Sermon z. Ofthe NATIVITIE. -~5 in Him. And now, foisHis Fathers name coo, Abba, Father: To fhcwrhe benefit equally Muker 4. intended by Him, rothem, that call HimAbba, that is,rheleiVes; to us, that call HimFa- R.omi, 6 ; ther rhatis rheGcnttles. · · 'But y.e;,it is inclll{iveofnonc,but rhofe that includethemfdves; that be!eeve,andth~re- ;Rotn.J.>' fore fay 'l{pbis, totts He uborne, to m He ugwcn. Wluch excludes all rhofe, thanndude not thc~felves. Saint Ambrofef.1itb well: Facit mu!tomm injidelitdf, ttt non omnib11s nafceretur tptiomnibrts nat11s eft : Want offatth makes, that He, that IS borne to all, IS not borne toall;hou<>b. TheT11rkes, and I elVes can fay, Prter natru eft: The Devil/ can fay, Filius n.<- tll5tjl to;: But neither fay, ~bis; but, f!!!jd nobis & tibi? They have not to doe with Hitn;and forlacke ofit, ofthis, neither Childe ~or Sonne, birthnor gift do:h availethem: we mull: make much of tlus word, and bold lt fat1; for, thereby, our ten~re and rntereft aroweth. Which interell: groweth by adoublenghr, (and rherefo;e IS Nobtstwtce repea- ~ed:) 'Theone,ofHisbirth, Natu;: >the other, by a dadofgift, Datm. Ofwhich, the . one (his Birth) referrerh to Him(elfe: the other(rhegift)ro His Father .. To fhew rhejoynt ~J:~~f;~· confent and concurrence, in both, For our good. So chrift lovtd11s, that He IV.~; given: So IohnJ·'" Godlovedus,that Hegave His Sonne. By His very birth, there groweth tous an intereft in Him,rhcrehy partaker ofour nat11re, ourflejb, andourblor~d. That which isde nobis, He tookeofus, is ours: jlefo and blONd is our owne; and, to that is our owne, we have good right. . His humanitie iscleerelyours; good right to thar. But, no rig_ht to His Deitie. Thercforehis Father, (who hath bet1 right to difpofe of Him,) hnh pafledoverrhat by adted of tloh.p6 gift• So that, what by participation of or,y Natrm, what by ,good conveyance; both are GaLH. ours. Whether a childe, He is ours : or whether a Sonne, He 1s ours. We gave Him the one; His Father gaveustheother. So, both ours: and He ours, fo farre as both thefe can make Him. Thus, Go o, willingmoreabormdantly to fl;lew to theheires ofpromife the fla- Hcb.G. 17 ; blene!JeofHis Counfell, tooke both courfes; rh.1r, by two t1rong rides, which it is impojfzble jhould bee defeated, wee might have ffrong confolation, and ride (as it were) at a double ~~ ' I want time, to tell ofthe benefit which the Prophet (Ver(e III.) calleth theh.:rveft, or bootieofHis Nativitie. This it is in a word: Ifthe treebe ours, the fruit is: IfHe be ours, Heb.u: His Birth is ours; His Life is ours; His Death is ours; His Satisfa8fion, His c.Merit, all He !oh" J.l ~ Did, all He Srt(feredis ours. Further, all that theFather hath ts His, He is Heireofall; then, Mc.>ul all that is ours too. SaintPartl bath cat1 up our account: Havinggiven Him·, there u nothing, ' ~:,~ 1 • but He1ViUgive llfiVith Him: So that,byrhis Deed, we have title roall, that His Father, or R.om.~.p He is worth. ·' And now,fhall webring forth nothing for Him that was thus borne? No .f(gid retri- Om·'D11~ buam, no giving backe, for Him that gave Him us ~ Yes, thankes to the Father, for ti<. . . His great bounty in giving. Sure, fo go•d a giving, [o per(e[} a gift there never came ;~~~6;:• downe.from the Father of lights. And ro the Sonm, for being willing fo to bee bornt, , 4 ,tf. and fq to bee burthened as Hee was. For Him to condefcend robeborne as Children Col.•.u. are borne, To become a Chi/de; great humility: Great, ttt verbum, in(a;;s; m tonans 1"''·'·'l· vagtens; rtt tmmenfr~s, par-r:ul11s : that the Word, not be able to JPeake a IVord; He; rhat thundercthm Heaven cne m a Cradle; Hee, that [ogreat andfohigh, fhouldbecomefo ltttle as a Cbtlde, and fo low as a .Manger. Nottoabhorrt t!Je Virginswombe, not to ab– horrethe Beaffs .Manger, not rodifdainerobe fedtvith butter andhoney; All,grear humilrty. All great, and very great: Bur, that is greater, is behinde. Puer natus, gJuch; Prin– «psoneratres, much more: That, which He bareforus, more; than that He was borne for ~~: For, greater 1s Mors crr~cis, thanT{•tivitM pr.efepts: Worfe to drinke vineger andgall, Phil.z!s• . anto eat b11tter.ndhoney; worfe, to endure an infamorudeAth, tllln robe content, with an mglortous bzrth. h b}~us therefore fing to the Father.Cwirh Zacharie) Benediflus: and to theSonne (with Luke •.as t e 1 ~edVzrgm) .Magniji,·at: and (withal! the Angels) Gloria in Exceljis, To the Prince 4 6 • Wltl tsgovernmentonhisjh.ulders '·'t·. P Nothing burthankcs ~Yes; by ;,ayofd1"e too 1 to render, unto thechilde, confidence; tiereft, nerncttiM: To the Sonnerevmn~e; FilirJS eft, neJPernlff '· To thePrince, obedience; C 1_ Princeps
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