. __ ... Book IV. 133 Chap. 1. Sect. 6. difhefs, f.•mine, nak!dnefs, peril or jivo;·d? Come allrhar can come, and fe: if that b!effed union berwixr me and Chrill:, !hall ever be broken, by allthat you can do. Thus forrhis union. . 2 There is afpiritual communion wirh God in Chrill:. Both th.efe are the effects of Chrifls perfonal or hypo~atieal union; _fir~, union to his pe:fon, and then co~munion wirh his benefits . union mproper fpeakmg 1s nor unto any ot the benefits flowmg to us fromChrill:. w; are not united to forgivenefs of fin. holinefs, peace <>f Confcience, bur unto rhe'perfon of the Son of_ Godh_imfelf; and _then. fecondly, comes this commu– nication ofallrhe benefits anfing 1mmed1arly from thts umon to the Lord Jefus; that as (:hriilwasPriefl, Prophet, andKing; fowea!fobyhim, are after a fort Prieifs, Pro– phets, and Kings; for being madeonewith him, wearerhereby poffelfed of all things rharare his, as the wife is of the wealth of her husband l no111 ~u thi,.gs arcyours, (fatth the Apoftle) whether Paul, or -!poll•, or G_eph;t<, or the world, &c, -~ . . . Hitherto we have rook a vrew of Chn!l: m Ins M?thers womb; :(nd 0 what maru!ls 1Cor.;.••·•~ rhere t Did ever womb cany fuch a frmr? Well mtghr the Angel fay, Blef!ed art thou 11 mongftwomen ! and well might Eli:ubeth fay, BleJJedi4 ehe frHit of thy womb! burrhe ble.Jling is not only in conceiving, but in bearing ; and rherefo1·e we proceed. SECT. VI. Of the Birth •f Chrift• 6. THe birth of Chritt now follows. Now was it that the Son of riglneoufnefs lhould break fotth from his bed, where nine monrhs he had hid himfelf, as behind a frqitful clo.ud : this was rbe worldi wonder; athing fo wonderful, that it was given for a lC fig~ unto believers feven hund1'ed and forty years before it was accomplilhed: therefore •· 1 • 1 4 " the Lori/himfelf Jhallgive youa fign; behold a P'irgin Jhall conceive an4 bear !I Sll11. A wonder indeed! and great, beyond allcomparifon; tharrbe Son ofGod lhould be borq ofa woman; rhat he who is rbe rrue Melchiudech;without father,and rmho11t mother, mt& · · b 'et have a mother-Virgin: that he that is before .Abrah<~mwas,(hou!ctyet be born after .A.- Ho • 7•3• brahamamatter of rwo rhoufand years;tbat he who w~s Davids Son,and therefore born in .Bethlehem. lhould yer beDavids Lord;wonderfulthings arc fpoksn ofthee_,O th~!< Son ofGod:. before he was born,rhe Prophets llng,the Sybils prophdie,the Pat,tarcbs tyi?tfie,the Type~ iPmell, God promiferh,and rhe Son of God perfortnerh ; wh_en he was born, Angels run errands, Gabriel btingsridiPgs, the glory of heaven flt)nes, a fur pifplaies, and wife men are rbe Heralds, that proclaim his Birrh. J:lut come yer a Jirrle nearer, "let utgaro .Buhtehem (asrh~f!Jepherds faid) andfeeebinhingwhichi& comoro pafs! ifweilep b4~ . oneftep into his lodging, heavens wonder is before our eyes; now look.upo" [efsu! look Luke'· t!. on him as in fnlvefs of time he carried on the great wori.- of our fal~:l"rion; here now you may read the meaning of .Adams Covenant, .Abrahamspromife, Mofes revelation, Davids fucceffion ; rbefe were but vails; but now tlJall we draw afide the Cw;~ains.< come rake a view of the trUth it felf 1 0 wonder of wondets! whom find we,in dtis lodging? aBabe in a erarch ; a M,other-maid; aFar~~r-virgin : is rhis rhe Bal.>e who,m w~/oolz_unro as our Jefus? isthis~Morher (as .Auftin) fcarce fotrrte~n years of age? i>. 1 thtsthe F~rher rh~c knew her not, 1mtil fhe had ~rought forth h~r jirft bom Son? what a ~!ac. r. "5' firange bmh Js.thts I Look on the Ea~, there ts no Cradle to roe~ him no Nurfe ro l.ull him, no Linnens ro fwaddle him, fcarce alittk food to nourifl1 him1~ loo)> o.n. the Mother, there s~o Mid-wives help, no downy pillows, no !ione11h~ngings, fcarce a liftle firaw ~here0Je ~s brought a-bed: look on fofeph the r~puted Far~r; he rather b,gs, than gtvesa blelltng; poor Carpenter! rlm m~kes them a Chafl)~rof an Ox.e-fi;tl,f"·~n.d, carves !urnaCratch to be his Cradle; Ma.y rhat fees with Ql;r eyes, and ponde(s.a11 in ller heart, how doth model\ fhamefac'dnefs change her colours fo 0 ftenas her im~gination works? Jl>< mufr be~r nSon; an Angel reUs her, the Holy Ghpfr overlhadows llef, ~he c,layes are accomp!ifl,ed, and fl1e is delivered ; each Circumll:ance is el)ough tQ ab:lll1 a. mode!l:yn·gm: Bwr who will nor wonder? a Maid believes, a Maid(of\seive~. a Matd brmgs forth, and a Maid flill remains: Ho,w l)ligbt we defcant Ol) th\s Snp,je~1 but I ~Jail COntfl~'l: my felf, and ~educe all wonders to rhi; w~1·d, I a"!..the ViYlf.•. · 1 ohn 1 5, ;. It ts. ablctf,d l arable ; tn wlucb, under- rhe flude>w of\ a Vtne, <:;~pll: ~l~gan~ly fer~J . fonh lumfelt. Clmft 111 many refemblances is a precious Vine; but w.hx a Vine; rather than aCedar, Oak, or fome Gfthe lhongelt, ralldl rree~? Maqy re,afons il,l;e g,iven; .a's;, r.· :&eca'ufe
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=