Devotionis Augustinianae flamma, or, Certaine devout, godly, and learned meditations written, by the excellently-accomplisht gentleman, William Austin, of Lincolnes-Inne, Esquire. The particulars whereof, the reader may finde in the page following;) set forth, after his decease, by his deare wife and executrix, Mrs. Anne Austin, as a surviving monument of some part of the great worth of her ever-honoured husband, who changed his life, Ian 16. 1633

8. Quo Loco.

FRom the Time, to the Place. And that, was Bethlehem. Transea∣mus usque Bethlehem (say the Shepheards) for there hee was to bee found. And, the Pharisees could tell Herod, that. For, they knew, that hee must bee borne there, by prophecy. Mich. 6. 2. And, thou Bethlehem, &c. Out of thee shall he come, &c. But, why would hee bee

borne there? Why: if for nothing else, yet to fulfill the prophecy. For, hee came, that all things might bee fulfilled. Yet, very unlikely it was (a few dayes before his Birth) that Hee should bee borne there. For, Ioseph, and Mary (his Mother) did dwell at Nazareth; which was the breadth of foure Tribes (at least) from Bethlehem. But, (to see, how every thing will worke to Gods purpose, though it be not so intended by the Doers!) Augustus made a Taxe: His purpose was onely to get money: but Gods purpose was (thereby) to bring Mary to Bethlehem. Hee, to fill full his Coffers: God, to fulfill the Prophecies; else, it is very like, Shee had not beene here, now. For, it was Winter, a long way, from her dwelling; and ill travelling, for a Woman; so neere, Her time.

We see, Shee keepes her old obedience still; and we may learne it of her.

At Christs conception, shee offred her obedience to God, fiat mihi, &c. At his Birth, She offers her obedience to his Magistrate. For, Shee obeys the Precept, and goes to Bethlem, to the Taxe; though her owne case, and the unseasonablenesse of the time, might well have excused her. And (by the way) this prooves well, that Mary was of the House and Seede of David. For else, shee needed not to come to the City of David, to bee taxed; but might have kept her still (at home) in Nazareth; and sent her Husband. And this, is a second reason, that Christ would bee borne heere: because it was the City of David; the Seate of his Ancestors, For, from before Booz (downe to Ishai, and long after) they were all in that Line of the House of Bethlehem. Heere, was Booz (the Iew;) and Ruth, (the Gentile) [both, his Progenitors] married together, and (heere) was God and our Flesh marryed. Heere, was Hee borne that married Iew, and Gentile, and made them one Flocke. Heere, David (the Father) was anointed to bee King; and (heere) Christ (the Sonne) was borne to be our King. Yet David transplanted the Seate of the King∣ly and Priestly Office, from hence, to Ierusalem: and Christ also (chiefely) exercised his Kingly, and Priestly Office at Ierusalem. Therefore he chose Bethlehem (the Nurcery of Kings) to be borne in, and Ierusalem (the Seate of Priests and Kings) to suffer in. This City, (Bethlehem) was his owne, by Inheritance, from David. Hee came unto his owne, and his Owne received him not. It is true, that though Hee were borne (heere) Hee was conceived at Nazareth: there was his abiding; thither, he went backe to dwell; and there he had his Name, (Nazarenus): Hee had nothing from hence, but his Birth. Therefore, as he came a Stranger, hither; so, they used him. For, hee could get no Roome amongst them; no, not in the common Inne; where every man may have roome: Hee was thrust into the Stable. Let us learne, that though wee bee Mundani (borne in this World) and it bee the Country of our Ancestors,

yet to bee content to bee Strangers heere; Pilgrimes, and Sojourners: and to take the the Contempt of our Country-men patiently (as Hee did, in his owne City) till we returne. For though wee are borne heere; wee were

conceived in Heaven (by Election in Christ). Thence, wee are na∣med;

there, is our Conversation; and thither, we must goe backe againe, with him to dwell. Now, this City was in the Region of Ephrata; therefore called (by Micha) Bethlem Ephrata, the least of the Cities of Iuda. Whereby we see, his Glory, and Kingdome was not of this World: Hee was not borne in Ierusalem (the greatest); but, in Bethlem Ephrata (the least of Iuda): yet, did hee make it great by his Birth; who, being great himselfe, became little there, for our sakes. If you will (now with David) seeke a place for the Temple of God, you may heare of it (heere) at Ephrata, and find it in the Wood, (this wooddy Region). For, so it was: And (heere) Da∣vid found the Arke, Psal. 132. 6. and (heere) may you finde Christ (the Arke of our Peace; the Temple of our God, in which it plea∣sed the God-head to dwell bodily). For, Ephrata signifies frugifera. It was plenteous of Wine (saith Adricho. Delphius:) that is, the Region. And Bethlem (the City) signifies the House of Bread. There, Hee is to bee found:

To find the Word made flesh, in the House of Bread, in the Region of Wine, is to finde Christ in the Sacrament:

which wee can doe now, as well with the eyes of our Faith, as the Shepheards could doe then, with their bodily eyes. Nazareth, where Hee was conceived, signifies a Flower: Bethlem Ephrata (where hee was borne) Bread, and Wine: at Ierusalem (where he was slaine) the offring place: the Temple stood, on Mount Moria, and that was the Threshing Flore of Araunah:

So, he flowred, in Nazareth; became fruit, in Bethlem Ephrata; and was threshed, at Ierusalem; where hee was (also) grownd, by his Passion; and made the Bread of Life, for our Soules.

And hee is yet, to this day (mystically) borne, in Bethlehem, and offred, at Ierusalem; as often as, by planting in us the Flower of the Word, wee become the House of eternall Bread, and offer his obedience to the Father in his holy Church, for the propitiation of our Sinnes. This, was the Place.

Notes

• Matth. 2. 5.
• Luke 24. 47.
• Adrichomi∣us.
• Luke 1. 38.
• Ruth 4. 13.
• 1 Sam. 16. 13.
• Iohn 1. 11.
• Luke 1. 55. Matth. 2. 23.
• Phil. 3. 20.
• Mich. 6. 2.
• Episc. Wint.
• Psal. 132. 6. Col. 2. 9.
• Fol. 41.
• Adrich. fol. 155.