nals, bishops, and the great learned men of this world, and hath opened it unto us; therefore let us be thankful for his innumerable benefits poured upon us so richly and abundantly. Let us follow therefore the example of these shepherds. Let us come to Bethlehem, that is to Christ, with an earnest mind, and hearty zeal to hear the word of God, and then follow it indeed; for not the hearer shall be saved, but the doer and follower thereof; (James i.) as Christ saith, "Not those that call me Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of God, but those which do the will of my Father which is in heaven." (Matt. vii.) Wherefore let us follow the word of God, let us glorify and magnify his holy name in all our works and conversations, wherein consist the very thankfulness and true service which we owe unto him.

"And the shepherds returned, lauding and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen." They were not professed religious men, nor monks, but returned again to their business, and to their occupation: where we learn that every man should follow his occupation and vocation, and not leave the same, except God call him from it to another; for God would have every man to live in that order which he has ordained for him. And no doubt the man that plieth his occupation truly, without any fraud or deceit, the same is acceptable to God, and he shall have everlasting life.

Here I might take occasion to speak of all estates, and what pertaineth to every one of them, but the time is past; I will therefore make an end, without any rehearsal or recital of that which is already said. The Lord of heaven and earth make us diligent and ready to do his will, and live after his commandment, and so come finally to everlasting life through Christ our Lord: to whom, with God the Father and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory, for ever and ever, world without end. Amen, Amen.

THE BIRTH OF CHRIST

A SERMON,

Preached upon St. Stephen's Day, being the day after Christmas Day, 1552.

LUKE ii.

And it fortuned that while they were there, her time was come that she should be delivered, and she brought forth her first-begotten son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

I SHOWED YOU yesterday, right worshipful audience, what was the occasion that Mary, the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ our only Saviour and Redeemer, came to Bethlehem, where it was prophesied that he should be born. The occasion was this. Octavius was emperor over the great empire of Rome at the time when Christ should be born, (as it was prophesied he should be born while the second temple stood.) Now this Octavius sent out a general proclamation, that all countries under his dominion should be taxed, and give him a certain sum of money.

Now God intended another thing. Octavius with this proclamation sought nothing but to fill his purse, and to make money, but God sought occasion that way to fulfil his prophesy: for it was prophesied a long time before that Christ should be born at Bethlehem. Now Mary could not come thither except by some occasion, and therefore this was the occasion, namely, that she should come and be taxed, and pay a certain sum of money to the officers. And here we shall consider and weigh the obedience that Mary the mother of Christ and her husband showed towards the magistrates, that she was content to take such a great journey in hand with her husband Joseph,

And here

to show herself obedient unto the magistrates. I took occasion to speak somewhat of obedience, how we ought to show ourselves obedient in all things which are not against God. I think we cannot speak too much of this matter, for it is a thing most necessary to be known. For if the parents of our Saviour were content to be obedient to a heathen king, how much more should we show ourselves obedient unto our natural king, who feedeth us with the holy word of God, and seeks not only our bodily health and wealth, but also the health of our souls? How much more ought we to reverence him and honour him, who rules over us, not tyrannously, as Octavius did over the Jews, but most lovingly governs us, seeking not his own advantage but our good?

Now by this occasion, as I told you, namely, to show themselves obedient, Joseph and Mary came unto Bethlehem, a long journey, and poor folks, and peradventure on foot: for we read of no great horses that she had, as our great ladies have now-a-days. Now he that would show the good behaviour that was between them two, must surely have much time. We read of no falling out between them, or any ill behaviour on either side. Wherefore all husbands may learn by Joseph, to do their duties toward their wives, and again all wives may learn by her.

Well, she was great with child, and was now come to Bethlehem. It is wonderful to consider the works of God.

The emperor Octavius served God's purpose, and yet knew nothing of him; for he knew not what manner of man was to be born, at the time when his proclamation was sent out. But John Baptist, who went before our Saviour Christ, showed what manner of man Christ was, when he said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sins of the world." John i.

By these words is showed to what end Christ was sent into the world, namely, to take away sins. And before this, Zachary, the father of John Baptist, brake forth into praising of God, saying, "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he hath visited and redeemed his people, and hath raised up a horn of salvation." Now if Zachary rejoiced in God because of the birth of John, how much more should we laud and praise God, that Christ our Saviour himself is born! for John Baptist was the precursor. He was but a servant of God; yet Zachary his father so much rejoiced in him. How much, I say, shall we praise

God, that the Lord above all lords has taken upon him our humanity,* and is made man, for this great benefit; that he would vouchsafe to humble himself so much, as to take our nature upon him, for this cause, to deliver us out of the hands of the old serpent the devil, in whose kingdom and dominion all mankind should have been, if this Saviour had not come into the world.

And thus his first coming was but in a very poor manner, without any jollity or pomp; but his second coming, as I have told you many a time before, shall be a glorious coming, a beautiful coming; for he shall come accompanied with all his angels. He shall come with such clearness, that the sun and the moon shall be darkened at his coming, not that the sun itself of his substance shall be darkened, no not so; for it shall give his light, but it shall not be seen for this great light and clearness, wherein our Saviour shall appear. Now at the first he is come, not with glory or majesty, but with great poverty and misery, which he has sustained for our sakes.

We have here to consider the great benefits of God the almighty Father, that it hath pleased him through his great goodness and love which he bare towards us who were his enemies, that it hath pleased him, I say, to give unto us for our sakes his only Son into these miseries and calamities, and to suffer him to take our nature upon him, and to deliver us by his most painful and grievous passion. We cannot express the worthiness of it, but though we are not able to express it, yet we must do as much as

we can.

Now to come to the knowledge of this benefit, you must consider first, what he was before he was incarnate and made man: for when we know what he was before he was made man, then we shall know what he hath done for us.

Now therefore you must know, that he was the Son of God, yea God himself, the Lord and King over heaven and earth, through whom all things were made and created, and by whom all things are kept and sustained, ruled and governed;-that same God, that same Son of God, refused not to humble himself far beyond all measure, to take upon him such a vile nature, for he was made very man.

You must not think as the Arians did, who said that he *Human nature.

was not a very man, nor suffered very pains upon the cross, but had a fantastical body.* And I know where there was one of such an erroneous opinion, not many years since; he belonged to a great man at that time. Beware therefore of this opinion, and believe steadfastly that he was a very natural man,† sin excepted. Again, we must believe that he was God's Son, not by adoption, as we are, for we all are adopted and taken for the children of God. But he was before the world began with God the Son of God, and God himself, I will prove him to be very God, because we are commanded to call upon him. Now you know that to call upon God, is to honour God; and God saith in his word that he will give his honour to nobody; but Christ hath the honour of God, therefore he must needs be very God. And here we have occasion to be sorry that we have called upon saints, and so have deprived God of his honour and dignity, and made them tutelary gods. But Christ is he on whom we must call, and put our confidence in: for it is written, "All the kings of the world shall honour him, and call upon his name." And therefore here it appears most manifestly that he is very God, coequal with the Father after his divinity.

You have heard this day in the service of St. Stephen, how he called upon Christ, saying, "Lord Jesus, take thou my spirit:" (Acts v.) lifting up his eyes unto heaven, signifying that Christ is very God; which, no doubt, St. Stephen would not have done, if Christ had not been very God.

Now this day is St. Stephen's day, who was put to death because he rebuked the stubbornness of the wicked priests and bishops, which bishops stirred up false witness against him, and so stoned him, but it is well for him that ever he was born.

St. Stephen, I will
Consider his faith
God's cause: and

Now therefore if you will worship tell you how you should worship him. and the heartiness which he had in pray unto God that you may have such a strong faith as he had, that you may be ready to forsake the world, and suffer for the word of God, like as he hath done. Also further pray unto God, that you may have such a strong faith to pray unto him, as St. Stephen had. This is the * A mere outward appearance of man. † A real man. Heb. iv. 15.