In a fable.

commodation but a ftable, wherein the blessed virgin brought forth her firft-born fon, and wrapped him in fwaddling-cloaths, and laid him in a manger; doing herfelf the offices of a pious and tender parent; whilft all the angels of God worshipped him, and published to the world the glad tidings of his birth. For, as certain fhepherds were keeping watch over their flocks by night, the angel of the Lord Published came upon them, and the glory of the Lord fhone by angels. round about them; fo that the fplendor of the appearance confounded their fenfes, and made them fore afraid. But the angel quickly removed the terror that seized them, with the tidings he brought of great joy to all people in thofe comfortable words, Unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. Yet, left they fhould expect a prince accompanied with pomp and magnificence, the angel defcribed the meannefs and obfcurity of his circumftances, as a token to guide them in the fearch of his new-born prince: This fhall beafign unto you, you shall find the babe wrapt in fwaddling-cloaths, and lying in a manger. And having this notice, the shepherds immediately went to Worshipped Bethlehem; and, having found the account true, byshepherds. they returned, glorifying and praifing God. The Jews were in a general expectation of the appearing of the Meffiah at the time of his birth, as appears pected time. from the ancient and general tradition, that at the end of the second two thoufand years the Meffiah should appear; and likewife from that particular computation of the Jewish doctors, not long before our Saviour's coming, who, upon a folemn debate of that matter, did determine the Meffiah would come within fifty years; which is confirmed from the great jealoufy which Herod had concerning a king of the Jews, that was expected about that time to be born; and from the teftimony of Jofephus, who tells us, the Jews rebelled against the Romans, being encouraged thereto by a celebrated prophecy in their fcriptures, that about that time a famous prince should be born among them, that should have dominion overall the earth. And that the heathen world was in expectation of fuch an appearance is evident from the famous teftimo-nies of two eminent Roman hiftorians. Suetonius fays, there

At the ex

Was

was an ancient and general opinion famous throughout all the eastern parts, that the fates had determined, that there fhould come out of Judea those that should govern the world. Which words feem to be a verbal tranflation of that prophecy, Out of Judah fhould come the ruler. Tacitus writes, that a great many were poffeffed with a perfuafion, that it was contained in the ancient books of the priests, that at that very time the East should prevail, and that they who should govern the world were to come out of Judea. Which phrafe, that the East should prevail, refers to that title given the Meffiah by the prophet, who fays, He is called the man whofe name is the Eaft.*

When our Saviour appeared in the world, he scattered and difpelled that cloud of idolatry, and that corruption Its advanof manners, which had fatally overfpread it: he be- tages to came a light to lighten the Gentiles, as he was the man. glory of his people Ifrael. When, under the conduct of fuch a guide, we cannot fail of acquiring the knowledge of God's will in this world, and the comfortable expectation of life everlasting in the world to come; whether we confider the dignity and excellency of his perfon, the clearness and perfection of his precepts, or the brightness of his own example, together with the encouragements of the gracious affiftances and glorious rewards, which he hath promised to all those that engage and perfevere in his fervice; for he, who lay in the bosom of the Father, and had the spirit communicated to him without measure, in whom dwells the fulness of the Godhead bodily, could not want a perfect knowledge of what was most agreeable to the divine will: and confequently we must have abundant reafon to put our trust and confidence in that method of attaining falvation he hath difcovered; and we cannot fail of fuccefs, if we are not wanting to ourselves in our neglect thereof. And it not only directs us to the true object of worship, and gives us rational and worthy notions of that Being we are obliged to adore; but it is moft fitly adapted to Faise our natures to the greatest improvements they are capable of in this world.

For, though we translate it Branch, yet the Hebrew word fignifies both, and may be rendered the one as well as the other.

SUNDAY IV.

I. Of the fufferings, crucifixion; and II. Of the death, III. Burial. IV. Resurrection, and V. Afcenfion of JESUS CHRIST. VI. Of his mediatorial office and fitting on the right hand of God. And VII. Of his coming to judge the world at the last day.

IN

N the fourth ARTICLE of our christian faith we thankfully profess our belief, That this fame Jefus Christ, Chrift the eternal Son of God, begotten of his Father beSuffers. fore all worlds, God of God, very God of very God, the Prince of glory, the heir of everlasting bliss, the promised Meffiah; who taking the nature of man, yet being in that nature ftill the fame perfon he was before, fuffered under PONTIUS PILATE, was crucified, died, and was buri ed; Or, that he was fubject to all those frailties and infirmi¬ ties, thofe outward injuries and violent impreffions, to which mortality is liable. His whole life was full of fufferings, from his birth in the stable to his death on the crofs; but, particularly in his last bitter paffion, he suffered most exquifite pains and torments in his body, and inexpreffible fears and forrows, and unknown anguish in his foul; he fweat drops of blood. One of his disciples betrayed him, and he was denied by another, He was apprehended, and bound by the rude foldiers as a malefactor; accused by false witneffes; arraigned and condemned by that judge who declared he could find no fault in him: he was buffeted, and fcourged, and spit upon; derided and mocked by the people, the foldiers, and at last by the high-priest himself: he was made the scorn and contempt, and fport of his infolent and infulting enemies; and was hurried to death by the clamours of the rabble, who cried out, Crucify him, crucify him, AccordingWas cruci- ly he was nailed to the cross; on which, after fied. having hung feveral hours, he gave up the ghost, This way of putting to death was called crucifixion, a Roman punishment, remarkable for the exquifite pains and ignominy of it. The torment of it appeared from the piercing

thofe

93 those parts of the body with nails, which are most nervous, and yet did not quickly procure death; and the fhame of it was evident from thofe upon whom it was inflicted, being only flaves, and fuch as had run away from their mafters.

And that our Saviour alfo fuffered in his mind appears from those grievous agonies he felt; firft, in the Tormented garden, juft before his apprchenfion, when his foul in mind. was exceeding forrowful, even unto death; when he fweat as it were drops of blood, and prayed thrice with great ve¬ hemence to his Father, that, if it were poffible, that bitter cup might pass from him; and from that inconceivable anguish, which he expreffed upon the crofs, when he broke out into that paffionate exclamation, My God, my God, why haft thou forfaken me? Thus evil to come tormented his foul with fear; and evil prefent, with fadnefs, anguish, and forrow. Not that he fuffered the torments of the damned; for as he knew no guile, confequently he deferved and could fuf fer no punishment. But, when we reflect how perfectly the bleffed Jefus understood the evil and guilt of fin: how zealous he was of God's glory; how defirous of the falvation of mankind; and yet withal that he knew how small a number would be faved; how an ungrateful and rebellious world would frustrate the end of his death, and the defigns of his mercy; we may in fome measure guefs at that anguish that funk and depreffed him in fuch a wonderful manner, as made him fay, My foul is forrowful even unto death. For we may imagine how much he, who loved us fo well as to die to redeem us, might be grieved and afflicted, when he forefaw, that even by his dying he should not fave us all from the damnation of hell.

But here let it be remarked, that our bleffed Saviour fuf. fered only in his human nature, or that nature of Only as man, which he took upon him; yet, fince it was man. united to the divine nature, and that there was a most inti, mate conjunction of both natures in the perfon of the Son, there did from thence refult a true proper communication of names, characters, and properties: fo that the very eternal Son of God may rightly be faid to have fuffered what foever the man Chrift Jefus endured in the flesh for finners; because G4

-the

the properties of each nature separate may reasonably be affirmed of that perfon, in whom the two natures are united by the power of God. And our Saviour fuffered the painful and fhameful death of the cross, to deliver us from the wrath to come, and to purchase eternal redemption for us (for thus our church declares, That the offering of Chrift once made is that perfect redemption, propitiation, and fatisfaction for all the fins of the whole world, both original and actual; and that there is none other fatisfaction for fin but that alone. *)'

why.

The reafon of his undergoing these fufferings was, that The reafon he might put away fin by the facrifice of himself; that he might be a propitiation for us thro' faith in his blood; that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works; and to give us a perfect pattern of patience and refignation to the will of God, and of all thofe chriftian virtues which are neceffary to qualify us to receive the benefit of his fatiffaction; leaving us an example that we fhould follow his fteps. For,

to man,

When by our fins we had juftly incurred the displeasure Its benefit of almighty God, and were liable to eternal mifery, our bleffed Saviour discharged the obligation; and, by shedding his most precious blood, as the price of our redemption, made fatisfaction to God for us: he was contented to be offered a facrifice for us, to bear our fins in / his own body on the tree, and to atone for the guilt of our offences by the one oblation of himself once offered for us all, And he died not only for our benefit and advantage, but in our place and ftead; fo that, if he had not died, we had eternally perifhed, without being able to efcape the juftice of an angry God. For which reafon the blood of Chrift, which was fhed for us upon the crofs, is called the blood of the covenant; becaufe thereupon God was pleafed to enter into a covenant of grace and mercy with mankind, wherein he hath pro nifed and engaged, for the fake of Christ's fufferings, voluntarily undergone upon our account, and in our ftead, to forgive the fins of all thofe that truly repent and believe,

See the 31st Article of Religion,

and