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| On the Feast of the Nativity, VI.
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Sermon XXVI.
On the Feast of the Nativity,
VI.
I. Christmas morning is the most
appropriate time for thoughts on the Nativity.
On all days and at all times, dearly beloved, does
the birth of our Lord and Saviour from the
Virgin-mother occur to the thoughts of the
faithful, who meditate on divine things,
that the mind may be aroused to the acknowledgment of its Maker, and
whether it be occupied in the groans of supplication, or in the
shouting of praise, or in the offering of sacrifice, may employ its
spiritual insight on nothing more frequently and more trustingly than
on the fact that God the Son of God, begotten of the co-eternal Father, was also born by a
human birth. But this Nativity which is to be adored in heaven
and on earth is suggested to us by no day more than this when, with the
early light still shedding its rays on nature787
| 787 Nova etiam in
elementis luce radiante, the phrase seems to point to an early
service as the time of delivering this sermon (possibly the missa in
gallicantu). | , there is borne in upon our senses the
brightness of this wondrous mystery. For the angel
Gabriel’s converse with the astonished Mary and her conception by
the Holy Ghost as wondrously promised as believed, seem to recur not
only to the memory but to the very eyes. For to-day the Maker of
the world was born of a Virgin’s womb, and He, who made all
natures, became Son of her, whom He created. To-day the Word of
God appeared clothed in flesh, and That which
had never been visible to human eyes began to be tangible to our hands
as well. Today the shepherds learnt from angels’ voices
that the Saviour was born in the substance of our flesh and soul; and
to-day the form of the Gospel message was pre-arranged by the leaders
of the Lord’s flocks788
| 788 Apud
Dominicorum præsules gregum hodie evangelizandi forma
præcondita est. This clause has been taken to be an
allusion to the reciting of the angelic hymn Gloria in Excelsis,
at the Holy Eucharist, but as Bright (note 20, all of which should be
read) says, “the words do not necessarily mean more than that the
original Angelic hymn (S. Luke
ii. 14) was recited in the
Christmas Day Service.” | , so that we too may say with the army
of the heavenly host: “Glory in the highest to God, and on earth peace to men of good
will.”
II. Christians are essentially
participators in the nativity of Christ.
Although, therefore, that infancy, which the
majesty of God’s Son did not disdain,
reached mature manhood by the growth of years and, when the triumph of
His passion and resurrection was completed, all the actions of humility
which were undertaken for us ceased, yet to-day’s festival renews
for us the holy childhood of Jesus born of the Virgin Mary: and
in adoring the birth of our Saviour, we find we are celebrating the
commencement of our own life. For the birth of Christ is the
source of life for Christian folk, and the birthday of the Head is the
birthday of the body. Although every individual that is called
has his own order, and all the sons of the Church are separated from
one another by intervals of time, yet as the entire body of the
faithful being born in the font of baptism is crucified with Christ in
His passion, raised again in His resurrection, and placed at the
Father’s right hand in His ascension, so with Him are they born
in this nativity. For any believer in whatever part of the world
that is re-born in Christ, quits the old paths of his original
nature789
| 789 Interciso
originalis tramite vetustatis. | and passes into a new man by being
re-born; and no longer is he reckoned of his earthly father’s
stock but among the seed of the Saviour, Who became the Son of man in
order that we might have the power to be the sons of God. For unless He came down to us in this
humiliation, no one would reach His presence by any merits of his
own. Let not earthly wisdom shroud in darkness the hearts of the
called on this point, and let not the frailty of earthly thoughts raise
itself against the loftiness of God’s
grace, for it will soon return to the lowest dust. At the end of
the ages is fulfilled that which was ordained from all eternity:
and in the presence of realities, when signs and types have ceased, the
Law and prophecy have become Truth: and so Abraham is found the
father of all nations, and the promised blessing is given to the world
in his seed: nor are they only Israelites whom blood and
flesh790
| 790 Sanguis et
caro: it is noticeable that the same order is observed in
Heb. ii. 14. | begot, but the whole body of the adopted
enter into possession of the heritage prepared for the sons of
Faith. Be not disturbed by the cavils of silly questionings, and
let not the effects of the Divine word be dissipated by human
calculation; we with Abraham believe in God
and “waver not through unbelief791
” but
“know most assuredly that what the Lord
promised, He is able to perform.”
III. Peace with God is His best gift to man.
The Saviour then, dearly beloved, is born not of
fleshly seed but of the Holy Spirit, in such wise that the condemnation
of the first transgression did not touch Him. And hence the very
greatness of the boon conferred demands of us reverence worthy of its
splendour. For, as the blessed Apostle teaches, “we have
received not the spirit of this world but the Spirit which is of
God, that we may know the things which are
given us by God792
:” and that Spirit can
in no other way be rightly worshipped, except by offering Him that
which we received from Him. But in the
treasures of the Lord’s bounty what can we find so suitable to the
honour of the present feast as the peace, which at the Lord’s nativity was first proclaimed by the
angel-choir? For that it is which brings forth the sons of
God, the nurse of love and the mother of
unity: the rest of the blessed and our eternal home; whose proper
work and special office it is to join to God
those whom it removes from the world. Whence the Apostle incites
us to this good end, in saying, “being justified therefore by
faith let us have peace towards God793
.” In which brief
sentence are summed up nearly all the commandments; for where true
peace is, there can be no lack of virtue. But what is it, dearly
beloved, to have peace towards God, except to
wish what He bids, and not to wish what He forbids? For if human
friendships seek out equality of soul and similarity of desires, and
difference of habits can never attain to full harmony, how will he be
partaker of divine peace, who is pleased with what displeases
God and desires to get delight from what he
knows to be offensive to God? That is
not the spirit of the sons of God; such wisdom
is not acceptable to the noble family of the adopted. That chosen
and royal race must live up to the dignity of its regeneration, must
love what the Father loves, and in nought disagree with its Maker, lest
the Lord should again say: “I have
begotten and raised up sons, but they have scorned Me: the ox
knoweth his owner and the ass his master’s crib: but Israel
hath not known Me and My people hath not acknowledged Me794
.”
IV. We must be worthy of our calling as
sons and friends of God.
The mystery of this boon is great, dearly beloved,
and this gift exceeds all gifts that God
should call man son, and man should name God
Father: for by these terms we perceive and learn the love which
reached so great a height. For if in natural progeny and earthly
families those who are born of noble parents are lowered by the faults
of evil intercourse, and unworthy offspring are put to shame by the
very brilliance of their ancestry; to what end will they come who
through love of the world do not fear to be outcast from the family of
Christ? But if it gains the praise of men that the father’s
glory should shine again in their descendants, how much more glorious
is it for those who are born of God to regain
the brightness of their Maker’s likeness and display in
themselves Him Who begat them, as saith the Lord: “Let your light so shine before men that
they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in
heaven795
?” We know indeed, as the
Apostle John says that “the whole world lieth in the evil
one796
,” and that by the stratagems of the
Devil and his angels numberless attempts are made either to frighten
man in his struggle upwards by adversity or to spoil him by prosperity,
but “greater is He that is in us, than he that is against
us797
,” and they who have peace with
God and are always saying to the Father with
their whole hearts “thy will be done798
” can be overcome in no battles,
can be hurt by no assaults. For accusing ourselves in our
confessions and refusing the spirit’s consent to our fleshly
lusts, we stir up against us the enmity of him who is the author of
sin, but secure a peace with God that nothing
can destroy, by accepting His gracious service, in order that we may
not only surrender ourselves in obedience to our King but also be
united to Him by our free-will. For if we are like-minded, if we
wish what He wishes, and disapprove what He disapproves, He will finish
all our wars for us, He Who gave the will, will also give the
power: so that we may be fellow-workers in His works, and with
the exultation of Faith may utter that prophetic song: “the
Lord is my light and my salvation: whom
shall I fear? the Lord is the defender of my
life: of whom shall I be afraid799
?”
V. The birth of Christ is the birth of
peace to the Church.
They then who “are born not of blood nor of
the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God800
,” must
offer to the Father the unanimity of peace-loving sons, and all the
members of adoption must meet in the First-begotten of the new
creation, Who came to do not His own Will but His that sent Him;
inasmuch as the Father in His gracious favour has adopted as His heirs
not those that are discordant nor those that are unlike Him, but those
that are in feeling and affection one. They that are re-modelled
after one pattern must have a spirit like the model. The birthday
of the Lord is the birthday of peace:
for thus says the Apostle, “He is our peace, who made both
one801
;” since whether we be Jew or Gentile,
“through Him we have access in one Spirit to the Father802
.” And it was this in
particular that He taught His disciples before the day of His passion
which He had of His own free-will fore-ordained, saying, “My
peace I give unto you, My peace I leave for you803
;”
and lest under the general term the
character of His peace should escape notice, He added, “not as
the world give I unto you804
.” The
world, He says, has its friendships, and brings many that are apart
into loving harmony. There are also minds which are equal in
vices., and similarity of desires produces equality of affection.
And if any are perchance to be found who are not pleased with what is
mean and dishonourable, and who exclude from the terms of their
connexion unlawful compacts, yet even such if they be either Jews,
heretics or heathens805
| 805 Pagani (lit.
villagers or rustics): the later meaning arose from the fact that
idolatry and superstition tend to linger longer in out-of-the-way rural
districts, than in the more civilized towns: cf.
“heath” and “heathen.” See Bright’s
note 24, and the references quoted by him. Hooker, v. 80. 2 ;
Trench, “on Study of Words,” p. 69, &c. | , belong not to
God’s friendship but to this
world’s peace. But the peace of the spiritual and of
catholics coming down from above and leading upwards refuses to hold
communion with the lovers of the world, resists all obstacles and flies
from pernicious pleasures to true joys, as the Lord says: “Where thy treasure is, there will
thy heart be also806
:” that
is, if what you love is below you will descend to the lowest
depth: if what you love is above, you will reach the topmost
height: thither may the Spirit of peace lead and bring us, whose
wishes and feeling are at one, and who are of one mind in faith and
hope and in charity: since “as many as are led by the
Spirit of God these are sons of God807
” Who
reigneth with the Son and Holy Spirit for ever and ever.
Amen.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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