Works of Joseph Hall, Book 2 – Title page 63

Works of Joseph Hall · Book 2 – Title page 63

p. 1185CONTEMPLATIONS. THE SECOND BOOKE.

Chriſt among the Doctors.

EVen the Spring ſhewes vsus what we may hope for of the tree in Summer; In his nonage therefore, would our Sauiour giuegive vsus a taſte of his future proofe, left, if his perfection ſhould hauehave ſhewed it ſelfe without warning to the world, it ſhould hauehave beene entertained with more wonder, than beliefe; now this act of his Childhood ſhall prepare the faith of men by fore-expectation: notwithſtanding all this early demonſtration of his diuine graces, the incredulous Iewes could afterwards ſay, Whence hath this man his wiſdome and great works? What would they hauehave ſaid, if he had ſuddenly leapt forth into the cleare light of the world. The Sun would dazle all eyes, if he ſhould breake forth at his firſt riſing into his full ſtrength; now he hath both the day-ſtar to goe before him, and to b…k…e… looke for that glorious body, and the liuely colours of the day, to publiſh his approach; the eye is comforted; not hurt by his appearance.

The Parents of Chriſt went vp yeerely to Ieruſalem at the feaſt of the Paſſeouer; the law was only for the ma…es: I doe not finde the bleſſed Virgin bound to this voiage, the weaker ſex receiued indulgence from God: yet ſhe knowing the ſpirituall profit of that iourney, takes paines voluntarily to meaſure that long way eueryevery yeere; Pie… regards not any diſtinction of ſexes or degrees, neither yet doth Gods acceptation; rather doth i… pleaſe the mercy of the higheſt, more to reward that ſeruice, which, though he like in all, yet out of fauour hee will not impoſe vponupon all. It could not bee, but that ſhee whom the holy Ghoſt ouerſhaddowed, ſhould be zealous of Gods ſeruice: thoſe that will goe no further than they are dragged in their religious exerciſes, are no whit of kin to her whom all generations ſhall call bleſſed.

The childe Ieſus in the minority of his age, went vp with his Parents to the holy ſolemnity, not this yeere onelyonly; but in all likelihood others alſo; hee, in the power of whoſe Godhead, and by the motion of whoſe Spirit …ll others aſcended thither, would not himſelfe ſtay at home. In all his examples hee meant our inſtruction▪ this pious act of hi… nonage intended to leade our firſt yeeres into timely deuotion. The firſt liquor ſeaſons the veſſell for a long time after: It is eueryevery way good for a man to beare Gods yoke, euen from his infancy: it is the poli…ie of the Deuill to diſcourage early holineſſe …he that goes out betimes in the morning, is more like to diſpatch his iourney, than he that lingers till the day be ſpent. This bleſſed Family came not to looke at the feaſt and be gone; but they duly ſtaid out all the appointed dayes of vnleauened bread▪ they and the reſt of Iſrael could not want houſhold buſineſſes at home; thoſe ſecular affaires could not either keepe them from repairing to Ieruſalem, or ſend them away immaturely; Worldly eares muſt giuegive place to the ſacred▪ Except wee will deport vnbleſſed; we muſt attend Gods ſeruices till we may receiue his diſmiſſion.

p. 1186It was the faſhion of thoſe times and places, that they went vp, and ſo returned by troupes, to thoſe ſet mee…ings of their holy feſtiuals. The whole Pariſh of Nazareth went and came together: Good fellowſhip doth no way ſo well, as in the paſſage to Heauen: much comfort is added by ſociety to that iourney, which is of it ſelfe pleaſant; It is an happy word, Come, let vsus goe vp to the Houſe of the Lord. Mutuall incouragement is none of the leaſt benefits of our holy aſſemblies: Many ſticks laid together, make a good fire, which if they lie ſingle, loſe both their light and heat.

The feaſt ended, what ſhould they doe but … to Nazareth? Gods ſeruices may not bee ſo attended, as that wee ſhould neglect our particular callings: Himſelfe cals vsus from his owne Houſe to ours, and takes pleaſure to ſee a painfull Client: They are fouly miſtaken, that thinke God cares for no other trade but deuotion: Piety and diligence muſt keepe meet changes with each other; neither doth God leſſe accept of our returne to Nazareth, than our going vp to Ieruſalem.

I cannot thinke that the bleſſed Virgine, or good Ioſeph, could be ſo negligent of their diuine charge, as not to call the childe Ieſus, to their ſetting forth from Ieruſalem: But their backe was no ſooner turned vponupon the Temple, than this face was towards it; he had buſineſſe in that place, when theirs was ended: there he was both worſhipped and repreſented: He, in whom the Godhead dwelt bodily, could doe nothing without God: his true Father led him away from his ſuppoſed: Sometimes the affaires of our ordinary vocation, may not grudge to yeeld vntounto ſpirituall occaſions: The Parents of Chriſt knew him well, to be of a diſpoſition, not ſtrange, nor ſullen and ſtoicall, but ſweet and ſociable: and therefore they ſuppoſed, he had ſpent the time and the way, in company of their friends and neighbours: They doe not ſuſpect him wandred into the ſolitary fields: but when euening came, they goe to ſeeke him among their kinsfolke and acquaintance. If hee had not wonted to conuerſe formerly with them, hee had not now beene ſought amongſt them: Neither as God, nor man, doth he take pleaſure in a ſterne froward auſterity, and wilde retiredneſſe: but in a milde affableneſſe, and amiable conuerſation.

But, O bleſſed Virgine, who can expreſſe the ſorrowes of they perplexed ſoule, when all that euening-ſearch could affoord thee no newes of thy Sonne Ieſus? Was not this one of thoſe ſwords of Simeon, which ſhould pierce thorow thy tender breaſt? How didſt thou chide thy credulous neglect, in not obſeruing ſo precious a charge, and blame thine eyes, for once looking beſide this obiect of thy louelove? How didſt thou, with thy carefull husband, ſpend that reſtleſſe night, in mutuall expoſtulations, and bemonings of your loſſe? How many ſuſpitious imaginations did that while racke thy greeued ſpirit? Perhaps thou mighteſt doubt, leſt they which laid for him, by Herods command, at his birth, had now by the ſecret inſtigation of Archelaus, ſurpriſed him in his childhood: or it may be, thou thoughtſt thy diuine Son had now withdrawne himſelfe from the earth, and returned to his heauenly Glory, without warning: or peraduenture, thou ſtudiedſt with thy ſelfe, whether any careleſneſſe on thy behalfe, had not giuen occaſion to this abſence.

O deare Sauiour, who can miſſe and not mourne for thee? Neuer any foule conceiued thee by faith, that was leſſe afflicted with the ſenſe of thy deſertion, than comforted with the ioy of thy preſence: Iuſt is that ſorrow, and thoſe teares ſeaſonable, that are beſtowed vponupon thy loſſe; What comfort are we capable of, whiles we want thee? What relliſh is there in theſe earthly delights without thee? What is there to mitigate our paſſion are diſcomforts, if not from thee? Let thy ſelfe looſe, O my ſoule, to the fulneſſe of ioy, and deny to receiue comfort from any thing, ſaue from his returne.

In vaine is Chriſt ſought among his kindred, according to the fleſh: So farre are they ſtill from giuing vsus their aid, to finde the true Meſsias, that they leade vsus from him: Backe againe therefore are Ioſeph and Mary gone, to ſeeke him at Ieruſalem: She goes about in the City, by the ſtreets and by the open places, & ſeekes him wh… her ſoule loueth: ſhe ſought him for the time; and found him not. Do we think ſhe ſpared her ſearch? p. 1187The euening of her returne, ſhe haſtes to the I…e, where ſhe had left him, where miſſing him, ſhe inquires of eueryevery one ſhe met, HaueHave you not ſeene him, whom my ſoule loueth? At laſt, the third day, ſhe findes him in the Temple: One day was ſpent in the iourney towards Galile; another in the returne to Ieruſalem: The third day recouers him: He, who would riſe againe the third day, and be found amongſt the liuing, now alſo would the third day be found of his Parents, after the ſorrow of his abſence. But where wert thou, O bleſſed Ieſu, for the ſpace of theſe three dayes? where didſt thou beſtow thy ſelfe, or who tended thee, whiles thou wert thus alone at Ieruſalem? I know, if Ieruſalem ſhould hauehave beene as vnkinde to thee as Bethleem; thou couldſt hauehave commanded the Heauens to harbour thee, and if men did not miniſter to thee, thou couldeſt hauehave commanded the ſeruice of Angels; but ſince the forme of a ſeruant called thee to a voluntary homlineſſe, whether it pleaſed thee to exerciſe thy ſelfe thus early with the difficulties of a ſtranger, or to prouide miraculouſly for thy ſelfe; I inquire not, ſince thou reuealeſt not; onelyonly this I know, that hereby thou intendedſt to teach thy Parents, that thou couldeſt liue without them, and that not of any indigency, but out of a gracious diſpenſation, thou wouldſt ordinarily depend vponupon their care.

In the meane time, thy diuine wiſdome could not but fore-know all theſe corroding thoughts, wherewith the heart of thy deare mother muſt needes bleed, through this ſudden dereliction; yet wouldeſt thou leaue her for the time to her ſorrow: Euen ſo, O Sauiour, thou thoughteſt fit to viſit her, that bore thee with this early affliction; Neuer any loued thee, whom thou doeſt not ſometimes exerciſe with the griefe of miſſing thee, that both we may be more carefull to hold thee, and more ioyfull in recouering thee. Thou haſt ſaid, and canſt not lie, I am with you to the end of the world: but euen whiles thou art really preſent; thou thinkeſt good to be abſent vntounto our apprehenſions: yet if thou leaue vsus, thou wilt not forſake vsus; if thou leaue vsus for our humiliation, thou wilt not forſake vsus to our finall diſcomfort; thou mayeſt for three dayes hide thy ſelfe, but then we ſhall finde thee in the Temple; None euer ſought thee with a ſincere deſire, of whom thou wert not found: Thou wilt not be either ſo little abſent, as not to whet our appetites, nor ſo long, as to fainten the heart. After three dayes wee ſhall finde thee; and where ſhould we rather hope to finde thee than in the Temple? There is the habitation for the God of Iſrael, there is thy reſting place for euer; Oh all ye that are grieued with the want of your Sauiour, ſee where you muſt ſeeke him: In vaine ſhall ye hope to finde him in the ſtreets, in the Tauernes, in the Theaters: ſeeke him in his holy Temple: Seeke him with piety, ſeeke him with faith, there ſhall ye meet him, there ſhall ye recouer him. Whiles children of that age were playing in the ſtreets, Chriſt was found fitting in the Temple, not to gaze on the outward glory of that houſe, or on the golden Candleſtickes, or Tables, but to heare and appoſe the Doctors; He, who as God, gaue them all the wiſdome they had, as the Sonne of man hearkens to the wiſdome he had giuen them: He, who ſate in their hearts, as the Author of all learning and knowledge, ſits in the midſt of their ſchoole, as an humble Diſciple: That by learning of them, he might teach all the younger ſort humility, and due attendance vponupon their Inſtructours, hee could at the firſt hauehave taught the great Rabbins of Iſrael the deepe myſteries of God; but becauſe he was not yet called by his Father, to the publique function of a Feather, he contents himſelfe to heare with diligence, and to aske with modeſty, and to ſearch onelyonly by inſinuation. Let …hoſe conſider this, which will needes run as ſoone as they can goe: and when they finde ability, thinke they need not ſtay for a further vocation of God or men. Open your eyes, ye rathe ripe inuaders of Gods Chaire: and ſee your Sauiour in his yonger yeeres, not ſitting in the eminent pulpits of the Doctors, but in the lowly floores of the Auditors: See him that could hauehave taught the Angels, liſtning in his minority to the voice of men; Who can thinke much to learne of his Ancients, when he lookes vponupon the Sonne of God, ſitting at the feet of the Doctors of Iſrael? Firſt he heares, then he askes: how much more doth it concerne vsus to be hearers, ere we offer to be teachers of others? he gathers that heares, he ſpends that teacheth; if we ſpend before we gather, we ſhall ſoone proue bankrupts.

p. 1188When he hath heard, he askes; and after that, he anſwers: doubtleſſe thoſe very queſtions were inſtructions, and meant to teach more than to learne: Neuer had theſe great Rabbins heard the voyce of ſuch a tutor: in whom they might ſee the wiſdome of God ſo concealing it ſelfe, that yet it would be knowne to be there: No maruell then if they all wondred at his vnderſtanding and anſwers: Their eyes ſaw nothing but humane weakneſſe, their eares heard diuine ſublimity of matter; betwixt what they ſaw, and what they heard, they could not but be diſtracted with a doubting admiration. And why did yee not (O ye Iewiſh teachers) remember, That to vsus a Childe is borne, and vntounto vsus a Sonne is giuen, and the gouernment is vponupon his ſhoulder, and his name ſhall bee called Wonderfull, Counſeller, the mighty God, the euerlaſting Father, the Prince of peace? Why did ye not now bethinke your ſelues, what the Star, the Sages, the Angels, the Shepherds, Zachary, Simeon, Anna, had premoniſhed you? Fruitleſſe is the wonder that endeth not in faith; No light is ſufficient where the eyes are held through vnbeliefe or preiudice.

The Doctors were not more amazed to heare ſo profound a childhood, than the parents of Chriſt were to ſee him among the Doctors; the ioy of finding him, did ſtriue with the aſtoniſhment of finding him thus: And now, not Ioſeph, (he knew how little right he had to that diuine Sonne) but Mary breakes forth into a louing expoſtulation (Sonne, why haſt thou dealt ſo with vsus?) that ſhe might not ſeeme to take vponupon her as an imperious Mother; it is like ſhe reſerued this queſtion till ſhe had him alone▪ wherein ſhe meant rather to expreſſe griefe than correption. OnelyOnly herein the bleſſed Virgin offended, that her inconſideration did not ſuppoſe (as it was) that ſome higher reſpects, than could be due to fleſh and bloud, called away the Sonne of God from her, that was the daughter of man: She that was but elſe mother of humanity; ſhould not hauehave thought that the buſineſſe of God muſt for her ſake be neglected: We are all partiall to our ſelues naturally, and prone to the regard of our owne rights; queſtionleſſe this gracious Saint would not for all the world, hauehave willingly preferd her owne attendance, to that of her God: through heedleſneſſes ſhe doth ſo: her sonne and Sauiour is her monitor, out of his diuine louelove reforming her naturall: How is it that yee ſought mee? Knew yee not that I muſt goe about my Fathers buſineſſe? Immediately before the bleſſed Virgin had ſaid, Thy father and I ſought thee with heauy hearts: Wherein both according to the ſuppoſition of the world, ſhe called Ioſeph the Father of Chriſt, and according to the faſhion of a dutifull wife, ſhe names her Ioſeph, before her ſelfe. She well knew that Ioſeph had nothing but a name in this buſineſſe, ſhe knew how God had dignified her beyond him; yet ſhe ſayes: Thy father and I ſought thee; The Sonne of God stands not vponupon contradiction to his mother, but leading her thoughts from his ſuppoſed father, to his true; from earth to heauen, he anſwers, (Knew yee not that I muſt goe about my Fathers buſineſſes) It was honor enough to her, that he had vouchſafed to take fleſh of her; It was his eternall honour, that hee was God of God, the euerlaſting Sonne of the heauenly Father: good reaſon therefore was it, that the reſpects to fleſh ſhould giuegive place to the God of Spirits: How well contented was holy Mary with ſo iuſt an anſwer? how doth ſhe now againe in her heart, renew her anſwer to the Angels, Behold the ſeruant of the Lord, be it according to thy word?

Wee are all the Sonnes of God in another kinde. Nature and the world thinkes wee ſhould attend them; we are not worthy to ſay, we hauehave a Father in heauen, if we cannot ſteale away from theſe earthly diſtractions, and imploy our-ſelues in the ſeruices of our God.

p. 1189Chriſts Baptiſme.

IOhn did eueryevery way foren…e Chriſt, not ſo much in the time of his Birth, as in his office; neither was there more vnlikeneſſe in their diſpoſition and carriage, that ſimilitude in their function; both did preach and baptize; only Iohn baptized by himſelf, our Sauiour by his Diſciples; our Sauiour wrought miracles by himſelfe, by his Diſciples; Iohn wrought none by either; Wherein Chriſt meant to ſhew himſelfe a Lord, and Iohn a ſeruant; and Iohn meant to approue himſelf a true ſeruant to him, whoſe harbinger he was; hee that leapt in the wombe of his mother, when his Sauiour (then newly conceiued) came in preſence, beſtird himſelfe, when he was brought forth into the light of the Church, to the honor and ſeruice of his Sauiour: hee did the ſame before Chriſt, which Chriſt charged his Diſciples to doe after him, Preach and Baptize. The Goſpell ran alwayes in one tenor, and was neuer but like it ſelfe; So it became the Word of him in whom there is no ſhadow by turning, and whoſe Word it is, I am Iehoua, I change not.

It was fit, that he which had the Prophets, the ſtarre, the Angels to foretell his comming into the world; ſhould hauehave his Vſher to goe before him, when he would notifie himſelfe to the world: Iohn was the Voyce of a Cryer: Chriſt was the Word of his Father, it was fit this Voyce ſhould make a noyſe to the world, ere the Word of the Father ſhould ſpeake to it; Iohns note was ſtill Repentance; The Axe to the root, the Fan to the floore, the Chaffe to the fire; as his raiment was rough, ſo was his tongue; and if his foode were wilde Hony, his ſpeech was ſtinging Locuſts: Thus muſt the way be made for Chriſt in eueryevery heart: Plauſibility is no fit preface to regeneration: if the heart of man had continued vpright, God might hauehave beene intertained without contradiction; but now violence muſt be offered to our corruption, ere we can hauehave roome for grace; if the great Way-maker doe not caſt downe hills, and raiſe vp valleys in the boſomes of men, there is no paſſage for Chriſt; neuer will Chriſt come into that ſoule, where the Herald of repentance hath not beene before him.

That Sauiour of ou…s, who from eternity lay hid in the Counſaile of God, who in the fulnes of time ſo came, that hee lay hid in the wombe of his mother, for the ſpace of forty weekes; after he was come, thought fit to lye hid in Nazareth, for the ſpace of thirty yeeres, now at laſt begins to ſhew himſelfe to the world, and comes from Galile to Iordan. He that was God alwayes, and mought hauehave bin perfect man in an inſtant, would by degrees riſe to the perfection both of his Manhood, and execution of his mediator-ſhip; to teach vsus, the neceſſity of leaſure in ſpirituall proceedings; that many Suns, and ſucceſſions of ſeasons and meanes muſt be ſtayed for, ere we can attaine our maturity; and that when we are ripe for the imployments of God, we ſhould no leſſe willingly leaue our obſcurity, than we took the benefit of it for our preparation. He that was formerly circumciſed would now bee baptized; what is Baptiſme, but an Euangelicall circumciſion? What was circumciſion, but a legall baptiſme? One both ſupplyed and ſucceeded the other; yet the Author of both will vndergoe both; He would be circumciſed, to ſanctifie his Church that was, and baptized, to ſanctifie his Church that ſhould be; that ſo in both Teſtaments he might open a way into heauen. There was in him neither filthineſſe, nor foreskin of corruption, that ſhould need either knife, or water; He came not to be a Sauiour for himſelfe, but for vsus: we are all vncleanneſſe, and vncircumciſion: he would therefore hauehave that done to his moſt pure body, which ſhould be of force to cleare our impure ſoules; thus making himſelfe ſinne for vsus, that we might be made the righteouſnes of God in him.

His baptiſme giues vertue to ours. His laſt action (or rather paſſion) was his baptizing with bloud; his firſt was his baptization with water; both of them waſh the world from their ſins. Yea, this latter did not only waſh the ſoules of men, but waſheth that p. 1190very water, by which we are waſhed; from hence is that made both cleane and holy, and can both cleanſe and hallow vsus; And if the very handkerchiefe which touched his Apoſtles, had power of cure, how much more that Water, which the ſacred body of Chriſt touched? Chriſt comes farre, to ſeeke his baptiſme: to teach vsus (for whoſe ſake hee was baptized) to wait vponupon the ordinances of God, and to ſue for the fauour of ſpirituall bleſſings; They are worthleſſe commodities, that are not worth ſeeking for, it is rarely ſeene, that God is found of any man vnſought for: that deſire which onelyonly makes vsus capable of good things, cannot ſtand with neglect.

Iohn durſt not baptize vnbidden: his Maſter ſent him to doe this ſeruice, and behold, the Maſter comes to his ſeruant, to call for the participation of that priuiledge, which he himſelfe had inſtituted, and enioyned; how willingly ſhould wee come to our ſpirituall Superiours, for our part in thoſe myſteries, which God hath left in their keeping; yea, how gladly ſhould we come to that Chriſt, who giues vsus theſe bleſſings, who is giuen to vsus in them!

This ſeemed too great an honor for the modeſty of Iohn to receiue; If his mother could ſay, when her bleſſed couſin the Virgin Mary came to viſit her (Whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord ſhould come to me?) how much more might he ſay ſo, when the diuine Sonne of that mother came to call for a fauour from him? I hauehave need to be baptized of thee, and commeſt thou to me? O holy Baptiſt, if there were not a greater borne of women than thou; yet thou couldeſt not bee borne of a woman, and not need to be baptized of thy Sauiour. Hee baptized with fire, thou with water; Little would thy water hauehave auailed thee without his fire: If he had not baptized thee, how wert thou ſanctified from the wombe? There can be no fleſh without filthineſſe; neither thy ſupernaturall conception, nor thy auſtere life could exempt thee from the need of baptiſme: Euen thoſe, that hauehave not liued to ſinne after the ſimilitude of Adam, yet are they ſo tainted with Adam, that vnleſſe the ſecond Adam clenſe them by his baptiſme, they are hopeleſſe; There is no leſſe vſe of baptiſme vntounto all, than there holy a man is, the more ſenſible hee is of his vnholineſſe; No carnall man could hauehave ſaid (I hauehave neede to be baptized of thee;) neither can he finde, what hee is the better for a little Font-water. The ſence of our wretchedneſſe, and the valuation of our ſpirituall helps, is the beſt tryall of our regeneration: Our Sauiour doth not deny, that either Iohn hath need to be baptized of him, or that it is ſtrange, that he ſhould come to be baptized of Iohn, but he will needs thus farre both honor Iohn, and diſparage himſelfe, to be baptized of his Meſſenger; hee that would take fleſh of the Virgin, cducation from his Parents, ſuſtenance from his creatures, will take baptiſme from Iohn: It is the prayſe of his mercy, that he will ſtoope ſo low, as to bee beholden to his creatures, which from him receiue their being and power, both to take and giuegive.

Yet not ſo much reſpect to Iohn, as obedience to his Father, drew him to this point of humiliation, (Thus it behoues vsus to fulfill all righteouſnes.) The Counſels & Appointments of God, are righteouſneſſe it ſelfe; There needs no other motiue, either to the ſeruant, or the Son, than the knowledge of thoſe righteous purpoſes. This was enough to leade a faithful man thorow all difficulties and inconueniences; neither will it admit of any reply, or any demurre: Iohn yeeldeth to this honor, which his Sauiour puts vponupon him, in giuing baptiſme to the Author of it: Hee baptized others to the remiſſion of their ſinnes: now hee baptizes him, by whom they are remitted both to the Baptizer, and to others.

No ſooner is Chriſt baptized, than hee comes forth of the water: The element is of force, but during the vſe: It turnes common, when that is paſt, neither is the water ſooner powred on his head, than the Heauens are opened, and the Holy Ghoſt deſcendeth vponupon that Head which was baptized: The Heauens are neuer ſhut, whiles either of the Sacraments is duly adminiſtred, and receiued: neither doe the Heauens euer thus open, without the deſcent of the Holy Ghoſt: But now that the God of Heauen is baptized, they open vntounto him, which are opened to all the faithfull by him: and that p. 1191Holy Ghoſt which proceeded from him, together with the Father, ioynes with the Father in a ſenſible teſtimony of him; that now the world might ſee what intereſt he had in the Heauens, in the Father, in the holy Spirit, and might expect nothing but diuine from the entrance of ſuch a Mediator.

Chriſt tempted.

NO ſooner is Chriſt comne out of the water of Baptiſme, than he enters into the fire of tentation: No ſooner is the holy Spirit deſcended vponupon his head, in the forme of a Doue, than he is led by the Spirit to be tempted. No ſooner doth God ſay, (This is my Sonne) than Satan ſayes, (If thou be the Some of GOd.) It is not in the power, either of the gift or ſeales of Grace, to deliuer vsus from the aſſaults of Satan; they may hauehave the force to repell euill ſuggeſtions, they hauehave none to preuent them; yea, the more we are ingaged vntounto God by our publike vowes, and his pledges of fauour, ſo much more buſie and violent is the rage of that euill one, to encounter vsus; We are no ſooner ſtept forth into the field of God, than he labours to wreſt our weapons out of our hands, or to turne them againſt vsus.

The voyce from Heauen acknowledged Chriſt to be the Sonne of God; this diuine Teſtimony did not allay the malice of Satan, but exaſperate it: Now that venomous Serpent ſwels with inward poiſon, and haſtes to aſſaile him, whom God hath hounoured from Heauen. O God, how ſhould I looke to eſcape the ſuggeſtions of that wicked one, when the Sonne of thy louelove cannot be free? when euen grace it ſelfe drawes on enmity? That enemy, that ſpared not to ſtrike at the Head, will he forbeare the weakeſt and remoteſt limme? Arme thou me therefore, with an expectation of that euill I cannot auoid; Make thou me as ſtrong, as he is malicious; Say to my ſoule alſo (Thou art my Sonne) and let Satan doe his worſt.

All the time of our Sauiours obſcurity I doe not finde him ſet vponupon; Now, that he lookes forth to the publike execution of his diuine Office, Satan bends his forces againſt him: Our priuacy, perhaps, may ſit downe in peace, but neuer man did endeuour a common good without oppoſition. It is a ſigne, that both the worke is holy, and the Agent faithfull, when we meet with ſtrong affronts.

We hauehave reaſon to be comforted with nothing ſo much, as with reſiſtance; If wee were not in a way to doe good, we ſhould finde no rubs; Satan hath no cauſe to moleſt his owne, and that whiles they goe about his owne ſeruice; He deſires nothing more, than to make vsus ſmooth paths to ſinne; but when we would turne our feet to holineſſe, he blocks vp the way with tentations.

Who can wonder enough at the ſawcineſſe of that bold ſpirit, that dares to ſet vponupon the Sonne of the euerliuing God? who can wonder enough at thy meekneſſe and patience, O Sauiour, that wouldſt be tempted? He wanted not malice and preſumption to aſſault thee; thou wantedſt not humility to endure thoſe aſſaults. I ſhould ſtand amazed at this voluntary diſpenſation of thine, but that I ſee the ſuſception of our humane nature, laies thee open to this condition. It is neceſſarily incident to manhood to be liable to tentations; Thou wouldeſt not hauehave put on fleſh, if thou hadſt meant vtterly to put off this conſequence of our infirmity: If the ſtate of innocence could hauehave beene any defence againſt euill motions, the firſt Adam had not beene tempted, much leſſe the ſecond. It is not the preſenting of tentations that can hurt vsus, but their entertainment. Ill counſell is the fault of the Giuer, not of the Refuſer; We cannot forbid lewd eyes to looke in at our windowes, we may ſhut our doores againſt their entrance; It is no leſſe our praiſe to hauehave reſiſted, than Satans blame to ſuggeſt euill. Yea, O bleſſed Sauiour, how glorious was it for thee, how happy for vsus, that thou were tempted? Had not Satan p. 1192tempted thee, how ſhouldeſt thou hauehave ouercome? Without blowes there can be no victory, no triumph: How had thy power beene manifeſted, if no aduerſary had tried thee? The firſt Adam was tempted and vanquiſhed; the ſecond Adam, to repay and repaire that foile, doth vanquiſh in being tempted. Now hauehave we not a Sauiour, and High Prieſt, that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but ſuch an one, as was in all things tempted in like ſort, yet without ſinne; how boldly therefore may we goe vntounto the Throne of grace, that we may receiue mercy, and finde grace of helpe in time of need? Yea, this Duell was for vsus; Now we ſee by this conflict of our Almighty Champion, what manner of Aduerſary we hauehave, how he fights, how he is reſiſted, how ouercomne. Now our very temptation affords vsus comfort, in that we ſee, the dearer we are vntounto God, the more obnoxious we are to this triall; neither can we be diſcouraged by the hainouſneſſe of thoſe euils, whereto wee are moued, ſince wee ſee the Sonne of God ſolicited to infidelity, couetouſneſſe, idolatry; How glorious therefore was it for thee, O Sauiour, how happy for vsus that thou were tempted?

Where then waſt thou tempted, O bleſſed Ieſu; or whither wenteſt thou to meet with our great aduerſary? I doe not ſee thee led into the market-place, or any other part of the city, or thy home-ſted of Nazareth, but into the vaſt wilderneſſe, the habitation of beaſts; a place that carrieth in it, both horror and opportunity; why wouldſt thou thus retire thy ſelfe from men? but as confident Champions are wont to giuegive aduantage of ground or weapon, to their Antagoniſt, that the glory of their victory may be the greater: So wouldeſt thou, O Sauiour, in this conflict with our common enemy, yeeld him his owne termes for circumſtances, that thine honour and his foile may be the more. Solitarineſſe is no ſmall helpe to the ſpeed of a tentation: Woe to him that is alone, for if he fall, there is not a ſecond to lift him vp. Thoſe that out of an affectation of holineſſe ſeeke for ſolitude in rocks and caues of the deſerts, doe no other than run into the mouth of the danger of tentation, whiles they thinke to auoid it. It was enough for thee, to whoſe diuine power the gates of hell were weakneſſe, thus to challenge the Prince of darkneſſe; Our care muſt be alwaies to eſchew all occaſions of ſpirituall danger; and (what we may) to get vsus out of the reach of tentations.

But, O the depth of the Wiſdome of God! How cameſt thou, O Sauiour, to be thus tempted? That Spirit whereby thou waſt conceiued, as man, and which was one with thee and the Father, as God, led thee into the wilderneſſe to bee tempted of Satan; Whiles thou taughteſt vsus to pray to thy Father, Leade vsus not temptation, thou meanteſt to inſtruct vsus, that if the ſame Spirit led vsus not into this perilous way, we goe not into it; Wee hauehave ſtill the ſame conduct; Let the path bee what it will, how can wee miſcarry in the hand of a Father? Now may wee ſay to Satan, as thou didſt vntounto Pilate; Thou couldſt hauehave no power ouer me, except it were giuen thee from aboue; The Spirit led thee, it did not driue thee; here was a ſweet inuitation, no compulſion of violence. So abſolutely conformable was thy will to thy Deity, as if both thy natures had but one volition; In this firſt draught of thy bitter potion, thy ſoule ſaid in a reall ſubiection, Not may will, but thy will be done. We imitate thee, O Sauiour, though we cannot reach to thee; All thine are led by thy Spirit; Oh teach vsus to forget that we hauehave wils of our owne. The Spirit led thee; thine inuincibie ſtrength did not animate thee into this combat vncalled. What do we weaklings ſo far preſume vponupon our abilities, or ſucceſſe, as that we dare thruſt our ſelues vponupon temptations vnbidden, vnwarranted? Who can pitty the ſhipwracke of thoſe Marriners, which will needes put forth, and hoiſe ſailes in a tempeſt?

Forty dayes did our Sauiour ſpend in the wilderneſſe, faſting, and ſolitary, all which time was worne out in temptation; how euer the laſt brunt, becauſe it was moſt violent, is onelyonly expreſſed; Now could not the aduerſary complaine of diſaduantage, whiles he had the full ſcope both of time and place to doe his worſt; And why did it pleaſe thee, O Sauiour, to faſt forty dayes, and forty nights; vnleſſe as Moſes faſted forty dayes at the deliuery of the Law, and Elias at the reſtitution of the Law; So thou thoughteſt fit at the accompliſhment of the Law, and the promulgation of p. 1193the Goſpel to fulfil the time of both theſe Types of thine, Wherein thou intendeſt our wonder, not our imitation; Not our imitation of the time, though of the act. Here were no faulty deſires of the fleſh, in thee to be tamed, no poſſibility of a freer & more eaſie aſſent of the ſoule to God, that could bee affected of thee, who waſt perfectly vnited vntounto God; but as for vsus thou wouldſt ſuffer death, ſo for vsus thou wouldſt ſuffer hunger; that we might learne by faſting, to prepare our ſelues for tentations: In faſting ſo long thou intendeſt the manifeſtation of thy power; in faſting no longer, the truth of thy man-hood; Moſes & Elias, through the miraculous ſuſtentation of God, faſted ſo long, without any queſtion made of the truth of their bodies; So long therefore thou thoughteſt good to faſt, as by the reaſon of theſe precedents, might be without preiudice of thine humanitie; which if it ſhould hauehave pleaſed thee to ſupport, as thou couldeſt without meanes, thy very power might hauehave opened the mouth of cauils againſt the veritie of thine humane nature; That thou mighteſt therefore well approue, that there was no difference betwixt thee and vsus, but ſinne, thou that couldſt hauehave faſted without hunger, and liued without meat, wouldſt both feed, and faſt, and hunger.

Who can bee diſcouraged with the ſcantineſſe of friends, or bodily prouiſions, when hee ſees his Sauiour thus long deſtitute of all earthly comforts, both of Societie and ſuſtenance. Oh the policie and malice of that olde Serpent, when hee ſees Chriſt bewray ſome infirmitie of nature in being hungry, then hee layes ſoreſt at him by temptations; His eye was neuer off from our Sauiour, all the time of his ſequeſtration; and now that hee thinkes he eſpyes any one part to lye open, hee driues at it with all his might; We hauehave to doe with an Aduerſary, no leſſe vigilant than malicious, who will bee ſure to watch all opportunities of our miſchiefe, and where hee ſees any aduantage of weakneſſe, will not neglect it. How ſhould wee ſtand vponupon our guard for preuention; that both wee many not giuegive him occaſions of our hurt, nor take hurt by thoſe we hauehave giuen.

When our Sauiour was hungrie, Satan tempts him in matter of food; not then, of wealth or glorie; He well knowes both what baits, to fiſh withall, and when, and how to lay them; How ſafe and happie ſhall we be, if we ſhall bend our greateſt care where we diſcerne the moſt danger?

In eueryevery temptation there is an appearance of good; whether of the bodie; of minde, or eſtate; The firſt is the luſt of the fleſh, in any carnall deſire; the ſecond the pride of heart, and life; the third the luſt of the eyes; To all theſe, the firſt Adam is tempted, and in all miſcarryed; the ſecond Adam is tempted to them all, and ouercommeth; The firſt man was tempted, to carnall appetite by the forbidden fruite; to pride by the ſuggeſtion of being as God; To couetouſneſſe, in the ambitious deſire of knowing good and euill; Satan hauing found all the motions ſo ſucceſſfull with the firſt Adam in his innocent eſtate, will now tread the ſame ſteppes in his temptations of the ſecond; The ſtones muſt be made bread; there is the motion to a carnall appetite; The guard and attendance of Angels muſt bee preſumed on, there is a motion to pride; The Kingdomes of the Earth, and glory of them muſt be offered, there to couetouſneſſe and ambition.

Sathan could not but hauehave heard God ſay This is my welbeloued sonne, hee had heard the Meſſage and the Caroll of the Angels; he ſaw the Starre, and the iourney, and Offerings, of the Sages, hee could not but take notice of the gratulations of Zachary, Simeon, Anna; hee well knew the Predictions of the Prophets; yet now that hee ſaw Chriſt …ſ…ting with hunger, as not comprehending how infirmities could conſiſt with a God-head, hee can ſay, (If thou bee the Sonne of God;) Had not Sathan knowne that the Sonne of God was to come into the World, he had neuer ſaid (If thou be the Sonne of God.) His very ſuppoſition conuinces him; The ground of his temptation, anſwers itſelfe; If therefore Chriſt ſeemed to bee a meere man, becauſe after fortie dayes hee was hungry, why was hee not confeſſed more than a man, in that for fortie dayes hee hungred not? The motiue of the temptation is worſe than the p. 1194motion, (If thou bee the Sonne of God) Sathan could not chooſe another ſuggeſtion of ſo great importance. All the worke of our Redemption, of our Saluation, depends vponupon this one Truth, Chriſt is the Sonne of God; How ſhould hee elſe hauehave ranſomed the World, how ſhould hee hauehave done, how ſhould hee hauehave ſuffered that, which was ſatisfactory to his Fathers wrath? How ſhould his actions, or paſſion bin valuable to the ſinnes of all the World? What maruell is it if wee that are ſonnes by Adoption, bee aſſaulted with the doubts of our intereſt in God, when the naturall Sonne, the Sonne of his Eſſence is thus tempted? Since all our comfort conſiſts in this point, heere muſt needes bee laid the chiefe battery; and heere muſt bee placed our ſtrongeſt defence.

To turne ſtones into bread, had bin no more faultie in it ſelfe, than to turne Water into Wine; But to doe this in a diſtruſt of his Fathers Prouidence, to abuſe his power and libertie in doing it, to worke a miracle of Sathans choice, had beene diſagreeable to the Sonne of God: There is nothing more ordinary with our ſpirituall enemie, than by occaſion of want to moue vsus to vnwarrantable courſes; Thou art poore, ſteale; Thou canſt not riſe by honeſt meanes, vſe indirect; How eaſie had it beene for our Sauiour, to hauehave confounded Sathan by the power of his God-head? But hee rather chuſes to vanquiſh him by the Sword of the Spirit, that hee might teach vsus how to reſiſt and ouercome the powers of darkneſſe? If hee had ſubdued Sathan by the Almighty power of the Deitie, wee might hauehave had what to wonder at, not what to imitate; now hee vſeth that weapon, which may be familiar vntounto vsus, that hee may teach our weakneſſe how to bee victorious; Nothing in Heauen or Earth can beate the forces of Hell, but the Word of God; How carefully ſhould wee furniſh our ſelues with this powerfull munition; how ſhould our hearts and mouthes bee full of it? Teach mee, O Lord, the way of thy Statutes; O take not from mee the words of Truth; Let them bee my Songs in the houſe of my pilgrimage; So ſhall I make anſwere to my Blaſphemers. What needed Chriſt to hauehave anſwered Sathan at all, if it had not beene to teach vsus, that temptations muſt not hauehave their way; but muſt be anſwered by reſiſtance; and reſiſted by the Word.

I doe not heare our Sauiour auerre himſelfe to be a God; againſt the blaſphemous inſinuation of Sathan; neyther doe I ſee him working this miraculous Conuerſion, to proue himſelfe the Sonne of God; but moſt wiſely hee takes away the ground of the temptation; Sathan had taken it for granted, that man cannot bee ſuſtayned without bread; and therefore inferres the neceſſitie of making bread of ſtones; Our Sauiour ſhewes him from an infallible Word, that hee had miſlayed his ſuggeſtion; That man liues not by vſuall food only, but by eueryevery word that proceedeth from the mouth of God; Hee can either ſuſtaine without bread, as hee did Moſes and Elias, or with a miraculous bread, as the Iſraelites with Manna, or ſend ordinary meanes miraculouſly, as food to his Prophet by the Rauens, or miraculouſly multiply ordinary meanes, as the Meale and Oyle to the Sareptan Widdow: All things are ſuſtayned by his Almighty Word: Indeed wee liue by food, but not by any vertue that is without God; without the incurrence of whoſe Prouidence, bread would rather choke, than nouriſh vsus; Let him withdraw his hand from his creature, in their greateſt abundance wee periſh; Why doe we therefore bend our eyes on the meanes, and not looke vp to the hand that giues the bleſſing?

What ſo neceſary dependance hath the bleſſing vponupon the creature, if our Prayers hold them not together; As wee may not neglect the meanes, ſo wee may not neglect the procurement of a bleſſing vponupon the meanes, nor bee vnthankfull to the hand that hath giuen the bleſſing.

In the firſt aſſault Sathan moues Chriſt to doubt of his Fathers Prouidence, and to vſe vnlawfull meanes to help himſelfe: in the next, hee moues him to preſume vponupon his Fathers protection, and the ſeruice of his bleſſed Angels; Hee grounds the firſt vponupon a conceit of want, the next of abundance; If hee be in extreames, it is all to one end, to miſleade vntounto euill: If wee cannot be driuen drowne to deſpayre, he labours p. 1195to lift vsus vp to preſumption; It is no one foyle … put this bold ſpirit out of countenance: Temptations like waues; breake one in the …eke of another▪ Whil… wee are in this warfare, wee muſt make account, that the repulſe of one temptation doth but more to another.

That bleſſed Sauiour of ours; that was content to bee led from: Iordan into the Wilderneſſe, for the aduantage of the firſt temptation, yeelds to bee … from the Wilderneſſe to Ieruſalem, for the aduantage of the ſecond, The place doth not a little auayle to the act, The Wilderneſſe was fit for a temptation, ari… from want, it was not fit for a temptation mouing to vain-glory. The populous Citie was the fitteſt for ſuch a motion; Ieruſalem was the glory of the World, the Temple was the glory of Ieruſalem, the Pinacles, the higheſt peace of the Pinacle, there is Chriſt content to be ſet for the opportunitie of tentation: O Sauiour of men; how can wee wonder enough at this humilitie of thine, that thou worthleſs ſo f…rre abaſ… thy ſelfe, as to ſuffer thy pure and ſacred Body to bee tranſported by the preſumptuous and malicious hand of that vncleane ſpirit? It was not his power, it was thy patience, that deſerues our admiration, Neyther can this ſeeme … ſtrange to vsus, when wee conſider, that if Sathan bee the head of wicked men, wicked men … the members of Sathan; What was Pilate, or the Iewes that perſecuted thine innocence, but limmes of this Deuill? and why are wee then amazed, to ſee thee touched, and locally tranſported by the head, whe wee ſee thee yeelding thy ſelfe ouer, to bee crucified by the members? If Sathan did the worke and greater mediately by their hands, no maruell if hee doe the leſſe and eaſier, immediately by his owne, yet neyther of them without thy voluntary diſpenſation. Hee could not … looked n… thee, without thee; And if the Sonne of God, did thus ſuffer his owne holy and precious Bodie, to bee carryed by Sathan, what wonder is it; if that Enemie hauehave ſometimes power giuen him, ouer the ſinnefull bodies of the adopted Sonnes of God? It is not the ſtrength of faith that can ſecure vsus from the outward violences of that euill one. This difference I finde betwixt his ſpirituall and bodily aſſaults: thoſe are beaten backe by the ſhield of faith, there aduiſe not of ſuch repulſe; As the beſt man may bee lame, blinde, diſeaſed, ſo through the permiſſion of God, hee may bee bodily vexed by an old Ma…yer; Grace was neuer giuen vsus for a Target againſt externall afflictions.

Mee thinkes, I ſee Chriſt, hoyſed vponupon the higheſt Battlements of the Temple whoſe very roofe was an hundred and thirty Cubits high; and Sathan ſtanding by him with this ſpeech in his mouth, Well then, ſince in the matter of nouriſhments thou will needs depend vponupon thy Fathers Prouidence, that hee can without meanes ſuſtaine thee, take now further trial of that Prouidence, in thy miraculous preſeruation; Caſt thy ſelfe downe from this height, Behold, thou art hereiin Ieruſalem, the famous and holy Citie of the World; here thou art on the top of the pinacle of that Temple, which is dedicated to thy Father, and, if thou bee God, to thy ſelfe▪ the eyes of all men, are now fixt vponupon thee, there cannot bee deuiſed a more ready way to ſpred thy glory, and to proclaime thy Deitie, than by caſting thy ſelfe head long to the Earth. All the World will ſay, there is more in thee, than a man; and for danger, there can bee none; What can hurt him, that is the Sonne of God? and wherefore ſerues that glorious Guard of Angels, which hauehave by diuine Commiſſion, taken vponupon them the charge of thine humanity? ſince therefore in contract, them mayeſt bee both ſafe, and celebrated, truſt thy Father, and thoſe thy ſeruiceable ſpirits with thine aſſured preſeruation, Caſt thy ſelfe downe. And why didſt thou not, O thou malignant ſpirit, endeuour to caſt downe my Sauiour, by thoſe ſame preſumptuous hands, that brought him vp, ſince the deſcent is more eaſie than the rayſing vp? was it for that, it had not beene ſo great an aduantage to thee, that hee ſhould fall by thy meanes, as by his owne falling into ſinne, was more than to fall from the pinacle; ſtill thy care and ſuite is, to make vsus An… to our ſelues of euill, thou gaineſt nothing by our bodily hurt, if the ſoule bee ſafe: Or was it rather for p. 1194that, thou couldſt not? I doubt not, but thy malice, could as well hauehave ſerued, to hauehave offered this meaſure to himſelfe, as to his holy Apoſtle ſoone after, but hee that bounded thy power, tether'd thee ſhorter; Thou couldſt not, thou canſt not doe what thou wouldſt. He that would permit thee to carrie him vp, binds thy hands from caſting him downe: And woe were it for vsus if thou wer… not euer ſtinted.

Why did Satan carry vp Chriſt ſo high, but on purpoſe, that his fall might bee the more deadly; ſo deales hee ſtill with vsus, he exalts vsus, that wee may bee dangerouſly abaſed; Hee puffs them vp with ſwelling thoughts of their owne worthineſſe, that they may bee vile in the eyes of God, and fall into condemnation: It is the manner of God, to caſt downe, that hee may raiſe, to abaſe that hee may exalt; Contrarily, Satan raiſes vp, that he may throw downe, and intends nothing but our deiection, in our aduancement.

Height of place giues opportunity of tentation: Thus buſie is that wicked one, in working againſt the members of Chriſt. If any of them bee in eminence aboue others, thoſe hee labours moſt to ruinate; They had need to ſtand faſt, that ſtand high; Both there is more danger of their falling, and more hurt in their fall.

Hee that had preſumed thus farre, to tempt the Lord of Life, would faine now draw him alſo to preſume vponupon his Deitie; If thou bee the Sonne of God, caſt thy ſelfe downe. There is not a more tryed ſhaft in all his quiuer, than this; a perſwaſion to men, to beare themſelues too bold vponupon the fauour of God; Thou art the Elect and Redeemed of God; ſinne, becauſe grace hath abounded, ſinne, that it may abound; Thou art ſafe enough, though thou offend, bee not too much an aduerſarie to thine owne liberty: Falſe ſpirit, it is no libertie to ſinne, but ſeruitude rather, there is no libertie, but in the freedome from ſinne; EueryEvery one of vsus, that hath the hope of Sonnes, muſt purge himſelfe, euen as hee is pure, that hath redeemed vsus: Wee are bought with a price, therefore muſt wee glorifie God in our bodies and ſpirits, for they are Gods; Our Sonne-ſhip teaches vsus awe and obedience; and therefore, becauſe wee are Sonnes, wee will not caſt our ſelues downe into ſinne.

How idlely doe Satan and wicked men meaſure God, by the crooked line of their owne miſconceit: Ywis, Chriſt cannot bee the Sonne of God, vnleſſe he caſt himſelfe downe from the Pinacle; vnleſſe hee come downe from the Croſſe. God is not mercifull vnleſſe he honour them in all their deſires; not iuſt, vnleſſe hee take ſpeedie vengeance, where they require it; But when they hauehave ſpent their folly vponupon theſe vaine imaginations, Chriſt is the Sonne of God, though hee ſtay on the top of the Temple, God will be mercifull, though wee miſ-carry, and iuſt though ſinners ſeeme lawleſſe. Neither will hee bee any other than hee is: or meaſured by any rule, but him ſelfe.

But what is this I ſee, Satan himſelfe with a Bible vnderunder his arme, with a Text in his mouth, It is written, Hee ſhall giuegive his Angels charge ouer thee? How ſtill in that wicked One doth ſubtilty ſtriue with Preſumption? Who could not, but ouer-wonder at this, if hee did not conſider, that ſince the Deuill dare to touch the ſacred Body of Chriſt with his hand, hee may well touch the Scriptures of God with his tongue? Let no man henceforth maruell, to heare Heretikes or Hypocrites, quote Scriptures, when Satan himſelfe hath not ſpared to cite them; what are they the worſe for this, more than that holy Body, which is tranſported? Some hauehave beene poyſoned by their meates and drinks, yet either theſe nouriſh vsus, or nothing: It is not the Letter of the Scripture that can carry it, but the Sence, if wee diuide theſe two, wee prophane and abuſe that word wee alledge. And wherefore doth this foule ſpirit vrge a Text, but for imitation, for preuention, and for ſucceſſe? Chriſt had alledged a Scripture vntounto him, hee re-alledges Scripture vntounto Chriſt: At leaſtwiſe, hee will counterfeit an imitation of the Sonne of God; Neither is it in this alone; what one act euer paſſed the Hand of God, which Satan did not apiſhly attempt to ſecond? If wee follow Chriſt in the outward action, with contrary intentions, wee follow Satan, in following Chriſt. Or, perhaps, Satan meant to ma…e p. 1197Chriſt hereby weary of this weapon; As wee ſee faſhions, when they are taken vp of the Vnworthy, are caſt off by the Great; It was, doubtleſſe, one cauſe, why Chriſt afterward forbad the Deuill euen to confeſſe the Truth, becauſe his mouth was a flander. But chiefly doth he this, for a better colour of his tentation: Hee g…ds ouer this falſe mettall with Scripture, that it may paſſe current; Euen now is Satan transformed into an Angell of light, and will ſeeme godly for a miſchiefe; If Hypocrites make a faire ſhew to deceiue with a glorious luſtre of holineſſe, wee ſee whence they borrowed it: How many thouſand ſoules are betrayed by the abuſe of what word, whoſe vſe is ſoueraigne and ſauing. No Deuill is ſo dangerous as the religious Deuill. If good meate turne to the nouriſhment, not of nature, but of the diſeaſe, wee may not forbeare to feed, but indeauour to purge the body of thoſe euill humours, which cauſe the ſtomach to worke againſt it ſelfe. O God, thou that haſt giuen vsus light, giuegive vsus cleare and ſound eyes, that we may take comfort of that light thou haſt giuen vsus; Thy Word is holy, make our hearts ſo, and than ſhall they finde that Word; not more true than cordiall; Let not this diuine Table of thine, bee made a ſnare to our ſoules.

What can bee a better act than to ſpeake Scripture? It were a wonder if Satan ſhould doe a good thing well; He cites Scripture then, but with mutilation, and diſtortion; it comes not out of his mouth, but maymed and peruerted; One peece is left out, all miſ-applyed; Thoſe that wreſt or mangle Scripture for their owne turne, it is eaſie to ſee from what Schoole they come. Let vsus take the word from the Authour, not from the Vſurper: Dauid would not doubt to eate that ſheepe, which hee pulled out of the mouth of the Beare or Lyon; (Hee ſhall giuegive his Angels charge ouer thee:) Oh comfortable aſſurance of our protection; Gods children neuer goe vnattended; Like vntounto great Princes wee walke euer in the midſt of our guard, though inuiſible, yet true, carefull, powerfull; What creatures are ſo glorious as the Angels of heauen, yet their Maker hath ſet them to ſerue vsus: Our adoption makes vsus at once great and ſafe; Wee may bee contemptible and ignominious in the eyes of the world, but the Angels of God obſerue vsus the while, and ſcorne not to wait vponupon vsus in our homelieſt occaſions; The Sunne, or the light may wee keepe out of our houſes, the aire we cannot; much leſſe theſe Spirits, that are more ſimple and immateriall: No walls, no bolts, can ſeuer them from our ſides: they accompany vsus in dungeons, they goe with vsus into our exile; How can wee either feare danger, or complaine of ſolitarineſſe, whiles wee hauehave ſo vnſeparable ſo glorious Companions?

Is our Sauiour diſtaſted with Scripture, becauſe Satan miſſe-layes it in his diſh? Doth he not rather ſnatch this ſword out of that impure hand, and beat Satan with the weapon which he abuſeth; (It is written, Thou ſhalt not tempt the Lord thy God;) The Scripture is one, as that God, whoſe it is; Where it carryes an appearance of difficultie or inconuenience, it needs no light to cleare it, but that, which it hath in it ſelfe. All doubts that may ariſe from it, are fully anſwered by collation; It is true that God hath taken this care, and giuen this charge of his owne; hee will hauehave them kept, not in their ſinnes; they may truſt him, they may not tempt him; here meant to incourage their faith, not their preſumption. To caſt our ſelues vponupon an immediate prouidence, when meanes faile not, is to diſobey, in ſtead of beleeuing God; we may challenge God on his Word, wee may not ſtraine him beyond …; wee may make account of what hee promiſed, wee may not ſubiect his promiſes to vniuſt … minations; and where no need is, make triall of his Power, Iuſtice, Mercy, by deuiſes of our owne. All the Deuils in hell, could not elude the force of this diuine anſwer; and now Satan ſees how vainely hee tempteth Chriſt to tempt God.

Yet againe for all this, doe I ſee him ſetting vponupon the Sonne of God: Satan is not foyled when he is reſiſted: neither diffidence, nor preſumption can faſten vponupon Chriſt, he ſhall be tryed with honour; As ſome expert Fences that challenges at p. 1198all weapons, ſo doth this great enemie; in vaine ſhall we plead our skill in ſome, if wee faile in any; It muſt be our wiſedome to be prepared for all kind of aſſaults: As thoſe that hold Townes and Forts doe, not onelyonly defend themſelues from incurſions, but from the Canon and the Pioner; ſtill doth that ſubtill Serpent trauerſe his ground for an aduantage; The Temple is not high enough for his next tentation; He therefore carrie vp Chriſt to the top of an exceeding high mountaine; All enemies in pitcht fields ſtriue for the benefit of the Hill, or Riuer, or Wind, or Sunne; That which his ſeruant …ac did by his inſtigation, himſelfe doth now immediately, change places in hope of preuailing. If the obſcure Countrie will not moue vsus, hee tries what the Court can doe, if not our home, the Tauerne, if not the field, our cloſet; As no place is left free by his malice, ſo no place muſt be made preiudiciall by our careleſſnes; and as we ſhould alwayes watch ouer our ſelues, ſo then moſt, when the opportunity caries cauſe of ſuſpition.

Wherefore is Chriſt caried vp ſo high but for proſpect? If the Kingdomes of the earth and their glorie, were onelyonly to be repreſented to his imagination; the valley would hauehave ſerued; If to the outward ſence, no hill could ſuffice; Circular bodies though ſmall, cannot bee ſeene at once. This ſhow was made to both, diuers kingdomes lying round about Iudea were repreſented to the eye; The glory of them to the imagination; Satan meant the eye could tempt the fancie; no leſſe than the fancie could tempt the will. How many thouſand ſoules hauehave died of the wound of the eye; If we doe not let in ſinne at the window of the eye, or the doore of the eare, it cannot enter into our hearts.

If there be any pompe, maieſtie, pleaſure, brauerie in the world, where ſhould it bee but in the Courts of Princes, whom God hath made his Images, his deputies on earth? There is ſoft rayment, ſumptuous feaſts, rich Iewels, honourable attendance, glorious triumphs, royall ſtate, thoſe Satan layes out to the faireſt ſhow: But Oh, the craft of that old Serpent; Many a care attends greatneſſe; No Crowne is without thornes: High ſeates are neuer but vneaſie; all thoſe infinite diſcontentments, which are the ſhaddow of earthly Soueraigntie, he hides out of the way; nothing may bee ſeene, but what may both pleaſe and allure, Satan is ſtill and euer like himſelfe; If tentations might be but turnd about and ſhowne on both ſides, the kingdome of darkneſſe would not be ſo populous. Now whenſoeuer the Tempter ſets vponupon any poore ſoule, all ſting of conſcience, wrath iudgement, torment is concealed, as if they were not; Nothing may appeare to the eye but pleaſure, profit, and a ſeeming happineſſe in the enioying our deſires; thoſe other wofull obiects are reſerued for the farewell of ſinne; that our miſerie may be ſeene and felt at once; When we are once ſure, Satan is a Tyrant, till then, he is a Paraſite: There can be no ſafetie, if we doe not view as well the backe as the face of tentations.

But oh preſumption and impudence, that hell it ſelfe may bee aſham'd of; The Diuell dares ſay to Chriſt, All theſe will I giuegive thee, if thou wilt fall downe and worſhip mee; That beggerly ſpirit, that hath not an …ich of earth, can offer the whole world to the maker; to the owner of it; The ſlaue of God, would bee adored of his Creator; How can wee hope hee ſhould bee ſparing of falſe boaſts, and of vnreaſonable promiſes vntounto vsus, when hee dares offer kingdomes to him by whom Kings reigne?

Tentations on the right hand are moſt dangerous; how many that hauehave beene hardned with feare, hauehave melted with honour; There is no doubt of that ſoule that will not bite at the golden hooke.

Falſe li…rs and vaine-glorious boaſters, ſee the top of their pedigree; If I may not rather ſay, that Satan doth borrow the vſe of their tongues for a time; Whereas faithfull is hee that hath promiſed, who will alſo doe it. Fdelitie and truth is iſſue of the heauen.

If Idolatrie were not a deare ſinne to Satan, hee would not bee ſo importunate to compaſſe it; It is miſerable to ſee how he draws the world inſenſibly into this ſinne, p. 1199which they profeſſe to deteſt; Thoſe that would rather hazard the furnace, than worſhip Gold in a ſtatue, yet doe adore it in the ſtampe, and finde no ſaint with themſelues. If our hearts bee drawne to ſtoope vntounto an ouer high reſpect of any creature, wee are Idolaters. O God, it is no maruell if thy ielouſie be kindled at the admiſſion of any of thine owne workes, into a competition of honour with their Creatour.

Neuer did our Sauiour ſay, Auoide Satan, till now; It is a iuſt indignation, that is conceiued at the motion of a riualitie with God; Neither yet did Chriſt exerciſe his diuine power in this command, but by the neceſſary force of Scripture, driues away that impure Tempter; It is written, thou ſhalt worſhip the Lord thy God, and him onelyonly ſhalt thou ſerue: The reſt of our Sauiours anſweres were more full and direct, than that they could admit of a replie, but this was ſo flat and abſolute, that it vtterly daunted the courage of Satan, and put him to a ſhamefull flight, and made him for the time, weary of his trade.

The way to be rid of the troubleſome ſolicitations of that wicked one, is continued reſiſtance. He that forcibly droue the tempter from himſelfe, takes him off from vsus, and will not abide his aſſaults perpetuall; It is our exerciſe and triall, that hee intends, not our confuſion.

SIMON called.

AS the Sunne in his firſt riſing, drawes all eyes to it; So did this Sunne of righteouſneſſe, when he firſt ſhone forth into the world; His miraculous cures drew Patients, his diuine doctrine drew Auditors, both together drew the admiring multitude by troopes after him. And why doe wee not ſtill follow thee, O Sauiour, thorow deſerts and mountaines, ouer land and Seas, that wee may bee both healed, and taught. It was thy word, that when thou wert lift vp, thou wouldſt draw all men vntounto thee; Behold thou art lift vp long ſince, both to the tree of ſhame, and to the throne of heauenly glory, Draw vsus, and wee ſhall runne after thee; Thy word is ſtill the ſame, though proclaimed by men, thy vertue is ſtill the ſame, though exerciſed vponupon the ſpirits of men; Oh giuegive vsus, to hunger after both, that by both our ſoules may be ſatisfied.

I ſee the people not onelyonly following Chriſt, but preſſing vponupon him; euen very vnmannerlineſſe finds here both excuſe and acceptation; they did not keepe their diſtances in an awe to the Maiſtie of the ſpeaker, whiles they were rauiſhed with the power of the ſpeech, yet did not our Sauiour checke their vnreuerent thronging, but rather incourages their forwardneſſe. Wee cannot offend thee, O God, with the importunitie of our deſires; It likes thee well, that the Kingdome of heauen ſhould ſuffer violence. Our ſlackneſſe doth euer diſpleaſe thee, neuer our vehemencie.

The throng of Auditors forced Chriſt to leaue the ſhore, and to make Peters ſhip his pulpet; Neuer were there ſuch nets caſt out of that fiſher-boate before; whiles hee was vponupon the land, hee healed the ſicke bodies by his touch; now that he was vponupon the Sea, hee cured the ſicke ſoules by his doctrine; and is purpoſely ſeuered from the multitude, that he may vnite them to him. Hee that made both Sea and land, cauſeth both of them to conſpire to the opportunities of doing good.

Simon was buſie, waſhing his nets: Euen thoſe nets that caught nothing, muſt bee waſhed, no leſſe than if they had ſped well: The nights toyle doth not excuſe his dayes worke: Little did Simon thinke of leauing thoſe nets, which hee ſo carefully waſhed, and now Chriſt interrupts him with the fauour and bleſſing of his gracious p. 1200preſence; Labour in our calling (how homely ſoeuer) makes vsus capable of diuine benediction. The honeſt fiſher-man, when he ſaw the people flocke after Chriſt, and heard him ſpeake with ſuch power, could not but conceiue a generall and confuſe apprehenſion of ſome excellent worth in ſuch a Teacher, and therefore is glad to honor his ſhip with ſuch a gueſt; and is firſt Chriſts hoſt by ſea, ere he is his Diſciple by land; An humble and ſeruiceable entertainment of a Prophet of God, was a good foundation of his future honour; Hee that would ſo eaſily lend Chriſt his hand, and his ſhip, was likely ſoone after to beſtow himſelfe vponupon his Sauiour.

SIMON hath no ſooner done this ſeruice to Chriſt, than Chriſt is preparing for his reward; when the Sermon is ended, the ſhip-roome ſhall be paide for abundantly; Neither ſhall the Hoſt expect any other pay-maſter than himſelfe: Lanch forth into the deepe, and let downe your Nets to make a draught: That ſhip which lent Chriſt an opportunitie of catching men vponupon the ſhore, ſhall be requited with a plentifull draught of fiſh in the deepe: It had beene as eaſie for our Sauiour, to hauehave brought the fiſh to Peters ſhip, cloſe to the ſhore, yet as chuſing rather to hauehave the ſhip carried to the ſhole of fiſh, hee bids (Lanch fort into the deepe:) In his miracles, he loues euer to meete nature in her bounds; and when ſhee hath done her beſt, to ſupply the reſt by his ouer-ruling power; The ſame power therefore, that could hauehave cauſed the fiſhes to leape vponupon drie land, or to leaue themſelues forſaken of the waters, vponupon the ſands of the Lake, will rather finde them in a place naturall to their abiding (Lanch out into the deepe.)

Rather in a deſire to gratifie and obey his gueſt, than to pleaſure himſelfe, will Simon beſtow one caſt of his net; Had Chriſt enioyned him an harder taske, he had not refuſed; yet not without an allegation of the vnlikelyhood of ſucceſſe, (Maſter we hauehave trauailed all night, and caught nothing; yet at thy word I will let downe the Net.) The night was the fitteſt time for the hopes of their trade not vniuſtly might Simon miſdoubt his ſpeed by day, when he had worne out the night in vnprofitable labor: Sometimes God croſſeth the faireſt of our exſpectations, and giues a bleſſing to thoſe times and meanes whereof we deſpaire. That paines cannot bee caſt away which wee reſolue to loſe for Chriſt. Oh God, how many doe I ſee caſting out their Nets in the great Lake of the world, which in the whole night of their life hauehave caught nothing; They conceiue miſchiefe and bring forth iniquitie; They hatch Cockatrices egges, and weaue the Spiders web; he that eateth of their egges dieth, and that which is troden vpoh, breaketh out into a Serpent; Their webs ſhall be no garment, neither ſhall they couer themſelues with their labours.

Oh yee ſonnes of men, how long will yee louelove vanitie, and follow after lyes? Yet if we hauehave thus vainely miſpent the time of our darkeneſſe; Let vsus at the command of Chriſt, caſt out our new-waſhen nets; our humble and penitent obedience, ſhall come home laden with bleſſings, (And when they had ſo done, they incloſed a great multitude of fiſhes, ſo that their Net brake:) What a difference there is betwixt our owne voluntarie acts, and thoſe that are done vponupon command; not more in the grounds of them, than in the iſſue? thoſe are oft-times fruitleſſe, theſe euer ſucceſſefull: Neuer man threw out his Net at the word of his Sauiour, and drew it backe emptie; who would not obey thee, O Chriſt, ſince thou doſt ſo bountifully requite our weakeſt ſeruices? It was not meere retribution that was intended in this euent, but inſtruction alſo: This act was not without a myſterie; He that ſhould be made a fiſher of men, ſhall in this draught foreſee his ſucceſſe; the kingdome of heauen is like a draw-net, caſt into the Sea, which when it is full, men draw to land; The very firſt draught that Peter made after the complement of his Apoſtleſhip, incloſed no leſſe than three thouſand ſoules. Oh powerfull Goſpell, that can fetch ſinfull men from out of the depthes of naturall corruption: Oh happie ſoules, that from the blinde and muddie cels of our wicked nature, are drawne forth to the glorious libertie of the ſonnes of God! Simons Net breakes with the ſtore; aboundance is ſometimes no leſſe troubleſome than want; the Net ſhould hauehave held, if Chriſt had not meant to ouer-charge Simon both with bleſſing and admiration: How happily p. 1201is that Net broken, whoſe rupture drawes the fiſher to Chriſt. Though the Net brake, yet the fiſh eſcaped not; He that brought them thither to be taken, held them there till they were taken, (They beckned to their partners in the other ſhip, that they ſhould come and helpe them;) There are other ſhips in partnerſhip with Peter, hee doth not fiſh all the Lake alone; There cannot be a better improuement of ſocietie, than to help vsus gaine, to relieue vsus in our profitable labours; to draw vp the ſpirituall draught into the veſſell of Chriſt, and his Church: wherefore hath God giuen vsus partners, but that wee ſhould becken to them for their aide in our neceſſarie occaſions? Neither doth Simon ſlacken his hand, becauſe he had aſſiſtants. What ſhall wee ſay to thoſe lazie fiſhers, who can ſet others to the Drag, whiles themſelues looke on at eaſe; caring onelyonly to feede themſelues with the fiſh; not willing to wet their hands with the Net? What ſhall we ſay to this exceſſe of gaine? The Nets breake, the ſhips ſinke with their burden: Oh happie complaint of too large a capture! O Sauiour, if thoſe Apoſtolicall veſſels of thy firſt rigging, were thus ouer-laide, ours flote and totter with a ballaſted lightneſſe: Thou, who art no leſſe preſent in theſe bottomes of ours, lade them with an equall fraight of conuerted ſoules, and let vsus praiſe thee for thus ſinking.

SIMON was a skilfull Fiſher, and knew well the depth of his trade, and now perceiuing more than Art or nature in this draught, he falles downe at the knees of Ieſus, ſaying, (Lord, goe from me, for I am a ſinfull man.) Himſelfe is caught in this Net: Hee doth not greedily fall vponupon ſo vnexſpected & profitable a bootie, but he turnes his eyes from the draught to himſelfe, from the act to the Author, acknowledging vileneſſe in the one, in the other Maieſtie; (Goe from me Lord▪ for I am a ſinfull man.)

It had beene pitie the honeſt Fiſher-man ſhould hauehave beene taken at his Word: Oh Simon, thy Sauiour is come into thine owne ſhip to call thee; to call others by thee vntounto bleſſedneſſe, and doeſt thou ſay, Lord goe from me? As if the patient ſhould ſay to the Phyſician; Depart from me, for I am ſicke. It was the voice of aſtoniſhment, not of diſlike; the voice of humilitie, not of diſcontentment: yea, becauſe thou art a ſinfull man, therefore hath thy Sauiour need to come to thee, to ſtay with thee; and becauſe thou art humble in the acknowledgement of thy ſinfulneſſe, therefore Chriſt delights to abide with thee, and will call thee to abide with him; No man euer fared the worſe for abaſing himſelfe to his God; Chriſt hath left many a ſoule, for froward and vnkind vſage, neuer any for the diſparagement of it ſelf, and intreaties of humilitie Simon could not deuiſe how to hold Chriſt faſter, than by thus ſuing to him to be gone, than by thus pleading his vnworthineſſe.

O my ſoule be not weary of complaining of thine owne wretchedneſſe, diſgrace thy ſelfe to him that knowes thy vileneſſe; be aſtoniſhed at thoſe mercies which hauehave ſhamed thine ill deſeruings; Thy Sauiour hath no power to goe away from a proſtrate heart; Hee that reſiſts the proud, heartens the lowly. (Feare not, for I will make thee hence-forth a Fiſher of men.) Loe, this Humilitie is rewarded with an Appſtleſhip: What had the Earth euer more glorious, than a Legacy from Heauen? Hee that bade Chriſt goe from him, ſhall hauehave the honour to goe faſt… this happy errand; This was a Trade that Simon had no skill of; it could not but be enough to him, That Chriſt ſaid, I will make thee; the miracle ſhewed him able to make good his word; hee that hath power to command the Fiſhes to be taken, can eaſily enable the hands to take them.

What is this diuine Trade of ours then, but a ſpirituall Piſcation? The World is a Sea, Soules like Fiſhes ſwim at liberty in this Deepe, the Nets of wholſome Doctrine, draw vp ſome to the ſhore of Grace and Glory; How much skill, and toyle, and patience, is requiſite in this Art? Who is ſufficient for theſe things? This Sea, theſe Nets, the Fiſhers, the Fiſh, the Veſſels are all thine, O God; doe what thou wilt in vsus, and by vsus; GiueGive vsus ability and grace to take, giuegive men will and grace to be taken, and take thou glory by that which thou haſt giuen.

p. 1202The marriage in Cana.

WAs this then thy firſt miracle, O Sauiour, that thou wroughts in Cana of Galile? And could there bee a greater miracle than this, that hauing beene thirtie yeares vponupon earth, thou didſt no miracle till now? That thy diuinitie did hide it ſelfe thus long in fleſh; that ſo long thou wouldeſt lye obſcure in a corner of Galile; vnknowne to that world thou cameſt to redeeme? That ſo long thou wouldeſt ſtraine the patient expectation of thoſe, who euer ſince thy Starre, waited vponupon the reuelation of a Meſſias? We ſilly wretches, if we hauehave but a dram of vertue, are ready to ſet it out to the beſt ſhew; thou who receiuedſt not the Spirit by meaſure, wouldſt content thy ſelfe with a willing obſcuritie, and concealedſt that power that made the world, in the roofe of an humane breſt, in a cottage of Nazareth. O Sauiour, none of thy miracles is more worthy of aſtoniſhment, than thy not doing of miracles. What thou didſt in priuate, thy wiſedome thought fit for ſecrecy; but if thy bleſſed Mother had not beene acquainted with ſome domeſticall wonders, ſhee had not now expected a miracle abroad; The Starres are not ſeene by day; the Sunne it ſelfe is not ſeene by night: As it is no ſmall art to hide Art, ſo is it no ſmall glorie to conceale glorie; Thy firſt publique miracle graceth a marriage; It is an ancient and laudable inſtitution, that the Rights of matrimony ſhould not want a ſolemne celebration; When are feaſts in ſeaſon, if not at the recouery of our loſt ribbe? If not at this mayne change of our eſtate, wherein the ioy of obtayning, meets with the hope of further comforts? The Sonne of the Virgin, and the Mother of that Sonne are both at a wedding; It was in all likelihood ſome of their kindred, to whoſe nuptiall feaſt they were inuited ſo farre; yet was it more the honour of the act, than of the perſon, that Chriſt intended: He that made the firſt marriage in Paradiſe, beſtowes his firſt miracle vponupon a Galilean marriage: Hee that was the Author of matrimonie and ſanctified it, doth by his holy preſence, honeſt the reſemblance of his eternall vnion with his Church: How boldly may we ſpit in the faces of all the impure aduerſaries of wedlocke, when the Sonne of God pleaſes to honour it?

The glorious Bride-groome of the Church, knew well how ready men would be to place ſhame, euen in the moſt lawfull coniunctions; and therefore his firſt worke ſhall be to countenance his owne Ordinance. Happy is that wedding, where Chriſt is a gueſt; O Sauiour, thoſe that marry in thee, cannot marry without thee; There is no holy Marriage whereat thou art not (how euer inuiſible) yet truely preſent, by thy Spirit, by thy gracious benediction. Thou makeſt marriages in heauen, thou bleſſeſt them from heauen. Oh thou, that haſt betrothed vsus to thy ſelfe in Truth and Righteouſneſſe, doe thou conſummate that happy marriage of ours in the higheſt heauens.

It was no rich or ſumptuous Bridall, to which Chriſt with his mother, and Diſciples vouchſafed to come, from the further parts of Galile; I finde him not at the magnificent feaſts or triumphs of the Great; the proud pompe of the World, did not agree with the ſtate of a ſeruant; This poore needy Bride-groome wants drinke for his gueſts. The bleſſed Virgin (though a ſtranger to the houſe) out of a charitable compaſſion, and a friendly deſire, to maintaine the decencie of an Hoſpitall entertaynment, inquires into the wants of her Hoſt; pitties them, bemones them, where there was power of redreſſe, (When the wine failed, the mother of Ieſus ſaid vntounto him, They hauehave no wine.) How well doth it beſeeme the eyes of pietie and Chriſtian louelove, to looke into the neceſſities of others? Shee that conceiued the God of mercies, both in her heart and in her wombe, doth not fixe her eyes vponupon her p. 1203owne trencher, but ſearcheth into the penurie of a poore Iſraelite, and feeles thoſe wants, whereof he complaines not: They are made for themſelues, whoſe thoughts are are onelyonly taken vp with their owne ſtore, or indigence.

There was wine enough for a meale, though not for a feaſt: and if there were not wine enough, there was enough water; yet the holy Virgin complaines of the want of wine; and is troubled with the very lacke of ſuperfluitie: The bountie of our God reaches not to our life onelyonly, but to our contentment; neither hath hee thought good to allow vsus onelyonly the bread of ſufficiency, but ſometimes of pleaſure. One while that is but neceſſary, which ſome other time were ſuperfluous. It is a ſcrupulous iniuſtice to ſcant our ſelues; where God hath beene liberall.

To whom ſhould wee complaine of any want, but to the Maker and Giuer of all things? The bleſſed Virgin knew to whom ſhee ſued; Shee had good reaſon to know the diuine nature and power of her Sonne: Perhaps the Bride-groome was not ſo needy, but if not by his purſe, yet by his credit, hee might hauehave ſupplied that want; or, it were hard if ſome of the neighbour-gheſts (had they beene duely ſollicited) might not hauehave furniſhed him with ſo much wine, as might ſuffice for the laſt ſeruice of a dinner, but bleſſed Mary knew a nearer way, ſhee did not thinke beſt to lade at the ſhallow Channell, but runnes rather to the Well-head, where ſhee may dip, and fill the Firkins at once with eaſe. It may bee ſhee ſaw that the trayne of Chriſt (which vnbidden followed vntounto that feaſt, and vnexſpectedly added to the number of the gheſts) might helpe forward that defect, and therefore ſhee iuſtly ſollicites her Sonne IESVS for a ſupply: Whether wee want Bread, or Water, or Wine; neceſſaries or comforts, whither ſhould wee runne, O Sauiour, but to that infinite munificence of thine, which neither denyeth, nor vpbraideth any thing? Wee cannot want, wee cannot abound, but from thee; GiueGive vsus what thou wilt, ſo thou giuegive vsus contentment with what thou giueſt.

But what is this I heare? A ſharpe anſwer to the ſuite of a Mother? (Oh woman, what hauehave I to doe with thee?) He whoſe ſweet mildneſſe and mercy, neuer ſent away any ſuppliant diſcontented, doth he onelyonly frowne vponupon her that bare him? He that commands vsus to honour Father and Mother; doth he diſdayne her whoſe fleſh hee tooke? God forbid: LoueLove and duetie doth not exempt Parents from due admonition. Shee ſollicited Chriſt as a Mother, he anſwers her as a Woman: If ſhee were the Mother of his fleſh, his Deitie was eternall: Shee might not ſo remember her ſelfe to be a Mother, that ſhee ſhould forget ſhe was a Woman; nor ſo looke vponupon him as a Sonne, that ſhee ſhould not regard him as a God: He was ſo obedient to her as a Mother; that withall ſhe muſt obey him as her God; That part which he tooke from her ſhall obſerue her; Shee muſt obſerue that Nature which came from aboue, and made her both a Woman and a Mother. Matter of miracle concerned the Godhead onelyonly; Supernaturall things were aboue the ſphere of fleſhly relation: If now the bleſſed Virgin will be preſcribing, either time or forme vntounto diuine acts, O Woman, What hauehave I to doe with thee, my houre is not come. In all bodily actions his ſtile was, O Mother: In ſpirituall and heauenly, O Woman. Neither is it for vsus in the holy affaires of God, to know any faces, yea, if we hauehave known Chriſt heretofore according to the fleſh, henceforth know wee him ſo no more.

O bleſſed Virgin, if in that heauenly glory wherein thou art, thou canſt take notice of theſe earthly things, with what indignation doeſt thou looke vponupon the preſumptuous ſuperſtition of vaine men, whoſe ſuites make thee more than a Solicitor of diuine fauours? Thine humanities is not loſt in thy Motherhood, nor in thy Glory: The reſpects of Nature reach not ſo high as heauen; It is farre from thee to abide that honour which is ſtolne from thy Redeemer.

There is a marriage, whereto wee are inuited; yea, wherein wee are already intereſſed, not as the Gheſts onelyonly, but as the Bride; in which there ſhall bee no want of the wine of gladneſſe: It is maruell, if in theſe earthly banquets there bee not ſome p. 1204lacke: In thy preſence, O Sauiour, there is fulneſſe of ioy, and at thy right hand are pleaſures for euermore. Bleſſed are they that are called to the marriage-ſupper of the Lambe.

Euen in that rough anſwer, doth the bleſſed Virgin diſcry cauſe of hope. If his houre were not yet come, it was therefore comming; when the expectation of the gheſts, and the neceſſitie of the occaſion had made fit roome for the miracle, it ſhall come forth and challenge their wonder. Faithfully therefore and obſeruantly, doth ſhee turne her ſpeech from her Sonne to the Wayters, (Whatſoeuer hee ſaith vntounto you, doe it.) How well doth it beſeeme the Mother of Chriſt to agree with his Father in heauen, whoſe voice from heauen, ſaid, This is my well beloued Sonne, heare him: Shee that ſaid of her ſelfe, Be it vntounto me according to thy Word; ſaies vntounto others, Whatſoeuer be ſaith to you, doe it. This is the way to hauehave miracles wrought in vsus, obedience to his Word. The power of Chriſt did not ſtand vponupon their officiouſneſſe; hee could hauehave wrought wonders in ſpite of them, but their peruerſe refuſall of his commands, might hauehave made them vncapable of the fauour of a miraculous action: He that can (when he will) conuince the obſtinate, will not grace the diſobedient. Hee that could worke without vsus, or againſt vsus, will not worke for vsus, but by vsus.

This very poore houſe was furniſhed with many and large veſſels, for outward purication; As if ſinne had dwelt vponupon the skin, that ſuperſtitious people ſought holineſſe in frequent waſhings; Euen this rinſing fouled them, with the vncleaneneſſe of a traditionall will-worſhip. It is the ſoule which needs ſcowring; and nothing can waſh that, but the bloud, which they deſperately wiſhed vponupon themſelues and their children; for guilt, not for expiation. Purge thou vsus, O Lord, with hyſſop, and we ſhall be cleane, waſh vsus, and we ſhall be whiter than ſnow.

The Wayters could not but thinke ſtrange of ſo vnſeaſonable a command; (Fill the water pots.) It is wine that we want, what doe we goe to fetch water, Doth this holy man meane thus to quench our feaſt, and coole our ſtomachs? If there bee no remedie, we could hauehave ſought this ſupply vnbidden; yet ſo farre hath the charge of Chriſts Mother preuailed, that in ſtead of carrying flagons of wine to the table, they goe to fetch pailes-full of water, from the Ciſternes. It is no pleading of vnlikelyhoods againſt the command of an Almightie power.

Hee that could hauehave created wine immediately in thoſe veſſels, will rather turne water into wine; In all the courſe of his miracles, I doe neuer finde him making ought of nothing, all his great workes are grounded vponupon former exiſtences, hee multiplied the bread, he changed the water, he reſtored the withered limmes, he rayſed the dead; and ſtill wrought vponupon that which was; and did not make that which was not: What doth he in the ordinarie way of nature, but turne the watery iuyce that ariſes vp from the roote into wine; he will onelyonly doe this now ſuddenly, and at once, which he doth vſually by ſenſible degrees. It is euer duely obſerued by the Sonne of God, not to doe more miracle than he needs.

How liberall are the prouiſions of Chriſt? If hee had turned but one of thoſe veſſels, it bad beene a iuſt proofe of his power, and perhaps that quantitie had ſerued the preſent neceſſitie; now hee furniſheth them with ſo much wine, as would hauehave ſerued an hundred and fiftie gheſts for an intire feaſt; Euen the meaſure magnifies at once, both his power and mercy. The munificent hand of God regards not our need onelyonly, but our honeſt affluence: It is our ſinne and our ſhame, if wee turne his fauour into wantonneſſe. There muſt bee firſt a filling ere there bee a drawing out: Thus, in our veſſels, the firſt care muſt be of our receit; the next, of our expence: God would hauehave vsus Ciſternes, not Channels. Our Sauiour would not bee his owne …aſter, but hee ſends the firſt draught to the Gouernour of the feaſt. Hee knew his owne power, they did not; Neither would hee beare witneſſe of himſelfe, but fetch it out of others mouthes; They that knew not the originall of that wine, yet prayſed the taſte; (EueryEvery man at the beginning, doth ſet forth good wine, and when men hauehave well drunke, then that which is worſe; but thou haſt kept the good wine p. 1205vntill now;) The ſame bounty that expreſſed it ſelfe in the quantitie of the Wine, ſhewes it ſelfe no leſſe in the excellence: Nothing can fall from that diuine hand not exquiſite: That liberalitie hated to prouide crab-wine for his gueſts. It was fit, that the miraculous effects of Chriſt, (which came from his immediate hand) ſhould bee more perfect, than the naturall. O bleſſed Sauiour, how delicate is that new Wine, which wee ſhall one day drinke with thee, in thy Fathers Kingdome. Thou ſhalt turne this water of our earthly affliction, into that Wine of gladneſſe, wherewith our ſoules ſhall be ſatiate for euer. Make haſte, O my Beloued, and bee thou like to a Roe, or to a yong Hart vponupon the Mountaine of Spices.

The good Centurion.

EVen the bloudy trade of Warre yeelded worthy Clients to Chriſt: This Romane Captaine had learned to beleeue in that Ieſus, whom many Iewes deſpiſed: No Nation, no Trade, can ſhut out a good heart from God: If hee were a Forreiner for birth; yet hee was a Domeſtick in heart; Hee could not change his bloud, he could ouer-rule his affections; He loued that Nation, which was choſen of God; and if he were not of the Synagogue, yet hee built a Synagogue; where hee might not bee a Partie, hee would bee a Benefactor; Next to being good, is a fauouring of goodneſſe; We could not louelove Religion, if we vtterly want it. How many true Iewes were not ſo zealous? Either will, or ability lacked in them, whom duty more obliged; Good affections doe many times more than ſupply nature; Neither doth God regard whence, but what wee are: I doe not ſee this Centurion come to Chriſt, as the Iſraelitiſh Captaine came to Elias in Carmel, but with his Cap in his hand, with much ſuit, much ſubmiſſion, by others, by himſelfe; hee ſends firſt the Elders of the Iewes whom hee might hope, that their Nation and place, might make gracious: then, leſt the imployment of others might argue neglect, he ſeconds them in perſon; Cold and fruitleſſe are the motions of friends, where wee doe wilfully ſhut vp our owne lips: Importunitie cannot but ſpeed well in both. Could wee but ſpeake for our ſelues, as this Captaine did for his Seruant, what could wee poſſibly want? What maruell is it if God be not forward to giuegive where wee care not to aske, or aske, as if wee cared not to receiue? Shall wee yet call this a ſuit, or a complaint? I heare no one word of entreatie; The leſſe is ſaid, the more is concealed, it is enough to lay open his want; Hee knew well, that hee had to deale with ſo wiſe and mercifull a Phyſitian, as that the opening of the maladie was a crauing of cure: If our ſpirituall miſeries be but confeſſed, they cannot fayle of redreſſe.

Great varietie of Suitors reſorted to Chriſt; One comes to him for a Sonne, another for a Daughter, a third for himſelfe: I ſee none come for his Seruant, but this one Centurion; Neither was he a better man than a Maſter: His Seruant is ſick; hee doth not driue him out of doores, but layes him at home; neither doth he ſtand gazing by his beds-ſide, but ſeekes forth; He ſeekes forth, not to Witches, or Charmers, but to Chriſt; he ſeekes to Chriſt, not with a faſhionable relation, but with a vehement aggrauation of the diſeaſe. Had the Maſter beene ſicke, the faithfulleſt Seruant could hauehave done no more: He is vnworthy to bee well ſerued, that will not ſometimes wait vponupon his followers. Conceits of inferioritie, may not breed in vsus a neglect of charitable offices; ſo muſt we looke downe vponupon our Seruants, here on earth, as that we muſt ſtill looke vp to our Maſter, which is in Heauen.

But why didſt thou not, O Centurion, rather bring thy Seruant to Chriſt for cure, than ſue for him abſent? There was a Paralyticke, whom Faith and Charitie brought to our Sauiour, and let downe thorow the vncouered roofe, in his Bed; why was not thine ſo carryed, ſo preſented? Was it out of the ſtrength of thy faith, p. 1206which aſſured thee, thou needeſt not ſhew thy Seruant to him, that ſaw all things? One and the ſame grace, may yeeld contrarie effects; They becauſe they beleeued, brought the Patient to Chriſt, thou broughteſt not thine to him, becauſe thou beleeuedeſt; their act argued no leſſe deſire, thin… more confidence; Thy labour was leſſe, becauſe thy faith was more▪ Oh, that I could come thus to my Sauiour, and make ſuch more to him for my ſelfe: Lord, my ſoule is ſicke of vnbeliefe; ſicke of ſelfe-louelove, ſicke of inordinate deſires, I ſhould not neede to ſay more; Thy merciemercy, O Sauiour, would not then ſtay byf… my ſuit, but would preuent mee (as here) with a gracious ingagement, I will come and heale thee. I did not heare the Centurion ſay, Either come, or heale him; The one he meant, though he ſaid not, the other, hee neither ſaid nor meant: Chriſt ouer giues, both his words and intentions; It is the manner of that diuine munificence, where hee meets with a faithfull Suitor, to giuegive more than is requeſted; to giuegive when hee is not requeſted. The very inſinuations of our neceſſities are no leſſe violent, than ſucceſſefull: We thinke the meaſure of humane bountie runnes ouer; when we obtayne but what we aske with importunitie: that infinite goodneſſe keepes within bounds, when it ouer-flowes the deſires of our hearts.

As he ſaid ſo hee did; The word of Chriſt either is his act, or concurres with it; Hee did not ſtand ſtill when hee ſaid, I will come, but hee went as hee ſpake. When the Ruler intreated him for his ſonne. (I Come downe ere hee dye) our Sauiour ſ…ird not a foote: The Centurion did but complaine of the ſickneſſe of his Seruant, and Chriſt vnasked ſayes, I will come and heale him. That hee might bee farre from ſo much as ſeeming to honour wealth, and diſpiſe meaneſſe, he that came in the ſhape of a Seruant, would goe downe to the ſicke Seruants pallet, would not goe to the Bed of the rich Rulers Sonne; It is the baſeſt motiue of reſpect, that ariſeth meerely from outward greatneſſe. Either more grace, or more need, may iuſtly challenge our fauourable regards no leſſe than priuate Obligations.

Euen ſo, O Sauiour, that which thou offenedſt to doe for the Centurions Seruant, haſt thou done for vsus; Wee were ſicke vntounto death; So farre had the dead palſie of ſinne ouer-taken vsus, that there was no life of grace left in vsus; When thou wert not content to ſit ſtill in heauen, and ſay, I will cure them; but addedſt alſo, I will come and cure them; Thy ſelfe came downe accordingly to this miſerable World, and haſt perſonally healed vsus, So as now wee ſhall not dye but liue, and declare thy workes, O Lord; And oh! that wee could enough prayſe that louelove and merciemercy, which hath ſo graciouſly abaſed thee, and could be but ſo low deiected before thee, as thou haſt ſtooped low vntounto vsus; that wee could be but as lowly ſubiects of thy goodneſſe, as we are vnworthy.

Oh admirable returne of Humilitie: Chriſt will goe downe to viſit the ſicke Seruant; the Maſter of that Seruant ſayes, Lord, I am not worthy that thou ſhouldeſt come vnderunder my roofe: The Iewiſh Elders, that went before to mediate for him, could ſay, (Hee is worthy that thou ſhouldeſt doe this for him; but the Centurion, when hee comes to ſpeake for himſelfe (I am not worthy.) They ſaid, Hee was worthy of Chriſts miracle; Hee ſayes hee is vnworthy of Chriſts preſence: There is great difference betwixt others valuations, and our owne; Sometimes the world vnderunder-rates him that findes reaſon to ſet an high price vponupon himſelfe; Sometimes againe, it ouer values a man that knowes iuſt cauſe of his owne humiliation; If others miſtake vsus, this can bee no warrant for our errour; We cannot bee wiſe, vnleſſe we receiue the knowledge of our ſelues by direct beames, not by reflection; vnleſſe we hauehave learned to contemne vniuſt applauſes; and ſcorning the flatterie of the World, to frowne vponupon our owne vileneſſe, Lord, I am not worthy.

Many a one if he had bin in the Centurions coate, would hauehave thought well of it, A Captaine, a man of good abilitie and command, a founder of a Synagogue, a Patron of Religion: yet hee ouer-lookes all theſe, and when hee caſts his eye vponupon the diuine worth of Chriſt, and his owne weakneſſe, hee ſayes, I am not worthy; Alas, Lord, I am a Gentile, an Alien, a man of bloud; thou art holy, thou art omnipotent. True p. 1207Humilitie will teach vsus to finde out the beſt of another, and the worſt piece of our ſelues: Pride contrarily ſhewes vsus nothing, but matter of admiration in our ſelues, in others, of contempt. Whiles hee confeſt himſelfe vnworthy of any fauour; hee approued himſelfe worthy of all. Had not Chriſt beene before in his heart, he could not hauehave thought himſelfe vnworthy to entertayne that Gueſt within his houſe; VnderUnder the low roofe of an humble breſt, doth God euer delight to dwell; The ſtate of his Palace may not be meaſured by the height, but by the depth: Brags and boldfaces doe oft-times carry it away with men, nothing preuayles with God, but our voluntary deiections.

It is fit the foundations ſhould be layd deepe, where the building is high. The Centurions Humilitie was not more low, than his faith was lofty; that reaches vp into Heauen, and in the face of humane weakneſſe deſcryes Omnipotence; OnelyOnly ſay the word, and my Seruant ſhall be whole.

Had the Centurions roofe beene Heauen it ſelfe, it could not hauehave beene worthy to bee come vnderunder, of him, whoſe Word was Almighty, and who was the Almightie Word of his Father; Such is Chriſt confeſſed by him that ſayes, Only ſay the worde; none but a diuine Power is vnlimited; neither hath Faith any other bounds than God himſelfe. There needs no footing to remoue Mountaynes, or Deuils, but a word; doe but ſay the word; O Sauiour my ſinne ſhall bee remitted; my ſoule ſhall bee healed, my body ſhall be rayſed from duſt; both ſoule and body ſhall be glorious.

Whereupon then was the ſteddie confidence of the good Centurion? …ee ſaw how powerfull his owne word was with thoſe, that were vnderunder his command, (though himſelfe were vnderunder the command of another) the force whereof extended euen to abſent performances; well therefore might he argue, that a free and vnbounded power, might giuegive infallible commands, and that the moſt obſtinate Diſeaſe, muſt therefore needs yeeld to the becke of the God of nature: weakneſſe may ſhew vsus what is in ſtrength; By one drop of water wee may ſee what is in the mayne Ocean; I maruell not if the Centurion were kind to his Seruants, for they were dutifull to him; hee can but ſay, Doe this, and it is done; theſe mutuall reſpects draw on each other; cheerefull and diligent ſeruice in the one, cals for a due and fauourable care in the other▪ they that neglect to pleaſe cannot complaine to be neglected. Oh that I could bee but ſuch a Seruant to mine heauenly Maſter; Alas, eueryevery of his commands, ſayes, Doe this, and I doe it not; EueryEvery of his inhibitions ſayes, Doe it not, and I doe it; Hee ſayes, goe from the World, I runne to it; hee ſayes, Come to mee, I runne from him▪ Woe is mee, this is not ſeruice, but enmity; How can I looke for fauour, whiles I returne rebellion; It is a gracious Maſter whom wee ſerue; there can be no duty of ours, that hee ſees not, that hee acknowledges not, that hee crownes not; wee could not but bee happy, if wee could bee officious.

What can be more maruellous than to ſee Chriſt maruell? All maruelling ſuppoſes an ignorance going before, and a…knowledge following ſome accident vnexpected▪ now who wrought this Faith in the Centurion, but hee that wondred at it? He knew well what hee wrough…, becauſe he wrought what he would; yet he wondred at what he both wrought, and knew, to teach vsus, much more to admire that which h…e at once knowes and holds admirable.

He wrought this faith as God; hee wondred at it as man, God wrought, and man admired; hee that was both, did both; to teach vsus where to beſtow our wonder. I neuer finde Chriſt wondring at Gold, or Siluer, at the coſtly and curious workes of humane skill or induſtry; Yea, when the Diſciples wondred at the magnificence of the Temple, he rebuked them rather: I finde him not wondring at the frame of Heauen and Earth, nor at the orderly diſpoſition of all creatures and euents; the familiaritie of theſe things intercepts the admiration; But when hee ſees the grace or acts of faith, hee ſo approues them, that hee is rauiſhed with wonder; Hee that reioyced in the view of his Creation, to ſee that of nothing, hee had made all things good, reioyces no leſſe in the reformation of his Creature, to ſee, that p. 1208hee hath made good of euill: Behold thou art faire, my LoueLove, behold thou art faire, and there is no ſpot in thee; My Siſter, my ſpouſe, thou haſt wounded my heart, thou haſt wounded my heart with one of thine eyes.

Our Wealth, Beautie, Wit, Learning, Honour, may make vsus accepted of men; but it is our Faith only, that ſhall make God in louelove with vsus; And why are wee of any other ſaue Gods Dyet, to bee more affected with the leaſt meaſure of Grace in any man, than with all the outward glories of the World? There are great men whom we iuſtly pitty, we can admire none but the gracious.

Neither was that plant more worthy of wonder in it ſelfe, than that it grew in ſuch a ſoyle, with ſo little helpe of Raine and Sunne; The weakneſſe of meanes, addes to the prayſe and acceptation of our proficiencie: To doe good vponupon a little is the commendation of thrift; it is ſmall thanke to bee full handed in a large eſtate; As contrarily, the ſtrength of meanes doubles the reuenge of our neglect: It is not more the ſhame of Iſrael, than the glory of the Centurion; that our Sauiour ſayes, I hauehave not found ſo great faith in Iſrael; Had Iſrael yeelded any equall faith, it could not hauehave bin vneſpyed of thoſe All-ſeeing eyes; yet were their helpes ſo much greater, than their faith was leſſe; and God neuer giues more than hee requires: Where wee hauehave laid our Tillage, and Compoſt, and Seed, who would not looke for a Crop? but if the vncultured fallow yeeld more, how iuſtly is that vnanſwerable ground neere to a curſe?

Our Sauiour did not mutter this cenſorious teſtimony to himſelfe, nor whiſper it to his Diſciples, but he turned him about to the people, and ſpake it in their eares, that he might at once worke their ſhame and emulation: In all other things, except ſpirituall, our ſelfe-louelove makes vsus impatient of equals, much leſſe can wee endure to be out-ſtripped by thoſe, who are our profeſſed inferiours. It is well, if any thing can kindle in vsus holy ambitions: Dull and baſe are the ſpirits of that man, that can abide to ſee another ouer-take him in the way, and out-run him to Heauen.

He that both wrought this faith, and wondred at it, doth now reward it, Goe thy wayes, and … thou haſt beleeued, ſo bee it vntounto thee; Neuer was any faith vnſeene of Chriſt, neuer was any ſeene without allowance, neuer was any allowed without remuneration: The meaſure of our receits in the matter of fauour, is the proportion of our beliefe; The infinite Mercy of God (which is euer like it ſelfe) followes but one rule in his gifts to vsus, the faith that hee giues vsus: GiueGive vsus, O God, to beleeue, and be it to vsus as thou wilt, it ſhall be to vsus aboue that we will.

The Centurion ſues for his Seruant, and Chriſt ſayes, So bee it vntounto thee; The Seruants health is the benefit of the Maſter; and the Maſter Faith is the health of the Seruant; And if the Prayers of an earthly Maſter, preuayled ſo much with the Sonne of God, for the recouery of a Seruant, how ſhall the interceſſion of the Sonne of God, preuayle with his Father in Heauen, for vsus that are his impotent Children and Seruants vponupon Earth? What can wee want, O Sauiour, whiles thou ſueſt for vsus? Hee that hath giuen thee for vsus, can deny thee nothing for vsus, can deny vsus nothing for thee; In thee we are happy, and ſhall be glorious; To thee, O thou mightie Redeemer of Iſrael, with thine eternall Father, together with thy bleſſed Spirit, one God infinite, and incomprehenſible, be giuen all prayſe, Honour, and Glory, for euer and euer. Amen.

FINIS.

Contemplations, THE SIXTH Volume.

By I.H. D.D.

LONDON, Printed for Nathaniel Butter.

1625.

Contemplations. THE SIXTEENTH BOOKE.

Containing

Shimei curſing.

Achitophel.

The death of Abſalom.

Shebaes Rebellion.

The Gibeonites reuenged.

The numbring of the People.

By IOS: HALL, D. of Diuinity, and Deane of WORCESTER.