Works of Joseph Hall, Part 31 – Dedication 46
HEROD and the Jnfants.
WEll might theſe wiſe men hauehave ſuſpected Herods ſecrecy; If hee had meant well, what needed that whiſpering? That which they publiſhed in the ſtreets, he asks in his priuie chamber; yet they not miſdoubting his intention, purpoſe to fulfill his charge: It could not in their apprehenſion but be much honour to them, to make their ſucceſſe knowne, that now both King and people might ſee, it was not fancie that led them, but an aſſured reuelation: That God, which brought them thither, diuerted them, and cauſed, their eies ſhut, to guide them the beſt way home.
Theſe Sages made a happy voyage: for now they grew into further acquaintance with God: They are honoured with a ſecond meſſenger from heauen: They ſaw the ſtarre in the way, the Angell in their bed: The ſtarre guided their iourney vntounto Chriſt, the Angell directed their returne: They ſaw the ſtarre by day, a viſion by night: God ſpake to their eies by the ſtarre, he ſpeakes to their heart by a dreame: No doubt, they had left much noiſe of Chriſt behinde them: they that did ſo publiſh his birth by their inquiry at Ieruſalem, could not be ſilent when they found him at Bethleem: If they had returned by Herod, I feare they had come ſhort home; Hee that meant death to the Babe for the name of a King, could meane no other to thoſe that honoured and proclaimed a new King, and erected a Throne beſides his: they had done what they came for; and now that God, whoſe buſineſſe they came about, takes order at once for his Sonnes ſafety, and for theirs: God, which is perfection it ſelfe, neuer beginnes any buſineſſe, but hee makes an end, and ends happily; When our waies are his, there is no danger of miſcarriage.
Well did theſe wiſe-men know the difference, as of ſtars, ſo of dreames; they had learned to diſtinguiſh betweene the naturall and diuine; and once apprehending God in their ſleepe, they follow him waking, and returne another way. They were no ſubiects to Herod, his command preſſed them ſo much the leſſe, or if the being within his dominions had beene no leſſe bound, than natiue ſubiection, yet where God did countermand Herod, there could be no queſtion, whom to obey. They ſay not, Wee are in a ſtrange countrey, Herod may meet with vsus, It can bee no leſſe than death to mocke him in his owne territories; but cheerefully put themſelues vponupon the way, and truſt God with the ſucceſſe: Where men command with God, we muſt obey men for God, and God in men; when againſt him, the beſt obedience is to deny obedience, and to turne our backes vponupon Herod.
The wiſe-men are ſafely arriued in the Eaſt, and fill the world full of cxpectation, as themſelues are full of wonder: Ioſeph and Mary are returned with the Babe to that Ieruſalem, where the wiſe men had inquired for his birth. The Citie was doubtleſſe ſtill full of that rumor, and little thinkes, that he whom they talke of, was ſo neere them: From thence they are, at leaſt in their way to Nazareth, where they purpoſe their abode: God preuents them by his Angell, and ſends them for ſafety into Egypt; Ioſeph was not wont to bee ſo full of viſions: It was not long ſince the Angell appeared vntounto him to iuſtifie the innocency of the mother, and the Deity of the Sonne; now hee appeares for the preſeruation of both, and a preſeruation by flight: Could Ioſeph now chooſe, but thinke, Is this the King, that muſt ſaue Iſrael, that needs to be ſaued by me? If he be the Sonne of God, how is he ſubiect to the violence of men? How is he Almighty, that muſt ſaue himſelfe by flight? or how much he flie to ſaue himſelfe out of that land, which he comes to ſaue? But faithfull Ioſeph hauing beene once tutored by the Angell, and hauing heard, what the wiſe-men ſaid of the Starre, which Simeon and Anna ſaid in the Temple, labours not ſo much to reconcile his thoughts, as to ſubiect them; and … o…, that knew it ſafer to ſuppreſſe doubts, than to aſſoile them, can beleeue, what he vnderſtand… not, and can wonder, where he cannot comprehend.
Oh ſtrange condition of the King of all the world! He could not be borne in a baſe… eſtate, yet euen this he cannot enioy with ſafety. There was no roome for him in Bethleem, there will bee no roome for him in Iudea: He is no ſooner come to his owne; than he muſt flie from them; that hee may ſaue them, hee muſt auoide them: Had it not beene eaſie for the… (O Sauiour) to hauehave acquit thy ſelfe from Herod, a thouſand waies? What could an arme of fleſh hauehave done againſt the God of ſpirits? What had it beene for thee to hauehave ſent Herod fiue yeeres ſooner vntounto his place? what to hauehave commanded fire from heauen on thoſe, that ſhould hauehave come to apprehend thee? or to hauehave bidden the earth to receiue them aliue, whom ſhe meant to ſwallow dead? Wee ſuffer miſery, becauſe we muſt; thou, becauſe thou wouldeſt: The ſame will that brought thee from heauen into earth, ſends thee from Iury to Egypt; as thou wouldſt bee borne meane and miſerable, ſo thou wouldſt liue ſubiect to humane vexations, that thou, which haſt taught vsus how good it is to beare the yoake euen in our youth, mightſt ſanctifie to vsus early afflictions. Or whether (O Father) ſince it was the purpoſe of thy wiſdome to manifeſt thy Sonne by degrees vntounto the world, was it thy will thu… to hide him for a time, vnderunder our infirmity? and what other is our condition? wee are no ſooner borne thine, than wee are perſecuted. If the Church trauell, and bring forth a male, ſhee is in danger of the Dragons ſtreames: What doe the members complaine of the ſame meaſure, which was offered to the Head? Both our births are accompanied with teares.
Euen of thoſe, whoſe mature age is full of trouble, yet the infancie is commonly quiet, but here life and toile began together. O bleſſed Virgin! euen already did the ſword begin to pierce thy ſoule: thou which wert forced to beare thy Sonne in thy wombe, from Nazareth to Bethleem, muſt now beare him in thy armes from Iury into Egypt; yet couldſt thou not complaine of the way, whileſt thy Sauiour was with thee: His preſence alone was able to make the ſtable a Temple, Egypt a Paradiſe, the way more pleaſing than reſt. But whither then? O whither doſt thou carry that bleſſed burthen, by which thy ſelfe and the world are vpholden? To Egypt, the ſlaughter houſe of Gods people, the furnace of Iſraels ancient affliction, the ſinke of the world: Out of Egypt hauehave I called my Sonne (ſaith God.) That thou calledſt thy Sonne out of Egypt, O God, is no maruell; It is a maruell, that thou calledſt him into Egypt; but that we know, all earths are thine, and all places and men are like figures vponupon a table, ſuch as thy diſpoſition makes them: What a change is here? Iſrael the firſt borne of God, flies out of Egypt into the promiſed Land of Iudea; Chriſt the Firſt borne of all creatures, flies from Iudea into Egypt: Egypt is become the Sanctuary, Iudea the Inquiſition-houſe of the Sonne of God: He, that is eueryevery where the ſame, makes all places alike to his: He makes the fiery furnace a gallery of pleaſure, the Lyons denne an houſe of defence, the Whales belly a lodging chamber, Egypt an harbour.
Hee flees that was able to preſerue himſelfe from danger, to teach vsus, how lawfully wee may flee from thoſe dangers, wee cannot auoid otherwiſe: It is a thankleſſe fortitude, to offer our throat vntounto the knife: Hee, that came to die for vsus, fled for his owne preſeruation, and hath bid vsus follow him; When they perſecute you in one Citie, flee into another: Wee hauehave but the vſe of our liues, and wee are bound to huſband them to the beſt aduantage of God and his Church: God hath made vsus, not as Butts to bee perpetually ſhot at, but as the marks of rouers moueable, as the wind and ſunne may beſt ſerue.
It was warrant enough for Ioſeph and Mary that God commands them to flee, yet ſo familiar is God growne with his approued ſeruants, that he giues them the reaſon of his commanded flight: (For Herod will ſeeke the young childe to deſtroy him:) What wicked men will doe, what they would doe, is knowne vntounto God before hand: He that is ſo infinitely wiſe to know the deſignes of his enemies before they are, could as eaſily preuent them, that they might not be, but he lets them runne on in their owne courſes, that he may fetch glory to himſelfe out of their wickedneſſe.
Good Ioſeph hauing this charge in the night, ſtaies not till the morning; no ſooner had God ſaid Ariſe, than he ſtarts vp and ſets forward: It was not diffidence, but obedience that did ſo haſten his departure; The charge was direct, the buſineſſe important: He dares not linger for the light, but breakes his reſt for the iourney, and taking vantage of the darke, departs toward Egypt: How knew he this occaſion would abide any delay? We cannot be too ſpeedy in the execution of Gods commands, we may be too late: Here was no treaſure to hide, no hangings to take downe, no lands to ſecure; The poore Carpenter needs doe no more but locke the dores, and away: He goes lightly that wants a lode: If there be more pleaſure in abundance, there is more ſecurity in a meane eſtate: The Buſtard or the Oſtridge, when he is purſued, can hardly get vponupon his wings, whereas the Larke mounts with eaſe. The rich hath not ſo much aduantage of the poore in the enioying, as the poore hath of the rich in leauing.
Now is Ioſeph come downe into Egypt: Egypt was beholden to the name, as that whereto it did owe no leſſe than their vniuerſall preſeruation: Well might it repay this act of Hoſpitality to that name and bloud: the going downe into Egypt had not ſo much difficulty, as the ſtaying there: Their abſence from their countrey was little better than a banniſhment; but what was this other, than to ſerue a prentiſhip in the houſe of bondage? to be any where ſaue at home, was irkeſome: but to be in Egypt ſo many yeares amongſt idolatrous Pagans, muſt needs be painefull to religious hearts: The Command of their God, and the Preſence of Chriſt makes amends for all: How long ſhould they hauehave thought it to ſee the Temple of God, if they had not had the God of the Temple with them? How long to preſent their ſacrifices at the Altar of God, if they had not had him with them, which made all ſacrifices accepted, and which did accept the ſacrifice of their hearts?
Herod was ſubtle in mocking the wiſe-men, whiles he promiſed to worſhip him whom hee meant to kill; now God makes the wiſe men to mocke him, in diſappointing his expectation: It is iuſt with God to puniſh thoſe, which would beguile others with illuſion: Great ſpirits are ſo much more impatient of diſgrace; How did Herod now rage, and fret, and vainely wiſh to hauehave met with thoſe falſe ſpies, and tells, with what torments he would reuenge their trechery, and curſes himſelfe for truſting ſtrangers in ſo important a buſineſſe?
The Tyrants ſuſpition would not let him reſt long: Ere many daies hee ſends to inquire of them, whom hee ſent to inquire of Chriſt. The notice of their ſecret departure increaſeth his ielouſie, and now his anger runnes madde, and his feare proues deſperate: All the infants of Bethleem ſhall bleed for this one; And (that hee may make ſure worke) hee cuts out to himſelfe large meaſures both of time, and place: It was but very lately that the Starre appeared, that the wiſe-men re-appeared not: They asked for him that was borne, they did not name when hee was borne: Herod for more ſecuritie ouer-reaches their time, and fetches into the ſlaughter all the children of two yeears age: The Prieſts and Scribes had told him, the towne of Bethleem muſt bee the place of the Meſſia's natiuity: He fetches in all the children of the coaſts adioyning; yea his owne ſhall for the time be a Bethleemite: A tyrannous guiltineſſe neuer thinkes it ſelfe ſafe, but euer ſeekes to aſſure it ſelfe in the exceſſe of cruelty. Doubtleſſe hee, which ſo priuily inquired for Chriſt, did as ſecretly brew this maſſacre: The mothers were ſet with their children on their laps, feeding them with the breſt, or talking to them in the familiar language of their louelove, when ſuddenly the Executioner ruſhes in, and ſnatches them from their armes, and at once pulling forth his Commiſſion and his knife, without regard to ſhrikes or teares, murthers the innocent babe, and leaues the paſſionate mother in a meane betweene madneſſe and death. What curſing of Herod? what wringing of hands? what condoling? what exclaiming was now in the ſtreets of Bethleem?
O bloudy Herod, that couldſt ſacrifice ſo many harmeleſſe liues to thine ambition! What could thoſe infants hauehave done? If it were thy perſon, whereof thou wert afraid, what likelihood was it, thou couldſt liue, till thoſe ſucklings might endanger thee? This newes might affect thy ſucceſſors, it could not concerne thee, if the heate of an impotent and furious enuy had not made thee thirſty of bloud: It is not long, that thou ſhalt enioy this cruelty; After a few hatefull yeeres, thy ſoule ſhall feele the weight of ſo many innocents, of ſo many iuſt curſes.
He, for whoſe ſake thou killedſt ſo many, ſhall ſtrike thee with death; and then what wouldeſt thou hauehave giuen to hauehave bin as one of thoſe infants whom thou murtheredſt? In the meane time, when thine executioners returned, and told thee of their vnpartiall diſpatch, thou ſmiledſt to thinke, how thou had defeated thy riuall, and beguiled the ſtarre, and deluded the propheſies, whiles God in heauen, and his Son on earth laugh thee to ſcorne, and make thy rage an occaſion of further glory to him, whom thou meanteſt to ſuppreſſe.
He that could take away the liues of others, cannot protract his owne. Herod is now ſent home; The coaſt is cleare for the returne of that holy family; Now God cals them from their exile: Chriſt and his Mother had not ſtayed ſo long out of the confines of the reputed viſible Church, but to teach vsus continuance vnderunder the Croſſe: Sometimes God ſees it good for vsus not to ſip of the cup of affliction, but to make a dict-drinke of it, for conſtant and common vſe: If he allow vsus no other liquor for many yeeres, we muſt take it off cheerefully, and know, that it is but the meaſure of our betters.
Ioſeph and Mary ſtirre not without a command; their departure, ſtay, remoouall is ordered by the voice of God: If Egypt had beene more tedious vntounto them, they durſt not moue their foot, till they were bidden: It is good in our owne buſineſſe to follow reaſon, or cuſtome: but in Gods buſineſſe, if we hauehave any other guide but himſelfe, we preſume, and cannot expect a bleſſing.
O the wonderfull diſpenſation of God in concealing of himſelfe from men! Chriſt was now ſome fiue yeeres old; he beares himſelfe as an infant, and knowing all things, neither takes nor giues notice of ought concerning his remoouall and diſpoſing, but appoints that to be done by his Angell, which the Angell could not hauehave done, but by him: Since hee would take our nature, he would be a perfect childe, ſuppreſſing the manifeſtation and exerciſe of that God-head, whereto that infancy-nature was conioyned. Euen ſo, O Sauiour, the humility of thine infancy was anſwerable to that of thy birth: The more thou hideſt and abaſeſt thy ſelfe for vsus, the more ſhould we magnifie thee, the more ſhould we deiect our ſelues for thee.
VntoUnto Thee, with the Father and the holy Ghoſt, be all honour and glory, now and for euer. Amen.
FJNJS.
Contemplations VPONUPON THE HISTORIE OF THE NEW TESTAMENT.
The ſecond Booke.
Containing
Chriſt among the Doctors.
Chriſt Baptized.
Chriſt Tempted.
Simon Called.
The Mariage in Cana.
The good Centurion.
By IOS. HALL.
SIC ELEVABITVR FILIVS HOMINIS
Io 3.
ANCHORA FIDEI:
Printed for THOMAS PAVIER, MILES FLESHER, and John Haviland. 1624.
TO THE HONORABLE GENERALL, SIR EDVVARD CECILL KNIGHT, all honor and happineſſe.
Moſt Honored Sir,
THe ſtore of a good Scribe is (according to our Sauiour) both old and new; J would (if J durſt) be ambitious of this onelyonly honor; hauing therefore drawne forth theſe not-friuolous thoughts, out of the old Teſtament, I fetch theſe following from the new; God is the ſame in both; as the body differs not with the age of the ſute, with the change of robes: The olde and new wine of holy Truth, came both out of one vineyard; yet here may wee ſafely ſay to the Word of his Father, as was ſaid to the Bridegroome of Cana, Thou haſt kept the beſt wine till the laſt; The authority of both is equally ſacred; the vſe admits no leſſe difference, than is betwixt a Sauiour fore-ſhadowed, and come. The intermiſsion of thoſe military imployments, which hauehave won you iuſt honor, both in forraine nations, and at home, is in this only gainefull, that it yeelds you leaſure to theſe happy thoughts, which ſhall more fully acquaint you with him that is at once the God of Hoſts, & the Prince of Peace: To the furtherance whereof theſe my poore labours ſhall doe no thankeleſſe offices. In lieu of your noble fauours to me both at home, and where you hauehave merited command, nothing can bee returned but humble acknowledgements, and hearty prayers for the increaſe of your Honor, and all happineſſe to your ſelfe, and your thrice-worthy and vertuous Lady, by him that is deepely obliged, and truely deuoted to you both,
IOS. HALL.