God are eminently glorified: but, this falling into another part of my text, God's good-will towards men, I shall make a transition thither; and shall leave this consideration, of the glory which

bosom, to lay sinners in it! that he should abase him, to exalt us! make him the Son of Man, that we should be made the Sons of God! Well might our Saviour himself speak admiringly of this infinite love, John iii. 16. God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

"This is that unspeakable love, which we this day celebrate. And, certainly, if the holy angels, who are not so immediately concerned in the Birth of a Saviour, of a Redeemer, yet exult in the glorious Day of his Nativity; shall not our hearts be distended with a rapturous joy, since all our hopes and happiness are wholly founded in the Incarnation of our Blessed Lord? Shall heaven rejoice, when it stoops; and earth not rejoice, when it is exalted? Shall the blessed spirits above be more concerned, out of charity; than we ourselves are, out of interest? This is a stupidity unworthy of a Christian. This either proceeds from a wretched contempt of the inestimable benefits, which Christ hath procured us by his coming into the world; or from a guilty consciousness, that we shall have no share in them. For shame, therefore, let us with raised hearts and voices this day echo back unto the celestial quire, Glory to God in the highest.

"Only let us beware, that we do not dishonour God, while we pretend to glorify him. It is very sad to consider, that, as Christ's Birth hath been the cause of the salvation of many a soul, so Christmas hath been the occasion of the damnation of many. The rude and ignorant look upon it only as a time of mirth and looseness; and, when they have gotten liberty from the honest labour and works of their callings, employ it only in the works of the Devil. Suffer me to speak plainly: what through rioting, and drunkenness, and revelling, and gaming, and such like excesses, the name of Christ hath been greatly dishonoured, under a pretence of honouring his birth. What, Sirs, do you believe that Christ came into the world to give you a fair occasion to eat to gluttony, to drink to drunkenness, to swear up all hell? are not these some of the sins, which he came into the world to destroy? And will you make him the patron of your wickedness, who came on purpose to redeem you from it? This is to entertain hell, and keep a feast to the Devil; and, as those infernal spirits howled at the Birth of our Saviour, so to make them rejoice and triumph at the annual return of it. I have somewhere * met with a story of a Turkish Ambassador, who was sent to one of the greatest courts in Christendom: when he returned home to his master, and was. by him examined what customs the Christians observed, he made this answer, That for twelve days in the year all the Christians ran mad. His observation was but too true, and too much to the utter disparagement of Christian Religion; and that general profaneness, which usually rages and abounds at this season, may make it questionable, whether there be not more wickedness committed in those Twelve Days, than in all the Twelve Months after. I beseech you, therefore, that you would not, to the shame of your religion and your reason, indulge a mad loose joy: rejoice not so, as to make the Devil glad too. But let your joy be spiritual and heavenly; a joy, not of noise and laughter; but of praise and

* Busbequ. Ep. iii. p. 168.

God acquires to himself by the Incarnation of his Son Christ, under these particulars*.

blessings: a joy, that may diffuse a calm and serene cheerfulness through your souls: and let it be full of innocency, and full of peace. Thus, let us give glory to God in the Highest: glory to the Son, who descended from the highest glory to the Holy Ghost, who gives us hopes of ascending to the highest glory to the holy, blessed, and undivided Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost: and let us all, from the very bottom of our hearts, say, Amen, Amen." Editor.

*In the Third Octavo and the Folio, it is added here, "And so I shall proceed to the Infinite Love and Good-Will, that God hath shewn towards men:" the second division, of Peace on Earth, being, in these editions, entirely omitted. I have supplied the whole of this head from the Appendix: and it seems to have been preached as a separate Discourse, with an appropriate Application, and with the following Introduction; which Introduction will be found to be an amplification of that placed at the beginning of the Discourse as above printed, with an allusion to a former Sermon.

"All the circumstances of Christ's birth, are well worthy our most serious consideration.

"A decree issues out from Cæsar Augustus, that all the world (that is, all the Roman world; those many kingdoms and provinces, which arms and continued successes had made subject to him, who was the lord and emperor of the greatest part of the then known world) should undergo a tax. This tax in Judæa was not to be levyed upon them from house to house, as they lived dispersedly asunder; but each family, how remote soever their abode might be, was bound to repair to that city, to which, according to their genealogical tables, their ancestors did appertain.

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"In obedience to this command, Joseph prepares himself to undergo this double burden, of the payment and of the journey: and, because he was descended of the royal lineage of David, though now grown poor and fallen to decay, he travels with Mary, his espoused wife, to Bethlehem; the city whence the progenitors of them both had their rise and original; Joseph descending from David by Solomon, and Mary by Nathan. Mary's appointed hour draws nigh, to undergo a far more sorrowful and dolorous travail: her blessed burden had now been kept its full time, both in her womb, and in the womb of the promise; and when this fulness of time was come, that the truth and veracity of God might be safely delivered of its charge, as well as Mary, Providence wonderfully conspires with prophecy, and makes use of either the necessities or avarice of the Roman emperor, to summon them to Bethlehem; that so those predictions might be punctually fulfilled, which foretold that Christ the Saviour should be born there.

"The great confluence of people from the adjacent country had already filled all the inns: no harbour, no reception, could be gotten for such mean and vulgar persons as they were; and, though she appears in a condition that is wont to command pity and respect from the most barbarous and uncivil natures, yet, when they are crowded with so many gainful guests, none are found to compassionate that distress, which is unhappily joined with and increased by poverty. A stable is the best room they can obtain; and this thought good enough too for the wife of a carpenter: nor, in likelihood, was this left so free to them neither, but that, Bos et usinus ad prasepe

ii. The Second Part of this Angelical Song, is PEACE ON

EARTH.

This Peace may be understood Three ways:

First. Either peace mutually between man and man: that, at the coming of Christ, men should be at peace with one another. Or,

Secondly. Peace internally, with a man's self: peace in the region of his own spirit and conscience.

alligati sunt: Vid. Baron. Annal. init. brute beasts must be their inmates. and their brutish keepers their companions. There, she is forced to lay her sacred burden, amidst the disorders and impurities of the place: where there could be neither modest assistance, nor tolerable convenience; but rudeness, noise, and confusion.

"It might seem strange, that God should, so many ages beforehand, appoint Bethlehem to be the place of his Eternal Son's birth: Bethlehem, that would afford him no better accommodation, than a stable for his chamber, and a manger for his cradle ! that he should entrust such a precious depositum to persons so devoid of charity and humanity! Yet so it is ordained, that his whole life, from first to last, might be infinitely full of debasements and dishonours; that he might breathe his first under the uncharitableness of men, as his last under their cruelty.

But, though he be so badly welcomed on earth, yet Heaven makes abundant amends for all. A company of honest, industrious shepherds are watching their flocks by night; and little thought of any such thing, as that to them should be revealed the Shepherd of Israel. A heavenly light surrounds them, and sheds glory and lustre about the place. An angel accosts them, and tells them tidings of great joy, that that day was born to them a Saviour, even Christ the Lord; and bids them leave their flocks, and go seek their own pastor. Upon this message, as if all heaven kept festival, the text tells us, that an innumerable multitude of the heavenly host praised God, saying, Glory to God in the highest, peace on earth, good-will towards men.

In these words is contained whatsoever is delightful both to God and man: what Jotham, in his parable, speaks of the vine, Judges ix. 13. is certainly true of this text: It cheereth God and man. God knoweth no higher design than his own glory; and Christ's coming into the world most illustriously promotes and displays it. Man can desire no greater happiness than what follows, Peace and Good-will: and both these were born into the world, together with Christ. All sinners stand in a double state of distance from God: the one, of opposition and defiance; the other, of alienation and estrangement: Peace removes the one, and Good-will the other: and, in the text, God, by his angel, proclaims both to the world: Peace, to reconcile them; and good-will, to endear them; and both in our Lord Jesus Christ.

"I have at another place, the last anniversary, shewed the reasons why the angels should so much concern themselves in the Birth of our Saviour, as to rejoice at so signal abasement of the Great God whom they adore and serve. I likewise then spake of the First Part of this Angelical Song, and shewed how God's glory is eminently advanced by the Incarnation of his Son. It remains now to insist upon the Second Part of it, which is, Peace on Earth." EDITOR.

Or,

Thirdly. Peace with God: that his Sovereign Majesty, whom we have affronted and offended by our sins, is now at peace with us and reconciled to us.

In each of these three senses, may this Peace be understood, which these heavenly heralds proclaim; external, internal, and eternal peace: Peace on earth; i. e. peace to the inhabitants of the earth; peace with one another, peace in themselves, and peace with God: and all these procured and promoted by the Birth of Christ..

For Christ was sent into the world under a twofold σχεσις, or habitude:

As a Minister.

As a Mediator.

As he is a Minister of Peace, so he promotes it between men: and, as he is the Mediator of Peace, so he procures it between God and men: and, as he is both a Minister and a Mediator, so he effects it between man and himself, and fills the soul with joy and peace in believing.

It is the First of these, that I intend to treat of: and which, indeed, I judge to be most especially meant in the text; for the two latter, viz. Peace with God and Peace in our own Consciences, seem to appertain to the last clause of this heavenly anthem: the one being the same with God's good-will towards us; the other being its effect and consequent, upon the comfortable sense of it in our own breasts.

Christ's coming into the world, therefore, tends to the moting of peace in it between man and man.

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We find, in the records of history, that, about the time of our Saviour's Birth, Janus's temple was shut up, and that there was an universal peace throughout the world. And Florus, speaking of those times, relates, that Continua totius humani generis, aut pax erat, aut pactio: that "There was either a peace, or truce, among all mankind." And, indeed, it was but fit that wars should cease, when the Prince of Peace was born. The divine wisdom so disposed of human affairs, that he, who was not to strive, nor cry....nor cause his voice to be heard in the street, should then come into the world, when it was serene, and enjoyed halcyon days; when there were no strifes, nor wars, nor confused noises, nor garments rolled in blood.

The very name of Peace is sweet and lovely: it is the calm of the world, the smile of nature, the harmony of things, a

gentle and melodious air struck from well-tuned affairs; a blessing, so excellent and amiable, that in this world there is but one preferable before it, and that is, Holiness. And, certainly, great glory doth dwell in that land, where these two sister-blessings, righteousness and peace, do meet and kiss each other, as the Psalmist speaks, Ps. lxxxv. 9, 10. I know, that there are hot and turbulent spirits enough abroad, who are apt to suspect whatsoever is spoken on the behalf of peace, to be to the disadvantage of holiness: and, perhaps, some men's zeal may be such a touchy and froward thing, that, though an angel from heaven, yea an innumerable multitude of them, proclaim it; yet they cannot believe there may be glory to God in the highest, whilst there is peace on earth.

Indeed, if peace and sanctity were incompatible, or if any unhappy circumstances should compel us to redeem the one at the price of the other; we ought rather to follow righteousness through thorns and briars, than peace in its smoothest way strewed with roses. But there is no such inconsistency between them for, certainly, that God, who hath commanded us to follow both peace and holiness, Heb. xii. 14, supposeth that they themselves may well go together. We may well suspect that zeal to be but an unclean bird of prey, that delights to quarry upon the dove; and those erratic lights, which make the vulgar gaze and the wise fear, to be but glaring comets, whose bloody aspects and excentric irregular motions threaten nothing but wars, ruin, and desolations. Righteousness doth not oblige us, so soon as any thing is passed contrary to our present judgments and persuasions, nay suppose it be contrary to the truth also, straight to furbish our weapons, to sound an alarm, and to kill others in defence of that cause for which we ourselves rather ought to die. This is not to part with peace for righteousness; but to sacrifice both peace and righteousness, to injustice and violence. The cause of God, of piety and religion, may frequently engage us to forego our own peace, as sufferers and martyrs; but never to disturb the public peace of our country, as fighters and warriors.

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Now this public and civil peace is mightily promoted, by Christ's coming into the world as a Minister: for, since the work and office of a minister is to teach both by doctrine and example, Christ hath both ways, as a perfect Minister of Peace, taught us to follow peace with all men.