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44. Of he Nativrry.
3. Thefe might ferve : But, ic is yet. more clear, this : For howfocyer, about E/ay’s Ecce Virgo,'the hood
Jews and we are not of one mind : yer, for this (here) of Afica, the coatt.is clear : the Jews, will not Ho
~ quarre] us, touching ic: there is, on all fides, between them and us, good agreements) 2s !
oo Martha. 4 For, upon the coming of the Wife-men, from the Eaff, there was a Synod of the, High*Priests and
me, |” Seribesycalled at Ferzfalems, (che very firlt, that we read of, in the New Teltamentt) and:called, bythe A
: Math, 2.5. “King; torefolve the point, about the place of Chrift's Birth. \ And, then’and there, it- was refolyed, | a
; Conciliariter, that at Bethlehem; And refolved, from this very place, for that thefe words were a known |
Prophefie of the Birth of (HRIST. © 0 eyes 2h,
: Upon which fo famous an occafion, this refolution grew -fo- notorious, as ic did manare in valgze,
“ John 7.49. _ the very people could tell this - They argue, in the feventh of Jobx, againttour Saviour, by it, that He’
could not be the Chrift : tor (hrift was to come out of Berhlehens (that was taken as granted:) and He
came out of Gals/e (as they, in error, thought.) Burstbat was plain ignoratia elenchi : For, though He
were there brought up, He might be born at Bethlehers : and fo He'was, But fo, Prieft and People
(both) knew, Bethlehem was (brits natale foluns; and that this Propbe/ie was the evidence for it. %
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“4. Though thefe be enough: yet have we a eee witnefs than all thefe, from heayen : even the Star.
Math, 2. 9.
Pialmgy4. For, whither this Scripture doth fend us, thither the Star doth lead us : to Bethlehéms ftraight. Never
ftood ftill till it came thither : and there it ftood dire@ly over the place (as mich to fay, as) * Loy there
. He #s born, And, ia this will wereft. : fince, fica and Matthew, Prophet and Apostle, Prieffand
5 “5 People; Chriftians and Jews, Heaven and Earth are ‘all with us; all teltifie, this Text’ pertains to |
: . | Chrits Birth; and{o,tothisdsy properly, * wes oe
- . Itis, of a place : And place and time are held weighty circumftances, (Specially; in matter of fait or - i"
Luke 17.37, flory,) Ubi & quando, material gettions.’ The Apoftles asked them both ¥ Ubi Domina? Where Lord?
Marer3. 4° (Luk. 17.) Quando, & quoderit figuum? when and what {hall be the Sign ?.( Mark 13.)
a Ofthe time, when, {ome other time may give occalion, if it{o pleafe Gad. Now of Ubi Dimixe?. the ”
‘ place where: There we are to day,;. whereto, this isa direct anfwer, Berblehems is the place, That firft,
2 — Butthen fecondly, this circumttance leads us furth#r, to matter of fubllarice’ the ‘place of the Birth,
: a tothe Birth icfelf; andthe Birth to the Party born:who is, here fet forth as a perfon : He comes forth
- : once and again, He leads, He feeds sal, acts ofa perfonentires'** ee
. 38 ’ Thirdly, this perfon is here faid to have two comings forth: * Egreditur ex te,one: * Egreffus Ejus
ab eterno, the other. In which two are exprefly ferdown His two Natures. * Ex te, from Bethlehem,
_onear:h; thence, He cameaccording to His Afan-hidd,. A dicbus aternitatis, from everlafting, or
from eternity ; thencestie came according to HisGod-head. © no
4, =~ And laft (to make ita fulland compleat Chriftmas,‘in-Text 2) Befides His Place, Pexfon’ and Na- ‘
Marth, 2.6, tures (in thele two comings forth: ) Here is His Office allo, tobe ‘nsoldG@, “sets meiparsy, (fo doth
Me S. Aarchew turn “AWD the Prophets word ‘I follow no other ' for; ture Tam, I cannot follow a :
better Tranflator;) Dux, qui pafcet. One to “lead s, andto :* feed us; and{o, toconduéusfrom: ” |
woe Bethlehem (where, this day, we come firlt acquainted with Him) ‘to the ftate of etersity, whenceHe
; / came out, to bring us in;. there to live and reign with Him for ever... veg to 7
| The Divie Sox * of the Place: * Perfon: * Natures: and * Office of Chriff.. 1, The Place of His Birth; Beth- :
fon, ©“ debens ; with her two Epithetes or twins (as it were) ' Parvala, little; and’ E, phrata, finicfull. 2: an |
t. Then, of His Perfon,that did come forth, 3, After, of boch His Natures: As man, from Bethlehens : !
II. VII, -7As God, tromeverlafting: 4. Lalt, of His Office. * Tobe our guide tu lead ss (faith Afica:) * Due 4
[Ve qut pafcet; Lead us, and feed ws (faith cALatthew) both. And, fo leading and feeding 15, to condudt
. and bring usyto the joys and joyfull days of eternity whither, without Him, we'can never come’: and i
Marth.2. 6. Whither ill we come, we thall never be, as we would be,that is, truly happy indeed. This is His Office. oS b
"And, ss His Office to /ead and to feedus: fo, our Duty, to be led, and to be fedby Him, That follows
ofitfelf, fie UW SESITS TOT
. ERC RUE ERE ESERIES |
The manner of Tm Bethlehem: A word of the Charaéter, or manner of the fpeech. For, this Verfe hath no de= , :
the fpecchs g¢ pendance at all, on that, wentbefore, The Prophet breaks off the difcourfe he was in, and breaks boa |
tu Bethlebem into this of Bethlehem (here,) all of afudden,” | This we call an Apoftropke; andy, it is one
of the figures that be firrers of attention, par
For, this we find ; that, when one goes on ftill with a tale in a continued zenour of fpeech, attention
grows dull ; and, no readier way rowake it, (asthe C8Zaffers of that ert tell us) than, fuddenly to
break off the point, we, were in hand with, “and turn us to quite another matter which with the
ftrangenefs, will affect the hearer, and make him liften afreth, whether he will orno. = : . }
> The Prophee doth fo, in this:, He was(but the Verfe before,) muttering garrifons and laying Sieve 4
. Ferufalems zand, in the midft of his tale, falls from thar, and mee isat. fern cells us B ricge fo
matter; about a Child cobe born there, This muft needs move attention. Any dpoftrophe will do it |
more or lefs, SS Sf ey : Os >
Bur, of all, none to that, which is framed inthe Second Perfon + a3} this is. For, ‘it is nota {oeect
or concerning Bethlehem, in the Third Perfon,(as that of E ie Behold a Virgin; {o here mabey |
of Bethlehem (hall come :) Not, Enuntiative. But it isa {peech to Bethlehem, in the Sesond Peron: |
Et tu, and thos Bethlebes, ont of thee hall there comes Annsntiarive 3 which hath more vigour in ite *
j