Sermon+· Ojthe NATIVITIE. Aa and then declincth :tg.tinc, till we gr01v to the l01ver end ofourilayes. But bow– [.'~vet~~~11ay be (as it oft tils out) the defcent is fudden, we goe downe head-long with· o~t degrees, goe away inamoment; yet ever tlus holdeth; toourftelnelfewe come not,but by de"rees. · . I h 0 d · · 1 · h , .. ' - Nowthirdly,thiscommmg J:lt Jc--!!,an ovemt,atune,w1enttcommet tuther~ Asa 3 . . tl 1 ·s aarcat whilc,when we mayl;~y, • 'l'{.pndumvemt hora;the ttmets not yet come ~·ndo ume 1cre " . fi"' 5 h 1 , · h r h .' " 1 . 1 1 mear,<re isyetbutm 11tng: o.tt eat,, amnetoo, t atw~maytay, vemtv'" · )' w 11 e ne v hI (i . fi /1 Tl . . l . h . a toh.7,o. hora the rime is now come, w en t 1e mea ure ts u : 1J.t IS, a ttrne t 1.er~ ts, ~v en~ttliJt eom~ b lolm u /, 1 rhefull. Asintheday,whentheSunnecommcthrotheMmdwzLtne: mthe m'a- •l· me~ . ~enit commeth to the point ofoppojitionwith the Moone:in theyeare, when ro the Sol. ;:~/vin man, when he con:meth ro his fill! yeares: for that is thefi•ll~ef!e oftimeche Apojlle alleageth in three verfes bdore. . . . . . .·' . And when is that when;that ttme thus comrneth to IllSfi•lnejfe? .fl.!!ando mijit Detu,whctt G 0 0 fends it : for Time receives hisjilting froni Go o. Ofit felte, time is butanemjtie meaftere, bath nothmg mtt: <.Many dayes and moneths runne over our heads, Dtes manes, (faith the Pfalmift:) c.Mcnfes vacl!l, ([1tth Job:) Emptte dayes, Pfal.LXXVIII. Ver.33. yoidemoneths, withoutanythingto fill them, lob Vll.verfe 3· . . _ . . .. That whichjilleth ttme, 1s fome memorable thmg ofGods pownngmto tt, or (as tt!S 1t1 ~!a.; the Text) ofHisfending, toftiltt wtthall. Mijit Det# ts tt: and fo commeth Tumtobcmore orldfefid/;thereafter as that is, which God(endstojilt it. Now,many memorablemifionsdid Godmake before this h~re ; whereby in fome mea-· fure Hefilledup cmainetimes oftheyeare under Mofes, and the Prophets: all which, may wellbe termed, The implements oftime. .. . But for all them, themeAji~rewas not yet full: filled perhaps to a cerraine degree, bue not full rothebrimme: fit!!it was not Cfeeing it might be il:il!ftdkr) till GodfentThat, than which a more full could not befent. . . And That He fent, when He fent Hit Sonne, afuller than whom He could notfend, nor Time could not receive. Therefore, with thefending Hiw, wheo tliat ,was, Timewas at rhe top that was the fl!!;ando venit, then it was,plenitudo tempgru,_indeed. , And, well might that time, be called the frdnef!eofiime. For whenH~wasfent into the I world, in whom thejjdneffi ofthe God-head_dtvelt bodily : In whom the Spirit WM. not by mea. Co\.•·9fure .: Inwhomwas thefitlnef!e ofgrace andtrmh: Of tvhofe fidnejfe we allrereive .- When~~~~~--~; Hewasfent,thatwasthusfi•ll,_rhenwastimeatthefitl/. , · . . . Io!lllu6: And wellalfo might it be called thefulneffe oftime, in ands.her regard. Fortill then, all z was but inpromi(e, inP1admves, andjigt~res, andprophecies only, whichjiltnot, God .kntnves., :But when the Performanceoftho[epromifes, thehod,y ofthofejbadowes, th~f•tNiance ofvhofe .figures, thefulfilling orfillingft•ll ofall thofepropl;ecies came; then camt: the fMnef!c oftimej_ . trulyfocalled. Tillthenitcamenor:thenitcame. . ;· . ,,.,;, · ~- 1T And well might it be called the fit!neffe oftime, ina third re[peer. For tben,theHeit:e,' 3 (that is,rhe World) was come t9 his full age:and fo that th~ littefi tinte for Him to lx[e'll Eo.r: to that, compareth the Apo!llctheirdbte then; that th~ former times u,nder Mofos .a.od the-. Prophets were asthe Nonage ofthe world ;{ttb P,edagogo, in theIII. Ohapter, rer.XXJIII• .,:,;,;,xii.t,-at their A. B. c. or r~diments, (as in the very lafl: words befm:etbefe;) T-heir. ' " 1 efiate then, as ofchildren in their minority, little dijferi'!gfrom fervants: Fo'l; all thinvbile,- nondum venit,thefirlncjfe oftimewas not yct'Come. But a til'!e thernvas as for man, 'fo for ma11kind to come to his. full ye:ues: Tha,t time came with C H Jt. 1 s~r_ •s comming, ;md .C" R I s T s com'('ii1gwith it, and nevertill then was the fielpef!t oftimr;;.bat.thep invas, And let thts be enough for thts point; m<ir<:then; is 119r ill the T~:r:t. ,By!';ifany lhaflfur., · ther as1c, why then, atthat age oftl1e World, theWorldwa-s nv Iusfull age, jull:_rheq, and netthet fooner nor late{~ I knQW many head:;,!uve beene fitl~,qf )levices, so fansfie nteas "\ cunoGrymthat potot., But I l)ol,<,l_i,t fafell: ro.re():, withJhc; f\pp,file (in>hefcco~ ver(e) on. ~ 0 "s ""~"~i·. I;~ thar com~ntus. Then-,was the till\ Cl for that was 1 'fe"!<ptu.pr.t.Jimt;•m· '! Patre,thwmeappoinredoftheFather. f!)r; even amQ,Dg_wen, though(,tpe Fat4er-!>~- in~ dead) the Law fct,tet\1 a titl)CJ for ~he Sozme to cotl)CJ~,f\is .herirageJ: _y~,t~e_./l4(hr lVIllg, no tune canb~ pr>fixcd, ):>ut om~ly vthei,nt hketb Htm toappoint,; andme Father D here
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