.. A Sermon on the, &c. I have briefly opened to you! \Vhy now is there any thing of AmiablcueiS or Love. linefs in fuch an Objc[t as this is, that God fhould part with his Son out of his own Bofom ? Yet faith God in the Eighth Verfe, Now when I pt4ed by thee, a11d looked z•pon thee ; behold, thy time w.u the time of love, and I [pre.1d my skirt owr th:e, a1d coveted thy nakednefs: And then I w.ajhed th.e~ with water, ye11 1 I throughiy ro~/hcd mvay thy blood from thet. Nay further, our Condition was fuch as the Prophet 1}<4i.ah dcfctibes it tO be, !fa. 1. 6. From the fole of the f'oot, t7.JW unto the he,td1 there·iJ no foundlle/s, &c. but wound:s a»d bruijts, a71d putrefying [o res . Sores that deformed us, Sores that would have dcftroyed us. Now that God ihould fend his bleffed and T'{ltfl-btloved Son the Lord ']efm Chrift, to bind up and cure, nay to kifs the Sores of fuch deformed Crea.. tures as we are, cloth not this fpeak his infinite Love to us? Secondly, Thi~ Love if not ouiy pttthed upon deformed Creatures, but a!Jo upon frorvard peevijh, and rebe/liotu Creatures. Of all things in the World, nothing fooner provoke~ God's Will, than a {lighting, and contempt of Love: Now God forefaw how. Men would flight his Son, yot notwithftanding he fends him; He came to his own, and hU own received him not, I might enlarge in the Hiftory of our Provocations, Affronts 3nd Injuries ; all which God forefaw out of his own Inftnire W ifdom: And yet not~ withftanding all, his Good-will prevailed to fend ']efm Chrift, whom he knew would be [corned and re jetted by them to whom he was fent. Fourthly and laftly, r might be large in illuftrating thif Good~ will of God, in fend. ing Jefus Chrift into the World, is drawn from thofe many great BentfiJs that by Chrift's coming, we are made partAkers of Should I inftance in Temporal Things, that would be an abatement to this Love of God to us, and the PUI·chace of Chrift whereby we receive Pardon of Sin, Reconciliatton of our Perfom, Acceptation with God: SanE:tijication, Adopttor~, hopt of Glory hert, and po!Jeffion of Glory hereafret: All in and through Jefus Chrilt. But l fha\1 notinfilt upon thefe,but proceed to make fome fhort Application. Vfe. You have heard fomewhat, (though infinitely fhort) of the G"d-wiU of God, in fending 'Jefi!.J Chrift into the \\'orld: Do not you believe it to be true? Why clfo do you Solemnize this as a Day of 'Joy ? Well them, beware that you do not fruft:rate God's Good~wi/1 towards you, in giving Chrift to you, by your Debaucheries and Prophanenefs on this good Day, which you Celebrate as a Memorial of that great Gift. Believe it, (and it's fad to confider; ) As Chrift's Birth bath been the caufe of the Salvation of many a Soul; fa it may be feared that ChriftmM hath been the Damnation of many a Soul: What through Rioting, Drunkene{s, RevtUing, Gaming, and fuch like Exceffes, the Name of Chrift hath been greatly diJhonour~ ed1 under a pretence of honouring his Birth. I have heard a Story of a Turkifh AmbajJadour long refiding in one of the greateft Courts in Chriftendom ; when he returned home to his M after, he was by him examined, what Cuftoms the Chriftians obfervc? He made this Anfwer; That for Twelves Days in the Year, all the Cbri.. ftiam ran mad. His Obfervation was but too true,and too much to the difparage• ment of the CJ..riftian Religion: And we may well queftion, whether there be not more \Vickednefscommitted in many places thefe Twelve D11ys, than in the other Tivelve Mtmths after. What, Sirs, do you think that Chrift came into the World only to give you an occafion to Eat unto Gluttony, and toDrink unto Drunkennefs? Are not thefe fame of the Sins which he came into the World to deftroy? And will you make his coming into the World to Patronize them? Obferve then a Day, but take the Apoftle's Direflion; He that obferveth a Day, let him obferve it to the Lord. It is his Rule to obferve it with a holy Heart, with fp irituat Meditation, with heavenly Affefrions. This is the only way to reap the Benefit of God's GooJ~tvill, in fendtng Chrift into the World, and this is the only way to afcribe Glory to God for his Good·wi!i towards Mm. SE R-
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