or defcribe fuch a divine and ineffable Action, of which there is no other Example?

But what was the Concurrence of the Bleffed Virgin in this Action? Why, the Holy Scriptures attribute all that to her which is given to other Mothers, with relation to the Fruit of their Womb; for fhe is faid to conceive him of her very Subftance, who is therefore ftyl'd the Fruit of her Womb, Luke 1. 42. He was nourifh'd and grew up in her, being form'd of her Blood and Subftance; The is faid to bear him in her Womb, to be big, and to be with Child of him; and when the time was accomplish'd for her Delivery, fhe brought him forth too: for which reason, she is truly ftyl'd the Mother of our Lord, and the antient Fathers and Councils call'd her toronos, the Mother of God. So that all that is afcrib'd to any Mother in the Production of a Child, is attributed to her, fave the preceding Act of Generation, which was fupply'd by the Divine Efficacy and overshadowing of the Holy Ghoft.

But why was our Bleffed Saviour thus conceiv'd by the Holy Ghoft? Why, for fundry great and weighty Reasons. As,

1. To affure us of the Divinity of his Perfon, and that he was in a peculiar and eminent manner the Son of God. Had he been conceiv'd and born by the common way of Generation we might have taken him for a mere Man like ourfelves, and fo withheld the Divine Honours due to him: but being conceiv'd by a Divine Power, and born into the World without any earthly Father, we may fafely conclude him come from Heaven, and receive him for the Son of God. Again,

2. None could be fo fit to make this glorious Conjunction of the Divine and Human Nature in one Perfon, as the Holy Spirit of God: he it is to whom all other Miracles are afcrib'd, and therefore was certainly the fitteft Person to atchieve this, the greatest of all Wonders. Moreover,

3. "Twas the Office of the Holy Ghoft to confecrate and fet apart Perfons for any great and noble Employment: hence we find the anointing of Kings, Priefts, and Prophets to their feveral Functions, appropriated to this Holy Spirit; and we read of Jeremy's, John the Baptift's, and St. Paul's being fanctify'd and feparated by the Holy Ghoft from their Mother's Womb to their particular Offices. How much more requifite then was it that the Son of God, to whom

all others refer, fhould be confecrated by this Divine Spirit to the highest and nobleft of all Employments, even the Ranfom and Salvation of Mankind? for which reafon, he is faid to be anointed with the Oil of Gladness above his Fellows. Furthermore,

4. 'Twas neceffary for our Saviour to be thus conceiv'd by the Holy Ghoft, that he might be clear from all Stain and Pollution of Sin; for fuch a High Priest (faith the Apoftle) became us, who was holy, harmless, undefil'd, feparate from Sinners, and made higher than the Heavens: for elfe how could he have taken off the Stain and Impurity of our Nature, if himself had been defil'd with it? The Lamb of God that taketh away the Sins of the World, was to be without blemish and without fpot; and he that would redeem Mankind, muft himself not ftand in need of his own Redemption. Now fuch a Saviour could not be conceiv'd by the Ordinary Course of Nature, for who can bring a clean Thing out of an unclean? that which is born of Flesh is Flesh; and whoever defcends from the Loins of our first Parents, that Fountain of Impurity, muft unavoidably derive fome Defilement thence. And therefore that the Redeemer of the World might be fo made of a Woman, as not to contract the leaft blemish or tang of Impurity, moft neceffary it was, that the ordinary way of Conception fhould be excluded; that the Holy Ghoft, who is the Author and Fountain of all Holinefs, fhould confecrate the Womb that bare him, and by a Divine overshadowing Power impregnate it with the Son of God.

From what hath been said then on this Subject, we learn, 1. The immaculate Conception of our Bleffed Saviour. This the Holy Scriptures have plainly reveal'd, and therefore it behoves us ftedfaftly to believe it: for tho he was made of a Woman, and fo became like us in Similitude of Nature, yet this great Action was intirely perform'd by the Holy Ghoft: whereby he was totally exempted from the Pollution of finful Flefh, together with all the Impurity and Imperfections that cleave to it. So that whatever original Corruption may be in us, we may reft affur'd there was none in him, in whom the Father declares himself well pleas'd.

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2. We may learn hence, the infinite Goodness and Wifdom of God in this whole Tranfaction. His Goodness pear'd in promifing and providing for us fuch an all-fufficient Saviour: his Wifdom in fo contriving the matter,

that

that he who knew no Sin fhould be made Sin for us, that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him. In this (faith the Apoftle) the Kindnefs and Love of God towards Man appear'd, in that he fent his Son into the World; and in this his admirable Wisdom was feen, in making him in the likeness of finful Flesh, to condemn Sin in the Flefb.

3. From this great Contrivance we may learn to practise the greatest Purity and Holinefs of Life; that as he who hath call'd and redeem'd us is Holy, fo we likewife fhould walk before him in all Holinefs and Newnefs of Life. He came not to fave us in, but from our Sins: and the fame overfhadowing Power that form'd his Human Nature, fhould reform ours. He was born for us at his Incarnation, and if ever we hope to receive any Benefit by it, he must be born within us too by Regeneration; that as he was conceiv'd without Spot, fo we may be prefented at last without Spot or Wrinkle, or any fuch thing.

Laftly, We learn hence, the Fountain from whence all our Holiness and Happiness too muft flow; namely, the Holy Spirit of God, for 'twas that which confecrated the Human Nature of Chrift, and 'tis that alone that can refine ours. We brought no fuch Purity into the World with us (as a Reverend Father hath obferv'd) nor are we fanctify'd in the Womb; but as the Son of God was fanctify'd at his Conception, fo are we at our Regeneration: and we are to be born again, not of Blood, nor of the Will of the Flefb, nor of the Will of Man, but of God. And being thus led by the Spirit of God in the ways of Grace and Holiness here, he will hereafter bring us to Glory.

DIS

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DISCOURSE

LUKE ii. 6, 7.

XII.

While they were there, the Days were accomplifh'd that he should be deliver'd; and The brought forth her Firft-born Son, &c.

F

ROM the immaculate Conception of our bleffed Saviour by the Holy Ghoft, the first Branch of the third Article; I proceed to the fecond, his Birth and Nativity of the Bleffed Virgin, in those words, Born of the Virgin Mary: which is affirm'd here by the Evangelift; When the Days were accomplish'd that he should be deliver'd, he brought forth her First-born Son.

This is the next thing to be confider'd in this Myftery of the Incarnation, whereby the Son of God, who was begotten of the Father before all Worlds, was pleas'd in the Fulnefs of time to be born of a Woman ; and as he was firft form'd and fashion'd in the Womb without Sin, fo was he after manifested in the Flefh, to take away the Sins of the World. In treating therefore hereof, I muft,

Firft, Confider the Birth of our Saviour, both in the Prophecy as 'tis recorded in the Old Teftament, and in the Accomplishment as 'tis related in the New.

Secondly, I muft confider it with reference to the general Good of Mankind, and likewife to the particular Honour that was therein done to the Virgin Mary. And,

Lastly, What Influence the Belief hereof ought to have upon our Practice. I begin with the

First, Which is to confider our Saviour's Birth as it was foretold of old, and fulfil'd in the latter Days. And here the first Promise made of him, even in Paradise, styles him the Seed of a Woman, Gen. 3. 15. fignifying, that as the Ruin, fo the Reparation of Mankind fhould come from that Sex. After this, it was foretold, that this Woman, of whom the Meffias was to be born, fhould be of the Seed of Abra

ham,

ham, in whom all the Nations of the Earth should be blessed; Gen. 26. 4. In farther Procefs of Time, 'twas promis'd to David, That of the Fruit of his Loins, God would raife up' Christ to fit upon his Throne: for which reafon he is styľð, The Rod out of the Stem of Jeffe, and a Branch growing out of his Root. Sometimes he is call'd, a Horn of Salvation rais'd up in the House of his Servant David; Luke 1. 32. all which fhew, that he was to defcend of his Stock or Lineage. In the Prophecy of Ifaiah 'tis exprefly declar'd, that fhe who was to bear him into the World was to be a Virgin, Isa. 7. 14. Behold a Virgin fhall conceive and bring forth a Son. To the fame purpofe is that Prophecy of Jeremiah, Chap. 31. 22. The Lord hath created a new thing on the Earth, a Woman Jhall compass a Man: meaning, that a Woman, without any Concurrence of a Male, fhould conceive and enclofe in her Womb a Man; which he there calls a new thing, as having no Precedent before or fince; and likewise a Creation, because 'tis above and befide the ordinary way of Generation.

These were the principal Prophefies of the Old Teftament relating to the Birth of the Meffias, and fhew to us the manner of his coming; which was not to be (as the Jews vainly expected) in Pomp and Magnificence, but in this low and mean Equipage; he was not promis'd to come directly from Heaven, attended with a numerous train of Angels, but his way was thro' a Virgin's Womb, and to be conceiv'd and born as we are, Sin only excepted.

Now how exactly all these Circumstances concurr'd, and were fulfill'd in our Saviour's Birth, the History of the New Teftament may thorowly inform us. That he was the Seed of a Woman, according to the first Promise in Paradise, is evident from his being born of Mary, and conceiv'd of her very Subftance; both the Evangelifts and St. Paul relating, that when the Fulness of Time was come, God fent forth his Son made of a Woman; Gal. 4. 4. The Promife made to Abraham, that in his Seed all the Nations of the Earth should be bleffed, was likewife fulfill'd in him: for both his Mother Mary and Jofeph her efpous'd Husband, lineally defcended from the Stock of Abraham. In him likewife was the Promife made to David accomplish'd; for both Jofeph and Mary, by a natural and legal Extraction, proceeded from his Lineage, being (as St. Luke tells us) of the House and Fa mily of David, Luke 2. 4.

Moreover,