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Nature or Subftance under différent Names only and Conceptions; of which two Hereticks Sabellius and Arius, our Country-man Sedulius thus writeth,

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Ille Fidem trinam, ar hic non amplectitur unam,
Amb errore pares, quanquam diverfa fequantur.

The one making the Apoftle's Argument in the Text very weak and improper, to alledge for three Witneffes of Chrift's Divinity, three Words or Names only and no more; The other renting their Unity against fo many clear Teftimonies of Scripture, which is the Rule of our Faith and Manners; Therefore as many as walk according to this Rule, Peace be on them and Mercy, and upon the Ifrael of God.

Chrift

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Christmass Day.

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When the Fulness of Time was come, God fent forth his Son made of a Woman, made under the Law, to redeem them that were under the Law, that we might receive the Adoption of Sons, Gal. Chap. 4. Verfes 4 5

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AD we no more to fay for the Obfervations of our Feftivals, but that they are Days to bring to Remembrance, as it is faid of fome Pfalms, that they are Pfalms to bring to Remembrance · Or as it is faid of that Night in which the Children of Ifrael came out of Egypt, That it was a Night much to be obferved unto the Lord, this fame is enough to commend their Memorial to all fober Chriftians; for if a temporal Deliverance deferved a Day to be folemnly fet apart for an Anniversary Thanksgiving, much more fhould the Day of our fpiritual Deliverance be kept in everlasting Remembrance, which came to pafs according to the Revolution of the Year upon this Day, as we are credibly informed by very early and undeniable Tradition, in the Writings of the Ancients, in. the Hiftories of the Church, and the Homilies of the Fathers upon this Subject, and upon this Day.

One Generation, O Lord, fhall praife thy Works to. another; They fball abundantly utter the Memory of thy great Goodness unto a People that shall be born, that thou.

Pfal. 14. 5.

Pial.22.31.

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haft done this. There is a great Difference betwixt our Festivals under the Gospel, and the fuperftitious obferving of Days and Months, and Years, and Times, which the Apostle cenfures here in thefe Galatians for turning back to the weak and beggerly Elements, the new Moons and fabbatical Feafts under the Law for Juftification, all which were nothing of themselves but faint Shows and Forerunners of thefe happy Solemnities under the Gospel, which are Days of Prayer and Thanksgiving, of Joy and Gladnefs of Heart, rejoicing in the Lord, and for the Lord. But when, &c.

In these Words we may read the great Myftery of Man's Redemption, and from thence reap many useful Inftructions, if we confider,

Firft, The Excellency of the Perfon whom God fent into the World for that great Work; not an Angel, or any other but his own Son, for the Redemption of the Soul is precious, being immortal, and of infinite Capacity to be happy or miferable for ever: Therefore nothing less than an infinite Price and an infinite Power could redeem us from infinite Mifery.

Secondly, The fit Opportunity of his coming, now in the Fulness of Time, to bear Witnefs to the Truth, when all Flesh had corrupted their Ways, and that wicked Generation of the Jews had made the Commandments of God of none Effect, through their Traditions, teaching for Doctrines of Faith, the Ordinances of Men.

: Thirdly, The wonderful Union of the two Natures in Chrift Jefus, that the eternal Son of God be born of a Woman, and become like unto us in all things, Sin excepted. Orjo var

Fourthly, If we confider the glorious Defign of Chrift's Incarnation, which was to redeem us from the curfe of the Law, and to adopt us to be the Children of God,we cannot but rejoice exceedingly, and acknowledge our felves infinitely obliged to requite fo great Kindness with all the Expreffions of Love and Obedience.

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I will make thy Name, O Lord, to be remembred in all ite Generations. Pfal. 45. Therefore shall the People praise thee for ever and 17. ever. Lailialo bite

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1. The first confiderable in the Text, which is the Foundation of our Faith, and the following Difcourfe, we believe from the Scriptures, and are certainly perfuaded by all the convincing Arguments of Reason and Revelation, That he who was born of the Virgin Mary, and was called fefus Chrift, whom the fews crucified, and whom all Chriftians Rev.19. profefs to Worship, is the very Son of God, the Org. Meffias and Saviour of the World, of whom Mofes in John 1. the Law and the Prophets did write, for the Teftimony 45. of Jefuse is the Spirit of Prophecy, and thefe early noid Predictions of his Incarnation and coming into the World, which were all exactly accomplished in his Perfon. To this the Voice of John the Baptift crying in the Wilderness, and the Voice of God fpeaking from Heaven, gave Witnefs, befides thefe prodigious Works which he did himself to witnefs that he was the Son of God So that if the Teftimony of Holy Men and Holy Angels be true, if the Word of God be true, and the Works of God be true, even thefe mighty Works which were done in the View of the World, puc early on publick Records, and faithfully preferved in every Age, by a continued Succeffion of Holy Orders, fealed with the Blood of Martyrs, and frequently celebrated on Festival Days, and in the Sacred Myfteries of Baptifm and the Holy Com

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Mat. 3.

17.

70.5.36. Luk.2.9. Heb. 2.

3, 4.

of all that Jefus began both to do and teach, until he was received up into Glory, then this is true likewife, that God fent forth his Son made of a Woman, &c.

munion, which are lafting Memorials and Monuments C

And the Word was made Flesh, and dwelt, or taber nacled, among us, that is, in our Nature, and we beheld his Glory, (in the Holy Mount) the Glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of Grace and Truth;

Joh.1.14.

2 Pet. 1.

16, 17.

even

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even fuch Glory, as could not be communicated to any other but to him who was by Nature the Son of God; fuch Glory as no Flefly could behold otherwife than as it was in Heb.1o. Chrift, or in the Word made Flesh, and clothed with 19. our Nature, which vailed the Divine Glory, like the curious embroidered Vail over the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle; as in the Beginning God created Man after his own Likeness and fpiritual Excellencies, fo now the Son of God takes upon him the Likeness of Man and his corporal Subftance, that in this mutual Likenefs there might be mutual Love, Converfe and Complacency; that we might convoy our Adorations to God by Jefus Chrift, who is the Brightness of his Father's Glory, and exprefs. Image of his Perfone An Image which we may bow unto without Idolatry, and invoke without Superftition, even the vifible Image of the invifible God, as it is written, Kifs the Son, left he be angry, and ye perish kindled Pfal. 2. from the Way, when his Wrath is kindled but a little; bleffed are all they that pat their Trust in him. Therefore, fays the fame Evangelift, No Man hath feen God at any time, the only begotten Son, who is in the Bofom of the Father, The bath declared him; not by Word only, or Declaration of his Will, as the Prophets did of old, but by way of Fact or real Reprefentation: He that hath feen me, fays Chrift, bath feen the Father, and hath feen the Love of the Father; that if we will not believe the Word of God, faying, He will have all

Ezek. 33. 11. 1 Tim.

2. 4.

Men to be faved; nor the Oath of God, fwearing, That he taketh no Pleafure in the Death of the Wicked; nor the Nature of God, That he is Love, and dwelleth in Love: Yet we may believe our own Eyes, and fay with the beloved Difciple, That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have feen with our Eyes, which we have looked on, and our Hands have handled of the Word of Life; For the Life was manifefted, and we have seen it, and fhew unto you that eternal Life which was with the Father, and was manifefted unto us.

John

I. I, 2.

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