longed to the Tribe of Judah) was removed into Galilee ; but he yieldeth obedience to the Cru Magiſtrate, and cniveth to be en- rolled in the Court Bozks belonging to the Koman Empire, to which by this Affion he acknowledgeth himſelf a SubjeR : he alſo by this Ag publickly declared both huoſe:f and Mary his Wife to have been of the Tribe of Judah, and of the Family of David. We are toid it was the Cuſtain of the Romans to enrol! both Women and Children ; howcver Mary's perſonal Attendi1ice upon this Homage might have been excufed by her being great with Ghitd, had not the Counſcl of God fo ordercd it that Cirift ſhould be born there : This doubtlcfs carried Mary atong with Jojeph, he having now (according to the Apge's Pirettion, Matth, 1. 20, 24 ) roak her unto him as bis Wite. While they were there, Mary's time of Child-bearinz was accompliſh-
ed. Ve have the like Phraſe, Gen. 25 24.
7 Ard * ſhe brought forth her firſt-born ſon, and ” wrapped him in ſwadling cloaths, and laid him in a manger, becauſe there was no room for them in the
INN»
It 5: Bucer's Note, that in the Greeb it 1s not hey firſt-born ſon, but
3 T1gy av'mns 7 er ororoy her Son, the firſt born. He was truly her Son, aud her Son fir-bornz but he was not called wewr vrox'G- upon that account merely ; for he was the firſt born of every Creature, C5l. 1. 15. he was the firſt-born alſo of Mary ; but it cannot be from thence concluded, ſhe had more Sons, (for where there is but one Son, he is the firſt-born, ) | And wrapped him in ſwadling clcaths, and Iaid him in a Manger, &c, | Whether the Inn was in the City,
or in the Suburbs adjoyning near to the City, 1s not mateaial for us to know ; not, contidering the occaſion of meeting at Bethlehem at that day, and the numbers who upon that occaſion muſt be there, 3s it at all ſtrange, that a Pcrſon of no higher viſible Quality than a: Carpenter ſhould not find a Room in the Inn, but be thruſt into a! Stable ; nor was it unuſual in thoſe Countries for Men and Women
Kk E. Shepherds. Not to Shepherds that were idle, but buſi:d in thcir hg neſt Vocations, keeping their Flocks, This Publication of hi« Birth is made by an Angcl, whether the Anzel Gabriel before mentioned or another, is not certain. This Angel ſurprizeth the Shepherds cometh upon them, thinking no ſuch thing, but cnly minding their buſineſs The Angel comes in a glorious Appearance, proba! _ extraordinary Lighr, for it 15 ſaid, it thoge r.und about then - Ars an Appearauce of extraordiniry Light is, Lube 9. 20, 32. Toat tle, were ſore afraid, was but natural ; we are naturally aftc&ed at fag. den and unuſual Appearances with Fear and Amz:ze nent. : 10 And the angel ſaid unto them, Fear not, for he. hold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which ſhall be to all people.
11 For unto youis born this day, in the city of Dz. vid a Saviour, which is Chriſt the LORD
12 Andthis ſhall be a lignunto you, Ye ſhall find the
babe wrapped in {wadling cloaths, lying in a manger. Tho God 1n his Appearances to his People was wont fo to appear as to ſhew them Cauſe to revere his Majeſty, yet he always ſup- ported them, that their Spirits might not fail under thof:- Appre- henſions and Conſternations. The Angel bids them not to fear, for they had no reaſon to be afraid, he came not to bring them any affrighring Tidings, but Tidings of Joy, and that not to them alone but to all People, both Jews and Gentiles (for, to that Latitude the Text may be expounded) What was that ?| Unto y5u is bn this 4 in the city of David a Saviour, which us Chrijt the Lord.) You have heard of the Promiſes of the Meſſias, of a Chriſt that thould come and of the Houſe of David. The Promiſes of that nature are thi: day fuifilled, he 1s born this very Day, Unto you, but not to yoy alone z he had before told them, that his Tydings of Joy ſhould «©. tend to all Nations. | And tbis ſhail he a Sign unto yiu. ] By thiz +g, (hall know the truth of what I fay, and you ſhall k .ow alfy u!;:, to find him. In the City of David, (that is, Bethlehem, as was 14. before ) you ſhall find the Babe wrapped in ſwadling clothes, and lj; in a manger. Where you ſhall find fuch a Bab:,t: at 15 i e,therefore | not offended at his low and me2n Condition ; let that be no ſtun. b:1ng-black to you ; I give it you asa S1gn by which you tha!l kngy h1m,
13 And ſuddenly there was with the angel a mylti- tude of the heavenly hoſt, praiſing God. and ſaying,
r4 Glory to God in the higheſt, and on earth peace, good will towards men.
i hc Nativity of our "eviour was publiſhed firft by one 4r;;/ but it muſt be cclevrated by a multitu..e of Angels, who appear Prai- ſing God upon this occaſion. Theſe are cali'ed the Lord's tiolt, Pal, 153.20,21. not only becauſe he uſeth them as his Armics to deſtroy his Enemies, but alto becauſe of the Order which is amoneſt them, How they praiſed God, is exprefled v. 14. they ſang, | Glory to 6:4 in the Higheſt. On Earth, Peace and Good-will towards Men, \ The Words may be taken either Jndicatively,as ſignifying. That was cone to paſs thar Day by which God wonid have Glory, Men would hae Peace. and the S00d-will of God to the Sons of Men was unſpetk- ably declared : Or Precatorily, the Angels defiting God might hae Glory, and that Peace might be on Earth, and the good-will of 6:1 publiihed to the Sons of Men, But the Vulgar Latin is moſt corrupt thatrendreth theſe Words Peace to Men of Good-will. When we con- fider that the Heavenly Ht was here praiſing God, it will appear vary reaſonable, to interpret theſe Words Judicatively ; the Angels hereby declaring their Apprehentions, and the Truth concerning this 45 Providence, no A@ more declaring the Glory of God's Power, Wil- | dom, or Goodneſs 3 nor more declaring his Go9d-will towards Nei, and more conducing to Peace upon the Earth ; wh=ther by it e underſtand the Union of the Jews and Gentiles, or that Peace of par- ticular Souls which tloweth from: Juſtification by Faith in Chriſt; for tho the Text ſeemeth to ſpeak ofthr-e chings Glory to God, Pexce Fin Earth, and Good-will toward Men, yet indeed thev are but to; | the two latter differing only as the Cauſe and the Effe& : The $1d- ; will of God 1s the Cauſe 3 Peace with, or amongſt men, is the Eft,
Rom. 5g. I. Eph. 2. 14, 15,17.
15 Andit came to paſs, as the angels were gone
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to have Lodgings in the ſame Rooms where Beaſts are kept; (it is no | hath made known unto us.