grace and darkness, to glory unspeakable. Thus it may be, a king, conversing with interest and kindness with a poor, mean man, does not at all shame himself, yet makes the other observed by all and illustrious. Now if in the case of the adventitious dignity of men, intercourse with the humbler person in nothing injures the more honorable, much less can it do so in the case of that simple and blessed Essence, which has nothing adventitious, or subject to growth or decay, but has all good things immovable, and fixed for ever. So that when you hear that the Word became flesh, be not disturbed or cast down. For that Essence did not change to flesh,-it is impiety to imagine this,—but continuing what it was, it took upon it the form of a servant.

Wherefore then does he use the expression, was made? To stop the mouths of the heretics. For since there are some who say that all the circumstances of the Dispensation were an appearance, a piece of acting, an allegory, at once to remove beforehand their blasphemy, he has put was made; desiring to show thereby not a change of substance,-away with the thought,—but the assumption of very flesh. For as when Paul says, Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us, he does not mean that his Essence removing from its proper glory took upon it the being of a cursed thing, (this not even devils could imagine, nor even the very foolish, nor those deprived of their natural understanding, such impiety as well as madness does it contain,) as St. Paul does not say this, but that he, taking upon himself the curse pronounced against us, leaves us no more under the curse; so also here St. John says that He was made flesh, not by changing his Essence to flesh, but by taking flesh to himself, his Essence remained untouched.

If they say that being God, he is omnipotent, so that he could lower himself to the substance of flesh, we will reply to them, that he is omnipotent as long as he continues to be God. But if he admit of change, change for the worse, how could he be God? For change is far from that simple nature. Wherefore the prophet saith, They all shall wax old as doth a garment, and as a vesture shalt thou roll them up, and they shall be changed; but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail. For that Essence is su perior to all change. There is nothing better than he, to which he might advance and reach. Better, do I say? No, nor equal to, nor the least approaching him. It remains, therefore, that if

he change, he must admit a change for the worse; and this would not be God. But let the blasphemy return upon the heads of those who utter it. Nay, to show that he uses the expression, was made, only that you should not suppose a mere appearance, hear from what follows how he clears the argument, and overthrows that wicked suggestion. For what does he add? And dwelt among us. All but saying, "Imagine nothing improper from the word was made; I spoke not of any change in that unchangeable nature, but of its indwelling and inhabiting." But that which dwells can not be the same with that in which it dwells, but different; one thing dwells in a different thing, otherwise it would not be dwelling; for nothing can inhabit itself. I mean, different as to essence; for by an Union and Conjoining God the Word and the Flesh are One, not by any confusion, or obliteration of substances, but by a certain union ineffable, and past understanding. Ask not how; for It was MADE, so as he knoweth.

What then was the tabernacle in which he dwelt? Hear the prophet say; I will raise up the tabernacle of David which is fallen. It was fallen indeed, our nature had fallen an incurable fall, and needed only that mighty Hand. There was no possibility of raising it again, had not he who fashioned it at first, stretched forth to it his hand, and stamped it anew with his image, by the regeneration of water and the Spirit. And observe, I pray you, the awful and ineffable nature of the mystery. He inhabits this tabernacle for ever, for he clothed himself with our flesh, not as again to leave it, but always to have it with him. Had not this been the case, he would not have deemed it worthy of the royal throne, nor would he while wearing it have been worshipped by all the host of heaven, angels, archangels, thrones, principalities, dominions, powers. What word, what thought can represent such great honor done to our race, so truly marvellous and awful? What angel, what archangel? Not one in any place, whether in heaven, or upon earth. For such are the mighty works of God, so great and marvellous are his benefits, that a right description of them exceeds not only the tongue of men, but even the power of angels.

Let me, then, only deliver to you this charge, that you repay this our so great Benefactor by a return which again shall bring round to us all profit. The return is, that we look with all care

fullness to the state of our souls. For this too is the work of his loving-kindness, that he who stands in no need of any thing of ours, says that he is repaid when we take care of our own souls. It is therefore an act of extremest folly, and one deserving ten thousand chastisements, if we, when such honor has been lavished upon us, will not even contribute what we can, and that too when profit comes round to us again by these means, and ten thousand blessings are laid before us on these conditions. For all these things let us return glory to our merciful God, not by words only, but much more by works, that we may obtain the good things hereafter, which may it be that we all attain to, through the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom and with whom, to the Father and the Holy Ghost, be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

She shall be brought unto the King in raiment of needlework: the virgins her companions that follow her shall be brought unto thee. With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought they shall enter into the King's palace.-Psalm xlv. 14, 15.

If a glorious prince should take a liking to a poor woman that has nothing, and have her brought home to him for his spouse, she ought ever after to show all good will to this husband, and retain a constant love for him. But if she transgresses the bounds of decency and duty, then she is turned out of doors with disgrace and reproach, and is full of sorrow; reflecting from how great wealth she is fallen, and what glory she has lost. Thus also the soul, which Christ, the heavenly Bridegroom, shall espouse to himself, ought to please Christ her lover; carrying herself in the house of this heavenly Spouse with a fair deportment, and a grateful sense of the grace bestowed upon her. Lo! such a soul is actually invested with the full command of all her Lord's goods, and her body becomes the glorious tabernacle of his Godhead. But if she do not the things that are pleasing to him, and is not perfectly observant of his will, then with reproach and disgrace is she disrobed of all her honor, as no way proper for the communion of the heavenly King. And after that, there commences an universal grief and lamentation

over that soul among all the saints and intellectual spirits: angels, powers, apostles, prophets, and martyrs, mourn for her. For as "there is joy in heaven," as the Lord hath said, "over one sinner that repenteth," so is there great grief and mourning in heaven over one soul that falls from eternal life.

We must therefore strive, and with the utmost prudence take care to "work out our salvation with fear and trembling." Whosoever therefore you are, that have been made partakers of the Spirit of Christ, look upon yourselves in no case whatever, whether small or great, to be above advice; neither do any despite to the Spirit of grace, that you may never be excluded from the life which you have been made to partake of.

Let us therefore beg of God, that we, as many as have been partakers of his grace, may minister acceptably in the service of the Spirit, according to his will; that thus serving him according to his will with a spiritual service, we may inherit eternal life.

But can a man fall that has the gift of grace? Ans. If he grow careless he certainly falls. For his enemies are never idle, or backward in the war. How ought you then never to desist from seeking after God? For the damage which you sustain by your neglect is exceeding great, though you may seem to be even established in the mystery of grace.

Are the perfect liable to affliction and war, or are they entirely free from care? Ans. An enemy never respites any from the war. And Satan is perfectly void of mercy wherefore neither is he backward to set upon any man whatever, though he does not attack all in the same measure and degree.

But there is need of much pains and labor, that a man may seek and lay the foundations, till such a time as the fire shall come into the hearts of men, and purge away the thorns. And thus do they begin to be sanctified, giving glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, for ever.

Amen.

As being heirs together of the grace of life.-1 Peter iii. 7.

THIS is that which most strongly binds all these duties on the hearts of husbands and wives, and most strongly indeed binds their hearts together, and makes them one. If each be

reconciled to God in Christ, and so an heir of life, and one with God, then are they truly one in God with each other; and that is the surest and sweetest union that can be. Natural love hath risen very high in some husbands and wives; but the highest of it falls very short of that which holds in God. Hearts concentrating in him, are most and excellently one. That love which is cemented by youth and beauty, when these moulder and decay, as soon as they do, fades too. That is somewhat purer, and so more lasting, which holds in a natural or moral harmony of minds; yet, these likewise may alter and change by some great accident. But the most refined, most spiritual, and most indissoluble, is that which is knit with the highest and purest Spirit. And the ignorance or disregard of this, is the great cause of so much bitterness, or so little true sweetness, in the life of most married persons; because God is left out, because they meet not as one in him.

Heirs together. Loth will they be to despise one another, who are both bought with the precious blood of one Redeemer, and loth to grieve one another. Being in him brought into peace with God, they will entertain true peace betwixt themselves, and not suffer any thing to disturb it. They have hopes to meet, one day, where is nothing but concord and peace; they will therefore live as heirs of that life here, and make their present estate as like to heaven as they can, and so, a pledge and evidence of their title to that inheritance of peace which is there laid up for them. And they will not fail to put one another often in mind of those hopes and that inheritance, and mutually to advance and further each other toward it. Where this is not the case, it is of little purpose to speak of other rules. Where neither party aspires to this heirship, live they otherwise as they will, there is one common inheritance abiding them, one inheritance of everlasting flames; and, as they do increase the sin and guiltiness of one another by their irreligious conversation, so that which some of them do wickedly here, upon no great cause, they shall have full cause for doing there; cause to curse the time of their coming together, and that shall be a piece of their exercise for ever. But happy those persons, in any society of marriage or friendship, who converse together as those that shall live eternally together in glory. This indeed is the sum of all duties.

Life. A sweet word, but sweetest of all in this sense! That