Of the NATIVITIE. Sermonz. Princeps cft,.neojfendas. And againe; ToNatU<; is Heborne ~ then cherifh Him. (Ifpeake of H1s jj~trztttalt btrth, wherem, we by heanng and domg H1s word, are(as Himfelfe ( 1 ith) ~llt,U.49 His Mothers. ToDattH;isHegiven r then keepe Him. ToOneratus: is Heburthencd.? (•· 10 . vottr Him; lay no moreon,thanneeds you mutt. This is good morall counfell. Bur, Saint Bernardgives us polirike advice; ro looke to our imerell:,tothinkeof making our bell: benefit by Him. De nobis nat.J & datofaciamtts id, adquod, natus eft & datus ;tttamnr noJlro, intltilitAtem nojfram ; de.fervatore nojfro,faltdem ope– remur :With this borne andgiven childe, let ~~s then doe that, for which He was borne and givenus : Seeing He is ours, let us ufe that, that is ours, to our bell: behoofe; and even worke out our[alvation, out ofthis ottr Saviottr. His counfell is, to make our ufeofHim: but, that is not, to doe with H>m what welifr; but, to imploy Him to thofe ends, for which He wasbell:owed. Thofe are foure: L. He isgivent~s([aith Saint Peter) i"""'H"~'~'a,for anexample, to follow. In all; bur (that •Pet.>.>< which is proper to rhis diy,)ro doe it, inh11militie. Itistb~t,whichtheLAngel/ fetup, foraligneandfample, uponth1sveryday. It1s the venue appropnate ro His birth. As faith, to Hisconception, (Beataqn.uredidtt ;) Sohr•militie, to Hts birth, ( & Hocerit (lgnum:) Fierivolrtit in vitd.prim11m, q11odexhibrtit in ortttvit£, (it is Cyprian ;) That, He would have us, fitll: to exprelfe in<>urlife, that He firll: !hewed us, in the very enrrie of ourlife. And to commend to us this venue the more,Placuit neo majorapro nobi; •perari,It bath pleafcd Him todoegreaterrhings for us, in this ell:ate, than ever He did, in the high degree of His Maje– ftie: as, (we know) the worke ofRedemptron pa!feth that ofCreatron, by much. ~ He is givenusinpretittm, foraprice. Aprict, either'?f ran[ome, to bringusourdeloC~ •Pct.t.r 9 caliginofo: or aprice,ofpurchafe, of(that, where, wtthoum, we havenointerell:,) the King– dome ofheaven. For both, He IS grven; off~r we Htm for both. W c fpeake of.f!Edmriba– am; We can never retribute the like thing. He was given us, ro that end, wee might give Himbacke. We wanted, we had nothmgvaluablc; that we m1ght have, this Hegaveus, (as a thing ofgreatell: price,) to offer for thar, which needeth a great price, ourlinnes, fo ma– ny innumber,and fo fouleinquality. We bad nothing worthy Go n; this HegaveHs, thatisworrhyHim, whichcannotbcbut accepted, offer we it never fo often. Let us then Mot. 7 . 7 ,s offer Him; and, in the aetofoffering,askcofHim what is meet: for we !hall find Him nole!fe b!Jt.•4· 6, bounteous, than Herod, to grant what is duely asked upon Hisbirth-day. 7 ' Heis given us (as Himfelfe faith) as the living brMd.from Heaven: which bread is His Ioh}6 . n jlej!J, borne this day, and after given for the life of the world• .For, looke how we doe give backerhat Hegave tu, even fo cloth He give back to us that wh1ch wegave Him, that which He had ofus. This He gave for us, inSacrifice; and this He giverh us, in rhe Sacrament; M3t.>6. that the Sacrifice may, by the Sacrament, be truly applied to us. And let me commend this , Cor.~~: to you; He never bade, Accipite, (plainly, take,) bur in this ondy: and that, becaufethe ef– -· , 4 , feet of this Dayes union 1s no wayes more hvely reprefemed, no way more effectually wrought, than by this ufe. And lall:ly, He is gi•;en us in pncmium: (Not now to be feene, onely in hope;) but here-· 4 afrer, by His bleifed fruition, tobe our finall re~vard; when,where lkis,wefba/1 be; and what He is, we !hall be; In the fame place, and in the fame Hate ofglory,joy,and blilfe,ro endure for evermore. At Hisfirll: comming, you fee, what He bad onHisJhot~lders. At Hisfecond, He !hall Apo. u. not comeemptie,Eccevenio, &c. Loe I come, and "'1 reward withm~; that is, a Kingdome on. •Cor.~'· Hi; fbottlders. And it is nolightmatrer; bur, (as Samt Pat~lcallethu) d,,•,,c,;1r&-, an e.ver. - .• 7 .lajlrng wetght ofGlory. Glory, not(hke ours here) feather-glory; But, true.; that hatlu~etght, and fubfrance in ir: And that not tranlitory, and foonegone; bur everlaflmg, to conrmuc to all eternity never ro have end. This is our fiate inexpeelan<ie. Saint Augujline put all foure together, fo will I, and conclude: Seqttamttr 'ex_empltem;offeramru •prctirtm;Jtt· mamus l viaticum; expeflemus +pr.tmium: let us .follDwHim .for our paterne, offer Htmfor ourprrce, receive Hitp for ourf.c;rall1mt&llfood, and w~tt for Hnn as o.ur endle!fe and cxcee– dmggreat rew•rd, &c. :- · A SER...
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