On Christmas-Day, or the BirthDay of CHRIST.
Quod non erat, affumpfit; quod erat, non amifit. Mufc. in locum. More Aliorum, erat Dominus per novem Menfes in Utero inclufus.
Jefus unto whom that Name from Heav'n Was by the Meffage of an Angel giv'n, Which sweet,endearing, heav'nly, happy Name, Imports, that he to be a Saviour came, To fave us from our Sins, the fatal Cause Of all our Sorrows, Miferies, and Woes! To fave us from the Wrath that's due to Sin, And from its domineering Pow'r within; Enabling us fincerely to repent,
And to keep ftedfaft in his Covenant.
Giving us Grace our Lufts to mortify,
And to ourselves, and to the World to die.
O bleffed Saviour, let this great Defign,
(For which thou cam'ft) of faving us from Sin,
Take place, and be fulfill'd in me and› mine.
For, to be fav'd from Sin, and to have Grace,
Is more to be defir'd, than to embrace
The Treasures of the Indies, East and Weft,
Trifles to thofe who are of Heav'n poffeft..
Not all the Riches in the Earth and Sea,
May be compared with Humility,
With Patience, Peace, Faith, Hope and Cha-
rity..
But fince I cannot in Perfection have
These, and like Graces, on this Side the Grave,
Or, if I had, it might be faid to me,
Thou nothing haft, but what is given thee;*.
All Merit I disclaim, and truft alone
In Chrift his precious Merits, to atone
And expiate my Guilt, by his own Blood, Which he could do, who is the Son of God.
By his Blood I am purged from my Sin,
And by his Righteousness adorn'd within.
This is the Faith by which I live, and I
Hope in this truly Christian Faith to die.
Yet this, my Faith, I know must work by Love,
Or elfe, my Saviour will it not approve:
I must be fober, righteous, godly too;
True Holiness, and Peace, I must pursue,
For, a dead, empty Faith, will never do.
But when I have done all, I must rely
Not on my Works, for they can't justify
My Person (tho' they juftify my Faith,
And prove it lively, as th' Apoftle faith.) †
Therefore, on Chrift alone, I do depend,
Who came into the World for this fame End,
That by what he hath done and fuffer'd, we
Repenting Sinners, might acquitted be.
And (as St. Paul faith) Chrift in vain had died,
If we could by our Works be justified. ‡
1 Joh. i. 7. Rev. i. 5. Jer. xxiii. 6. Pf. xlv. 13. Luke xvii. 10. Jam. ii. Gal, ii. 21.
In my own Works, I therefore dare not truft,
But in Chrift's Righteousness,will make my Boaft.*
As it is written in his holy Word,
Let him that glor'eth, glory in the Lord. †
In the Lord Chrift alone, I glory will,
Who came to fave my precious Soul from Hell.
And as, for me, he was at this Time born,
So, I for him, will bear Rebuke and Scorn;
Humble my felf, as he requires of me,
And never will Revenge an Injury;
But ftrive, my Soul in Patience to poffefs,
And for ill Turns, will offer Kindnesses
I'll go about doing Good, for fure fo
My Saviour did, and like him I will do ;
The Wants of his poor Members, I'll relieve;
(More blessed 'tis to give, than to receive.) Ach.20. I will deny my felf, and follow him,.
Who drank for me a Cup, fill'd to the Brim,
A Cup of Sorrows; For this Caufe, if he
With Trouble and Affliction vifits me,..
*Pfa. lxxxix. 17. ↑ 1 Cor. i. 30, 316
I will not dare to murmur and repine,
But to his holy Will, my felf refign.
Thus, I muft imitate my Lord, if I
On him for my Salvation do rely.
Who faves, when he the Proud does humble make,
And fierce and furious Men, to become meck;
Lions and Leopards, with the Lamb to dwell, a. 11.
And Men like them, to become peaceable.
He faves, when he our Tempers does amend,
And makes an Enemy to be a Friend,
And high and haughty Men, to condefcend,
He faves, when he the Luftful chaste does make,
And the Unclean, their Filthiness forfake;
Gluttons and Drunkards, he does fave, when he
From their Intemperance does fet them free;
The Senfual, when he makes them Sp'ritual,
The Covetous, whom he makes liberal,
The Wasteful, when no longer Prodigal :
Wretches unmerciful, he faves, whom he
From their fevere Hard-heartedness does free.
And makes t'abound in Works of Charity.
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