Contemplations and Devotions, Part 20
XX His Mother he recommends to Iohn, Ioh. 19.26.27.and Iohn to her.
HOw poore a retinnew, doe wee here find about the head of the family, the Lord of glory? how many can bee content to dwell with him on Mount Tabor, but how few follow him here to Mount Caluary? how close doe they hang on him, while hee gives them bread, but how soone drop they off, when hee himselfe cryes for drinke? Oderunt pannos, (saies the Prophet) they like well his roabs, but not his rags, the Crowne, but not the crosse; how lately did they swarme in that sunshine of Hosannah, but how doe they now take shelter in this storme of crucifying? of all those troopes here is left but a few women, but one Ap…stle, and yet these two or three being gathred together, how truely is hee (as hee had promis'd) in the midst of them? Hee that provides not for his family, 1. Tim. 5.8.hath denied the faith; how gracious a commentary on that text of his Apostle, & that in his owne example, doth the Author, and obiect of that fa…th here give vsus? how carefull is hee here to provide for this, though so small a remnant of his scattred family? his mother, and disciple, who would have thought hee could have found either list, or leasure, amidst the busie puzle of all these his distractive tortures, as to mind any thing beside them? passions, whether of body, or mind, when extreame, vsually engrosse all thought, and apprehension to themselues; yet shall not all the power and spight of men, and devils, and sinnes combind in one, so much surprise his plunged thoughts, but that they will reflect and cast some rayes of comfort on his distressed friends; hee will not faile however on this, though so restlesse a death-bed of his Crosse, to make his will, and bequeath some legacies: but alas, what hath the Giver of all, now left him yet to give his Apostles, all save Iohn fled, his garments divided, his skin torne, his blood spilt, nothing left about him, but his loving mother, and beloved disciple; and them not knowing how better to bestow, hee mutually gives each other, Woman behold thy Sonne; Ioh. 19.26.Sonne behold thy Mother. But (alas) how short, how wanting a supply, can any adopted Son bee for one so naturall, so supernaturall, so vnnaturally butcherd? hee that was a valuable exchange for Iohn, and all mankind besides, in satisfaction of his fathers iustice, how lossefull an exchange must Iohn needs bee for him, in satisfaction of his mothers love? this holy woman, I know she was but a creature, and I know what is not a God, may possibly bee made an Idoll: yet doe I not thinke it any idolatry, or popery, either to commend her sanctity, or commiserate her sorow, so wee neither adore her person, or inuoke her name: the best rule herein is the meane, to make her no more then a woman, nor no lesse then a Saint; however hee can not but bee without naturall affection (which the Apostle reckons vp among the greatest crimes) that can considerRom. 1.30. her in the case, shee here stands in without some simpathy, some interest, and compassion; who can with dry vningaged eyes consider her, her eyes weeping, her feet trembling, her hands wringing, her heart sighing, her soule bleeding drop for drop with her Sonnes body, now swooning with griefe, now againe reviving with love, how could shee chuse looking on him thus handled, mangled, without the skin shee bare him in, without the blood shee gave him; without either the milke shee first gave him, or that wine, which afterward hee gave her, glad now to sucke insteed of them their vinegar, and gall; no longer now in hers, but in the racking armes of his bloody Crosse, hanging on tenters like a parchment skinne a dressing, like a bottle in the smoake. If Peter were so transported with ioy to see him so transfigured on Mount Tabor, how much more is shee with sorrow, to see him thus disfigured on Mount Caluary? how could shee looke on him for griefe, and yet how could shee but looke on him for love; the eye being the minds earnest, and constant messenger in the errands of affection. Mothers vse first to tast their meat vntounto their children, nor questionlesse in the mutuall interest of love could shee but tast to him the vinegar, and gall, and what ever other torment hee sufferd, love ever shares with the obiect; no naile can be driven into his hands, but must first pierce her heart, the thornes can not scratch his browes, but they must harrow vp her bowels, no blasphemy or insultation can reach his eares, but must first rend her soule with anguish, and remorse; specially shee having not onelyonly borne him to all this misery, but her sinnes among the rest having brought, nay betray'd, condemn'd him to it; nor may it bee thought the least of his suffrings, that in all of the… shee thus suffers with him, every teare of hers can not but pierce him, deeper then their speare, not a sigh but more wounds his heart, then all those nailes of theirs his hands; how savadge, how vnlegall is this their cruelty? their Law forbids them to seeth the Lambe in the dams milke; Lev. 19.yet here how vnnaturally doe they at once, both boile this Lambe of God in the mothers teares, and the mother in the Sonnes blood? 'tis the conceit of some, that none of these, that here thus suffringly waited at our Saviours death, did afterward suffer Martirdome, as all the rest of the Apostles did, and most of the Disciples, such was their suffrance in their attendance here, as is pass'd for Martirdome, as well in dignity, as torment; it could be no other then a kinde of death, to see life die, to bee eye-witnesses of such a death,Ioh. 14. of such a master, whom they lov'd so well; Sonne behold thy mother. Iohns exchange too fals short of any full supply, as well as Maries, what mother, though his owne could love him so well as such a master? what exchange, what gaine for such a Saviour could make him any way a Saver?Phil. 3.8. all the world to him 'tis but losse and dung (saies Paul) none certainely, but the gaine of that the same losse, nothing could repaire to him the losse of this his masters life, but the benefit of his death, and therein; how abundantly is the plenteous measure of supply to both mother, and friend, heaped vp, shaken together, and running over? (with Themistocles) herein how had they lost, had they not lost? we read not of any dignified with more glorious prerogatives then these two, Mary, and Iohn; the one bare our Saviour in her wombe, th'other leaned on his breast, and yet how litle had all this availd them, had not faith, and piety season'd those outward priviledges and made them truely gracious as well as glorious: yea, rather blessed are they that heare the word of God and keepe it. Luk. 11.28.Happier Mary in that shee bare his sayings in her heart, then himselfe in her wombe? in that shee partooke of the merit, then in that shee imparted the matter of his blood; 'twas not so much to the lovingnesse of her motherhood,Luk. 1.48. as the lowlinesse of her handmaidship that hee had regard, and that all generations call her blessed. And how much happier Iohn too, in that hee caried our Saviour in his owne bosome, then in that hee lean'd on his? in that hee lean'd and relied more on his inward bowels of mercy, then on his outward bosome of flesh? what did it steed Saul, that hee was a Prophet? what Iudas that hee was an Apostle? outward graces without inward grace, close without truth, serue but to inhanse and dis-excuse a mans damnation.
But O my Lord and Saviour, thou callest thy flocke a litle one, Luk. 12.32.and hadst cold it before, that the Sheepheard being smitten, Zach. 13.7.the sheepe would bee scattred; he…e how both little is it, and how scattred? and yet though scattred thus, though smitten into the place of Dragons desolation, how carefull art thou of this thy litle flocke, thy waned family? O Lord I am one of thy family too, though a lame, 2. Sam. 4.4.vnseruiceable Mephibosheth, and that by a fall I tooke (as hee) from my nurse, my mother Eve; though a Posthumus borne (with Paul) out of due time; 1 Cor. 15.yet can I not thinke that thou (Lord) who providest so carefully for the fowles of the aire, Luk. 12.24.and grasse of the field, wilt leave mee out of the check-roll of thy providence? no (Lord) I must acknowledge thou hast (as here) by thy best lov'd Apostle Iohn, recommended, applied mee to a mother, to thine owne Spouse, thy Church. O let mee in all filiall reverence and duty, ever adresse mee to her counsell, submit mee to her discipline: It is the foolish Sonne (saies the Wiseman) that despiseth Pe…. 16.20.10.his mother, but the Wise Sonne makes her glad. Psa. 90.12.O apply then (Lord) my heart vntounto wisedome, my lips of faith, and love to those two Fountaines, of true wisedome, those thy two Testaments, the two everflowing breasts of this my mother, that thence I may sucke the sincere milke of thy word, that I may grow thereby, 1 Pet 2.2.that I may grow (like thee Lord) in favour both with God and man, Luk. 2.52.ever making glad this my mother, thy espoused Church, both the militant one here, and triumphant one above, for even,Luk. 15.7. there is ioy too over one Sinner that conuerteth. But (alas Lord) how fondly doe I sometimes sooth my selfe, and thinke how happy I should have beene, what wonders I would have done, hadst thou committed to mee (as here to Iohn) the entertainement of such a guest, thy deare and gracious mother? alas, how facile, how sensuall a selfe-deceit is this? when as I have thy mother happily every day at my doores; whosoever makes a conscience of doing the will of thy Father, Mat. 12.47.the same (in thy deviner Heraldry) is thy Mother, Sister, and Brother, and such thou hast committed to my care, and charge, and that with speciall instance,Gal. 6.10. specially those of the houshold of faith, such let me ever (as Iohn here doth by thy mother) take home to house, to heart,Ioh. 19.27. so shall I make friends, Luk. 16.9.that will take mee into everlasting habitations. Outward favours (I see Lord) and priviledges, though nere so glorious prevaile not without inward grace; nay, they rather disavaile, and aggravate; let mee then as not thankelesly or c-slip them, so neither presumptuously o're weene them, but as I would most suspect my purse in a throng, so let me ever doe by that my truest treasure in the fullest throng and confluence of outward blessings,Mat. 13. ever praying with that my mother, the church, in all time of my wealth good Lord deliver mee.