Gerards meditations written originally in the Latine tongue by Iohn Gerard Doctour in Divinitie, and superintendant of Heidelberg. Translated and revised by Ralph Winterton fellow of Kings Colledge in Cambridge.

Meditat. XV. Of the saving fruit of the Incarna∣tion.

Christ was conceiv'd in Virgins wombe, That thou might'st sonne of God become.

I Bring you tidings of great joy, saith the angel at our Saviours na∣tivitie: Of great joy indeed, that is, such as passeth mans understanding. It was a very great evil, that we

were held captive under the wrath of God, under the power of the devil, and under eternall damnation: But it was yet greater, because men ei∣ther knew it not, or else did neglect it. But now, great joy is declared un∣to us, because he that delivereth us from all evils, is come into the world: He is come, a physician to the sick, a redeemer to the captives, the way to the wanderers, life to them that were dead, & salvation to them that were condemned. As Moses was sent from the Lord to deliver the people of Israel from the servitude of E∣gypt: So Christ was sent from his Father to redeem all mankinde from the devils slavery. As the dove after the drying up of the waters of the deluge, brought an olive-branch into the ark of Noah: So Christ came in∣to the world, to preach peace and the reconciliation of man with God. Therefore we have cause to rejoyce, and conceive great things of the mercy of God. He which loved us so, being his enemies, that he did vouchsafe to assume our nature to be united to his divinitie, what will he

deny unto us being joyned unto him by participation of our flesh? Who ever hated his own flesh? How then can that chief and infinite mercy re∣pell us from him, being now made partakers of his nature? Who can in words expresse, or in thought con∣ceive the greatnesse of this mystery? Here is the greatest sublimitie, and the greatest humilitie; the greatest power, and the greatest infirmity; the greatest majestie, and the greatest frailtie: What is higher then God, and lower then man? What is more powerfull then God, and weaker then man? What is more glorious then God, and more frail then man? But that chief power found out a means to conjoyn these, seeing that the chief justice did necessarily re∣quire such a conjunction. Who also can conceive the greatnesse of this mysterie? An equivalent and infinite price was required for the sinne of man, because man had turned him∣self away from the infinite good, which is God. But what could be equivalent to the infinite God? Therefore infinite justice it self takes

as it were of himself an equivalent price: and God the Creatour suffers in the flesh, that the flesh of the crea∣ture should not suffer for ever. An infinite goodnesse was offended, and none could intercede but a media∣tour of infinite power: And what is infinite, but God? Therefore God himself reconciled the world unto himself, God himself became media∣tour, God himself redeemed man∣kinde by his own bloud. Who can conceive the greatnes of this myste∣ry? The chief Creatour was offend∣ed, and the creature sought not with care to appease him, and to be recon∣ciled unto him: So he which was of∣fended, assumes the flesh of the crea∣ture, and becomes Reconciliatour. Man had forsaken God, and turned a∣way himself unto the devil the ene∣my of God: and he that was forsaken makes diligent inquisition after the forsaker, and invites him most boun∣tifully to come again unto him. Man had departed from that infinite good, and fallen into an infinite evil: And that same infinite good, by gi∣ving an infinite price of redemption,

delivered the creature from that infi∣nite evil. Is not this infinite mercie farre exceeding all the finite under∣standing and thought of man? Our nature is become more glorious by Christ, then it was dishonoured by Adams sinne. We have received more in Christ, then we lost in A∣dam: Where sinne did abound, Gods grace did superabound. In Adam we lost our innocency, in Christ we have received perfect righteousnes. Let others admire Gods power: But his divine mercy is yet more to be admired; although power and mercy in God are equall, for both are infi∣nite. Let others admire our creation: But I had rather admire our redem∣ption; although creation and redem∣ption are both acts of infinite power. It was a great thing to create man, having deserved nothing; for as yet he had no being: But it seems yet to be greater, to take upon him to satis∣fie for the debt of man, and to re∣deem him when he deserved evil. It was a wonderfull thing that our fl••sh and our bones were formed by God, but yet it is more wonderfull that

God would become flesh of our flesh, and bone of our bones. Be thankfull, O my soul, unto God, who created thee when thou wast not, who re∣deemed thee when for sinne thou wast condemned, and who hath pre∣pared for thee, if by faith thou ad∣here unto Christ, the joyes of heaven

Notes

• Luk. 2.10.
• Hugo▪
• Exod. 3.10.
• Gen. 8.11
• Rom. 5.10
• Eph. 5.29.
• Anselm.
• 2. Cor. 5.19.
• Act. 20.28
• Rom. 5.20
• Gen. 2.23.
• Eph. 5.30.