138 Book IV. J!..mlung unto Jjtfu.s. Chap. I .sea.6. --------~--~--~~ nor fo far enlarge my felf; but in reference to his Birth, I cannot bur admire at his hu. C:!nt. J, 3· Mar·'7·'9· Mat,2.u. Mat; ti: t9~ Phil. '•7· miliry, patience, and infinite condefcemions; that the Creator llrould become a crea. ture, though an Angel, it were a great Gulf, which no created under/landing could meafure ; but that be fhould rejed: Angels, and cake rbe feed of A braham. tlm he thould be 1~ade lower than r~e Angel~, who is' God over all; that be would b'e concei– ved, who IS rhe uncreared w1fdom ; m rhe dark pnfon of the womb, who is che Light of the world; and that of a woman, the weaker, firfl linning fex, wl10 is t1 1e lJO!y one and power of God; _rhar he woul~ be born, :vho bearerh ~11 things; the Lord of all, of a lowlybandmatd; m_fulnefs ?f ume, wh~ 1s e~ermry; m t!Je night-time, who is rhc 5_onof Rigkteoufne(s; tn the Winter, who g1ves hfe and hear ; in a rime of publick raxa– tton, who 1s Lord of Lords; and that not at Rome, the L~dy of Nations, nor at Jtru– folem, the Glory of rhe Eafl, _bur at Bethlehem the leaf! of the thoufands of Judal,; not rn aPalace prepared, nor mhts Mothers houfe, but m an Inne · not in tlJe beftroom nor in any room_of -the houfe, bur in aStable of bea~s; not arr~nded the_re with aroy~ al guard, but wnh Jofeph and Mary ; not adorn d m Robes, but fwadled in Clouts. not flarely enrhronized, but laid in a Manger; nor laflly, hisbinh proc!Jirned by rh~ Kings at Arms, but by poor ll1epherds. That the Word !hould be an infant nor able to fpeak aword; that life Owuld be mor– tal; thar power !hould be fubjed: to a poor Carpemer; that rhe Lord of rhe Covenant thould_be circumcifed ;_that rhe G?d of the Temple llwuld be prcfemed in the Temple; that ~1fdom !hould be mllructed; mfin renefs !hould grow in flarure; that the feeder of all rhmgs !hould be fed; that all thefe are preludes, and bur beginnings of his folferings. Owonderful condefcenrion! 0 admirable patience! 0 rare humility! how firange ar; the blooming blolfoms of rhis Vine? · 4· For the Fruit: the nature of Vines is ro cafl fwcet favours,but to bear fowr Grapes: Chrift rhat was blamelef> before-God and man, yet bore the heavy burden of our tin. 0 the fweernefs of his favours! becaife of the favour of thy good ointments, thy Na>nc;, ~" Ointment poured forth; whether by favours, we mean his words, the very Officers of the {ews can fay, never man fPak! lik! this man: or whether by favours, we mean hi& deeds, his very enemies confels him a juflman; fo Pi/ate's wife could fend her husband word, h.we thou llothing to do with that juft man : the wife men that brought their Of– ferings,give l1im Gold, Frankj_ncm(e, and myrrhe; Gold is given him as to a potent King, Frankincenfe as ro a gracious ~ocf, and Myrrhe as ro an holy Prtefi: He is a King to rule, a God tofave, and a Pneft to medtate: thu> far he cafls fweet favours. but di– gefr them better, and they prove fowr Grapes; a King he wa•, but mock;with the Title, Hail King of the 1et": a God he was, but he emptied himfe)f; he madehimftlf of nq reputation: an holy Prieft he was, but fqch a Prielt as muft offer up himfdffor a - Sacrifice: Thewifemenrhat came from the Eall, they faw l1is infirmity, aniyeradore his power; rhey faw his infancy, yet adore his wifdom; they faw his poverty, yet adore the riches of his mercy; they faw him whom they enquired after, Where;, he that ub~~rn King of the Jews? The very Titlccaft>fweet favours, but it bem fowr Grapes; heis aKing, that'sa ride ofhonoilr; bur he is King ofthe /ews, that's a word ofreproach . All along hi> li~e you may fee thrfe _rwo, fweet javo11rs, but (owr Gra~es: vidijfi vilia, Alldi mirijicA, fa1rh Ambrofe; the thtngs you fee are mean, bur the thu~gs you fee and hear are wonderful; mean tt was to fee a fort of !hepherds, wonderfultt Is to fee a troop of Angels· meanitwa>tohearonefay, laidinthecr.,tchbelolv, wonderful it is to hear many ling Glory to God on high; mean it was to .fee him man, wonderful it is to know 'him God. Here's a little Child fainting and groaning, yet a powerful God ruling and commanding ; hungry himfelf. to !hew our nature ; ye; feeding five tho~fand, to llre1v his power • dying on the Crofs, as rhe fon of Adam; d1fpofing of Paradtfe, as the Con of God. 'As ir was faid of Bethlehem, mini""' & non 111inima; the leA]! of the thox– fands, Micah 5· 2. Not the leAjf of thou(ands, Mar. 2. 6. So we Jay of rhis Bethiehemite, minimm & non minimM; he foal/ fit upon the Throne of David, Ifa. 9· 7· Yet he bath born our gricfs, and carried ow farrows, Ifa. 53· 4· Hu Kingdom t5 an everiaftmt Kingdom, Dan. 7· 27. Yet hi< endJhall br, andhe jhal/ haw nothing , Dan. 9· 26.. Thus all along from ,his Crarch ro his Crofs, fweet favours, but fow_r G,-apes ; at Iaft mdeed rhe Grapes grew to a ripenefs, and rhen he v.;a~ prelfed, and l11s dearefi heart-bloud r~n our in abundant fireams· this was rhe fweet JUICe of our Garden-Vme, God planted It, rhe heavens warer ir, the'Jews prune jt; what remains now, but rhar we abide in it : but of rhat ~henwe come to the Directions how we are ro look~ SECT~
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