THE FIRST SERMON. A SERMON MADE IN PAUL'S, ON THE DAY OF CHRIST'S NATIVITY. ESAY LV. 1. Ho, every one that thirsteth, come to the waters; and ye that have no silver, come, buy, and eat: Come, I say, buy wine and milk without silver, and without money. 2. Wherefore do ye lay out silver, and not for bread; and your labour, without being satisfied? Hearken diligently unto me, and eat that which is good, and let your soul delight in fatness. 3. Incline your ears, and come unto me; hear, and your souls shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. those things foretold by OUR evangelical prophet Esaias, through the spirit of Christ, and revelation, hath in the former part of this his prophecy, which he eight hundred years before the birth of Christ (even as and suffer, if the thing had already been performed, such is the cer- Esaias. tainty of his prophecy) most lively described and set forth the nativity, the preaching, the persecution, the apprehension, the death, the resurrection, the ascension, yea, and the latter coming of our Saviour Christ to judge the quick and the dead; in such wise, that, for the substance thereof, no evangelist hath more perfectly or plainly set forth this great mystery of our salvation. He foretelleth that Christ shall be born of a Virgin; that his name shall be Immanuel; that his office shall be to preach the glad tidings of salvation to the poor in spirit; that he shall be led as a sheep to the shambles to be slain; that he shall be stricken for our sakes, and bear the burden of all our sins upon his back. according which was 2. His birth, foreshewed so long ago by this heavenly His birth prophet, was in fulness of time accomplished, as this day, to that in Bethlem, a city of David, according to the testimony spoken beof that angel sent from heaven to proclaim the birth of prophet. the Son of God at the same time, saying: "Behold, I Luke ii. [10, fore by the 11.] us. bring you tidings of great joy, that shall be unto all the people; because this day is born unto you a Saviour, which is Christ our Lord, in the city of David." This is that Seed of the woman which breaketh the Serpent's head, that meek Abel murdered by his brethren for our sin, that true Isaac whom his father hath offered up to be a sacrifice of pacification and atonement between him and This is that Melchisedec, both a king and a priest, that liveth for ever, without father or mother, beginning or ending. This is Joseph that was sold for thirty pieces of money. This is that Samson full of strength and courage, who, to save his people and destroy his enemies, hath willingly brought death upon his own head. This is that Lord and Son of David, to whom the Lord said, Psal. cx. [1.] "Sit thou on my right hand." This is that Bridegroom in the Canticle, whose heart is so inflamed with heavenly love towards his dear spouse, which is his church. This is he, whom holy Simeon embracing prophesied that he [Luke if. 32.] should be "a light to the Gentiles, and a glory to his people Israel;" he upon whom the Holy Ghost descended, and of whom the Father testified from heaven, "This is my well-beloved Son." This is that Lamb of God, pointed [John i. 29.] at by John, and sent to "take away the sins of the world;" to redeem us from thraldom, not with gold, nor silver, but with the inestimable price of his precious blood; to be made our wisdom, justification, sanctification, and Isai. ix. [6.] redemption. This is the Child that is born for us, the Son that is given for our cause, the King whose rule is upon his shoulders, whose name is Marvellous, the Giver of Counsel, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace; the same Messias which was shadowed in the ceremonies and sacrifices of old, which was prefigured in the law, and is presented in the gospel, and hath been approved to the world by signs and wonders, by so clear evidence as cannot be either dissembled or denied. Let us therefore embrace this babe with joy, let us kiss the Son, let us, with the angels of heaven, praise the Lord; let us sing their psalm to the honour of Luke ii. [14] his name, "Glory be to God on high, and on earth peace." 3. The prophet Esaias having in spirit espied Christ, Christ. and seen the day, though far off, wherein the Saviour of [Matt. iii. 16, 17.] All men invited unto the world should be born, calleth all the nations of the 1. Who are nerally, all; ally the [15.] 4. "Come all that are thirsty." God's mercy is great and general; he hath no partial respect unto any called: geperson: no country, no kindred, no age, no condition, no but specisex is excluded. He calleth Jew and Gentile, young and thirsty. aged, rich and needy, bond and free, man and woman. He commanded his gospel to be preached to all; "Go Mark xvi. your ways, preach the gospel to every creature." In the parable all are invited to that magnificent marriage and kingly supper. Christ himself crieth, in general words, "Come to me all that labour." If all be called and ex- Matt. xi. [28.] horted to come, what cause can any man allege sufficient to excuse his not coming? The buying of farms, or the trying of oxen, or the marrying of wives? They have base minds, that are withheld by these means. But, if any have a fearful and a trembling heart, who being called stand still afar off, not because they will not, but because they dare not approach near; them God pitieth, yea unto them especially, or rather only unto them, he saith, "Come you." Be thy sins never so great, fear not to come; for he that calleth thee hath stretched out his arms of mercy at length; they are wide open to embrace thee: mercy is ready to all that will receive it; and to them that need it most, most ready. A comfortable lesson to all sinners. 5. Come all that are "thirsty." He calleth not them which are full, and need neither meat nor drink, but such as be hungry and thirsty, them he calleth. The proud Pharisee, that was full of his own righteousness, hungered not after remission of sins; and they, who are over-filled with works of supererogation, and have store to serve themselves and others, never thirst to drink of the cup of salvation in general, such as are drunk with the vain trust of their own merits will neither taste of this bread, nor drink of this water. The covetous man thirsteth after money, even with the sale of his own soul to get it; the lewd after fleshly delights and pleasures, to the wasting of his patrimony upon them; the proud after glory, that his itching ears may be tickled with his own praise: but what thirst the prophet doth mean Christ sheweth in Matt. v. [6.] the gospel, where he also blesseth it: "Blessed are they which hunger and thirst for righteousness." Such as see their own nakedness, as feel their own infirmities, as groan under the heavy burden of their sin, as confess with David, Psal. li. [3.] "I know mine own iniquities;" as make request with the Luke xviii. publican, "God be merciful to me a sinner;" as cry with Luke v. [12.] the leper, "Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean:" such are invited, unto such our prophet speaketh. He calleth not the just, but unto sinners he saith, Come; go not away, but come. [13.] 2. Whither and to whom they are called. To wine and milk. Other bread 6. Whither, and to whom? "Come to the waters." Not to such waters, as either the well or the river yieldthe waters, eth; but to those that issue from the Son of God, to those that shall be in him which tasteth them a well of John vi.[68.] water springing unto everlasting life. "Unto whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of everlasting life." Come to these waters, buy this wine and this milk. is no bread; eat that which is good. Under these names of water, wine, and milk, all things necessary to a spiritual life are comprehended. For as with these corporal meats and drinks the body is nourished, so in Christ, through the believing of the gospel, our soul is refreshed, and perfectly fed unto everlasting life. Christ is the fresh fountain, whereof whoso drinketh shall never thirst. Christ is that bread which descended from heaven. He that eateth that bread, which is his flesh, shall live for ever. Christ is that wine which maketh merry the heart of man, and quieteth the troubled conscience. Christ is that milk which nourisheth and feedeth us, that we may grow to a perfect man. Milk is fit for infants, water is convenient for young men, wine agreeth with old age. So in the scriptures there is food, both for such as are simple and weak, and also for such as are learned and strong. : milk, freely Christ. 7. This grace of God which saveth, hath appeared Water, wine, to all men this heavenly food, Christ Jesus, by preach- offered by ing the gospel is offered to all, as manna the heavenly bread, by faith to feed upon; and as a lively fountain to drink of to everlasting life. All are of mercy, grace, and favour freely called; all may come and freely feed, without penny or penny-worth. The grace of God is free, remission of sins is free-freely granted, freely given without money. "The price of our redemption is neither Contra Pegold nor silver: Through grace ye are freely saved." "it cannot be grace any way, which is not every free'," saith St Augustine. lag. de For origin. pec way cat. cap. 24. trary sold that The connot by anti christ for 8. "Wherefore do ye lay out your silver for which is no bread, and your labour on that which is to satisfy?" As before he exhorted us to come and buy money. freely without money, because God is no money-man, neither can any man deserve favour at his hands, but whatsoever we have of him, we have it of mercy; so now he sharply reproveth all such as by money or merchandize, by desert or merit, seek after salvation. He dehorteth us from false teachers, crafty seducers, which offer to sell the grace and mercy of God for money. Christ proposeth his heavenly treasures, remission of sins, justification, sanctification, mercy, grace, and salvation, freely. He that sitteth in the temple of God, and termeth himself Christ's vicar, doth in like sort offer unto the people bread, water, wine, milk, pardon of sins, grace, mercy, and eternal life; but not freely he is a merchant, he giveth nothing, and that is nothing which he selleth. For although he make large promises to the buyer, he selleth that which he hath not to deliver. "Eternal life is the gift of God." The pope therefore selleth but wind and smoke for fire, shadows for truths: he deceiveth the buyers with false sleights, false measures, false weights. Beware of this merchant, lose not your labour, cast not away your money it is not meat but poison which he offereth you. His physic cannot heal your diseases; his holy water cannot wash away the spots of a sullied and defiled soul, as he untruly [Non enim Dei gratia erit ullo modo, nisi gratuita fuerit omni modo.-August. Op. Par. 1696. Cont. Pelag. et Cœlest. Lib. 11. De Peccato Originali. 28. Tom. x. col. 265.—ED.] |