The Preface.

A Child is borne vnto vs, and a sonne is gi∣uen vnto vs. Glorie be to God on high.

Unto vs is borne this daie, in the citie of Dauid a Sauiour, which is Christ the Lord. Halleluiah.

The Lord sent a word vnto Iacob, the same is come into Israel, an euerlasting Prince of peace. Halleluiah.

Mercie and truth are met togither; righteousnesse and peace haue kissed each other: truth shall flourish out of the earth, and righteousnesse hath looked downe from heauen vpon vs, to speake peace vnto his people, and gladnesse to his Saints. Halleluiah.

Of the fruit of thy bodie will I set vpon thy throne, and in Zion shall I make the horne of Dauid to flou∣rish. Halleluiah.

The Sunne commeth foorth of (his tabernacle) the heauens, as a bridegroome out of his chamber, and re∣ioiceth as a Giant to run his course. Halleluiah.

He shall giue his Angels charge ouer thee, to keepe thee in all thy waies: they shall beare thee in their hands, that thou hurt not thy foot against a stone. Hal∣leluiah.

For thou art fairer than the children of men: full of grace are thy lips, bicause God hath blessed thee for euer: yea God, euen thine owne God hath annointed thee with the oile of gladnesse aboue thy fellowes. Hal∣leluiah.

Therefore in this daie of thy power shall the people offer the free-will offerings with an holie worship; bi∣cause the dew of thy birth is of the wombe of the mor∣ning. Halleluiah.

Page  751 Glorie be vnto God on high, in earth peace, and good will towards men: Halleluiah, Halleluiah, Halleluiah.

The Praier.

NOW is the ioifull time, wherein all Saincts both in heauen and earth doo magnifie and praise al∣mightie God, for the incarnation of his onlie begotten Sonne our Sa∣uiour Iesus Christ; who as this daie was borne of the pure Uirgin Marie, the which also the holie An∣gels of the Lord did celebrate with a most heauenlie song. And no doubt, the blessed companie of the elect departed out of this world, enioieng the comfortable sight of God, replenished with eternall wisedome, light and righteousnesse, yeeld most humble thanks vn∣to the Sonne of God their Sauiour and Redeemer, for his incomprehensible goodnesse declared vnto man∣kind, in the order of their redemption, for the infinite benefits of their saluation, and for taking our fraile nature and miserable flesh (subiect vnto all calamities and destruction) vpon him, and carieng the same and vs therewith vnto eternall life.

We therefore liuing in this vaile of wretchednesse, lift vp our heads vnto thee, O notable Silo, which art the fruit of the Uirgin; and separate our selues from the detestable & damned crue of vnpure spirits; and of men powring out blasphemous outcries a∣gainst thy truth and glorie. From our harts we praie thee regenerate and make vs thy children by adoption and grace, and dailie renew vs by thy holie spirit, to glorifie thee. For of our selues we are nothing but flesh and corruption, as they that are borne of flesh, and can not become thy children, except we be begotten and borne againe by a new birth of the holie Ghost. Page  752 Therfore we beseech thee renew vs, I say, dailie by thy mightie power from aboue, that being borne of the spirit, our harts and our hands, our deeds and deui∣ses, and whatsoeuer is in vs, may be spirituall as thou art. Ioine vs to the societie of thine holie Angels, which sing glorie to thee on high; and make vs mem∣bers of that congregation, which is knit vnto thee by an indissoluble bond of euerlasting peace, with grate∣full minds to record and celebrate thy benefits.

We thanke thee for sauing mankind from eternall damnation, and for making the attonement betweene thy father and vs, through thine incarnation, For so it was expedient, according to the order of iustice, that the punishment of a guiltlesse man, should quit man∣kind guiltie; and that a sufficient satisfaction might be made, it was required that he which would be the me∣diatour, should be God. God, I saie, to abide the intol∣lerable burthen of Gods displeasure, to vanquish death, and to restore vnto man life and saluation, to en∣ter into the most holie place, and be an eternall Priest. God, to vnderstand the secret counsell of the father, to be priuie vnto the cogitations of harts, to heare the grones of all men, to be the King of his flocke, de∣fending the same against the power of sathan and his members. Finallie God, to place his Church raised from death, in the eternall kingdome of his most glo∣rious father. Now, forasmuch as the nature of man was not able to bring these things to passe, we thanke thee O our sauiour, being the word, the expresse image, and interpretor of the father, for vouchsafing to take the office of a mediatour betweene God and vs.

Begin in vs, we most humblie beseech thee, this so great a benefit. We are weake, we are fowle and fil∣thie; but as thou wast brought into this miserable world, borne a weake infant, and that in a pinching time of the yeare, swadled with wretched bands, en∣dued Page  753 with the rags of a miserable nature, and laid in a manger among the brutish kind, being notwithstan∣ding the verie wisedome of thine eternall father. So let thy wisdome appeare in vs miserable men & womē in this wofull darkenesse of ours, among the blacke clouds of this doting age, amongst these troubles and destructions of Common-weales. Kindle in vs the sparks of that wisedome, which shall be perfect in the life to come, and ioine vs to the felowship of thy Saincts. Grant that from the hart, and ioifullie we may ascribe all glorie, fame, and honor vnto thee the true God, which art wise, righteous, almightie, pure, liberall, and mercifull, according to the rule described in thy commandements, which didst send thy Sonne to bring vs to that glorie; whereof we were depriued, and to restore vs againe to our first integritie, which was lost through sinne.

O Sonne of God, confirme thou, and seale these things in our harts by thy holie spirit powred vpō vs, which may worke within vs vnfeigned righteousnesse; that by the same thy spirit shining in the nature which thou tookest vpon thee, we may be committed to thee, vpholden, quickened, & brought by thee vnto eternall life: that that league made betweene God and vs, may eternallie be confirmed, and we loued in the beloued; and the eternall Father may loue vs with that loue, wherewith he loueth thee the substantiall image of himselfe. Suppresse the diuell, that he breake not this woonderfull and profitable peace: and suffer vs not hanging on thy necke, running to thine armes, seeking thy fauour, to be plucked out of thy hands. Keepe vs, we beseech in thy lap, as a louing shepheard cherisheth and beareth about his tender lambs.

And forasmuch as the first tidings of thy natiuitie were brought by the Angel of the Lord vnto shep∣heards; grant that shepheards of the soules, that is, Page  754 the ministers and teachers may faithfullie testifie thy benefits vnto mankind, and publish abroad what they see & knowe, spreading foorth thy fame, and glorifieng God for the peace, which he hath eternallie concluded with vs; and finallie may bring thy sheepe to thy stall, that is, to the congregation of the faithfull. Open be∣fore vs thy swadling clouts, which is thy word, that in this life it may crie within vs, and we thereby may feele the sense of thy most sweet promises, which thine eternall Father hath vttered of thee; Blessed are all they, which put their trust in him.

Furthermore, our petition is, that thou wilt blesse vs and our countrie, with all Common-weales. In∣crease among vs dailie y^e number of the faithfull; pros∣per the course of the Gospell, and suffer not the light thereof, by the malice of Sathan, to be extinguished. Likewise vphold those kingdoms, which minister re∣leefe vnto thy Church. Repell from the borders of thy seruants the rabblement of Turks & Infidels, which threaten the decaie of thy Church, and destruction of kingdoms. Blesse the labours of our hands; keepe vs from the contagious diseases: and last of all make vs and ours the vessels of mercie, and profitable instru∣ments to thy Church and Common-weale,

Or thus.

ALmightie God, and most mercifull Father, who according to the pro∣phesies spoken long before, hast gi∣uen vs thine own Sonne to be con∣ceiued of the holie Ghost, and borne of the blessed virgin, that in thy na∣ture and ours he might be our ho∣lie, and true Emanuel, and Sauior, and Sanctifier of those that trust in him. Touch our Page  755 harts with thy holie spirit, that considering this so great loue of thine, to abase thy Sonne to take vpon him the forme of a seruant, to make vs sonnes and heires to thee, that our soules may magnifie thee, O Lord our Sauiour, and blesse thee the Lord GOD of Israel, for thus visiting and redeeming thy people: and grant vs also the fruit of this thy mercie, that by his holinesse our vncleannesse may be done awaie, and our corrupt nature sanctified by his holie birth and natiui∣tie; that we putting our trust in him, may by him be deliuered both from all our sins, and all our enimies, and attaine to the fruit of this his infinite loue and goodnesse, euen to serue him in holinesse and righteous∣nesse all the daies of our life, through the same thy deere sonne our Lord Iesus Christ, to whom with thee and the holie Ghost, be all praise, honour and glorie, for euer and euer,

Another Meditation of the maruellous incarnation of the word, which is Christ, by whose meanes it pleased God to helpe mankind fallen from him.

BEhold now, O almightie God, the viewer and searcher of mine hart. Like as with hart I beleeue (which is counted righteousnesse vnto me) so with mouth doo I confesse before thee (which is to my saluation) af∣ter what sort and maner thou didst vouchsafe in the end of the world to succour and aid mankind. Thou in deed onelie, O God the Father, art not read at anie time or in anie place to be sent; but of thy Sonne, the Apostle saith; When that the time was fulfilled, God sent his Sonne. In that he saith (he sent) he doth sufficientlie declare, that he being sent came into this world. When as he being thy Sonne, O our God, and a gentle and kind louer of Page  756 mankind, did take vpon him to be the seed of Abraham, not of Angels, and so taking mans nature, not An∣gels, did vouchsafe to humble himselfe to be borne a verie perfect man of blessed Marie a pure virgin; and so being made like vnto vs in all things, sinne onlie ex∣cepted, (for he was the verie lambe without spot that tooke awaie the sinnes of the world) did appeare and shew himselfe in the similitude of flesh subiect to sinne, that he might condemne sinne for sinne, and that wee might be made the righteousnesse in him.

But what is that, which he that is the chiefe of the Euangelists doth saie? He was in the world, and the world was made by him. Thither trulie was he sent by his humanitie, where he alwaies is, and alwaie hath beene by his diuinitie. The which sending or em∣bassage, I beleeue with all my hart, and confesse with my mouth, to be the consent & worke of all the whole Trinitie. I beleeue also, that his manhood being in this my nature, during his infancie, was trobled with creeping and scrallings, and was wrapt in cloths af∣ter the maner of other children, and was vexed in his youth with labours and troubles. I beleeue, I saie, that the Godhead, which was sent of them, did take vpon him mine humanitie and nature, to the intent he (the Sonne of God) being made man, might cure mine infirmitie, and redeeme the sinnes of sinfull man.

Therefore doo I blesse thy name euerlastinglie, and glorifie the same with all mine hart, O almightie and mercifull Lord, for that vnspeakable and maruellous coniunction of Godhead and manhood together, in the vnitie of a person: and not after this sort, that the one should be God, and the other man; but one and the same was both God and man, man and God. Neuer∣thelesse, although by thy maruellous will the word was made flesh; yet neither of both the natures was changed into other substance. In the mysterie of the Page  757 Trinitie there is not a fourth person added. For the substance of the word of God and of man was vnited and knit togither; but not confused and mixt, that that thing, which was taken of vs, should be turned into God; and that which neuer had been before that time, that is, his flesh and manhood, should be the same that had beene euer without anie beginning, that is, his Godhead.

Oh maruellous mysterie! Oh vnspeakeable fellow∣ship! Oh maruellous meeknesse of the heauenlie mer∣cifulnesse, which is euer woorthie marueling, and euer to be loued! We were but vile seruants; and behold, we are made the sonnes of God, yea and heires of God togither with Christ. From whence came this good∣nesse? And who brought vs to this state? But I re∣quire thee, O most mercifull Father, by thine inestima∣ble pitie, goodnesse, and charitie to make vs woorthie of these manie and great promises of the same thy sonne our Lord Iesu Christ. Send foorth thy strength, O God, and establish the thing that thou hast wrought in vs; make perfect that, which thou hast begun, that we may be able to come vnto the fulnesse and perfect∣nesse of thy pitie. Make vs through the holie Ghost to vnderstand, and through thy sonne to desire, and with due honour alwaie to worship this great mysterie of thy pitie in Christ his blessed natiuitie, so manifest in our flesh; that as thou hast giuen vs him, thine onelie begotten Sonne I meane, to take our nature vpon him, and this daie to be borne of a pure virgin: so wee being regenerate, and made thy children by adoption and grace, may dailie be renewed by thy holie spirit, to glorifie thee from our birth, through the same thy deere Sonne, our souereigne Lord, and sweet Saui∣our Iesus; to whom with thee, and the holie Ghost, be immortall praise and thanks-giuing, now and for euer,

A meditation concerning the true knowledge of Christes incarnation.

THE knowledge of the truth is, first to knowe thy selfe, and to endeuour to be that which thou oughtest to be, and to amend that which ought to be amended. And secondlie to knowe and to loue thy maker and creator, for that is the whole hap∣pines of a christian man or woman.

See then how vnspeakable the gratious goodnesse and entire loue of God towards vs is. He hath crea∣ted vs of nothing, and giuen vs all that we haue: but alas, forasmuch as we haue loued the gift more than the giuer, and the creature more than the Creator: therefore we are fallen into the diuels snare, and be∣come his bondslaues. Neuertheles, God being moued with compassion, sent his most deere and onlie Sonne to redeeme vs slaues, and his holie spirit to make vs his sonnes and daughters againe. He hath giuen his Sonne, I saie, euen his best beloued child, to be the price of our ransome; the holie Ghost as an assurance of his loue; and to be short, he reserueth himselfe whole for vs, to be the heritage of our adoption. And so al∣mightie God, according to his exceeding gratiousnesse and mercie, hath for verie loue and good will to man∣kind, bestowed not onlie his benefits, but also himselfe vpon him to recouer him againe; not so much to him∣selfe, as to him. To the intent that man might bee borne of God, God, I saie, was first borne of them.

O then who is so hard-harted, that he will not bee softened by the tender loue of God thus preuenting wretched man, with so great, hartie, and vnspeakable good will, in that he vouchsafed to become man for mans sake? Yea, who can anie more find in his hart to Page  759 hate man or woman, whose nature and likenesse he or she so plainelie seeth in the manhood of God? Doubtles, he or she that hateth from hencefoorth a man or a wo∣man, hateth God, and so looseth all his or hir labour, whatsoeuer taken vnder pretence of Christianitie. For God (as is said) became man for mans sake, that he might be a redeemer as well as a creator; and that man might be ransomed with his owne goods, and that one man & woman might loue another the more hartilie. God, I saie, appeared in the shape of a man, to the end that both bodie and soule might be made bles∣sed, by renewing the eie of the mind in his Godhead, and the eie of the bodie in his manhood; so that whe∣ther man went in or out, he might find food in him laid vp in store by him in his humane nature. Most iniuri∣ous therefore is that man or woman to Gods diuini∣tie, that so by hating of their brethren and sisters, their owne flesh, contemne Christ, and offend his hu∣manitie.

The Thanks-giuing.

ILift vp my hart vnto thee, O God; for it is verie meet, right, and my bounden dutie, that I should at all times, & in all places, giue thanks vnto thee, O Lord, holie father, al∣mightie, and euerlasting God: be∣cause thou didst giue Iesus Christ thine onlie Sonne to be borne as this daie for me and all mankind, who by the operati∣on of the holie Ghost was made verie man of the sub∣stance of the blessed Uirgin Marie his mother, and that without all spot of sinne, to make vs cleane from all sinne. Therefore, with Angels and Archangels, and with all the holie companie of Saincts and Uir∣gins in heauen, I laud and magnifie thy glorious name: euermore praising thee, and saieng, Holie, Holie, Page  760 Holie, Lord God of hostes, heauen and earth are full of thy glorie: Glorie be to thee, O Lord, most high,