The ru1nExpofition Incarnation. peculiartorhe Scripture, called thecommuni- A doubtGod hauinlj promifed the returrel'!ion «rion ofproprieties, when the propertie ofone ofthe dead and l1te cuerlalting,wil in his good nature is attributed to the whol~ perfon;or to rimebringthem to paffe, though as yet we fee the other nature; as when Paulf.,ith, that God them not. And thus bv the accomplifhmcnr All, '"• jl"dhisbi.od, that the Lo>'dofglorie>..«rucijidf all things palt, !hould wee confirmc 0 ,, 1~ ed. And wHo Chrilt f ,ith, that heralkmgwith hopesconcerning things to come. ~. or. 2 • Nichodemm wa~then in heltHlll• Theplace was notat Hierufalem norNaz.4.. !oh, '1· Thevfe oftheperfonall vnion is threefold. reth,norany other cirie, but onelya villageof Vfe. Firlt, itferuesto fhewthe hainoufi1elfe ofour Juda calledBethlehem, that the prophelie of 1 , finnes,and thegreatnes ofour miletie. For it Michca might be fulfilled, Thou Bethlehem Ehad not bin pofsible to make a fatisfac.'tio11 to ph~ataartlittle tobeamongrhc thoMjillldsofiud.<, ~H,h.u Gods iultice in mans nature forthe !tall ot: yet out oftheefhaNhecomeforthvnrom,,thatjbaa fence; vnles thefamenaturehad firll: ofall bin bemlerin lfeael. And here we may obferue a nearely ioyned to the Godhead oftheSonne' memorable example of Gods pronidence that thereby it might be fo farre forrh fuppor• whtch ouerruleth the proceedings of cruell tcd and fultained, that it might ouercom<the tyranrs,to the accomplifhing ofhisown will wrath ofGod. Secondly,it fets forth vnro vs B they the~fclue.< for theirparts iotending no~ the cndieffe l0ue ofGut! to man.For whereas thingldle Auguftmnot fo much as dreaming byreafon ofAdams fall wee werebcc'>me the ofthe birth ofthe Mefsias,g.tuc commaundevilell:ofallcreature.<, exceptthe diuell andh•s mentthat euery man fhould goe to his owne angels: by this mylticall coniunc.'tion, our na citie to bee taxed : and hereupon lofph and ture is exalted ro fltch an eO:atc & condition, Mary take their iourney from N4z.areth to as is farre aboue all creatures, euen the Angels 'JJuhlehrm: whichiourney God.himfelfc apthemfelues. Thirdly,it is as it were the key of poin··ed& difpofed to this end,that the Mefall our comfort: for all found comfort ltands fias might bee borne in the place which hee in.happines, all happincs is in fellow!hip\\ irh preordained and·foretold by his Prophets. G</d,al tello.,fl1ipwithGod is by Chrill:,who ThemJnner ofCbnfls birth wasvery bafe forthis caufe becing very God, became ve.cy and poore : for theplace where he was borne man, thathec mightreconcile man to God, was a ilable,and the cradle where heL.y was a and God to man. crotch. And he willinglytookc vpon him :his Thus much of the conception of Chrilt: pouerty for fundry caufcs. !. That the Scrip· uow followeshis birth:wherby in theordina-. turemighrbe tu!filled, which fatth, that he ry timeofrrauaile,according to the eourfe of C fhoJld re thejhame andco11trmpr ofthe people: narure, he was broghtforth into the world by and rh'lt he fhacl grow vp IUttraoreourofadry ~C.!"· ~. the virginMary. Andit was the will ofGod, ground,&,haue nNthrrformcnorbMuty.Il. That ifa.n. '· Luk,•.•· that Chrill: fhould not only be conceiued; but he mig;,t •herward from this bafc condition alfo borne,atJd that atrer the manner ofmen, be exalted euen in his mahood ro that rich & l(J.z.,t. DaRo9• ~ .... ~ that he mightbe known to be very maiudeed_ glorious eltate in which heefhO<Jld manifeQ In the birth we may confider foure things;the himfelfe to bee Lord ofheauen& earth. lll. time,the place,the manner, the manifeftation He was borne in exceeding pouerty, that he ofit. mightfhamethewife men ofthis world, who The time, was in the /aft daies, toward the exceedingly eltceme of their riches,power & end ofthe 70• weekes ofDamel, which are to glory, perfwading themfelucs that without beaccountei:lfrom theend of the captiuity of titch means nothing can be done. And yet for Babylon,and make inall490. yeares:or more all this they cannot fo much as reconcile one plaincly1900. yeares and more from the beman to God by all their mi{;ht and wealth; ginningofrhe world,and asPaul faith , in the whereas Chritl himfelfe hath done the fame Ga1. 4• 4, fi4lnes oftim.~. And the Euangelifl:shaue not('d both in pouerty and~ak:1efl't:; andc~n en~ i ofpurpofetherime tobaue beene when.Au- D large and preferue hiS kmgdome Without Luk.t, r. gufts« Cefor taxed the !ewes and jll nJtiuns earthly helpes. When hee hung vpon the I vnder his dominion; to fignifie that Chrilt crotle the fouldiers ll:ript him of his garmets; was borne at the very time foretold by lacob, and beeing naked hee brought thaoto pa(fe, when the crowne and fcepterwas taken from which all the Monarches of the earth in all JP.et.,&withal to !hew thathis kingdome was their royalties could neuer haue performed. notofrhisworld.Anditwasthegoodpleafurc And whether Chrill: lie in the rnangor beofGod that Chrilt fhould tiot be borne either tweene the Oxeand the A£fe,orin the pallace later or fovner but fo-many ages from the beofthe king,it matters not in regard ofour f.lginningofthe ~orld: And thisconfiderarion ua_tion. IV ·J:I~came in this mann:r,that there of the very tirne it felfe, ferues greatly for the might bea difference betweene Ius firlt cornconfirmation of our faith. For thus may we rning in the fk:fh, and his laft commmg to reafon with our felues:JfG 0 D who in the iudgement. l~tbefirlt became onely for this beginningmade apromife to our firfl: parentS end, not to make any outward al~erations m concerning the feede ofthe woman,. deferred lthe wodd,but to change the confcu~nce, & to it almofi 4000. yeares, &yetat lengrhaccomI put in e~ecution the worke of our fpirimall plifhed the tiune to the very full: then uo redempnon: and therefore he hath referucd 1-----~------------------------------------------------------~tl~
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