Of the love of our only Lord and Saviour, Iesus Christ: Both that which he beareth to vs; and that also which we are obliged to beare to him. Declared by the principall mysteries of the life, and death of our Lord; as they are deluiered [sic] to vs in Holy Scripture. With a preface, or introduction to the discourse.

Of the immense Loue of Christ our Lord, expressed to Man in his holy Natiuity.

CHAP. 11.

VVE haue no reason to find it strāge, that our Lord should be more ta∣ken, by the circumstances of that seruice which he expecteth, and exacteth of vs, thē by the very seruice it selfe. The whole world is his, and he needs not any thing which we can giue. He(a) 1.1 is the plenitude of all things, and can receaue no substantiall increase at all; but he is only capable of honour, and glory at our hands; and that doth only ac∣crew to him on our part by the affection, wherwith it is procured by vs. Now this truth, of his regarding, more the minde, & manner wherwith, and wherin things are done, then the very things themselues, is de∣clared to vs many wayes, but(b) 1.2 especially by the soueraigne example it selfe of Christ our Lord. For, as if his pleasure to redeeme vs from the torments of hell, and the slauery of sinne had been nothing; as if his Incarnation, (which was an ineffable descent for the Di∣uinity to make) had bene no great matter; he letts vs further see, by the manner of it, what a meaning he had to binde vs yet faster to him, by the chaynes of loue.

It would haue cost him nothing (since he would needs become man for vs) to haue

vested his soule, with the body of a perfect man, all at once; and as fully complete, in all the functions and actions therof, as after∣ward his owne sacred body was. At ease, he might also (since there was no remedy, but that he would needs become a Creature) haue taken so much of the greatnes of the world to himselfe, as would haue made him in∣comparably more glorious, more triumphāt, and more abundantly happy, by a floud of temporall felicity, then Salomon, and all the Caesars did enioy.

But not the substance of our Redemptiō, not the substance of his owne Incarnation, could satisfy and quench the ardent desire which reigned in his sacred hart, to shew his loue to vs;(c) 1.3 vnlesse, for our sakes, he had withall, bene borne a child; and had become therby, obnoxious to all the impotencies & miseries of that age; in sucking, crying, and swathing, with a thousand other incommo∣dities.

This King of glory was also pleased, to commend his loue, as much by pouerty as he had done already by infirmity; and in∣stantly(d) 1.4 to put himselfe, insteed of a Pal∣lace, into a stable at the townes end of Bethleē, all abandoned and open, such as are vsed in hoat countries. And there, the B. Virgin∣mother, did stay, and suffer many dayes, which any vagabond Gypsy would haue found difficulty to do. Our Lord was layd in a Maunger, insteed of a Cradle of gold;

vnder a Rocke, insteed of a rich Cloth of State. He was wrapped in cloutes, insteed of being adorned with Imperall robes. He was at∣tended by the Oxe, and the Asse, insteed of Counsellours of his State, & Officers of his Crowne, and magistrates of his kingdome. And all that, at such a tyme of the yeare, then which a harder, and colder could not be found; and euen in the very first hower after midnight, to shew that his loue, would not giue him leaue to stay till the second.

This mistery of the holy Natiuity of our B. Lord, was meant by him (as all those others also were, of his life, and death) not only as a meanes of our redemption,(e) 1.5 but as a most iust motiue also of our Imitation, of those vertues which shine therin; and especi∣ally of Humility, Patience, Charity, and Pouerty. The originall sinne which descendeth to vs by our fore-Fathers, being accompanied by our owne actuall sinnes, had greatly dissigu∣red the Image of God which was made in vs; and for the enabling vs to repayre, and re∣forme the same, it concerned vs much to haue some such excellent true patterne as this, ac∣cording to which we might mend our selues. It concerned vs also much, as is excellently pondered by Father(*) 1.6 Arias, that, on the one side, this Guyde or patterne, should be vi∣sible(f) 1.7 and perceptible by our other senses. For (besides that it is a most cōnatural thing, and carryeth great proportion to man, who is compounded both of body and soule, that

he should ascend by visible, and corporeall things, to such as are spirituall and inuisible) man became by his sinne extremely vncapa∣ble and blynd, towards the knowledge of those inuisible things, and therfore it imported much, that the example which he was to fol∣low should be visible. And on the other side it was wholy fit, that this Guide should be infal∣lible, and knowne to be vnable to erre; for otherwise, men could not follow him with∣out much daunger, or at least without much feare of errour.

Now God of himselfe was not visible, and so he could not be this Guide according to that former condition; and man as man, could not be securely free from errour, and so he could not be a Guide, according to the latter. The(g) 1.8 remedy therfore was resolued vpon by Almighty God; That, for our good, he would become, and be borne a man; that so being man, God might be visible; and man being God, might be infallible. And this is briefly declared by the incomparable S. Au∣gustine saying. Man who might be seene, was not to be imitated by men, because he might erre; and God who might securely be imitated, could not be seene; And therfore to the end, that man might haue

a Guide, who might both be imitated and be seene; God vouchsafed to become man.

Iustly therfore, doth Father Arias expresse himselfe,* 1.9 in this admiring manner:

O how great was the mercy of God! O how deepe a Sea was it, full of mercies, that he would so accomodate

himselfe to our weakenes, and condescend to our basenes! For as much, as because man, was not able to see any other, thē the workes of flesh and bloud; he, who was the Creator of the Angelicall spirits, would make him∣selfe man. And for as much, as he, who hol∣deth his Imperiall seate and throne, in the highest heauens, and who conuersed only in heauen, and was there beheld by the Angells, would grow to be visible, in this inferior world; and conuerse, and treat with mortall men; that so, by his example, he might teach them, the way to eternall blisse. All this is deliuered by the holy and learned Fa∣ther Arias.

Notes

• (a) 1.1

  The reason, why God is more pleased with the man∣ner, and mind wherwith we do him any seruice, then with the thing it selfe.
• (b) 1.2

  Our Lord did practise that in his owne per∣son which he expe∣cteth of vs.
• (c) 1.3

  Our Lord God would not be sa∣tisfied with lesse then be∣comming a poore & naked child for vs. Lue. 2.
• (d) 1.4

  The excessiue pouerty of our Lord.
• (e) 1.5

  Our Lord Ie∣sus ba∣came man that he might re∣deeme vs, and that we might imitate him.
• (*) 1.6

  Titulo de Dios.
• (f) 1.7

  It was wholly necessary, that our Guide to heauen, should be both vifi∣ble & In∣fallible.
• (g) 1.8

  The diuiue in∣uentiō of loue wher by our Lord was pleased to negotiate our salua∣tion. In serm. de Natiuit. Dom. apud Ariam lo∣to citato.
• * 1.9

  Titulo de Dios c. 1.