1 tS Book Ill. Chap. r .sea.•. Luke'· 28. Mat. u. 5:.. Luke xi . 'lj. Gal. 4L9· R.om. t. 9· Mar.). ;,4.5· Pfa!.32. :., Luke 1. 19, V. 3C· Luke1.3r, 31, 33· but he;e·s a melfag~ -that doth l10nour the Angel; he was highly glorious before. but this added to his glory. Indeed the Incarnation of God could have no lefs a Reporter than the Angel of Go'd : ii."hen God intended to begin hisGofpel, he would firll i ilit the world with his Angel, before he wo~ld vifit ihe wortd with his Son; liis Angel mu~ come w the form of mm, before Ius Son mufl: come in the nature of man. J'rus -.1\ngel falu(es t1ie Virgin, Hail thoJ< that.art highly favo~tred, the Lo,·dut>it!Fthec– blejfedt~r~·thott MJo'?f""?"'"'· Many merfand women have been and are the fpirituat Temples·of God; bul ne1•er was any the)material Temple of God, but only Mary· and t]1erefore bleffid art tho" amongft womtiJl: and yet we cannot fay that lite was fo bid~ fed in bearing Chriit,~as_lhe was in believing.in Chrifi; her braring indeed was moremi– raculous, but her believ1ng was . more benefioal to ~er Soul;_ that was her priviledge, but tlus was ~1er ha]'ptnefs. Chnij1an .,; If _we believe m Clmfi , and 1f we obey the word of Clmfl:, we are the Mothers of Clmfl; Whofoevn·doth the willof my Farhenrhich H m heaven,_he u my Brother,and Sifter, and Mother. Every renewed heart is another Mary, a fpmrual Sanctuary of the Lord Jefus. It ·vas rhe womans acclamation, Blef. fed t~the womb that bare thee, andthe papuhat gave thee Juck.._; rrue , faid Chrifl, bur that blelhng extends only to one; I will tell you how many are blelfcd, and rather blelfed. yea rather bleffid aru they that hear Gods Word and k§ep it ; blelfed are they that fo incar: nate the 1\frirren Word by doing it, as theblelfed Virgin gave Hefh to the eternal Word by bearing it ; thofe that hear and keep Gods Word are rhey that travel in Birth again until Chrift beformed in them. Hearing they receive the immortal feod of the Word , by a firm purpole of doing, they conceive, by alonging defire they quicken, by an eJrnefl: endeavour they travel, and when rhe work is wrought, then hJve they ine>.rnare the ,Word, and ChriH is formed in them. In this refpect was Mary blelfed. and I mike no qud lion btu in this refpect alfo the Angel calls her blelfed, and Eliz.ab;th calls her bltlfed, and Simeoncalls her blelfed, and ll1e calls her felf blelfed, and all generati– ons call her blelfed, and God himfelf calls and makes her blelfed ; yea as Pa11l fa1d, com– eth thu blefJedne{s on the Circt<~JCijiotJ only? fo, comerh this ble!Tednefs on the Virgin only? no, even b!effed are the poor in fpirit, bleffid are they that mourn, and bleffid are the meek_; and bleffid are they whofe fins are not impllted. Even rhefe harh God blelfed with fpiritu. .t bieffings in heavenly places ; atld thefe lh~ll Chrifi entertain with a come ye blr:ffed of my Father. 3· ThisVirginistroubledatthis Sa/me. She might wt;ll be troubled; for, 1. If it had been but a mm that had co:ne in fo ftiddenly, when fhe expected none·; or fo. fecrer– ly, whcn.lhel1ad no other company; orfo fhangely, the doorsbeing probably fhut ; !he had caufeto be troubled; how much thore when rhe lhining glory of the Angel fo heighr– ned rhe aflonil)lmenr. 2. Her Sex was more fubject to fear; if Zachary were amazed With the fight of this Angel, how much more the Virgin? We Hatter our felves how wellwe coulcl endure fuch Vifions; but there is a difference betwixt our Faith and our Seofes ; ro,apprehend here theprefence of God by Faith, this goes down fwee_rly; bur flwuld aglorious Angel appear among us, it would amaze us all. Bur for this rhe An·– gel comforts her, Fear not Mary, for fbou haft fou>td favour !Vith God. The troubles of holy .minds ever end in peace or 'comfort; Joy was _rhe. Errand of the :An~el, and _nor rerrour; and therefore fuddeoly he revives her fpmt wnh a chr>rful exwauon, Fear not; q. d. Let tho(e fear who know they are in difpleafure, or k,r-ow not they are graci– ous; thine happy ejfate calls for confidence, and that confidence calls for ;oy; what Jltould they fearthatarefavouredof him at whom the Devils tremble? 0 M,~ry, how JltouldjoJ but enterinto thy heart ,out of whofe womb jhall come Jalvatzon? I queflwn n~t but rh_efe very words revived the Virgin ; what remote corner of her foul was there Into wh1ch rhefe beams of confolarion did nor thine ? 4· Here is the foundation of her comfort and our happinefs ; Pehold thou jhaltcf!· ceivein thy womb, and brmg forth a Son, and (halt c~l/ hu Name [efus. . Never was fl)<lr– tal creature thus hono11red , that her womb flwuld y1eld that fle01 , wh1ch was per!onal– ly united to the Godhead, that lhe lhould bear fum that upholds the world. There s one wonder in the conception, another in the fruit ! both are marv_ellous : but the latter, I rakeir, i> more myflerious, and fuller of admtrauon; the fruit of the womb IS Jef:U, a Saviour, the Son of the higheft; a King, Godjhallgive him ~Tbrone, and he ll>allre~gn for ever· for of his Kingdo-nthere jhall be no end. Here was a Son, and fuch a Son as the world never had before · and here was rhe ground of Mary's joy; how coul1:'e but rejoyce to bear what he: Sonthould be before be was? Surely never was any th~;
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