·-" --~-- - ~ -------- -~---~--------~ i 178 The An Expo}ition . 1ncarnation. 1 Aug.de– Agont! Cnzift. redemption, thtnby the incarnation of the A ningof 0urowne righreouG1cs rc:ignes·inour I S~nne of God: and hcc appointed no other hcms,let Preachers fpeak~ar1d fay wh~t they I w•y,becaufe hewould not. w1l,we can neuer become tollowers ol €!.rift 1 _ Thus much of the incarnation in general!. in the prattife ofhumility,Some will fay,pet- ! Now follow theduties which arifeofit. And aduenture, thatthey neuer had any fuch opi. firfl:, we arc taught hereby to come to Chrifl: nionoftheirowne rightcoufi1es;but I antiver byfaith,and with all our hearts to cleaue-vnto againe, thatthere was neuer ycL any man de f-. I him, Gceat is the deadneffe and flnggi!hneffe cended ofAd•m, faue Chrifl:, but he "hadthi> ·1ofmansnature: forfcarceoneofa thoufand proud phantafie ruling and reigning in him carefor him, or fecke to him for righteouftill fuch time as God gane grace tochanoe & nelleand life euerlaO:ing.But we !houldexcite alter hisheart: and this inward pride the1ent: i our fclucs cueryway to draw neereto him as we difcernc it,the more it is; & the more we ' much as pofsiblc wemay:for~heohewas in- ~ difcerne it, the leffe it is. Therefore though carnate; he cameneere vnto vs bytakmgour as yet thou fee it not in thy felfe, yet labour nature vpon him, that we againe whatfoeuer ~tht~fee and to feele it, and to O:riue againfi we are, might comeneere vnr<> himbytaking B lt, callmg downc thy fidfe fonby own mifery vnto vs his D1uin<""'""· Ag,in,when Chrifl: ,- after Chrifls owne example,who being God, was incarnatc,he was made bone ofourbone, abafed h1mfelfe to the condition ofa miferaand flefh ofour flc!h,and therefore proporrio· ble man. For thou !halt neuer be filled with nally wee muO: labour to bcccme bone ofhis the good tl•ings ofGod, till thou be emptied bone,and.fldl10fhis fle!h: which we!hall he, offelf-lone & felf-l;king. Forthiscaof• Jetvs 1'Vhen wee are myllicallyvnited vnto him by purge and emp~ymor felnesof all conceit of 1 ft~th,and borne anew by his fpirit. Moreouer, <:>ur own rightcoufiu:ffe,that God-may fill our Chrii1by his incarnation came downe from hearts with hi'5 grace. heaucn to vs, that we being partakers of his Furthermore the Incarnation of Chrifl: is graoe,might afcend vp to heauenby him. And the ground and fourn:lation ofalour comfort carnation 010uld be a fpurre to ttricke vs brc fame doe refl:ifie. /.,;ob in his iafl: Tefl:amcnt '\ I I thns we fee how the meditation ofChriO:s.in' as the namos of Chri!b fc:ming to exprefle th; ward llill more and moreto come to ChriO:' · faith, rbat th•fi•P"' fhaH notdep"tfrom·lod•b Secondly,Chrifl:s incarnation mufl: be a patriiSh,/o,thatis,rh• Mi!Jit~~ com<.Now thename :;,:•·<9· terne vntovs of• moll wonderful and fl:range Shilo figniflerh the runicle or skinAc:- that lap- P.G,Iot. hmnility.For os '1'••1 faith,Phi!.2.6,7. BeiRg C p<tb theinfant in the mothers wombe, caHed de oC<OI· in theforme ofGoJ ,•nd thi•~ing it HarobbeYJ tobe by thePhyfirianstb• fl•undint: andby a kind tis cath. •q••llwith God, bertudehimfilftofnoreJI"Wiin: ofligureitis pu forrheSonneof Gc.d in the mitat.l, tmdtooke tmhim theforme of ~foriiAnl: ~~nd hHm; wombeof the> Vir~irr,made man. And lob to ~·~~1: f,/ed himftlft, 4ndbec4menbedit,gt to death, tHen comfort himfelfe in his affljction fairh, 1~~urw Icb 19• to the de~th fi{tiJt c.ro.lfc.y;eafo t:ure forth he athat mr redctmer /ii«th, Now theword which :f. · bafcd himfclfc, that as Daoid f.rith,Pfal....6. heevferh to fignilio his redeemer by, is very· hew.u" worrw. andno man. And this t~cheth emphaticall, tor i_t lignifietha kinftnan neere vsto lay aftde all fclf-loue &-pride of heart,& allied Vntohim ofhisO\ilriC flefh thatwill reI to prac'tife the dutiesofhumility':iasthe A:po· fl:ore him to life. And the Lord by the Profl:!eexhortsthe Philippi•ns irrthe fameplaee, phetefoychll<th Chrilllmm•nuel, that is,qod 1 r, 7 ,,•. 1 and that I11a! WC do, whenwe begin tO cafl:off IMhVS: wbi~h narne-impotteth very much, , that higlwpinion whic!l cuery·man by nature namely, tha~whoreas bybature wehauc loO: i conceiues cffJimfelfe,and become vile & b•fe our fellowfl\ip with GOd,' becaufe our finbes ! inoll!'OWncies.Securc & drowfieProteHants are a't9altof·p4rtJti nfcuctin};~S' from him: yet rra..~ 9 ,:, ' think themfdue.s blelfed, & fayintheir hearts neucrthcltiffe the tame is rell:ored to all that . as the angelofthe Church :of Laedioca faid, D beleeue,by the Mcdiatou~ Chrifl: Idirs : be- Col,r,>< Reu. 3·17./ am rich.:~fld increifed withgoodrJm~d caufe his diuinc nltur<:: is coupled to mans_l)a~ h•"' peedc•fmthi•g; whereas indeed theyare ture,andfo the·word is ·rnhde fle!h. And this m(;)fr rnifcrable and wretched 1 and poore,and fl:rait coniunCliOoftwonatures intoone ~r- ·nak.ed,ad blindc,Andthe fa;nc fond opinion fon,ioynesGod to men,and men to God: ·yea , 1 pofieffeth therniDaes ofour ignorant people, ~y Chrill wee are brought to God , and haue .\V.ho chant it inthevery flmeume,faying,that free acceffe vnto him:and ag.tin iu him weapGod1ot~es them,and that they louc Godwith prehend God,and are m:!d• ~newith hio1. alLthcir hearts, anQ tbeirneighbors.as themAnd furchcr,whereas Clw.ifl: bct1de our nafelucs; thar th~yluue·p:rfect:faith in Chrill ture tooke our infirmities alfo , it is awonandeucrhad,not once fo much M doubting.of derful comfort toGodsChurch,for itfhcwes their faluuion; thatall iswell w·ith thcm,aud that he is nor onelya Sauiour, but alfoa very ...th.it rhcyarepafrnlld:m~r \vhatfoeuer, in compa&ionatc and pittifuliSa_uiotlr. As the thematter of thuir falnation, and theretOre holy Ghofi. flith, In ;~/l tlJings 1t bec11me Chrift Heb.:. m:tde nottOlkc-fq much care tOr it. Thus ye tobe iektvntJJ hr&brethrm,th:uhe m~htbe ?mrci~ 1 7• may !~chow mcnart.:commonlyc"iltried aWay full a1td a{:l~thfu/1 h1gh Prttfi,thmg.s cor.cermng .with v.1inc ~1ndfondconceits of.rbcit' own-ex~ GoJ,... Let a man be fi.ckc of a gn,uous dtf ... .ce~~i~· Andrruc:ly folongasthiscuerwcet:afe, and let a fr1cnd come that hath b~~c \ l!OUbled
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