LI sermons preached by the Reverend Dr. Mark Frank ... being a course of sermons, beginning at Advent, and so continued through the festivals : to which is added a sermon preached at St. Pauls Cross, in the year forty-one, and then commanded to be printed by King Charles the First.

THE SEVENTH SERMON ON Christmas-Day. (Book 7)

2 COR. viii. 9.

For ye know the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.

FOR ye know the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ. And do you know any grace of the Lord Jesus Christ like this days grace, the grace of Christmas? any grace or favour like that grace and favour he this day did us, when he so grac'd our nature as to take it on him? surely, whether this grace be his becoming poor, or our making rich, never was it seen more then this day it was. Never was he poorer then this day shew'd him, a poor little naked thing in rags. Never we rich till this day made us so, when he be∣ing rich became poor, that we being poor might be made rich.

And rich not in the worst, but in the best riches; rich in grace, but above all grace in Christmas grace, in love and liberality to the poor, the very grace which the Apostle brings in the poverty of Christ here to perswade the Corinthians to. See (says he) that ye abound in this grace also, ver. 7. For ye know the grace of the Lord Iesus Christ. He was so full of it, that though he was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor, made himself poor to make us rich; that being made rich we might be rich: To the poor, bestow some of his own riches upon him again, some at least upon him who gave us all, supply his poverty who enricht ours, be the more bountiful to the poor, seeing he is now become like one of them, that as through his poverty we were made rich, so even in our very poverty we might abound also to the riches of liberality. So the Macedonians did, ver. 2. So would he fain have the Corinthians too here, in covert terms; so he would be understood, and so are we to understand him. Christs po∣verty here brought in as an argument to perswade to liberality.

A grace so correspondent to the pattern of the Lord Iesus, so answer∣able

both to the purport of Christmas and the purpose of the Text, that 'tis hard to say whether the Day better explains the Text, or the Text the Day. For whether we take the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ towards us, downward, or the grace of the Lord Jesus in us towards him upward: whether for the grace he did us in becoming poor for our sakes, or for the grace we are to shew to his poor members for his sake again, for his be∣coming poor, and making of us rich: I see not how or where I could have chosen a better Christmas Text, a Text for the Day, or a Day for the Text.

For here is both the Doctrine and Vse of Christmas; the Doctrine of Christs free Grace, and the free Use and Application of it too. The Do∣ctrine, That our Lord Iesus Christ though he was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor, that through his poverty we might be rich.

The Vse, That we are to know it, and acknowledge it, know it for a grace and favour; yea know the grace, know it for a pattern too: For ye know it, that is, to that end ye know it, to take pattern by it, to return grace again for grace, to shew grace to his, for his grace to us, to supply his poverty in his members, for his so gracious supplying ours, to answer the riches of his grace with being rich; in this grace also, in the grace of love and charity to the poor, the best way to be rich, and to abound to the riches of his glory.

But more to appropriate it to the Day, you may please to take it in these particulars. Christs Birth, The Christians benefit, The evidence of both. The Inference upon all.

1. Christs Birth. Egenus factus, when he became poor.

2. The Christians benefit. Propter nos it was, for your sakes it was, & ut vos divites, That ye through his poverty might be rich.

3. The evidence of both, Scitis, no less then that of Science, ye know it.

4. The inference upon all, scitis enim, For ye know it, for what? for a grace and favour; Scitis gratiam, the first. And ut vos divites essetis, that we might be rich in the same grace he was: Then secondly, that ye may do answerable to your knowledge; for propter nos it is, for our sakes he became poor, that for his sake we might look the better upon the poor; for that he made us rich, that we might be rich in good works; for that he made us rich by the way of poverty, that we might know our riches have a near relation to poverty, are given us for the poor, as well as for our selves.

These are the parts, and of all these the sum is, that Christs Birth is the Christians benefit; the knowledge of which ought to stir us up to Christian Charity: or nearer the phrase of the Text, that our Lord Je∣sus Christ, though he was rich, became poor to make us rich; rich in all good gifts and graces, but especially in this of love and mercy to the poor; came down in grace to us to that purpose, both in the Text, and in the Day, the whole and business of them both. I shall prosecute it in or∣der, and begin with those words in the Text that seem to point us to the Birth of Christ; egenus factus: and if that were the original, the factus would be plain for his being made man. But as it is, 'tis plain enough, he could not become poor but by becoming man.

I. For there is not so poor a thing as man; indeed no creature poor but man: no creature lost its estate, and place, and honour, thrust out of doors, and turned as it were a begging abroad into the wide world, but man. Other creatures keep their nature and place to which they were created; man only he kept nothing; first lost his clothes, his robe

of innocence, in which he was first clad, was then turned naked out of his dwelling, out of Paradise, only his nakedness covered a little with a few ragged leaves, fain upon that to work, and toil, and labour for his living to get his bread; forc'd to run here and there about the world to get it; all the creatures that were lately but his servants stood gazing and wondering at him, and knew him not, would no longer own him for their Lord, he look'd so poor, so despicable when he had sinn'd; they that before were all at his command, by the dominion he had received over them, now neither obey'd his command, nor knew his voice, so perfect∣ly had he lost the very semblance of their late great Master, so perfectly poor was he become. The Devil kept a power, and awe, and Principality, though he lost his seat; got a Kingdom though he lost his glory: But man lost all, glory and grace, riches and honour, estate and power, peace and ease, shelter, and safety, and all: so that to become poor can be nothing else but to become man; and Christs becoming so, must be his becoming man.

Yet not to know it only, but to know it for a grace, as St. Paul would have us, we must know who it is that became poor. (2.) How poor he be∣came who became poor. (3.) What he was still, though he became poor. Our Lord Iesus Christ, says the Text, he it is, egenus factus, he came to very want, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, to a kind of penury like that of beggars. Yet 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 for all that it is, he continued rich still, though he was poor; he could not lose his infinity of riches, though he took on his poverty, quitted not his Deity, though he covered it with the rags of his humanity.

We first look upon his person, our Lord Iesus Christ. He is a Lord it seems that became poor, that first: and truly the first and only time that we read he entituled himself Lord, it follows presently, he hath need, St. Mat. xxi. 3. The Lord hath need. This may be true, as the Italian ob∣serves of the Lords and Princes of the world, none need commonly so much as they, nor they before they came to be Lords and Princes; but of the Lord and Prince of Heaven, as our Lord surely is, that's somewhat strange that he should have any need; yet so it is: and it may serve to teach the best of us, of men, Lords and great ones too, to be content sometimes to suffer need, seeing the Lord of Lords was found poor.

Iesus (2.) it is, was found so. Iesus is a Saviour, and that's stranger. A Saviour that is poor is like to prove but a poor Saviour. Yet this is of∣tentimes Gods method, the poor and base things of the world, and things that are despis'd, to confound the rich, and noble, and the mighty, 1 Cor. i. 28. that no flesh, as the Apostle infers there, might glory in his pre∣sence. This very name of Iesus was then sent by an Angel to be given him, when he had first told he should be born, St. Mat. i. 21. born of a poor Virgin, and yet save his people from their sins; that we may know God needs nothing to help him; his very poverty is our salvation. Jesus poor, the poorest contemptible means he can save us by.

Nay even the Christ (3.) the Messiah so long expected, comes poor when he was expected rich, to shew the vanity of mens conceit and fan∣cies, when they will go alone. Christ the King of Israel, the great Pro∣phet, the everlasting High Priest, and Arch-bishop of our souls, he came poor, that men might give over looking upon the outward appearance of things, and think it no diminution to the calling of Priest or Prophet to be sometimes in a low and mean condition, seeing the Christ himself anoin∣ted with the holy oil above all Priests and Prophets, came in no other.

And now this we have gotten by considering the person, that if he

that is Priest, and Prophet, and Saviour, and Lord, and the Lord of all may become poor, and God do all his work notwithstanding by him; then poverty is neither dishonourable in it self, nor so disadvantageous in its own nature, but that God can still make use of it to his Service, does still most make use of it, dispences his heavenly treasure to us more commonly in earthen vessels, 2 Cor. iv. 7. then in Gold and Silver, and we therefore not to slight the Ministers of the Lord Jesus Christ, though become poor, their bodily presence weak, and their speech contempti∣ble, as St. Pauls undervaluers speak, 2 Cor. x. 10. For their Lord and ours became poor himself, as poor as the poorest, which will appear by the second consideration. I am now to shew you how poor he became, of whom it is here said he became poor.

And that not only that poor thing called man, that poor worm and dust, that poor vanity and nothing, we call man, but the very poorest of the name; the novissimus virorum, the lag and fag of all, a very scum of men, says the Prophet, and the very out-cast of the people. So poor that there is not a way to be poor in, but he was poor in.

1. Poorly descended, a poor Carpenters Wife his Mother.

2. Poorly born, in a Stable among Beasts; poorly wrapt in rags, poor∣ly cradled in a Manger, poorly bedded upon a lock of Hay, poorly atten∣ded by the Oxe and Ass, poorly every way provided for, not a fire to dress him at in the depth of Winter, only the steam and breath of the Beasts to keep him warm, Cobwebs for Hangings, the dung of the Beasts for his Perfumes, noise and lowings, neighing and brayings for his Musick; every thing as poor about him as want and necessity could make it.

3. Poorly bred too, a Carpenter, it seems by S. Mark vi. 5. at his repu∣ted Fathers Trade.

4. Poorly living too, not a house to put his head in, not a pillow of his own to lay his head on, S. Luke ix. 57. not a room to sup in but what he borrow'd, S. Mark xiv. 15. no money, nor meat but by miracle, S. Mat. xvii. 27. or by charity, S. Mat. ix. 10. not so much as a Bucket to draw water, or a cup to drink it in, St. Iohn iv. 11. Nay more, for 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is more, he was poor even to beggary, was fain to beg even water it self, in the last cited Chapter, ver. 7. had a bag carried always by one of his Disciples to receive any thing that charitable minded people would put in∣to it, St. Iohn xii. 6. his Disciples were so low driven following him, that they were fain sometimes to pull the ears of Corn, as they passed by, to sa∣tisfie their hunger; five or seven loaves, with two or three little fishes among them all, was great provision with them. Indeed we read not punctually that he begg'd at any time, but we see him as near it, as was possible, if he did not; and the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in all profane Writers never signifies less.

But let it be but what we translate it, meerly poor, though the Prophet David in the Person of Christ, Psalm xl. 18. cries Mendicus sum & pauper, I am a poor beggar; be it yet but poor, yet so poor it is he was, that he was poor in all, every way poor. Poor in Spirit, none poorer, none more willing to be trampled on; suffered men to plow upon his back, and make long furrows, make a poor thing of him indeed, do any thing what they would with him: poor in flesh too. They may tell all my bones, says the Prophet of him, Psalm xxii. 17. they stand staring and looking upon me, a meer gazing-stock of poverty, a miracle of poverty, marvellous poor, poor in reputa∣tion. He made himself of no reputation, took upon him the form of a Servant, says St. Paul, Phil. ii. 7, 8. of a servant, of a slave, valued at the lowest price, a

man could be, thirty pieces of Silver. So poor he could scarce speak out. Non clamabit says the Prophet, he shall not cry; he did not, says the Evangelist, S. Mat. xii. 18. It was fulfilled. You could scarce hear his voice in the streets, ver. 19. In a word, so poor that he was as I may say, asham'd of his name, denied it as it were to him that called him by it, S. Matth. xix. 17. Why callest thou me good? when yet he only was so.

Lastly, poor he was in his Death too; betray'd by one Disciple, denied by another, forsaken by the rest, stript off to his very skin, abus'd, deri∣ded, despis'd by all; died the most ignominious death of all, the death of Slaves and Varlets. And can you now tell me how he should become poorer? or can you tell me why we should think much at any time to be∣come poor like him? or not rather cry out, O Blessed Poverty that art now sanctified by Christs putting on? How canst thou but be desirable and be∣coming since Christ himself became poor? If God become man, what man would be an Angel though he might? If Christ the eternal riches think it becomes him to be poor, who would make it his business to be rich? Give me rags for clothes, bread for meat, and water for drink, a Stable for a Palace, the earth for a bed, and straw for a covering, so Christ be in them, so he be with them, so this poverty be his, so it be for him. I will lay me down in peace, and take my rest upon the hardest stone, or coldest ground, and I will eat my brownest bread and pulse, and drink my water or my tears with joy and gladness, now they are seasoned by my Masters use. I will neglect my body and submit my spirit, and hold my peace even from good words too, because he did so: I will be content with all, because he was so. The servant must not be better than his Lord, nor the Disciple than his Master. Our Lord poor, our Iesus poor, our Christ poor, and we striving to be rich, what an incongruity? The Camel and the needles eye never fitted worse. Poverty we must be contented with if we will have him; poor at least in spirit we must be, ready for the other when it comes; and when it comes we must think it is becoming, ve∣ry much become the Disciple to be like the Master, the servant wear his Lords livery. For our sakes he became poor, and we must not therefore think much to be made so for his, be it to an 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the extreamest.

Especially seeing poverty is no such Gorgon, no such terrible lookt Monster since Christ wore it over his richest Robes, even chose to be poor though he was rich, would needs be poor, and appear to be so for all his riches. Indeed it was the riches of his grace that made him poor; had he not been rich, superlatively rich in that, in grace and favour to us, he would never have put on the tatters of humanity, never at least have put on the raggedest of them all, not only the poverty of our nature, but even the nature of poverty, that he might become like one of us, and dwell among us. And it was the riches of his glory too, that could turn this poverty to his glory. What glory like that which makes all things glo∣rious, rags and beggary? what riches like his, or who so rich as he that can make poverty more glorious then the Robes and Diadems of Kings and Emperours? who so often for his Religion sake have quitted all their secular glories, plenties, delicates, and attendants, for russet coats, and ordinaty fare, and rigours, and hardships, above that which wandring beggars suffer in the depth of Winter. Christianity no sooner began to dawn into day, but that we find the professors selling all, Acts iv. as if they thought it an indecency at least to possess more than their Master did; though they were rich they became poor, because their Lord became so though he was rich.

But when men of rich become poor, the case is much different yet from that of Christs; men cease to be rich when they come to poverty, but not so Christ; he is poor and rich together. (3.) 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, being rich he yet shewed poor, Prov. xxii. 2. The rich and poor meet toge∣ther never truer any way then here, & utriusque operator est Dominus, the Lord is both himself, as well as worker of them both in others. For in this low condition of his it is that S. Paul yet talks so often of the riches of Christ, the riches of his grace, Eph. i. 7. the riches of his Glory, Eph. iii. 16. the riches of the glory of his inheritance, Eph. i. 18. the exceeding greatness of his power, Eph. i. 19. the exceeding riches, Eph. ii. 7. the unsearchable riches of Christ, Ephes. iii. 8. Christ he in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and know∣ledge, Col. ii. 3. his very reproach and poverty greater riches then all the trea∣sures of Egypt, Heb. xi. 26. So Moses thought and reckon'd, says the Apo∣stle, when he saw his riches but under a veil, saw but a glimpse and sha∣dow of them, at two thousand years distance too. So rich is Christ, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; the only rich, so great are his riches.

Indeed the riches of the Godhead, that is, all riches indeed dwell all in him; though he became man, he left not to be God, our rags only co∣ver'd the Robes of the Divinity, his poverty only serv'd for a veil to co∣ver those unspeakable riches, to teach us not to boast and brag at any time of our riches, not to exalt our selves when we are made rich, or when the glory of our house is increased, but to be as humble notwithstanding as the poorest and lowest wretch, to teach us (2.) that riches and pover∣ty may stand together as well in Christians as in Christ; the riches of grace and the poverty of estate; and again the riches of estate and poverty of Spirit. To teach us (3.) not to put off the riches of grace, for fear of poverty; not quit our Religion or our innocence for fear of becoming poor by them: to teach us lastly that we may be rich in Gods sight, In truth and verity, how poor soever we are in the eyes of the world, how needy and naked soever we appear. He that being in the form of God thought it no robbery to be equal with God, even whilst he was so, made himself of no reputation, of as low a rank as could be; and being the brightness of his Fathers Glory, the express image of his person, and upholding all things with the word of his power, veils all this glory, darkens all this brightness, conceals all this power under the infirmities and necessities of flesh and poverty, yet only veils all this great riches, hides and lays it up for us, that through his poverty we might be rich. The next point we are to handle, the Christians benefit from Christs Birth, the Christians gain by Christs losses, the Christians making rich by Christs being made poor.

II. And need had he to be rich indeed to enrich so many; need to be rich whose very poverty can enrich us: to speak the very truth, his very poverty is our riches. It is his rags that clothed our nakedness, it is his stable that builds us Palaces, it is his hunger that filled our emptiness, it is his thirst that takes off our driness, it is his necessity that supplies all ours; he made himself a slave to make us free, a servant to make us sons; he came down to lift us up, he became as it were nothing to make us all. The very poverty of Christ is the riches of the Christian, and he that can chearfully put that on after him, is rich indeed, can want no∣thing: for he that can be content to be poor for Christ, who though he has nothing is content, he wants not though he has not; and if he want not, he is rich, nay only rich: for he that wants but the least, though he have never so much, never so full coffers, never so many possessions, nay

and Kingdoms too, he is not rich with all his riches. The poor pious soul that lives contented in his Cell, and feeds on nothing but bread and water, and joys in it because it is for Christ, he is rich, and abounds, and has all, sleeps securer in a Wilderness amongst wild Beasts, softer upon Ia∣cobs Pillar, warmer under the vast Canopy of Heaven, then great Prin∣ces in their fortified Castles, upon the Doun of Swans, with all their Silks and Embroideries about them: for neither a mans life, nor his riches consist in the abundance of the things that he possesseth, St. Luke xii. 15. He is rich whom Christs poverty, or poverty for Christ enriches with godli∣ness and contentment. That's great gain, that is, great riches, says St. Paul. So great that we need not look after the petty, fading, transitory riches of the world, they are but dross and dung compared to the true riches, the riches of grace and glory we have by Jesus Christ.

For call the rich man whom you will, seek all the expressions the Scri∣pture has to call the rich man by: He that is rich in the grace of Christ may lay title to them all. He that abounds in Gold and Silver, is he rich? Behold, Christ calls to us to buy gold of him tried in the fire, that we may be rich, Rev. iii. 18. and he sells all without mony, Isa. lv. 1. 'tis then easie coming by it, easie being rich: nay, the very trial of our Faith is more precious then gold, 1 St. Pet. i. 7. A Christian in the sorest trials, poverty, or reproach, or death, is rich you hear in being so. He that has abun∣dance of rich clothes and garments, is he rich? Christ calls us to buy them too at the same easie rate, white rayment, the rayment of Princes, and great men, in the forenamed place of the Revelation, and with the long white Robe of Christs Righteousness, the faithful Christian is ap∣parelled; so none richer in clothes than he. He that heaps up Silver like the dust, and molten Gold like the clay in the streets, is he rich? How rich then is he that counts the silver like the dust, and the gold like clay, who is so rich that he contemns those riches? He that has his garners full of Wheat, and his presses with new Wine, is he rich say ye? How rich then is he that lives wholly upon heavenly Manna, and drinks the Wine of Angels, as the true Christian does? He that washes his steps in Butter, and has Rivers of Oyl flowing to him out of the Rock, is he rich? How much richer then is he that is anointed with the heavenly Oyl, with the oyl of perpetual joy and gladness in the Spirit, as the true believer is? He that abounds in Cattel, who cannot number his herds and flocks, is he rich, tell me? how mightily far richer is he that possesses God, whose are all the Beasts of the Mountains, and all the Cattel upon a thousand Hills; and him he possesses that possesses Christ, that is, one of his, the poorest of them; he that has stately and magnificent houses good store, richly deckt and furnisht too, is he rich think you? if he be, how infinitely more rich are they who have Heaven for their house, and all the Furniture fit for theirs? In a word, may he be called rich, who is highly born, rich∣ly seated, gloriously attended? how rich then is he that is born of God, as the true Christian is? whom he makes to sit together with him in heaven∣ly places in Christ Iesus, Ephes. ii. 6. upon whom the Angels continually attend, about whom they daily pitch their Tents, to whom they are all but ministring Spirits sent forth to wait upon them as upon the heirs of salvation, Heb. i. 14. Will not all this serve the turn? what then plainer now at last, then that he tells us he has made us Kings and Priests, Rev. i. 6. Kings they cannot come under a lower notion then rich; and though Priests of late are not always so, yet a Royal Priesthood, as St. Pe∣ter calls us, 1 St. Pet. ii. 9. will be rich.

So that now after the several stiles of rich men in Scripture you see the Christian may be truly stiled rich, if either abundance or increase, clothes or furniture, houses or attendants, may be said to make one rich, or if Kings themselves may be called such.

Yet above all this, he is richer still, even in poverty he is rich, and can make others rich. As poor, says the Apostle, yet making many rich, and as having nothing, and yet possessing all things, 2 Cor. vi. 10. Here's the pre∣rogative of Christian riches above all others. None can rob us of them, no poverty can lose them. I know how to abound, and how to want, says St. Paul, Phil. iv. 12. how to abound in the midst of want. They are riches, the riches of grace, that Thieves cannot steal, nor Moths corrupt, such as satiate the weary soul, such as make us with St. Paul in all estates to be content, count all riches, all joy, even the sorest and bitterest poverty or temptation. And when the riches of grace have heaped up our treasuries here with all chearfulness, then open they to us the treasuries of glory, riches so far beyond what the world call so, that all here is but meer beg∣gary, and want, and misery in comparison; not to be nam'd, or thought on.

The Vse of this is to instruct us henceforward to labour only for the true riches, to be rich in grace, to be plentiful in good works, not to squander away our days, like children in running after painted Butter∣flies, in heaping up Gold and Silver, as St. Iames speaks, to lie, and rust, and cry out against us not to build our dwellings, or fix our desires, or place our affections upon earthly rubbish, not to precount our lands, or houses, our clothes or furniture, our full bags, or our numerous stock and daily encrease, our riches; but to reckon Christ our riches, his Grace our wealth, his reproach our honour, his poverty our plenty, his glory the sum and crown of all our riches and glory. For if you know the grace of the Lord Iesus Christ, this you know also, that 'tis worth the seeking, that 'tis riches, and honour, and glory, how poor soever it look to the eye of the world. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, it is only that makes us rich, and poverty his way to enrich us by, contrary to the way of the world: and this ye know says the Apostle. 'Tis so plain and evident I need not tell you it, for ye know it. The third point the evidence of all that has been said.

3. For ye know it; for ye know nothing if you know not this. It was a thing not done in a corner: all the corners of the world rang of it, from the utmost corners of Arabia to the ends of the earth. The wise men came purposely from the East to see this poor little new-born Child, & tibi ser∣viet ultima Thule, sang the Poet, the utmost confines of the West came in presently to serve him: the whole world is witness of it long ago. Nor were ever Christians ashamed either of this grace or poverty until of late. It was thought a thing worth knowing, worth keeping in remembrance by an anniversary too.

Indeed, were it not a thing well known, it would not be believed, that the Lord of all should become so poor as to have almost nothing of it all. But we saw it, says St. Iohn i. 14. the word made flesh, this great high Lord made little, and low enough, heard it, saw it with our eyes, lookt up∣on it, and our hands too handled it, 1 St. Iohn i. 1. had all the evidence pos∣sibly could be had, the evidence of ear, and eye, and hand; know it by them all. And not we only, not St. Iohn only, but all men know it. For this grace of God that bringeth salvation, that is, the true grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, hath appeared unto all men, says St. Paul, Titus ii. 11.

So that they either know it, or if they know it not, 'tis their own fault; for it has appeared, and has been often declared unto them; so that 'tis no wonder that the Apostle should tell the Corinthians that they know it, they could not be Christians without knowing it, nor it seems men in those days neither, that knew it not.

And yet as generally as it was known, it was a grace to know it, one of the most special gifts and graces, the knowledge of the grace of Christ. For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and that ye know it is his grace. You could not know it without it, none but they to whom it is given can know it as they should.

4. That we may know it so, as well as they; we are now in the last place to consider what the Apostle would infer upon us by it, what should be the issue of this knowledge: (1.) The acknowledgment of the grace: and then (2.) the practice of it. For ye know the grace of the Lord Je∣sus Christ, that though he was rich, yet he so lov'd the poor as to bestow all his riches freely upon them, upon us that were poor, and naked, and miserable, and being thrust out of our first home, never since could find any certain dwelling-place. And therefore we (2.) after his example, being now enricht by him, should be rich in our mercy and bounty to the poor; for if his grace was such to us when we were poor, we should shew the like to the poor now we are rich.

But that we may be the readier to this, we must first be sensible of the other, throughly sensible of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, acknow∣ledge it for a grace, a thing meerly of his own good will and favour, that he would thus become poor to make us rich. Know we and acknowledge many graces in this one grace.

A grace to our humanity, that he would grace it with putting on.

A grace to poverty, that he would wear that too.

A grace to our persons as well as to our natures, that it was for our sakes he did it.

A grace to our condition, that it was only to enrich it.

Know we then again and acknowledge it from hence.

1. That poverty is now become a grace, a grace to which the Kingdom of God is promised, St. Mat. v. 3. poverty of spirit. Nay, the poor, and vile, and base things too hath God chosen, saith St. Paul, 1 Cor. i. 28. the poor are now elect, contrary quite to the fancy that the Iews had of them, whose proverb it was, that the Spirit never descended upon the poor; answer∣able to which it was then the cry, Can any good thing come out of Naza∣reth, any Prophet or great good come out of so poor a place as that?

2. Know we again that Christs poverty above all, or poverty for his sake is a grace indeed; for to you 'tis given, given as a great gift of grace and honour to suffer for his name, Phil. i. 29. And 'tis a part of our calling, says St. Peter, 1 S. Pet. ii. 21. a specialty of that grace.

3. Know we (3.) that our Riches are his Grace too. In vain we rise up early, and go late to bed; all our care, and pains, and labour is nothing to make us rich without his blessing. The blessing of the Lord it is that ma∣keth rich.

4. Know we however these may prove, the riches of Christ can prove no other. All the vertues and graces of our souls, all the spiritual joy, fulness, and contentment are meerly his, they the proper Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ; no grace above them, no grace near them; nothing can render us so gracious in the eyes of God as they, they are above Gold, and Rubies, and precious Stones. These and all the rest being ac∣knowledged

in the Text, we may well acknowledge, that there was good reason to put an Article, an Emphasis upon 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the grace.

Yet to make all up, all these graces, you must know all the several graces, outward and inward, come all from this one grace of Christs be∣coming poor, being made man, and becoming one of us. To this it is we owe all we have or hope, to the Grace of Christ at Christmas; and there∣fore now are to add some practice to all this knowledge, to return some grace again for all this grace.

Gratia, is thanks, let's return that first; thank God and our Saviour for this grace of his, whence all grace flows, and for all the several gra∣ces as they at any time flow down upon us. Gratia Deo, thanks to God.

2. Gratia is good will and favour; let's shew that to others. Good will towards men.

3. But good will is not enough, good works are graces, let's study to encrease and abound, and to be rich in them.

4. Yet Gratia is in St. Pauls stile in this Chapter, ver. 1. and elsewhere, bounty and liberality to the poor; rich in this grace especially we are to be. 'Tis the peculiar grace of Christmas, hospitality and bounty to the poor. 'Tis the very grace St. Paul here provokes the Corinthians to, by the example of those of Macedonia and Achaia, ver. 1. who to their power and beyond their power, he bears them witness were not only willing to supply the necessities of the Saints, but even entreated him and them to take it. By the example (2.) of Christ, who both became himself poor, that we might be the more compassionate to the poor now he was in the num∣ber; and made us rich, that we might have wherewith to shew our com∣passion to them. Now surely if Christ be poor, and put himself among them, who would not give freely to them, seeing he may chance even to give to Christ himself among them when he gives? however, what is gi∣ven to any of them he owns it as to himself, S. Mat. xxv. 40. What ye d•• to any of the least of these my brethren, ye do it unto me. And can any that pre∣tends Christ be so wretchedly miserable as not to part with his mony up∣on this score? Can any be so ungrateful as not to give him a little who gave them all? shall he become poor for our sakes, and we not shew our selves rich for his? it were too little in reason not to make our selves poor again for him, not to be as free to him as he to us. Yet he will be con∣tented with a little for his all; that we should out of our abundance sup∣ply the want of his poor Members. He is gracious: Behold the grace of our Lord, I, in this too, in complying with our infirmities, not com∣manding us as he might, to impoverish our selves with acts of mercy, but to be only rich and abundant in them; to which yet he promises more grace still, the reward of glory. Come ye blessed of my Father, ye who supply and help my poor ones, come inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world, where ye that have follow∣ed me in my poverty, or become poor for my sake, or have been rich in bounty to the poor, as it were to a kind of poverty, shall then reign with me amidst all the riches of eternal Glory.