THE MYSTERY OF CHRIST'S NATIVITY.  
A Sermon Preached in the Parish Church of ALL-SAINTS in DORCHESTER, within the County of DORSET, the 25. day of December 1613. being CHRISTMAS DAY.  
By WILLIAM JONES, Master of Arts, and Preacher of God's Word.  BERNARD. 
Puto me iam spernere non poterit Christus,  
Os de offibus meis, & caro de carne mea.  
How is it possible that the blessed Son of God should now reject me, sith by taking our nature upon him, he is become flesh of my flesh and bone of my bone.  
LONDON. Printed for Richard Hawkins, and are to be sold at his Shop in Chancery-lane, near Sergeant's Inn. 1614   

To the Worshipful M. THOMAS HUSSY Justice of Peace, Master JASPER meler Esquire, Master LAURENCE meler, M. THO. PAWLET, M. Matthew Chubb, M. Richard Blachford, and M. THOMAS BLACHFORD, Gentlemen of Dorsetshire, my especial kind and loving friends, Grace and Peace be multiplied through Christ jesus our LORD.  
AS the preaching of the Gospel of Christ was not, nor is, the least gift of grace that God gave unto his Church; but even the greatest miracle that ever Christ wrought hecre on earth, for our Conversion unto the 
* Math. 11. 6.  faith: So the abuse of this grace is not the least, but the greatest sin, that can be committed. The which being truly considered; I marvel not a little? 
3. Ep. joh. v. 9  why Diotrephes with his Scholars will persist in resisting of this grace; or Simon Magus with his Champions continue in purchasing of this grace; 
Act. 8. 18.  or judas with his Successors persever in buying and selling of Christ Spouse the Church, contrary to the Gospel of grace. But forasmuch as that I mind not in this ensuing Treatise to tax them, 
Matth. 26. 15.  or their wicked abuses: Yet my prayers unto God for them shallbe; to turn their hearts from farther renting of the garments of Christ and his Church, lest they become like unto these their predecessors, partakers not of the least grace.  
The subject or matter, wherewith I am now to present your Worships withal: is touching the mystery of Christ his Nativity. The Text hath been handed often, and by many; Yea and of such men, who for their great understanding, reading, witty invention, and profound judgement, have many degrees exceeded myself. Yet to satisfy the earnest and godly requests of some of my especial good friends, I have enterprised, and adventured, to set forth the same in print: hoping that your worships will vouchsafe to give it the perusal, and accept these the first fruits of my labours, with the self-same affection wherewith it is offered; how small and simple soever it seem to be. And now the Lord jesus give it his grace, that it may not be like firekinled on his Altar in vain; 
Mal. 1. 9  but that it may prove to be as the morning Incense, and as evening Sacrifice, acceptable unto God, and profitable unto this Church.  
Unto the same God will I pray always to power down his mercies upon you, to enrich you with his graces, and to preserve your Worships for the good both of Church and Commonwealth, unto his glory AMEN.  
Your worships to be commanded W. JONES,   

THE MYSTERY OF CHRIST'S NATIVITY.  GALAT. 4. 4. When the fullness of time was come, God sent his Son made of a woman, etc. 
WIth what solemnity we are to celebrate this day of Christ's Nativity (dearly beloved) the many mysteries, and excellencies therein contained, may declare unto us. Now is He brought out of the Virgin's womb, who before lived eternally in the bosom of his Father: Now is the Word, that made the world, borne an Infant into the world, Now the Ancient of days is become a Child: Now judas Lion roused himself to encounter the Red Dragon: Now Jacob's star arose to be the Gentles light, and Israel's glory: Now the Bridegroom came out of his Chamber, to meet his Spouse: Now the Son of God became man, that men might be made the sons of God: Now Christ came out clothed with our flesh, that we might be invested with his spirit: Now the Lord took on him the form of a servant, that we his servants might be made partakers of his Lordship. These great blessings, doth this blessed day convey unto us. Wherefore to put you in mind, that your understading may be enlightened to know them; and your wills inclined to serve and praise GOD for them: I have made choice of this text, which being indeed the Quintessence of the Golpell, proposeth unto us concerning Christ his coming these circumstances. First, The time, when the fullness of time, etc. Secondly, The causes, God sent his Son. Thirdly, The manner, made of a Woman etc. Fourthly, The end, that he might redeem them, etc. These points are best be seeming this time: which when briefly & rudely I shall have discoursed upon, I will then end, & commend ye to God.  
When the fullness of time was come etc. Three things, measure all durations; Eternity, Immortality, Time. Eternity hath neither beginning nor end; and is proper only to God, who is everlasting. Immortality hath beginning, but none end; and is proper to Spirits, as Angels, and men's souls, that once were not, and yet now cannot die. Time hath both beginning and end, and is proper to all bodies, such as are possible and corruptible substances: of whom 'tis said, omniaorta occidunt & aucta senescunt: Now than Christ consisting of Godhead, soul, and body, hath these his three Natures limited by these three quantities, his Godhead by Eternity, his soul by Immortality: and his body by Time. Thus in respect not of his Divinity, but his Humanity, the maker of Time was made in time, and Time saith Aristotle is the measure of motion, but Paul here shows us more strange Philosophy, that it is the measure of the first Mover itself. Would ye not wonder (Dear Christians) to hear that a giants foot should be thrust into a child's shoe, or that the Ocean Sea should be intruded into a bottle, and as much then may you marvel at this that God who is infinite, should be borne in a time finite, but this doubt is thus dissolved three things, ut supra etc. And as our Apostle saith, in the fullness thereof. As places, so time have their fullness and emptiness, some places are empty having nought but air in them, and some are replenished with silver, with Gold, Pearl, Precious stones, and such like treasure, like so of times, some are void of strange accidents, and some are full of memorable and admirable occurrents, & in such a time was our Saviour borne, as the age of the world, the year, month, day, hour, these parts of time may impart unto us; Touching the World's age, know that it was the sixth. The first age was from Adam to Noah. The second from Noah to Abraham. The third from Abraham to David. The fourth from David to the transmigration from Babylon. The fifth from that to Christ's Nativity, which fell in the sixth age: where note an excellent mystery, how correspondent Gods works of our creation, and recreation are. As in the world's sixth day God did make man: so in the world's sixth age he did redeem man. In the world's sixth day the first Adam was made, in whom we are deformed: and in the world's sixth age was the second Adam made, in whom we are reform. Here arise now two questions: why God loving man so well, had not been borne before or presently after man's fall, sith Gratia ab officio quod mor a tar dat abest. Secondly: why God minding to die for the sins of all the world, had not deferred his coming to the end of the world. Six is a number neither diminute nor superabundant, but perfect, sith all his parts put together do make the whole, as 1. 2. and 3. make six: so then in the number of perfection came the author of perfection. By six stairs did men ascend to Salomon's throne, and by six ages came the word to the throne of grace. These scruples thus I remove. First, for Christ to have been borne before Adam fell, had been an action superfluous. For the end of his coming being (utinquit evang.) to seek the lost Sheep of the house of Israel; to bind up the broken hearted, to call sinners to repentance, and by it to salvation: what needed this seeker before man was lost? what needed this Physician before man was sick? what needed this Saviour before Adam was a sinner? Again for Christ to have come presently after man's fall, had been also very inconvenient. Man sinned by pride, and by pride was thrown into calamity: from which if straightways he should have been freed, perhaps the spirit of loftiness and insolency might have come upon him again. God therefore six ages lest him in his misery, that he might know his fault, & knowing it, be humbled for the same. Farther it was meet, that as the entrance of a King into a City, so the coming of so worthy a person as the son of God into the World, should be foreshowed by the predictions of such worthy messengers, as were the patriarchs and Prophets; which could not have been had Christ been borne in the time of Adam. As for the deferring of his birth to the end of the World, These reasons disprove it. First, the testimony of Abacuc. 3. where it is said of God there, the works of his mercy should be revived in medio annorum. Again why should Christ then be borne on earth, when men shall have no faith to believe on him, no Charity to love him, and no Religion to worship him? But these things shall happen in the latter days (as the Evangelists write) and therefore the World's end is a season, rather for Christ to come in judgement to revenge, then in mercy to redeem. This for the age. Now for the year. It was the two and fortieth of the reign of Augustus Caesar the Roman Emperor: in whose time that Christ was borne, it was in regard of the many resemblances that were between them. As Augustus was a temporal, so was Christ a Spiritual Monarch. As Augustus was the second Emperor of Rome, so was Christ the second person in Trinity. As Augustus was so called, because he did amplify his Regiment, so Christ was so called, because he doth anoint us his servants: as Augustus taxing the world received tribute from men and registered their names. So Christ preaching unto the world had obedience yielded unto him, and noted such as served him in the Book of life. As Augustus having vanquished his enemies; planted peace among his people (for in his days the Temple of janus was shut, that else in the time of war was wont ever to be open) so Christ having subdued his foes, Death and the Devil, placed quietness in the conscience of his Children, who before were distressed with many troubles; from the age and the year, come we to the Month and the Day. Christ was borne on the five and twentieth day of December, then being the shortest day of the year and Sunday: as both by the father's is testified, and by calculation may be proved, whereof note with me either the reasons or mystries. December is the tenth month and in it was he borne, that came to make satisfaction for our transgression of his Fathers ten Commandments. December concludes the old year, and gives way to a new, and Christ now born gave an end to the old Ceremonies of the Law, and brought in, in steed thereof the new ordinances of grace. Ten degrees went the Sun backward to signify to sick Ezechiah that he should not die, and ten months in assuming our flesh did Christ go back as it were for his Majesty to assure us of his mercy, the number of ten is the first Article: compound of the figure, 1. and a cipher 0. and in the tenth month was he borne, whose person did consist of the figure of his Divinity, and the cipher of his humanity. In the shortest day is the Sun in his greatest and lowest South declination, and when was the son of God ever farther from the Aequinoction of his glory and lower in baseness, then when he came out into the world, clothed with our flesh. In the shortest day the Sun is said to be in his Tropic, that is so called of the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to turn, & when so graciously as now in his birth did the son of God turn unto us, 
joh. 3. 30.  saith john Baptist of Christ, joh. 3. me oportet minui illum autem crescere, verified as in their qualities of dignity and estimation: So also in the times of their Nativities. john Baptist was borne the longest day of the year, and therefore being at the highest his time must decrease: and Christ was borne in the shortest, and therefore being at the lowest, his time must needs increase. In the shortest Day, the Sun begins that return, that turns joy and comfort to living things, and Christ now put his first foot in that race, that yields blessedness and happiness to all Christians: in the shortest day, the cold is greatest, and therefore saith Bernard, Christ chose a time trouble some to his flesh, that we should learn not to pamper ours: on a Sunday, GOD the Father in his power began the world: and now on a Sunday, GOD the son in his mercy began to redeem the world. Sunday was first made before any other time: and Christ thereon borne, is called the first begotten of all Creatures. On Sunday God made the light, and on Sunday now produced was he, that is the true light, lightning every one that comes into the world, as also all those that sit in darkness & the shadow of death. To proceed yet to more particulars. What part of the day? & what hour was Christ borne in? 
Luc. 2. 8. 11.  Luc. 2 records that it was in the night, when the Shepherds were watching their flocks, that though the Angel said to them, there is borne this day to ye a Saviour, ye are to understand it spoken not of the artificial day, that holds from Sun to Sun, but of the natural day that contains the space of four and twenty hours. Thus in the time of darkness was he borne, that came to dissolve the power of darkness; shining in darkness, when the darkness could not comprehend him. Nox is so called a nocendo, because if men than walk without light, they may easily hurt themselves: and now as a Physician in the best opportunity came the great helper in the time of hurting; to show that he was stronger than the devil. Christ vanquished the devil in his own time, the Prince of the night, in the night. Farther, touching the hour, if we may believe Cardanus that great Physician & Astronomer, it was about ten of the clock, and fifteen minutes. For he in his Comment upon Ptolemies quadripartite, treating Christ's Nativity, makes the eleventh degree of Virgo to ascend in prima domo, which could not be but at that time. The Fathers write that he was borne at midnight, as Hierom, and Bernard: which of these opinions is truest, I will not decide. Mysteries there are in both of them. If Cardan say true, than it fitly fell out, that the Son of a Virgin was borne when the heavenly figure Virgo did ascend. If the Fathers say true, then opportunately came he in medio noctis, that was to be the medium between God and man. The greatest obscurity is at midnight; and then therefore was produced the greatest light; he that was the brightness of his father's glory. Thus then in the sixth age of the World, in the two and fortieth year of Augustus Caesar's Reign, in the month of December, in the five and twentieth and shortest day, on Sunday, between ten and twelve at night, was our blessed Saviour blessedly born. Which season Saint Paul calls the fullness of time, as because each part thereof, as ye see, is full of mysteries, so by reason of other occasions that I am now to acquaint you with. And first, this then. Whatsoever God either promised, or the patriarchs and Prophets either in their speeches foreshowed, in their actions prefigured, or affections desired▪ that all at this time is fully fulfilled. Now accomplished are God's promises made to Eve, that her seed should bruise the Serpent's head. 
Gen. 3.  Gen. 3. to Abraham that in his seed all Nations of the earth should be blest. Gen. 22. to David that of the fruit of his loins, 
Gen. 22.  he would set one on his seat that should rule as a King for ever. Psal. 132. 
Psa. 132.  Now fulfilled are the Predictions of the patriarchs and Prophets; 
Gen. 49.  of jacob when he said. Gen. 49. the Sceptre shall not be taken from the Tribe of juda, and a Captain from his thigh, till he come, that is to be sent, and he shall be the expectation of Nations. Of Moses when he said Deut. 18. 
Deut. 18.  A Prophet shall the Lord our God raise up unto ye, among your brethren, him shall ye hear. Of Balam, when he said, 
Num. 24.  Numb. 24. a star shall rise from jacob: and a staff from Israel, that shall strike the Moabites. Of Esay, when he said, that a Virgin should bear a son, and call his name Emanuel. 
Esa. 7.  Es. 7. Of Michea: when he said, 
Mich. 5.  Mich: 5. And thou Bethleem Ephrata, art but a little one in respect of thousands in juda: and yet there shall come forth of thee one, that shall be the ruler of Israel, and his coming forth is from the beginning, and from the days of Eternity. 
Dail. 9  Of Daniel, when he said Dan. 9 that after certain weeks of years expired the holy of holies should be anointed. Now fulfilled are the Figures of the patriarchs and Prophets Actions: Now Abraham came a stranger into Egypt: When Christ came as a Pilgrim; where coming amongst his own, his own received him not: Now Moses was put into a Basket. joseph thrown into the pit, Hieremy into the Dungeon. Daniel into the lions Den, when Christ was sent into this wretched World, a place of perplexities: Now the stone was cut from the Mountain without hands, when Christ was borne of his mortal Mother, never being begotten by mortal father: Now Aaron's rod did bud and bear Almonds, when a spotless Virgin did produce a Child: Now a woman did compass a man, when he was contained in a woman's womb, that doth himself comprehend heaven & earth: Now a River flowed to water Paradise, when Christ was borne; with his blood to wash away the sins of the world: Now the Mountains did distill sweetness, when Heaven did let God to descend on earth: Now Solomon made himself a Throne of ivory, when Christ made himself a body of flesh in the Virgin's womb: Now the Dove came from Noah's Ark, when the son of God came from the bosom of his Father: Now the bush burned and was not consumed, when a Virgin brought forth a Son, and was not corrupted: mercy and truth met together, when Christ's Divinity and Humanity met in one person, to work our redemption. Now the Sun was covered with a Cloud, when God clothed himself with our flesh. Again now fulfilled are the desires of the patriarchs and Prophets. Abraham took great joy of this Day, 
joh. 8.  and now he saw it joh. 8. Expectabo salutare tuum saith jacob Gen 49. 
Gen. 49.  I will wait for thy salvation, O Lord and now behold his expectation satisfied. David cried out, Psal. 48. 
Ps. 48.  ostend nobis domine misericor diam tuam, and now he might say as in Psal. 47. 
Ps. 47.  suscepimus Deus misericor diam tuam in medio templi. Beg no longer Moses to say to God as it is Deu. 18. 
Deu. 18.  mitte obsecro quem missurus es; for now is he come amongst us. Cry not longer out Esay as it is. Es. 64. 
Esa. 64.  utinam disrumperes coelos & descenderes, O that thou wouldst cleave the Heavens and come down, for this day came he out of a Virgin's womb. The sum of this is this: Now are Gods promises, the patriarchs and Prophets predictions, actions, and affections, fulfilled. And therefore most excellently is it termed the fullness of time. Again, now was the fullness of God's Communication when he came to give us himself in his sons flesh; wherein as it is. Col 2. 
Col. 2.  dwelled the fullness of the Godhead bodily. Now was the fullness of man's Redemption, when a Saviour was borne to begin the gracious work thereof in preserving us, by his merits, from sin, death, hell, and the Devil: Now was the fullness of grace's promotion, 
joh. 1. 16.  We taking them out of his fullness as joh. saith. And who can deny this to be the fullness of time? To this let me addo, that the world was now full of miracles: Now the Angels sang in heaven and comforted shepherds on earth: Now a strange star guided the wisemen to Christ: Now a wellspring in Rome did run with Oil: Now three Suns appeared, shining first severally, and then jointly: Now Augustus his aeternum palatium, that was prophesied never to fall before a Virgin did bear a child, was ruinated to the ground: Now Augustus, ask one of the Sibyls whether there were any where a greater person than himself, saw in the Sun a Virgin giving an Infant suck, to whom afterwards he dedicated an Altar, and called it, Aram Coeli, the Altar of Heaven. And thus ye see it proved, that it was the fullness of time, when he, that as S. joh. saith, full of grace & truth was borne amongst us. The jews expect yet a Messtas to come: denying jesus whom we believe on, to be the World's Saviour. And the Turks dare to compare him with their Mahomet. But this doctrine of the fullness of time, wherein Christ was born, doth most plainly and forcibly confute them. For sith all the promises and mercies of God; sith the prophecies, figures, and desires of our famous forefathers, and many admirable Miracles, met in the time of Christ's Nativity; and that never Mahomet had the like; nor any Creature can have the like: we are fully to be resolved, by this fullness of time, the true Messtas to be borne. I could spend more time in discoursing upon this time, but that greater matters, viz. The causes of Christ's birth do now offer themselves unto me in these words, God sent his son: Where the Efficient cause is God; the formal cause his sending; and the material cause his Son Christ himself: God sent. Who? the Father, the Son, or the Holy Ghost? Surely all three of them. For know, that opera a Trinitatis sunt in-diuisa: and, unless in personal respects, evermore in Essential actions, what one doth they all do; as now in this work of Christ's birth, the whole Trinity showed their industry. 
joh. 8. 42. 5. 36. 37.  The Father sent me saith Christ, joh. 13. 20. Here the Father labours. I went out from the Father and came into the World: 
Rom. 8. 32.  Here is the labour of the Son. 
joh. 16. 28.  The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee quoth the Angel Gabriel to the blessed Virgin, 
Luc. 5. 35.  when she was to conceive Christ: this is the labour of the Holy Ghost. Thus the three persons, being one GOD, had each of them their action in CHRIST'S Incarnation; and that most fitly: sith it being a work of great power, Wisdom, and goodness, it was requisite that the Father with his power, the Son with his Wisdom, and the Holy Ghost with his Goodness, should accomplish it. What more powerful a thing, then to join two such extremely distant Natures as the Creator and the Creature together! It is GOD'S especial power in compound bodies, to join the four Elements together; it is greater power to join our body to our created spirits, that is to say, our souls. But to join all these to the increated spirit, God; this is a might above all measure.  
Again what more wise thing, then that to the perfection and complement of the whole; the beginning and the end of a work should hang together. And now note this mystery. The Word was the beginning of the World: for by it GOD made the World; and Adam was the last Creature of the World. The Word then becoming Man, the first and the last, that is to say GOD and man, were united together. Again what greater goodness can be, then that the Creator should communicate himself to the Creatures? It is his great kindness, that God gives himself to his Creatures by his essence, presence, and power: it is his greater kindness that he gives himself to good men by his grace: but that he should give himself to our nature, by Union with it, that is to say, by assuming our Humanitic into his Divinity; this surmounts all favour that may be said or thought upon. Thus I say the Father's power, the sons wisdom, and the Holy Ghosts goodness, were all Actors in clothing Christ with our flesh. To the doing whereof what moved them? our merits? no; (Brethren) but their mercies according to that of joh. 3. 
joh. 3. 16.  God soloved the World, that he sent his son, etc. Love is manifested three ways: Dono, passione, opere, in giving, suffering, and working. The Father showed his love, when he gave us his Son: the Son showed his love, when he suffered Death for our sins; and the Holy Ghost shows his love, in setting us forward in good works. Thus the manifestation of the blessed Trinities power, wisdom, goodness, and mercy, are as it were the four wheels, upon which the Chariot of God's providence brought Christ into this world: Who came as sent, God sent saith my text. here is a doubt worthy to be discussed. Christ was never separated from God his Father. For when Saint john saw him upon earth, he yet acknowledged him to be in the bosom of his Father secundum id 1. 
joh. 1. 18:  cap. unigenitus quie saint in sinis patris, etc. as also that he was in Heaven, 
joh. 3. 13.  secundumid tertio capite, nemo ascendit, etc. qui est in coelo; yea that he was in the world before his birth, 
joh. 1. 3.  sith he made the World; as it is cap. 1. and how then may it be said, that God sent him, when he never went from him? An Interpretation shall make evident all this. Missio, saith Thomas Aquinas commenting upon this place, fuit assumptio Carnis, non depositio maiestatis: Christ left not to be God, when he became man; but took more unto his Godhead when he became man, viz. our Humanity into his Divinity: that through our visible nature assumed, he might acquaint us with his invisible excellencies, which else could never have been known of us. As the Sun shining in his perfect brightness, can not be looked upon; but in a Cloud or mist, having his beams refracted, may be beheld so God, in his infinite and incomprehensible essence, being considered of us, cannot be known of us, for he is too powerful an object for our weak understanding; but in our Nature, by his son assumed, having his glory and Majesty contracted, we may take a full view of him. And thus Christ his incarnating is his proper sending. But why sent God his son the second person in Trinity? Wherefore had not the Father, and the Holy Ghost, come to be man aswell as the Son? (Brethren) this is a high point in Divinity, requiring judicial and attentive ears: which if ye lend me, thus than I resolve ye.  
Truly there wanted no power in any of those persons to perform this; for they are all Omnipotent, and able to do what soever pleaseth them. But yet why the son did it rather than the rest; great reasons are to be alleged. First, It was meet that by what instruments God made the World, by the same he should repair the World: But God by his son made the World, as it is Heb. 1. and therefore as it is 2. Cor. 5. well was God in Christ, by whom he reconciled the World. 
Heb. 1. 2. Cor. 5.  Secondly, It was fit that he who was the son in the Divinity, should also be the son in Humanity: lest if the Father or the Holy Ghost had been the sons of men, they had then been temporal sons to the Eternal son. Thirdly, the Father is of himself alone, and the Son is of the Father. Now than more seemly it is that he be sent, who is of another, than he that is of himself. Fourthly, the Son was sent to be man, that we might know how the father did love man in sending so precious a thing to redeem man thereby, thus to strengthen our languishing hope, that sith God thought not his Son too good forus, how can we doubt but that he will bestow all other things on us whatsoever we beg of him? Fiftly, GOD bath predestinated us saith Saint Paul Romans 8. 
Rom. 8. 29.  to be conformable to the Image of his son: that therefore had he not sent his Son, how could we be like to his Son? had not he come that was the Natural son; we should never have been adopted sons. The son of God therefore was made the son of man, that we sons of men might be made the sons of God. Sixtly, God the son is the middle person between God the Father, and God the Holy Ghost, and therefore was fittest to be sent to be the mediator between God and man. Seventhly, He that was to work our redemption was to be an intercessor and supplicator to God for us. But these properties are more proper to a son, than a Father: for a son is to entreat the Father, and not the Father the son. And therefore did God best to send his son. Last of all; the Mediator between God and man was to pacify, so to teach and guide man to be obedient unto God. Now then Christ being the word of God and wisdom of God, as Saint john and Saint Paul affirm: meetest was he, the son, to be man's Teacher and Counsellor. Why God sent his Son ye see the Reasons. Now behold we in what manner he sent him: the third thing I am to speak of. It is said made of a woman and made under the law. What is written before in my text of him, that in the fullness of time God sent him, points to his Divinity, and his glory: but that now He is made of a Woman and under the Law, this shows his Humanity and Humility: How the two Nature's Godhead and Manhood were united together in the unity of his person. Paul 1. Tim. 3. talks of a great mystery of piety, 
1. Tim. 3.  How God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the spirit, was seen of Angels, was preached to the Gentiles, believed on in the World, and assumed into glory. And here behold this production of God, to be made of a woman, is the beginning of it; opening as it were the door to the other most admirable actions. But what a strange thing is this, that the maker of the World should thus be made of a woman: and that the Creator should have his being from a Creature. This rightly to conceive, ye are to note this. Christ in respect of his Godhead, was increated; in respect of his soul he was created; and in respect of his body he was made of a woman. As we Christians are borne, first, naturally of our Parents, and afterwards are born spiritually of the Holy Ghost: So Christ being God, was begotten naturally of God; and now being man, was made temporally of a woman. Verbum caro factum est, etc. saith Saint john cap. 1. Paul affirmeth 2. 
2. Tim. 2. Heb. 2.  Tim. 2. that he came of the seed of David, and Heb. 2. that nowhere he took on him the Angels, but the seed of Abraham took he on him, and all this by being made of a woman, Of a Woman '? ye will say what reason had God to effect so strange an action: I will tell ye; to advance his glory, and do us the more good. O how kind did God show himself in taking upon him our frail nature! He might have come to us as he did to Moses and the Israelites on Mount Sinai in thundering, lightning, fire, and smoke: he might have come to us in the substance of an Angel assumed, but yet because he loved man, to man he came in the estate of man. O how just did God show himself to be made of a Woman! The Devil before had conquered all flesh in the first Adam: and now the second Adam took flesh in it to subdue the Devil. O how wise did God herein show himself, that when one man by sin had displeased him, another man by his righteousness should pacific him! I mean jesus, who being God, therefore became man to be the mediator between God and man: Which office no other Creature neither man nor Angel could possibly have executed, sith infinite being the Majesty of him that by sin was offended, by no person but him that is of infinite goodness it could be appeased. Christ therefore took God and man into the unity of his person to reconcile God and man into the unity of affection. These & such like invisible excellencies of kindness, justice, Wisdom, to make visible unto us, he took on him our visible nature in mercy descending to us; sith we in might could not ascend to him. Secondly, Christus factus est, etc. As for the promotion of his own glory, so for the procurement of our good, in many things to help us; to instruct our faith which could not but believe, when she heard God himself to speak; to comfort our hope which could not but be cheered, when she saw God united to our nature; to kindle our charity, that could not but love God, sensibly perceiving how God loved man, to draw our actions to virtue, that could not but imitate God, giving himself for an example; and to make us partakers of his Divinity, that as God was the son of man, so we men should be made the sons of God. Again, Christus factus est, etc. to remove many evils from us, that the devil the author of sin, though he were an Angel should not be preferred before us; that man considering the dignity of his nature, how it is in union with God, should not spot it with sin, that our presumption with the thought of Christ's merits, our pride with the remembrance of his humility, and the fear of death and hell with the consideration of his person, might be daunted and abated. Further, Dei filius factus est, etc. to verify his Incarnation. Valentine held Christ to have brought a body with him from heaven, and to have taken no flesh from his Mother, Martion, Apelles, Cerdonius, and Manes, affirmed Christ to have but a fantastical body, such as Angels and spirits assume. The Turks and Moors imagine Christ to be the breath of God, whom because God saw that the jews would crucify, he therefore suffered Christ to delude their eyes, in seeming to do and suffer what he did not. But these heresies are notably confuted in this, That he was made of a woman. For if a woman were his true Mother, bearing him ten Months in her womb, bringing him forth & giving him suck: then undoubtedly he was a true man, and had a true, natural, and not a celestial and fantastical body, Last of all, Christ was made of a Woman, to grace women kind with his birth, that before had disgraced itself with the devils temptation. A woman in Paradise, was a mean to make man a sinner, and a woman in Bethlem was an instrument to bring forth to man a Saviour. Wherefore an ancient Father saith thus; Because the male kind is more noble, Christ would be a man: and yet that woman should not be contemned, he was borne of a woman. But why doth Paul here name so expressly a woman, and not mention a man? Because indeed man had no action in Christ's generation: For as our Saviour being God had a Father, & no mother: So being man he had a Mother, but no Father. Where note, that mankind is brought forth four kind of ways. Adam was made without man or woman: Eve was made of a man without a woman: We are made of men and women; and Christ was made of a woman without a man. If ye ask of what woman? I answer ye, Marry the Virgin, Whom all generations do call blessed. 
Luc. 1. 48.  Of her blood or seed, by the working of the Holy Ghost was Christ made. O what strange birth was this, that a virgin was the Mother, and God the Son! saith Bernard. It became not God to have any Mother but a maiden: and it beseemed a maid to have no son but God.  
Wonders are in this mother, and in this son. This mother was sanctified with the fullness of grace, with the over-shadowing of the Holy Ghost, and the inhabitation of the Son of God. She was, saith Saint Bernard, Sinepudore foecunda, sine gravamine granida, sine dolore puerpera. By bearing Christ, she was the star that gave light to the Sun, the branch that bore the Vine, the River that yielded the fountain, the daughter that brought forth her Father, the creature that gave being to the Creator: she was I say the Mother of her Father, and the daughter of her Son, younger than her birth, lesser than what she contained, a maiden, and a Mother, to have a Son with God the Father: whereas Virgins were cursed for barrenness, and wives for bringing forth with sorrow, Marie was free from either of these: For being a Virgin she was fruitful, and bringing forth child she felt no pains. As the Sun shines through glass and corrupts it not: So God came made of a Virgin without breach of her chastity. And because she conceived without sin, she was therefore delivered without pains. Aganie, wonders are in this Son. In the instant of his conception, and now by succession of time he was a perfect man in soul and body, void of sin and full of grace. He had a father in heaven, and a mother on earth, but yet a father without a mother, and a mother without a father. Further by being made of a woman, of a Lord he became a servant, of eternal he was made temporal, of infinite he became an infant, of high he became low, of incomprehensible local, of intelligible, sensible: borne he was in a woman's womb, himself bearing the World, and suck he did at a maiden's breasts, himself giving food to all things. Thus of a woman was Christ made, and not only so, but also Under the Law: made of a woman is the humility of his birth; made under the Law is the humility of his life: in birth, in life, and in many other things crying out unto us, that we would learn of him, to be humble and meek. Among the jews divers laws were in use in Christ's time, the Moral, Ceremonial, judicial, and under all these our Saviour was made. Ye will object how can this be? They (saith Paul) Gal. 5. that are led by the Spirit, 
Gal. 5. 18.  are not under the Law: but Christ was led by the spirit, and was full of the spirit, and therefore the law had nought to do with him. For answer accept this. To be under the Law carrieth a double sense; to be under either the observance of the Law, or the oppression of the Law. Now then Christ was under the observance of the Law. For he was circumcised the eight day, presented afterwards in the Temple, and did those things that the law required: but not under the oppression of the Law, so as the breach thereof did any way burden him; sith he was harmless and innocent▪ And yet in respect of our sins, the guilt whereof in mercy he undertook, he was under the laws oppression. Also for the punishment due to our offences, the Law inflicted on him; it accused him, and condemned him before the Tribunal of God of all the sins of the World; it made his body sweat water and blood, it made his soul heavy to the death; and on the Cross so perplexed his whole humanity that he cried out, My God my God, why hast thou for saken me. Thus the blessed maker of all things was twice now made. First, Of a Woman, to entertain our Nature, and secondly, Under the Law, to sustain our sins. And all this to what end? It follows in the end of my Text, which shows the end why Christ came, etc. To redeem those that were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. See (Dear Christians) how proportionable God's means are to the effecting of his purposes! Christ was made under the Law to redeem us from the Law, and was made the son of a Woman, that we might receive the adoption to be the sons of God. Two general and singular blessings containing all that Christ hath done for us, are here conveyed unto us: Redemption, and Exaltation, Freedom, and Advancement: Redemption and freedom to be exempted from the Law; and Exaltation and Advancement to have the adoption to be God's sons. The Law, before Christ came, did dominari, as S. Paul saith: playing the Tyrant amongst men, as Pharaoh did among the Israelites; it still cried out, keep the Commandment; with infinite curses to those that either would not, or could not keep every jot of it. It imposed, upon men an insupportable burden, it aggravated sin, it terrified the conscience, 
2. Cor. 2.  and as it is 2. Cor. 2. it was the administration of death and damnation. Now than Christ made under the Law, did free men from this Law; and how but by his fulfilling of it for us? His humility satisfied the Law for our pride, his fasting for our gluttony, his Chastity for our wantonness, his mildness for our wrath, his kindness for our envy, his obedience for our negligence, his excellencies for our infirmities: that when the Law gaping so for righteousness, as a Lion for his prey, having the morsel of Christ, perfection and holiness, thrown into her mouth, she was presently satisfied and appeased, and upon that doth feed yet at this hour, which otherwise could not not be contented with any thing which poor man could yield unto her. Again, as before Christ came, we were bondslaves under the Law: So were we Bastards in nature, degenerated from that Holiness and righteousness wherein we were created, and thereby depirued of our Heavenly inheritance. And now our Saviour by being made of a Woman, doth make us to be true sons again; for he by clothing himself with our nature becoming our brother, as Paul terms him primogenitus inter multosfratres, 
Rom. 8.  by a consequent draws us in to be the sons of his father; so giving us of his spirit to be the children of God, as he took of our flesh to be the son of man: he by our flesh counted the Virgin his Mother, and we by his spirit (as the Apostle saith) cry Abba Father. Thus not only to make us freemen, but also sons; the son of God came. The sum of this point is briefly this, Christ came as Manna from Heaven to feed us being hungry, as the cluster of Grapes out of the Vineyard, to satisfy us being thirsty, as Oil powered out to cure us being wounded. He came as our head, that gives us spiritual sense and motion; as our Mediator, that being God and man best reconciles God and man; as our foundation which we build our faith; as our door giving passage to Paradise; as our Shepherd feeding us; our sacrifice expiating us; our Priest praying for us; as our way in example, life in reward. He came as a man to make us gods, as a servant to make us Lords, to earth to lift us up to Heaven. He came mortal to make us immortal, poor to make us rich, and base to make us glorious. In a word, He that was the bread was hungry that we might be fed: he that was the fountain was dry, that we might be satisfied. He that was joy was sad, that we might be comforted; and he that was the way, was wearied, that we might be directed to heaven. And thus have ye heard the circumstances of Christ his coming: the Time, Causes, Manner, End. The Doctrine whereof, for a conclusion; let us put to these uses. First, Sith in the fullness of time came he that was full of grace and truth, let us also fulfil our times that we spend in godly labours: In time of prayer, devout; in time of preaching, attentive; in time of prosperity bountiful; in time of poverty, patient; in time of feasting, temperate; in all times virtuous and honest, and then no time shall pass empty of duty. Next, sith God sent his Son, Let us acknowledge the benefit hereof, how much we are bound to the Lord, that so great a person as he would bestow so great a gift on us most unworthy Creatures, and withal provide our hearts to have such rooms in them, as may be fit to enteraine so honourable a guest thus sent unto us: let our repentance sweep clean the chambers of our souls, let a good conscience be his bedding, and let graces and virtues be the ornaments of his lodging. Next sith he was made of a Woman, and under the Law, let us learn that sith he hath so dignified our nature, as with it to clothe himself, to have a care that we spot it not or defile it with sin. A poor maid married to a King, aught to forget her base bringing up, and to forego her clownish qualities: and our Nature married to God must unloose the filthy actions of her corrupt generation, and put on the new man, to be like to Christ. Further sith under the Law, let us remember what a heavy burden he took on him to ease our shoulders, and so be the more willing to bear any cross that he shall lay upon us. Finally, sith he hath redeemed us from the Law, and makes us adopted sons: let us carry ourselves as men that have Christian liberty, scourging Sin, Death, Hell, and the Devil; that with the chains of slavish fear would still keep us captive. Last of all, sith we are his sons by adoption, let us do our duty to our Heavenly Father: Let us love, fear, and serve him with all our hearts souls and strength: let us be taught with his precepts, let us be guided with his counsels, alured with his promises, terrified with his threatenings, but especially be won with his mercies. Then as gracious sons will he reward us with the glorious inheritance of his Heavenly Kingdom. To the which place he that was borne for us, bring us. Amen.  
FINIS.