care which uses to be left to others. The SERM. vivacity of the Hebrew women had long III. before been boafted of to Pharoah; but there can no example be imagin'd like this, because the cafe was fingular, and the reason in any other instance, could not be the fame. I take it therefore to be very likely that the prophet Isaiah might allude to this wonderful nativity of Christ the head of the church, when in these terms he defcribed the admiffion of members into the church itself, which is her figurative bringing forth of children; Before fhe travailed, She brought forth: before her pain came, she was delivered of a man-child. Who bath beard fuch things? Who hath feen fuch things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day, or fhall a nation be born at once? For as foon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children †.

From these privileges of the Mother, let us turn our thoughts to that of the Son. For fo the Text fuggefts to us, that he brought forth her firft-born fon. Her firstborn he is called, not to intimate any others that fucceeded him, but only to fhew that there were none before him. It has been piously believ'd in the church, that the Holy Mother did always continue in her vir gin ftate, and fhe who had been honoured with this facred burden, did never after+ Ifai. lxvi. 7, 8.

* See Pool.

wards

SERM. wards fubmit to carry any other. And 'tis
III. fo familiar with the Jews to reckon him

for the firft-born, before whom there was
no other, without any regard to what might
happen afterwards, that they who would
infer the contrary from this character do
but betray their own ignorance or wilfulness,
in adhering to an argument which has no
foundation to fupport it.

The rights of primogeniture in the Patriarchal ftate are commonly determined, to have been the Priesthood and the Supreme government, which were both eminently confpicuous in this firft-born of Mary, who was as well the Head and King of his church, as conftituted a Prieft for ever after the order of Melchizedeck.

The excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power, was a character much fitter for this immaculate offspring of the virgin, than for him to whom it was given, tho' the first-born of the Patriarch Jacob. Among the Jews the first-born were all facred to God, and tho' the tribe of Levi were feparated to minifter in holy things, yet these were appointed to be redeem'd, in memory of their fignal deliverance, from the destruction which was inflicted on the firft-born of the Egyptians. Upon this foundation we are inform'd that our bleffed Saviour in forty days after his nativity, was brought to Jerufalem, in order to be prefent

ed

ed to the Lord, as it is written in the law of SERM. the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb III. fhall be called holy to the Lord*.

Befides; there are fome other privileges peculiar to Chrift, which may be juftly reckon'd to be typified or reprefented to us under this character. Condefcending as he did to take upon him human nature, he was in that refpect made like unto us the fon of man, and therefore is not ashamed to call us brethren. But yet being the only one of all the fons of men who is perfectly pure and immaculate, and far exalted above whatever elfe has appear'd in the creation, he may be therefore not unfitly ftyled in the Apostle's phrafe the firft-born of every creature. Being again the Author of our spiritual regeneration, in refpect whereof we are made like unto him, conformed to his image and fimilitude: in this view we are his brethren, the fons of God, and lay claim to our inheritance as coheirs with him; fo that thus likewife he is, as the fame Apostle terms him, the firft-born among many brethren Laftly, as he is the first who is rifen from the dead, and gone before to take poffeffion of our heavenly inheritance, whereby we are begotten again unto a lively hope of the fame glory and happiness; from hence is he called moft justly by the fame Apostle, not only * Luke ii. 22, 23. † Col. i. 15. Rom. viii. 29. the

SERM. the firft fruits, but the first-born from the III. dead, that in all things he might have the preeminence *.

From this fhort view which we have taken of his high dignity and privilege, let us turn back our eyes upon his humiliation and infirmity, by confidering him in the

II. SECOND place as he is here described to us, with respect to his first clothing or apparel: And she wrapped him in fwaddling clothes.

As Nakedness has always been esteem'd the proper emblem of truth and innocence, fo 'tis well known that Sin was the firft caufe, which introduced both infirmity and fhame into the world, and has thereby made the use of clothing neceffary, as well for a decent covering and concealment of our fhame, as for a convenient defence against the inclemencies of open air. But here we have mention of the clothing of the spotless lamb of God, who, as in his riper years he did no fin, neither was guile found in his mouth, fo at his first incarnation and nativity, he was not conceived and born in fin, like other men, but by the powerful operation of the Holy Ghoft preferved from the hereditary defilement and pollution of humanity. And why

+ Col. i. 18.

then

then must he fubmit to this putting on of SER M. apparel, the confequence of fin, and as fuch III. a token of disgrace and infamy? Not furely for his own fake; but altogether upon the account of others. Tho' finless himfelf, yet he converfed with finners, and therefore could not but have fome regard to those modes of decency which were not only usual, but neceffary among his familiars. He ftood likewife in the place of finners; and whilst he undertook to make fatisfaction to the Divine juftice for the fins of men, by undergoing punishment inftead of them, it was fit he should appear with that external clothing which owed its origin to fin, and did properly belong to them, whose proxy and furety he was. Not to mention now, that his exemption from fin was a fecret not to be disclosed immediately, nor likely to be believed, if it had been first afferted, before he had given other proofs of his Meffiahfhip.

From hence in the firft place we may judge of the vanity and folly of that kind of pride, which we fee people fo apt to take in the outward dreffing and adorning of their bodies. For what is this clothing after all but the reproach of human nature, the covering of that fhame which is wholly owing to tranfgreffion, whilft the tranfgreffion itself is thereby made the more open and notorious. Could Adam by his