We will, for the confirmation of your faith, relate to you the nativity of
our Saviour, according to the order of the gospel: how he on this present
day was born in true humanity in divine nature.
Luke the Evangelist wrote in the book of Christ, that at {31} that time the
Roman emperor Octavianus made proclamation that all the world should be set
down in writing. This enrolment was set forth from Cyrenius, the governor
of Syria--that every man in general should declare his birth and his
possession in the city to which he belonged. Then Joseph, the foster-father
of Christ, went from the land of Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to the
Jewish city, which was of David, and was called Bethlehem, because he was
of the tribe of David, and would acknowledge with Mary her birth, who was
then great with child. Then it came to pass, while they were sojourning in
the city of Bethlehem, that her time was fulfilled that she should bring
forth, and she brought forth then her firstborn son, and wrapped him in
swaddling clothes, and laid the child in their asses' bin, because there
was no room in the inn. And there were shepherds in the country watching
over their flock; and lo, the angel of God stood before them, and God's
brightness shone on them, and they were much afraid. Then said the angel of
God to the shepherds, "Fear not, lo, I announce to you great joy, which
shall come to all people; for now to-day is born to you a Saviour, Christ,
in the city of David. Ye shall see this token, ye shall find the child
wrapped in swaddling clothes, and laid in a bin." Then suddenly, after the
angel's speech, there was seen a great multitude of the heavenly host,
praising God and singing, "Gloria in excelsis Deo, et in terra pax
hominibus bonae voluntatis," that is in our tongue, "Glory to God in the
highest, and on earth peace to men who are of good will." And the angels
then withdrew from their sight to heaven. The shepherds then spake among
themselves, "Let us go to Bethlehem, and see the word that God hath
manifested unto us." They came then quickly, and found Mary, and Joseph,
and the child laid in a bin, as the angel had announced to them. But the
shepherds understood the word that had been said to them concerning the
child, and all wondered that heard it, and also at that which the shepherds
said unto them. But Mary held {33} all these words, pondering them in her
heart. Then the shepherds returned glorifying and praising God for all the
things which they had heard and seen, as had been said to them by the
angel.
My dearest brethren, our Saviour, the Son of God, co-eternal with, and
equal to his Father, who was ever with him without beginning, vouchsafed
that he would on this present day, for the redemption of the world, be
corporally born of the Virgin Mary. He is Prince and Author of all things
good and of peace, and he sent before his birth unwonted peace, for never
was there such peace before that period in the world, as there was at the
time of his birth; so that all the world was subjected to the empire of one
man, and all mankind paid royal tribute to him alone. Verily in such great
peace was Christ born, who is our peace, because he united angels and men
to one family through his incarnation. He was born in the days of the
emperor who was called Octavianus, who extended the Roman empire to that
degree that all the world bowed to him, and he was, therefore, named
Augustus, that is, _Increasing his empire_. The name befits the heavenly
King Christ, who was born in his time, who increased his heavenly empire,
and replenished with mankind the loss which the falling devil had caused in
the host of angels. Not only did he simply supply its loss, but also
greatly increased it. Verily as great a number of mankind cometh, through
Christ's incarnation, to the hosts of angels, as there remained of holy
angels in heaven after the devil's fall. The emperor's decree, which
commanded all the world to be inscribed, betokened manifestly the deed of
the heavenly King, who came into the world that he might gather his chosen
from all nations, and write their names in everlasting bliss. This decree
sprang from the governor Cyrenius--Cyrenius is interpreted _Heir_, and he
betokened Christ, who is the true heir of the eternal Father; and he
granteth us to be heirs with him, and partakers of his glory. {35} All
nations then went that each separately might declare concerning himself, in
the city to which he belonged. As at that time, according to the emperor's
proclamation, each one singly, in their cities, declared concerning
himself, so also now do our teachers make known to us Christ's
proclamation, that we gather us to his holy congregation, and therein, with
devout mind, pay to him the tribute of our faith, that our names may be
written in the book of life with his chosen.
The Lord was born in the city which is named Bethlehem, because it was so
before prophesied in these words, "Thou Bethlehem, land of Judah, thou art
not meanest of cities among the Jewish princes, for of thee shall come the
guide that shall govern the people of Israel." Christ would be born on
journey, that he might be concealed from his persecutors. Bethlehem is
interpreted _Bread house_, and in it was Christ, the true bread, brought
forth, who saith of himself, "I am the vital bread, which descended from
heaven, and he who eateth of this bread shall not die to eternity." This
holy bread we taste when we with faith go to housel; because the holy
housel is spiritually Christ's body; and through that we are redeemed from
eternal death. Mary brought forth her firstborn son on this present day,
and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and, for want of room, laid him in a
bin. That child is not called her firstborn child because she afterwards
brought forth another, but because Christ is the firstborn of many
spiritual brothers. All christian men are his spiritual brothers, and he is
the firstborn, in grace and in godliness only-begotten of the Almighty
Father. He was wrapped in mean swaddling clothes, that he might give us the
immortal garment which we lost by the first created man's transgression.
The Almighty Son of God, whom the heavens could not contain, was laid in a
narrow bin, that he might redeem us from the narrowness of hell. Mary was
there a stranger, as the gospel tells us; and through the concourse of
people the inn was greatly crowded.
{37} The Son of God was crowded in his inn, that he might give us a
spacious dwelling in the kingdom of heaven, if we obey his will. He asks
nothing of us as reward for his toil, except our soul's health, that we may
prepare ourselves for him pure and uncorrupted in bliss and everlasting
joy. The shepherds that watched over their flock at Christ's birth,
betokened the holy teachers in God's church, who are the spiritual
shepherds of faithful souls: and the angel announced Christ's birth to the
herdsmen, because to the spiritual shepherds, that is, teachers, is chiefly
revealed concerning Christ's humanity, through book-learning: and they
shall sedulously preach to those placed under them, that which is
manifested to them, as the shepherds proclaimed the heavenly vision. It
beseemeth the teacher to be ever watchful over God's flock, that the
invisible wolf scatter not the sheep.
Oftentimes, in the ancient law, angels appeared to men, but it is not
written that they came with light, for that honour was reserved for the
greatness of this day, that they should manifest themselves with heavenly
light, when that true light sprang up in darkness to the right thinkers,
the merciful and righteous Lord. The angel said to the shepherds, "Be ye
not afraid, lo, I announce to you great joy, which shall come to all
people, for to-day is born a Saviour Christ in the city of David." Verily
he announced great joy, which shall never end; for Christ's nativity
gladdened the inhabitants of heaven, and of earth, and of hell. The angel
said, "Now to-day is born to you a Saviour Christ, in the city of David:"
rightly he said _to-day_, and not to-night, for Christ is the true day who
scattered with his advent all the ignorance of the ancient night, and
illumined all the world with his grace. The sign which the angel said to
the shepherds we ought ever to hold in our remembrance, and to thank the
Saviour that he so humbled himself that he was the partaker of our
mortality, with human flesh invested, and wrapt in mean swaddling clothes.
Then suddenly, after the angel's speech, was seen a great multitude {39} of
the heavenly host, praising God and singing, "Be glory to God in the
highest, and on earth peace to men who are of good will." An angel
announced to the shepherds the heavenly King's nativity, and suddenly
appeared many thousand angels, lest the preeminence of one angel should
seem too inadequate for so great an announcement: and they all together,
with melodious song, God's glory celebrated, and to good men announced
peace, manifestly showing that through his birth men shall be inclined to
the peace of one faith, and to the glory of divine praise. They sung, "Be
glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men, to those who are of
good will." These words manifest that where the peace of God dwelleth,
there is good will. But mankind had discord with angels before the Lord's
nativity; because we were through sins estranged from God; then were we
accounted estranged also from his angels: but after that the heavenly King
assumed our earthly body, his angels turned to peace with us; and those
whom they had before despised as mean they now honour as their companions.
But in the ancient law, Lot, and Joshua, and certain others who saw angels,
bowed before them, and prayed to them, and the angels allowed it: but when
John the Evangelist, in the New Testament, would pray to the angel who
spake to him, the angel forbade him, and said, "See that thou do not this
deed; I am thy fellow-servant, and of thy brethren: pray to God only."
Angels permitted, before the advent of the Lord, mortal men to fall down
before them, and after his advent forbade it; because they saw that their
Creator had assumed that nature which they had before accounted mean, and
durst not despise it in us, when they honour it above themselves in the
heavenly King. Nor despise they the fellowship of men, when falling down
they pray to the human God. Now we are accounted citizens of God, and like
to angels; let us, therefore, take care that sins do not separate us from
this great dignity. {41} Verily men are called gods; preserve, therefore,
thou man, thy dignity of a god against sins, since God became man for thee.
The shepherds then spake among themselves, after the departure of the
angels, "Let us go to Bethlehem, and see the word which is come to pass,
and that God hath revealed unto us." O how rightly they acknowledged the
holy faith with these words, "In the beginning was the word, and the word
was with God, and that word was God"! A word is the manifestation of
wisdom, and the Word, that is Wisdom, is begotten of the Almighty Father,
without beginning; for he was ever God of God, Wisdom of the wise Father.
He is not made, for he is God, and not a creature; for the Almighty Father
created all creatures through that Wisdom, and endowed them all with life
through the Holy Ghost. Our human nature could not see Christ in that
divine nativity; but that same Word became flesh and dwelt in us, that we
might see him. The Word was not turned to flesh, but it was invested with
human flesh. As every man existeth in soul and in body one man, so also
Christ existeth in divine nature and human nature, in one person one
Christ. They said, "Let us see the word that is come to pass," because they
could not see it before it was incarnate, and become man. Nevertheless, the
divine nature is not mingled with the human nature, nor is there any
separation. We might tell unto you a little simile, if it were not too
mean; Look now on an egg, how the white is not mingled with the yolk, and
yet it is one egg. Nor also is Christ's divinity confounded with human
nature, but he continueth to all eternity in one person undivided.
Then came the shepherds quickly, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the child
laid in the bin. Mary was, by God's direction, betrothed to the righteous
Joseph, for the greater security; because it was thus customary among the
Jewish people, according to the law of Moses, that if any woman {43} had a
child, save in lawful wedlock, she should be slain with stones. But God
sent his angel to Joseph, when Mary was pregnant, and commanded that he
should have care of her, and be the child's foster-father. Then it seemed
to the Jews that Joseph was father of the child, but he was not; because
the Almighty Creator had no need to be born of woman; but he took human
nature from the womb of Mary, and left her a virgin undefiled, but hallowed
through his birth. She knew no society of man, and she brought forth
without pain, and continued in maidenhood. The shepherds saw and recognized
the child, as had to them been told. (There is no happiness without
knowledge of God, as Christ himself said, when he committed us to his
Father, "That is eternal life that they acknowledge Thee, the true God, and
him whom thou hast sent, the Saviour Christ.") Now all who heard that
wondered greatly thereat, and at what the shepherds said. But Mary held all
these words, pondering them in her heart. She would not publish Christ's
mystery, but waited until he himself, when it pleased him, should divulge
it. She knew God's law, and in the book of the prophets had read, that a
virgin should give birth to God. Then she greatly rejoiced that she might
be it. It was prophesied that he should be born in the city of Bethlehem,
and she greatly wondered that, according to that prophecy, she was there
delivered. She remembered that a prophet had said, "The ox knows his
master, and the ass his master's bin." Then saw she the child lying in the
bin, where the ox and the ass usually seek food. God's archangel Gabriel
had announced to Mary the Saviour's coming into her womb, and she then saw
that his announcement was truly fulfilled. Such words Mary held, pondering
them in her heart. And the shepherds returned glorifying and praising God
for all those things which they had heard and seen, as had been told unto
them.
The memory of these three shepherds is preserved one mile to the east of
Bethlehem, and manifested in God's church {45} to those who visit the
place. We should imitate these shepherds, and glorify and praise our Lord
for all those things which he hath done for love of us, for our redemption
and eternal bliss, to whom be glory and praise with the Almighty Father, in
unity of the Holy Ghost, world without end. Amen.
* * * * *