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SERM. fig-leaves have conceal'd his fin, he need III. not fo induftriously have fhunn'd the meet

ing with his offended God. But alass! the fig-leaves, fo far from concealing, were a proof of his enormity. Who told thee that thou waft naked? Haft thou eaten of the tree*? was the clofe interrogation of his Maker and Judge; and it left him no other but the wretched refuge of shifting off the crime from himself to the partner of his wickedness. Whence then is that apparel, which is owing to fo foul an original, whence or for what reason is it now efteemed the matter of our glory and pride? 'Tis fuch a kind of abfurdity as if Malefactors fhould value themselves for those marks their fetters have left, or the notes of infamy with which they have been branded in a court of juftice.

And yet left I should seem to say too much to the disparagement of outward dress, let our Saviour's example be taken in another view, as fanctifying the use of clothes, and inftructing us in the neceffary accommodation of them to our present ftate. How freely might I here inveigh against the sottish stupidity (fhall I call it?) or the madness of thofe enthufiafts, who having firft judged themfelves arrived at fuch perfection, as to equal Adam in his ftate of innocence, have from thence prefumed

* Gen. iii. II.

fumed to reckon the ufe of clothes fuper- SER M. fluous, and no way befitting that height of III. fanctity to which they had attain'd? But did not the Saviour of Mankind himself, fubmit to be cloth'd as well as others? and who fhall pretend to be more holy or more innocent than he? Alafs, the true ground of fuch prefumption was not any greater progrefs they had made in virtue, but in truth their greater blindness and obduration, which by first making them infenfible, had brought them at last to glory in their fhame.

I might also take the liberty to cenfure them who affect either a fordidness or fingularity in their apparel, those in particular who make it the mark or diftinction of their fect, to differ from the receiv'd and customary modes of that country where they live, and the people among whom they converse. It is not fanctity but fupercilioufnefs, to abftain from what is fashionable merely because it is fo; and tho' extreams on either hand be justly blameable, yet it is very poffible to comply in these matters with the cuftoms of the world, and wear fuch habit as is fuitable to our ftation in life, without being liable to the cenfures either of indecency or pride.

But above all, let this Reflection be improved to a spiritual purpose, and as Chrift condefcended to be clothed with our flesh, VOL. III. H

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SERM. drefs'd in our apparel, fo let us afpire to III. be cloathed with his righteousness as with a robe of glory, and comply in fuch manner with the Evangelical conditions of faith and obedience, that we may find acceptance thro' the merits of Christ, and he may become our righteousness. The expreffion will not seem harth to thofe who are acquainted with the ftyle of fcripture, where in regard of the ceremonies ufed at Baptifm, they who are baptized are faid to put on Chrift; the chriftian graces and virtues are represented as our fpiritual armour, and notwithstanding we are taught to difclaim all merit of our own performances, and count our righteousness but as filthy rags, yet are we encouraged to expect to be array'd hereafter in fine linen, clean and white, which is the righteousness of Saints. How inconfiftent muft it be with fuch hopes and expectations, to indulge and cherish, and even to increase our natural corruptions, to defile our raiment with foul and fenfual abominations, to clothe ourselves (in the Pfalmift's phrafe) with curfing like as with a garment, and instead of being washed in the blood of the Lamb, choose ftill to wallow in our own filthiness!

All this is the ufe we are to make by this confideration of our Saviour's wearing of apparel taken in the general. But there is fomething more to be attended to in this

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part of the Text, that the clothes here SER M. mention'd were fuch as were proper to the III. ftate of infancy: fhe wrapped him in fwadling clothes. To fuch the Son of God himfelf difdain'd not to fubmit, when once he condefcended to become the son of man. So manifeftly did he come to visit us in great humility, and was fo far from being exempted from the common infirmities of human nature, that he even submitted to its weakest ftate, and wanted the fame prefervatives with other infants, to prevent the inconveniences to which their tender age is liable. He could no doubt by his Almighty power, have prepared himself a body free from all danger or mishap. But he chofe for our fakes to put on our infirmities, and fin only excepted, to be made in all things like unto his brethren. What ftronger motive can we have to humility, than this marvellous humiliation of him who had all nature subject to his will, and could with the fame ease have fupplied himself with all or even greater perfection, than ever has been manifefted in created nature! And yet even this motive will appear to more advantage, when to the frailty of his nature, we have added the poverty of his condition. Which follows now under the

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SERM. III. THIRD General Head propofed, III. where I am to fpeak of our Saviour's firft lodging or place of reception, together with the ground or reafon of it: She laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them

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in the inn.

Tho' Jofeph and Mary were properly inhabitants of Nazareth in Galilee, yet 'twas neceffary for them, as being of the house and lineage of David, to repair to Bethlehem the city of David, at this time of general taxation. So it fell out by the fpecial Care and Providence of God, for the fulfilling of the fcripture, which had foretold Chrift to come not only of the family of David, but likewife out of the town of Bethlehem where David was. Yet being ftrangers in this place, they were forced to repair to an inn, a place of publick entertainment; which might be pertinently meant to fuggeft to us these two matters of inftruction, namely (1.) That we ought to look upon ourselves, but as ftrangers and pilgrims upon earth, as perfons who have here no continuing city, and only this world for the convenience of our paffage towards another, which has firm and durable foundations, fuch as never fhall decay by time, never be fapp'd by treachery, nor overthrown by violence. And (2.) That God's mercy is not confined to any fcanty limits, but free and open, like an inn, to all who shall

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