141 Book IV. JLrotung unto j)e!us. Chap.2 ,Secb. born forthee; look not on rhefe_ things as Nationals, or Geneols; look··~~~; bare hifrory of things; for rbat IS but unprofi_table ; the main duty is in eying the end, the meaning, and intent of Chnfl:; and efpec!llly as it rdates to tbee, not to otbers but ro thy fe'lf. Alasl wbat comfort were it to a po<U" prifoJJer, if he D10uld hear tha; the King or Prince, of his meer grace a~d lov.e, v.ifited all rhe,Prifoners in this and that Pungeoil, and that he made a Goal-dehvery,and fer all free, but l1e never came near t~e plac~ whtre he poor wretch ltes bound m fetters and cold Irom? or fuppofe he gtves a YJht to that very .man, and offers htm the tenders of Grace and Freedom if he will but accept of ir; and ( becaufe of his waywardnefs) perfwades, inn·eats,' com– mands him to come our, and rake his liberty; and yet he will not regard, or apply it to himk-Jf, what comfort can he have? what fruit, what benefit llrall he receive i' Dear foul, this is thy cafe, iftbou art not in Chrifl:, if thou haft not beard the offer, and em– braced and clofed with it, then what is Chrifl:s Incunation, Conception, Nativity, urt. to thee? Come! learn! nor meerly as a Scholar, ro gain fame notional knowledge . .bur as a Cbrifiian, as one that feels virtue coming 01.1{ of Chrifi in every of thefe re: fpects; tlndy clofe this great tranfachon in reference to thy felf. I k.now not how it happens, whether out of the generality of fome Preachers handling this SubjeCt, or whether out of tbe Superfi:ition of the time wherein it ufually hlth been bandied, it ei– ther favours not U>ith fame Chrifiians, or it is feldom thought of by the moil:; 0 God forbid we throw out of the doors, fuch a blelfed necelfary truth! if rightly lpplied, it L k 0 1 is a Chrifiians joy; B<hold I bring you glad tidings ofgreat joy that jha/1 be to all peo•,/e; u e1.t ' 1 for-unto you is born in the City of D4vid, a SavioU>', u·hich u Chrijt the Lord. Sure If•· 9· 6. t'he Birth of Chrill; is of mighty concernment unto thee; unto us aChild u born, Hntous a Sonis-given; there is not any piece of this tranfadion, but it is of fpecialufe and ~v.onh thy pains : How many break th~ir brains, ana wafle their Spirits in lludying Arts and Sciences , things in· comparifon of no val~lb'';'- <whereas Pau~ otherwife deter- ' Cor.>. 2. mined not t<J k?.1oW any thi'\~ among J"' but Jefiss Chrijl! to know Jdus Chri!t in e•e– ry piece and point, whether inBinh, or Life, or Death, it is faving knowledge: 0 !land not¥pon coft, whether pains or fiudy, tears or prayers, peace or wealth; goods or name, life or liberty ; fell all forrhisPearl. Chrifl is of thaf worth and ufe, that thou canfl: never over-buy him, though thou gav<fi thy felf and all the world for him, tbe fludy of Chrifl is the fludy of Jludies; the knowledge of Chrifi is the knowledge ofevery thing that is necelfary, eiLher for this world, or for the world to come. 0 frudy Chrifi in every-of theforefaid refpects. S E: C T. II. Conjidering Je(UI in that refptft.. 2.LEr us confider lefiu, carrying on this great work of our falvation at his firll coming or incarnation. It is not enough to fiudy and koow thefe ~reat Mylleries ; but according to the meafure of knowledge we have,we mull mufe,medtrare, ponder and conftder of them. Now this Gonfiderarion brings Chrifl nearer and clofer to the foul: Conftderation gathers U? all the long fore-patTed _ACts and Monuments. of Chnfl, and finds adeal of fweernefs and power to come llowwg from them ; confJderatton faflens Chrifl more flrongly to the Soul, and as it were, rivets the Soul to Jefus Chrill, and faflens him in the heart · a foul rhat truly confiders and medttates of Chnfif thmks and Prov. 4 ; , 3 .u, talks of nothing elfe bu; Chrifl; it takes hold , and will not let him go. ' I will k;ep to thee (faith the foul in ml'ditation) for tho11 art my life. \>~hy thus, 0 my foul, conjitlo· rhouof Chrifl, and of what be dtd fo,r thee when he was mcarnare! and 1~1ar thoumalft not confound thy fc'Jf in thy meditations, .confider :IJ'arr of thefe parnculars.- A\. C<¥J. {ider Jefus in his Fore-~unner,and the blelfed tidin~< of his coining in theBefl•; .no.w the loQg-looked fort.We d(ewnear, a.glurJous Ang~jiS femfrom heaven, and he •comes wirh .an O.live-~t~nch of peace; .firfi "he prefems lurnfelf to. Zaohary, _and then .to :M.fr.f,; to her he impavts Jhe Mdlage qn which ,qo~ fent ,lum ~nro t!liS ne7ther wqrld . .B,chold thou jba/t conceive .in thy wom.b, and brm~ forth a ~on, ·and Jl1~lt cafl l>>ke t. l'· hi<~~~,;;.· '!•Jus.' Till now humane Nature was lefs ihnn that of AJ]~el~; but by the !Incarnation of the Word it w.zs to be exalted abo•e ·r:le ·Cherubum. What fweer ,NC'l/S? What blelfed Tid{na> was this Melfage? The Decree of old mufl now be' • •. .• 0 accom...
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