The Message hath relation ; First , to God , the Person , that sent it : 1. Secondly , to Gabriel , the Messenger , that brought it : and thirdly , to Mary , the Party , to whom it was brought . The Dialogue hath Relation ; 2. First , to Mary , that demands : Secondly , to Gabriel , that answers : and thirdly , to God , concerning whom . The Conception relates ; 3. First , to God , that was : Secondly , to Mary , of whom he was : and thirdly to Vs , for whom hee was Incarnate . There are also three Things in the Message ; First , a Salutation : Secondly , a Benediction : Thirdly , a Narration . In the Dialogue ; First , a discussion of her feare : Secondly , a Conformation of her faith : Thirdly , an Expression of her consent . In the Incarnation , an Vniting ; First , of the Godhead : Secondly , the humane Soule : and thirdly , the mortall Body , into One Person .

Lastly , here are three Conjunctions , ( this Day . ) God and Man , in Christ : a Virgin and a Mother , in Mary : and , Faith , and Mans heart , in every good Christian. If the Astronomers hold there was a great Trigon of Constellations at his Birth : I am sure here is a great Trigon of Trigons , at his Conception : Saint Bernard sayes , they were great . For God and Man were never knowne in Vnity of Person before : and it was never heard , that the same person , ( being a Virgin ) should beare a Sonne ; and ( being a Mother ) remaine a Virgin , till now : And thirdly , as unlike it was , that the Faith of such a Mystery , could ever joyne , or adhere to the heart of naturall Man ; no more then Steele and Potsheards : Neither could it , indeed ; but onely , in glutino Spiritus Sancti : and that hath done it . All these , from the Parties : and , all , but to this effect , that Christ might be made the Sonne of Man , that wee might be made the Sonnes of God . And ( thus ) we see , it pleased God to restore man , by the same order and manner , as he fell . He fell , the Devill , ordaining : the Serpent , executing : a Dialogue , interceding : and a Woman consenting . So ( heere ) he is Restored ; God ordaining : an Angel executing : a Dialogue interceding : and a Woman consenting . But to enlarge these particulars , were to make a Volume for a Library ; not , a Meditation , for an houre : Therefore , I will onely consider , the Persons ( in severall : ) and lastly , conclude with the Message .

The first Person ( in this dayes Story ) is God : à Iove principium : We will begin there . God , is a Trinity of Persons in himselfe : three 1. God . persons , and , all three , God : and , all three , send ; Missus à Deo , came from them all : It is an old rule , in Divinity , that all Gods Workes , ad extra , are done by the whole Trinity . And the sending forth of an Angel , is a worke ad extra ; Therefore , from the whole Trinity , he came . Heere , God sends , first his Messenger : then his Sonne . First , he sends : and ( after ) descends ; or rather , condescends . For , this was no locall Motion : hee mooves all things , and is not mooved : And , as ( afterwards ) he ascended into heaven , yet left not the earth ; So ( heere ) hee descends into the World , yet leaves not heaven ; but , at one , and the same time , fils all in all . He came to us , non locum mutando , sed praes●…am per Carnem exhibendo . But of his descending , anon : Now we may aske why Hee should send , Cum Inimici essemus , ( as Saint Paul sayes ) When we were not onely Aliens , but Enemies ? Saint Iohn will tell us the reason , Sic dilexit : He ( so ) loved us , ( how much , it is not 〈◊〉 . 5. 10. Iohn 3. 16. possible to say ) but Sic dilexit , that he humbled himselfe ; and sent not onely his Servant , but his Sonne ; even , to his Enemies . Here is a faire , and great example ! While you were Enemies , hee loved you , love you then your Enemies . In Enemies , there can bee no merit of love : what is then the reason , for Gods dilexit ? we never could ( yet ) find any other , but sic voluit ; such , was his good pleasure in Christ . And , if we be not satisfied with this , but ( in curiosity ) enquire further , Hee will enquire after us with Quis es tu homo , Who art thou , oh man thy selfe , that thus enquirest ? He requires thy beliefe ; and , thou enquirest a cause : he offers thee an object , ( fit onely for thy faith : ) and thou wouldst have it come under thy reason .

And yet , there is a reason of Gods will : but , it is fit for God onely , and not for Man , to know : But , if thou wilt needs be reasoning ; say , if it seeme not most fit and reasonable , that God should will , what he pleaseth : and doe what hee wils ; since thou knowest , that Hee who wills ; what he cannot doe , is not God . This is reasonable , be content then , with thy reason , and admiring his Humility , doe thou love him for his sic dilexit , quia sic voluit ; for , so , he wills thee to doe , and meddle not with Quare voluit ? Leave that to him alone , for ever . Wee were utterly ●…anged from him ; we had not onely deviated , and ( like Sheepe ) gone a●…tray , but were become Enemies ; we had lost both Power , and will to send to him : that he then ( our better ) would seeke a Rec●…ciliation , and first send to us , was great goodnesse , and great humilitie : Let us then love him for his goodnesse , and not onely admire , but imitate him in his humilitie ; that sent not onely his Messenger , but his Sonne : and that , not to come alone , but even to dye for us ; that we might bee reconciled . And so much for the Person , that did send : and his Humilitie in sending .

Now , the Messenger sent , was an Angel ; Gabriel by name : wee 2. Gabriel . find him so named in foure places of Scripture : yet it hath not , from any of them , beene concluded of what Order he was : some thinke that he was of the highest Order . For Saint Gregory sayes , Su●…m Angelum venire dignum fuerat , qui summum omnium ann●…ciabat . Thomas Aq●…nas is direct , hee was an Archangel , and satis credibile , the highest of that order : howsoever , an Angel he was , even by this Office . For , Saint Gregory sayes , that the Spirits of God are not alwayes called Angels , but then onely , Cum per eos aliqua annunciantur . And if when aliqua annunciantur they bee Angels , when maxima an●…tur they are surely Archangels , by his rule : And hee will have his Name to agree with the nature of this present Office : For Gabriel ( interpreted ) is Dei fortitudo : therefore , ( saith be ) per Dei fortitudinem annunciandus erat , qui potens in praelio ad debellandas potestates aereas veniebat . The Lion of the Tribe of Iuda was now to be Conceived , therefore Dei fortitudo was to declare it : it was fit an Angel of a great power , should be the Messenger .

But it may be asked ( concerning this Message ) First , what needed an Annunciation ? or Secondly , If any ; why , by an Angel ; not a Prophet ? or Thirdly , if by an Angel , why not in a Dreame onely , but by a corporall vision ? These are but Curiosities ; yet , they have their answers .

1. First , an Annunciation was fit , Vt priùs mente quàm carne conciperet : 1. For , beatior Maria percipiendo fidem Christi , quàm concipiendo carnem Christi , ( sayes Saint Augustine ) . Secondly , that Shee might be a more certaine witnesse of this great divine Mystery , being thus plainely , 2. and sensibly instructed . Thirdly , that Shee herselfe might have occasion to offer her owne obedience to the will of God ; ecce Ancilla Domini . 3. Fourthly , that there being a Marriage to bee made betweene the Sonne of God , and our Nature , the consent of the Virgin might 4. be had , Locototius humanae naturae : for though Predestination be compleate , sine nostro arbitrio causante ; yet it is not , sine nostro arbitrio consentiente ? so some speake .

2. Now , why an Angel ; rather then a Prophet ?

First , that Gods ordinance might bee kept : who commonly declares divine Mysteries to men , by the Ministery of Angels : and so , 1. even to the Prophets themselves . That , as the Law was declared by the Ministery of Angels , so the Fulfiller of the Law might be declared Acts 7. 38. Gal. 3. 19. Heb. 2. 2. by an Angel . Secondly , that as the Devill sent a Serpent ( not a man , ) to deceive the woman , in our Overthrow ; so God , might send an Angel ( not a Prophet ) to instruct the Virgin in our Restitution : So here is 2. a good Angel conversing with a woman , about our Salvation ; as , at first , there was an evill one , conversing with a woman about our Overthrow . Thirdly , for the agreement betweene the Persons : for , Semper est Angelis cognata Virginitas , Angels , and Virgins are of a Consanguinity . 3.

3. Lastly , why by corporall vision ? First , because God was to be made manifest in the flesh ; therefore the Messenger was to bee visible 1. to the eye : since all the Apparitions in the old Testament , were but to prefigure God in the flesh . Secondly , for the dignity of the Virgin herselfe : for since Shee bore God , not onely in her minde , but also in her 2. Body , it was fit , she had a corporall , as well as a mentall apprehension of the Messenger . Thirdly , it agreed with the certainety of the Message . For , we apprehend that more certainely which we see with our 3. eyes , then what we conceive onely in our minds .

Now , as God did seldome any great thing on earth , but he gave a Modell or Type of it first : as , for the Tabernacle , he gave Moses a patterne in the Mount : as ( also ) to Ezechiel for the Temple : so heere , for the Incarnation . For , the comming of this Messenger was prefigured in the 24. of Gen. As Abraham sent his Servant ( there , ) to Gen. 24. provide a Virgin to be wife to his Sonne Isaac ( who was also a Type of Christ ; ) so God sent his Servant ( an Angell here ) to provide a Virgin to be Mother of his Sonne . Rebecca gave her consent ( there : ) so , Mary gives her consent , ( heere : ) fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum ; And , as Rebecca not onely made the Messenger , but the Camels drinke ; So Shee , not onely to Angels , but to us ( vile men ) hath opened the Fountaine of Ioy , and everlasting gladnesse .

This great Ambassador , from the King of Heaven comes to poore Nazareth , in despised Galilee , and ( there ) humbly salutes the lowly Virgin , bowing downe , with an Ave , a Salutation that throwes an Humilitie even on the Garbe and very posture of the Saluter . Thus hee descends ! And , though hee bee held an Angel , an Archangel , so great in power , so glorious in degree ; yet , is there nothing of it exprest in this humble Text ; but all shut up , and concealed in his bare name onely . And why ? because his Master ( from whom he comes , the Sonne of God himselfe ) is , this Day humbled , and hath all his Greatnesse and Glory shut up , and concealed in his low Conception .

So , by the example of the Sender , here is Humility , bowing downe in the Angel , that is sent : nay , hee seemes to bee the very Angel of Humilitie . For , he , ( the same Angell ) even Gabriel , that tels Mary ( here , ) of the first Act of Christs Humilitie , ( his Incarnation ; ) tels Daniel , in his ninth Chapter , of the last Act of his Humilitie ( his Death ) : here , he comes with Sanctam nascetur , and ( there ) with Messiah occidetur : Dan. 9. This , is the same Messenger of both . Humiliation is His First , and Last . To shew , they were both ordained , and executed ; both from the same person , and to the same end : that he might be humbled for us , and we exalted by him . And so much for the Angel of Humilitie , the Partie sent .