Moreover, The Prophecy of a Virgin's conceiving, and bringing forth a Son, was literally fulfili'd in this Birth f our Saviour; for Mary his Mother was, both when the bare him, and when he brought him forth, a pure Virgin. That fhe was fo when and after fhe was efpous'd to Jofeph, appears by the Style of the Holy Scripture, which calls her a Virgin after the Efpoufal, Luke 1. 27. That he was fo at the Angel's faluting of her, appears by her own Words, How Shall this be, feeing I know not a Man? That fhe continu'd fo after her Conception, is evident by the Relation of St. Matthew, Chap. i. 18. where her Conception is afcrib'd entirely to the Holy Ghoft, without any Intervention of Man: And the fame Evangelift applying to her the Prophecy of Ifaiah, fhews her to be a Virgin, not only when the conceiv'd, but when fhe brought forth; both being afcrib'd to a Virgin in the Prophecy, and both apply'd by the Evangelift as accomplish'd in her. And that the continu'd a Virgin ever after, hath been the general Belief of the Fathers and the Church ever fince.

But why was it expedient that the Meffias fhould be thus born of a Woman, and of such a one too as was and ever continu'd a Virgin? Why, this was done not only for the fulfilling of Prophecies, but for divers other great and weighty Reasons. As,

1. 'Twas requifite that the Meffias fhould be born of a Woman, that he might be made Man, and become one of us, that fo the fame Nature that had offended, might make Satisfaction and as by one Man's Difobedience many were made Sinners; fo by the Obedience of one, many might be made Righteous; Rom. 5. 19. Again, this was done,

2. That by partaking of our Nature and the Infirmities of it, he might be the more gentle and compaffionate towards us; bearing with our Infirmities, and more affectionately interceding for us: for fo faith the Apostle, it beboved him in all things to be made like unto his Brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful High Priest; Heb. 2. 17. Moreover,

3. 'Twas expedient that the Saviour of the World should be born of a Woman, that the means and method of Man's Reftauration might have fome relation to his Fall, and the fame Sex that had unhappily occafion'd his Mifery, might in fome measure contribute to his Salvation; for as the Woman was first in the Tranfgreffion that brought Death and Ruin on Mankind, fo moft fit it was that fhe fhould not be the laft or leaft in the Reparation. And

And as it was thus requifite that the Redeemer of the World fhould defcend from a Woman, fo was it expedient likewife that he fhould be the Off-fpring of a Virgin; for fince the Word condefcended fo low as to be made Flesh, 'twas most fit he fhould receive his Birth from the purest Virgin, and be fafhion'd in a Womb that was unpolluted: for if the Disciples thought it fit that his dead Body Should be laid in a Tomb or Sepulchre where never Man was laid before; as we read, John 19. 41. how much more decent was it, that his living Body fhould be conceiv'd in a Womb where no Man elfe had lain?

And for the fame reafon it hath been believ'd, that fhe continu'd in a State of Virginity ever after: For who can think it agreeable with the fingular Piety of Joseph, after a Divine Revelation that he was with Child by the Holy Ghoft, to put her to any common Ufe; or that the bleffed Virgin herself fhould ever permit that pure Womb, which had been confecrated as a Temple of the Holy Ghost, and the Tabernacle of the Son of God, to be polluted by any fleshly Lufts?

In a word, he was born of a Woman, that he might be truly the Son of Man; and he was born of a Virgin, that he might eminently appear to be the Son of God. And this will lead me,

Secondly, To confider the Nativity of Chrift, both as a general Bleffing vouchfaf'd to Mankind, and as a particular Favour and Honour done to the Virgin Mary. For the

ift, The Angels declar'd at his Nativity, that his Birth was to be glad Tidings of great Foy unto all People; Luke 2. 11. For he thereby took our Flefh, to atone for our Sins; and by taking our Human, hath made us partakers of his Divine Nature: He took not on bim (faith the Apostle) the Nature of Angels, but he took on him the Seed of Abraham; Heb. 2. 15. He pafs'd by the Angels that finn'd, and fuffer'd thofe glorious Creatures that left their firft Habitation, to be referv'd in Chains of Darkness to the Fudgment of the taft Day; 1 Pet. Whereas he took pity upon the worthlefs Sons of Adam, and became himfelf the Son of Man, to make them the Sons of God; which fhould teach us, upon a much higher account than that of the Pfalmift, to fay, Lord, what is Man, that thou art mindful of him, or the Son of Man, that thou thus vifiteft him? For there he was made lower than the Angels, but here he is prefer'd above them; being crown'd with Glory and Honour.

And

And as this was a high Honour done to Mankind in general, for the Son of God to affume their Nature; fo was it,

2dly, A fignal and peculiar Honour done to the Virgin Mary, to receive it from her, to be fingled out among all Women to be the Mother of our Lord, and to conceive him of her own Subftance: this was an Honour above her Wishes to defire; yea, above her Faith at first to believe, and above her Tongue at laft to exprefs: 'twas her own Prediction, Behold, from henceforth fhall all Generations call me Bleffed. The Angel began it at the Annunciation, Blefed art thou among Women; 'twas follow'd by her Coufin Elizabeth at her Conception, faying, Bleffed art thou among Women, and Blessed is the Fruit of thy Womb; Luke 1. 42. And this hath been continu'd by the Catholick Church ever fince, who, with one Voice, hath ftyl'd her the Bleffed, and the ever bleffed Virgin and let that Mouth be curfed (faith a devout Father) that refufes to call her Bleffed; and justly too, being fo highly favour'd as to be the Mother of God, and the Parent of our Saviour.

And here two Extremes may be taken notice of; the one in the defect, by giving too little Honour to the Bleffed Virgin; the other in the excefs, by giving her too much.

The former is the fault of thofe who derogate from the juft Honour which is due to her high Privilege, and will fcarce allow any greater respect to her Name and Memory, than is paid to other ordinary Women; whereas by this Birth fhe is nearly ally'd to Heaven, and exalted to the highest degree of Dignity, and confequently to be esteem'd more honourable than the greatest Queen or Emprefs.

The latter is the fault of thofe that afcribe to her Divine Honours, and give her that Worship that is due to God only.

Both these Extremes are to be avoided, and the Language of the Catholick Church retain'd; which is, Let her be Honour'd, and her Son Ador'd.

But what Influence fhould this Belief have upon our Minds and Converfations? Why,

I. This fhould teach us, to admire the infinite Condefcenfion of the Son of God for the good of Mankind. This is that great Myftery of Godlinefs, mention'd by St. Paul; God was manifeft in the Flefb. A Myftery, as he ftyles it,

without

Part II. without all controverfy great and incomprehenfible, that God fhould vouchsafe to become Man, and he whom the Heaven of Heavens could not contain, fhould fuffer himfelf to be circumfcrib'd in the narrow Limits of a Virgin's Womb; that he who was older than all Time, fhould in the Fulness of Time condefcend to be born, and find a pasfage into the World, tho he made it, and had a Being long before the World had any: in a word, that the Brightness of the Father's Glory fhould be fhrouded under a Mantle of Human Flesh, and the express Image of his Perfon become like one of us. Thefe are Depths unfathomable, which the Angels themselves defire to pry and look into; yea, fuch, at which the good Angels rejoice, and the evil tremble.

And as we are to admire the Greatnefs, fo ought we to adore and celebrate the infinite Love and Goodness of God in this Tranfaction; crying out with the Apoftle, Oh the height and depth, and breadth and length of the Love of God, that paffeth Knowledge!

2. From Christ's condefcending to take our Nature, and Infirmities, we may learn the great Leffon of Humility and Condefcenfion to one another; Learn of me (faith our bleffed Saviour) for I am meek and lowly in Heart: And indeed, where can we better learn this excellent Leffon, than from this unparallel'd inftance of Humility? Did the Son of God, to advance us, ftoop from the highest pitch of Glory to the lowest depth of Mifery; and fhall vile finful Man think it much to ftoop to his Fellow-Creatures, and condefcend a little for the good of one another? Where is our Christianity, if we thus take upon us? And why do we ftyle ourselves the Followers of Chrift, if we thus apparently leave the fteps of his Example? The Apostle's Advice is, Let the fame mind be in you that was in Chrift Fefus, who being in the Form of God, humbled himself to the Nature of Man, and took on him the Form of a Servant : And having abas'd himself fo low for our fakes, it must be very improper for us to exalt ourselves.

3. Chrift's being born of the Virgin Mary, and thereby affuming our Flefh, fhould raife us to the Confideration of the Dignity of our Nature, and make us fcorn to debafe it by any fordid and fenfual Lufts. The Son of God, by dwelling in our Flefh, hath put a high and fignal Honour upon it; greater indeed, than the Angels themselves can boaft of: for he took not on him the Nature of Angels,

bur

us.

but he took on him the Seed of Abraham: and having thus exalted our Nature to be a Manfion for himself, let us not degrade or proftitute it to any vile Purposes. Shall I take the Members of Chrift (faith the Apoftle) and make them the Members of a Harlot? God forbid! let that be far from By this Birth of our Saviour we are ally'd to Heaven, and become nearly united and related unto God; which fhould mind us of walking worthy of fo high and noble a Relation, and to be Followers of God as dear Children. Without this, it had been better for us, not only that we our felves, but that he too had never been born. Chrift therefore vouchfafing to become like us, let us endeavour to be like him; and having taken our Humanity, let us in fome measure afpire to his Divinity.

Laftly, The Nativity of our Bleffed Saviour fhould fill our Hearts with Joy, and our Mouths with the Praises of our Maker: The Birth of Princes and great Perfons hath been ever celebrated with Joy and Festival Solemnity.

DISCOURSE XIII.

1 PET. iii. 18.

For Chrift alfo once fuffer'd for Sins, the Just for the Unjust, that he might bring us unto God.

H

AVING feen the firft ftep of our Saviour's Humiliation; to wit, his being incarnate of the Virgin Mary, the Subject of the third Article: I proceed To the following steps and degrees of it, held forth in the next Article, in thefe words, Suffer'd under Pontius Pilate, was Crucify'd, Dead and Buried, He defcended into Hell. Where we profefs to believe,

1. His Sufferings in general, together with the Perfon under whom he underwent them; Suffer'd under Pontius Pilate.

2. The particular manner and degrees of his Sufferings s Was Crucify'd, Dead and Buried, He defcended into Hell All which must be distinctly confider'd. Accordingly,