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He, that made the Glory of God and the Good of Souls his aim, was obliged to fet out warily, and ftop, as much as might be, the Mouth of Prejudice and Cavil. And nothing could go farther toward fixing him a general Reputation, than Modefty. To put himfelf forward of his own accord, or to yield to a Mother's first Motions, might look like an Eagerness to catch at Admiration and Applaufe, to fall in with an intemperate Zeal for advancing his own Honour, and a fhewing what he could do, rather than difcerning what was fit to do. And therefore in this the Humility and Wisdom of the Bleffed Jefus appeared, that he tempered his Goodness with Difcretion, drew back upon the Inftance of his deareft Relation, and ftood upon the Referve, for a more convenient Opportunity.

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2. For answer that Request he did afterwards, and that with very good reafon too. Some, from the Propriety of the Greek Expreffion, have fuppofed his Mother to fpeak, before the Wine was out, and when it grew fo low, that she plainly faw there would not be enough. Now the Cuftom of our Saviour's Miracles is, to come in to Mens Succour, when human Helps are either past and ineffectual, or not to be had at all. The neceffity therefore of that fupernatural Supply intended them, was fit to be felt and manifeft; in order to recommend the Benefit it self, and to give the manner of their attaining it, a power of making the deeper Impreffion upon their Minds.

Nor is it unreasonable to imagine, that Affection, and Refpect, and an Inclination to repair the Concern of a lately reproved Mother, might work upon the Sweetness of his Temper. Lefs fo ftill, to fay, that the Vindication of, his own Honour demanded this Miracle from him. For, when the Servants had been charged with Obedience to his Directions, Mat

ters

ters were gone too far to retreat, without incurring the Reproach of Weaknefs, and difappointing the Expectations, that had been raifed of him. This Reason futes very well with that of his declining it before. For, having guarded against all Imputation of Forwardness and Vain-glory, it was then prudent to juftifie his Power. The failing in which might have proved of as ill Confequence, as the attempting it fooner, without a preffing Neceffity. In this we can only offer a probable Account. The Next thing furnishes furer Grounds to go upon, I

mean,

2. The prudent manner of working this Miracle, apparent in the Care our Lord took, fo to order all the Circumftances of it, that there could remain no doubt, concerning the Reality of fo wonderful a Change.

And this appears, First, from the Perfons chofen to affift in it. For, though the fame Almighty Power, which every Year turns Water into Wine, by the impregnating Warmth of the Sun, concocting the Juices of the Earth, and the Sap of the Trees that produce it, could have done fo by this, in a moment of time, without any Helper: Though he could with the fame eafe have created Wine out of nothing, and filled the empty Veffels with a Word of his Mouth; Yet was he pleased to use the Ministry of Others, the Servants of the Houfe, and fuch as could not be thought in any Confederacy with him. These poured the Water in with their own Hands; These therefore were fo many unexceptionable Witneffes, that what themselves knew to be common Water, was quickly after, by the fame Hands, drawn out generous Wine.

2. The fame prudent care appears, Secondly, in the Veffels fingled out for that purpose. Which, the Sixth Verfe tells us, were Six Water-pots of Stone, after the

man

Chryf. in Joh.
Hom. 22.

Janfen Conc.
Ev. cap. 18.
Chemnit.

Harm. cap. 22.
Matth. Hoft.

de Hydr. Critic.

Sacr. tom. 9.

manner of purifying the Jews. A Remark of great Weight and Significance, in this Affair. For the Jews, being commanded frequent Wafhings, to take off thofe Legal Pollutions, which there was no avoiding in their daily Converfation; and they being nice in thefe Wafhings, even to a Superftition; Every Man took care to provide himself with large Veffels, that he might never want Water at home, for any the most fudden Emergency. Now this being defigned for a Holy Use, it was reckoned a Sin and heinous Profanation, to put any thing but Water, into thofe Veffels. So that here was no room for fufpecting any thing of Wine, in thofe Pots of Stone before.

Ver. 8.

3. It appeared, Thirdly, in ordering those Servants to bear to the Governor of the Feast. For fuch a one it was the Cuftom of those Countries to have. A Perfon of Sobriety and Gravity, whose business it was, to fee the Entertainment managed by his Directions; and to keep all, even the Guests themselves, within the Rules of Decency. His Judgment and Palate therefore is referred to, as more accurate, and lefs vitiated. Thefe Circumstances all confpired to advance the Credit of the Miracle. And they are all agreeable with the general Method of our Lord; who does not, upon thefe occafions, aim at Pomp and Shew, but Proof and Atteftation; and labours not to aftonifli Men, except in order to perfuading and convincing them. Thus he did, and thus it became him to do, who honoured not himself, but the Father that fent him; and fought not his own Praife, but the Good and Salvation of thofe, to whom he was fent.

See Matth.Hoft.

de Hydr. Capacit. tom. 9.

4. Once more. I obferve the Excellence of this Miracle, from the Quantity, and the Goodness, of the Wine. Of

the

the Former the Sixth Verfe, of the Latter the Ninth and Tenth give us a particular account. So that, you

fee, As all other Confiderations concur to recommend this Wonder; the Plenty, the Perfection of it, and the Bounty of the Worker, do fo likewife. Even of that God, whofe Power is never ftinted; at whofe Difpofal all Creatures are, and who, with the but opening of his Hand, fatisfies the defire of every Pfal. cxlv. 16. living thing.

III. The Efficacy of this Miracle comes, in the Laft place, to be confidered. Of which S. John fays, that in this beginning of Miracles Jefus mani

Ver. II.

fefted forth his glory, and his Difciples believed on him. The importance whereof may probably be best understood, by taking notice of a particular Signification, put by the Jews upon the Word Glory. Whereby they intended the vifible Marks of God's fpecial Prefence with, and Refidence among them, in the Tabernacle first, and afterwards the Temple. Hence their Ark is called the Ark of the Teftimony, the Dwelling or Tabernacle of God. And when that Ark fell into the Enemies hand, the name of a Child defigned to intimate fo fad a Calamity, is I-chabod: The Glory is not: because, fays the Text, the Ark of God was taken. Hence David begging to be reftored to the place of publick Worfhip, the Temple at Jerufalem, expreffes that Hap pinefs, by feeing God's Glory; and St. Paul fays, that over the Tables of the Covenant were the Cherubims of Glory fhadowing the Mercy-feat.

1 Sam. iv. 21.

Pfal. Ixiii. 2.

Hebr. ix. 4.

But the fame Apostle calls all those things a Figure, and a Shadow of Chrift. Whofe Incarnation S. John is therefore thought to defcribe with a peculiar Elegance, when faying, that the Word was made Flesh, and fet up his Tabernacle among us, refided in our Nature, and John i. 14.

Εσκήνωσιν ἐν

ἡμῖν.

made a humane Body his Veil; In all which Phrases there is a Correfpondence, and Allufion to that Veil in the Temple, which feparated the vifible Tokens of God's Prefence from common Sight. Then he goes

on, And we beheld his Glory, a Divine Prefence, not like that under the Law, of Rigor and figurative Importance, but fuch as brought Grace inftead of Severity, and Truth inftead of Shadows. The word Glory then, applied to Christ, denotes the fame God to have exhibited himfelf to us in this Perfon, who formerly exhibited himself to the Jews in their Temple. And, by manifefting forth this Glory, we are to understand, that Chrift did fomething, which plainly proved his Power to be Divine; and argued the actual Prefence of God with, and in, his humane Body.

And, Who indeed lefs than God could have the Creatures of this lower World fo abfolutely at his Difpofal, as to make them ftart from their fix'd Laws of Being, and change their Natures and Qualities in an inftant? He only could repeal thefe Laws, who made them. He only could alter their Forms, who at first appointed them. And when this was done, without invoking the Aid of any Higher Power, it was an evidence of no Higher Power to have recourfe to. It fhewed the Authority, by which he did it, to be fupreme, as well as the Creatures fuch Authority was exercifed upon, to be entirely his own.

I only add a few Practical Reflections, and will be brief in each of them.

1. The First our Church hath drawn for me, in one of her excellent Offices; It is the Honour due to a Married State. Had this been unbecoming the Purity of his moft fanctified Difciples, would our most Holy Mafter, think you, have graced fuch a Solemnity with his own Prefence? Would that Pattern, that Fountain of all Purity, have chofen a polluted Ordinance, for the Occafion of his firft Miracle, Nay,

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