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Show 5· Vf'. H~w the Sou/way faji·tttn And Sccor.Jly, Thi!ifoY pn~pe[e •f luart, wil! a11d mull produce an•ar!iiHdrr rbndiwcr lit Jl.lian." Tne•Bbw~ that" uuly-d<reckd ro .its mar~ ti,ay· be tu;ned alide by a itlliin'thc>way',Iomctimos; ' but yet ordinarily ir rmis on toward 'the rnark;tht B~as:,tlraweth a~ai~ affoon as it ha<h pal\ the rub and overcome th~tmpreffion oftt;tt may be it come's !hort, or runs a littk wide, but it will be. the~e or thereabouts as w:C fay. But I may ( very probably ) tn thts difconrfe have occafion tO fpe~k mOtc,fLilly'to this, I therefore !hall here add no more. · '" But in the lafl place let · me prefs a word of Exhorrari- -on. Firll To thofe who have no! attained to this great hap.pinefs, That tl;ty would ma~e it their bujineji, tltat they might attain to it. Secondly, 'Io tboft who havt attained tt, that tbty woHld behave themfelves (at tho[e ) betr~ixt whom ·and tb~ Lord ]efiu Cbrifl, there i1 fo nfar and ftri{i an union. r. Should not I prefume too well, of all particular perfons in this great Congregation, ifl !hould prefume them all.conjt~gaOy united. and made one with Chriff ? I fear I !hould ; gtve me leave therefore fnppoling feme yet firangers to Cod, and Chrifl, a little this day to plead with you. Bm1ard tell us of a threefold coming ofChrill. The fir£\, ad homines, to men, in his Incarnation. The Second, i1f hom inn, into men. The Thtr.d, contra hommrt, ogainll men. Chrifl is come unto men: The _vctce wa~ long Iince heard : To tts a Son is born, to us a Chtld 11 g•ven. Th!s day many are pretending to rejoice for thar. Nor ~~ve I a~y t~mg to fay againH them, provided, 1. That they reJoice SpJTJtua£y, not carnal, Jy. 2. 'Ih•tthey rejoice not in a vainfluw,bu~ indeed ~nd m trHth. 3· That thry don•t Jlickje to contend for that whrch no r~if' m~n ever yet contmded for; that this is the day, the very day whe_n _Chn£\ was born. 4• 11:at they do not think,.themftlves under areltgiOHtneuffity ·•fk!eping fucb a particular day. 5· Or at leaft not condemn t?em, who can Ice no fuch obligation. I lay fuppoling thefe thmgs, what have I to do to judg another mans Servant ? l_f any wtU k!.•P thir,or any otbtr day to the Lord ; to the L~rd let htm obferve. tt. The lacarnatzon of,fbri{t,is matter of great Joy; we every ~a~ gt~e God thanks for it; we every Lords day commemorate tr, tn hts refurrection which was the act by which he perfected ou~ redemption on earth; if any will fay,no, but we will keep a parttcu-lar mttj faJ I am his. lar day in fenfe of ibis mercy : Let him enjoy his opinion' ( he may go to Heaven with it for ought I know) and let him be alfured, that we want nothing but ourMafiers warrant, and we !houtd be in the fame Zeal with them. But in the mean time ( Brethren ) as the Apofilc faith in another caufe, I wilt !hew you a more excellent way : So give me leave to tell you, I will ]hew you a more exceUmt caufe of rejoycing. If you could rejoice that Chri£\ is not only come unto the World, but into your hear'tr, this !hould be as to your particular Souls, a more abnndarH caufe of rejoicing; you arerejoycing that.Chri£\ is borniHta the world, and if you do this .,.,,u, that is, SpiriwaUy1 reaUy, you do weU: but what's all this te you, if this Chri£\ be not formed in you, as the Apo£\le fpeaks, Gal. 4· 19. For this would I travel this day with you : Rejoice thattbe word war made jle(h and dwell a"JO!/gfl "'• But 0 refi not here t 0 re£\ not, till you be made partakers of the div. inc nature, till the word comes and dweUetb iu your Sottlr. Rejoice that Chrill was born of a wom•n ; but 0 labour to tind that y<JUarebornofGod,by thepowerofthcHoly Ghofl! It might be indeed, Come little caufe of rejoycing to a man to know that there is a woman born into the world, which might be his Spoule; af>d with whomifhecould obtain her, he might live a long and· h,appy life; but how imperfect would this joy be in comparifon of the joy ofan actual marriage to, and union with this perfon; and what other prefent e:ffect would it ha.ve upon fuch a mln, but tO inflame .bimwitb a defire.ro know this woman,and to enjoy her and have an actual union with her. What doth that Soul that knows that Chrill is born into the world and rejoyceth for that, know and rejoice more for than this? That there is a door of Salvation opened, that there is a redeemer come unto the world.; this knowlerlg will be thy great torment' in Hell another day ; if thou bee (I not one of thefe udeemed ones;if iniquity be not turned a way from thy Soul. 0 I then labour, for this, that Chrifl and your Souls might make a match this day I rhis would make the merrie£\ Chrzflm•li you ever yet lived ; if Salvation might but come to your Souls this day. .It is a cullomary time of feafling with you; with what jo~ might you eat your bread, with what a merry heart might you drink your Wine ? with what a chearful hear! might you c3ll to your Neighbours, and fay, Let ur eat and be merry; f you could but add ,for my Soul W3t dead and ir """ ali"e; iLrP"' Lt>ft a11d i1 norP formd; it WlS put of Chrifl, but it is now io Chri£\: And |