Glory be to his Almighty love, who ſo loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoſoever believeth in him, ſhould not periſh, Joh. 3.17.but have everlaſting life. For God ſent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be ſaved. O bleſſed Jeſus, how ardent, how powerful was that love, which brought thee down, from the Heavenly company above, to us here on Earth; yea,Epheſ. 4.9; Pſal. 139; 15. to the lower-moſt parts of the Earth? To be cloathed with our rags, to dwell in our mortal fleſh, in the likeneſs of ſinful fleſh? Mighteſt thou not at leaſt have been apparelled like the beſt of men, and been found in the habit and faſhion of the nobleſt of us: but thou wouldeſt alſo condeſcend to the form of a ſervant? that the moſt deſpicable of all mankind might never ſuſpect they ſhould be deſpiſed by the King of glory? O what an humble love was this, to us moſt wretched ſinners? What heart can conceive the infinite force of it? How infinitely is it above all words? We do but declare, that we know little of it, if we are able to talk much about it. It is fit for our wonder and ſilent admiration: for adoring thoughts, and devout exſtaſies of love. Only I will go, and declare, in the aſſemblies of his people, theſe wonderful works of the Lord: and publiſh his goodneſs, with the voice of thankſgiving and praiſe.
Lord, what new wonder is that, which there I behold! This glorious perſon, murdered by his ſubjects. The new born Prince of the world, the Heir of all things, caught, Matth. 21.39.and caſt out, and ſlain by thoſe to whom he was ſent to demand their obedience. O the miraculous wiſdom of this love! That he ſhould be born and come among us to die for us! and take our fleſh that he might offer it on the Croſs, and make peace and reconciliation by being ſlain, and ſhedding his bloud! Go, my Soul, and ſhew forth his death to Angels and Men. For this is the up-ſhot of his love, that while we were yet ſinners, Chriſt would die for us. By this he hath made an atonement for us; by this he hath obtained an Eternal Redemption; with this offering God is well ſatisfied; and by this he hath exalted our Nature to the right hand of God, that he may always appear in his preſence for us. With what love, and joy, and zeal ſhould we commemorate this never to be forgotten love! With what hearty affection ſhould we offer our ſelves to him! How glad ſhould we be of this new opportunity to vow to him our obedience! With what tender love ſhould we embrace all our Brethren, who are fleſh of our fleſh, and bone of our bone, as he is! And how comfortably may we hope that God will be gracious to us, who hath not only ſent his Son to make his abode among us, but alſo to lay down his life for us! Let us go and bleſs his name, that to us a Son is born, to us a Child is given, even Chriſt the Lord: that he hath …aiſed up a mighty Salvation for us; and hath redeemed us out of the hands of all our enemies, that we might ſerve him without fear all the days of our life. And let us receive theſe earneſts and pledges of his good will, as hopeful aſſurances; that he will never end his love till he hath conveyed us thither, where Jeſus is. But how ſhall we come there, unleſs it be in thoſe ſteps whereby he aſcended from Earth to Heaven? Go therefore and offer to him an heart of fleſh, to be moulded and framed into what figure he pleaſes. Deſire him to form his own image in thee; to ſubdue thee perfectly to his will, that it may be thy meat and drink to do it, and to finiſh the work he hath for thee in the world. Think thou heareſt him ſay, as Abimelech to the men of Schechem, to move them to elect him for their King; Remember that I am your bone and your fleſh. Judg. 9.2.Behold, my body which I took for your ſake. See here how dear you were to me: and how nearly related I ſtand, to every Soul of you. Will you not ſuffer me to rule over you? Such a Lord as is ſo much concerned for you? Will you not be governed by me, that am your Brother, as well as your Lord? And then, me-thinks, we ſhould all anſwer with one accord; other Lords have reigned over us: but now, none but thou, O Chriſt; none but thou, O Chriſt. Rule and reign over us for ever; for we are thy Servants.
The Prayer before.
O Eternal God; the Soveraign Lord of all creatures, both in heaven and earth: who art before all things, and on whom they all depend. To whom we owe all honour and homage, all love and dutiful affection, all praiſe and thanks, ſervice and obedience, throughout our whole life. I acknowledg, O Lord, that I am never more unjuſt, than when I do not render all this moſt freely and chearfully unto thee. I cannot deny the debt wherein I ſtand engaged; though I have too often denyed to pay it. For thou haſt raiſed me out of the duſt; and preſerved me from returning thither again. Thou haſt richly loaden me with thy benefits; endued me with principles of wiſdom, righteouſneſs and goodneſs; made a world of good things to wait upon me and miniſter to me; and expecteſt only reaſonable ſervice, and an eaſy obedience from me: which thou haſt ſent thy Son to demand, and to entreat, and to give me an example of. This is the ſurpaſſing heighth of thy love, that thou waſt pleaſed not to deſpiſe and reject us, when we had deſpiſed all thy former favours: but even to aſſume our Nature into an inconceivable nearneſs to thy own; and ſend thy Son Jeſus to ſeek and ſave us, when we were loſt. I adore thine infinite condiſcention, O bleſſed Jeſus,Heb. 2.11, 14. who art not aſhamed to call us Brethren. And for as much as we are partakers of fleſh and blood, haſt alſo thy ſelf likewiſe taken part of the ſame: that through death thou mighteſt deſtroy him that had the power of death; that is, the devil. Bleſſed be thy goodneſs, that in all things thou waſt made like unto us; that thou mighteſt be a merciful and faithful high-Prieſt, v. 17.to make reconciliation for our ſins. Let all the Angels in heaven ſtill praiſe him; for as high as the heaven is above the earth, ſo great is his mercy above our thoughts. We were not worthy, that thou ſhouldſt ſo much as look upon us, or ſpeak unto us: and then in thine unbounded love, thou waſt pleaſed to dwell in our nature, and to ſend thy Son in the likeneſs of ſinful fleſh, Rom. 8.3.that by a Sacrifice for ſin he might condemn ſin in the fleſh. I ſee, O Lord, in that Sacrifice, how hateful ſin was to thee, when thou waſt ſo full of love to us: and am going to thy Table, to renounce utterly every evil way, and devote my ſelf to an holy and god-like life: to acknowledg thy wiſe goodneſs, who wouldſt dwell in our fleſh to ſanctifie and cleanſe it; and give thy Son Jeſus to die for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purifie to himſelf a peculiar people zealous of good works. Accompany me, O God, by that mighty ſpirit, through which he was conceived, and offered himſelf without ſpot unto thee: that I may have a lively conception of him and his holy Goſpel in my mind, and be made conformable to him in every thing, and offered up intirely ſoul and body, to be ordered and diſpoſed of as pleaſeth him. It is but juſt and reaſonable that his will, not mine, ſhould be done. And it is no leſs my happineſs than my duty, to be governed by him, who is the wiſdom of thee our God. I deliver up therefore my underſtanding, my will, my affections and paſſions, to be guided, directed and ruled by his ſupream and immutable counſels. Work in me a ſtedfaſt admiration and love of his purity, lowlineſs, meekneſs, patience, contentedneſs and charity: that nothing may be ſo deſirable to me, as to have Chriſt Jeſus, in all his divine virtues, formed in me. Hold, O Lord, this image of him alway before mine eyes: that my life may be nothing elſe but a conſtant imitation of him, and both body and ſoul become the Temple of the holy Ghoſt; wherein thou mayſt be truly honoured, heartily loved, highly praiſed and exalted, and purely worſhipped and ſerved. O that my mind may be ever employed in pious or honeſt thoughts; that my will may chuſe the better part, which can never be taken away from me; that I may ſet my affections on heavenly things, and not on things upon the earth; that I may uſe the world, as one that ſeeks a better countrey; being chearful and yet compoſed; diligent in my calling, and yet working out my ſalvation; doing good to my ſelf with all the comforts of this life, and likewiſe unto others. Give me the grace, good Lord, never to be weary of well-doing; to be juſt in all my dealings; faithful in my promiſes; mindful of my vows; upright in the diſcharge of my truſt; inoffenſive in word and deed, and an uſeful and peaceable Member of Church and ſtate. Diſpoſe me to be good in all my relations; obedient to thoſe who are over me; kind to all my equals; compaſſionate and pittiful to thoſe that are in miſery; meek and lowly towards all men. O that riches may never make me forget my ſelf, nor poverty tempt me to forget thee; that health may not make me confident and ſecure, nor ſickneſs make me dejected and diſcontented. But I may be patient and conſtant in all adverſities; Religious and thankful in proſperity; and go through fulneſs and emptineſs, honour and diſgrace, good report and bad, with the ſame evenneſs of mind; till I come to receive praiſe and commendation as a good ſervant of Jeſus Chriſt, at the great day of his appearing. In whoſe moſt powerful Name I continue to make my ſuits unto thee; ſaying as he hath taught me.
Our Father, &c.
The Meditation afterward.
IS not our heavenly Father very deſirous, that we ſhould love him? Would he elſe have appeared among us? Would he have manifeſted himſelf to us? Yea, manifeſted himſelf in our fleſh? And more than that, purchaſed us to himſelf by his own blood? O how dear hath he paid for our love? Love him, love him exceedingly, that he may not loſe the great price, wherewith we are bought. But what love do we bear him, if we be not like him? What are we the better that a Saviour is born to us, if he be not formed in us, and dwell not in our heart by faith? Was not this the end of his taking our Nature, that he might purifie it; and make us reverence our ſelves more, than to defile that which is ſo near of kin to the Son of God? O moſt wiſe goodneſs, which by becoming like to us, deſigned to make us like thy ſelf. I ſee the humility of the bleſſed Jeſus, who was born of a poor Virgin. I ſee his ſweetneſs, in accommodating himſelf to the vileſt of us, and taking on him the form of a ſervant. I ſee how little he valued the riches and the dignities and the pleaſures of this world. How contented he was in a mean condition; how obedient to his parents; how courteous to the meaneſt clients, who came to receive, not to give. I ſee how liberal he was of his favours, how unwearied in doing good, how patient in ſuffering any evil; how he loved righteouſneſs and hated iniquity; how dear the honeſt heart was to him, and how odious hypocriſie. I ſee how meek he was when he was affronted; how loth his enemies ſhould periſh; how little concern'd either in the calumnies, or applauſes of the world; How abſolutely reſigned to the will of God; and how deſirous to do him honour. O how often did he thank his heavenly Father? How many hours did he ſpend in prayer and private converſe with him? How joyfully did he ſuffer great pains to do great good? And at laſt laid down his life, full of hope in God to ſee a glorious reſurrection? Theſe are the beauties of Jeſus, which I admire. This is the Image of him, which I have vowed to carry always in my heart. This is the glory of humane nature: the honour and dignity to which I would be preferred. I deſire to be great in nothing but his humility: to be rich only in contentedneſs, patience, and good works: to be glorified in meekneſs, and ſweet condiſcention: to have the pleaſure only of pleaſing God, and my Brethren to their edification: to rejoyce that Gods will is done, though mine be croſſed.
And it is no ſmall joy to ſee the beginnings of this beauteous image drawn upon my heart. He that did not deſpiſe the Virgins womb, will not deſpiſe the humble oblation I have made of my ſelf to him; nor that little likeneſs he ſees in me of himſelf. Doſt thou not ſee, my ſoul, what great things come from mean beginnings? How a poor Babe that lay in a manger, came to be the King of glory? Hope in God then, that thou ſhalt grow to a greater ſtature; and more exactly reſemble thy deareſt Saviour. He hath given thee aſſurance that he will not over-look thee, now that he ſits on the Throne of his glory. It is a Throne of grace too, unto which thou mayſt addreſs thy ſelf, and find grace to help in time of need. Do but let him ſee how much thou honoureſt him; how pretious his memory is unto thee, how thou art in love with his purity; and he that was manifeſted in our fleſh will manifeſt himſelf in thee. He will adorn thee with all his graces; and make thee ſhine as a light in the world; in humble charity, in meekneſs of wiſdom, in chearful patience, and devout obedience. Bleſſed be God for this hope. I have no cauſe to envy the greateſt perſons: No, not her that carried him in her womb, and then in her arms; if there had been nothing more. For though we are apt to ſay as the woman among the multitude did, Bleſſed is the womb that bare thee, Luke 11.27, 28.and the paps that thou haſt ſucked; yet Jeſus ſaith, yea, rather bleſſed are they that hear the word of God and keep it. They that hear or believe his word conceive him in their heart: and they that do it, bring him forth in their life. Bleſſed be Jeſus for the leaſt ſhare I have in this bleſſedneſs. I will ſpend this holy day, in praiſing him for the hope I have to partake of more of it. What can there be more delightful to thoſe, who know what it is to believe in him and obey him? And in what ſhall we ſpend the reſt of this time wherein we commemorate his coming into the world? Shall we be ſo uncivil to our Lord, as to go more willingly to feaſt with our neighbours, than to feaſt again with him? Shall we go to their houſes with more chear, than unto his? I will never ſo diſhonour him. God forbid that I ſhould feaſt my body more than my Soul. I will rather imitate the ancient Chriſtians, who could find in their heart to meet every day before the morning light, to ſing Hymns to our Saviour. I will, at leaſt, be able to ſay with David; O that all others may bear me company in it, I have gone with the multitude, Pſal. 42.4.I went with them to the houſe of God; with the voice of joy and praiſe, with a multitude that kept Holy-day.
The Thankſgiving and Prayer afterward.
O Eternal Majeſty of Heaven and Earth, the Father of mercies; by whom all things were made out of nothing, whoſe Almighty hand ſupports them, from falling back into nothing again, and whoſe good providence keeps them from being miſerable. Thy Wiſdom is paſt finding out; thy Power is irreſiſtable; thy Love and Goodneſs is unmeaſurable, and thy tender mercies over all thy Works. O how great are thy tender mercies to us, O Lord! How large a portion haſt thou given us in thy love! Thou haſt not dealt ſo with any Creature, as thou haſt done with Man: on whom thou didſt inſtamp thine own image, and cloathed him with immortality, and made him Lord over the works of thy hands. And, ſo great is thy goodneſs, that, when he had loſt himſelf by departing from his obedience to thee, thou wouldeſt not ſo loſe thy ſinful Creature: but choſe rather to do wonders, that he might not periſh. Thou haſt ſent thy Son to ſeek after him and reſtore him to thy ſelf. Thou haſt not abhorred our Nature; but loved us ſo much as to manifeſt thy ſelf in our fleſh, and honour us with the glorious title of thy Sons, the Brethren of the Son of thy love Chriſt Jeſus. I have remembred with all thankfulneſs this day, his humble and loving deſcent from Heaven, that he might be born and dwell among us: to comfort us in this ſinful and troubleſome world with his Divine preſence; to aſſure us of thy good will to us, and invite us friendly to return to thee; to inſtruct and encourage us in our duty; to put us in hope of endleſs felicity; and at laſt to die and give himſelf a ranſom for us; that he might be touched with a ſenſe of our infirmities, being in all points tempted like as we are, without ſin. I again adore, O Lord, thy moſt glorious Majeſty. I reverence thy Power and greatneſs. I wonder at thy wiſdom; and am aſtoniſhed at thy goodneſs. I have neither words nor thoughts befitting the ineſtimable benefits thou haſt beſtowed on us. O that the Holy Spirit which was in our Saviour, would inſpire my heart with devout affections towards thee, O God of all grace: that I may love thee more than I can expreſs, more than now my heart can think; and I may joyn chearfully with all the Heavenly Hoſt above, that are ſtill giving honour, bleſſing, glory, power and dominion to thee, for ever and ever. For unto us a Child is born; Iſa. 9.6, 7.unto us a Son is given: the mighty God, the Prince of peace: of the increaſe of his government and peace there ſhall be no end. In him dwells all the fulneſs of the Godhead bodily: And we are members of his body, Coloſſ. 2.9, 10.of his fleſh and of his bones. Epheſ. 5.30In him we are compleat, which is the head of all Principality and Power; and hath redeemed us by his bloud, Rev. 5.9.and made us Kings and Prieſts unto God, to offer unto him Spiritual Sacrifices; 1 Pet. 2.5.and we ſhall reign with him for ever. Amen. I confeſs, O Lord, that I am leſs than the leaſt of all thy mercies: And though I have been ungrateful even for the greateſt, yet thou continueſt the courſe of thy goodneſs; and haſt now newly admitted me to the Communion of Chriſts precious Body and Bloud. Thou pitieſt alſo my weak and childiſh thoughts, my heavy and dull affections, and all the wandrings of my fooliſh imagination; and doſt not eſtrange thy ſelf from me, though I am ſo little moved by thy miraculous love. O thou who haſt done ſuch great things for me, bear ſtill mercifully with me: exerciſe more of thy patience, and ſhow thy ſelf exceeding great in forbearance and long ſuffering towards me. Thou who haſt given thy Son unto me, vouchſafe to ſend thy Holy Spirit to over-ſhadow my Soul, and form Chriſt Jeſus within me. That conceiving him in my heart by a lively faith and belief of his Goſpel, I may be made partaker of a Divine nature: and expreſs him in his holineſs, meekneſs, humility, patience, charity, contentedneſs, and ſimplicity; in perfect innocence, in doing good, and entire ſatisfaction in thy fatherly love. O that the new life to which I am born by the incorruptible ſeed of thy Word, which liveth and abideth for ever, 1 P t. 1.23and for the nouriſhment of which thou haſt provided this holy Feaſt, of which I have now partaked; may encreaſe unto a perfect age, to the meaſure of the ſtature of the fulneſs of Chriſt: that ſo at laſt I may be begotten again from the dead, and be a child of the reſurrection, to live for ever with the Lord. And for that end diſpoſe my heart, as a new born babe, to deſire the ſincere milk of thy Word that I may grow thereby. That ſince thou haſt cauſed thy Holy Scriptures to be written for our learning, I may in ſuch wiſe hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digeſt them, that I may obey from the heart that form of Doctrine, Rom. 6.17whereunto I have been delivered: and by patience and comfort of thy Word, embrace and ever hold faſt the bleſſed hope of everlaſting life, which thou haſt given us in our Saviour Jeſus Chriſt. Vouchſafe, good Lord, ſo to direct and govern me, that I may never profane this Body, which thou haſt ſo ſanctified, honoured and exalted, by intemperance or any impurity: nor this Soul which is ſo dear to thee, by pride or envy, hatred or malice, wrath or revenge, covetouſneſs or diſcontent. But I may repoſe a perfect truſt and confidence in thee for what I want, ſeeing thou haſt not with-held thy Son, thine only Son, from us; and be thankful for what I enjoy; and live in the love of thee, my God, and of all my Brethren; and poſſeſs my body in ſanctification and in honour; that I may humbly wait for thy mercy in Chriſt Jeſus to eternal life. Help me this very day, to begin to uſe all bodily good things with holy fear; with thankſgiving; with pity to the poor and needy; with a ſenſe of ſpiritual delights and hungerings after righteouſneſs; and with moſt earneſt longings after that feaſt of joy and gladneſs which we hope to keep with thee in the Heavens.
O that all the world may hear the glad tidings of a Saviour; that there may be great joy among all people. Let all the people praiſe thee, O God, let all the people praiſe thee. Let them lift up their hands unto thee in his name, and bow their knees unto him: and let every tongue confeſs that Jeſus Chriſt is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. And O that all they who do confeſs him, may have their converſation as becomes the Goſpel, and be continually offering up the Sacrifices of praiſe and thankſgiving, and be communicating and doing good. Kings of the Earth and all People; Pſal. 148.11, 12, 13.Princes, and all Judges of the Earth. Both young men and maidens, old men and children. Let them praiſe the Name of the Lord: that God in all things may be glorified through Chriſt Jeſus; to whom be praiſe and dominion, 1 P…t. 4.11.for ever and ever. Amen.