SERMON LXXV. THE NATIVITY OF OUR LORD, TIDINGS OF SERM. LUKE ii. 10. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all peoplea. THE proper business of a festival is spiritual joy, LXXV. conceived in our hearts by reflection on some notable blessing conferred on us; accompanied with a grateful sense and expression, answerable to the special bounty and mercy of God, in due proportion to the nature and degree of that blessing. 16. 12. Phil. iv. 4. 1 Thess. v. Such joy is a duty, or a part of religious devotion, Rom. xii. required by God, and very acceptable to him for as God would have his servants perpetually content, well satisfied, and cheerful in all states, and upon all occurrences; so he doth especially demand from us, that we should entertain his favours with delight and complacence; it being proper, it being seemly, it being just, so to do: for since joy is a natural result of our obtaining whatever we do apprehend good, or esteem and affect; the conception of it is a plain argument, that we do well understand, do rightly prize, do cordially like, do thankfully em 4 Ἰδοὺ γὰρ εὐαγγελίζομαι ὑμῖν χαρὰν μεγάλην, ἥτις ἔσται παντὶ τῷ λαῷ. brace God's favours; as, on the contrary, a defect of SERM. it doth imply, that we do not mind them, or take LXXV. them to be little worth, that we do not sensibly relish them, or accept them kindly. And if ever we are obliged, if ever we are concerned so to rejoice, then surely it is now; when the fairest occasion and highest cause of joy that ever was is presented to us; when certain news from heaven, and the best that ever came from thence, of the most admirable, the most glorious, the most beneficial event, that ever happened in the world, is in a manner suitably rare conveyed to us; for, Behold, saith the angel, I bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. Upon which words (each whereof is emphatical, and pregnant with matter observable) we shall first make a brief descant, or paraphrase, supplying the room of a curious analysis; then we shall urge the main duty couched in them. 'Idoù, Behold: This is a word denoting admiration, exciting attention, intimating assurance: Behold, and admire; it is no mean, no ordinary matter, that I report, but a most remarkable, a very marvellous event: Behold, and attend; it is a business not to be passed over with small regard, but most worthy your consideration, of high moment and concernment to you. Behold and see; it is no uncertain, no obscure thing; but that whereof you may be fully assured, as if it were most evident to your sense, and which by conspicuous proofs shall be demonstrated; in the mean while you have no slight authority for it: for Evayyeλiçoμai, I bring good tidings; I, an angel, a special messenger of God purposely sent on this LXXV. SERM. errand, that by the strangeness of my apparition I may excite you to regard it, by the weight of my testimony I may incline you to believe it, by the dignity of my nature I may declare the importance of it; I, a faithful servant of God, and a kind friend to men, very willing at his command to perform good offices to them, do bring a message well becoming an angel's mouth, worth my descent from heaven, and putting on this visible shape: for I bring Εὐαγγελίζομαι χαρὰν μεγάλην, good tidings of great joy: I bring tidings that may gratify the curiosity of any man, the mind of man naturally being greedy of news: good tidings; those are welcome to all men, and apt to yield more pleasure than any knowledge we had before: tidings of joy; such as may not only minister a dry satisfaction to your reason, but sensibly touch your affections, by the comfortable nature and beneficial tendency of them: tidings of great joy; as not touching any indifferent or petty business, but affairs of nearest concernment and highest consequence to you: (such, indeed, as you shall understand, which do concern not the poor interests of this world, not the sorry pleasures of sense, not any slender advantage of your present life and temporal state; but your spiritual welfare, your everlasting condition, the future joy and happiness of your souls;) tidings, indeed, the most gladsome that ever sounded upon earth, that ever entered into mortal ear: these I bring "Tui, to you: to you shepherds; persons of mean condition and simple capacity, leading this innocent and humble sort of life, employed in your honest vocation, undergoing toilsome labour and sore hard Pauperibus lantibus, de Nat. ship; witness the open field, witness the cold season, SERM. witness the dark night, in which I find you watch- LXXV. ing and guarding your sheep; to you, who could Luke ii. 8. expect no very welcome tidings; who are little con- atque vigicerned in any great transactions, and can have small &c. Bern. ambition or hope of bettering your condition by any Serm. 5. changes here; even to you (not in the first place to the mighty princes, to the crafty statesmen, to the sage philosophers, or learned rabbies, to the wealthy merchants, or fine citizens, who now are warm in their houses, enjoying their ease and pleasure; reposing on their beds, or sitting by their fires, or revelling at their banquets and sports; but to you) poor, harmless, silly, industrious souls, who well may represent the greater and better part of mankind; in this surprising and absolutely free way the gracious Lord of heaven by me his special minister doth vouchsafe to send from thence tidings of great joy: which shall be 24. x. 6. Luke xxiv. 46. Zech. ix. 9. Hari Tặp λap, to all people; or rather to all the Matt. xv. people; that is, to God's ancient and peculiar people, Rom. ix. 4. in regard to which it is said, I was not sent but to 47. the lost sheep of the house of Israel; to that people, Acts xiii. I say, especially, primarily, and more immediately Isa. ii. 3. this joy did appertain; it, by a closer relation to Rom. ix. 4. God, and special interest in his promises, having plainest title thereto; it, from anticipations of knowledge, faith, and hope, being more capable to admit such an overture; it indeed being the representative of all the spiritual Israel, or faithful seed of Abraham, for whom the benefits which these tidings import were designed; to it first indeed, but mediately and consequentially to all people dispersed on the face of the earth. The expression seemeth adapted LXXV. SERM. to the present conceits of that nation, which apprehended nothing about God's favourable intentions to the community of men: but in effect it is to be understood extensively in reference to all people: for the Saviour, the Christ, the Lord, of whom this good news did report, was not only to be the Redeemer and Governor of that small people, but of the world, of every nation, of all mankind: here indeed we Luke ii. 31. have Ħavti T λa, to all the people; but in the nunc dimittis of old Simeon we have távτwv tŵv λawv, of all Luke ii. 30. the peoples: Mine eyes, said he, have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of Luke ii. 32. all the peoples; As he was the glory of his people Acts xiii. Israel; as in him God did visit and redeem that his people; so he was made a light to lighten the Gentiles, and to be for salvation to the uttermost Hag. 7 ends of the earth: he was the expectation of IsMic. v. 2. rael; but he was likewise the desire of all nations: he was destined to rule in Sion: but the heathen also were given for his inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession: he was Isa. xi. 10. the root of Jesse, which should stand for an ensign of the people, to which the Gentiles should seek; he was that royal Person of whom the Psalmist did Psal. lxxii. sing, Men shall be blessed in him; all nations shall call him blessed. i. 68. 47. Isa. xlix. 6. xlii. 6. Luke ii. 38. Psal. ii. 8. 17. He was to be born by nation a Jew, but a man by nature; the Son of man was a style which he commonly did own and affect, no less than the Son Gal. iv. 4. of Abraham, or of David; he was born indeed under the law, but of a woman; and therefore broHeb. ii. 14. ther to us all, as partaker of the same flesh and blood: hence was he endued with an human com passion, and with a fraternal affection toward all |