AS the Time drew near for the Appearance of the great God, and our Saviour, to dwell with Men on the Earth, there was a wonderful Expectation, among almost all Nations, of some great Personage, to be born into the World, who should be remark­able, beyond any that had gone before him: To [Page 2] which the Prophet Haggai, one of the last of the Prophets, under the Old Testament, refers, when he says, Hag. II.7. The Desire of all Nations shall come, and I will fill this House (meaning the Second Temple, then a building, and near finished,) with Glory; that is, by the Presence of Him whom all Nations, ^† and the Iews ^* especially, desired and look­ed for. This Expectation, doubtless, had it's Rise among the Nations, from the Iews, who were dispersed over Syria, Chaldea, Persia, and Greece, at, and after their Captivity by Nebuchadnezzar. Their Discourses about the promised Messiah, and the great Deliver­ance they looked for from Him, and the Pro­phecys relating to His Coming, contained in their canonical Books, very naturally led the learned among the Nations, who, we [Page 3] may reasonably suppose, had some little Ac­quaintance with the Jewish Writings, ^* to ex­pect some such mighty Person, as they spoke of. The Prophecy of Daniel, ^(a) while he re­sided in the Persian Court, had so plainly point­ed out the Messiah, the Prince, and the Time of His Appearance, that they could not be wholly Ignorant of Him; and therefore, towards the Period of the Prefixed Time, were looking and waiting for the Consolation of Israel.

The Angel Gabriel first makes known the Prophecy to Daniel, and about, 532 ^‖ Years after, when the Time determined for the Messiah's Coming, was near at Hand, God sends the same Gabriel, first to Zacharias, to ac­quaint him, that he should have a Son, by his Wife Elisabeth, tho' they had gone Childless, till they were both well stricken in Years, and that this their Son should be the Fore-runner of the Messiah ^(b); and within a few Months after to the Virgin Mary, to notify to her, that she should conceive and bear a Son, and [Page 4] call His Name JESUS ^(c), who should be the Immanuel, or God with us.

At the Time of the Birth of this wonder­ous and holy Child Iesus, (perhaps,) the same Gabriel is made the Joyful Messenger, of this glad Tydings, to the Shepherds, who were watching over their Flock, by Night, near Bethlehem: Of which we have an Account in my Context.

The Birth of Christ was attended with a strange Appearance in the Heavens, for an un­usual Light, or Star, shone over Bethlehem, the Place of His Nativity, at the Time of it ^(d): Which, (no doubt) was the same Star, that the Wise Men of the East, or certain Magi in Persia, saw in their own Land, and were directed by to find out the Place of our Lord's Nativity ^(e).

This Light; or Star, the Shepherds, that were watching over their Flocks, near the City of David, beheld, and were surprised at so uncommon an Appearance in the Heavens. But the Angel appeared to them, and said, Fear not; for behold, I bring you good Tydings of great Ioy, which shall be unto all People; for unto you is born, this Day, in the City of David, a Saviour, which is Christ, the Lord. The Shepherds encouraged, and directed, by the Angel, went immediately to Bethlehem, [Page 5] and there found it as the Angel had told them ^(a).

There are several things observable in the Words of my Text; but there are but Two or Three, which I shall more particularly take Notice of, to discourse unto you on, at this Time, and upon this Occasion. As,

I. The Birth, or Incarnation of JESUS CHRIST, the Son of GOD.

II. The Time of His Birth, or when it was.

III. The great End and Design of His In­carnation and Birth. I shall begin with the first of these; and accordingly,

I. I am to consider the Birth, or Incarna­tion of JESUS CHRIST, the Son of GOD. Unto you there is born, Christ the Lord. And here, there are several Things worthy our Consideration, with respect to the Birth of Christ; as,

I. The Certainty of the Birth, and Incarna­tion of Christ the Son of GOD.

II. Of whom he was born, and

III. The Place of His Nativity, where he was born. I shall offer something to each of these. And

I. I shall consider the Certainty of the Birth and Incarnation of JESUS CHRIST, the Son of God.

And what can be more evident and certain than this is? What that we do not see with [Page 6] our Eyes, is confirmed to us by so many, and various kinds of Witnesses? The Angel published it to the Shepherds, assuring them, that unto you is born a Saviour, Christ the Lord: That is, the promised Messiah, the Son of God, and Saviour of the World. And this the Shepherds had full Proof and Evidence of, when they went to Bethlehem, and accor­ding to what the Angel had told them, found Mary the Mother, and Ioseph, the reputed Father, and the Babe lying in a Manger.

This was further confirmed by the Wise Men of the East. For they (concluding the Strange Star they had seen in the Heavens, was an Indication of the Birth of the great Prince, spoken of in the Iewish Writings, and which the World was now earnestly looking for) after they had travelled some Hundreds of Miles from Persia, to satisfy their Curio­sity about this wonderful Phaenomenon, at length came to Ierusalem, the Metropolis of Iudea, near to which the Star, or Light, had been seen pendant ^†, and enquire, where is He that is born King of the Iews? For we have seen His Star in the East: And when they were informed, by the learned Men among the Iews, that Bethlehem was to be the Place of the Nativity of the Messiah, they travelled thither; and the Star, which they [Page 7] had seen in the East, appeared again to them, and went before them, until it stood over the Place where the young Child lay, and so di­rected them to the particular House, in this miraculous manner, that they might not be im­posed upon by any suppositions Birth; and they came into the House, and saw the young Child with Mary His Mother, and fell down and worshipped Him, — and presented unto Him, Gold and Frankincense, and Myrrh ^(a). Thus they confessed Him to be GOD, by the Adoration they pay'd to Him, at the same Time that their Senses convinced them, that He was really MAN, partaking of the same Flesh and Blood with themselves.

Besides there were many Witnesses at the Birth of Christ. For when Ioseph and Mary had travelled from Nazareth to Bethlehem, to be taxed, or enrolled ^†, that Decree of Au­gustus, which necessitated the Iews to retire to their own City, to which they and their Families originally belonged, had brought a great Concourse of People to Bethlehem, so that the Inn, where the Mother of our Lord took up her Lodgings, was so full, that she could have no Conveniency, answerable to [Page 8] her Circumstances of falling into Travail, and therefore they layd the Young Child in [...] Manger, because there was no room for the [...] in the Inn; which the Evangelist Luke tak [...] particular notice of, Ch. II. v. 7. From whence it is plain, that, from the great Mul­titude of Travellers then present, there could be no Fraud in this Birth, but Mary really brought forth her first born Son.

And further, Herod the King, fearing the Loss of his Kingdom, from this Child, who was styled the King of the Iews, by the Wise Men of the East, and slaying all the Young Children in Bethlehem, from two Years old, and under, ^(b) that he might pre­vent the Evil which he feared, adds Confir­mation to the Truth and Certainty of the Incarnation of our Lord.

This Child, thus born into the World, was no other than the Accomplishment of the an­cient Promise of the Messiah, the Son of God, appearing in the human Nature: For it was the Divine Logos, the Eternal Son of God, that became Man, and was born of a Woman. Hence our Lord said, Ioh III.16. God so loved the World that he gave His only begotten Son. And thus at the Baptism of our Savi­our, it was declared by an audible Voice from Heaven, Matt. III.17. This is my beloved Son: And the Devils themselves confessed Him [Page 9] to be the Son of God, saying, Matt. VIII.29. What have we to do with Thee, Iesus, thou Son of God. So true is it, what the Apostle Iohn tells us, Ch. I.14. The Word was made Flesh, and dwel [...] among us, and we be [...]eld His Glory, the Glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of Grace and Truth. Thus God was manifest in Flesh.

2. I am in the next place to consider of whom Christ was born; namely, of a Virgin the Virgin Mary. And therefore we are told of Mary, Luke II.7. That she brought forth her first born Son, which is spoken of Christ. And that this Mary was a pure Virgin, who had never known a Man, when she brought forth this her first born Son, is evident from the Conference of the Angel with her. For we are told, Luke I.17. That the Angel Gabriel was sent to a Virgin, espoused to a Man whose Name was Ioseph; and at v. 31. he tells her, that she should conceive in her Womb, and bring forth a Son, and should call His Name Iesus. And when the holy Virgin was surprised at his saying, as well she might be, and replyed, v. 34. How shall this be, seeing I know not a Man? The Angel ex­plains the Mystery to her, and lets her know, that the holy Child, which should be born of her, should not originate in the Common Way of Generation, but by a Divine Incuba­tion, or the Almighty Power of God forming a Child in her Womb, without the natural [Page 10] and ordinary Means therefor: v. 35. The Angel answered, and said unto her, the Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the Power of the Highest shall overshadow thee, therefore also that holy Thing, which shall be born of thee, shall be called the Son of God. Such was the miraculous and immaculate Concep­tion of the Blessed Iesus!

This also the Gospel of St. Matthew takes notice of, and informs us, Matt. I.18. That Mary was but espoused to Ioseph; and that, before they came together, she was found with Child by the Holy Ghost. This is further con­firmed by Ioseph's Carriage to her, upon this Affair; for he finding her to be with Child, while she was contracted to him, and before their coming together, concluded she had been guilty of Fornication (or rather Adultery, as being his espoused Wife) and therefore in­tended to have put her away, and have no­thing further to do with her; till an Angel from God satisfyed him of her Innocency, that she was a pure Virgin, who had not been guilty of any criminal Conversation with any Man, but was with Child by the Holy Ghost. ^(a)

In all of this was but fulfilled what was anciently praedicted concerning the Messiah. For the very first promise of the Messiah, seems to imply no less, than that He should [Page 11] be born of a pure Virgin, without any carnal Concubinage; and therefore He is called the Seed of the Woman, Gen. III.15. Where the Woman only, and not Adam, the Man, is taken notice of, as from whom the Messiah should proceed, who should bruise the Ser­pents Head. ^(b)

But this was more plainly spoken of, by the Prophet Isaiah, Ch. VII.14. Behold a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call his Name Immanuel. I know the latter Iews, and with them the Atheists and Deists of the present Age, would fain per­swade us, that by Virgin, here is meant, a Young Woman, in general, whether marryed or unmarryed; and they suppose it no such mighty matter for a Young Woman, especial­ly if marryed, to bring forth a Son; and they suppose further that the Woman intended is, the Prophets Wife, who should have another Son, and before that Son, now to be born of her, should know to refuse the Evil, and choose the Good, Ahaz should be delivered from the Enemies that now encamped against him.

But to make this matter plain, I need on­ly to observe, that as it was no such great thing for a Woman to bear a Son; so a Wo­man, in the general, or a marryed one in parti­cular, bringing forth a Son, would not amount to the Nature of a Sign, which is what the [Page 12] Prophet is evidently here speaking of. And besides the learned in the Hebrew Language agree, that the Word ^† translated Virgin, properly signifies an undefiled Virgin, one that has not been marryed, nor ever known a Man; and so the Iews, who best knew their own Language, understood it.

But then let us consider the Design of the Prophecy, and that will greatly enlighten this matter. The evident Design of this Prophecy was to Comfort and encourage Ahaz, who, with Ierusalem, was in great Fear, that the Combination of Resin, King of Syria, and Pekah, King of Israel, now investing Ierusa­lem with their united Forces, would carry all before them, and utterly destroy the Royal Stock, the House of David▪ Ahaz, obsti­nately (or perhaps modes [...]y) refused to ask a Sign, as the Prophet proposed to him, and therefore the Prophet tells him, the Lord him­self shall give you a Sign ^(a). Now a Sign ever means something out of the ordinary Course, or beyond the Power of merely natu­ral Causes, and yet evident to our Senses; and what this Sign should be, the Prophet tells him in the next Words, Behold, a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call [Page 13] His Name Immanuel. Tho' it be but agree­able to the Course of Nature for a Woman to conceive, and bear a Son, yet for a pure Virgin to do so, is beyond the Power of Second Causes; and it's being something unheard of, and ex­ceeding the ordinary Power of Nature, is that which rendred it a Sign. Now this being but a Repetition, in other Words, and in a strong [...]r Light, of the ancient Prophecy concerning the Messiah, who was to be the Seed of the Wo­man, and of the Lineage of David, was there­fore an Assurance to Ahaz, and the Inhabi­tants of Ierusalem, that they should not be utterly destroyed, because the Messiah was yet to come; so that they had no need to be so terribly affraid of the threatned Destruction▪ for God will certainly remember His Word, and make good His Promise to Abraham, to Isaac, and Iacob, and to the House of His Servant David. And because this locked a great Way off, and did not seem to carry in it that Encouragement which was necessary to scatter their present Fears, the Prophet from God, further tells Ahaz ^(a), that before this Child, (meaning, and perhaps,) pointing to his young Son, Shear-jashub, (whom God orders the Prophet to take with him ^(b), and who is no otherways concerned in this whole Affair, unless in this particular Transaction,) before this Child shall know to refuse the Evil, and [Page 14] choose the Good, the Land, which thou abhor­rest, shall be forsaken of both her Kings. That is, Resin, and Pekah, the two Tails of these Smoaking Fire-brands, (as they are cal­led ²¹ should both of them be withdrawn from distressing Ierusalem, and be speedily cut off; as it came to pass within a little while after: for Pekah was cut off by Hoshea, ^(d), and Resin by the King of Assyria ^(e); by which means Ahaz and Iudah, were wholly deliver­ed from the Desolation threatned by these two combined Adversarys.

So that the Sign, which the Lord gave Ahaz by His Prophet, concerning a Virgin's conceiving, and bearing a Son, was but a fur­ther Ratification of what God had promised to His People of old, and therefore an Assurance to Ahaz, that the House of David, and Iudah should not be destroyed, because His Promise yet remained to be made Good to them; which make the Words to be a clear Praedicti­on, of the Messiah's being born of a Virgin; and it was punctually fulfilled in His Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

3. The third thing I am to consider, relating to the Birth of Christ, is the Place of it. And it is said, in my Text, to be in the City of David, that is, Bethlehem, as the Evange­list tells us, at v. 4. Bethlehem was called, the City of David, because he was born there, [Page 15] and there his Family had their chief Seat ^(a). And we read, Mich V.2. But thou, Bethle­hem Ephrata, tho' thou be little, (or shall be Chief ^† among the Thousands of Iudah; out of Thee, shall He come forth unto me, that is to be Ruler in Israel. This the Iews ever understood to be a Prophecy, that the Messiah should be born in Bethlehem; and therefore when Herod enquired of the chief Priests and Scribes, where Christ should be born, they tell him, in Bethlehem in Iudea, and refer to this very Text, in Micah, for the Proof of it ^(b). ^†,

To bring about the Fulfilment of this Prophecy, the Roman Emperor, Augustus, about the Twenty fourth Year of his Reign, orders a general Survey to be made of the whole Roman Empire, which Survey extended to the Provinces dependant upon the Empire, as well as the Citizens of Rome; by which Enrollment, every one was obliged to repair, to their own City, as the Evangelist Luke in­forms us, ^(c); that is, the City where their Ancestors had their Original, there to have [Page 16] their Names, Qualities and Possessions, enter­ed upon Record ^‖; this necessitated Ioseph and Mary his espoused Wife, some Years after, when the Survey was come into the Province of Iudea, to travel from Nazareth, where they dwelt, to Bethlehem, as to their own City, from whence they derived, there to have their Names and Circumstances enrolled; and while they were, upon this Occasion, in Beth­lehem, the Virgin Mary, was delivered of her first born Son. And thus Christ was born in the City of David,

Now besides a literal Accomplishment of the Prophecy of Micah, concerning the Place of the Messiah's Nativity, here was also a plain Proof, of His being of the Royal Stock, of David, and so King of the Iews. For the Promise of the Messiah, that was to come into the World, was firstly confined to the Lo [...]ns of Abraham, afterwards to the Tribe of Iudah, and lastly to the Family of David, and accordingly the Survey that led Ioseph and Mary to Bethlehem, the City of David, proves them both to be of the Line of David, and descended from his Stock. Therefore the Evangelists, in drawing down the Line of De­scent, design [...]ly shew us, how Christ was the Son of David. Mathew ^(a) gives us the Line from David to Ioseph, His supposed Father; [Page 17] and Luke ^(b) the Line of His real Mother, which shews they were both descended from that renowned King of Israel. For Heli, in Luke's Catalogue, was the Father ^‖ of Mary, who was espoused to Ioseph; and be­cause the Iews made no reckoning, in their Genealogies, by the Mother's side, therefore Ioseph her espoused Husband, and Son in Law to Heli, is mentioned in her Room ^†.

Thus much may suffice to have spoken to the Birth of Christ, the Certainty of it, the Person of whom, and the Place where. I shall now proceed to the Second thing I proposed, namely,

II. To consider the Time of our Blessed Lord's Nativity, or when Christ was born. And this I shall do, first more generally, and then more particularly.

I. I shall consider the Time of Christ's Birth more Generally. And there are especially Two Prophecies, which I shall take Notice [Page 18] of, as pointing to the Time of the Messiah's appearing in the World, both of which have had their full Accomplishment in the Coming of Christ.

The First I shall mention is the famous Pro­phecy in Iacob's Blessing his Son Iudah, which is contained in Gen. XLIX.10. The Sceptre shall not depart from Iudah, nor a Lawgiver from between his Feet, until Shiloh come. By Shiloh is meant the Mes­siah, as the Iews themselves before our Savi­our's Time ever acknowledged. ^* The Design of the Prophecy is a general Assurance that the Sovereign Power shall remain in the Tribe of Iudah, unto the Time of Shiloh, or Christ, His appearing in the World, after which all Sovereign Power should be lost from among the Iewish Nation. And this has been very punctually fulfilled.

For it is very evident, that this foreign Power continued in the Tribe of Iudah, in a Line of Kings that descended from David, from his Time, down to the Babylonish Cap­tivity; and in the Time of that Captivity, tho' their State was exceedingly broken, yet were they governed, in part, by Rulers of their own set over them, in the Land of Iudea, and chiefly, by their own Laws, and [Page 19] their own Sanhedrim, or Council, which still preserved something of the Sovereign Power, even in their Dispersions among the Babylo­nians; till at length the Persian Emperour fully restored the Sovereign Power to them. And thro' all the Disturbances which they afterwards met with, from the Syrian, and Egyptian Princes, yet still they had some of the Sovereignty among them, even to the Birth of Christ. For at that Time, Herod who, we are told ^†, descended from a Family of the Iews, was King over them; however they were governed chiefly by their own Laws, and had the Power of Life and Death, which is the highest Act of Sovereignty, to be found among them. But▪ [...] the Time of Christ's appearing, that Sovereign Power was wholly lost; and never more recovered by them. For Herod, we are told ^*, reigned one Year after Christ's Birth, and Archelaus, who succeeded him, reigned Ten Years, and the very next Year, which was the Twelfth of our Lord's Nativity, and the Year He first appeared in the Temple, manifesting something of His Glory, in Disputing with the Doctors there, the Romans, having seized Iudea, by the Hands of Pub. Sul. Quirinius, whom Luke [Page 20] calls Cyrenius, annexed it to their Empire, and placed a Roman Governour over it, and sub­jected it to the Roman Laws. From this Time, the Sceptre departed from Iudah and Law­giver from between His Feet; and this was more plainly evident, when, not many Years after, the Roman Army, under Titus, destroy­ed their City, and Nation, since which Time they have had no Pretensions to Sovereign Power.

This therefore proves, that the Messiah, the promised Shiloh, was then come, and that He came about the Time when Iesus Christ first appeared in the World, and whatever the latter Iews pretend, yet the former readily confessed they had lost their Sovereignty, when they said, Ioh. XVIII.31. It is not lawful for us to put any Man to Death; and when they replied to Pilate, the Roman Go­vernour, (who brought forth Iesus to them, a little before His Crucifixion, and said, Behold your King,) we have no King but Caesar, Ioh. XIX.15.

Secondly. The other Prophecy, I would take notice of, relating to the Time of the Birth of the Messiah, is that remark­able one of the Prophet Daniel, ^(a), Se­venty Weeks are determined upon thy Peo­ple, and upon thy holy City, — know therefore, and understand, that from the go­ing forth of the Commandment, to restore [Page 21] and to build Ierusalem, unto the Messiah, the Prince shall be seven Weeks, and three­score and two Weeks; (the Street shall be built again, and the Wall, even in troublous Times:) and after threescore and two Weeks shall Messiah be cut off.— He shall confirm the Covenant with many for one Week; and in the latter half of the Week He shall cause the Sacrifice and Oblation to cease.— The Seventy Weeks are allowed by all to mean Weeks of Years, according to the Prophetick Style, that is, 490 Years. These Seventy Weeks are divided into Three Periods, name­ly Seven Weeks, or 49 Years, to restore and to build Ierusalem, Sixty two Weeks, or 434 Years, from thence to the appearing of the Messiah the Prince. And one Week, or seven Years from thence, for the confirming of the Covenant; which last Week seems to have a Sub-division belonging to it, by the Expression, in the Dividing, or in the latter Part of the Week, the Messiah the Prince shall be cut off, and finish Transgression, and make an End of Sin; or put an End to all other Sacrifices for Sin by the Sacrifice of Himself.

The main Difficulty here is, to understand, what Decree, or Commandment is intended by the Prophecy, that we may know, from whence to Date the 70 Weeks, or 490 Years: For there were several Decrees issued out, in Favour of the Iews, by the Persian Em­perours.

[Page 22]The first was in the First Year of Cyrus, of which we read, Ezra, I. begin: But this could not be the Commandment spoken of by Daniel, which was to restore and to build Ierusalem; because this Decree had its special Reference to the Building of the Temple, and had no particular Regard to Ierusalem, nor was any further concerned about it, than as the rebuilding the Temple necessarily requir­ed their Inhabiting in some Place near to it, and no doubt but Cyrus was influenced to make this Decree, for the Iews to return and rebuild their Temple, in Honour to that God, who had, according to his ancient Prophecies concerning him, raised him to his Grandeure, and so long before hand praedicted his Birth, Name, and Reign ^(a); and therefore he prae­faces his Decree, with this, as the Reason of it, The Lord God of Heaven hath given me all the Kingdoms of the Earth, and he hath charged me to build Him an House in Ierusa­lem, which is in Iudah ^(b).

There was a Second Decree issued out from the Persian Court, about 18 Years after the former, by Darius, the Son of Histaspis, which came to the Iews, at Ierusalem, about the beginning of his fourth Year ^†; of which we have an Account, Ezra, VI.6. — But nei­ther does this seem to be the Commandment [Page 23] spoken of by Daniel: for this was chiefly a Recital and Confirmation of the former De­cree made by Cyrus, and, as we may see in the Body of the Decree, was confined to the Buil­ding the Temple, and the Service thereof, on­ly with this Addition, that the Samaritans, who endeavoured all they could to obstruct the Building of the Temple, were now obli­ged to pay the King's Tribute to the Iews, to help bear the Charge of the Work.

But then, there was a Third Decree in Fa­vour of the Iews, made in the Seventh Year of Artaxerxes Longimanus, who is the Aha­suerus spoken of in the Book of Esther; and doubtless it was by the Perswasion of his beloved Esther, whom the King had taken to Wife in the Seventh Year of his Reign ^(c) after the putting away of Vashti from being Queen, that the King was moved to make such an ample Decree in Favour of the Iews. For this Decree granted first to Ezra ^(d) and afterwards renewed, in the Twentieth Year of his Reign, to Nehemiah ^(e), was a full and ample restoring the Iews to all their Priviledges and Powers; for it not only esta­blished, and provided for the Service of the Temple, but devolved the full Power of the [Page 24] Civil Government, and the inflicting any Pun­ishment, pecuniary▪ or Corporal, even to Ban­ishment & [...], upon their own Ruler ^(f) and so was a [...]esto [...]ing and building Ierusalem, in the fullest Sense of the Words, namely, a Com­pleat Establishment of their Church and State.

This Decree then, it is most likely, from the Tenure of it, was that intended by the Prophet Daniel, when he says, from the go­ing forth of the Commandment, to restore and build Ierusalem, &c. And from hence we are to begin the Computation of the 70 Weeks, or 490 Years ^† and that we may be able▪ to discern the exact Accomplishment of the Pro­phecy, we must observe;

That the Decree was made in the Seventh Year of Artaxerxes Longimanus.

That the Decree began to take Effect on the first Day of the Iewish Month Nisan, which was their fi [...]st Ecclesiastical Month, and an­swers to the Middle of our March; for upon that Day, Ezra sets out from Babylon, to go up to Ierusalem, with his la [...]e Commission from the Ki [...] ⁴⁶; and it is very probable that the [...] had b [...]en given him, but a few Days [...], and that Ezra, who was gre [...]tly in [...], and was well [...] to receive, [...] himself, in ordering [Page 25] Matters for this Journey, while the Commission was making out for him.

The Seventh Year of Artaxerxes answered to the 4256, Year of the Iulian Period.

Now the first Seven Weeks of Years, or 49 Years of Daniel's Prophecy, commencing in the Seventh Year of Artaxerxes, were all of them spent in restoring and building Ie­rusalem; that is, in the resettling the Church and State of the Iews, first under the Go­vernment of Ezra, and then under Nehemiah, who succeeded him, and compleated that Set­tlement, in that last Act of his Reformation, recorded, Neh. XIII.23. — which seems to have been the last Article recorded in the Old Testament; and falls in with A. I. P. 4305. ^†

The Second Branch of the Prophecy, viz. 62 Weeks, or 434 Years, from thence to Mes­siah the Prince, appearing to confirm the Co­venant, had also its exact Accomplishment; for just so many Years intervened, between that last Act of Nehemiah's Reformation, and the first Appearance of Iohn Baptist, the Forerunner of our Lord, preaching Repentance, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at Hand. For Iohn began his Ministry in the Fifteenth ^‖ of Ti­berius ^(a), which answered to the Iulian Per. 4739. exactly 434 Years.

[Page 26]The last Branch of the Prophecy, One Week, or 7 Years, was for the Confirming of the Covenant, to the Cutting off of the Mes­siah. And accordingly we find our Lords Fore-runner entring upon his Office in the 15th Year of Tiberius, as we have said, and spending some Time, (as is generally tho't,) Three Years and an Half in Confirming the Covenant, and then our Lord Himself publickly entred upon His Office, and spent three Years and an Half more, in the same Work, which compleated the Week of Years, or Seven Years, at the End of which He was cut off, and by his Death, which was, not for Himself, but, a Sa­crifice for our Sin, He finished Transgression, and made an End of Sin, and caused the Sa­crifice and Oblation to cease.

Now the Death of Christ fell in the 19 of Tiberius's Reign, or his 22. from his being admitted into Partnership with Augustus, and this was in the 4746 Year of the Iulian Period, exactly 490 Years, or Seventy Prophe­tick Weeks, from the going forth of the Com­mandment, in the 7th Year of Artaxexes Lon­gimanus. Our Blessed Lord upon the Cross at the Time of the Feast of the Iewish Pass­over, which was about the Middle of their Month Nisan, and Ezra set out from Baby­lon, with his Commission, the first Day of the Month Nisan, so that from thence to the Death of Christ was 490 Years to a Month.

[Page 27]Now deducting the Time of our Lord's Life, (which Dr. Pridaeaux supposed to be 36 Years and an Half) from the Time of his Death, and it gives us His Birth in the Year 4709. in the 33d, of Herod, about 4 Years after he had prepared the Temple, by re-edifying and adorning it, for the Reception of the great Sa­viour, whose Presence there made it greatly to excel the Glory of the First House; and in the 26th Year of the Reign of Augustus. ^†

All of which are made plain by the Labours of that great Man Dr. Pridaeaux.

Having thus considered the Time of our Sa­viour's Birth, in the General, I pass

2. To a more Particular Consideration of it. And here it may be enquired.

1. What Month, and Day it was, on which Christ was born? And

2. Whether that Day ought to be kept, in Memorial of His Birth? I would offer something to each of these briefly.

I. What Month, & Day, was it, in which our Blessed Saviour, Iesus Christ, was born? The Angel says, in my Text, This Day is born unto you, a Saviour; and doubtless, it was the very individual Day on which Christ was born, that he said so. But what particular Day of the Month was that?

And in Answer to this Enquiry, it must be affirmed, that, so far as we are yet acquainted [Page 28] with the History of those distant Times, no Man can certainly tell, on what Day His Birth was. This I think is confessed by all that have laboured most in the Search after it. But then tho' the individual Day cannot be particularly and positively determined, yet we may come pretty near the Time, and be able to discover the Month of our Saviour's Nativity, by observing some things, which lye plain before us. As

First, We may observe what St. Luke tells us, Luke II.8. There were in the same Country, (viz. Bethlehem) Shepherds, abiding in the Field, and keeping watch over their Flocks by Night. Now it is well known, that Iudea is a cold Country, in the Winter Season ^*, and the [Page 29] Frost and Snow not a great deal short of what they are sometimes, among us: And therefore the dead of Winter can by no means be tho't a proper Season, for the Shepherds to be a­broad, in the Field, watching their Flocks by Night. So that it looks very unlikely, from this Circumstance that the Nativity of Christ should be in the Depth of the Winter.

But then, Secondly, we know that our Lord entred upon His Publick Ministry, at, or a­bout, the compleating of his Thirtieth Year, which the Evangelist Luke takes particular Notice of, Luke II.23. Iesus himself began to be about 30 Years of Age, that is, it was about the compleating of His 30th Year. This refers to the Time of His Baptism, and entrance, upon His Publick Ministry; for in His return from Iordan, He was led by the Spirit into the Wilderness, and having there mastered the Temptations of the Devil, from that Time Iesus began to preach, and to say, Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at Hand; as we read Matt. IV.17.

Now it is generally supposed that Christ continued His Publick Ministry, for the space of Three Years and an Half, ^†, and then suf­fered and Dyed. For Iohn Baptist, preached three Years and an half, as the Forerunner of our Lord, and then Christ himself Three and an half more, which makes the last Week, or [Page 30] Seven Years, spoken of by Daniel, for the confirming the Covenant. So that there was evidently an odd Half Year in the life of Christ. And it is very plain, that He was crucified at the Time of the Iews Passover, as appears from, Ioh. XVIII.39. and XIX.14. which was upon the 15th Day of the Month Nisan, that is about the last of our March, or beginning of our April ^†. Deduct half a Year from this, and it carrys back the Birth of Christ to the Iews Month Tisri, a­bout the Feast of Tabernacles, which answers to the latter end of our September, or begin­ning of October; at which Time, it may well eno' be supposed, the Shepherds might lye out in the Field, watching their Flocks by Night.

So that tho' we cannot find the very indi­vidual Day of Christ's Nativity, yet it can be proved, almost to a Demonstration, that He was born in or near to Tisri, sometime in Sep­tember or October, about the Time of the Creation of the World, and about the Four Thousandth Year from the Creation. But I am to enquire,

2. Whether the Day of Christ's Nativity ought to be kept, in Memorial of His Birth?

You all know, that a great Part of the Christian Church observe This very Day, the Twenty Fifth of December, in Remembrance of the Day of the Nativity of our Lord. But [Page 31] whether there be any Obligation lying upon us, as Christians, to keep such a Day, will be seen by observing a few things.

First, It is to be observed, that no Church can keep the true Day, on which Christ was born: Because it is not known to the World, as I have already remarked. And it looks something odd, to select a Day, and keep it, in Memorial of Christ's being born on that Day, when, at the same Time, they know it was not the Day of His Nativity. And, by the Way, because the Day is not known in the World, this is a very cogent Proof, that there was no such Custom in the primitive Church as the keeping the Birth Day of Christ. For if there had been any such Practice in Use in the first Ages of the Church, doubtless they would have known the Particular Month bet­ter, if not the individual Day; because they lived so near, to the Time of it, that it would have been no great Difficulty, to have infor­med themselves thorowly, if they had had any particular Regard to that Day, above all the Days in the Year.

This Usage was firstly introduced by the Roman Church. For when Rome became Christian, perhaps a Willingness to oblige the Pagans, as much as might be, moved them to take their Festival Days, which they were so mightily fond of, and convert them to a Christian Use; hoping, by this Means, the [Page 32] easier to gain the remaining Pagans, to em­brace the Christian Institution; and the Sa­turnalia of Pagan Rome, being celebrated in the Month of December, ^†, which was one of the most remarkable Times of Revelling a­mong them, therefore the Church of Rome, being ignorant of the true Time of the Nativity of Christ, converted that Feast and Revelling to the Celebration of the Birth of the Saviour ^*. And I wish it were not generally observed, too much after the old Pagan manner, in Re­velling [Page 33] and Debauchery: The Observation of which alone, one would think, should make a considerate Person very cautious, how he em­braced a Custom that is so vilely abused, when there is no plain Institution for it. For,

Secondly, It is to be observed, that there is no Divine Command for the keeping such a Day. If the Particular Day were known, which it is not, yet it is plain, there is no Injunction from Christ, or His Apostles, to ob­serve it; and much less to observe any other Day in Commemoration of it. The Weekly Sabbath has a Divine Sanction for it, as a Day sacred to the Duties of Religious Worship, ^(a), and as a Memorial of the Resurrection of Christ from the Dead ^(b) by which the great Work of Redemption, and End of Christ's Incarnation, was accomplished. But no one that I know of, pretends to any Divine Com­mand for the keeping of Christmass, or a Day in Commemoration of the Birth of Christ. And then,

Thirdly, It very much looks, as if God never intended there should be any such Day observed; not only in that, He has not com­manded it, but in that, He has kept the Day Hid and Secret from the World. For had it seemed meet to the Divine Wisdom, that such a Day should have been kept, in after Genera­tions, [Page 34] in Commemoration of the Birth of Christ, as a means to promote our Faith, and Holiness, doubtless there would, at least, have been left some very plain Footsteps, of that remarkable Day, if not some general Intima­tion of the Observation of it. For otherwise, the hiding it from the World, would be a de­signed keeping hid from us, one very proper means to promote our Faith and Holiness, which is far from being consistent with the Divine Goodness, under the full and clear Light of the Gospel. But tho' the Birth of the great Saviour was so remarkable a Time, from the miraculous Appearance of a Light, or Star, over Bethlehem; the mighty Stir, which the Tidings of the Birth of the King of the Iews, which soon reached Ierusalem, occasioned a­mong the Iews; and from Herod's having his Fears so much awakened, by the Report, as to slay all the Male-Children in Bethlehem under two Years old; and from the wise Men of the East, who had seen His Star, in the East, travelling a long Journey to Ierusalem, and from thence to Bethlehem, to Worship the Child; yet, notwithstanding all these re­markable Occurrents, the Day of Christ Na­tivity was not so much taken Notice of, as to be left upon any certain Record. Nay it was 5 [...]7. Years after the Birth of Christ, be­fore the Christian Aera was brought into Use, by Dionisius Exiquus, a Roman Abbot [Page 35] ^†: (which is a strong Praesumption, if not full Evidence, there was no keeping of Christ-mass before that Time) all of which seems fairly to point to us, that God, in His Wise Provi­dence, has, in a most wonderful manner, hid­den so Remarkable a Day, which one would have tho't could not have been lost, for this very Purpose, that the Christian World might have no just Foundation to go upon, in any Superstitious Regards to that Day; as He was pleased to hide the Body of Moses, the great Lawgiver of the Iews, that they could never tell where it was buryed, to prevent their running into Superstition about it. *

Upon all which, I cannot see the least Room to suppose, that there is any Obligation lying upon Christians, to observe any Day, in Com­memoration of the Birth of Christ, much less the Day that is kept as such.

But I pass to the Third, and last, thing I proposed to speak to, from these Words, in which I shall use all convenient Brevity: viz.

III. To consider of the great End and De­sign of the Birth and Incarnation of Iesus Christ. This is plainly pointed at in my Text; unto you is born a Saviour, Christ the Lord.

So that the main End of His Birth was, to be a SAVIOUR unto the World. Therefore it is that, That Word, which, the Apostle tells us, was in the Beginning, and was [Page 36] with God, and was God, was made Flesh, and dwelt among us ^(a); that is, became Incar­nate, and was born of a Woman, without which He could not have been a Saviour to us. For tho' he might have Taught, and Governed us, with­out taking our Flesh upon Him; yet he could not have had a Body, to offer as a Sacrifice for us, if He had not taken our Nature upon Him; and without This there could have been no Salvation.

To this the ancient Types and Praedictions concerning Him looked; and this He Himself assures us of, when He says, Ioh. III.17. God sent not His Son into the World to condemn the World, but that the World, thro' Him, might be saved.

The Iews ever expected the promised Mes­siah would be a Saviour. But then Iesus Christ was not born into the World, to be such a Saviour as they imagined and looked for, only a Temporal Saviour, to deliver that Nation from all their Enemies, and erect a Tem­poral Kingdom, in greater Pomp, and Gran­deure than had ever yet been seen among them. No; He was born to be a Spiritual Saviour, which is by far the Greater; He became In­carnate to save his People from Sin, and Death, from Guilt, and the Wrath and Curse of God, which that Guilt had exposed them to. And [Page 37] accordingly the Evangelist Matthew informs us, Matt. I.21. He came to save his Peo­ple from their Sins, and therefore is His Name called Iesus. And the Apostle, in his Epistle to the Galations, acquaints us, what was the End of Christ's Incarnation, when he says, Gal. IV.4, 5. When the fullness of Time was come, God sent 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. Iesus Christ became Incarnate, to recover us from the Power and Dominion of Sin, and the De­vil over us, and the Sentence of Condemnati­on that was out against us, and to restore us to the Favour and Friendship of God, and a Life of Obedience to Him; to entitle us to the Dignity and Priviledges of the Children of God, and to regain that Heaven and Hap­piness for us which we had lost.

Thus he was born a Saviour; and that not to the Iewish Nation only, but to the Gentile World, even to all Nations of Men, who have the Grace of God appearing to them in the Gospel of Iesus Christ our Lord; for He is given to be a Light to lighten the Gentiles, as well as the Glory of His People Israel ^(a): And therefore we Gentiles walk in the Light of the glorious Gospel, and have the Offers of [Page 38] Christ a Saviour made to us. Thus unto us there is born a Saviour.

And the two Names by which He is here described declare him to be so. He is CHRIST, this is His Name, and peculiarly His. He went by the Name of Messiah, under the old Testament Dispensation, which converted into Greek, is CHRISTOS, being of the same meaning with the Hebrew Word ME­SHIAC, the anointed. For Him hath God the Father anointed and consecrated to the high Office of a Saviour, having constitu­ted and seperated Him ^(b), to this very Work; that by His Life and Doctrine He might teach and instruct the World of Man­kind, and so rescue it from the Power and Ty­ranny of the Flesh, the World, and the Devil; and that as our high Priest He might make Attonement for us and reconcile us to God by His Blood, which He hath offered, as a Sacri­fice well pleasing and acceptable, to His eter­nal Father. This shews Him to be an authen­tic Saviour, and gives Validity to His Actions, in that He was anointed and consecrated to this very End and Purpose, and did not take this Honour to Himself, but was called of God, as was Aaron, Heb. V.4.

And He is LORD, as well as CHRIST; this is His particular Style thro'out the New-Testament; whi [...]h shews him to be an able [Page 39] Saviour ^(c) every Way equal to the Work He had undertaken, and that He has fully ac­complished it. He is Christ the Lord, as de­noting His Supremacy and Dominion over all things; the Style LORD, being appropriated to Him in the New-Testament, as JEHO­VAH is the True GOD, in the Old, and as bearing some Analogy with it, in the Design of it, which is to show us, that He is GOD, as well as MAN, and therefore has all Pow­er in Heaven and Earth: And in an especial Manner, He is Lord over His Church ^(a), ha­ving the sole Power and Authority, to Rule it, to enact Laws, and change it's Laws and Customs, as He pleases; to abolish the old Mosaic Poedagogy, and institute the Christian Oeconomy in the Room of it; that He only has Right to give Law unto his Church, and His Laws only are to be observed, and not the Tradition & Inventions of Men, in the Worship of GOD. As Lord, He subdues all our Spiri­tual Enemies ^(b) gives to us Repentance and Remission of Sins ^(c), makes us victorious o­ver the Flesh, the World and the Devil ^(d), and conducts His Followers safe to the Glory and Happiness of the Heavenly World ^(e). As Lord ▪ He has the Keys of the Invisible World in His Keeping ^(f), and will open the Gates of the Grave, and fetch up the Prisoners [Page 40] from the Bars of the Pitt ^(g), enliven and animate them anew with their Glorified Souls, and present them Immortal Bodies ^(h), before His Father, to inhabit the Heavenly Regions ⁽ⁱ⁾, and dwell with Him forever in Glory ^(k).

This was the great End of His Incarnation and Birth, thus to be a SAVIOUR, and therefore is He LORD and CHRIST.

There are some other things considerable in my Text; but I may not proceed any further at this Time. Let the Use of what has been said, be,

USE I. To [...] us, to adore the Faith­fulness of God, and be encouraged to Believe, and Trust in His Word.

Let us adore the Faithfulness of God, in Fulfilling the Word He has spoken, in the exact Accomplishment of so many of His an­cient Prophecies, as we have seen, and particu­larly that great one; on which the whole Welfare of Mankind depended, His sending the Messiah, a SAVIOUR, into the World. And since we see, that God has so punctually made Good His Word, in so many Instances, let us learn, never to Disbelieve, or Distrust the Word of God, but live in the full Expectation of the exact Accomplishment of such of the Prophecies, as yet remain to be fulfilled.

Let us learn hence, to Live in a quiet De­pendance upon the Word of Promise, which [Page 41] God has made unto His People; for tho' their Circumstances should be [...]ver so difficult, and the greatest Darkness should surround them, so that they can see no possible Way left for their Escape, yet God is True, and in His own Time, and Way, can, and will, appear for their Help, and grant Deliverance to them out of all their Troubles.

And especially should we learn hence, to Trust God with the Fulfillment of His Pro­mises to us, relating to our future State, even the Hope of Eternal Life, which God, that cannot lye, has promised, before the World began, upon our Faith and Obedience to His Son; and be encouraged thereby to a constant unwearied Abounding in all the Duties of the Christian Life, as knowing, we shall certainly reap, if we faint not; for Faithfull is He that has promised, and will perform it ^(a).

II. Hence, since the Son of God is become Incarnate, let this serve to teach us our Duty, and our Comfort.

Our Duty; that we be exceeding careful, not to debase that Nature, which the eternal Son of God has taken into an Union to Him­self. That therefore, we do not allow our selves in any Sin whatever, but cleanse our selves from all Filthiness of Flesh and Spirit, and perfect Holiness in the Fear of God; be­cause all Sin is a debasing of the Humane Na­ture, and brings a Stain and Blemish upon it, [Page 42] and is therefore to cast Indignity upon the Son of God Himself, who has highly exalted our Nature, in being united to our Flesh.

It speaks the Comfort of all true Believers also. For now we have a SAVIOUR, who partakes of the same Flesh and Blood with our selves, and therefore who sincerely desires our Happiness, who has a Fellow-Feeling with us in all our Sufferings, who knows our Tempta­tions and Sorrows, and has a most tender Com­passion to us under all our Wants and Weak­ness, who will not suffer us to be tempted a­bove what we are able, but will, with the Temptation find out a Way for our escape, that we may be able to bear it ^(a).

Now the MAN JESUS, in Union to the SON of GOD, is exalted at the right Hand of the Throne of the Majesty on High, who, having, the Dominion put into His Hands, will certainly over-rule, all things for the Welfare of His Church; will gather in the whole Number of his Elect, and not suf­fer one of them to be lost; will cause all things to work together for Good to them that Love God; and will ransom their Bodies from Destruction, and bring them to dwell in His Presence thro'out Eternal Ages.

III. Lastly, Let us all then, make it our great Care, that this Saviour be Ours, that [Page 43] we are interested in Him, and share in His blessed Benefits.

This is the great Design of the whole Gos­pel of Christ, His Incarnation and Life, His Doctrines and Example, and His Sufferings and Death, to prevail with a guilty World, to se­cure an Interest in Him, that they may be saved by Him. And if the wondrous Grace of God, in providing such a Saviour for us, should after all be slighted by us, and we re­fuse to accept of His offered Mercy, and sub­mit our selves to Him as our Lord, it will but greatly enhanse our Account, and encrease our Punishment, that God has sent His Son, to ap­pear in our Flesh, as a Saviour for us, but we would not come unto Him, that we might have Life.

Let us all then, be perswaded to take this Iesus for our Saviour, rejoicing in the good Tydings, and praising the Grace of God that has provided Him for us, saying, in the Doxo­logy of the holy Angels, in my Context, Glory to God in the highest, on Earth Peace, Good-will towards Men!

Let us receive Him as the anointed of God, and firmly believe all that He has done, and suffered for us, and spoken to us; and give up our selves to Him to be saved by Him; and submit our selves intirely to His Govern­ment, as our LORD; for He will not be our Saviour, unless we know assuredly that [Page 44] He is LORD, as well as CHRIST ^(a).

Think not that this is eno' to entitle you to His Benefits, to call your selves after His Name, or be very fond of keeping a Day in Commemoration of His Birth, while, at the same time, you practically deny Him, by a [...] ­low [...]ng your selves in such Courses of Intem­perance, Injustice and Profanity, as are a scandal to the Christian Profession, and would be a Re­proach to a sober Heathen.

'Tis indeed but a common Appendage to vain Superstition, to be mightily concerned for the Outside, and regard the shew only, while the Inward and vital Part of Religion, pretend­ed to be promoted thereby, is greatly neglect­ed. This we have a sad Instance of, in those that are so strongly set to keep a Day in Com­memoration of the Birth of Christ, (any Day rather than none;) that instead of observing it in an Holy and Religious Manner, and im­proving it as a Means to mortify Sin, and pro­mote Holyness of Heart and Life, (as one would be ready to suppose, in Remembrance of the Birth of the Holy Child Iesus;) it is more generally, a Day seperate to Vanity and Folly, to Sin and Debauchery, to Revelling and Drunkenness, like the ancient Saturnalia of the Heathen. Would to God that those, who think themselves obliged to keep such a Day, would, at least, think themselves obliged [Page 45] also to act the Part of Christians, and not fly in the Face of the Holy Saviour, while they pretend to do him Honour. But I hope you have not so learned Christ, as to imagine that you honour Him, while you really sacrifice to Devils, in the Indulgence of your Lusts.

Let us then learn to Commemorate the Birth of Christ, every Day of our Lives, by Living in the constant Remembrance, that to us the [...]e is born a Saviour, Christ the Lord; that Christ, a Saviour from Sin, has appeared in our Nature, has given us a most Holy Law, and set us a most bright Example, has dyed for our Offences, and risen again for our Justifi­cation; and as This Grace of God teaches us, let us sincerely deny Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts, and live soberly, righteously, and Godly, in this present World; presenting our Bodies, and our Spirits, to Him, a living Sacrifice, holy and Acceptable, which is but a reasonable Service.

Thus endeavour, by a truly vertuous and religious Walk, to live the Life of Christ, and shew forth the Praise of Him who hath called you out of Darkness into marvel­lous Light; then will the Incarnate Son of God be your Saviour, and his Birth will be un­to you good Tydings of great Ioy, and you may with Comfort look for the Blessed Hope, and glorious appearing of the great God, and our Saviour Iesus Christ, who gave Him­self for us, that He might redeem us from [Page 46] Iniquity, and purify us to Himself a pecu­liar People, zealous of Good Works: For then will all the [...]ure Mercies of this Son of David, and Son of God be your Portion for­ever; then all things will be yours, whether the World, or Life or Death, or things pre­sent, or things to come, all are yours; for you are Christ's, and Christ is God's. Amen!